WATCH SPECIAL
CORUM CLASSICAL BILLIONAIRE TOURBILLON
Corum clearly decided not to pull any punches when choosing
a name for the most expensive watch in its range. You will indeed
need to be decidedly ush to buy the Classical Billionaire Tourbillon,
which features a bracelet swathed in 288 diamonds, with more
than 800 set into the case and crown. An 'invisible' crystal dial
enables the hand-wound, tourbillon mechanism to be seen
in all its glory. £1,006,500 (only to order); corum.ch
HARRY WINSTON HISTOIRE DE TOURBILLON 5
The tourbillon complication - in which the watch escapement
is contained inside a tiny revolving cage to counteract the e ect
of gravity - is considered to be one of the ultimate horological
achievements. Back in 2009, Harry Winston set out to interpret
the tourbillon in a series of di erent ways, the latest of which, the
Histoire de Tourbillon 5, sees the tourbillon spinning on three axes
beneath a domed display window. £496,400; harrywinston.com
BREVA GENIE 01
Fledgling brand Breva has taken the horological world by
storm with its ingenious 44.7mm Genie 'weather watch', which
incorporates a tiny aneroid barometer. It works by displaying
barometric pressure on a secondary subdial marked with
symbols for sun, cloud and rain. A disc beneath the dials contains
one of two aneroid capsules (the other is directly below it) that
measure alterations in air pressure. This platinum version is
limited to 12 examples. £120,000; williamandson.com
GREUBEL FORSEY QUANTIÈME PERPÉTUEL
Greubel Forsey makes no more than 100 watches per year - and
they are among the very best in the world. The new 'QP' model
(which stands for quantième perpétuel, or perpetual calendar) isn't
so much a watch as a 550-part mechanical computer that, as long
as it is kept running, will display the correct day, date, month and
y e a r f o r t h e n e x t c e n t u r y, a u t o m a t i c a l l y a c c o u n t i n g f o r l e a p
years and short months. c. £574,500; marcuswatches.co.uk
squaremeal.co.uk | 129