Hard candy: cracking chronographs hit the sweet spot

Their split-second accuracy is just the job for monitoring our precision cuisine

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Hardcandy
8 minutes, 45.81 seconds Timing carefully, heat the sugar mix at 135 - 145°C to create butterscotch-like bendy candy. Left, Royal Oak Chronograph with 18ct pink gold case and bracelet; 2385 self-winding chronograph movement; Grande Tapisserie dial with central 30-minute, 12-hour and continuous seconds counters, £47,800, by Audemars Piguet. Suit, £2,690; roll-neck, £340, both by Pal Zileri 11 minutes, 27.03 seconds At 118 – 120°C, makes for thicker, praline-like threads. Right, Heritage Black Bay Chrono with steel case; self-winding Manufacture MT5813 chronograph movement, with central 45-minute and seconds counters; and Jacquard-weave denim strap, £3,610, by Tudor. Jacket, £2,480; roll-neck, £1,100, trousers, £460, all by HermèsAs originally featured in the December 2017 issue of Wallpaper* (W*225). Watches & Jewellery Director: Caragh McKay. Fashion: Jason Hughes. Food Stylist: Peta O’Brien
(Image credit: Gustav Almestål)

4 minutes, 80.61 seconds At 108 – 118°C, turns out a syrupy treat. Left, Classic Fusion Blue Chronograph with King Gold case and bracelet; HUB1143 self-winding chronograph movement; blue sunray dial with central 30-minute and continuous seconds counters, £36,500, by Hublot. Coat, £650, by Boss. Jacket (worn underneath), £1,195, by Pringle of Scotland 5 minutes, 39.71 seconds At 123 – 133°C, will give something smoothly sculptural. ​Right, World Time chronograph with white gold case and blue guilloche opaline dial; 5930G chronograph movement; 30-minute counter, day and night indicator; travel time function; and navy blue alligator strap, £56,430, by Patek Philippe, from David M Robinson. Jacket, £1,400, by Paul Smith


(Image credit: Gustav Almestål)

4 minutes, 80.61 seconds
At 108 – 118°C, turns out a syrupy treat. Left, Classic Fusion Blue Chronograph with King Gold case and bracelet; HUB1143 self-winding chronograph movement; blue sunray dial with central 30-minute and continuous seconds counters, £36,500, by Hublot. Coat, £650, by Boss. Jacket (worn underneath), £1,195, by Pringle of Scotland

5 minutes, 39.71 seconds
At 123 – 133°C, will give something smoothly sculptural.
Right, World Time chronograph with white gold case and blue guilloche opaline dial; 5930G chronograph movement; 30-minute counter, day and night indicator; travel time function; and navy blue alligator strap, £56,430, by Patek Philippe, from David M Robinson. Jacket, £1,400, by Paul Smith

4 minutes, 31.98 seconds At 125 – 133°C, produces firm but malleable candy. Left, BR V2-94 Aeronavale with polished steel case and bezel; anodised blue aluminium ring and 60-minute scale; BR-CAL.301 chronograph movement; blue sunray dial with central 30-minute and small seconds counters; and calfskin bracelet, £3,400, by Bell & Ross. Jacket, £800, by AMI 3 minutes, 97.29 seconds At 108 – 118°C, sees us into jelly-like forms. Right, DB29 Maxichrono Tourbillon with 18ct rose gold case; chronograph with DB29 hand-wound chronograph movement with 24-hour, 60-minute and 60-second counters; and alligator bracelet, £279,600, by De Bethune, from William & Son. Jacket, £3,350, by Valentino


(Image credit: Gustav Almestål)

4 minutes, 31.98 seconds
At 125 – 133°C, produces firm but malleable candy. Left, BR V2-94 Aeronavale with polished steel case and bezel; anodised blue aluminium ring and 60-minute scale; BR-CAL.301 chronograph movement; blue sunray dial with central 30-minute and small seconds counters; and calfskin bracelet, £3,400, by Bell & Ross. Jacket, £800, by AMI

3 minutes, 97.29 seconds
At 108 – 118°C, sees us into jelly-like forms. Right, DB29 Maxichrono Tourbillon with 18ct rose gold case; chronograph with DB29 hand-wound chronograph movement with 24-hour, 60-minute and 60-second counters; and alligator bracelet, £279,600, by De Bethune, from William & Son. Jacket, £3,350, by Valentino

Brittle candy


(Image credit: Gustav Almestål)

14 minutes, 01.67 seconds
At 150 – 155°C, cooks up brilliantly brittle candy. Left, Oyster Perpetual Cosmograph Daytona in 18ct yellow gold with Perpetual Calibre 4130 chronograph movement; champagne and black dial with small seconds, 30-minute and 12-hour counters, stop-seconds function; and Oysterflex bracelet, £20,200, by Rolex. Jacket, £99; jumper, £79, both by COS

11 minutes, 23.83 seconds
At 145 – 155°C, leaves us with lovely lollipops. Right, Chronomaster El Primero Grande Date Full Open with stainless steel and rose gold case; El Primero 4047B automatic chronograph movement; transparent sapphire crystal case-back with central 30-minute and small seconds counters, and moon- and sun-phase indicator; and calfskin leather strap, £10,400, by Zenith. Coat, £1,310, by Canali

Caragh McKay

Caragh McKay is a contributing editor at Wallpaper* and was watches & jewellery director at the magazine between 2011 and 2019. Caragh’s current remit is cross-cultural and her recent stories include the curious tale of how Muhammad Ali met his poetic match in Robert Burns and how a Martin Scorsese Martin film revived a forgotten Osage art.