Most watchmakers are no strangers to delving into their archives to find inspiration for new timepieces, and as the latest wave of releases prove, the trend for reviving past models is as strong as ever. The demand is not only driven by those wishing to channel sophisticated vintage style, but by ardent collectors who have the chance of owning a watch incorporating some of the most sought-after design features.
Harrods has tapped into this with an ambitious new project taking place in its Fine Watch Room this summer. From 30 June to 24 July, both the department and the Brompton Road windows will be taken over by its Re-Editions initiative, in which it has invited 12 of horology's most respected brands to create a limited or exclusive heritage-inspired piece.
Showcasing the diversity of the department store's offering, the special watches include IWC's Pilot's Watch Mark XVIII – Heritage 40 (an homage to its historic Mark XI), which has a limited run of 1,948 and will retail at £3,850 and Richard Mille's high-tech RM 50-03 McLaren F1, coming in at just under £1 million. The look of the creations are equally as varied; on the sportier side, Hublot has updated its Classic Fusion line with a grey sunburst dial with titanium case and Panerai will present a new limited edition of its Luminor Marina 1950 diver's watch. Dressier pieces include an eye-catching skeletonised yellow-gold version of Audemars Piguet's Royal Oak Offshore, the one-off Knights of the Round Table III from Roger Dubuis – featuring 12 miniature figures guarding time on the dial – and Vacheron Constantin's refined Traditionnelle in both day-date with power reserve and solo date options.
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The offering is equally as wide for women. Harry Winston's Premier Lace collection, which features mother-of-pearl dials intricately decorated with exquisite lacework, is here expressed in bright green with marquise and brilliant-cut diamonds, while Jaeger-LeCoultre has gone all-out in the sparkle stakes with a high jewellery version of its iconic Reverso, first launched in 1931. Cartier's contribution, meanwhile, will be its playful Panthere Joueuse, which features the maison's mascot, the panther, chasing a diamond ball around the dial. With more releases still to be revealed from Breguet and Omega, watch this space to get your hands on one of these limited edition pieces.
Re-Editions takes place from 30 June to 24 July at Harrods, Brompton Rd, Knightsbridge, London, SW1X 7XL; harrods.com
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