TOP 10 WATCHES: A FEW OF MY FAVOURITE THINGS
Tuesday, June 19, 2007 By Michael Balfour
Last month Renault recalled all 470,000 Clio IIs, so that a potential bonnet fault could be corrected.
An event of this type has never occurred in the watch industry. This highlights just how extremely sophisticated today's watch production procedures have become. Even the least expensive of timepieces are marvels of micro-engineering. The choice for consumers in the wristwatch marketplace is enormous, but seemingly never disappoints.
To choose just ten watches from such an abundance is both pleasurable and unenviable: unenviable because, for example, no top twenty pop music chart has ever been able to claim that it really is just that. In the horological context it is estimated, by visitors to major trade fairs, that the number of new models and all their various versions launched worldwide so far in 2007 exceeds 10,000.
The ten watches featured below do not represent success either by sales unit volumes or turnover values alone. Five brands are privately owned and so such figures are not in any case available. Another point: none are limited editions, produced perhaps for the collectors' market, but on the contrary are regarded as “lifers” by their makers. They are given in alphabetical order of brand, and the prices shown are UK retail.
The Chronomat Evolution series from Breitling has long been a favourite among aficionados for complicated outdoor timepieces, with its calculation functions. Much favoured is the model in stainless steel and pink 18-carat gold on a two-tone pilot bracelet: it retails at £4,965.
Cartier launched the Tank Fran?aise in 1996. The 18-carat yellow gold quartz version for ladies is a delicious piece, with its silver-grained dial and roman numerals (£8,825).
Citizen claims to manufacture annually more wristwatches than any other company. Its Eco-Drive Calibre 8700 (model ref. BL 8000 – 54 L) has an astonishing range of functions for any follower of sporting pursuits. This blue-dialled version costs £269.
By contrast, Jaeger-LeCoultre goes on selling its stainless steel Reverso Duo (model ref. 271.84.10; £4,500) year after year, ever since its first introduction in 1931. It is one of the great classics and available in a wide choice of versions, many with additional functions such as two time zones.
Longines, another long-established Swiss brand, enjoys success with its quartz Grande Classique range; big, bold and simple, the stainless steel model L4.241.0.80.6 is set with diamonds and has a bezel also set with diamonds, surrounding a mother-of-pearl dial displaying diamond time markers (£1,740).
Ever since Neil Armstrong set foot on the Moon on 21 July 1969, Omega has celebrated Nasa's feat with its Speedmaster range. A perennial favourite is the quartz Speedmaster Professional Moonwatch, a 42mm diameter wristwatch with a stainless steel case and bracelet. The model ref. is 3570.50.00, and the price is £1,675.
Patek Philippe is another great watch name, and its Calatrava range has had worldwide followers since its introduction in 1932. The selection here is the model ref. 5127J; £9,645.
The Parsifal for Ladies range from Raymond Weil is much enhanced by the rectangular model ref. 9740-STS-00995. This one, in stainless steel with an 18-carat yellow gold bezel set with diamonds, sells at £2,295. The range prices start at £875 and go up to £10,375.
The Rolex Oyster Perpetual Datejust is the iconic model from this famed maker, and the Rolesor version, with a steel and yellow gold bracelet, comes in gentlemen's, intermediate and ladies' sizes. The man's model (shown) is ref. 116233; the bracelet ref. is 63203, and the price is £4,120.
Rotary has been making dependable, inexpensive timepieces since 1898. The quartz Havana model (ref. GBO 2340/08) is cased in bi-colour stainless steel, and comes complete with a date window at 3 o'clock; it retails at just £130.
十款最永恒的手表
作者：英国《金融时报》迈克尔•巴尔弗(Michael Balfour) 2007年6月19日 星期二
上个月，雷诺(Renault)召回了全部47万辆Clio Iis车型，以便解决潜在的阀帽问题。
这种事情从未在钟表行业发生过。这突显出当今钟表生产程序已变得多么精密。即便是最便宜的钟表，也堪称微型工程奇迹。消费者在腕表市场中的选择很多，但似乎从未失望过。
从这么多手表中仅仅选择10款，这项工作既令人兴奋，又令人畏惧：畏惧是有原因的，比如，没有哪个流行歌曲排行榜能声称自己绝对权威。在钟表行业，参观过大型交易会的人们估计，2007年迄今为止，全球推出的新款手表和它们的所有改版，数量超过1万种。
下面提到的10款表，它们的成功既非仅仅从销量上评判，也不是单从销售额上评判。其中5个品牌是私人所有的，因此根本无法得到这些数字。另外一点：它们都不是可能为收藏者市场生产的限量版，相反，它们都被制造商视为“永恒”。以下按品牌字母排序进行介绍，显示的价格是其在英国的零售价。
百年灵(Breitling)的Chronomat Evolution系列因其计时功能，长期以来一直是复杂户外计时表迷们的最爱。最受追捧的一款由不锈钢制成，18K镀金，有双色pilot型表带：零售价为4965英镑。
卡地亚(Cartier)于1996年推出了Tank Fran?aise腕表。18K黄金石英机芯女表是一种精美款型，有银色粒面表盘和罗马数字（8825英镑）。
西铁城(Citizen)宣称每年制作的腕表比其它任何公司都多。其中，光动能Calibre 8700（款号为BL 8000 – 54 L）拥有一系列惊人的功能，能满足任何体育追逐者的需求。这款蓝色表盘腕表价格为269英镑。
相反，积家(Jaeger-LeCoultre)自1931年首次推出Reverso Duo以来，就年复一年地出售这款不锈钢腕表（款号为271.84.10；4500英镑）。这是一款伟大的经典款型，而且有广泛的选择版本，许多带有两个时区等附加功能。
浪琴(Longines)是另一个历史悠久的知名瑞士品牌，它的石英嘉岚(Grande Classique)系列非常成功：表款宽大、大胆、简约，这款不锈钢款型的款号为L4.241.0.80.6，镶嵌有钻石，周边凹槽也镶嵌有钻石，珍珠母表盘，表盘表面以钻石作为时间指示（1740英镑）。
自尼尔•阿姆斯特朗(Neil Armstrong)于1969年7月21日踏上月球开始，欧米茄(Omega)就将美国国家航空航天局(NASA)的壮举和自己的超霸(Speedmaster)系列一起庆祝。超霸专业月相表(Speedmaster Professional Moonwatch)直径42毫米，有不锈钢表壳和腕带。款号为3570.50.00，价格1675英镑。
百达翡丽(Patek Philippe)是另一个伟大的手表品牌，它的Calatrava系列自1932年推出以来已在全球范围内拥有众多追随者。这里选择的是编号为5127J的款型，价格为9645英镑。
蕾蒙威(Raymond Weil)的Parsifal女装表系列在很大程度上因款号为9740-STS-00995的这款表而得到提升。这款表由不锈钢制成，周边18K黄金凹槽中嵌有钻石，售价为2295英镑。这个系列的价格从875英镑至10375英镑不等。
劳力士(Rolex)的Oyster Perpetual Datejust是这个知名钟表制造商的标志性款型，其Rolesor款男装、中性和女装表都有钢和黄金制成的腕带，男装款号为116233；腕带款号为63203，价格为4120英镑。
Rotary自1898年起就一直制造可靠的廉价计时表。其石英Havana款型（款号：GBO 2340/08）用双色不锈钢制作，3点处有日期指示，零售价仅为130英镑。
译者/何黎
