THE WORLD'S MOST UNIQUE AND FREAKISHLY FABULOUS WATCH BY ULYSSE NARDIN!
THE HOUR GLASS UNVEILS ITS FIRST POP-UP STORE
SUPER MACHINES &
HOROLOGICAL HEROES
THE GENESIS OF CONTEMPORARY HOROLOGICAL CULTURE
Presenting
21 Novelties
7 Exclusives For The Hour Glass
4 Live Technical Artistry Showcases
The Hour Glass will unveil another
groundbreaking project in the form of a pop-up store situated at the heart of
Orchard Road at leading shopping centre, Paragon from 18th to 30th September. Themed “Super Machines and Horological Heroes”,
this pop-up will stage some of the most iconic and avant-garde timepieces, paying
homage to a collective of individuals who revolutionised watchmaking and watch
design at the turn of the millennium.
Coinciding with the Singapore Formula
One Grand Prix Race weekend, “Super Machines and Horological Heroes” will offer a unique cultural
experience to both locals and out-of-town guests during the 13-day showcase at
the Main Atrium of Paragon shopping centre.
De Bethune; Imperial Fountain (Snake)
Experimental ZR012 Black Limited Edition of 12 pieces exclusive to The Hour Glass
Laurent Ferrier Galet Micro-Rotor Limited Edition of 18 exclusive to The Hour Glass
My favourite! Ulysse Nardin The Freak Limited Editon exclusive to The Hour Glass
“The
Hour Glass is delighted to present its first global pop-up store. Our desire is to celebrate the best in
contemporary horology and watchmaking of the past decade. And to do so by creating a unique temporal platform
where The Hour Glass will both curate and unveil a series of exceptional
avant-garde horological machines, many of which have been exclusively created for
The Hour Glass,” commented Ms Wong Mei Ling, Managing Director of The Hour
Glass Singapore.
She
continues, “We have strategically timed “Super Machines and Horological Heroes”
when Singapore plays host to the world’s most prestigious international motor
sporting event - the Formula One Grand Prix.
We believe this initiative will ultimately inspire and cultivate the
appreciation of contemporary horology in Singapore and beyond.”
A
‘Playground’ where Inspiration Meets Manifestation
Stemming from The Hour Glass’
reputation as a pioneering stalwart in promotion and development of
contemporary horological culture around the world, “Super Machines and Horological
Heroes” is another manifestation of this mission.
“Super Machines and Horological Heroes” seeks to play out the virtuosity of visionary watchmakers and
profiling their technically innovative masterpieces. Since the dawn of the new millennium heralding
the birth of contemporary watchmaking: a period where visionaries sought to define
a new path for horology with a respect for patrimony whilst shaking design conventions
of what is considered high watchmaking.
Hailed
by pundits as ‘Superheroes’ in the world of horology, these trailblazing brands
and individuals harnessed the dexterity and technological advancement in
artistic watchmaking; giving rise to these spectacular ‘super machines’.
The New Millennium: The Birth of Contemporary Horological
Art
The
evolution of technology and the courage of a few brave men opened a new chapter
in watchmaking at the turn of the new millennium. Timekeepers further evolved from being strictly
a time telling device into sculptural and kinetic works of art; or by our
definition, horological machines.
Some
of the significant breakthroughs as seen in the movement architecture, case,
dial, interface and concepts have contributed to this phenomenon and challenged
the traditional. The quest for the
employment of new materials such as Silicium, touted as one of the significant
materials in movement as it requires little or no lubrication, novel alloys
like tantalum and magic gold (a scratch-resistant alloy created through the amalgamation
of gold and ceramic) have been brought to the fold. The ingenious interplay between a watch movement
and its dial as seen in the carousel inspired dial or revolving satellite
movement are contemporary interpretations of the manner in which time can be told.
The blend
of sophisticated aesthetics, uncompromising craftsmanship, technical innovation
and ingenuity only demonstrate the chronometric excellence of these
masterpieces; while maintaining accuracy and efficiency over a long period of
time - an essential point that should be anchored in any breakthroughs.
These
remarkable technological achievements are manifested in the pop-up through the
masterpieces on display - every piece an object of beauty and passion that are
created from the hands of true artisans.
“Each timepiece is an
objet d’art and not just a mere object of telling time. Serving as an educational platform, it seeks
to fuel exchange of views and ideas amongst watch aficionados, collectors and
watch enthusiasts alike through various activities and plenary discussion,”
adds Ms Wong.
Heralding a Platform of Many-Firsts:
The
Hour Glass Limited Editions and Novelties
There will be an inauguration of 21
inimitable timepieces of which 7 limited-editions are exclusively available
through The Hour Glass.
These
exclusives editions are Ferrari Big Bang by Hublot, Experiment ZR012 by
C3H5N3O9 (an
exclusive collaboration between two creative houses - MB&F and Urwerk), Bugatti
Super Sport by Parmigiani Fleurier, Freak by Ulysse Nardin, Imperial
Fountain by De Bethune, Poison Dart Frog by MB&F and Galet
Micro-Rotor by Laurent Ferrier.
Hall
of Fame
Akin
to the oscars, The Hour Glass will showcase
a selection of masterpieces that had garnered awards at the renowned Grand
Prix d’Horologerie de Geneve (GPHG) held in Switzerland from 2006.
A
Convergence of Legendary Independent Watchmakers and Artisans
In a world of mass production, it is laudable that
true artisans still exist. Legendary
independent grand watchmasters are the exemplars of highly skilled craftsmen
honoring ancient traditions to produce only limited numbers of exquisite eponymous
timepieces where every piece is painstakingly put together. The exhibition showcases
some of these claim-to-fame masterpieces by luminaries such as Philippe
Dufour, Vianney Halter, Kari Voutilainen,
Roger Smith and Laurent Ferrier.
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Expect a
plenary session where these watch masters convene on:
Date: Thursday,
26 September 2013
Time: 7.00pm
– 9.00pm
By: Mr
Kevin Tan, Moderator, International Watch Forum
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Artisanal
Showcase – “Metiers de la Maine”
Witness some of the specialist artisans and master
watchmakers on-hand demonstrating the finesse and intricate craftsmanship of
their masterpieces:
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Reuge The Craft of
Mechanical Symphony 18 to 30 September
Parmigiani
Fleurier The Art of Restoration 18
to 21 September
Hublot The
Intricacies of A Chronograph 22 to 25 September
Ulysse
Nardin The Mastery of
the Freak Dual Escapement 26 to 30
September
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In short, “Super
Machines and Horological Heroes” sets the stage for a celebration of
watchmaking culture in all its glory - with everything from brand showcases, to
panel discussions by watchmaking luminaries, and a unique many -firsts among
others.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
ABOUT THE HOUR
GLASS POP-UP STORE
Duration: 18 –
30 September 2013
Venue: Main
Atrium, Paragon Shopping Mall
290 Orchard Road, Singapore
Time: 10am
to 9pm daily
Partners: De Bethune, H Moser & Cie, Hublot,
MB&F, Parmigiani Fleurier,
Romain
Jerome, Ulysse Nardin, Urwerk
__________________________________________________________________________________
About The Hour Glass
Established in
1979, The Hour Glass is one of Asia’s premier luxury retail groups. As a
purveyor of luxury products, The Hour Glass has been at the forefront of luxury
retail development creating new frontiers that provide a differentiated store
experience and offering.
A specialist
luxury watch retailer, The Hour Glass represents a stable of over 50 brands
across 27 boutiques in ten cities throughout Asia Pacific. The Hour Glass
prides itself as the watch world’s leading cultural retail enterprise, pioneering
the development, promotion and appreciation of contemporary horological
culture.
Monocle
and Wallpaper magazines recognise The Hour Glass as Asia’s premier watch
retailer. In 2008, The Hour Glass emerged the winner of the Singapore Prestige
Brand Award whilst in 2010, L’Atelier by The Hour Glass – a boutique dedicated
to expressing the culture and patrimony of traditional watchmaking garnered the
‘Best Retail Concept of the Year’ accolade by the Singapore Retailers
Association as well as the 'Most Innovative Retail Concept of the Year' award
by the Federation of Asia-Pacific Retail Associations (FAPRA). In the same
year, Vanity Fair magazine named The Hour Glass as one of the twelve most
influential retailers in the world.
In
2011, The Hour Glass broke new ground with the opening of Malmaison. Spanning over 8,000 sq ft, this
multi-category emporium is a sanctuary for objects of authentic luxury housed
in an elegant yet eclectic setting. Besides housing the finest of haute
horology, a wide spectrum of refined objects d’art, jewellery, fragrances,
collectible literature and bespoke services for the sartorially inclined, form
the backbone of the exceptional Malmaison experience. Malmaison garnered the
2011 “Best Retail Concept of the Year” award which was accorded by the
Singapore Retailers Association, marking the second consecutive win for The Hour
Glass in the same category. 2012 marked
another milestone for Malmaison by winning the “Best Shopping Experience” award
by the Singapore Tourism Board. And 2013 denotes another highlight for
Malmaison with the ‘Most Innovative Retail Concept of the Year’ award by the Federation
of Asia-Pacific Retail Associations (FAPRA), the second win after L’Atelier.
More
Passion by The Hour Glass is the Group’s third multi-brand watch concept
boutique that opened in September 2012. More Passion celebrates the rediscovery
of traditional craft and the culture of contemporary artisanship, particularly
referencing the Nouvelle Vague design movement.
Upping
the ante in the luxury retail scene in 2013, The Hour Glass introduces the
globally renowned Ladurée brand of macarons in Singapore. This collaboration
extends the role of The Hour Glass as the leading purveyor of luxury products
and also marks Ladurée’s foray into the South East Asia market.
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