74Isea&iIAUTUMN 2011THE SQUARE COMES AROUNDIf this year's mammoth Baselworld watch fair is anything togo by, it is increasingly hip to be square - or at least tohave a few sharp edges to your timepiece. Perhaps themost famous square model is the iconic TAG Heuer Monaco,as worn by the legendary Steve McQueen. Originally known asthe Heuer Monaco, this piece was as groundbreaking as it wasstylish as it was both the world's first automatic chronographand the first chronograph in a square case. Recently re-released, the TAG Heuer Monaco Heuer Calibre 11 Chronographlooks as good today as it did in the 1971 Le Mansfilm.UPDATED ICONSThis year has seen a number of fresh updatesto special originals, including the RoyalOak from Audemars Piguet. The watch-maker has made all manner of adapta-tions to its legendary Royal Oak sinceit was launched in 1972, but the newOffshore Grand Prixversion is one ofits most radical versions to date.It features a forged carbon casethat won't scratch, chip or dent,and a 365-part chronographmovement. The carbon caseensures it is light on the wrist, andbecause of its resistance to saltspray, it is an ideal sailing watch. Just1,750 versions are available, including650 in rose gold and 75 in platinum.MOVEMENTS ON DISPLAYOften a watch's intricacies are concealed,but the last few years have seen everincreasing numbers of watchmakersrevealing the horological masterybeneath skeletonised dials. Zenith'sOpen Power Reserve El PrimeroChronomasteris one example thatreveals the heart of the timepiece.It features a 42mm open case thatpresents the watch's movement.Another technical dimension tothe piece is the heart of the movement,which has been displaced slightly to theten o'clock position on the dial. The watch isavailable in steel or 18ct two-tone or rose gold,with a silver or black sun-burst dial and a brownor black alligator-leather strap. Key design trends of 2011

timepiecesIWC SPONSORS THE VOLVO OCEANRACE TEAM IWC has signed up with the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority tobecome the first major sponsor of its Volvo Ocean Race 2011/12team: the Abu Dhabi Volvo Ocean Race Team. The 39,000 nau-tical mile round-the-world race begins this October in Alicante, Spain,and ends in Ireland in July 2012, with a total of nine stopovers, includ-ing Abu Dhabi in December/January. The race will cover six conti-nents and four oceans. IWC's CEO, Georges Kern, comments, ÒFor more than 140 years,IWC has epitomised values such as engineering, excellence, perfection,pioneering spirit, quality and passion. We are proud to put theseattributes to the test as the Official Timekeeper of theforthcomingVolvo Ocean Race, and to share them with the AbuDhabi Volvo Ocean Race Team.ÓAUTUMN 2011I sea&iI75COMPLICATED COMPLICATIONS From jumping hours to patented moon phases to split-second chronographs,some of the most elaborate complications to date have been launched this yearby master watchmakers. One such model comes from Harry Winston, which firstlaunched the Histoire de Tourbillon collection in 2009. This year, for its second edi-tion, the master has paid tribute to the undisputed star of complications with an exclu-sive new model issued in a limited series of 20 pieces. Featuring an ingenious construc-tion that makes light of established conventions, the model includes a bi-axial flyingtourbillon. All the displays are isolated in independent offset sub-dials, with runningseconds at nine o'clock, minutes at six o'clock, and hours with day/night indication attwo o'clock. The case is partitioned in different levels, with eight sapphire crystals punc-tuating the glass. The white-gold structure measures 48.5mm in diameter. Poweredby a mechanical, hand-wound movement exclusively developed for Harry Winston,Histoire de Tourbillon 2showcases a supreme complication in a setting worthy of thiswatchmaker's stature.Another elaborate piece comes from TAG Heuer. The first and only mechanical wristwatch to display time to an accuracy of one-thousandth of a second, the MikrotimerFlying 1000from TAG Heuer uses an ultra-high frequency spring to vibrate at 3,600,000beats per hour, 125 times faster than most chronometers. It uses two different powerchains, one to drive the watch during normal operation and one to drive the motionneeded for high-speed chronograph timing, and features a combination of hands anddials to provide a clear way to read the chronograph. Not to be outdone, Patek Philippe's Triple Complication (Ref 5208P)is aremarkably complex timepiece, featuring a minute repeater, a monopusherchronograph,and an instantaneous perpetual calendar. The mechanicalcomplexityof the watch necessitates over 700 individual parts - all of which areconcealed beneath a characteristically elegant and understated dial.