In addition to the pin stripe suit or handmade shoes, the most important accessory a CEO takes to that power meeting is what is under his sleeve cuff, the wrist watch. And so, FUNKE OSAE-BROWN lists ten wristwatches CEOs love.
Richard Mille RM 033
The synthesis of its round shape makes Richard Mille’s RM 033 the darling of chief executive officers. The circle is omnipresent in mechanisms where everything is in perpetual rotation that is the gear train, wheels, pinions, rotors and others. Focused on this fundamental to delimit the volume of everything and define the shape of the container, liberated from the constraints relating to safety and resistance to extreme conditions linked to the divers watch, Richard Mille imagined this chic sports model using the beautiful subdued shape of the circle.
Rolex Perpetual Date
Almost all CEOs love the Rolex brand. It has become the toast of high level executive since it was introduced in 1945. Rolex Perpetual Date is the ultimate Rolex classic and the world’s first self-winding wristwatch chronometer to display the date in a window. It is first Rolex equipped with the distinctive Cyclops lens for easy reading of the date and the most versatile and customisable Rolex model. It is a timeless archetype of style, precision and reliability, little wonder why CEOs love it. It comes in Oyster architecture of 36 mm, steel and yellow gold, a Monobloc middle case, screw-down case back and winding crown.
Backes & Strauss Regent Collection
Since most chief executives prefer watches that are conservative in nature yet classy, their first choice is usually the Backes & Strauss Regent Collection. The Regent Classic takes its inspiration from the architecture of John Nash who was commissioned by the Prince Regent in 1811 to develop a huge swathe of London, then known as Marylebone Park. The classical proportions of Nash’s work – Regent Street, Regent’s Park, St James’s Park – can be seen in the sweeping curves and bold symmetry of the Regent Collection. The cylindrical shape of this watch makes it very distinct and recognisable.
Patek Phillipe Nautilus in Rose Gold
In 1976 Patek Philippe launched its first Nautilus model. At this time, luxury sports watches are expected to be as thin as possible and made of gold, so this large steel watch with its brawny ship’s porthole design is completely novel. Ever since, the Nautilus has been the toast of high flying executive who love class. The watch has a mechanical self-winding movement with date, 60-minute and 12-hour monocounter at 6 o’clock, sweep seconds (chronograph hand) and black-brown dial, gold applied hour markers with luminescent coating among other features.
Audemars Piguet Tradition
This extra thinwatch pays tribute to a faithfully preserved heritage. It is an embodiment of excellence that CEOs are known for. Audemars Piguet’s Tradition Collection, born in 2008, highlights emblematic lines accentuated by a cambered bezel. Whether extra-thin or featuring horological complications currently mastered by only a handful of watch manufacturers, the calibres beating at the heart of the collection perfectly embody the excellence of the values that have forged the Audemars Piguet legend.it is a self-winding extra-thin watch that comes in 18-carat pink gold case with gem-set bezel and sapphire crystal exhibition back plus white mother-of-pearl dial.
Breguet has introduced what is currently –as far as we have been able to determine –the world’s thinnest self-winding tourbillon. The Classique Tourbillon Extra Thin Automatic Ref. 5377 is overall only 7mm thick –and the movement, Breguet calibre 581DR, is a mere 3mm thin. The thinness is what makes it a collectors’ item for chief executive officers.
The Breguet Classique Tourbillon Extra Thin Automatic uses a different, and much more unusual, solution to achieving a very thin self-winding tourbillon: a peripheral rotor system, in which the oscillating mass is on the same plane as the movement plate, rotating around the circumference of the movement, with gear teeth on its inner diameter that engage the wheels of the automatic winding train.
Franck Muller Gold Croc
There have been all kinds of crocodile skin on wrist watch strap but never in gold and on a wristwatch case. Truly, the crocodile pattern on this new Franck Muller Gold Croco watch is applied is unique and unprecedented in the history of watchmaking making it a notable fashion item in high power meetings. This unique new watch is fashionable and timeless. The dial retains its legible design and art deco inspired Arabic numeral hour markers in black. The monochromatic black and gold look is only slightly disrupted by steel-toned plates with the dial’s text placed on them. At just over 39mm wide and 55mm tall, the case is more masculine in its size, making it a perfect design for CEOs.
Corum Admiral’s Cup AC-One 45 Double Tourbillon
With its iconic twelve-sided case, the Admiral’s Cup collection has always been Corum’s sporty alternative to the elegant Bridges line. Once in a while, though, even legendary designs need to be updated to preserve their universal appeal. The aesthetic exploration is not the only path followed by Corum with this exciting collection. Its sturdy look does not mislead you: despite its delicate movement, this watch is cut out for adventure and features a surprisingly high water resistance: 300 meters. It is a stunning timepiece with a well-balanced design, an extremely contemporary case of nice proportions and an intricate movement.
Arnold & Son Time Pyramid
This watch was named the watch of the year 2014 by Robb Report, a journal on luxury goods. Carefully demonstrating its British heritage and ingenuity in watchmaking, Arnold & Son unveils a totally new watch movement with unique architecture: the original Time Pyramid wristwatch. With a skeletonized pyramid-shaped movement seemingly floating between two sapphire crystals, the Time Pyramid is a masterful rendition of technical prowess and unparalleled elegance. This superbly engineered wristwatch is part of the brand’s Instrument Collection that combines instrument precision with classical styling.
Manufacture Royale 1770
Named 1770 after the year Manufacture Royale was founded, this timepiece newly embodies the daring and excellence which define a CEO. Its restrained and thoughtfully elaborated form is the continuation of a generous and creative style, though contours have been softened and remodelled to propose a watch that is both sober and contemporary. Entirely developed and manufactured in-house, its haute horlogerie movement incorporates a splendid flying tourbillon. These time pieces are available at Julian’s Luxury. Prices are available on request.