Every year in December, a great number of brands begin teasing what we can expect to see in the coming year at the SIHH fair. It’s a great way for brands to make the most of an otherwise quiet period, ensuring that their new releases get the attention they deserve instead of being just another new watch in a stream of press releases.
So while stopping by RJ Romain Jerome’s head office in Geneva to swap buckles on my notorious Steampunk Chrono this week, I asked if the brand would be presenting any new pieces in January. I got my answer with an exclusive presentation of one of the upcoming releases, the “Skylab”.
Named after the very first NASA space station, which is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, the Skylab is a surprising release from RJ, and I mean that in a good way. In fact, the Skylab is quite possibly the most different watch we’ve seen from RJ since the Spacecraft.
For one thing the Skylab comes in a 44mm case (in either steel, PVD steel or red gold), significantly smaller than the 48+mm cases we’re used to seeing from the brand. While personally I’ve never really minded the larger diameters, I’m sure it’s a deterrent for certain buyers. Not only is the case smaller, it’s also slimmer. In fact, RJ Romain Jerome pretty much came up with a modified case design that features wider “paws” that mimic the solar panels on the Skylab, as well as hollowed lugs which allow the case to be constructed with fewer visible screws.
More importantly, the Skylab is also RJ Romain Jerome’s first skeleton watch. The exclusive skeleton movement, inspired by a computer’s motherboard, features an angular design consisting mainly of right angles, with beveled and polished edges. The movement is finished in different colors depending on the case material and is probably one of the “airiest” skeleton watches I’ve seen of late. And like the other space-inspired “Moon DNA” pieces, the Skylab features parts of the Apollo 11 incorporated into the bezel.
At a price of $16’950 USD for the steel models the Skylab is an attractive offering indeed; even if you’re not necessarily the biggest fan of RJ Romain Jerome’s more garish watches.
More to come on this stellar (pun intended) piece during SIHH in a month. For now, head to www.romainjerome.ch for more information.
