For well over a millennium, from the second century BCE until the mid-15th century, the Silk Road connected the lands of East and West. Trade along this 6,400km route stretched from the Arabian Peninsula to eastern Ch, branching along myriad secondary corridors, and aided by maritime routes that connected bustling coastal ports from the Chinese coast to the Mediterranean. The Silk Road, whether traversed by land or sea, allowed for economic, cultural, political, and religious exchange that would help shape the modern world. In its latest release, the Series U — Blue Planet II, CIGA Design emphasizes the lands connected by this instrumental trade route, executing the earth’s topography with a level of detail never seen before, luminous markers and compass rose, and offering the option of a new case crafted from recycled titanium.
Originally launched in 2019, the CIGA Design Blue Planet showcased a design and time-telling system unlike anything seen before. The concept itself seems simple — place a rotating model of the earth at the center of the dial so it can rotate throughout the day as a constant reminder of our place on this pale blue dot. A simple concept, but integrating a time-telling function that avoids the use of traditional hands and relies entirely on the compass rose to indicate both hours and minutes—now that’s a challenge. Recognizing the audacity of this challenge, in 2021 the Blue Planet I won the Le Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG) Challenge Prize. While this award would be a major coup for any brand considering that GPHG is often called the Oscars of watchmaking, it was especially sweet for CIGA Design, as it represented the first time in history a Chinese watch brand had won the award.
The Blue Planet II is an evolution, rather than a revolution, in the model’s design. Though the visual impact of the watch remains the same, CIGA Design has made a number of enhancements, both aesthetic and functional, that enhance the wearing experience, including an improved movement, even more detailed topographic relief on the earth’s landmasses, and changes to the case to improve functionality and comfort.
At the heart of the Blue Planet II is the earth itself, the azure seas of the Indian Ocean surrounded by silvery landmasses, the continents displayed in all their topographical variety — from low-lying forests to the towering spires of the Himalayas. The advanced CNC micro-engraving techniques required to represent the earth in its stunning glory take hundreds of hours of machining work but ultimately produce micro-sculpture art. Enhanced visibility of Blue Planet II’s artistry is made possible by an optimized curvature between the Earth’s sphere and the sapphire crystal, which itself transitions seamlessly into the case.
The spherical earth on the dial, while eye-catching, is much more than just a decorative element, it is part of the timekeeping itself. As the earth rotates, its compass rose acts as both an hour and minutes hands, a feat made possible by CIGA Design’s groundbreaking Asynchronous Follow-up Technology, whereby the outer hour disc remains static while the minutes disc rotates 390 degrees for every 30 degrees of movement of the hours/minutes hand on the compass rose. It’s a wild way to tell the time, but surprisingly intuitive. For this updated release, CIGA Design has enlarged the indices by 105% and added luminescent material to the Arabic numerals on the hour and minutes ring, along with a luminous compass rose.
Though the dial and time-telling mechanism are the attention grabbers, the same care and attention were put into crafting a case that would be comfortable and ergonomic. The Blue Planet II is offered in both steel and a new case crafted, appropriately, from recycled titanium and polished to an incredible high-luminosity finish. The smooth curves of the lines and lug-less design allow the blue fluoro rubber strap to integrate seamlessly into the case. The strap is flexible, antibacterial, highly durable, and is equipped with a butterfly double-push clasp.
The movement on the Blue Planet II has received no less attention, with CIGA Design spending three years in research and development, evaluating over 100 movement designs, to finally arrive at the high-stability gear train that drives the watch’s asynchronous-follow movement. To ensure that each watch that’s shipped to its new owner is running flawlessly, the movements are subjected to two 14-day simulated wear tests, one before assembly and one after production. His attention to detail and exacting regulation means that you’ll get accurate, high-precision time-keeping. The movement remains visible behind a display caseback that features a commemorative GPHG engraving that recognizes the watch’s achievement.
The Blue Planet II comes in an upgraded book box that not only houses the watch but also a curated book detailing the decade of development of the Blue Planet and the message of “Only One Earth” repeated in 100 languages. CIGA Design describes it as a call to action for our shared home. The Blue Planet II Luminous Edition is available for $1,199 USD in steel and $1,399 USD in titanium and $1,999 USD in the gilding version. To learn more about the CIGA Design and the Blue Planet II, please visit the brand’s website and Amazon store.
