AHEAD OF THE CURVE: Not quite round and not exactly square, the cushion-shaped case offers the best of both worlds.
Annotations by Scott Hickey
Panerai Radiomir 1940 3 Days Automatic (PAM00655)
Descended from the robust timepieces Panerai made for the Royal Italian Navy during the Forties, the Radiomir is one of the most recognizable cushion-shaped watches in the world today. Even so, no one has seen anything quite like this distinctive model, which retains the dial’s graphic design and luminous markers, but features them on a stark white dial, a rarity for Panerai.
$10,000, panerai.com
Patek Philippe 5940 Perpetual Calendar (5940G-010)
A dark-blue moon phase delivers the only concession to color amid the striking monochromatic look of the voluptuous white-gold case and well-proportioned black dial. Art deco touches, like applied Breguet-style numerals, project timeless style, while the automatic movement appeals to horological purists with its perpetual calendar, a complication that automatically accounts for the irregular length of months and leap years.
$87,320, patek.com
Laurent Ferrier Galet Square (LCF013.AC.RG1)
Watchmaker Laurent Ferrier started his company in 2010 after years at Patek Philippe, where he specialized in complicated movements. Today, connoisseurs celebrate the superlative quality and artistry of timepieces like his Galet Square. Its steel case—smooth like a pebble polished by time—houses a technically advanced in-house movement that uses a double, direct-impulse escapement to optimize both accuracy and efficiency.
$38,000, laurentferrier.ch
Cartier Drive de Cartier (WSNM0006)
Automotive-inspired details, including the bolt-shaped crown and radiator-style guilloché dial, anchor this masculine design. But what makes the Drive de Cartier one of the year’s most exciting introductions is how its streamlined steel case feels like a natural extension of the wrist. Equally impressive under the hood, the watch is powered by an automatic movement make exclusively by Cartier.
$6,250, cartier.us
This is an excerpt from the September/October 2016 issue of Guitar Aficionado magazine. For this story, plus features on Prince’s guitars, virtuoso guitarist Paul Gilbert and his insatiable lust for guitars and passion for sharing his knowledge, the story behind Creedence Clearwater Revival’s breakthrough year, a visit to the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, and much more., and much more, pick up the new issue of Guitar Aficionado at your newsstand, or online by clicking anywhere in this text.
