Ion Orchard celebrates its 10th anniversary this year. Its watches and jewellery tenants such as Omega, Tag Heuer and Bvlgari join in the celebration with new releases and novel initiatives too

For the past decade, Ion Orchard has been a shining beacon on Orchard Road, enticing luxury consumers with its watch and jewellery offerings. Here are the latest launches at key tenants: Omega, Tag Heuer and Bvlgari. 

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Omega

The Omega Speedmaster has a unique place in the history of space exploration as the only piece of equipment that has been used in all of Nasa’s manned space missions. When Buzz Aldrin stepped onto the lunar surface in 1969, the world was abuzz with excitement—but not just from witnessing of his “giant leap for mankind” with fellow moonwalker Neil Armstrong. The astronaut was also wearing a handsome wristwatch, Omega’s Speedmaster Professional, which has since been nicknamed the Moonwatch.

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission, the brand has introduced a limited edition of the model. Limited to 1,014 pieces and made from Moonshine Gold—Omega’s newly developed 18K gold alloy, which is slightly paler than traditional yellow gold—the watch is obviously in high demand. The dial features two distinct zones: a central varnished grey centre and a blackened outer ring for the minute track. The hour marker at 11 o’clock has been replaced with two “1” markings in a reference to Apollo 11, while a distinctive 9 o’clock sub-dial in Moonshine Gold features a laser engraving of Aldrin.

Omega | #01-11, Ion Orchard | 6509 9712

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Tag Heuer

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Monaco, Tag Heuer will be launching new versions of the legendary original, along with a commemorative book about it. For now, the brand has only revealed three out of the five limited-edition commemorative versions of the watch. The Monaco 1969‑1979 Limited Edition (pictured) references the period in its name with a vintage-inspired colour palette composed of a warm green, grey, reddish‑brown and yellow; the Monaco 1979-1989 Limited Edition features a bold red dial and a black calfskin strap punctured with holes lined in red—an ode to the world of speed and style American movie legend Steve McQueen was synonymous with; and the Monaco 1989-1999 Limited Edition reflects the industrial style of the Nineties, with a largely blue and silvery appearance complemented with a splash of red.

Tag Heuer | #01-13A, Ion Orchard | 6884 9372

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Above David Alexander Flinn

Bvlgari

The watchmakers at Bvlgari have acquired a knack for setting records in the past decade or so. Its Octo Finissimo line has racked up four previous records and this year, the luxury giant adds another gilded feather to its gem-set cap. The Octo Finissimo Chronograph GMT Automatic (seen on American artist and model David Alexander Flinn) proudly claims the title of the world’s thinnest automatic chronograph at 6.9mm thick.

What allows Bvlgari to achieve this feat is the brand-new calibre BVL 318, which measures a mere 3.3mm in thickness. To keep the thickness down, the Italian marque had to eschew the traditional rotor for a peripheral one. Despite building the movement in an innovative way, the brand does not compromise on its performance—the calibre boasts a power reserve of 55 hours and also comes with a GMT function. Aesthetics-wise, like the rest of its sleek brethren, the chronograph boasts an octagonal case made of sandblasted titanium with a titanium dial and a titanium bracelet to match.

Bvlgari | #01-03, Ion Orchard | 6219 3248

This is the first of eight stories done in collaboration with Ion Orchard. For the next seven days, look out for stories detailing the latest happenings and newest releases from the 20 watch and jewellery tenants at Ion Orchard. 

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