Aspen Peak - Niche Media - Aspen living at its peak
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time keeper continued from page 98 "We have been the leaders in high-tech ceram- ics, having engineered the finest materials first," says Robert Brennan, Rado's US brand president, during the recent opening of the company's first boutique in the Americas, in St. Maarten. "It is important to offer not just durability, but also feel, fit, and technology, as well as fashion appeal." While most brands use ceramic in either black or white, in the past few years several companies have developed ceramic watches in colors such as midnight blue, chocolate brown, hues of pink, and silver. Among the labels who create these fashion-forward pieces are Fendi, which offers its Ceramic Chronograph model in five signature colors, including blue, gray, and brown; and Bell & Ross, which produces an Aviation blue ceramic BR03 in a surprising matte finish. The composition and beauty of ceramics have made them a big seller with the fashion-conscious slopes to après-ski, dazzling the crowd at Caribou Club when worn to a romantic dinner. "Our Ceramic Chrono watch is a popular time- piece in Aspen because of its rugged construction and its stylish panache," says Dario Parrilla, vice president of sales for Taramax, which distributes Fendi timepieces. "Ceramics are particularly rel- evant when it comes to the sporty-chic lifestyles that Aspen women lead." the Engineered ceramic was developed in the 20th century for use in space vessels, in ceramic brake discs, and in medical and electronic equipment. Additionally, composite ceramics (those that the midas touch Like a futuristic Rumpelstiltskin, Hublot and Chanel have rewoven traditional metals and made them mightier. This year Hublot (hublot.com) unveils its new ceramic blend with gold, for what it is calling Magic Gold. Developed in collaboration with EPFL (the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology), it is an alloy of precious 24k gold and high-tech ceramic, resulting in a certified scratch-resistant 18k gold. Three years in the making, this new metal has several patents pending. Graded as 18k gold by the Central Office for Precious Metals Control, Magic Gold is the world's first scratch- resistant gold. According to Hublot, "standard" high-quality 18k gold can reach 400 on the Vickers hardness scale, but Hublot's Magic Gold has a hardness rating of almost 1,000 Vickers (most hardened steels are up to 600 Vickers), thanks to the ceramic infusion. The resulting compound, like other 18k alloys, is composed of 750 parts pure gold out of 1,000. Chanel also has worked tirelessly in the ceramics field, blending it with titanium. Unveiled last year, the ceramic J12 Chromatic (Hyde Park, Cherry Creek Shopping Center, Denver, 303-333-4446; chanel.com) appears at first glance to be a steel watch. The ceramic-titanium blend is a patented technology that was some time in the making; Chanel created the silvery colored ceramic material as an alternative to its standard white and black pieces. The watch actually changes color based on the amount of light exposure, varying in shades referenced by the brand from "stormy" to "cloudy." make use of multiple materials, such as zirconium oxide, alumina, silicon carbide, and tungsten car- bide) can be found in armored vehicles, airplanes, and even armored vests. Today dozens of brands— from the luxury field all the way to the fashion arena—are unveiling timepieces made of high-tech material, working with metallurgists to develop their own specially blended ceramic materials. It is proof positive that this centuries- old craft still has a visionary element. this Ceramic renders a watch virtually scratch- proof—theoretically, a 30-year-old ceramic watch, "Ceramics are particularly relevant when it comes to the sporty-chic lifestyles that Aspen women lead. ity of the material can take the wearer from the —DARIO PARRILLA consumer who is active and athletic. The versatil- even one regularly worn, would still look brand- new today. The nonmetallic material is engineered to meet strict specifications, created via extreme heating and a subsequent cooling process. It has an exceptionally high melting point and can with- stand temperatures beyond 1,700 degrees Fahrenheit, depending on the type of ceramic. It is incredibly hard, lightweight, resistant to abrasion, and hypoallergenic, making it a coveted material for watch cases, bezels, and bracelets. Ceramic watches are also appealing for sport and dive pieces, as they withstand chemical erosion and possess antimagnetic properties. But not all ceramic watches are the same. Some companies fuse their ceramic with other products, interspersing it with steel for bracelets or using thinner layers of the material on their pieces to keep costs down. The ceramic of a luxury watch is typically of a different caliber than that of its afford- able fashion counterparts. However, it cannot be denied that the shiny finish of all ceramic makes it a pleasure to behold, drawing the attention of lux- ury and fashion watch brands alike. Certain brands are further experimenting by combining ceramic with new materials. This meld- ing of traditional craftsmanship with space-age technology proves that the men and women build- ing fine watches are innovators as well as artisans. Panerai, for instance, has developed a composite of aluminum and ceramic that it uses for the case, bezel, and winding crown bridge on the matte-fin- " Days Automatic watch. It is created via an electro- ished Panerai Luminor Marina Composite 1950 3 chemical process that transforms aluminum particles, making the material extremely light- weight but incredibly hard and durable. "The development of this material and its application to watchmaking is not at all simple; it requires both the technical know-how and years of fine-tuning," says Angelo Bonati, CEO of Officine Panerai. "If you consider the watchmaking geniuses of centuries ago, like Abraham Louis-Breguet, they were avant-garde in their day," says Jean-Claude Biver, chairman of the board of Hublot, which uses ceramic on many of its Big Bang watches. "If these materials had existed in their world, they would have used them. We must not close our eyes; we must live with the future." AP 100 ASPEnPEAk-MAGAzInE.COM