Long-lasting watch design strikes a harmonious balance between form and function, a delicate harmony epitomised in a recent cohort of watch releases.

From Vacheron Constantin’s Historiques American 1921 watch, which offsets a clean dial with a richly coloured strap, to Omega’s discreet platinum Constellation Observatory watch, tone is muted throughout.

For TAG Heuer, texture reigns on a Carrera chronograph with a purple sunray brushed dial. Texture, too, is interpreted in icy blue in Montblanc’s Iced Sea Automatic Date 0 Oxygen watch in stainless steel.

Elsewhere, the Richard Mille RM 72-01 Automatic Lifestyle flyback chronograph sits at the intersection of technicality and legibility, while the tiger iron dial on the Rolex GMT-Master II watch makes for a desirable contrast.

For the Tank Louis Cartier and Tudor Black Bay 54, minimalism reigns, updated in contemporary colour.

Meanwhile, subtle interplays on the dial, seen on the IWC Ingenieur Automatic 42 and the Patek Philippe Calatrava 6007G-011 watches, will appeal to those looking for a more subtle embellishment.

This article appears in the May 2026 Issue of Wallpaper*, available in print on newsstands, on the Wallpaper* app on Apple iOS, and to subscribers of Apple News +. Subscribe to Wallpaper* today

One hundred years ago, Rolex changed watchmaking forever with the Oyster – the world's first waterproof wristwatch. At Watches and Wonders 2026, returning to Geneva from 14-20 April, the brand marks that milestone not with nostalgia but with a forward-looking collection. Read on to discover all of Rolex's new releases.

Oyster Perpetual 41

Rolex’s headline piece at Watches and Wonders is a dedicated centenary tribute. This yellow Rolesor version – Oystersteel case and bracelet with a yellow gold bezel and crown – echoes the case details of early Oyster watches. The slate dial features the inscription ‘100 years’ at six o'clock, while the Rolex name and minute track squares are rendered in signature green. The winding crown is also engraved with the number 100.

Oyster Perpetual 36

Where the Oyster Perpetual 41 looks back, the 36 takes a bold new direction with a burst of colour. Its multicoloured lacquer dial features the Jubilee motif, in which letters spelling ‘Rolex’ form a playful composition across the face. Ten individual colours are applied one by one via pad printing – an extremely technically demanding process. The result is a dial unlike anything else in the current collection – joyful and sophisticated.

Oyster Perpetual 28 and 34

Two new additions to the smaller Oyster Perpetual references come in solid 18-carat gold. The 28mm is crafted in yellow gold with a green stone lacquer dial, while the 34mm is made from Everose gold with a blue stone lacquer dial. Both have satin-finished bracelets that add textural warmth to the metal. Notably, the hour markers at three, six and nine o'clock are fashioned from natural stone.

Datejust 41

The Datejust 41 appears this year in white Rolesor with a lacquered green ombré dial that deepens in tone towards the edges. The gradient brings an element of drama to one of Rolex's most enduring designs, while the fluted bezel and date window remain hallmarks of its identity. The contrast between the ombré rim and the date aperture gives the display added clarity – a subtle upgrade on a watch that has been in continuous production since 1945.

Yacht-Master II

The most mechanically significant release of the year is the new-generation Yacht-Master II, which has undergone a complete redesign. The regatta chronograph has been reimagined around the new calibre 4162, which powers a counterclockwise-running countdown. The pared-back dial, winch-inspired pusher geometry and Cerachrom bezel in blue are available in Oystersteel or yellow gold.

Day-Date 40

Rolex introduces an entirely new proprietary alloy with this 18-carat Jubilee Gold model, whose interwoven tones of yellow, grey and pink immediately set it apart from standard yellow or Everose gold. Paired with a light green aventurine dial, the result is a watch that feels fresh rather than merely revised.

Cosmograph Daytona

Finally, Rolex presents a new Daytona in Rolesium, its combination of Oystersteel and platinum. A white enamelled dial sits against an anthracite Cerachrom ceramic bezel enriched with tungsten carbide, with a platinum edging band around the circumference. The tachymetric numerals are horizontally set in a contemporary typeface, referencing the first Cosmograph Daytona. A sapphire crystal case back, secured by a platinum ring, reveals the movement.

For decades, Rolex has placed its crowned watches on the wrists of champions just as they lift a trophy, turning victory into some of the most memorable moments in popular culture. But the origin of sport-and-watch synergy didn’t begin in a boardroom in the Swiss mountains. It started with a woman, Mercedes Gleitze, who needed a practical tool to make her dream come true.

The woman was the British swimmer Mercedes Gleitze, and the practical tool was a Rolex Oyster, the very watch coming to auction at Sotheby’s on 9 November 2025 at the Mandarin Oriental in Geneva, with a guidance estimate 'in excess of CHF 1 million / $1.3 million.'

In 1927, Mercedes Gleitze swam the English Channel in what she called her 'vindication swim', after accusations of irregularities clouded earlier attempts. To prove her feat, she wore a new kind of wristwatch, the Rolex Oyster, the first truly practical waterproof wristwatch. She emerged victorious, the watch emerged ticking, and so did the new, powerful idea of athlete endorsements.

'Gleitze’s Channel crossing, nearly a century ago, laid the foundation for what would become a legacy of tool watches built for real-world performance. The Oyster was instrumental in the transition from pocket to wristwatches, and the Mercedes Gleitze watch played an important role in this transition, rendering it one of the most significant wristwatches still in private hands,' says Sam Hines, Sotheby’s Global Chairman of Watches.

This Sotheby’s sale is being closely watched by brands that hope women can help bolster sales, which are currently mired in general luxury fatigue. Women’s watches, particularly versatile models that can be taken from the gym to the boardroom to cocktail receptions, just like the one worn by Gleitze on her heroic swim, are proving a bright spot, and the Sotheby's sale can help keep the momentum.

Think of Audemars Piguet’s Royal Oak Offshore with a shimmering, textured rubber strap that echoes the Tapisserie motif of the dial, encased in rose gold – light and comfortable for weightlifting, yet with enough glamour to transition to a business meeting.

'The most elegant sea watch,' is how Breitling CEO Georges Kern defines his company’s latest Superocean Heritage, which comes with a sleek rubber mesh strap that looks every bit as refined as its steel counterpart – proof of how much brands have invested in research and development to deliver comfort without sacrificing elegance.

And some steel watches, like Tiffany & Co’s latest Atlas model with a comfortable 29mm case, or Chopard Happy Sport (the name says it all), are so light you forget you’re wearing them and never want to take them off, just as Gleitze refused to wear any watch other than the Rolex Oyster.

And how could Gleitze abandon her faithful watch? After the swim, she declared, 'You will like to hear that the Rolex Oyster watch I carried on my Channel swim proved itself a reliable and accurate timekeeping companion even though it was subjected to complete immersion for ten hours and 24 minutes in seawater at a temperature not more than 14 degrees Celsius and often as low as ten degrees Celsius. This is to say nothing about the sustained buffeting it must have received. Not even the quick change to the high temperature of the boat cabin when I was lifted from the water seemed to affect the even tenor of its movement. The newspaper man was astonished, and I, of course, am delighted with it.'

For auction details, see sothebys.com

The first officially authorised history of Rolex’s Oyster Perpetual Datejust watch has been charted in a new book titled Oyster Perpetual Datejust – A Watch that Made History. The hefty tome is a collaboration between the storied watchmaker and global design authority Wallpaper*, and marks the second book in an ongoing series documenting Rolex’s iconic watches, following the success of the Oyster Perpetual Submariner – the Watch that Unlocked the Deep, which was published last year.

Available in English and French, the new 224-page publication was written by historian and watch expert Nicholas Foulkes, and chronicles the history of the Datejust. Foulkes highlights its significance as Rolex’s first waterproof, self-winding chronometer wristwatch with a date window – a timepiece that Rolex founder Hans Wilsdorf described, at its launch in 1945, as ‘every discovery made to date’.

Alongside new and original photography, and historical images from Rolex, the monograph dives deep into the Datejust launch 80 years ago, and the addition of the Cyclops lens in 1953, and features Rolex testimonees highlighting the company’s partnerships with athletes and figures from the arts world. With individual access to the Rolex archives, Foulkes describes it as an honour to be entrusted to write the official history of a watch he considers Rolex's ‘most representative timepiece’.

‘The Datejust has always occupied a special place in the history of watchmaking, its essential aesthetic qualities acknowledged as the perfect synthesis of sophisticated design and timeless style,’ says Wallpaper* editor-in-chief, Bill Prince.

‘In this absorbing and meticulously researched book, Nicholas Foulkes brings this enduring icon to life, illuminating not just its technical achievements, but also the lasting impression it has made on generations of watch lovers worldwide. This collaboration between Rolex and Wallpaper* offers readers an invitation to rediscover a modern classic through fresh insights, previously unseen imagery, and a narrative as compelling as the watch itself.’

‘Oyster Perpetual Datejust – A Watch that Made History’ is available for international purchase: online exclusively at WallpaperSTORE*, for pre-order from 9 September and to buy from 29 September.

‘My quest has always been how to attract a bigger audience to share in the concern and the solutions around the fact we are in a very perilous moment in the history of humanity,’ says photographer Cristina Mittermeier. ‘I want excitement around the idea of our beautiful blue planet. I stumbled on photography as a way of communicating. I never set out to be a photographer, but it was the first creative tool that I picked up.’

It is a career that has served Mittermeier well. A life spent documenting the oceans has seen her pick up multiple awards and visit over 130 countries, usually on assignment for National Geographic magazine, which in 2018 named her one of its adventurers of the year. Mittermeier’s images of the marine world and clear and urgent visual storytelling made her the first female photographer to achieve one million followers on Instagram, enabling her to create a community of ocean advocates. Being part of Rolex’s new ‘Reach for the Crown’ campaign, and holding the position as a Rolex Testimonee – reserved for those who embody excellence in their fields and Rolex’s brand values – gives her another platform to champion marine conservation.

‘I always wanted to be associated with a brand that had the same value system and the same mission and purpose that I did,’ Mittermeier says. ‘I am very happy to be part of the Rolex family. I am contributing actively to what Rolex is building, and that makes me really proud.’

Mittermeier’s involvement is a natural one, building on Rolex’s long-term efforts to support the oceans as part of the Rolex Perpetual Planet Initiative, embracing everything from working with teams of expert divers using the latest technology, to supporting coral reef restoration programmes. The initiative was launched in 2019, and sees more than 30 partners work across the areas of Oceans, Landscapes, and Science, Health, and Technology.

The initiative is also supporting Mittermeier and her partner Paul Nicklen, founders of non-profit organisation SeaLegacy, in their meticulous documenting of the marine world, and their uncovering of problems that need to be addressed.

‘For me, to be able to capture emotion in a two-dimensional piece of paper called a photograph, and translating that emotion for an audience is a superpower,’ Mittermeier says. ‘Without that empathy for each other and for the natural world, we're nothing but robots. But the real [aim] for me, and the one that I want to help be a part of with Rolex, is to save our planet.’

rolex.org

In partnership with Rolex

Precision, design vision and sustainability form an integral part in all Rolex projects – from the brand’s finely crafted watches to its discerning architectural endeavours. The latter, with a list of collaborators that reads like a who’s who of the field’s contemporary scene, include the Rolex Learning Center for EPFL in Lausanne by SANAA, and the Rolex USA headquarters in New York by David Chipperfield. In the same spirit, Rolex, a long-standing supporter of the Venice Architecture Biennale, has announced that it is launching a new pavilion in the Giardini for this year’s event, which is open from 10 May to 23 November 2025.

The building, designed by architect Mariam Issoufou, was conceived to represent the brand’s commitment to long-lasting, quality design with a sustainability-minded soul. Drawing on Issoufou’s architecture practice and experience (her studio, Mariam Issoufou Architects, has bases in Niamey, Zurich and New York), the pavilion is composed of natural materials – it features a recycled timber exterior; a translucent, coloured glass ceiling composed of elements made by Murano craftspeople; and terrazzo flooring, comprising an aggregate that includes recycled crushed ‘Cotisso’ glass (a leftover from the glassmaking process).

This palette not only brings texture and an artisanal, handmade approach to the forefront, but it also connects the building to its location, nodding to Venice’s rich cultural tapestry, as well as its fragile, precious historical context and ecological vulnerability.

Within the new space, a multi-layered exhibit is set to hone in further on these themes through film-led displays. A piece on the making of the pavilion itself will take the visitor on a journey through its different stages, telling the story of its creation.

A second film, a documentary titled Bourj Hammoud: The Value of the Existing, broadens the lens of exploration. Through the 2023-2024 Rolex mentoring programme, French architect Anne Lacaton, a firm proponent of building reuse and redesign in architecture, worked with young Lebanese-Armenian architect Arine Aprahamian. The results of their two-year collaboration, Aprahamian’s research project, are captured in this piece, which ‘explores how small and targeted interventions are the right strategy to improve daily life in Bourj Hammoud, a dense neighbourhood of Beirut where [the architect] grew up’.

Two slide shows examine the traditions and processes behind the careful refurbishment of two Rolex boutiques – in Milan, within the prestigious Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, and in Tokyo, occupying four floors in the Rolex Tower. ACPV Architects spearheaded the former, and Gwenael Nicolas of Tokyo-based design studio Curiosity was behind the latter, each author working closely with local artisans to achieve an interior that both nods to the past and looks to the future.

Drawing on themes that feel current and urgent, such as sustainability and a striving to preserve tradition while fostering innovation (which also gently echoes the 2025 biennale curator Carlo Ratti’s theme ‘Intelligens: Natural. Artificial. Collective’, underlining our connection with nature), the new Rolex Pavilion in Venice will be unveiled to the public on the biennale’s launch day on 10 May.

rolex.com

Watches and Wonders 2025 has kicked off, and Wallpaper* is on the ground in the watchmaking capital of Geneva to bring you all the latest announcements from the world of horology.

On day one, all eyes are on Rolex: the brand has released five new models, plus sophisticated revisions of three existing models. Followers of Rolex watches will be most excited by news of the new Land-Dweller, detailed below.

Here is everything you need to know about the new Rolex watches revealed at Watches and Wonders.

The Land-Dweller

Introducing the Oyster Perpetual Land-Dweller, a watch characterised by bold aesthetics and industry-leading technology. Notable features include the ‘Flat Jubilee’ metal bracelet, with its flat links and polished centre links (which are raised above the outer links) and technical satin finish. The attachment system ensures a fluid integration with the Oyster case, which has been developed with modifications to the waterproofness system and a restyled fluted bezel.

The Land-Dweller boasts a new movement that beats at a frequency of 5 Hz, calibre 7135. This self-winding mechanical movement is thinner than most Rolex movements, featuring a revolutionary escapement called the Dynapulse. Calibre 7135, which has a power reserve of approximately 66 hours and features Rolex Côtes de Genève decoration and a yellow gold oscillating weight, allows the Land-Dweller to measure time to one-tenth of a second.

The watch comes in three versions: one 36mm model and two 40mm models. The former is made of 18ct Everose gold with a white dial set with ten baguette-cut diamond hour markers and a bezel with 44 trapeze-cut diamonds. The first of the larger models is cast in white Rolesor with a fluted bezel and a honeycomb motif dial. The second is presented in 950 platinum with a fluted bezel and a blue dial, also featuring the honeycomb motif – a painstaking detail created with traditional craftsmanship.

Further details include the six and nine numerals being open at their centre, which takes cues from previous Explorer and Air-King models. The Land-Dweller’s index hour markers are luminescent and the hands are rectilinear, and the seconds hand has a counterweight shaped like honeycomb cells.

The GMT-Master II

Rolex has unveiled an iteration of the iconic Oyster Perpetual GMT-Master II, bringing in a never-before-seen dial crafted from high-tech ceramic in vivid green Cerachrom. This eye-catching feature is presented on an 18ct white gold version of the model, distinguishable for its left-side winding crown and a date aperture positioned at 9 o’clock.

The GMT-Master II was originally conceived as a navigational tool for those crossing time zones; it’s a true traveller’s watch. This model has the ability to display two time zones simultaneously, with the date function synchronised with the local time. The design includes a rotatable bezel and a 24-hour graduated insert, which is presented in a two-toned colour scheme signifying day and night.

The watch is powered by the calibre 3285, a self-winding mechanical movement originally introduced in 2018 which offers exceptional precision and a power reserve of approximately 70 hours. The GMT-Master II is fitted with an Oyster bracelet in 18ct white gold, secured with an Oysterlock clasp and equipped with an extension link for adjustments.

The 40mm Oyster case is robust, created from a solid block of 18ct white gold and guaranteed waterproof to a depth of 100m.

The Oyster Perpetual

Rolex has expanded its much-loved Oyster Perpetual range with watches in an array of muted pastel shades: a soft lavender, a warm beige and a fresh green, each with a matt finish.

These new dial colours correlate with different model sizes: the Oyster Perpetual 28 has the lavender dial, while the larger Oyster Perpetual 36 is cast in sandy beige. The largest of the releases, the Oyster Perpetual 41, features the pistachio dial. This model has also been the subject of a subtle redesign: the Oyster case has been refined and the Oysterclasp is slimmer.

These new faces are turning heads, but behind them lie the technological intricacies that Rolex is known for. The Oyster Perpetual 28 is powered by calibre 2232, while the Oyster Perpetual 36 and 41 are driven by calibre 3230. Both movements provide hours, minutes, and seconds with precision, reliability and enhanced resistance. The power reserve for calibre 2232 is approximately 55 hours, while calibre 3230 is around 70 hours.

Oyster Perpetual watches are descendants of Rolex’s original 1926 Oyster, the world's first waterproof watch. They represent chronometer wristwatches in their purest form, with their chronometric precision, waterproof Oyster cases and self-winding function.

As with the GMT-Master II, the Oyster Perpetual’s hermetically-sealed Oyster case – available in 28mm, 36mm, and 41mm diameters – is guaranteed waterproof to 100m, and all models are secured with an Oysterlock clasp and an extension link.

The 1908

Designed for the Perpetual 1908 watch, Rolex’s new seven-piece link Settimo bracelet is crafted from 18ct yellow gold. Inspired by vintage jewelry bracelets, it feels super-light on the wrist and has a fully polished appearance, while a concealed Crownclasp makes for a seamless finish.

The Perpetual 1908 is part of the 2023 Perpetual collection, which aimed to put a modern spin on traditional horological style. The new model features a bold white dial, Breguet-style hour hands and a minute hand shaped like a two-edged sword, as well as Arabic numerals at the three, nine, and 12 o'clock positions. The 39 mm case has a transparent back, allowing the intricate movement to be viewed, and is waterproof to 50m.

The watch is powered by the calibre 7140, a self-winding, high-precision and resistant mechanical movement that offers hours, minutes and small seconds functions and boasts a power reserve of around 66 hours. It’s decorated with Rolex Côtes de Genève and features a cut-out yellow gold oscillating weight.

The Datejust

The Rolex Oyster Perpetual Datejust 31 immediately packs a punch with its vibrant red ombré dial, which graduates to a dark edge, creating a ‘chiaroscuro’ appearance. Ombré dials were only reintroduced by Rolex in 2019, so this ‘fire’ effect is a first for the Datejust 31; here, it is enhanced with ten diamond-set hour markers.

Presented in 18ct yellow gold and featuring a bezel set with 46 brilliant-cut diamonds, this luxurious-feeling watch comes with a President bracelet, a three-piece link bracelet and a concealed Crownclasp.

The Datejust is powered by calibre 2236, a movement first released by Rolex in 2014 and that has been used in the Datejust 31 since 2018. This self-winding mechanical movement boasts precision and reliability, offering a 55-hour power reserve and displaying the date, hours, minutes and seconds.

The 31mm Oyster case is waterproof to 100m and features a sealed case back, a Twinlock winding crown, and a scratchproof sapphire crystal with a Cyclops lens for the date.

New dials: Cosmograph Daytona, GMT-Master II and Sky-Dweller

Three of Rolex’s iconic models – the Cosmograph Daytona, GMT-Master II and Sky-Dweller – are presented with new dial configurations. The Cosmograph Daytona now boasts a turquoise blue lacquer dial with black counters; the GMT-Master II is presented with a distinctive tiger iron dial – a natural stone with a blend of tiger's eye, red jasper and hematite; and the Sky-Dweller in 18 ct yellow gold features a green sunray-finish dial.

Each watch features sophisticated ceramic components, with the bezels offering both scratch resistance and colour intensity. The Cosmograph Daytona has a black Cerachrom bezel; the GMT-Master II boasts a two-tone brown and black Cerachrom insert; and the Sky-Dweller’s fluted bezel – a hallmark of classic Rolexes – is made from 18ct yellow gold.

Each features an Oyster case made from solid blocks of 18ct gold that are waterproof to 100m. All three are powered by self-winding mechanical movements with power reserves ranging from 70 to 72 hours – calibre 4131 in the case of the Daytona; calibre 3285 for the GMT-Master II; and calibre 9002 for the Sky-Dweller. In terms of bracelet options (each with a unique clasp and extension systems), it’s Oysterflex for the Daytona, Oyster for the GMT-Master II, and Jubilee for the Sky-Dweller

Follow along with more news from the Wallpaper* team at Watches & Wonders

In the first officially authorised account, Rolex is uncovering the history of the Oyster Perpetual Submariner watch in a book published in partnership with global design authority Wallpaper*. Oyster Perpetual Submariner – the Watch that Unlocked the Deep, written by author, historian, editor and journalist Nicholas Foulkes, is to be the first in a series of books taking a closer look at the brand’s series of watches.

The Oyster Perpetual Submariner, the first divers’ watch guaranteed waterproof to a depth of 100m (or 330ft), has broken records with its technical innovations since its debut in 1953. With its mastery of underwater pressure, it paved the way for timely explorations into the marine world, and was followed by 1967’s Sea-Dweller, the Deepsea in 2008 and the Deepsea Challenge in 2022, the last of which can travel 11,000m, or 36,090ft, underwater.

Foulkes’ account of the processes undertaken in creating the Submariner is interwoven with a look at the adventures of those who tested the prototypes.

Throughout, the Submariner’s design – mostly unchanged since its debut – is celebrated in new and original photography, including historical images from Rolex. ‘The Submariner represents the essence of this design-led approach, its emblematic features and quintessential appearance sculpted over decades by those pioneers who led the field in underwater exploration and continue to illuminate our world beneath the waves, many of whom are featured in this richly illustrated book,’ says Wallpaper* editor-in-chief Bill Prince.

‘Meticulously researched and beautifully realised, Oyster Perpetual Submariner – the Watch that Unlocked the Deep is an essential companion for anyone interested in the creation and evolution of a masterpiece in precision timekeeping.’

A limited number of silk-bound copies are available exclusively through WallpaperSTORE* for pre-order from 16 September 2024 and for purchase from 20 September 2024.

For worldwide distribution, editions in English and French are available from 1 October 2024 – visit ACC Art Books for retailer information.

When watch houses reinvent their iconic designs in jewelled form, the results can be sublime, joyous, and downright outrageous. We single out five classic watch designs that have been given a precious spin for 2024.

Jewelled watches for 2024

Audemars Piguet Royal Oak

Its reputation was forged in pure, gleaming steel, yet the Royal Oak’s super-clean lines take surprisingly well to a gem-set guise. But then, as one of the original super-thin mechanisms, this superstar watch – it was the first design to use steel like precious metal – has a naturally slender profile, allowing for the added volume that precious-stone setting dictates. Audemars Piguet has been involved in the business of jewelled timepieces since the late 19th century, when it provided mechanisms for houses such as Cartier and Tiffany & Co. Having established an in-house jewellery studio in 1980, it has developed a jewelled-watch style all its own. This year’s Royal Oak automatic variation is a fine example: a combination of 861 baguette-cut black sapphires, intense and light tsavorites and smoky quartz combine to create a moody camouflage effect.

audemarspiguet.com

Bulgari Octo Roma

Secret watches, timepieces with a jewelled dial cap and so designed to look like a bracelet, were originally created for women in the 1920s, who, keen to keep a social diary on track, might discreetly consult their watch without insulting their host. Today, watch brands increasingly use them as a form of storytelling, with fantastical narratives all the better to display in-house jewellery design and setting skills. And, when it comes to crafting fables around the intricate technological skills that jewelled watches require, Bulgari is a master. This year’s high-jewellery Fenice Octo Roma Secret Watch is made possible by the impossibly thin BVL 268SK Octo Roma movement. It allows for an intricate mechanical skeletonised dial and the decorative dial cover. Here, it is a phoenix rising up across the sizeable 44mm dial in a precious sweep of blue sapphires, aquamarines, and a tourmaline Paraiba.

bulgari.com

Patek Philippe Aquanaut Luce

While the 1976 Nautilus design is currently Patek Philippe’s most sought-after sports-luxe design, the Aquanaut, a more casual variation launched 20 years later, in 1996, gets my vote. Probably because its streamlined profile and casual rubber bracelet, reflecting the checkerboard pattern of the dial, is less boardroom CEO and more St Tropez weekender. This year’s high-jewellery model boosts the gem factor with a beautifully considered combination of two setting techniques: rectangular baguettes and snow-setting, where variously sized smaller brilliant-cut white diamonds are tightly clustered into a glinting surface. Here, their addition softens the stark lines of the 72 baguette-cut blue sapphires and 38 baguette-cut diamonds, creating a rich jewel for the wrist and a glamorous promise of surf-bound, summer pursuits.

patek.com

Piaget Polo

The watchmaker-jeweller is celebrating its 150th birthday this year, and the star of the party is the Piaget Polo designed by Yves Piaget in 1979. Yves was a dedicated art lover who counted Andy Warhol as a friend, and there’s something of a Howard Hodgkin influence in his original watch design, where the watch case, bracelet and sleek gadroon decoration were fully integrated in a sublimely pure combination of the jeweller’s and watchmaker's crafts. The Polo was ‘carved, link by link from a single block of 18ct gold’, according to an ad campaign at the time and is, you might argue, the original sports-luxe watch. In the intervening 45 years, it has been redesigned almost beyond recognition, but some elements remain, including its super-skinny form, which lends itself to this celebratory deep-red ruby iteration with baguette-cut rubies and diamonds. The skeleton dial is also a recurring Piaget motif. However, at a whopping 49mm wide, this version of the Piaget Polo is out of bounds for slender wrists.

piaget.com

Rolex Daytona

Two new, jewelled versions of Rolex’s 1963 Oyster Perpetual Cosmograph Daytona are launched this year, each incorporating mother-of-pearl dials and markers. The luminous coating found in molluscs, such as oyster shells, has long been a favourite dial material for watch houses, because it can be cut into super-thin sheets. Profile volume is a prime consideration in watch design, and Rolex has been using mother-of-pearl as a decorative material for years. Both new Daytonas have white-gold cases, and the first features the slick, black Oysterflex bracelet with white mother-of-pearl dial and chrono subdials in black. The metal bracelet edition, however, sees the details reversed, with a black mother-of-pearl dial and white mother-of-pearl counters. Thirty-six brilliant-cut diamonds circle each dial, while the chunky diamond dial markers add a sporty frisson.

rolex.com

If the appeal of the yellow gold watch to some has long been limited by its association with bling, might matters now be on the turn? From the Stealth Wealth feeling of heavy white gold, to the reinvigorating glow of yellow or 18K rose on a cold autumn day, precious metal is back and on trend this year.

Browse gold watches

This year, hi-tech materials and technical innovations meet a tribute to past design codes. Discover all the Rolex watches at Watches and Wonders 2024.

Rolex Oyster Perpetual GMT‑Master II

Rolex nods to its technically accomplished history of creating virtually scratchproof ceramics with the new Oyster Perpetual GMT‑Master II, which features a bezel, which rotates both ways, in graduated grey and black ceramic. Available on an Oyster or Jubilee bracelet, it also holds its guaranteed waterproof status, to a depth of 100 metres.

Rolex Oyster Perpetual Day-Date 

Design detailing is carefully considered on the new Oyster Perpetual Day-Date watch models, which for the first time see the introduction of ombré dials. The completely new slate ombré is particularly appealing in its subtle graduation to a deep black, an elegant foil for the faceted Roman numerals and faceted index hour markers in pink gold - the first time the watch has eschewed diamond hour markers. This dial design originally appeared in the 1980s, relaunching in 2019, and now welcomes new colours throughout the range, including the blue-green dial of the Day-Date 36, a hue first seen on last year’s Sky Dweller.

Rolex Perpetual 1908 

Launched last year, the elegant Perpetual 1908 is this year given a rethink, crafted in platinum and featuring an icy blue dial with a hypnotising, crimped guilloche rice-grain motif. Named after the year Hans Wilsdorf devised the name ‘Rolex’ and registered the brand in Switzerland, this watch abounds with heritage codes.

Rolex Oyster Perpetual Rolex Deepsea

For the first time presented in 18ct yellow gold, the Perpetual Rolex Deepsea nods to its roots with a focus on underwater tech. A cerachrom insert in deep blue ceramic allows divers to monitor their time underwater, while a compression ring is crafted in ceramic ensures ultra waterproofing. 

Rolex Oyster Perpetual Cosmograph Daytona

There are two new versions of the Oyster Perpetual Cosmograph Daytona, both crafted in white gold and featuring a bezel set with 36 brilliant-cut white diamonds. The first version contrasts a white mother-of-pearl dial with a dark chronograph; in the second, the colours are reversed, a timely update for the watch first launched in 1963 for professional racing drivers.

Rolex Oyster Perpetual Sky‑Dweller

Two new 18 ct gold versions of the Oyster Perpetual Sky-Dweller, both with a Jubilee bracelet in precious metal for the first time, faithfully display two time zones simultaneously as well as the annual calendar. A reference time in 24-hour format alongside the local time told with traditional hands still makes this watch the ultimate travelling companion. 

rolex.com

The new Royal De Versailles Rolex boutique in Toronto has opened its doors, showcasing a dynamic, wavy façade courtesy of locally based architecture studio Partisans. The store design is as visually striking as it is architecturally ambitious, occupying the ground level of a modernist architecture high-rise on the city’s coveted shopping strip, Bloor Street. 

Behind the wavy façade of the Royal De Versailles Rolex boutique in Toronto

Partisans, headed by Alex Josephson, is no stranger to experimental, eye-catching designs. The studio’s impressive Canvas House, also in Toronto, stands out in a similar way through its woven brick frontage. With this latest project for a Rolex boutique for their client, Royal de Versailles Jewellers and Burnac, the team used a CNC parametric composition that has been etched into the façade's limestone cladding through an algorithmic design developed in collaboration with computational designer Arturo Tedeschi. 

Making the most of cutting-edge, digital technologies, Partisans creates parallels through its design with its client's heritage in high-precision craft. 

The team write: 'Against the steel of the modernist high-rise, the digitally fabricated limestones – sculpted fluidly – offer a magnetic juxtaposition. Integrated down into the mullions of the storefront, the rhythm of the columns recalls the patterns of a watch’s band links.'

They continue: 'As the mullions trace down the exterior of the high-rise, they begin to slowly bend into subtle and graceful arcs that capture the essence between the existing structure and soft geometries.'

Meanwhile, inside, clean, luxurious and minimalist surfaces serve as the perfect backdrop for the Rolex watches within the custom displays – at the same time, cleverly allowing for spaces that cater to a variety of different functions, spanning both public and private shopping experiences. 

partisans.com

The five laureates who have scooped the 2023 Rolex Awards for Enterprise have been announced. 

In 1976, Rolex set up the awards to mark the 50th anniversary of the first waterproof watch, the Oyster. Aiming to support those whose projects represented the pinnacle of innovation, the scheme celebrated individuals improving our knowledge of the world in ways that protected the environment, humans and animals.

Originally intended to be a one-off, the award proved so popular it became biennial, and has since highlighted 160 exceptional laureates. Here we meet those of the 2023 Rolex Awards for Enterprise.

Biologist Constantino Aucca Chutas has been highlighted for his forest ecosystem restoration and protection programme in the high Andes. Since creating Asociación Ecosistemas Andinos (ECOAN) in 2000 and co-founding Acción Andina in 2018, he has made a significant contribution, creating 16 protected areas across Peru and other countries. 

For Kenyan social entrepreneur Beth Koigi, clean water has been the focus, and the solar-powered generators harvesting water from air that she is creating will provide clean water to 3,000 people in ten communities.

A biodiverse forest in Côte d’Ivoire will be protected by fellow laureate Inza Koné, who will continue to support community management and encourage sustainable livelihoods for people in the region. 

Denica Riadini-Flesch will build on her history of working with rural craftswomen in Indonesia, equipping them with business skills and environmental stewardship education, while Liu Shaochuang will track wild camels in the Gobi Desert regions of China and Mongolia, via satellite, to support their future conservation.

The 2023 Rolex Awards for Enterprise have been decided by the ten jury members: Dr Antonio Arantes, Gonzalo Muñoz, Christine Loh, Dr Carlos M. Duarte, Dr Indira Chakravarty, Tsitsi Masiyiwa, Dr Katherine Hayhoe, Ed Viesturs, Dr Helen Czerski and Dr Brian P Schmidt. 

rolex.com

LVMH Watch Week 2024 in Miami set an optimistic tone for the year ahead. With a discreet increase in Swiss watch exports last year, the mood at the fifth annual event was effervescent. It is a one-group affair, but the six LVMH watchmaking maisons cover a wide market demographic. Here are our highlights, plus an interview with Hublot’s CEO, Ricardo Guadalupe.

Six reveals of LVMH Watch Week 2024

Hublot Big Bang Saxem

Flamboyance is still the unstoppable name of Hublot’s game, and nothing says future-proof grail watch a like sapphire case. There is a particular allure in the never-knowingly-understated brand’s ability to craft a watch case from solid sapphire crystal. But this was not enough for Hublot, which created Saxem, a proprietary sapphire alloy with a bright green hue. CEO Ricardo Guadalupe told us that it took almost two years of R&D to create the uniform colour of this chemical compound successfully. We get it, Ricardo, and can’t help feeling that the green flash of wrist estate symbolises Hublot’s positive outlook on 2024.

Hublot.com

Gerald Genta Minute Repeater for Only Watch

As a revived maison led by LVMH’s La Fabrique du Temps, Gérald Genta’s new watches return to the brand’s three pillars of octagonal shapes, chiming sound, and haute horlogerie complications. And honestly, the Disney-tinged dial of its Minute Repeater created for the Only Watch charity auction (postponed from 2023) sends a strong signal. The infinite happiness of Mickey Mouse’s party's presence is an effervescent harbinger of optimism for 2024, and we can’t help smiling.

Geraldgenta.com

TAG Heuer

With a delightful blend of high-bar watchmaking and accessible cool, TAG Heuer presented a curated selection of new releases. Retro is still hot for TAG, and we couldn’t help but fall for a reissue of its cult classic Dato Chronograph in a deep emerald green. This is not the first reissue of the asymmetric single-register chronograph, but seen here within the new ‘Glassbox’ case design, this one adds another dimension to its quirky cool. 

TAGHeuer.com

Zenith

The Chronomaster Sport is dialling up the glamour in its bid for triple-register Chrono supremacy against the mighty Rolex Daytona. Sure, and what’s more Miami than this, the first gem-set version? At the core, it’s a function-packed watch based on the high-beat El Primero chronograph movement. With tri-coloured registers on a gold-toned meteorite dial, it offers a unique wrist presence, but the bezel is the undisputed star. With a blue-to-black and grey progression, diamonds are the cardinal-markers, with spinels, sapphires, and diamonds offering a dazzling flash of colour. Who’s up for another Miami Vice remake?

Zenith Watches

Daniel Roth

Daniel Roth’s revival by LVMH’s La Fabrique du Temps is a big deal for watch collectors already deep into the horological rabbit hole. With red-carpet stars like Timothée Chalamet enjoying small-cased charm, this indefinable rounded elegance is zeitgeist perfect. As part of the maison’s revival, the Tourbillon Souscription pays perfect homage to the 1989-founded brand’s very first timepiece. The design language is marked by a double-ellipse case shape of 38.6 x 35.5mm in yellow gold, while its hand-finished guilloche dial is a delight of sweeping curves.

DanielRoth

Bulgari

From Bulgari in Miami, there was a feeling of studied evolution in the Octo Finissimo range and designer Buonamassa Stigliani’s first yellow brushed gold version of the three-hander. But with a love of retro still lingering in the air, we’re all about the 1980s chic of the Bulgari Bulgari minimalism. Its 38mm of smooth black with gilt markers in an 18ct gold case makes a quiet statement of timeless intent.

Bulgari.com

Ricardo Guadalupe on LVMH Watch Week and Hublot

Wallpaper* chatted with Hublot CEO Ricardo Guadalupe about the importance of LVMH Watch Week, and how, as one of the top players in the market, his brand perceives 2024 and the event scene in general.

Wallpaper*: What does the event calendar mean for the LVMH watch brands?

Ricardo Guadalupe: In 2020, we launched the first edition of LVMH Watch Week to create momentum for the watch maisons of our group in Dubai. It was a massive success, and all the guests (press and retailers) enjoyed this initiative and the privilege of being informed of what was to be expected from our maisons for the year to come. Then in 2021 and 2022, we maintained the [event], but digitally. For 2023, we went to Asia in Singapore, and for 2024, we wanted to focus on the Americas. The idea is to change the region every year, so this year, we’re in Miami.

W*: How do you view the importance of this own-brand smaller concept vs the grandiose Watches and Wonders?

RG: We are really pleased to have set a trend with LVMH Watch Week since 2020. And by creating momentum in the busy calendar, we would like to further build on this.

W*: What is your view on the economic climate at the start of 2024 and its impact on the direction of Hublot?

RG: After a year of consolidation in 2023, I believe 2024 will be the same, and also it will be an exciting year for Hublot. I look forward to the biggest event in European football – Euro 2024. We will be there to follow every second of the game!

W*: What has the rise of LVMH Watch Week and its position meant for the group?

RG: I can speak for Hublot. It is a great moment for us to be present in the media worldwide and share the exciting upcoming news of our maison with journalists and retailers.

Judging by Guadalupe’s comments and the watches presented by LVMH’s six maisons this week, the mood in watchmaking for 2024 is bright. Louis Vuitton’s own watchmaking novelties are saved for April’s Watches and Wonders 2024, but starting with Hublot’s green sapphire crystal Big Bang, the season is off to a colourful start.

lvmh.com

New Rolex watches in the last year have nodded to the sporty, the classic and the fun, and epitomised classic codes of lightness, strength and legibility in rethought designs. 

Watch aficionados were especially delighted with the Oyster Perpetual, which takes a pop at Rolex’s design history with its Celebration-motif dial. Sorbet-sweet bubbles, in candy pink, turquoise, yellow, coral red and green, drift over a turquoise face, making a playful foil for the clean, utilitarian architecture of the Oyster bracelet. 

First appearing in the 1930s, its distinctive flat, three-piece links are clad in tough Oystersteel, a highly resistant polished alloy developed by Rolex.

The Rolex Oyster Perpetual wins Best Pop Art in the Wallpaper* Design Awards 2024, as our standout among an impressive array of new timepieces from the brand in the last 12 months. Other releases include the Rolex Perpetual Cosmograph Daytona, Rolex Perpetual 1908, Rolex Yacht-Master 42, Rolex Perpetual Sky-Dweller, Rolex Oyster Perpetual GMT-Master II, Rolex Oyster Perpetual Explorer 40, Rolex Oyster Perpetual Day-Date 36 and Rolex Oyster Perpetual Day-Date 36.

rolex.com

A version of this article appears in the February 2024 issue of Wallpaper* – dedicated to the Wallpaper* Design Awards 2024 – available in print, on the Wallpaper* app on Apple iOS, and to subscribers of Apple News +. Subscribe to Wallpaper* today

Outside a handful of boutique-scale independent makers, contemporary watch design tends to play it safe, at least in comparison to the burst of creativity the industry witnessed in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Drawing from the same futuristic well of inspiration that gave us the Lava lamp (now celebrating its 60th anniversary) and Roger Vadim’s Barbarella, out-of-this-world Space Race watches appeared from designers ranging from Pierre Cardin to Andrew Grima.

In contrast to the stark, technological simplicity of the Apollo programme and ‘proper’ space watches such as Omega’s Nasa-qualified Speedmaster and the Rolex Cosmograph, these flamboyant watches drew from Barbarella’s luscious alternative vision, finding a sexy dimension in space that was a polar opposite of the pristine horror of Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey. 

Space Age watches

Examples of this horological space-pop can be hard to unearth and some of the designs never really worked, but others changed what a watch could be with new materials, new ideas and, even, new technologies.

Clearly breathing some of the same air as Barbarella’s design crew was the Anglo-Swiss architect André Le Marquand, whose Spaceman design from 1969 was first shown at the Basel Fair in 1972. It was an oval-cased watch in chromed metal with fibre-glass inlays that looked like a space helmet, a dial that looked like the visor and the watch even had a shiny plastic strap using a new material from DuPont. 

The watch sold well enough for Le Marquand to be commissioned for a second design, the boxy, asymmetric Spaceman Audacieuse. Both models and a later LCD digital design were also sold under other brand names, such as Fortis, just the thing to wear while glancing at your JVC Videosphere.

Given his genius at accessory design and obsession with the future, not to mention the space suits he designed for Nasa, it is no surprise that Pierre Cardin designed a number of space watches. His Espace collection, which debuted in 1971, featured 26 designs that were strikingly original with their daring, asymmetric cases, synthetic materials (of course, plastic was very much the material of the future), gender fluidity and bold straps and bracelets. 

Cardin wasn’t the only designer to fuse novel materials with decidedly non-standard case and dial designs, and the mid-1970’s saw a slew of off-beat watches born of the same sci-fi-inflected futurism. Typical is Jovial’s Vision 2000, which was conceived in a similar vein to the Spaceman, though the helmet is more abstracted and the display more conventionally legible.

Ironically, these watches were the last generation to use mechanical movements before quartz technology and digital displays took over. Makers quickly adopted a more conventional approach to design as they sought to reassure potential consumers of the new technology, but not before jewellery designer Andrew Grima produced a series of one-off watches using Hamilton Pulsar movements that are the last word in sci-fi futurism. 

Crowning 20 years of its far-reaching Mentors & Protégés programme – in which leaders in a multitude of disciplines are partnered with aspiring creatives for a year-long exercise in shared learning – the recently concluded Rolex Arts Festival was not only the first to be live-streamed by the brand but leaves its own temporary imprint on its host city of Athens. 

Besides luring numerous high-profile mentors, including William Kentridge, Joan Jonas, Sir David Chipperfield and Robert Wilson, to the Greek capital, Rolex supplemented the four-day festival of talks, panel discussions and performances with a week-long programme of 12 public talks and events that accessed nine partner venues across Athens. Each had been designed in collaboration with leaders in the local arts community to highlight the continuing artistic legacy of many of its former protégés – referred to as fellows – and in some instances the cross-disciplinary creative partnerships that have followed on from their participation in the programme. 

In the visual arts, a group exhibition is currently showing at the National Museum of Contemporary Art (until 4 June), featuring works by Sammy Baloji, Alejandro Cesarco, Masanori Handa, Nicholas Hlobo, Mateo Lopez, Thao Hguyen Phan, Camila Rodriguez Triana and Matthias Weischer. 

And in the field of architecture, a novel group exhibition by five fellows who comment on each others’ work can be seen until this Sunday (June 4th) at the Benaki Gallery (Pireos 138). Encompassing projects by Sahel Alhariya, Gloria Cabral, Mariam Issofou Kamara and Yang Zhao, the programme of short films is accompanied by gestural objects supplied by each architect to reveal more about their approach – in keeping with the resolutely global outlook of Rolex’s Arts Initiative, one that in this instance encompasses Switzerland, Jordan, Paraguay, Niger and China.

The 11th and current cycle of the Mentors & Protégés programme of the Rolex Arts Initiative is currently underway.

The Rolex Arts Festival events can be reviewed on the Rolex website. rolex.org

New Rolex watches nod to the sporty, the classic and the fun – discover the range, from the lightness and strength of the new Yacht-Master 42 to the emphasised legibility of a new addition to the Explorer family.

New Rolex watches

Rolex Perpetual Cosmograph Daytona

The classic motoring style of the Oyster Perpetual Cosmograph Daytona is here rethought in an updated case and bold new colour combinations that highlight the contrast of the rings against the dial. Available in new versions including in 950 platinum, Oystersteel or yellow or rose gold.

Rolex Perpetual 1908

Named after the year Hans Wilsdorf registered the Rolex brand name in Switzerland, the new Perpetual 1908 models continue to reflect this heritage in the design. A slim case and fluted bezel make an elegant foil for a sleek dial in intense white or black.

Rolex Yacht-Master 42

For the first time, Rolex has produced the Oyster Perpetual Yacht-Master 42 in RLX titanium, an especially light and strong material. A satin finish, complete with a visible grain, adds a distinctive texture.

Rolex Perpetual Sky-Dweller

The ultimate traveller’s watch gets a chic update, with a new case in 18ct white gold, paired with an Oysterflex bracelet. The watch, which displays the time in two time zones simultaneously and has an annual calendar, is brought to life with two new dial colours.

Rolex Oyster Perpetual GMT-Master II 

Available this year in two new versions – yellow Rolesor, which combines Oystersteel and yellow gold, and one fully in the precious metal – the Oyster Perpetual GMT-Master II is still as reliable as ever, guaranteed waterproof to a depth of 100m.

Rolex Oyster Perpetual Explorer 40

A bigger model has joined the Explorer collection, with the Rolex Oyster Perpetual Explorer 40 measuring in at 40mm. The black lacquer dial and 3, 6 and 9 numerals stay faithful to the original, with a Chromalight display emitting the distinctive blue glow.

Rolex Oyster Perpetual

A new dial decoration, ‘Celebration’, dots the dial with bubbles in the colours of the lacquered dials introduced in 2020 – candy pink, turquoise blue, yellow, coral red and green – in this joyful piece.

Rolex Oyster Perpetual Day-Date 36 

Three new versions of the Oyster Perpetual Day-Date 36 celebrate the beauty of precious stones. Dials in green aventurine, carnelian and a turquoise dial embellished with natural veining are framed by a bezel set with 52 brilliant-cut diamonds.

Rolex Oyster Perpetual Day-Date 36

Colourful versions of the Oyster Perpetual Day-Date 36 join the other new additions, with a display at 12 o’clock eschewing the classic day of the week to spell out ‘Happy’, ‘Eternity’, ‘Gratitude’, ‘Peace’, ‘Faith’, ‘Love’ and ‘Hope’. A dial inspired by a jigsaw puzzle fits bright colours together using champlevé enamelling.

rolex.com

Now see the new Rolex watches released at Watches and Wonders 2024

The year's biggest horological event, Watches and Wonders 2023, has opened its doors in Geneva. Here, discover the watches set to make a splash this year, in our frequently updated guide.

Oris’ watch partnership with Kermit has us green with envy

Oris imbues watchmaking with mischievous humour in a new collaboration with Disney’s The Muppets, putting the world’s most famous frog front and centre. The ProPilot X Kermit Edition, now rethought in a distinctive green hue, gives a subtle nod to Kermit the Frog in the date window.

Read more here

Tag Heuer introduces coloured lab-grown diamonds into watch design

The use of lab-grown diamonds in watch design was a natural choice for Tag Heuer, which has long championed the use of modern and innovative technologies in watchmaking.  

Read more here

Panerai pays tribute to its military history with new Radiomir watches

Panerai is returning to its roots this year with the launch of new Radiomir collections, in a modern rethink of the military watch originally presented in 1935. 

Read more here

Vacheron Constantin champions retrograde display in new watches unveiled at Watches and Wonders

Vacheron Constantin rethinks classic watch design codes in its new collections. Both the new Patrimony Retrograde Day-Date and the Traditionnelle Tourbillon Retrograde Date Openface nod to the retrograde displays that first appeared in Vacheron Constantin timepieces in the 1920s, before briefly disappearing in the decades after. 

Read more here

Patek Philippe’s Watches and Wonders 2023 releases embody a sharp technicality

Complications meet design in this year’s new watches from Patek Philippe. Intricate watches get a rethink, with the brand’s most complicated watch in the current collection – encompassing 20 complications – produced for the first time in white and rose gold. The striking mechanism on the Patek Philippe 6300GR Grandmaster Chime is fitted with three gongs, with five chiming modes sounding out noises from an alarm with time strike to a grande sonnerie.

Read more here

Discover all the Rolex watches released at Watches and Wonders 2023

New Rolex watches nod to the sporty, the classic and the fun – discover the range, from the lightness and strength of the new Yacht-Master 42 to the emphasised legibility of a new addition to the Explorer family.

Read more here

Cartier rethinks classic watch design in Watches and Wonders 2023 releases

Classic watch design codes are given a spin by Cartier this year, as the company intertwines historical references throughout the new Cartier watch collections unveiled at Watches and Wonders 2023.

Read more here

Hermès Watches and Wonders pavilion inspired by new H08 watches

Artist Clément Vieille conducts an intricate play with materials in its scenography for the Hermès Watches and Wonders 2023 pavilion, which pays tribute to the complexity of time encapsulated in this year’s Hermès H08 collection.

Read more here

Watches and Wonders behind the scenes: building the world’s biggest watch fair

As Watches and Wonders 2023 gets ready to open in Geneva, we talk to CEO of the Watches and Wonders Geneva Foundation, Matthieu Humair, on what has inspired this year’s design.

Read more here

watchesandwonders.com

It’s official: that which separates us can also bring us together. Consider those practitioners who were enrolled in the ninth iteration of the Rolex Mentor and Protégé Arts Initiative just as the pandemic struck. The biennial multidisciplinary cultural exchange had launched its cycle in February 2020, leaving little time for its four mentors to embark on the intended year-long collaboration with their respective protégés before the global shutdown brought a halt to proceedings.

Not so Carrie Mae Weems, the prominent visual artist chosen to mentor the young visual artist and filmmaker Camila Rodríguez Triana. Even though Weems was sequestered at her studio in Syracuse, NY, throughout the pandemic, and the Colombian-born Triana was similarly stranded in France, mentor enlisted protégée and set to work responding to the immediate effects on those most vulnerable.

‘And that really helped us,’ recalls Weems. ‘Number one, because it grounded us. We needed to figure out what we were experiencing and what the impact was. And not only on us but on the extended community around us as well. So that was an important first step, working together, working out language and text and image. And working out where to place that out in the world. It was wonderful to start on something that was really powerful and meaningful and touched us all.’

For the pandemic project, Weems repurposed an image from her acclaimed All the Boys series to serve as a reminder of those who remain most affected at times of economic and social upheaval. ‘I knew it was going to have a serious impact on people of colour,’ she says. ‘So although I was responding rapidly, I was responding to an ongoing condition, that brown people are always most impacted by negative forces. And I think this idea of disparity is actually where [Camila and I] are most connected. It’s the reason we relate so easily to one another; we are working out of the same territory.’

Triana had relocated to France to study film and contemporary art at Le Fresnoy in order to further explore what, as a Mestiza woman, it means to be of mixed heritage. As she explained in a short speech to introduce her first US solo exhibition, ‘Patrimonio Mestizo’, shown at BAM Fisher as part of the programme’s closing weekend in September, ‘I wonder about my ancestral heritage. I wonder about the heritage that people with power at different times in history took away from me but in some ways I receive. I am a constant seeker of the history that I lack, and I look for it in the names of my ancestors, my body and in their bodies, and I look for it in my territory.’

‘Patrimonio Mestizo’ is a five-installation exhibition comprising photography, video, sculpture and text. It draws together the lost threads of a denied identity in an eerie yet ravishing assemblage – one in which the extended ‘window of opportunity’ to work alongside Weems played a key role. ‘Usually I need more time to live in a situation and come to an answer,’ says Triana. ‘But in the middle of this situation, when Carrie invited me to make this project, she pushed me to make something with all the feelings about the situation at that moment. I made [it an] exercise to make something that [had] all the feeling I had inside.’

Fittingly, given its meditation on the meaning of connections, woven thread plays a major role in Triana’s work – ‘I had to make an installation at art school, and I remember my grandmother working with it, so I started to work with this ancestral material’. Weems recognises it as a metaphor, being ‘something larger than itself. But there are also images of books, handmade pages, language, so there’s this development, the five installations, all connected by threads.’

But for all its delving into the artist’s heritage – a complicated birthright that encompasses colonialism and cosmology – ‘Patrimonio Mestizo’ is not simply about the past: ‘I need to make something about what is happening in my country,’ says Triana. ‘If we don’t make something about this pain and violence, it will be there in the next generation and it will be repeated. But you don’t necessarily have to work with the world that exists, the material world. There is the other dimension that is more spiritual, and in that dimension, you can make some change that moves the material world.’ 

Change that, in its most unorthodox cycle yet, the Rolex Arts Initiative has once again been instrumental in delivering. ‘It’s a gift,’ acknowledges Weems. 

Rolex Arts Initiative: the mutual benfits

Launched in 2002, the Rolex Mentor and Protégé Arts Initiative serves as a wide-reaching, world-traversing, mutual-learning project inspired in part by the concept of transmission espoused by company founder Hans Wilsdorf (1881-1960). Providing the opportunity for young artists to work alongside globally recognised practitioners in their respective fields, each year-long cycle involves around six weeks of direct collaboration facilitated by a dedicated team based at Rolex’s HQ in Geneva. 

Prospective mentors are nominated by specialists familiar with their discipline, while a shortlist of protégés is prepared by a separate group of independent advisors from which the mentor picks their preferred candidate (protégés are unable to nominate themselves). Funding is provided by Rolex, and each cycle concludes with a two-day event, the most recent held at the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) in New York City in September, at which the 20th anniversary (2023-2024) iteration of the programme was announced.

Meet the Mentors and Protégés for the 2023-24 Rolex Arts Initiative

VISUAL ARTS

El Anatsui and Bronwyn Katz

LITERATURE

Bernadine Evaristo and Ayesha Harruna Attah

ARCHITECTURE

Anne Lacaton and Arine Aprahamian

MUSIC

Dianne Reeves and Song Yi Jeon

FILM

Jia Zhang-Ke and Rafael Manuel

A version of this article appears in the December 2022 issue of Wallpaper*, available in print, on the Wallpaper* app on Apple iOS, and to subscribers of Apple News +. Subscribe to Wallpaper* today.

rolex.org, carriemaeweems.net, camilart.info

Rolex has collaborated with filmmaker James Cameron on the Rolex Oyster Perpetual Deepsea Challenge, a divers’ watch in RLX titanium guaranteed to a depth of 11,000m.

The watch was inspired by an experimental piece that accompanied Cameron on his journey into the Mariana Trench on 26 March 2012, a 10,908m descent that saw the watch attached to the manipulator arm of Cameron’s submarine

Rolex Oyster Perpetual Deepsea Challenge

The new watch is capable of surviving similarly challenging environments with innovative and functional design elements. Surplus gas can effortlessly escape from the watch thanks to a helium escape valve, while a Ringlock system – a patented design of the case architecture – lets the watch withstand extreme pressure. Crafted from RLX titanium, a grade-five titanium alloy celebrated for its exceptional robustness and lightness, the timepiece is both technically impressive and comfortable to wear.   

Slimmed-down proportions make the Rolex Oyster Perpetual Deepsea Challenge suitable for daily wear. An elegant crystal silhouette lends the watch a neat form, while extension systems on the bracelet mean the watch can be worn over a diving suit up to 7mm thick. 

Engraving on the case back pays tribute to the two experimental dives that inspired the watch: the 1960 voyage of oceanographer Jacques Piccard and US Navy Lieutenant Don Walsh on the Trieste; and James Cameron’s solo 2012 journey. 

While both expeditions were accompanied by experimental Rolex watches, this new piece hones the original design, at 30 per cent lighter and capable of withstanding everything from open-water diving to submersible dives and hyperbaric chambers.

rolex.com

With its date disc at three o’clock replacing the use of traditional markings around the dial indicated by an extra hand, the release of the Rolex Datejust model in 1945 marked a radical rethink of how we check the day of the month on a watch. Defying the conventional parameters of watch design, the model became the first self-winding waterproof chronometer to have this display.

New Rolex Datejust 41

It is a history retold in the new Rolex Datejust 41, which imbues these references with a modern twist. A textured golden dial riffs on the classic fluted silhouette of the bezel; highly polished lugs and case sides add a brilliant play of light. They join classic Datejust particulars such as the Jubilee bracelet, created exclusively for the original 1940s model, which here knits together Oystersteel (a stainless steel alloy exclusive to Rolex) and yellow gold.

Wearers today can choose from three sizes, in 31mm, 36mm and 41mm, and from a range of colours and materials. Yellow, white or Everose gold bezels – whether smooth, gently textured or speckled with diamonds – circle diamond-set, mother-of-pearl or fluted dials. As well as the distinctive Jubilee bracelet, the Datejust can also be paired with the Oyster bracelet, composed of flat three-piece links, and the President bracelet with three semi-circular links which is available on 18ct gold versions of the watch. 

INFORMATION

A version of this article appears in the September 2022 issue of Wallpaper*, available in print, on the Wallpaper* app on Apple iOS, and to subscribers of Apple News +. Subscribe to Wallpaper* today!

rolex.com

Rolex builds on a rich aviation history with the release of the new Oyster Perpetual Air-King. The new model rethinks a classic watch design, with straight sides and a crown guard redrawing the parameters of the case.

Proportions have also been rethought, with the three-piece link bracelet made broader and now equipped with the Oysterlock safety clasp for the first time for increased robustness. Further reassurance comes with the new guaranteed waterproof depth of 100m, while the middle section of the case is created from a solid block of Oystersteel – Rolex’s own strong steel alloy with corrosion-resistant properties – which adds to the toughness of the whole. The case back is attached with screws only accessible by Rolex watchmakers.

The need for increased legibility is behind the rethought display, with Chromalight ensuring greater legibility in the darkness. The 3, 6 and 9 numerals, previously created from 18ct white gold, are also now filled in with the luminescent material. With the addition of a 0 before the 5, there is a new harmony in the symmetry of the case.

The new watch nods to an aviation relationship stretching back almost a century, with the spirit of experimentation that characterised the 1930s reflected in the launch of long-distance flights and pilots’ frequent breaking of records, often while wearing a Rolex Oyster on their wrist. Rolex watches were also useful for some pilots who preferred to use them as a reliable onboard timer. It is a history nodded to in the face of the watch, where the ‘Air-King’ name became a permanent feature when it launched in 1958, with the black dial appearing in 2016.

The Oyster Perpetual Air-King joins other new watches, including GMT Master II, Day-Date 40, Datejust 31, Yacht-Master 42 and Yacht-Master 40, as Rolex’s main watch releases this year. 

INFORMATION

rolex.com

Rolex has announced that Felix Brooks-church, Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim, Rinzin Phunjok Lama, Gina Moseley and Luiz Rocha are this year’s winners of the Rolex Awards for Enterprise.

The awards recognise the projects that have the potential to transform the future, as part of the Rolex Perpetual Planet initiative, which supports those aiming to bring about change. The five winners of this year’s awards, hailing from all around the globe, will receive funding for their projects.

Each of the winners has addressed differing needs for projects that propose practical solutions to pressing issues. Felix Brooks-church, from the United States, has assessed the need for critical micronutrients in staple foods to combat serious cases of malnutrition in Tanzania. His machines in rural flour mills efficiently supply them.

Chad-based Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim is concerned with the prevention of climate conflicts in the Sahel – by connecting with indigenious people, she is able to use their knowledge to locate much-needed natural resources.

For Rinzin Phunjok Lama, from Nepal, local communities are also key; his work aims to protect the Trans-Himalayan ecosystems and at-risk mammals.

The United Kingdom’s Gina Moseley aims to gather information in a bid to create long-term solutions, and her plan to lead the first expedition to explore the world’s northernmost caves will unlock details of climate change in the Arctic.

For Luiz Rocha, from Brazil, mesophotic coral reefs in the Indian Ocean are the focus, his work aiming to discover and protect them.

The ten judges – technology specialist Meena Ganesh, law professor Toshiyuki Kono, palaeontologist and anthropologist Louise Leakey, astrophysicist Chris Lintott, environmentalist Wanjira Mathai, research scientist Sam Myers, physicist and Nobel Laureate Konstantin Novoselov, ecologist Jon Paul Rodríguez, humanitarian Norbu Tenzing, and professor Zhu Dajian – met virtually in November to decide on the winners.

The award is a continuation of the tradition established in 1976 by the CEO of Rolex at the time, André J Heiniger. Created to mark the 50th anniversary of the Rolex Oyster watch, the awards – originally intended to be a one-off – were so popular they became a regular event.

INFORMATION
rolex.org

Rolex’s history of creating tool watches can be traced back to the 1930s, when the timepieces it provided to explorers became an integral part of an expedition’s kit. In 1953, when Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay reached the summit of Mount Everest, it was with their white Rolex Oyster Perpetual watches. Building on this success, Rolex released the first Explorer watch later the same year.

The toughened case and clear design codes are still present in today’s Rolex Oyster Perpetual Explorer, with the ‘3’, ‘6’ and ‘9’ numerals making for quick and easy legibility. The Explorer’s design bulked up over time, but this year’s new model cuts a neater silhouette, returning to its original 1953 case size of a restrained 36mm.

Less, in this case, is definitely more. The timepiece’s smaller proportions are drawn in yellow Rolesor – a mix of 18ct yellow gold and Oystersteel, Rolex’s own corrosive-proof brand of strong steel – which has been a recurring feature of the brand’s designs since it was first patented in 1933. The juxtaposition of soft warm gold against the cool solidity of steel makes an effective foil for a glossy black lacquered dial. The watch’s markers and hands, coated in a luminescent material that emits a vivid blue glow in the darkness and promises to last for an impressive eight hours, will be hard to miss for adventurers in both urban and extreme settings.

Overall, the design of the Rolex Explorer has generally remained consistent since its first inception. After its Everest expedition, the introduction of a reinforced case and a clearer dial made for a more practical watch, guaranteeing its continued popularity among the intrepid. While the preoccupation of adventurers may have changed from discovering new land to protecting the land we have, their wristwatch of choice remains the same. 

INFORMATION

This article originally featured in the July 2021 issue of Wallpaper* (W*267), available for free download

rolex.com

The latest iterations of the Rolex Cosmograph Daytona are defined by a metallic meteorite dial. The rare material, which comes from an asteroid that exploded millions of years ago, features a textured pattern formed as it cooled and crystallised over the years.

The material’s connotations of adventure and durability are apt for the Rolex Cosmograph Daytona, which traces its history back to the 1950s, a decade that marked the beginning of Rolex’s explorations into the potentiality of a watch beyond standard timekeeping.

Professional pursuits such as deep-sea diving and aviation began to be catered for with technologically savvy designs, an investment that paid off – when Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay reached the summit of Mount Everest in 1953, it was with their Oyster Perptuals at hand.

That same year, in celebration, Rolex unveiled both the first Oyster Perpetual Explorer and the first divers’ watch waterproof to a depth of 100m, the Submariner, cementing the brand’s new status as producer of professional watches.

A decade later, in 1963, the Cosmograph Daytona was launched, named after Daytona Beach in Florida, which had played host to more than a dozen world land speed records thanks to its firm sand. In the 1950s, the sand was replaced by the Daytona International Speedway, making location an integral part of motor racing history. The new watch nodded to this adrenaline-fuelled culture with its name and durable credentials, including a clear tachymetric scale for measuring speed, and a hardy case.

In the subsequent years, the Cosmograph Daytona has been rethought in multiple iterations, whether created with boldly coloured dials or cast in vivid yellow gold. Familiar design ticks, such as the emphasis on legibility, have remained consistent.

Now, Rolex has turned to a metallic meteorite dial. Mostly composed of iron and nickel, the material is cut into thin sections and subjected to a chemical treatment that uncovers its graphic internal structure. The three new versions – in white gold, yellow gold and Everose gold – all feature the familiar tachymetric scale, making this a useful tool for racing divers and watch aficionados alike.

INFORMATION
rolex.com

A host of rare timepieces are set to go under the hammer this weekend in Geneva as Phillips, in association with Bacs & Russo, present a selection of timepieces from a private collection.

‘This sale’s theme takes us through the first twenty years of the 21st Century – a time that has seen watchmaking and the industry change more than in the past 100 years put together,’ says Alexandre Ghotbi, head of watches in continental Europe and the Middle East. ‘One of the most important and exciting changes of the new millennium has been the rise of independent watchmaking that has offered us a wind of fresh air. These independent makers have paved a path for themselves with unbridled creativity and technical mastery.’

As well as established watch brands, classical pieces from recognised horology masters F.P. Journe, Philippe Dufour and Kari Voutilainen are on sale alongside cutting edge pieces from the likes of De Bethune, MB&F and Urwerk.

Patek Philippe ref 2523/1

‘Patek Philippe has come to be associated with the world time. Launched in 1953, the reference 2523/1 featured a new two-crown system, one for winding the watch and the other at 9 o’clock controlling the city disc. When introduced to the market this new double crown world time was not a commercial success resulting in very few pieces manufactured – in fact, the movement of the present watch was made in 1954 but only cased in 1966 and finally sold in 1973. The present piece is one of the most breathtaking specimens of the iconic reference 2523/1. It is not only completely unpolished, but it is one of only four known models in pink gold with a beautifully guillochée dial.’ – Alexandre Ghotbi

Movado Oval  

‘A certain suave coolness just oozes out of this incredibly visually arresting extra large oval timepiece from Movado. The shape and size of the case make the watch incomparable to its peers. It is incredible to think that such a timepiece was made some 90 years ago: its innovative and nomenclature defying design is like no other and a must have for the collector of truly rare and unusual watches.’ – Alexandre Ghotbi

Rolex 6241 ‘John Player Special’

‘The Rolex Daytona doesn’t need an introduction. Launched in the early 1960s, it was a ‘tool’ watch made to time sporting events and thus made in steel. However, Rolex made a very few versions in gold and this reference is among the rarest Daytona models ever produced. A so-called ‘John Player Special’ due to its gold and black colour scheme, the present watch is an exceedingly rare variant of the Paul Newman model. It is notably one of a few handful of known ‘John Player Specials’ cased in 14K yellow gold and most probably made for the American market.’ – Alexandre Ghotbi. 

INFORMATION

‘The Geneva Watch Auction: XII and Retrospective: 2000-2020’, 6 – 8 November 2020.
phillips.com

The new GMT-Master II – far from being a new design, is an existing model that’s been subtly upgraded. These tweaks have caught the watch world’s attention, never mind that this ‘Batman’ (blue/black bezel) GMT-Master II has been given the same upgrades as the ‘Pepsi’ (red/blue) version had last year. The changes are straightforward enough, the movement inside being upgraded to the Calibre 3285 which provides better efficiency and durability thanks to new materials and internal architectures, while the bezel is now made with Cerachrome – Rolex’s proprietary ceramic – and the watch has the more vintage-feel Jubilee bracelet. While these are all worthwhile and, even, desirable upgrades, the most immediate effect for Rolex collectors will be its impact on pre-owned values for the previous model – the collectability factor rising, as that watch is now a finite quantity.

The new Yacht Master 42 shows that not every remix is as understated as the Batman: Rolex can usually be relied on for something a little more radical. Also featuring a next-generation movement, the watch is defined by the combination of black ceramic bezel, black lacquer dial, chromalight luminous treatment and white-gold case (it’s the first Yacht Master to be created in precious metal) – all together the mix gives the watch an overtly technical, contemporary feel.

Yellow-gold accents take the new Sea Dweller in a different direction. Rolex’s most extreme dive watch is water-resistance rated to 4,000 ft, but the addition of luxurious gold details to the dial, bezel and bracelet make the 2019 Sea Dweller more than the simple tool watch its predecessor was – though it’s performance in all conditions is still the defining feature.

INFORMATION

For more information, visit the Rolex website

Every other year since 2002, the Rolex Mentor and Protégé Arts Initiative has brought together leading artists, writers, architects, musicians, film-makers, theatre directors and other creative titans with early-career contenders. Past mentors include Magaret Atwood, David Hockney and Anish Kapoor. In November 2016 we profiled the latest seven lucky protégés, paired with guiding lights such as Philip Glass, David Chipperfield and Robert Lepage. The protégés reveal what mentoring has meant to them and how their lives have changed as a result.

Born in 1982, Simon Kretz is a Swiss architect and theorist of urbanism, who took his MA in architecture at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH). He co-founded his first practice in 2010, and in 2014 became a founding partner of Salewski & Kretz Architekten, based in Zurich. He has worked for several international firms, including OMA Rotterdam, and has been senior lecturer for urban design at ETH Zurich since 2013. His Rolex mentor is the architect David Chipperfield.

W*: What form has your mentorship taken?
Simon Kretz: We used the year as a thought experiment, with theoretical and practical sides. The theoretical part is both a critique of a purely market-based urbanism and a manifesto for a relational, collective, diverse and domestic future of our cities. The practical part is an urban masterplan for the Bishopsgate Goodsyard in London. We collaborated with Professor Kees Christiaanse at ETH Zurich and conducted an urban design class on the project with 36 students this spring. David was a guest at the design course and we produced nine different options for the Goodsyard, which served as applications of our theories. David was also here for the final reviews.

W*: Have any projects developed out of your time together?
SK: Yes, we’ve developed a theoretical project that reflects on planning processes, planning culture and urban design as the underlying fundaments of architecture. We are planning to publish the joint project early next year, and we’ll exhibit the work in February in Berlin, and probably in the summer in Venice.

W*: How do you feel your work has developed or changed as a result of the time that you’ve spent with your mentor?
SK: I am fascinated by the way David constructs his arguments. His thoughts are at the same time pragmatic and idealistic, while his holistic approach and depth of thinking are helping me to extend my theoretical and mental vocabulary. This integrity of thinking has had an impact on my mindset.

W*: What are your plans for the future?
SK: To finish my PhD and to work on two competitions that our office has recently won. And to spend a couple of weeks biking around Europe.

As originally featured in the November 2017 issue of Wallpaper* (W*224)

INFORMATION

For more information, visit the Salewski & Kretz website and the Rolex Mentors & Protégés Initiative‎ website

Of all the brands that do their utmost to ensure a tense build-up to Baselworld, Rolex is probably the most close-lipped. Indeed, a great time-waster for enthusiasts is trawling the web to see what the various pundits have predicted. 

Given that Rolex is among the more consistent of brands for keeping its models in continuous production, and given that just about all of their ranges have had recent makeovers – even less-common lines like the Milgauss and the Explorer II – there is little in the way of a clue there. The pundits are confounded.

Rolex’s evergreen DateJust enjoyed a refresher course last year with the DateJust 41, bringing its size up to current norms, while the company’s magnificent ceramic bezels have gone beyond the diving models to include the Daytona. 

One observer anticipates a revitalising in another direction, based wisely on the improvements Rolex has made to its bracelets: the dressy Jubilee is overdue for a re-think, and it’s a natural to be fitted to the colourful GMT-Master II or the refreshed Explorer II.

Rolex has added blue and green dials and bezels to its much-loved Submariner, and they have been embraced by the cognoscenti with such fervour that prices have skyrocketed along with waiting times. 

It ain’t gonna happen, but I’ll bet there are enthusiasts out there who would like to see the Submariner offered with a burgundy scheme like Rolex’s sibling brand, Tudor. I rather doubt Rolex would even consider bright red.

If wishful thinking is permitted, this enthusiast would love to see some sort of homage paid to the Bubbleback. That series featured ‘California’ dials with their mix of Roman and Arabic numerals, ornate hooded lugs and other design touches redolent of the era. 

As Rolex has blissfully ignored the industry’s battle for ‘Who makes the thinnest?’, this little plumper would prove a tonic to horological anorexics.

INFORMATION

For more information, visit the Rolex website and the Baselworld website

Bringing together leading artists, writers, architects, musicians, filmmakers and other creative luminaries with the brightest young stars in their field, the Rolex Mentor and Protégé programme is an ambitious cultural exchange. The protégés reveal what mentoring has meant to them and how their lives have changed as a result.

The film director Chaitanya Tamhane sprang to fame at the 2014 Venice Film Festival with his debut feature, Court, which was awarded Best Film in the Horizons category and has since won more than 30 further awards worldwide. Tamhane started making films after graduating in English literature from Mithibai College, Mumbai, and also writes and directs his own plays. In 2014 The Hollywood Reporter singled him out as one of the world’s most promising filmmakers under 30. He has been mentored by Alfonso Cuarón, the Mexican film director best known for Gravity and Y Tu Mamá También, who is currently working on his new film, Roma, set in Mexico.

W*: How would you sum up the scheme?
Chaitanya Tamhane: It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for someone like me, who’s making independent films in India, to meet someone like Alfonso, but it’s also been amazing to meet all the other protégés and to be part of this group of such talented people from all over the world doing such different things.

W*: Has the time you have spent with Alfonso Cuarón on the set of Roma changed the way you think about cinema?
CT: Absolutely it has – I have never been so sensitised to the image before. Alfonso is a master of light: he’s obsessed with every tiny detail, every reflection. Of course, he’s also super-skilled in directing actors and all the other aspects of film, but he’s really opened a window in my head when it comes to using the image. I’m also writing in a different way as a result, thinking much more visually, where I used to think mostly about character and narrative.

W*: What will you be working on next?
CT: My new script is based in the world of Indian classical music. It’s a coming-of-age film, if you like, though you could call it a very late coming-of-age film, since the concept of time is very different in Indian classical music; you’re a beginner for many years. It’s set across three different decades. I’ve been researching it for the last 18 months, and I’m hoping to have finished it soon, so I can show it to Alfonso when we meet up again.

As originally featured in the January 2018 issue of Wallpaper* (W*226)

INFORMATION 

For more information, visit Chaitanya Tamhane's Court website and the Rolex Mentors & Protégés Initiative‎ website

Bringing together leading artists, writers, architects, musicians, filmmakers and other creative luminaries with the brightest young stars in their field, the Rolex Mentor and Protégé programme is an ambitious cultural exchange. The protégés reveal what mentoring has meant to them and how their lives have changed as a result.

The Brazilian writer, critic and translator Julián Fuks was born in São Paulo, and is the author of three novels, a short-story collection and a children’s book. His last novel, A Resistência (Resistance), won Brazil’s Jabuti prize for Best Novel of the Year 2016.

W*: Describe your time with your mentor, the Mozambican writer Mia Couto.
Julián Fuks: I think, from the moment we met, Mia and I have been carrying on a conversation, and it has been a very long and pleasant one. Many times we changed the backdrop – first Maputo, then the Azores, São Paulo, Lisbon, London – and with the scenery some of our ideas might have changed as well. In the beginning I talked a lot about what I intended to do throughout this year; I had the opportunity to explore in detail the reasons behind my fiction projects, past and future. Then we slowly shifted the conversation to something closer to doubts and fears, the inevitable hesitations in every literary work in progress. After a while I started sending Mia my new writings, for his very wise and precise interventions. And Mia has been generous enough to send me the manuscripts of the trilogy he has been writing, sharing with me his own doubts and hesitations.

W*: What have you been working on over the last year?
JF: I have been writing a new novel entitled The Occupation, an autofictional work that in a way follows up my previous novel, Resistance – occupying and resisting have become fundamental acts in the times we live in, and fundamental material for contemporary literature. Though it may take another year until I write the last line, the novel will have a collaborative aspect: it will contain letters to Mia Couto exploring the creative process (in a fictional manner, of course), and perhaps a letter from him.

W*: How would you sum up the Rolex scheme?
JF: Despite the common myth of the antisocial artist, no one produces art in total silence and isolation. The exchange of ideas and impressions is crucial to any creative process, and this, in the most fecund circumstances, is what the Rolex programme provides.

As originally featured in the January 2018 issue of Wallpaper* (W*226)

INFROMATION

A Resistência is published in Portuguese by Companhia das Letras and will be published in English by Charco Press in 2018. For more information, visit the Rolex Mentors & Protégés Initiative‎ website

Bringing together leading artists, writers, architects, musicians, filmmakers and other creative luminaries with the brightest young stars in their field, the Rolex Mentor and Protégé programme is an ambitious cultural exchange. Following on from our story in the November 2017 issue, three of the latest protégés reveal what mentoring has meant to them.

Born in Peru, Pauchi Sasaki is a violinist, composer and performance artist whose work spans different styles and disciplines. She is a graduate of the Electronic Music and Recording Media programme at Mills College in California, and composes music for video, film, theatre, dance, and site-specific projects and installations. Her Rolex mentor is Philip Glass, a master of minimalist music and arguably the most popular classical composer alive today.

W*: How have you and Philip Glass interacted over the year?
Pauchi Sasaki: At the beginning, I followed him on tour around Japan, Europe, California and New York, which was fascinating, as his tours demand a lot of teamwork, and it was really useful to learn about the logistics behind the scenes. Later we were able to get together in New York, where we had the space and time for wide-ranging talks, especially about music and film. Philip is a great storyteller and he’s worked with so many amazing people, like Woody Allen and Martin Scorsese.

W*: Has his mentorship had a practical side?
PS: Right from the start, Philip told me that I should be the owner of my music, and that I needed to set up my own publishing company, which I have done now. He’s also helping with me a letter for the artists’ visa programme for the US.

W*: How do you feel your work has developed as a result of your discussions?
PS: Philip is a very pragmatic person. He has so many things to take care of, but he really knows how to manage them without getting overwhelmed. That ability and that kind of wisdom is very inspiring for a young artist like me. In terms of music, mine sometimes is quite abstract, but his has a quality like light – not without weight, but beautiful. Little by little, perhaps, elements of my music will emerge which will sound a bit happier, and that may be his influence.

W*: Do you have any performances coming up?
PS: I recently performed with the American Composers Orchestra at Carnegie Hall, on the same night that Philip presented his take on Vivaldi’s Four Seasons. On 11 March I’ll be at National Sawdust in New York as part of Du Yun’s Pan Asian Sounding Festival, and on 1 June I’m performing at the Metropolitan Museum of Art as part of a suite of micro commissions by Aizuri Quartet.

As originally featured in the January 2018 issue of Wallpaper* (W*226)

INFORMATION
For more information, visit Pauchi Sasaki’s website and the Rolex Mentor & Protégé Initiative‎ website

Every other year since 2002, the Rolex Mentor and Protégé Arts Initiative has brought together leading artists, writers, architects, musicians, film-makers, theatre directors and other creative titans with early-career contenders. Past mentors include Magaret Atwood, David Hockney and Anish Kapoor. In November 2016 we profiled the latest seven lucky protégés, paired with guiding lights such as Philip Glass, David Chipperfield and Robert Lepage. The protégés reveal what mentoring has meant to them and how their lives have changed as a result.

Born and brought up in Ho Chi Minh City, Thao-Nguyen Phan studied at the city’s University of Fine Arts, before doing an MFA at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Returning to Vietnam, in 2012 she set up Art Labor, a cross-disciplinary collective with artist Truong Cong Tung and curator Arlette Quynh-Anh Tran, which develops art projects that involve the local community. Her mentor is Joan Jonas, the New York-based pioneer of video and performance art.

W*: Has your year with Joan Jonas had an impact on your creative work?
Thao-Nguyen Phan: What is special about the programme is that I do not have to have a physical project that is considered ‘the result’ of the mentorship. Instead, that lies in the profound experience that I have had with my mentor, a great life lesson that can be used for years to come. Having said that, my most recent work, Poetic Amnesia, is inspired by Joan’s unique approach to image-making, and is an experiment in creating a half-real, half-fictitious visual experience, using painting, drawing, video and sculpture – it’s my venture into the history of Vietnam’s romanised script.

W*: What is your next project likely to be?
TNP: Joan and my art collective, Art Labor, have been invited to participate in the 2018 Carnegie International in Pittsburgh, one of the most important contemporary art surveys in America. I will come to Pittsburgh with Joan this November and begin our collaboration, which will be based around the topics of botany and economy.

W*: How has this last year changed you?
TNP: It wasn’t until I met Joan that I realised the freedom I have in being a visual artist, that I can explore different mediums, each with its own endless possibilities. This has had a crucial impact on how I make work now.

As originally featured in the November 2017 issue of Wallpaper* (W*224)

INFORMATION

For more information, visit Thao-Nguyen Phan's website and the Rolex Mentors & Protégés Initiative‎ website

Every other year since 2002, the Rolex Mentor and Protégé Arts Initiative has brought together leading artists, writers, architects, musicians, film-makers, theatre directors and other creative titans with early-career contenders. Past mentors include Magaret Atwood, David Hockney and Anish Kapoor. In November 2016 we profiled the latest seven lucky protégés, paired with guiding lights such as Philip Glass, David Chipperfield and Robert Lepage. The protégés reveal what mentoring has meant to them and how their lives have changed as a result.

Londiwe Khoza was born in Soweto, South Africa, and became a soloist in the Cape Dance Company while still studying at the Cape Academy of Performing Arts. In 2016, she joined Batsheva – The Young Ensemble in Tel Aviv, which is part of the Batsheva Dance Company, of which her mentor, Ohad Naharin, is artistic director.

W*: How much time have you been able to spend with Ohad Naharin over the period of the programme?
Londiwe Khoza: I was lucky enough to be in a situation of always being in his environment, regardless of whether or not I saw him. I was constantly learning every day, even when I didn’t see him. We’ve had a very meaningful time together so far and, as the year unfolded, we worked more closely together. I’m so happy that I could be in such a position.

W*: Where did you meet up?
LK: Batsheva is based at the Suzanne Dellal Center [Tel Aviv] and that’s where we spent all of our time. Between Ohad’s busy schedule and the schedule of the ensemble, we didn’t spend all day every day together, but we’ve spent a good amount of time together.

W*: Do you think this year has changed you?
LK: I feel as though my approach to my work has changed. I’ve changed and developed so much as a dancer and embarked on this new journey of self-discovery.

W*: What work is coming up next for you?
LK: My contract with Ensemble Batsheva began in August, so hopefully a long relationship with Batsheva Dance Company. The 2017/2018 season is very exciting.

W*: If you had to sum up the scheme in just a few words, what would you say?
LK: It’s an incredible initiative that changes the lives of young artists, allowing them the opportunity to learn from a master in a professional environment – it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Rolex should be so proud of the work it has done and the opportunities it has created, as well as the lives it has changed.

As originally featured in the November 2017 issue of Wallpaper* (W*224)

INFORMATION

For more information, visit the Rolex Mentors & Protégés Initiative‎ website

Every other year since 2002, the Rolex Mentor and Protégé Arts Initiative has brought together leading artists, writers, architects, musicians, film-makers, theatre directors and other creative titans with early-career contenders. Past mentors include Magaret Atwood, David Hockney and Anish Kapoor. In November 2016 we profiled the latest seven lucky protégés, paired with guiding lights such as Philip Glass, David Chipperfield and Robert Lepage. The protégés reveal what mentoring has meant to them and how their lives have changed as a result.

Argentine artist Matías Umpierrez has been pushing the boundaries of theatre since 2007, when he became head of theatre at the Rector Ricardo Rojas Cultural Center in Buenos Aires. His mentor is the Canadian theatre director Robert Lepage.

W*: Has any new work come directly out of your time so far with Robert Lepage?
Matías Umpierrez: Towards the end of my year I proposed that we collaborate on a new production. He will be one of the protagonists of a project named The Museum of Fiction, which reflects on how fiction can be displayed in a museum. The first work I’ve chosen for my museum is an adaptation of Macbeth, which will star Robert and a renowned Spanish actress.

W*: How has this last year changed you?
MU: I love the idea of facing the uncertain, a complex space of creation in which the only way to relate to the other is to connect with the present, regardless of any anxiety.

As originally featured in the November 2017 issue of Wallpaper* (W*224)

INFORMATION

For more information, visit the Rolex Mentors & Protégés Initiative‎ website

George Bamford made his name – and his company – by applying a touch of polychromatic wizardry to recognisable horological classics. The Bamford Watch Department gives collectible brands limited-edition makeovers, working alongside artists and designers to create playful collector’s pieces that signal discretion or delight. Now Bamford has turned his attention to cars.

Inspired by his family’s long association with Bentley, this one-off Bamford X Bentley goes all-out to incorporate the designer’s signature dark-tint-and-strong-highlight approach. Bentley is no stranger to special requests, of course, and the company’s Mulliner division has a long history of accommodating every conceivable client whim and fancy.

Taking the flagship Mulsanne Speed as a starting point, the Bamford X Bentley presents the 190mph luxury saloon as a moody landscape of rich materials, splashes of bold colour and ‘hidden delights’. The latter includes a customised Bamford watch case, naturally, nestling in the spot many owners pick for their cocktail shaker, while both the bodywork and the interior feature, the company claims, ‘more dark and black-tinted elements than any Bentley before.’

The Kingfisher Blue piping stands out like stripes of neon alongside the piano black veneer, carbon fibre and dark Beluga hide, a colour also carried over to the bodywork, with a special coating process used to give the same rich matte finish to what would otherwise be shiny brightwork. Naturally the console clock is also given pride of place, with a zinging custom face making it pop out of the discreetly dark dashboard. 

INFORMATION

For more information, visit the Bentley website

Every two years since 2002, the Rolex Mentor and Protégé Arts Initiative has conducted an experiment in creative fusion, flinging some of the best-known creators in the world together with talented young artists at or near the start of their careers. The roll call of past mentors features an astonishing selection of illustrious names, including Margaret Atwood, Peter Zumthor, Robert Wilson, Trisha Brown, David Hockney, Martin Scorsese, Brian Eno and Sir Anish Kapoor. Each mentor spends a minimum of 30 working days with their protégé, but in practice, many invest far more time than that; how they structure the partnership is up to each pair to decide.

Run from Rolex’s gleaming green-glass HQ in Geneva – which bears more than a passing resemblance to the Emerald City in the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz – the programme has an intriguing modus vivendi. For each iteration of the scheme, a special advisory board is appointed that suggests mentors for each discipline – currently architecture, dance, film, literature, music, theatre and visual arts. Once the mentors have been appointed, separate panels for each discipline identify a shortlist of potential protégés, although the final selection is left to the mentors themselves.

You can’t apply to take part: in fact, protégés-to-be don’t know they have been chosen until they receive an email inviting them to participate in the scheme. Given that this year’s mentors include Sir David Chipperfield, Philip Glass, Joan Jonas, Alfonso Cuarón and Robert Lepage, we suspect that few, if any, potential protégés turn the opportunity down. It probably also helps that they are each given a grant of CHF25,000 (€23,000) and their travel expenses for the year, plus the same amount again at the end of the scheme towards the creation of a new piece of work. The mentors, for their part, receive CHF75,000 (€69,000) each for their time and advice. 

When we meet in Geneva, this year’s protégés have just been introduced to each other, although most of them have already spent some time with their mentor. They are a typically diverse bunch, both in terms of their interests and their backgrounds. Architecture protégé Simon Kretz is the only local: based in Zurich, he has co-founded two practices and has a special interest in ideas of urbanism, which he is exploring with his mentor, Chipperfield. By contrast, South African dancer Londiwe Khoza was born in Soweto and started dance lessons at the age of five. A soloist at the Cape Dance Company by the age of 22, she will spend her year studying and dancing with Israeli dancer and choreographer Ohad Naharin.

Born and raised in Mumbai, film protégé Chaitanya Tamhane has already spent time on set with the director of Gravity, Alfonso Cuarón. Tamhane’s first feature film, Court, premiered at the 2014 Venice Film Festival and has gone on to win numerous awards. São Paulo-based writer Julián Fuks is planning to write a metafictional novel under the watchful eye of Mozambican novelist Mia Couto, winner of the 2014 Neustadt International Prize for Literature. Pauchi Sasaki is a Peruvian sound artist and performer, creator of (among other things) a musical dress; she has already been touring Japan and Europe with her mentor, American composer Philip Glass. 

Legendary stage and film director Robert Lepage, for his part, will be mentoring young Argentinean playwright and director Matías Umpierrez, whose work has included simultaneous international performances. Meanwhile, artist Thao-Nguyen Phan, who studied at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago but now works in her native Vietnam, will be working with great American performance artist Joan Jonas. As Rebecca Irvin, head of philanthropy at Rolex, says: ‘The chance to benefit from the experience of one of the world’s greatest exponents in their discipline is an unparalleled opportunity for these young artists.’ They must be very glad that email didn’t go into their spam folder.

As originally featured in the November 2016 issue of Wallpaper* (W*212)

INFORMATION

For more information, visit the Rolex Mentor and Protégé Arts Initiative website

Nominated for her outstanding performance and compositional talent, Pauchi Sasaki is a violinist, composer and performance artist, whose work ranges across different music styles and disciplines. She graduated from the Electronic Music and Recording Media programme at Mills College in California, and composes music for video, film, theatre, dance, and site-specific projects and installations.

W*: Why did you end up being a musician rather than expressing yourself in a different field?
PS: Music suits me very well for many different reasons. It’s very free, very poetic but also very structured. I’ve always tended to be introspective, and music fits well with that as well. As an artist I feel I can express myself most directly through music. I started learning the flute at the same time as I started learning to talk, and I began playing the violin when I was five, so music has always been part of my life.

How did your speaker dress come about?
I’m very interested in embodying sound, in contrast to the way as a performer that you’re often hiding behind an instrument. After a very big, intense performance at the opera house in Lima in 2012, I kind of came to afterwards and wondered, ‘What on earth happened there?’ What you do exists only while you’re doing it, but as soon as the performance is over it’s gone, and you have to learn to change the chip in your head and be someone other than the person you were on the stage. For some time after that, I had a real hunger for objects – because as a performer, once the performance is over you have nothing but the experience to show for it. That’s when I conceived the idea for my musical dress.

How are you working with Philip Glass?
I’ve already been touring with him, travelling to Japan for a performance with Patti Smith, and to Bucharest and Paris with the Kronos Quartet, who were playing Philip Glass’ music for the 1931 film of Dracula, which is one of my favourite pieces.

pauchi.com

Simon Kretz is a Swiss architect and theorist of urbanism, who took his MA in architecture at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology. He co-founded his first practice in 2010, and in 2014 became a founding partner of Christian Salewski & Simon Kretz Architekten. He has worked for several international firms, including OMA Rotterdam, and has been senior lecturer for Urban Design at ETH Zurich since 2013.

W*: What drew you to architecture?
SK: I was always very polyvalent and interested in a lot of different things, from philosophy and mathematics to communication, art and drawing, and by my last year at college I’d realised that architecture was one of the few disciplines that combined all these things and linked them together – and that really attracted me.

What insights have you gained so far from your mentor?
It’s been fascinating to visit David Chipperfield and see his studio. I’ve seen quite a few big practices now, and it’s rare to find one that is so well organised, and where the running of the practice is so carefully thought through. I’m going to be exploring ideas of urbanism with him, thinking about how urban projects could be approached in new ways.

Photograpy: Tina Ruisinger. salewski-kretz.ch

Londiwe Khoza was born in Soweto, and became a soloist in the Cape Dance Company while still studying at the Cape Academy of Performing Arts. She has won plaudits for her outstanding talent in both contemporary and neoclassical dance, and has recently joined the Batsheva Dance Company in Tel Aviv as an apprentice dancer under the direction of her mentor, Ohad Naharin.

W*: Why did you end up becoming a dancer?
LK: I saw Swan Lake when I was about five and thought: I want to be a ballerina. I was one of those annoying little girls who always wanted to be in a tutu. I started training the same year, then carried on from there – my training was mostly in classical ballet. It’s the physicality of dance that really appeals to me: I’d hate to be sitting at a desk all day typing. Dance is physical, but it makes many other demands, mental and emotional.

What was it like growing up as a dancer in Cape Town?
A lot of South Africans have to move abroad to gain recognition and have success; so much of the country’s history has to do with race, and that’s still there, even if these days it’s covered up with pretty flowers.

Dance is a very complicated art form, but in my experience the complications usually come from the people who book the dancers, not the dancers themselves. But more young people are starting to create their own work there now, like a play I wrote with a friend, and that’s a promising sign.

How is it working with Ohad Naharin?
Where I’m at I want to learn from the best people in the world. Ohad is my mentor, but all his dancers are his protégés. Ultimately I’d like to do more choreography – but to be a great choreographer first you have to be a great dancer. A really good leader is someone who knows how to follow.

batsheva.co.il

The self-trained film director Chaitanya Tamhane sprang to fame at the 2014 Venice Film Festival with his debut feature film, Court, which was awarded Best Film in the Horizon category and has since won more than 30 further awards worldwide. Court was also the official Indian entry for the 2016 Best Foreign Film Oscar. Tamhane started making films after graduating in English literature from Mithibai College, Mumbai, and also writes and directs his own plays. In 2014 The Hollywood Reporter singled him out as one of the world’s most promising film-makers under 30.

W*: How did you end up as a film-maker?
CT: I grew up wanting to be an actor, and I got involved in the theatre in Mumbai. But by the time I was around 17 or 18 I’d begun to realise that acting was probably not for me. By then, though, I’d started writing stories and plays, and around 2005 I saw City of God [the Brazilian film set in the favelas of Rio de Janeiro], which suddenly opened my eyes to world cinema. Up till then I’d only ever seen home-grown Bollywood films, but world movies made me realise that the Bollywood films were packed with quotes from other films.

I guess my lucky break was meeting Vivek Gomber, who played the lead role in my play, Grey Elephants in Denmark, and went on to produce and take a major role in Court too. He had this blind faith in me, which gave me the chance to work on Court. [In June 2011 Gomber told Tahame he would pay him 15,000 rupees a month to develop the script.] It was a long process, and the film took two or three years to produce, but he stuck with me all the way.

What are you working on with Alfonso Cuarón?
I’m working on some ideas but I’d rather not talk about them just yet – it’s very early days. But next I’m going to Mexico to watch Alfonso at work on his latest film; I’ll probably spend a month there, and I might work on the post-production of his film as well.

Born and brought up in Ho Chi Minh City, Thao-Nguyen Phan studied at the city’s University of Fine Arts and graduated from Singapore’s Lasalle College of the Arts in 2009, before doing her MFA in painting and drawing at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Returning to Vietnam, she set up Art Labor, a cross-disciplinary collective with artist Truong Cong Tung and curator Arlette Quynh-Anh Tran, which develops art projects that involve the local community. Supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark in Vietnam, she will hold her first solo show in 2017.

W*: How did you get started?
TNP: My father loves literature, and I was always interested in storytelling, but Vietnam lacks the infrastructure to support contemporary art, so I studied in Singapore to become a painting conservator. It wasn’t until I went to Chicago that my eyes were really opened to performance art. I’m really inspired by artists who have trained in a specific field but who then apply that training to an entirely different discipline.

Have you already started working with Joan Jonas?
Yes – I met her first during her solo show in Spain earlier this year, then spent three weeks with her, which included performing in one of her shows.

Are there challenges to being a contemporary artist in Vietnam?
Yes and no. It’s possible, and it’s easy to live there cheaply, and it doesn’t cost much to get things made. But there isn’t any official support for contemporary art, so performances and exhibitions have to be on an informal basis. It’s a very small art scene, and there aren’t many of us, but we do have plenty of opportunities to travel abroad. I think there’ll be some very interesting developments in the next ten years or so.

thaonguyenphan.com

Julián Fuks is a writer, critic and translator. The author of five novels since graduating from the Universidade de São Paolo, he has been nominated for Brazil’s top literary prizes. His latest novel, A resisténcia (Resistance), has been praised for its lyricism and linguistic precision.

W*: What made you become a writer?
JF: I was a pretty normal child – I wasn’t precocious, but for one reason or another writing gradually became more important to me than other things. Writing initially helped me to understand myself, but after that it has helped me understand others.

How did you first get your work published?
When I was writing about myself, I started writing short stories in a very amateur way, and after a while I realised that I might have the makings of a book. At the age of 22, while I was at university, I won a writing prize with it, which gave me the confidence to try sending it to a publisher. Luckily they chose to publish it, and slowly my writing became more professional. As a student I’d always intended to be a journalist, but eventually I decided to dedicate myself to creative writing instead.

Can you describe your approach to writing in a few words?
A lot of my work addresses the form of the novel. I’m interested in whether we can – or whether we can’t – go back to writing in a narrative form, given all the experiments that took place during the 20th century.

What about the literary scene in Brazil?
I think that Brazilian writing was great in the 1960s and 1970s, but then it went through a very tough period in the 1980s and 1990s where it was hard to get anything good published; now it’s getting better again, but the market for literary fiction in Brazil is still a small one – considering the size of the country there aren’t really that many readers for work like mine.

Noted for his experimental ‘neo-technological’ dramas that combine both theatrical and audio-visual elements, Matías Umpierrez is the founder and director of the Festival Internacional de Dramaturgia Europea + América, and has developed innovative programmes at the Rector Ricardo Rojas Cultural Center at the University of Buenos Aires.

W* What first attracted you to the theatre?
MU: I’ve always been very interdisciplinary. From an early age I studied sculpture, drama and art, all at the same time. My father makes moulds for ceramics, and I spent weekends at his factory, painting and making sculptures out of clay. I always felt as if I was in the middle somehow, maybe because my father is an immigrant from Uruguay, so I always felt as if I was between Argentina and Uruguay, and the work I do feels the same way.

I started making plays in Buenos Aires because it’s a city where a lot of people want to act, so there are plenty of willing participants, and it’s also a cheap art form – you don’t need much to mount a play. I started filming my work right from the start, and that soon became a part of the work itself.

Can you describe your work?
My work reflects and reflects on the theatre, though it doesn’t look like theatre. I’m inspired by the oral tradition, the way that theatre began, before words began to be written down – that’s the first sparkle of theatre. I’m increasingly doing site-specific work as well.

I spend a lot of time trying to explain what I do, because my work doesn’t fit into traditional classifications. Newspapers and magazines have sections for theatre, art, TV and so on, but where do I fit? My work doesn’t really fit in any of them.

What are you doing with Robert Lepage?
So far I’ve been observing his work. He’s a perfect fit for me, because he’s a master of performing, art and technology. My work is often seen as being about innovation, but I really think of technology as having an organic relationship to our lives. I don’t see it as this futuristic thing, but just part of our everyday lives.

teatrosolo.com

David Chipperfield’s vision of designing new urban landscapes in a ‘traditional, linked-up way’ chimes with notions of simple ideas, generating rich social impact at this year’s Architecture Biennale in Venice. The just-announced 2016–17 Rolex architect mentor will put philosophy into practice as he spends the next year in a generous exchange with the Swiss architect Simon Kretz, of Christian Salewski & Simon Kretz Architekten GmbH, Zurich.

The Rolex Mentor & Protégé programme, entering its fourth year in architecture, aims to propel young arts professionals to the next stage of their careers. Thus, Kretz will work on a specific project with Chipperfield, who will dedicate at least 30 days over the next 12 months to Kretz’s professional development. That last year’s architecture protégé, Gloria Cabral, has just picked up a Venice Biennale Golden Lion award for best exhibition on behalf of her Paraguayan practice, Gabinete de Arquitectura, adds further shine. She spent her year assisting mentor Peter Zumthor on his design for a Seoul tea chapel.

'Simon and I need to start to find the right vehicle,' Chipperfield revealed during the opening week in Venice. 'Conceptual development realisation processes are time consuming but Rolex is committed to creating a dialogue between mentor and protégé as opposed to looking for an end result; it’s very much a relationship exercise.' Naturally, the chance to play with 'ideas that you can’t do in everyday practice' appeals to the seasoned professional and to Kretz too – the first Swiss architecture protégé, who likes the prospect of their project 'being an experiment'.

Both, however, admit a shared vision as 'architects who like to build things'. So to let the opportunity pan into a totally theoretical exercise is not the end goal, at least as much as the scheme’s short time frame, in architecture terms, allows. 'Simon is teaching urban design and works as an architect – also with the city. He’s not just interested in urban theory, he is a practising architect, as I am,' Chipperfield says. Kretz, meanwhile, is keen to explore 'the specific impact that building projects have on the wider city surroundings'.

To that end, one of the ideas the pair are bandying around is starting with an existing site, 'maybe one that has been developed in an unplanned manner. Something I’d be quite critical of,' offers Chipperfield. 'We could reshape it in a traditional, joined-up way where one can subject a sense of idealisation into the realisation.' He cites the notion of all decision-making parties being involved in one vision – designers, engineers, city planners working as one. 'We could set a precedent. That would work. It’s amazing how linking up thinking can create an environment.' It's a theory we know he's already putting into practice.

INFORMATION

For more information, visit the Rolex Mentor & Protégé website

One of the highlights of Baselworld 2016 was a brand new iteration of one of Wallpaper's all-time horology favourites: Rolex's classic Oyster Perpetual Air-King.

Continuing the story of aeronautical heritage that began with the original Rolex Oyster, the new steel-cased Air-King features a distinctive black dial with a combination of large three, six and nine numerals marking the hours and a prominent minute scale for navigational time readings. The dial bears the name Air-King in the same lettering that was designed specially for the model in the 1950s.

The Air-King name refers to Rolex's privileged ties with pilots and aeronautical adventurers since aviation's golden age during the 1930s. One of the pioneers of this era, English aviator Charles Douglas Barnard, set a number of flight records and always wore an Oyster whilst in the cockpit. 

'The peculiar qualities of this Rolex watch render it eminently suitable for flying purposes,' said the pilot. 'I propose to use it on all my long-distance flights in the future.' In 1933, Oyster watches accompanied the Houston Expedition as it made the first-ever flight over Mount Everest at an altitude exceeding 10,000m (33,000 ft) in extreme weather conditions.

In 1934, Owen Cathcart-Jones and Ken Waller made a return voyage from London to Melbourne in record time with a twin-engine De Havilland Comet, using a Rolex Oyster as their on-board chronometer.

In case one's aircraft has to make an emergency landing on the ocean, the new Air-King's Oyster case, always a paragon of elegant robustness, is guaranteed waterproof to a depth of 100m (330 ft). The middle case is crafted from a solid block of corrosion-resistant 904L steel, its fluted case back hermetically screwed down with a special tool that allows only Rolex watchmakers to access the movement. Fitted with the Twinlock double waterproofing system, the winding crown screws down securely against the case. The crystal is made of virtually scratchproof sapphire while the waterproof Oyster case provides optimum security for the Air-King's high-precision movement via a shield that protects against magnetic fields, an essential feature of Rolex pilots' watches of the past. Chocks away.

Rolex's far-reaching mentoring programme, that sees gifted protégés matched with masters in their fields, has generated a plethora of new and extraordinary works since its inception in 2002. From great literature, to beautiful music and inspiring architecture, each of the Arts Initiative projects follow a year of collaboration and creative mentoring that span generations and cross continents – an opportunity that's simply unavailable anywhere else. Past mentors have included the likes of Martin Scorsese, Stephen Frears, Toni Morrison, Anish Kapoor and David Hockney, to name just a few.

For the initiative's 2012–2013 edition, architecture was added to the programme, with Japan's Kazuyo Seijima of SANAA inaugurating the role alongside the young Chinese architect Zhao Yang of China. Together they created a community meeting house in the Japanese fishing port of Kesennuma, as part of the rebuilding effort following following 2011's tsunami. For 2014–2015, elusive Swiss architect Peter Zumthor paired with his protégé Gloria Cabral of Paraguay to create a tea chapel at a religious site in South Korea; and last week it was announced that British architect David Chipperfield will take the baton for 2016–2017.

Fittingly, the announcement was made last weekend within Mexico City's monolithic, Chipperfield-designed Museo Júmex at a ceremony honouring the mentors and protégés of the 2014–2015 edition and which also saw the esteemed architect deliver an address about the Júmex project and the ideas behind it. Also named as mentors for the 2016–2017 cycle were Mia Couto (literature), Alfonso Cuaroón (film), Philip Glass (music), Joan Jonas (visual arts), Robert Lepage (theatre) and Ohad Naharin (dance).

'The practice of architecture involves complex and overlapping concerns and skills from the theoretical to the practical,' said Chipperfield following the announcement. 'Intentions are often obscured by jargon and inappropriate concerns. I would hope to remind my protégé that the issues that confront us are those that confront us all, we have different tools and methods with which we can contemplate and with which we can hopefully act.'

The protégés however, will not be chosen until June next year, when each mentor will be presented with a list of three or four finalists selected by a panel of influential artists and arts professionals from all over the world. The mentoring year will begin shortly afterwards, with each protégé receiving a generous 25,000 Swiss francs to support his or her participation in the programme, with a further 25,000 francs available for the creation of a new work at the conclusion of the mentoring year.

'These seven artists have had a profound influence on their disciplines for decades and are held in high esteem by the public and their peers,' said Rebecca Irvin, head of philanthropy at Rolex. 'We acknowledge their generosity in serving as mentors in the Rolex Arts Initiative. They will join the family of internationally acclaimed artists who have committed to passing on their passion and expertise to a younger generation and to be reinvigorated in their own art in return.'

No auction house beats Bonhams when it comes to creating desirable lots for the cross collector. On 6 December, its vintage motor sale in Bond Street sale includes a 1953 Austin Healey Coupé, alongside a Rolex Striped Prince from the 1930s.

Both were prized possessions of the late Donald Healey (1898-1988), engineer, First World War pilot, racing driver and, most significantly, creator of the much loved Austin-Healey motorcar, which for 30 years was a quintessentially British symbol of post war optimism.

Throughout the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, Austin Healeys, and the later Jensen Healeys, were manufactured in the UK with Healey at the helm. The coupé up for auction was his much loved everyday car, but a rare and much-raced SMO 746 rally model from 1959 (estimate £140,000 - 200,000) is also going under the hammer.

Before founding his eponymous brand, Healey worked for British manufacturer Triumph. Here he designed many models, including the supercharged Triumph Dolomite, which he drove in the Alpine Trial of 1936. (Throughout the 1930s, Healey took part in countless races, winning seven Glacier Cups along the way).

‘Donald was justly proud of such rallying success,’ says his grandson, Peter Healey. ‘The Rolex was a reward to himself.’ With an estimate of £8,000-12,000, its reverse is inscribed ‘Donald Healey, Perranporth’ referring to the Cornish village where the motoring genius was born.

‘By paying homage to the Art Deco style of the 1920s and 1930s, Rolex Prince watches became an instant hit,’ said Jonathan Darracott, Bonhams UK head of watches. ‘Only a small number of the latterly developed ‘Striped’ Prince watches were produced, making this model extremely rare. It’s unsurprising Healey chose to reward himself with such a timepiece, as these particular wristwatches were an excellent, but refined, statement of one’s success.’

INFORMATION
For more information, visit the Bonhams website

This week, 1,500 watch and jewellery brands from 40 countries will decamp to Switzerland's third largest city, bringing a spectacular 141,000 metre's worth of temporary architecture with them. As the world's grandest trade fair swings into motion, 150,000 visitors are expected to walk through the Herzog & de Meuron-designed Messeplatz. Inside, visitors are greeted by the world's most glamorous pop-up village. How best to navigate street upon luminous street of luxury boutiques? Here's our pick of the best in show…

Hermès: Drawing on traditional Japanese teahouse structures, architect Toyo Ito took an organic approach that also embodies Hermès values of natural materials and handworked craft. His main drive was to suggest different eras and forms; a fusion of heritage and modernity. Ito's two-storey 'box' sprawls over 1,040 sq m and, like the other pavilions, has had to adhere to the rigours of a design that can be dismantled and reassembled every year

Hermès: The metallic framework is clad with 624 interlocking wooden strips that form a shell over the inner structure made of wood, glass and metal. Between the two 'skins', 167 plants form a corridor of green

Rolex: Appearing in the distance like a home away from home, Rolex's 1,230 sq m of beige, green and bronze dominates Hall 1 of Baselworld village like no other. The world's most instantly recogniseable watch brand has drawn elements from its best recognised watch design - the Rolex Oyster - to define its architectural presence

Rolex: The waterproof nature of the watch is represented by aquatic motifs, such as the walnut wood relief that defines the exterior, reminiscent of ripples of sand. Inside, three storeys are joined together by a feature staircase, with wide glass-sided walkway bridges bridging the upper levels, one of which is dominated by a 40-seat restaurant

Boucheron: Created by the house's in-house design team, the interiors of Boucheron's on-site boutiques , such as the one at Harrods and this pop-up Basel space, are deliberately ethereal. Their light feel is directly drawn from the fact that its flagship Paris boutique occupies the most-light filled corner on the Place Vendôme - a godsend to those dedicated to the business of jewellery and watch making

Boucheron: This pavilion design inverts the heavier natural wood interiors of that building, delivering a more contemporary take, where chalk-white walls are accented by champagne-gold details and expansive mirrors

Chanel: Peter Marino's geometrically precise black-and-white monolith housing 1580 sq m worth of haute horlogerie is perfectly in tune with Chanel's house codes: no matter that you can't see in - like all things Chanel, you get the picture at first glance. While the three-storey exterior, mounted on an aluminum structure, remains, each year the interior is revived with a new theme. As yet that is unrevealed but key design ticks from Mademoiselle's apartment, such as tweeds, rock crystal and Chinoiserie, will be adhered to throughout

Dior: The house palette of Dior grey is realised in super-sleek form via a considered exterior of textured finishes incorporating a gloss black frame, mirrored accents and a mesh 'veil' designed to emulate the netting that was a typically used in original Dior dresses and headpieces. The interior emulates the classic wood panelling of the couture salon at the Avenue Montaigne, with a new theme adding to the story each year. This year, Raf Simons' influence on Dior's current colour and form is sure to be reflected

Graff: Peter Marino was the original designer in chief of the Graff store concept. Now, the London diamond-house’s Monaco design team has picked up the baton, using Marino’s concept as the basis for their Basel pavilion. Their creation is a fantasy golden palace warm with opulent tones and fabrics to the point that its sheer glamour almost overshadows the spectacular jewels on show

Graff: The single-elevation 503 sq m space is clad in walnut wall panelling, hung with crystal chandeliers and a hand-blown glass sculpture of bronze, copper and gold. A sizeable Anselm Reyle sculpture presides over the walnut-wood panelled bar

The inventor of an ingenious device for identifying hearing problems in newborns is among this year's winners of the Rolex Awards for Enterprise. Indian designer Neeti Kailas - who, from the start of her career, has applied her knowledge and skills to humanitarian issues - scooped the prize for her Sohum hearing test prototype, which was devised for (and is being tested in) Indian hospitals.

This year's group of five Laureates once again shows the varied scope of the Awards, which honour 'extraordinary individuals who possess the courage and conviction to take on major challenges'. Fellow winners range from Saudi Arabia's Hosam Zowawi - who is developing rapid tests to detect the presence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria - to Italy's Francesco Sauro, who is researching the vast quartzite caves of South America's fabled tabletop mountains. But it was Kalias who particularly caught our attention for her humble yet innovative approach to design.

'I want to use my design skills to make an impact,' she says. Kailas' goal is to transform healthcare in her native country and her method for research and development is multifaceted. 'Design allows me to approach a problem from multiple perspectives,' she explains. 'It lets me dwell on the diversity.'

Kailas' affordable, battery-operated Sohum device was developed in tandem with her engineer husband. It can be used in noisy environments and avoids problems linked to anesthesia. Winning the Award (which includes a grant of CHF50,000) will allow Kailas to continue trials on her prototype, with the goal of launching it by 2016. 'These are not achievements awards - these are awards to make things happen,' explained Rebecca Irvin, Head of Philanthropy at Rolex, when presenting the Laureates - a mantra closely aligned with Kailas' creative ambitions.
 
Rolex's Awards for Enterprise were launched in 1976, when the Rolex Oyster Chronometer (the first waterproof wristwatch, an important moment in horology) turned 50, and the brand decided to mark this anniversary with a positive initiative that would contribute to the global human heritage. The bi-annual programme gives recognition to projects in the fields of applied technology, cultural heritage, science and health, exploration and the environment. Every alternate edition of the award is dedicated to those under 30 years old: 'The future of the planet is in the hands of the next generation,' Irvin asserts. 'Problems are becoming more and more complex; new creative thinking is needed'.
 
Kailas' work is a strong reflection of this ethos, with even her earliest projects having a humanitarian focus. 'My first ever design project was to redesign a bed-pan,' the designer explains. 'Several projects later, we were constantly making sure that we were in-fact, solving the right problem. This is design to me: finding the right problem to solve.'

Omega Spacemaster Z-33

One of our favourite designs of the fair, Omega’s heritage-inspired piece of the year is this retro-design quartz pilot watch with digital display referencing an original 1970s model. It’s got so many hi-tech pushers and functions that we are almost convinced that, with just one push, we can make a plane fly

Baselworld, the biggest watch and jewellery fair on the planet is gearing up for change. Next year, all 160,000 square metres of the enormous exhibition centre on the Swiss-French border are due for a revamp as part of a major expansion. The perfect opportunity, then, for each brand to re-work the million-dollar temporary boutique stands that have been their Basel homes for the past six years.

From Rolex’s sweeping Roman-style marble staircase structure to Dior’s mini Avenue Montaigne-style boutique and Breitling’s giant ‘floating’ fish tank installation, the current stands have stood the test of time well enough not to feel too tired in their last year. The message? Baselworld is and always will be one of the slickest shows on earth.

And this year, with such polished ranges on show, we thought that the watches pretty much followed suit. From Omega to Zenith and Patek Philippe, the mood was focused on strengthening or building core lines. Hence, we were presented with some of the sharpest collections in years

Of course, getting it so right is all very well and good but it’s the crazy, ‘not quite sure about that’ pieces that are, in a way, a healthier representation of what makes watchmaking tick. It is, after all, an intensely creative business. To that end, we jostled our way through the crowds to get an up-close look at some of the most decadent dial designs ever – feathers, crystal gold, marble and wood were just some of the inventive materials on show. There were some pretty imaginative technologies being bandied about too. More of which to come. But for now, here’s our round up of 15 of the best in show.

Dior VIII Grand Bal ‘Plumes’

The house’s most inventive watch range just got more so, with its playful inverse caliber – the oscillating weight is mounted on the front rather than the back (where it is traditionally) – featuring a fan of feathers

Bell & Ross WW1 Heure Sautante Platinum

Jumping hour mechanisms – where the hour is relayed in a sizeable aperture on the dial – are beautifully old-school. This spanking-new take from French brand Bell & Ross also displays how they allow watchmakers more dial space to re-work traditional notions of design. Limited to 25 pieces

Chanel J12 GMT Black Matte

It was created as a watch suited to both men and women but this year the J12 gets a tad more masculine: the original high-gloss ceramic design is refashioned in subtle matte-black. The dial is a sizeable 41mm; the movement is self-winding mechanical and there’s the added fun of a world-time function

Hublot Classic Fusion Extra-thin Skeleton

The brand best known for its super-sized wristpieces has taken a super-skinny turn with this year’s skeleton model. It’s also given us a new alloy – King Gold – to think about. Good old Hublot for reminding us of the watch industry’s ability to re-invent the wristpiece

Maurice Lacroix Pontos

Sporty Nato straps are a big trend this year and Maurice Lacroix’s Pontos nails it to a T. A great value chronograph for sporty and stylish types alike, it’s fitted with a reliable Valjoux chrono movement

Patek Philippe Ladies First Perpetual Calendar (ref 7140)

Brands are falling over themselves to create mechanical watches for women – a relatively new trend – but Patek create such established models that it feels as though they’ve been doing it forever. This seriously complicated piece is an elegant case in point

Rado True Thinline

When it comes to new technology and design, Rado has always been pretty out there – it was one of the first to experiment with now-ubiquitous ceramic. This year, the brand has developed an intriguing method of turning white ceramic into gold using a plasma treatment that slowly transforms the atomic make-up of the material

Hermès Arceau 1912

It was 100 years ago that one of the Hermès family came up with the idea of a leather watch strap for young Jacqueline Hermès’ pocket watch, so that she would not lose it while at play. Not only does this new model pay homage to her, it is Hermès’ first mechanical watch for women

Rolex Oyster Perpetual Sky-Dweller

This deceptively simple-looking little number comes complete with dual-time zone and 24-hour time display, read via a rotating disc on the dial. The fact that it is placed in an off-centre position is sure to have collectors standing to attention

Tag Heuer Limited Edition Heuer Carrera

Jack Heuer – the man who put the square-case Monaco on Steve McQueen’s wrist in the early 1970s – is 80 this year. He designed some of the most iconic watches of our times. The Carrera was one of them, and this anniversary issue shows why

Tudor Pellagos

This new divers’ watch is actually inspired by one of the house’s original models from the 1960s. The good-looking satin-finish titanium case is one major selling point; the helium valve (designed to absorb variations in pressure), marked ‘Gas Escape Valve’, quite another

Breitling Transocean Chronograph

The Transocean is one of Breitling’s key models, designed in the 1950s. This year’s decidedly handsome world-time model nods to its past but, equipped with a new in-house movement, most definitely points towards a brighter future

Louis Vuitton Tambour Regatta America’s Cup

As official timekeeper of the America’s Cup – which takes place in San Francisco next year – Louis Vuitton has created a series of watches dedicated to the sailing competition. This version has a nifty five-minute revolving-cube countdown function

Zenith Pilot Big Date Special

Pilot watches are, quite literally, big this year, and Zenith’s limited-edition Montre D’Aeronef Type 20 leads the charge with its 57.5mm diameter dial. For those less inclined to strap a giant timepiece to their sleeve, the brand’s more demure Pilot Big Date Special was a best in show

Destined to become the new heart of the university campus, the Rolex Learning Centre at the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) in Switzerland is one of the main projects of the well-known Japanese office SANAA and architects Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa.

Take a hard-hat tour of the construction site from the comfort of your home

In an advanced stage of construction at the moment, the new Centre, which is the size of two football pitches, is a true structural and design challenge. It will include libraries, multimedia centres, cafeterias and research spaces in a – as the brief outlined - continuous layout, incorporating several views out towards the city and the nearby mountains.

In order to satisfy the client’s requirements and the building’s needs, the architects designed it using horizontally placed, parallel curved concrete slabs, which enclose the interior’s generous and completely column-free spaces. The large halls feature glass-enclosed patios, to provide extra natural light.

SANAA’s 'constructed landscape', as the Rolex Learning Centre has been described, was partly funded by the famous watch-manufacturing company, and is scheduled for completion this summer, with an official opening to follow up in the next academic year.