Dispatch From Russia

Since Haute Time has gone global, we’re bringing you a snapshot from our worldwide markets.

Here, our local Moscow-based editor Yury Khnychkin recaps Russia’s hottest watch news…

Hublot and Depeche Mode Raise $1.4 million for charity: water
Hublot and Depeche Mode hosted a gala dinner in Moscow, which raised $1.4 million for charity: water. The rock-inspired evening, which took place at the Tsum building, included a dinner and an auction of three lots. Ricardo Guadalupe, CEO of Hublot, joined guests including Depeche Mode’s Andy Fletcher, Martin Gore and Dave Gahan, the band’s manager Jonathan Kessler, charity: water founder Scott Harrison and Rick De La Croix, Hublot’s exclusive partner in the Americas. Depeche Mode themselves hit the stage to present the lots, which included a signed guitar and limited edition Hublot watches.

TAG Heuer Unveils Monaco V4 Carbon for Russia and Ukraine
Russia and Ukraine have been honored with an exclusive 10-piece numbered edition of TAG Heuer’s innovative Monaco V4. The structure of this carbon model is remarkable because of its belt-driven transmission, which replaces the traditional wheels of a mechanical movement. The Monaco V4 Carbon is powered by four paired barrels, micro drive-belts in polyether just 0.07mm thick (the same width as a human hair) and two turnbuckles.

Its winding mechanism is no less ingenious: 12g tungsten ingots mounted on the word’s smallest ball bearings. The winding system is visible through the sapphire crystal caseback. Hands, indexes, upper bridge and winding crown stand out against the black ruthenium bridge’s coating.

Mercury Showcases Number One Harry Winston Histoire de Tourbillon
As haute horlogerie collectors will know, the first piece in a limited edition series is almost sacred. And of course, that inherent value is only increased when it is number one of a model that is impressive in its own right, like the Harry Winston Histoire de Tourbillon 4 or the Opus XIII. Haute Time Russia spotted these models in-store, and decided to take a close up look.

The Histoire de Tourbillon 4 features a stunning three-dimensional dial, where the escapement’s junction is placed into tri-axial cages, each of which rotates at a different speed and at different angles. Its tourbillon is also three-dimensional. The innermost cage, which encloses the oscillator and escapement, rotates once every 45 seconds. The intermediate cage, which encloses the first, rotates once every 75 seconds. And the third, outermost cage rotates at a stately speed of one revolution every 300 seconds. Made of 345 parts – 134 of which in the three-axis tourbillon weigh a mere 1.57 grams – this timepiece features a hand-wound mechanism equipped with two mainspring barrels and boasts a 50-hour power reserve. The 47mm case is in white gold, while the case band, lugs and arches are in Harry Winston’s zirconium/aluminum alloy Zalium. The caseback features the numbered engraving 01/20.

Meanwhile, the Opus XIII features a mechanical mechanism created by independent watchmaker Ludovic Ballouard. The dial boasts 59 minute hands and 11 hour hands. The minutes accumulate as the hour progresses, with each five minute mark in red. When the hour is complete, the hands withdraw in unison. Silver triangles spring in turn from the faceted dome to show the hours, rotating back when their duty is done. Every 12 hours, Harry Winston’s logo is revealed on the dial, only to vanish 60 minutes later. It is housed in a 44.25mm white gold case. We saw number 01/130 of this limited edition model.

Roger Dubuis Celebrates New Moscow Boutique
Hot on the heels of Panerai, IWC and Cartier, luxury watchmaker Roger Dubuis has opened a boutique in Moscow. The two-story space at the prestigious Berlinsky dom shopping center boasts panoramic windows overlooking Petrovka Street. Jean-Marc Pontroué, CEO of Roger Dubuis, was joined at the ribbon cutting ceremony by actor and brand ambassador Konstantin Krukov, as well as George Bedjamov, President of the Russian Bobsleigh & Skeleton Federation.

The Pulsion Chronograph which Roger Dubuis created for the bobsleigh and skeleton teams, which the manufacture is a partner of, is on display at the boutique. This 28-piece limited edition features the sports at 12 o’clock, while the logo of the Russian Bobsleigh & Skeleton Federation is featured inside the 30-minute counter at 3 o’clock. The boutique also houses number 1/88 of the Excalibur Skeleton Double Flying Tourbillon Black Titanium.

Corum Dedicates Admiral’s Cup to Zenit FC
Corum has dedicated a special version of its famous Admiral’s Cup to FC Zenit Saint Petersburg. The Admiral’s Cup FC Zenit Chronograph 48, which will be produced in a limited edition of just 40 pieces, features the football club’s historic blue, white and azure colors. The hour and minute hands are white and blue, while the central chronograph seconds hand is white, and the 30-minute totalizer at 3 o’clock and the small seconds at 9 o’clock both feature azure hands.

Housed in a 48mm black PVD case, the anthracite dial is decorated with Côtes de Genève pattern and applied indexes with blue fluorescent coating. Zenit FC’s logo is featured at 6 o’clock, as well as on the caseback. At its heart is the mechanical self-winding and COSC-certified CO753 movement, which boasts a 48-hour power reserve. The Zenit Chronograph is completed by an alligator leather strap with blue, white and azure stitching.

Corum’s Irina Ershova and Davide Montagna presented the Admiral’s Cup FC Zenit Chronograph 48 to Zenit striker Aleksandr Kerzhakov.

To see more from our team in Russia visit hautetime.ru