Sameera Gamage 
Perrelet continues to mesmerise watch collectors and enthusiasts with the newest release for the Turbine collection. At the start of the year, the brand released A Year of the Snake tribute with the dynamic Turbine Snake, which I thought was one of the best Turbine releases in the past few years.
All-new Perrelet Turbine Urban Skeleton collection
Now, Perrelet has completely redeveloped the iconic Turbine timepiece while keeping the essence and core of the watch intact. The brand new Turbine Urban Skeleton comes with a new case design, new dial aesthetics and a brand new movement! The Turbine Urban Skeleton is offered as a collection of three models: a grass green, electric blue or vibrant red.
One of the highlights of this Turbine Urban Skeleton is the dial, or lack thereof. As you may have guessed, the dial is skeletonised to show the movement, which is a first for the Turbine collection. It seems that with this latest Turbine collection, Perrelet has re-imagined the timepiece to offer more versatility in wearability, from the business world to gala events and urban life.
Let’s start with the first major design change to the new Turbine timepeices: the case. The three models now come with a 42mm x 12,35mm thick cushion-shaped case that has soft and smooth lines, giving it a contemporary, casual-chic character, while the octagonal bezel has been bevelled and polished to give a more sophisticated aesthetic. All three models have the cushion-shaped case made of black PDV-coated in stainless steel, which gives the watch an urban look. The black PVD-coating also helps to accentuate the dial feature, more particularly the new coloured elements that Perrelet have integrated into the design.
The Perrelet have shown their inexhaustible creativity with this latest dial. While the dial has been changed substantially, the timepiece’s core identity remains: the turbine blades. The rotating turbine blades are done in black anodised aluminium to fit the overall black aesthetic of the watch and also not to detract attention away from the other “new” elements of the dial. The first major noticeable change is the lack of hour track. Instead, Perrelet has given the Turbine Urban Skeleton new raised and luminescent hour-markers, which are fixed to the minute flange and suspended towards the turbine.
This gives the impression that these hour markers are floating in mid-air, which becomes more prevalent when the turbine blades are in full action! These hour makers (along with the minute hand) are where the three timepeices in this new Turbine Urban Skeleton differ from each other, as they are done in either grass green, electric blue or red colour. The timepieces are paired with a black calfskin leather strap, featuring stitching that matches the dial’s accent color. This thoughtful detail enhances the overall aesthetic, adding a subtle yet striking contrast to the blacked-out design.
The third update to this latest Turbine collection is the skeletonised dial, in which the brand’s newest movement can be seen. The new P-331-SQ Skeleton self-winding calibre movement has been developed and manufactured 100% in-house by SOPROD, which is a sister company of Perrelet. The brand states that “SOPROD is owned by Spanish entrepreneur Miguel Rodriguez, to whom the brand also belongs. The new P-331-SQ Skeleton movement comprises 78 parts and has proven precision and reliability as it is COSC certified!”
The open case back of the timepiece reveals the beautifully decorated movement, which the brand states has been done in accordance with the highest standard of Swiss watchmaking. The different finishing includes the mainplate, which is rhodium-plated, with both the upper and lower surfaces are decorated with a 2 mm circular-graining pattern. This same finish is then applied to the elegant skeleton bridges of the gear train, balance wheel and barrel. Finally, the open-worked oscillating weight, which bears the Maison’s logo, has a snailed surface with a soleil finish on the outer edge and is embellished with the Côtes de Genève motif.
Final Thoughts
Sixteen years after the first Turbine timepiece was introduced by Perrelet in 2009, the collection is now venturing into new territory with a design that gives a fresh new take. I personally like this new Turbine Urban Skeleton collection. The core identity of the Turbine collection remains, while the case is now more refined, and the dial features a more simplistic approach at first glace, giving into a sophisticated view upon closer inspection!
The previous generation hour-ring making way for this new floating hour indices gives the dial a more traditional look, one that offers the watch a lot more versatility when considering wearability. The combination of bold aesthetics along with the watch’s now refined details make the Turbine Urban Skeleton a standout addition to Perrelet’s lineup. With the timepieces’ modernized case, floating hour markers, and striking skeletonized dial, Perrelet has successfully redefined the Turbine’s identity while ensuring it remains as captivating as ever!
References:
- Ref. A1062/ 1: Grass green indices
- Ref. A1062/2: Electric blue indices
- Ref. A1062/3: Red indices
Specifications
- Dimensions: 42mm x 42mm x 12.35mm thick
- Case: Cushion-shaped case in black PVD-coated stainless steel octagonal bezel with polished bevelled edges and brushed surface.
- Dial: Turbine in black anodised aluminium with 10 blades and five tungsten counterweights underneath. Embossed hour markers: in grass green, electric blue or red, fixed on the minute flange and suspended on the turbine.
- Bezel: One-direction rotating bezel in pink Bioceramic material with anti-scratch coated insert in pink
- Movement: In-house manufacture self-winding movement, Perrelet calibre P-331-SQ
- Movement Frequency: 4Hz (28,800 VpH)
- Movement Power Reserve: 42 hours
- Water resistance: 50m (5 Bar)
- Glass: Sapphire crystal glass with double anti-reflective treatment on dial
- Strap: Black calf-leather strap with alligator pattern, grass green or electric blue or red stitching matching the shades of the indices. Folding clasp in black PVD stainless steel embellished with the Perrelet logo
