DUBAI DIARIES: “In Dubai, you could fall asleep on the street with your Richard Mille and it would be there when you wake up” – Pierre Biver
Zach BlassWe are nearing the end of Dubai Watch Week 2021, but we are approaching the finish line strong. The day remained packed with Horology Forums, Collectors Lounge sessions, Creative Hubs, Masterclasses and more. Later on in the evening things kicked into a higher gear, fitting when you consider the topic of discussion was the 40Hz monolithic oscillator from Frederique Constant, where dance circles ensued and the westerners got schooled on how Dubai throws down. But enough on that, let’s circle back and review some of the highlights of the day.
Quote of the day: “In Dubai, you could fall asleep on the street with your Richard Mille and it would be there when you wake up” – Pierre Biver
As watch enthusiasts have become more informed then ever, so have the criminals who target those wearing them. In major cities, particularly Paris and London, watch thefts are rampant. So much so, during the Did You Just Assume My Trope? panel Pierre Biver remarked: “In London things are nearly as bad as Paris. I have friends that will never post live, in case they are tracked. The risks of posting watches on social media are real in many cities.” This comment, however, came in the wake of Pierre declaring, “In Dubai, you could fall asleep on the street with your Richard Mille and it would be there when you wake up.” I am not saying I want to test the theory, but it is an interesting reflection on Dubai.
Watchspot of the day: Harbor Type 3
Now for something completely different. We clocked Harbor founder and watch designer Jonathan Charles Jaquet flexing his rose gold Harbor Type 3 watch. The aesthetic blends both out of the box and familiar design elements that result in an intriguing and balanced design. The CHF 180,000 watch truly is a wrist supercar, with gold utilised for the case, Vacheron 222-like bracelet, movement bridges, and micro-rotor. Even the bracelet link pins are made of solid gold, so you are not being deprived of any precious metal with this watch. You might think the design wears large, but it is manageable at 40mm x 16mm x 50.6mm and it has been meticulously designed to have the perfect balance on the wrist.
As per usual, when I tried the watch on there were plenty of links I would need to remove if the watch were mine. But while in most instances I have to carefully perform a wrist roll so the watch does not slide around my wrist, the case is so balanced in its heft that it remained safely centered on my wrist – the ergonomics are really incredible. The case and its sapphire crystals are meant to evoke a shield cut diamond, creating phenomenal light play only further heightened by the rose gold.
The time is conveyed laterally via jumping hours and trailing minutes discs, filled with SuperLuminova® to ensure the time can be discerned in darker evening hours as well.
Moral of the story: if you are not familiar with the Harbor brand it is defintely worth checking out their website for a deeper dive on their creations.
Release of the day: Konstantin Chaykin Wristmon Minion Limited Edition
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The Konstantin Chaykin Joker is irrefutably a future classic, a highly cool and collectable timepiece that always brings a smile to those who see one in the metal. But of all his Wristmons in the collection, I do not think any variant has elicited a wider grin on my face than this new Minion Limited Edition. It is such an unexpected, yet perfectly suited, mashup. I would have never anticipated this design coming to fruition, but at the same time it is a natural pairing – the playful Minion character in line with the playfulness of the Joker design framework. Limited to 38 pieces, the watch features a smooth and glossy yellow lacquered dial, and interesting switch up when you consider the majority of these designs incorporate guilloche texture, sapphire hours and minutes eye indicators, and a mouth moonphase indicator. The case – 40mm in diameter and 13.5mm thick – is made of stainless steel with black PVD-coated adjusting crowns. It wears great on the wrist, and the blue textile micro-denim strap with calf leather lining is the perfect pairing for the Minion – a nod to the signature overalls they wear. Inside, beneath its exhibition caseback, the K07-3 automatic caliber, a ETA 2892-A2 paired with the Joker indication module, offers 42 hours of power reserve off the wrist. Price: €13,800