iW Magazine Summer 2019 | Page 105

The Zenith Defy El Primero 21 Carbon The Ulysse Nardin Freak NeXt. new timepieces hitting dealers this year. Featuring high-performance movements, avant-garde designs, and space-age materials, these wrist- watches are enthusiast specials that would be right at home in its cabin. HUBLOT CLASSIC FUSION FERRARI GT 3D CARBON While wristwatch co-branding associations with Ferrari have involved numerous partners and go back to the 1950s, no manufacture outside Hublot has done a better job of getting into the mindset of pushing performance and technology – keystones of Ferrari’s own mission – into the wristwatch space. For their latest model, the Classic Fusion Ferrari GT 3D Carbon, Hublot worked closely with Centro Stile Ferrari for design and development, and the resulting carbon–cased chronograph truly feels worthy of the prancing horse logo on the dial. Powered by a Hublot Unico movement with column wheel flyback chronograph mechanism, this timepiece has horses under the hood too. ZENITH EL PRIMERO DEFY 21 CARBON The 488 Pista makes generous use of carbon fiber for weight-saving measures, so it should come as no surprise that one of our favorite new watches – the Zenith Defy – would make this list. Featuring the same retro-styled case language introduced in 2017, the Defy 21 Carbon looks positively futurist when clad in this ultra-light composite material. With two escapements, one for the chronograph mechanism and one for regular timekeeping, the Defy absolutely checks the box or next-level engineering and design. Properly fitting for a astronaut – and a racecar driver. ULYSSE NARDIN FREAK NEXT To say that Ulysse Nardin has ever done anything pedestrian would be a bit misleading. But the new Freak NeXt, introduced earlier this year, perhaps perfectly illustrates exactly why the brand is known for thinking – and designing – out of the box. A design study in next-generation move- ments, Ulysse Nardin makes judicious use of titanium and silicon materials, as well as an entirely new gearing system referred to as the Grinder – all with an eye towards increased accuracy and efficiency in the escape- ment. Currently being touted as a one-off concept watch, there is little doubt that UN will find a way to incorporate this experimental technology into the next generation of horological machines. Oh, did we mention that large portions of the case glow in the dark? Freaky.   James Lamdin is the Founder of Analog/Shift, a leading vintage watch retailer based in New York City. He is also a freelance contributor to a number of automotive and horological publications. SUMMER 2019 | INTERNATIONAL WATCH | 105