Style / World of Watches (WOW)

Poker Face: 4 Watches to Tempt Lady Luck

We pick out a few timepieces that would suit the man who dares to take a chance with lady luck.

May 15, 2016 | By Yeo Suan Futt

Whatever we know about poker, we largely learned from watching Casino Royale. Thatā€™s not a lot. But the general idea is in wearing a ā€œpoker faceā€ to mask emotions like panic, while wearing a watch that gets all the attention to make the former easier to effect. To be a shark, one must look it, at least.

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Itā€™s only conventional looking at first glance. After that, the elliptical tourbillon cage does its magic, the way something a little out of alignment or off-centre compels the viewer to be obsessed about it. One cannot help but stare.

Richard Mille Tourbillon Evil EyeRM-26-02-TOURBILLON-EVIL-EYE---FRONT-EDITED

Richard Mille is an old hand at translating futuristic technologies into its timepieces. For the gambler, it has also gone to the other extreme, into the past, for the ā€œevil eyeā€ that is quite prevalent in ancient times from various cultures. Gambling is heavily shrouded in superstition and luck; the Tourbillon Evil Eye then is a tabletop nuke to spook all opponents held in its dreadful gaze. With a 50-hour power reserve, it is good to play for more than two whole days ā€“ are you game?

Zenith Academy Christophe Colomb Hurricane Grand Voyage IIAcademy_CC_Hurricane_Grand_Voyage_II_packshot

The myriad displays exert a hypnotic effect; steampunk classy andĀ  sophisticated, one already looks a winner regardless of the hand fate has dealt. An archaic fusĆ©e-and-chain mechanism ensures constant force transmission, while a gyroscopic module keeps the escapement permanently in the horizontal position. While the El Primero beating heart moves at a super-fast frequency, make sure yours stays calm as a clam.

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The 50mm sterling silver case alone is eye catching enough, but just in case, fissures have been drilled into the chassis, and 204 diamonds set into the cracks (brown and black). The cracks even extend to the leather strap, to an effect reminiscent of ruptured tarmac. Comes with a carbon fibre dial for even more in-your-face badassery.

Story Credits

Text by Yeo Suan Futt

Styling byĀ Ong Weisheng

Photography byĀ GreenPlasticSoldierS

This story was first published in World of Watches.


 
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