Timepieces that reflect the vibrant spirit of down under
How to capture the colours of Australia, with its unique flora, fauna and way of life? For a number of watch brands this has become a compelling source of inspiration.
In the past few years, Australian exclusives or Australian edition watches have been released from the likes of Grand Seiko, Breitling, Chopard and Longines. References have included the pink flannel flowers that bloom after a bushfire, the teal-coloured waters of Ningaloo Reef in WA and the fiery sunsets found in the Red Centre. In 2023 both Longines and Chopard collaborated with First Nations artists, Longines with Otis Hope Carey and Chopard with Shaun Daniel Allen (Shal) for special pieces.
Erik Hallstrom, general manager at luxury watch and jewellery retailer J Farren-Price, says this speaks to the evolution of the Australian market and its tastes.
“The Australian watch market has matured a lot over recent years. Australia may be a small market, but when you look per capita Australia is very strong. Brands have realised this and that’s one of the reasons we see more focus on local editions,” he says.
“The modern collector has a watch for every occasion and is also open to diversifying their collection with more daring designs. This wasn’t the case 10 years ago.”
Caroline-Marie Scheufele, Chopard product manager (and daughter of Chopard’s co-president Karl-Friedrich Scheufele) agrees. “Collectors are very keen on limited editions,” she said on a visit to Sydney to launch Chopard’s limited-edition Alpine Eagle Sunburnt.
Scheufele says this commitment to individuality saw Shal given creative expression throughout the collaboration. “We gave him as much freedom as we could. We wanted him to be able to be very creative on the piece. And it’s what my dad also does every time he has a new idea for a piece,” she says.
For Shal, capturing the colours of Australia was essential. “It was important to express the landscape of these beautiful lands, and really emphasise the reds. The contrast of light and dark. The vast array of waterways, both dried and flowing. Ridges and peaks. The reds found in all the extremes throughout the country,” he says.
Shal’s artwork is featured on the caseback of the timepiece. Working to the proportions of a watch, he says, presented a new kind of problem-solving. “The biggest challenge I faced was thinking of all these things, and then figuring out how to condense it into an artwork that would be complementary to the watch, and play against its lines and curves,” he says.
Otis Hope Carey says ensuring the integrity of his work remained intact was essential to his project with Longines also. “I put my culture at the forefront of all my creative projects. I think the most challenging thing was making sure the cultural integrity in my work wasn’t lost in the strap designs, I feel we really did the work justice and the straps are really beautiful,” he says.
1. Chopard Alpine Eagle Sunburnt
Chopard introduced its chic take on the luxury steel sports watch in 2019.
The limited-edition version of the watch created in conjunction with Shal is crafted in the brand’s recycled Lucent Steel alloy.
It incorporates the artist’s work on the caseback, while the 41mm dial is vivid in “sunburnt red”. Just 20 such timepieces will be released.
$27, 500
2. Longines x Otis Hope Carey HydroConquest GMT 41mm
Gumbaynggirr and Bundjalung artist and surfer Otis Hope Carey collaborated with Longines on four coloured NATO straps, a single piece of nylon webbing featuring artwork that evokes the ocean.
They’re paired with the HydroConquest diving-focused collection, which now features an exclusive Longines GMT movement. Strap, $299 (sold separately).
$4900
3. Breitling Chronomat Automatic GMT 40 Australian Limited Edition
The second Australian edition offering from Breitling draws on the colours of the Ningaloo Reef for inspiration.
The GMT hand, which allows you to track two time zones, is bright orange in a nod to Australia’s red centre, while the caseback features a unique koala design.
It’s limited to 150 pieces and has a 200-metre water resistance.
$8990
This story is from the April issue of WISH.
