SINGAPORE - This is a regular series featuring the latest news in watches and all things horological.

Tag Heuer blings it on

Tag Heuer's most expensive timepiece to date, the Carrera Plasma, was unveiled at the Watches & Wonders watch fair earlier this year.

At the event, Tag Heuer chief executive Frederic Arnault reportedly said "more than one, but less than a dozen, will be made".

Well, three has already been sold. Earlier this week, the prototype was brought into Singapore and shown to the media and selected clients immune to sticker shock.

The watch comes with a price tag of more than half a million dollars. Why so hefty? Bling, and lots of it.

The super light case is made from sandblasted black anodised aluminium and comes with a black ceramic polished bezel. Blasted with fine ground diamond powder, the shimmering dial is beautifully textured.

In addition, 48 dazzlers have been set into the case totalling a whopping 4.3 carats. The crown, too, is fashioned from a 2.5-carat piece of diamond.

Two types of laboratory-grown diamonds - polycrystalline and monocrystalline - are used because the shape of naturally occurring diamonds cannot be controlled.

The watch is fitted with the in-house Heuer 02 Tourbillon Nanograph movement, which comes with an oscillating weight in the shape of the Tag Heuer shield as well as a 65-hour power reserve.

Price: $505,450

Gucci takes a dive into sustainability

Not many may be aware that Gucci has been making watches for half a century. In fact, the Italian house is the largest producer of luxury fashion watches to date.

However, last year, the brand waded into haute horlogerie and released several collections which offered everything from tourbillons and moonphase pieces to sparkling gem-encrusted models.

Led by its worldwide managing director for watches and jewellery Maurizio Pisanu, Gucci is not letting up on the momentum.

The maison has just released its reinvented Dive collection comprising four new watches.

In line with sustainability initiatives increasingly adopted by many luxury brands, these tickers are fashioned from bio-based materials and recycled steel.

Available in four fetching colours - transparent, matt white, aquamarine and moss green - the playful and sporty pieces feature a 40mm case and a funky rubber-like strap.

About 65 per cent of the case and 46 per cent of the strap are made from bio-based materials. The crown, buckle and case are fashioned from recycled steel.

Instead of numerals, the dial features stars, bees and Gucci's emblematic interlocking GG. Gold accents, as well as the brand's logo on the caseback, buckle and crown give an added touch of whimsy.

Water resistant to 200m, the watches are fitted with an automatic movement - visible through the transparent dial and caseback.

Price: $2,620, available at Gucci's flagship store at The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands

Go wild with IWC's 'blue pandas'

Along with the Pilot's Watch, the Portugieser is one of IWC's most famous and popular timepieces. The watchmaker has just dropped two new versions of this icon: the Portugieser Automatic and the Portugieser Chronograph.

And what handsome timepieces they are. Affectionately known as the "blue pandas", the new models feature stainless steel cases with contrasting white lacquer and blue azurage dials.

Adding to the striking countenance are the distinctive railway-track style chapter ring, blue Arabic numerals and blue feuille hands.

The 42.3mm Automatic model is fitted with the in-house 52010 calibre, which boasts a seven-day power reserve and is visible through the sapphire case back. It comes with a blue alligator leather strap with a folding clasp.

At 41mm, the Chronograph is slightly smaller. Its heart is the IWC-manufactured 69355 calibre with automatic winding and a power reserve of 46 hours.

The sapphire caseback showcases the chronograph movement in a classic column-wheel design. This sporty model is paired with a durable and flexible blue rubber strap.

Price: $12,800 for the Chronograph and $18,800 for the Automatic

Ulysse Nardin releases watch to mark Shark Week

In honour of Shark Week from July 24 to 30 in the United States, Ulysse Nardin launched the new Diver 44mm Chronograph.

Designed specifically for the deep, the piece boasts a sandblasted and satin-finish titanium case and a white, unidirectional, rotating, rubberised bezel.

It has a grey dial, with touches of blue and white, which makes one think of shark skin.

It is fitted with the Caliber UN-150 self-winding movement which features a 30-minute counter, a 12-hour counter and a small second counter with date, escapement wheel, anchor and balance spring in Silicium.

Silicium is a metalloid, a type of chemical element that resembles metal without possessing all of its properties, especially its hardness.

Water resistant to 300m, the Diver Chronograph Great White 44mm is a limited-edition model with just 300 pieces.

The brand has also pledged 1 per cent of annual sales of all its shark watches - including this one - to non-profit organisations focused on shark conservation.

In tandem with the watch's launch, the watchmaker has also appointed Mike Coots as a new Ulysse, or ambassador. A Hawaii native who lost his leg in a shark attack at 18 while bodyboarding, Coots is now a passionate advocate for shark preservation to maintain balance in the ecosystem.

Price: $18,400