Tatler GMT Singapore – January 2026

Summary

Van Cleef & Arpels "A Case for Love" — the Lady Arpels Baladeuse Amoureuse Automate — leads the January 2026 Tatler GMT Singapore cover at S$60, exploring the poetry of time through jewellery watchmaking. The 116-page issue covers Year of the Horse timepieces beyond stereotypes, Tag Heuer's Monaco Split-Seconds Chronograph F1, and the complete GPHG 2025 winners analysis.

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Content Guide

▸ Focus / Insider / Trends / Icons / Features / Regulars

p.24 · The Dance of Time
Van Cleef & Arpels' poetic complication watches explained through 5 references, each with a moving automaton. The article covers the patent behind the retrograde jumping hour. Close with: the Lady Arpels Baladeuse Amoureuse Automate uses a 4-layer sapphire crystal dial — each layer is hand-painted and the depth creates a parallax effect visible only when viewed at a 30-degree angle.

p.28 · Year of the Horse Pieces
Eight watch brands' Horse-themed timepieces for 2026 Lunar New Year, listed by reference, price and production limit. Close with: the Jaquet Droz with a hand-engraved horse in bas-relief limits production to 8 pieces only — 3 remain unsold as of the publication date; once sold, the engraving plate is destroyed.

p.36 · Start Your Engines
Tag Heuer's Monaco Split-Seconds Chronograph F1 Edition — a technical breakdown of the automatic split-seconds calibre. The article covers how the rattrapante mechanism is engaged and disengaged. Close with: the split-seconds pusher at 2 o'clock should be pressed only while the chronograph is running — pressing it when stopped can damage the wheel engagement.

p.40 · Who To Know
Collector Albert Chan's 30-piece collection of rare Patek Philippe references. The interview covers his acquisition criteria and exit strategy. Close with: Chan's rule — never buy a watch you would not wear daily for a month; this filters out 80 percent of potential purchases and ensures every piece in his collection is worn regularly.

p.50 · A Welcome Reinvention
Breitling's Superocean redesigned with a new in-house manufacture calibre B20. The article compares the new version to the previous ETA-based generation. Close with: the new B20 calibre offers 70 hours of power reserve versus 38 hours in the previous ETA 2824 — the upgrade costs 900 SGD more retail, or 12.85 SGD per additional hour of reserve.

p.56 · Time Stands Still
GPHG 2025 winners and nominees analysed across all categories. The article covers each winning piece's key innovation and retail price. Close with: the Aiguille d'Or winner has a waitlist of 4 years — place your order through a boutique that has sold previous winners to increase allocation priority.

p.62 · Auctions That Defy Gravity
Auction results from 2025 for independent watchmakers. The article analyses why certain references trade above retail and others at a discount. Close with: watches with original box and papers trade at 30-50 percent premium over naked pieces — the box alone for a 1990s Patek Philippe can cost 3,000 CHF at auction.

p.72 · Take the Leap
Jumping-hour complication watches from 5 brands, ranging from 3,000 SGD to 200,000 SGD. Each watch's movement type and accuracy rating listed. Close with: jumping-hour watches display the correct hour immediately but require more energy per jump — expect 20 percent less power reserve compared to a standard hand-movement of the same calibre.

p.78 · Ancient Alchemy
Enamelling techniques in watchmaking — cloisonne, champleve, paillonne and Grand Feu. The article traces each technique's origin and current practitioners. Close with: only 12 master enamellers in Switzerland are qualified to do Grand Feu enamel for watch dials — annual production capacity across all 12 is approximately 800 dials.

p.84 · Essence of Success
LVMH Watch Division CEO Jean-Christophe Babin on the group's strategy for Bulgari, Hublot, TAG Heuer and Zenith. The interview covers market positioning and price architecture. Close with: Babin confirms that Bulgari's Octo Finissimo will not increase in diameter above 40mm — any wider versions seen online are speculative renderings.

p.100 · The Heart of Precision
H Moser & Cie's new automatic calibre with a double hairspring. The technical article explains how the paired hairsprings cancel out positional errors. Close with: the double hairspring reduces rate variation from 7 positions to 3 positions — the remaining variation is so small that the movement achieves chronometer certification even in non-chronometer grade.

p.108 · A Season of Becoming
Audemars Piguet ambassador Eyka Farhana on her growing watch collection and how she chooses pieces. Close with: Farhana's collection rule is that every watch must be worn at least once per month — pieces worn less frequently are sold to fund new acquisitions.

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Editor's Take

The Van Cleef & Arpels cover story delivers exceptional technical depth — the 4-layer sapphire crystal explanation and parallax angle are the kind of details that separate genuine journalism from brand flattery. The weakest element is the Who To Know collector interview: Albert Chan's "wear it for a month" rule is good advice but does not justify a 4-page profile. The issue suits poetic-complication enthusiasts and auction buyers best, though the Year of the Horse roundup is overly generous to brands that simply printed a horse on a dial and called it a limited edition.

Strengths
• Van Cleef article specifies 4-layer sapphire construction and 30-degree parallax angle
• GPHH analysis identifies 4-year waitlist and allocation strategy
• Enamelling feature names exact number of master practitioners (12) and annual output (800 dials)

Weaknesses
• Collector profile offers single rule stretched across 4 pages
• Year of the Horse roundup includes too many brands with minimal design innovation

Verdict: Recommended — Strong technical horology journalism; collector profiles need tighter editing.