New Retro Steel : Everyday elegance

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New Retro Steel : Everyday elegance - de Grisogono
2 minutes read
The de Grisogono New Retro is offered for the first time with a case and bracelet in stainless steel.

Ever since it was launched in 2015 de Grisogono’s New Retro has appealed to me. From the initial versions in gold to the tourbillon and power reserve models and the more recent “Double Jeu”, it is a watch that has always flied in the face of horological conventions in the typical de Grisogono spirit. Few luxury watches are rectangular, so the brand opted for this shape, but with the longer side on the horizontal. Few watches have their crown at 12 o’clock, so this was the natural position for the New Retro, which also neatly avoids an extra protruberance on a case that is already 50mm wide. And few brands are bold enough to use just two hands on the dial, especially when using a self-winding mechanical movement. de Grisogono does just that, creating a timepiece that shuns comparison.

From the first gent’s versions in rose gold, which wore their name well with a combination of modern design, classic materials and vintage-themed dials, the New Retro was soon given the typical de Grisogono feminine touch of colour, precious stones and the signature galuchat strap. For those used to seeing circular bezels studded with stones, the horizontal steps on the New Retro offered an entirely new look for a gem-set watch. More recently, the brand has affirmed its horological credentials in both the men’s and women’s versions of the New Retro. The ladies’ “Double Jeu” model offers transparency and an illusion, since the winding rotor familiar from automatic watch movements actually spins the large, diamond-set 3 and 9 numerals to reveal different coloured diamonds on the front and back. The well-hidden movement is actually quartz. In the New Retro Power Reserve models for men, transparency also reigns, but in this case it is to show off the skeletonized movement that fills the case.

New Retro Steel : Everyday elegance

The New Retro had until now been out of my reach, because of the materials used or the complications offered. This now changes with the New Retro in stainless steel, opening up this distinctive watch to a whole new clientele. The use of stainless steel naturally makes the watch much more affordable, but the first stainless-steel bracelet in the collection underscores its everyday appeal even more. Like all the best-designed everyday watches, it can transition seamlessly from a dip in the pool to a sophisticated cocktail party. 

It’s a watch that is bound to evolve in the near future as different dial colours are added. The first edition, however, is the epitome of timeless elegance with a satin-finished sunray blue dial with rhodium-plated Arabic numerals, white hour markers and rhodium-plated Dauphine hands. Timekeeping is provided by the DG 10-01 self-winding mechanical movement, which offers 42 hours of power reserve and is driven by a blackened and open-worked oscillating weight. The movement is visible through a transparent sapphire crystal case back that has exactly the same shape as the crystal covering the dial. This is the signature of the New Retro design, with just a thin strip of stainless steel separating the two crystals on either side of the case. 

Price: CHF 10,700

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