Modern living has its downsides: first, a pint of milk costs way more than it should; second, computers have rendered us pretty much incapable of using pen and paper for more than five minutes at a time without writhing in pain; and third, the average person's memory now has the span of a geriatric goldfish. Thanks to Facebook and smartphones we don't have to remember anything anymore, including phone numbers, directions, birthdays and anniversaries.
To be frank, why should we bother trying to remember things when everything from culture to products is so helpfully remembered, reinvented, reintroduced for us? A few tweaks here and there and, voila, old becomes new. Nowhere is this dictum truer than in the watch industry, where reviving a classic or marking an anniversary has proved lucrative.
Swiss brand Omega, which is particularly adept at mining the rich seam of its back catalogue, has come up with another retro gem. The Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch 'Apollo 15' 40th Anniversary Limited Edition (right) celebrates the lunar landings that took place in July 1971. As with the first Omega Speedmaster Moonwatches, this watch comes with a polished steel bracelet and 42mm case and an iconic black dial configuration of three counters at three, six and nine o'clock with full chronograph. The calibre 1861 movement is the same as the legendary Omega Speedmaster watches that ventured into space all those years ago. The little tweaks in the new version come in the shape of a minute track in blue, white and red, and rings around the three counters in blue, white and red, a tribute to the colours of the Apollo 15 mission patch. The Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch 'Apollo 15' is limited to 1,971 pieces. Pricing details are yet to be confirmed.
Montblanc has also been busy marking anniversaries and, in January, it released the Nicolas Rieussec Chronograph Anniversary Edition 2011 (above), which celebrates 190 years of the chronograph. Rieussec, for those without ready access to Google, was the man who invented the chronograph and gave the complication its name in 1821. With old-world good looks, this is one of the most finely styled chronograph watches available. With an enormous 72-hour power reserve, the watch also features a date disc and two counters. The Montblanc Nicolas Rieussec Chronograph Anniversary Edition 2011 is priced between HK$230,000 and HK$300,000 for the gold version, which are limited to 190 pieces in rose gold and 90 in white gold. The platinum version of the watch is limited to 25 pieces, with prices creeping towards HK$400,000.
Vacheron Constantin has a huge store of watches that can be brought back and the brand has picked well with the Historiques Aronde 1954. Inspired by the post-war model, the rectangular face of the reborn Historiques Aronde 1954 (below) features a curved sapphire glass face and winged sides. The watch comes in an incredibly thin and narrow rose-gold case. The limited-edition Vacheron Constantin Historiques Aronde 1954 is priced at something north of HK$200,000.
