TIMEPIECES

Leading luxury watch brand Franck Muller has once again charmed the world with a striking collection that embodies Muller's passion for creating lively time-telling pieces _ the Red Carpet collection.

The Red Carpet features an intense red dial with white Arabic numerals. Symbolising life, confidence and energy, this flamboyant red dial is housed in the rectangular Novecento styled Long Island and its iconic Cintree Curvex case. A watch that perpetuates simplicity and yet exudes vibrancy, the Red Carpet is available in both quartz and mechanical hand-winding movement. The mechanical hand-winding version comes in a see-through case-back and seconds display at 6 o'clock.

Franck Muller boutique is on M floor, Siam Paragon (tel 02-610-9426).

ATHLETIC STYLE

Italian luxury watchmaker Officine Panerai introduces the new Luminor 1950 Rattrapante 8 Days Titanio, a haute horlogerie model in which the classic Panerai design is combined with the technical aspects of high-quality sports watchmaking.

The Luminor 1950 Rattrapante 8 Days Titanio is a split-seconds chronograph with vertical clutch and twin column wheels with numerous functions, all assembled in the P.2006 movement.

The split-seconds function, also known as rattrapante, operates two hands that are superimposed and partially independent: the first is controlled by the button at 8 o'clock, which starts, stops and resets the chronograph hand; the second, controlled by the button at 10 o'clock, is used for measuring partial times or a second event simultaneous with the first.

The P.2006 hand-wound movement has a power reserve of eight days. The remaining power reserve can be read on the dial from a linear indicator above the number six. The watch has a brushed titanium case 47mm in diameter, fitted with the lever device which seals the winding crown to ensure water resistance to a depth of about 100 metres.

On the back of the case is a sapphire crystal window through which the movement can be seen.

The bezel is made of polished titanium and surrounds a large black dial, consisting of two superimposed discs with a layer of Super-LumiNova between them.

Produced in a limited edition, the watch is supplied with a rubber strap. It is part of the Officine Panerai Specialities collection.

Officine Panerai Boutique is on M level, Siam Paragon (tel 02-610-9290).

CLASSICALLY DESIGNED

The world's oldest watch brand, Vacheron Constantin, introduces the new Patrimony Traditionnelle, an elegant self-winding watch in a new 41mm case housing an ultra-thin Calibre 1120.

The new watch boldly reveals its classically timeless character through details such as the slender bezel, the knurled motif on the screw-down case-back fitted with a sapphire crystal pane, 18k pink gold applied hour-markers, and dauphine hands.

The gold case frames an opaline silver-toned dial on which time undertakes its perpetually renewed journey. The space is punctuated by 18-carat pink gold applied hour-markers, punctuated by a black minute circle. At the heart of its case ticks the ultra-thin self-winding Calibre 1120 beating at a frequency of 19,800 vibrations/hour, with an approximately 40-hour power reserve. The smooth surfaces of the movement adorned with a Cotes de Geneve motif, all their sharp angles are chamfered and then hand-polished. The sapphire crystal case-back enables the wearer to admire the ultra-thin Caliber 1120. The watch comes with a classic strap in chestnut brown alligator Mississippiensis, complete with an 18k pink gold pin buckle.

The new timepiece can be viewed at Pendulum boutiques at Gaysorn (tel 02-656-1116), Emporium (tel 02-664-8377), Siam Paragon (tel 02-610-9423).