Singapore Special: Patek Philippe Dome Clocks and the Watch Art Grand Exhibition

We’re starting off with a good one. At the fifth Patek Philippe Watch Art Grand Exhibition in Singapore, the brand unveiled six “Singapore 2019 Special Editions”, a collection crafted exclusively for Southeast Asian markets. The collection’s defining feature was its bold red color theme, prominently displayed across various models, including minute repeaters, world time watches, and the Aquanaut — well, save for the Ref. 7234A-001 Calatrava Pilot Travel Time that was paired with a blue calfskin strap, making its debut design in the Patek Philippe collection.

Among the highlights was the Ref. 5167 Aquanaut, a 500-piece model encased in steel along with a striking red composite strap. The 40mm sporty number displayed simple time and date powered by the Calibre 324 S C, its inner workings visible through a sapphire crystal case back.

Singapore Bicentennial: Omega, Zenith

In addition to the grand Patek Philippe line-up for Singapore’s bicentennial in 2019, there were a slew of other contributing timepieces. Omega released the Seamaster Exclusive Boutique Singapore Limited Edition. This special timepiece is housed in a 39.5mm stainless steel case and features a domed white lacquered dial with blued applied Omega logo, hands, and hour markers. Laser-engraved on the periphery on the caseback are iconic landmarks such as the Merlion, Esplanade, Marina Bay Sands, and Gardens by the Bay’s Supertrees.

Singapore Watch Club: Vacheron Constantin, Cartier, Ulysse Nardin, Hublot, Louis Moinet

Earlier in May 2024, The Singapore Watch Club (SWC) took a unique approach to its latest collaboration with Vacheron Constantin, celebrating its eighth anniversary not with a new limited edition, but by restoring and reworking fifteen existing Historiques Chronograph ref. 47101 watches owned by its members. These 37mm manual-winding chronographs, produced between 1991 and 1999, are distinguished by their wing-shaped lugs and powered by the esteemed Lemania-based calibre 1140. Originally available in yellow gold and platinum with silver, salmon, or black dials, the ref. 47101 was an homage to the iconic ref. 4178 but remained undervalued until recent years.

The restoration process, conducted at Vacheron Constantin’s Geneva manufacture, involved a comprehensive overhaul of the movement. A special gold commemorative bridge was added for the chronograph coupling wheel, hand-engraved with the SWC initials by the Métiers d’Art studio. Additionally, the chronograph seconds hand was updated with a red tip, reflecting Singapore’s national color. The archival documentation of each watch was meticulously updated to ensure the integrity of their history. 

The scale of the project is reminiscent of SWC’s 6th anniversary edition with Cartier back in 2022, which resulted in 18 exclusive timepieces across six iconic models in Cartier’s collection. Instead of focusing on a single model, the club chose to work with the Cloche, Tonneau, Santos Dumont, Tank Asymétrique, Tank Cintrée, and Tank Louis Cartier, creating a unique series that reflects the club’s identity.

Each watch in this limited collection features a silvered brushed dial, adorned with Cartier’s signature ‘chemin de fer’ minute track in blue, symbolizing the club’s colors. A subtle yet meaningful detail is the hidden “SWC” initials within the minute track, a nod to Cartier’s own hidden dial signature. Additionally, the Roman numeral six was rotated upright to mark the club’s anniversary.

Singapore Golden Jubilee: Jaeger-LeCoultre, Longines, Montblanc, Junghans

For Singapore’s golden year, Jaeger-LeCoultre introduced the Grande Reverso Night & Day Singapore Special Edition. The watch features a silver-toned guilloché Clous de Paris pattern in the center of the dial, while a distinctive night-day indicator sits at the 6 o’clock position. When the iconic Reverso case is flipped, it reveals an intricate engraving of the Singapore map, filled with the red and white lacquer of the national flag, along with the dates 1965-2015, commemorating the nation’s independence. Fun fact: This marked the second market-specific Reverso release, following the Grande Reverso Ultra Thin 1931 for London.

NOMOS Glashütte Zürich Weltzeit Singapore

In 2021, NOMOS Glashütte introduced the Zürich Worldtimer Limited Edition that was created in collaboration with luxury watch retailer The Hour Glass. In a special shout out, this particular worldtimer had the gracious addition of Singapore to the city disc on the dial, marking home time with a distinctive red dot. Housed in a 39.9mm case, the timepiece is powered by the in-house automatic caliber DUW 5201 that includes a worldtimer function. Limited to just 50 pieces, this edition is distinguished by its sandblast-finished gold dials. 

Singapore Grand Prix Editions: Hublot, TAG Heuer, Audemars Piguet, Franck Muller

The Marina Bay Street Circuit has been an annual highlight for the city since 2009. Over the years, brands from Hublot to Franck Muller have delivered red hot timepieces for the electric event. In the case of Hublot, the 2013 Big Bang Singapore Edition paid tribute to both Singapore’s national colors and Ferrari’s iconic red. Designed with a bold red color scheme, including a red-tinted sapphire crystal and red accents, the watch was a variant of the 2012 Big Bang Ferrari that marked the beginning of Hublot’s collaboration with the renowned Italian automaker. 

Breitling Navitimer Singapore Airlines Limited Edition

To celebrate the 70th anniversary of its iconic Navitimer aviation watch, Breitling launched a special collaboration with Singapore Airlines (SIA) and its travel retailer, KrisShop in 2022. The exclusive collection included two limited-edition models, namely the Navitimer B01 Chronograph 41 and the Navitimer Automatic 38. The B01 Chronograph features SIA’s signature blue dial and an engraved SIA logo on the crown.

The second timepiece, the Navitimer Automatic 38 Singapore Airlines Limited Edition, offered a more streamlined design that championed the exclusive shade of blue. Both models are equipped with a steel bracelet and features a caseback engraved with “One of 100” and SIA’s iconic batik design. 

Grand Seiko Singapore-Exclusive SBGW315

This particular SBGW315 isn’t a commemorative piece to celebrate Singapore per se, but was launched to celebrate the first anniversary of Grand Seiko Asia-Pacific’s boutique at Marina Bay Sands, thus making it the only point of sale to attain it. 

The watch in question features a meticulously crafted dial inspired by the breathtaking blue skies surrounding snow-capped Mount Iwate in Iwate Prefecture, the home of all Grand Seiko mechanical watches. Limited to just 88 pieces, this timepiece is housed in a Brilliant Hard Titanium case, showcasing the brand’s signature Zaratsu polishing and a dual-curved sapphire crystal. The watch is powered by the Caliber 9S64, a slim hand-wound movement with a 72-hour power reserve.

Special Editions from Chopard, Panerai, Bvlgari, and Laurent Ferrier