Indholdsfortegnelse for In Time : Best of 2021 (Annual) i REVOLUTION WATCH

Greetings. Wei Koh, your intrepid reporter here. And what I have to say is that watches have exploded in popularity beyond the wildest imagination of even our most stalwart industry veterans. To quote the legendary Jean-Claude Biver, “In my almost 50 years in the industry, I’ve never seen a market like this!” So, why is it that our once-niche, slightly nerdy underground hobby has become the hottest method of self-expression for rappers, sports personalities, Instagrammers, movie stars and hedge funders the world over? More than that, why is it that every person with a few shekels of disposable income now wants to become a watch collector? What’s behind the stratospheric surge in popularity for Rolexes of any kind, anything Audemars Piguet with an octagonal bezel, any sports Patek, and pretty…

Arnold & Son has never been a brand that blends in, and their major watch releases in 2021 are pretty epic. First up, there’s the Ultrathin Tourbillon Dragon & Phoenix, which has a lot going on. Most obviously, there’s the pair of finely crafted creatures, sculpted in 18K rose gold. The dragon is clutching a pearl in one claw, while the phoenix protects the tourbillon. True to its name, the entire watch is very slender at only 8.6mm thick. Five hardstone dial variations are available: orange-hued bronzite, purple eudialyte, grey marcasite, blue pietersite and lastly, glorious green verdite, each limited to five pieces. Even more out of this world is the new Luna Magna, which boasts the brand’s first ever three-dimensional moonphase display and the largest of its kind built…

This year, Baume & Mercier brought back one of its most celebrated icons of the 20th century: the Riviera, a sports watch that has flown under the radar for decades despite its significant and differentiated sporty style. Born in 1973, the Riviera’s casual elegance was inspired by the colourful and laidback lifestyle of destinations such as the French Riviera. At the time, few watchmakers dared to break the usual mould of 34mm to 38mm cases in precious metals, so the Baume & Mercier Riviera quickly established itself among the design cognoscenti with its sporty steel case, integrated bracelet and powerfully distinctive 12-sided bezel secured with four hexagonal screws. The new Rivieras incorporate a quick-change system for its straps and bracelets, the latter offering a middle link to attach to the…

It has been another bumper year for George Bamford and his team at Bamford Watch Department (BWD). The B347 has been Bamford’s flagship own-brand launch of 2021 and is a carbon fibre monopusher chrono in two distinctive versions. The first is in the BWD house signature colour scheme of aqua blue and black, and the second a “reverse panda” dial layout. The carbon fibre cases have a marble, almost camo, look and a flat pusher at two o’clock. Both dial versions have tachymeter scales on the circumference of the dial, and the aqua dial has the highlighted 10-minute section on the minute counter, to give that classic vintage look loved by many collectors. The reverse panda version has a lovely contrasting white band around the dial edge and clean white…

It’s easy to write off the last couple of years in light of the global pandemic, but this is G-Shock we’re taking about, people, which means that they’ve been just as hard at work behind the scenes as ever. In 2021 alone, they’ve launched everything from highend, hand-finished titanium limited editions, to their first smartwatch. And in between, their designers have released a rainbow of new colourways on their staple models. Nicknamed the “CasiOak” due to its passing resemblance to that other horological icon, the GA-2100 was an instant success when it was first released. Well, now Casio has brought the watch to its logical conclusion with the GM-2100 “CasiOak” Metal, in an all-metal case and four new colourways. Good luck finding one in stock, though. There is also the…

Christophe Claret’s art of complications manifests in four distinct collections: Traditional, Extreme, Gaming and Ladies. The Traditional collection features unique pieces and exceptional models that reinvent time measurement; the Extreme collection is dedicated to creations as audacious as they are unconventional; while the interactive Gaming collection serves to remind us that time can also be recreational; and finally, the Ladies’ collection is where haute horlogerie comes in a feminine form. To mark the 200th anniversary of Napoléon Bonaparte’s death, this year, Christophe Claret has presented a Traditional complication — a Westminster flying tourbillon minute repeater with jacquemart automata featuring Napoléon with his soldiers. The dial comprises handmade miniature painting, and the animated characters are embossed and highlighted in colours. The symbol of Napoléon’s famous Legion of Honour medal, awarded to…

This year, Dior has introduced three stunning haute horlogerie collections inspired by Monsieur Dior’s love for art and nature. The jewellery pieces feature a range of colours and dazzling diamonds infused with precision and technical expertise. For instance, Dior’s Grand Bal Parure Tropicale is an ode to Monsieur Dior’s fascination with the radiant flora and fauna found in Mother Nature. Each piece dazzles as a tropical bird of paradise spreading its wings to fly, with plumage depicted with carefully set marquise-cut precious stones, scarab beetle elytra and ornamental stones. The Grand Bal Parure Tropicale N°1 of 15 is a one-of-a-kind piece in white gold, snow-set with round-cut diamonds. The Grand Soir Jardins de Nuit reveals the true beauty of Mother Nature come sundown, with a black dial adorned with gold…

After a successful launch of the redesigned Fortis Flieger collection in 2020, the brand has followed up with attractive midnight blue dialled Flieger F-41 and F-39 models that have a contemporary feel and are available in 41mm and 39mm. Another worthy characteristic is that the stainless steel case is now made completely from recycled steel. The watches feature the two trademarked innovations of Fortis — Synchroline and Brixtrack. Synchroline is a system of five-second markings on either side of 12 o’clock in Berlac Fluor Orange, to ensure a calibration within +/-5 seconds that helps to synchronise the watch with that of other pilots. Brixtrack is the circular brushed track that incorporates applied, illuminated brick-style hour markers for increased readability under low light conditions. In partnership with the Austrian Space Forum,…

As part of Gucci’s 100th anniversary celebrations, creative director Alessandro Michele is elevating the Gucci timepieces with a collection of highly technical watches ranging from tourbillons to jumping hours, while maintaining his signature eclectic sense of style. The Gucci 25H, a 1970s-inspired sports watch, is Michele’s first foray into highend watchmaking. The watch features a seamless visual of vertical lines within the integrated bracelet and the dial. Gucci’s first cooperation with Kering’s in-house watchmaking expertise has resulted in the GG727.25 movement, an ultra thin automatic calibre at 3.7mm. The Gucci 25H is presented in steel and pavé-set models, as well as two dynamic tourbillon iterations in platinum and yellow gold. The G-Timeless Dancing Bees features an exposed tourbillon at 12 o’clock amongst a field of 12 bees that dance and…

Harry Winston is the literal crown in the Swatch Group’s portfolio — the prestigious New York-based jeweller has been adding sparkle to the outfits of the great and good since 1932. It took them a little later to bring their high jewellery approach to watches, with 1989’s Premier collection. In 2021, we see the brand’s signature mix of contemporary sports and ultra elegance continue. First up is the latest instalment in Harry Winston’s Project Z — which pairs unconventional time displays with an even more unconventional case material. Zalium is a proprietary alloy of aluminium and zirconium, which is hard, strong, corrosion-resistant and a challenge to machine. Combine this uncommon case with the exposed industrial aesthetics of the regulator-style display with retrograde seconds, and you’ve got a watch that has…

2021 can officially be declared as the year of the IWC pilot’s watches. The all-new IWC Big Pilot’s Watch 43 is a modern reinterpretation of the Big Pilot’s Watch ref. 5002, featuring a more ergonomic and wearable 43mm stainless steel case and a clean dial that values legibility over instrumentation. In fact, the watch is a simple three-hand timepiece with no date complication, power reserve indicator or subdials. IWC has also added a 41mm chronograph to the existing 43mm watches in the Pilot’s Watch Chronograph family. The Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 is offered with a blue or green dial, has rhodium-plated hands, and a quick-change strap/bracelet system. It is powered by the calibre 69385, a column wheel automatic chronograph movement, featuring hours, minutes and seconds, a date and day display,…

Celebrating its 160th anniversary this year, Junghans has focused on producing classic watches inspired by Max Bill’s Bauhaus philosophy. The collaboration between Junghans and Max Bill began with the conception of the kitchen clock in 1956, now reintroduced in light blue ceramic. Bill had explained his design succinctly: “It was very clear: the piece had to feature numerals. The hours on the minute track — and the minute markers on the timer. Why? The kitchen clock is usually the only wall clock in the household. From this, children are introduced to the concept of time, they learn how to read their first numbers, and how hours and days are arranged, and this should make them as bright and cheerful as the beautiful kitchenware around them.” Other 2021 releases include the…

It’s been a year of consolidation for Max Büsser & Friends, with uber upgrades on some classic MB&F pieces and an unabashed celebration of camaraderie. This year marks the 10th anniversary of MB&F’s extraordinary Legacy Machines, which single-handedly created a whole new design language. It culminates in the LMX, a tribute to the LM1, the very first Legacy Machine, featuring dynamic updates to the LM1 signatures that first bowled us over: the central flying balance wheel, set off by the beautifully polished steel bridges; the two lacquered dials for independent time zones front and centre and tilted at an angle for even greater prominence; a redesigned vertical power reserve that now rotates too. Thanks to an upgrade to the engine from one to three barrels, the LMX has also been…

Nomos has always worn its values on its sleeve, so to speak. The brand’s support of Doctors Without Borders over the last 10 years has seen 100 euros of every limited edition DWB watch sold donated to emergency aid efforts. This year’s limited edition DWB watch is based on the Tangente 38 and features the words “Médecins Sans Frontières” on the dial in honour of the 50th anniversary of the organisation. With the new additions to the Club Campus — made with graduates and first-time watch buyers in mind — Nomos injected some brightness into a year that has otherwise been pretty drab. The Future Orange dial colour is hard to miss and is a hit of vitamin C aimed at inspiring brighter days ahead. Even its companion piece, the…

Purnell is known for creating the world’s fastest triple-axis tourbillon, the “Spherion”, in collaboration with master watchmaker Eric Coudray. The Escape II Absolute Sapphire has two Spherion tourbillon systems linked by a differential and comes in a full sapphire case with movement bridges and dial in sapphire, with each outer titanium tourbillon cage set with 152 brilliant-cut diamonds. It takes 150 hours to machine and polish 23 raw sapphire blocks to create the Escape II Absolute Sapphire; the machining process consumes 80 percent of the original mass. The Escape II Black Gold features the same complication as the Absolute Sapphire, but in an 18K black gold case. BRAND STORY Inspired by performance, precision and mechanical prowess, Purnell is doubling down on its philosophy of bringing more future than past to…

Rado has created a new sleek and sophisticated True series with modernist design elements. The True Square Over the Abyss watch takes the square ceramic design and hands it off to internationally renowned designers for their artistic interpretation. This particular expression was made with the New Delhi-based duo Jiten Thukral and Sumir Tagra, and has a design that boasts 18 rayed hour hands and 19 minute hands, abstractly displaying all global times at once. The True Great Gardens of the World is a model made in partnership with the Grandi Giardini Italiani, an organisation focused on natural beauty and design. The watch marries natural design motifs with high tech ceramic material. Another high tech piece is the appropriately named Captain Cook High-Tech Ceramic, an upscaled modern interpretation of the popular…

During Watches & Wonders 2021, Ressence announced the latest addition to its Type 2 collection, the Type 2N “Night Blue”, joining the existing models in grey and anthracite colourways. The Type 2 was first introduced in 2018 as a concept and entered full production the following year. The watch features the brand’s patented e-Crown functionality, equipped with a Bluetooth module to allow control of the time via a smartphone app. However, the watch remains entirely independent of the phone and can function without engaging the e-Crown. The Type 2’s e-Crown system is powered by light, with photovoltaic cells concealed beneath the dial, ensuring that its smart functions are as self-sustaining and complement the automatic calibre powering the time display. Another neat feature is that the system can detect when the…

This year’s watchmaking debuts from Ulysse Nardin make it very clear: the sea runs through the veins of Ulysse Nardin, a brand renowned for its expertise in marine chronometry and technical innovation. Take the dynamic and attractive Blast Hourstriker for instance. This hourly wrist chime was co-developed by the firm with the French audio technology specialist Devialet. The mechanics were optimised to achieve the maximum volume of the bells without compromising the sound quality, while offering pleasing and refined aesthetics. On the marine front, Ulysee Nardin has given its diving watches an injection of vitality and boldness complemented by fine mechanics in recent years. The Diver X Skeleton is an explosive fusion of modern diver design with the technical originality first seen in the 2018 Executive Skeleton watches with their…

Singer, songwriter and guitarist John Mayer has been seen wearing his IWC Big Pilot reference 5002 on tour since he chose it as one of his earliest luxury watch purchases in 2002. He now has amassed quite a watch collection, and has said often that this incredible watch began his love affair with horology. When he won his first Grammy in 2003, he celebrated by buying another IWC. His love for the Big Pilot was so deep, that tour managers began to call him “Big Pilot”. These days, his collection includes all his favourites from the modern lines, but he also has a very special centrepiece: one of the original B-Uhren style Big Pilot’s Watches from the 1940s. He was able to secure one of the remaining pieces from the…

Bell & Ross has established itself as a staple name in the universe of Swiss watchmaking, providing great value and an aesthetic offering that is categorically unique. The BR 01, BR 03, and BR S in particular — all in square cases with bevelled edges and corners that are held together by four screws — possess a visual identity that you can spot from a mile away. The highlights of the brand’s 2021 collection include two watches with a focus on luminescence: the BR V2-94 FULL LUM, a chronograph in the Vintage series with an all-luminescent dial; and the BR 05 Skeleton NIGHTLUM with day/night luminescence. The wearable 42mm BR03 line added three new models: the BR 03-92 Diver Military; the BR 03-92 Golden Heritage, a stylish neo-vintage take on…

One of the first brands to introduce a wrist chronograph with a separate push piece, Breitling marked the golden age of chronographs in the 1930s. The brand with the winged “B” logo started supplying dedicated models to Britain’s Royal Air Force in the 1940s and soon laid the foundations for its great international prestige. Over the last few decades, Breitling has expanded its offerings remarkably. With the dynamic Georges Kern at its helm, Breitling has organised its collection into four categories: Air, Land, Sea and Professional — popularised by its special “squads” campaigns. This year, Breitling paid a fitting tribute to the brand’s founders, Léon, Gaston and Willy Breitling, with a set of six elegant timepieces in the Premier Heritage Collection. While the Premier B09 in pistachio green is our…

The heritage brand with a heart of gold — H. Moser & Cie has, over the last decade, won over the hearts of haute horology fans with their whip-smart designs and flawless finishing. This year they’ve earned that love again with releases that blend artistry and complication. First up is the red-dial Endeavour Tourbillon, one half of a duo featuring hardstone dials made from microcrystalline quartz commonly called Tiger’s Eye. The blue-toned version is also called the “Falcon’s Eye”, and with the strong horizontal striations and shimmering appearance, it’s set for maximum impact. Of course the calibre packs a punch too, thanks to the flying one-minute tourbillon at the bottom of the dial. The next standout release from Moser is also an Endeavour with a tourbillon, but aside from that,…

2021 has been a solid year for Laurent Ferrier with the last run of a classic, a special edition of the Square California for the USA, and the brand’s contribution to the Only Watch charity auction this November. The École Annual Calendar has been revisited with a new colourful scheme of blue and vibrant orange as the École Annual Calendar Navy. The École case shape is known as such as it is derived from the case that Laurent Ferrier made whilst at watchmaking school and pays tribute to pocket watches. The dial features contrasting vertical and circular brushing on a striking blue colour that is the product of a metal galvanic treatment process. An annual calendar, the watch is available in a limited run of 10 pieces, each one numbered…

If anyone thought it was easy to describe Louis Vuitton’s watchmaking ideology, that person was probably not paying attention. These three examples are enough to confirm it. The Tambour Carpe Diem is one of the most original creations of the year. This artistic timepiece took two years to develop and takes the skull watch design concept to another level. Its structure is built around two main axes for an automaton (or jacquemart) that displays time on demand without any uninspiring, earthly hands. By activating a push-button, the miniature scenography of the dial comes to life, and the snake and the skull indicate the time. To reveal it, you must first press the ophidianshaped button on the right side of the case. Then the snake’s head will move aside to reveal…

This year saw Montblanc continue down the heritage path. Under the guidance of new watch division director Laurent Lecamp, the brand unveiled some stylish new takes on familiar faces and revived the legendary Pythagore calibre. First up, its desert-themed take on the sporty and popular 1858 Geosphere is a bronze limited edition celebrating Reinhold Messner. While previous editions have focused on Messner’s alpine ascents, this dusty model honours the adventurer’s solo trek across the Gobi desert, complete with a vividly colourful caseback. The brand is also well known for its smart and savvy takes on the perpetual calendar, and the latest Heritage Manufacture Perpetual Calendar limited edition continues this tradition. Perfectly sized at 40mm across and relatively slender at 12.5mm tall, this rose gold cased number with a rich, multi-textured…

Patek Philippe closed off 2020 in the most audacious way possible by announcing the reference 6301P Grande Sonnerie. It was a bold move not only because the maison managed to execute such complexity within a 44.8mm diameter and 12mm thin case, but also that it ended one of the most uncertain years in recent memory with an unabashed show of confidence in the future. 2021 saw Patek Philippe continue this audacity with its first showing at Watches & Wonders Geneva, kicking off the fair with the announcement that they would be retiring one of their most sought-after timepieces from the current catalogue, the revered Nautilus ref. 5711 — but not before one last issue of the reference with an olive green dial. Interestingly, Patek Philippe concluded the fair with an…

Ralph Lauren — both the man and the brand — occupies a special place in the modern watch landscape. Even though Ralph Lauren launched their first fine watchmaking collection in 2009, the brand has, for decades, had a vast influence on what makes watches cool. This is in part because Mr Ralph Lauren himself is a passionate watch collector, with an extensive and diverse collection that includes a significant number of vintage Cartier pieces and more modern watches from brands like Urwerk. Ralph Lauren’s watches evoke the worlds he creates through his clothing — from the military-inspired outdoors aesthetic of the safari, to the Art Deco styling of the 867 collection, named for the New York flagship store at 867 Madison Avenue — and tailor-made for a Purple Label tuxedo.…

With the arrival of new ownership in 2012, Speake-Marin initiated a movement strategy to fully develop and assemble proprietary movements in-house. Now almost 10 years on, the brand is stronger than ever, fulfilling its promise of creating original yet classical watches. The One & Two collection is the proverbial proof of concept, especially with the limited edition Openworked Dual Time Mint that was launched earlier in the year at Watches & Wonders. It is a refreshing new iteration of Speake-Marin’s One&Two Openworked Dual Time first launched in 2019, only now in soothing green livery. As with most Speake-Marin watches, it comes in a 38mm or 42mm case. But while the pastel hue stands out and catches the eye, the mechanics are equally outstanding, with central time, offset seconds, day/night display…

2021 for A. Lange & Söhne has been all about the subtle differences. Indeed, Lange is one of those watchmaking houses that has a brilliant grasp of their lane in the grand scheme of things. Therein, rather than focusing their energies on creating completely new watches every other year, Lange’s approach is to take on the watches that are held in high regard and push the limits of their execution. Take, for instance, when Lange gave their icon, the Lange 1, a stealthy update in 2015. It was only when you placed the 2015 update next to the outgoing reference that you were able to tell the vast extent of refinements made. Perhaps the only watch that was a completely new creation from the house of Lange in recent years…

Accutron was born when unprecedented risks were taken, and technology began to make giant leaps in search of new standards. Its much-lauded Spaceview of the 1960s, with its deconstructed design and tuning fork movement, became the purest example of design integrity and technical supremacy. Meticulously reconstructing the visual impact of the original Spaceview with its open dial, the new Accutron timepieces reveal the patented new-generation electrostatic energy motors. The electrostatic energy of the movement is created by twin turbines that rotate — as a result of wrist movement — at incredible speeds between two electrodes attached to the movement. The energy stored in an accumulator powers two motors: an electrostatic motor, the world’s first, which powers the seconds hand; and a stepper motor that powers the hour and minute hands.…

This year, Blancpain released a 500-piece limited edition that pays tribute to its 1960s radiation-free diver’s watches, the “No Rad”. The Blancpain Fifty Fathoms is accepted to be “the original diver’s watch” in the form of a black dial sports watch with a rotating bezel to measure elapsed time. The watch was built at the request of the French government, which needed a robust watch to issue to its equivalent of the Navy SEALS or SAS, the nageurs de combat. Legend has it that the commanding officer of the unit, Captain Bob Maloubier, designed the watch, and it was Blancpain that eventually agreed to take the watch to production. The watch was subsequently adopted by a number of navies in Europe and further afield, including Israel and the United States.…

To Bvlgari Group CEO Jean-Christophe Babin, “discreet luxury” is what sets the Italian house’s men’s watches apart from the rest of its remarkable output, which, these days, includes wares as diverse as fragrances, accessories and leather goods, destination hotels, as well as its core offering, jewellery. It is with this ethos that the brand set out to create an incredible line of record-breaking timepieces that would become some of the thinnest and most discreet in the industry, but at the same time boast staggering complications. The first was the Octo Finissimo launched in 2014, which has since become a contemporary icon and arguably, the only true 21st century creation that has garnered a seat for itself in the pantheon of iconic integrated bracelet timepieces. In April 2021, Bvlgari marked their…

In the past five years under the leadership of CEO Cyrille Vigneron, Cartier has gone from stride to stride, creating watches that are highly in tune with what collectors and consumers in general want. For Cartier, this means watches that exude a wonderful sense of shape, express a seductive creativity in form and, above all, inspire with ineffable style. An incredible byproduct of creating contemporary watches that are in line with the desires of today’s collectors, as well as with its own identity, is that it has helped to instill a renewed sense of value into the brand’s vintage market, driving prices at auctions through to record-setting figures. Further to this, Cartier has also established Cartier Vintage in London, Paris and most recently, Singapore. The programme is one where the…

Since 1996, Chopard has been showcasing its watchmaking expertise through the L.U.C manufacture collection and, reflecting the vision of the brand’s co-president Karl-Friedrich Scheufele, is committed to the quest for innovation and true watchmaking artisanship. To celebrate the 25th anniversary of the L.U.C series, Chopard kicked off 2021 with their first ever jumping hour watch, aptly named the L.U.C Quattro Spirit 25. The 40mm case, made from ethically sourced 18K rose gold, has a rounded-edge case inspired by the hunter cases of pocket watches once designed by the maison’s founder, Louis-Ulysse Chopard. Aside from being an artistic expression of watchmaking, the timepiece also boasts eight days of power reserve enabled by Chopard Quattro technology within the L.U.C 98.06-L movement, which is equipped with four barrels. At the Watches & Wonders…

It was through his collection of Ferdinand Berthoud marine chronometers that Karl-Friedrich Scheufele, the co-president of Chopard and founder of the brand’s technically brilliant in-house manufactured L.U.C division, first began to forge an emotional bond with Ferdinand Berthoud. This soon led to the inception of the Ferdinand Berthoud brand that exists today, which boasts five incredible families of watches released since 2015, including the Chronomètre FB 2RE. It won Best Complication at the 2020 Revolution Awards. While their previous watches strove to be discreet — it was only when you turned the watches over that you see the magnificence of their oversized tourbillon and an incredible chain and fusée — Ferdinand Berthoud has, for the first time, allowed these two mechanisms to be laid bare on the front of the…

Girard-Perregaux continues down the path toward exciting avant-garde design in 2021. Take, for example the Laureato Absolute T1 230, a sporty new interpretation of the Laureato, cased in lightweight, lightly sandblasted titanium. This limited edition celebrates 230 years of Girard-Perregaux, but also — appropriately enough — 230 years since the discovery of titanium. Who would have thought that such a contemporary material could be steeped in history? Another example of how Girard-Perregaux is looking to the future is the Laureato Absolute Wired, the latest evolution in the brand’s no-holds-barred Absolute sports watch series. The futuristic design of this 44mm chronograph blends with the unique case material. The striated black and blue material is achieved by fusing together layers of carbon fibre with fibreglass under intense pressure and heat. The resulting…

The last year has witnessed a stylistic reinvention of Greubel Forsey’s watchmaking. But more than a revolution of forms, it is an update of their aesthetic concepts. Earlier this year, we saw the GMT Sport, an imposing machine inspired by the GMT Black of 2015 but now built in a titanium case with an oval design. It is very ergonomic and worthy of the high mechanics within the formidable multi-time-zone complication that features a rotating globe display and a 24-second tourbillon. The slate grey and blue tones coordinate with the novel 42mm case in titanium and the efficiency and ease of use of the hand wound calibre. The addition of the flawless integrated bracelet — a first for Greubel Forsey — elevates the concept to new heights of presence and…

In 2021, Hamilton, the Swiss watch with an American heritage, continued to excel on all fronts. The evolution of the brand’s phenomenally popular military-inspired watches continued with the Khaki Field Mechanical Bronze. Hamilton has a long history of field watches and was a significant producer in both World War II and the Vietnam conflicts. The legible aesthetic and reliable construction carry through to today’s watches, which offer a period-appropriate 38mm case dimension and slender manual wind movement with the modern conveniences of a sapphire crystal and 80 hours of power reserve. Of course, the real story here is the bronze case, which perfectly fits into the rugged ethos of this nostalgia-heavy piece. Another design that leans on Hamilton’s considerable heritage is the latest American Classic Intra-Matic Auto Chrono 40mm, a…

No question about it, Hublot has come a long way since its early days, and the House of Nyon makes no qualms of showing off its astounding levels of creativity. Its 2021 launches build on their leitmotif, the Art of Fusion — the idea that powers its inventive zeal in terms of materials and watchmaking complications. Just looking at the three watches that we show here is enough to put us on notice: Hublot watchmaking is at the highest strata. The Big Bang Automatic Tourbillon Orange Sapphire is a paradigm of beauty and innovation. Its new movement with micro-rotor and tourbillon, supported by sapphire bridges, is the most fascinating colouration of a sapphire case there is. The Big Bang Integral Tourbillon Full Sapphire is another stunner with sapphire case and…

Watch brands love a milestone, and Jaquet Droz is no different. This year marks the 300th anniversary of the birth of the brand’s namesake and founder, the legendary Pierre Jaquet-Droz. In his lifetime, Jaquet-Droz was responsible for an array of ingenious and exceptionally complicated automata, music boxes and timepieces — a legacy that the modern-day brand continues with gusto. To celebrate the triple centenary, Jaquet Droz has created two exclusive versions of the Grande Seconde Moon, a refined 41mm number inspired by a pocket watch design by Pierre Jaquet-Droz from 1785. For the classic look, there’s the ivory grand feu enamel dial; for a more contemporary feel, there’s a modern matte black version. Another contemporary design coming out of the talented atelier is the latest interpretation of the Grande Skelet-One.…

This has been a prosperous year for Louis Moinet. Through strong and artistically diverse offerings, CEO Jean-Marie Schaller has strengthened his horological vision and the two key vectors driving the brand: the Cosmic Art and Mechanical Wonders collections. The brand’s most impactful offering this year has to be the Eight Marvels of the World, an eight-watch, one-off collection presented in a special Louis Moinet travel trunk. From the Great Wall in China to Machu Picchu in Peru, eight of the most beautiful landmarks around the world were personally selected by Schaller and reinterpreted by Louis Moinet’s team of artisans to reflect the finest craftsmanship. From the cosmic depths, the titanium-cased Ad Astra Black Aventurine takes advantage of the lovely semi-precious stone and its natural starry pattern to depict the trademarked…

This year Maurice Lacroix expanded its sports watch line, the Aikon, and introduced a new Masterpiece Triple Rétrograde. The latter is the brand’s latest foray into the world of retrograde watches and is available in two versions. Both are housed in 43mm steel cases with either a silvered Clous de Paris guilloché dial or an anthracite dial with snailed Côtes de Genève finishes. The watches feature central minute and hour hands and a subsidiary seconds dial at nine o’clock. The triple retrograde functions are the second time zone (or 24-hour hand) at 12, a day indicator at three and date at six o’clock. The calibre ML291 brings together an SW200 automatic winding movement with a module developed and assembled in Maurice Lacroix’s workshops. The finished movement is visible through a…

The S.A.R. Rescue-Timer has been the official watch for the German Maritime Search and Rescue Service (DGzRS) since 2002. The watch was developed together with the maritime rescue workers and is tailored to the tough requirements at sea. The latest S.A.R. Rescue-Timer LUMEN features an all-lume dial covered in Super-LumiNova with skeleton hands in black coating. This is the most functional watch yet for the DGzRS, since the lighting on sea rescue cruisers is often turned down to an absolute minimum to allow the best possible visibility at sea. Thilo Mühle, CEO of Mühle-Glashütte, states: “Good readability by day and night was a basic requirement when developing the S.A.R. Rescue-Timer 20 years ago. In the new variant of the emergency watch, we have focused on this property and completely covered…

As of 2021, Parmigiani Fleurier is something of an insider’s watch brand. Created in 1996 by its eponymous founder Michel Parmigiani, the Fleurierbased manufacture has worked steadily to achieve a level of quality and care — both inside and out — that is widely respected by those in the know. Traditionally, the brand’s three pillars have been the Kalpa, Tonda and Toric lines. The last is a pure round expression of the watchmaker’s art, while the Kalpa is a bold geometric tonneau full of sensuous curves and thoughtful design touches. This year, though, it’s the sporty Tonda that’s been garnering all the attention, with a series of high-end luxury sports chronographs known as the Tondagraph GT Silver Black. Built off the brand’s first-ever in-house chronograph movement (first released in 2016),…

Piaget has a pretty robust pedigree in working with gold watches for over 80 years. This year, it announced the new Polo Skeleton Gold, which comes in rose gold, white gold with a diamond-set bezel and two fully paved versions with cases and, most impressively, movements that are set with up to 573 brilliant- and baguette-cut diamonds. Piaget began making skeletonised watches around 50 years ago. The rose and white gold models house the calibre 1200S1 movement that we were first introduced to earlier in the year. These watches are super thin at a mere 6.5mm, with the fully stone-set examples a smidgen thicker by 1.4mm. But to get this slimness in the gold watch, the movement is a wafer-thin 2.4mm. Previously, there was an ultra thin movement, calibre 1200S,…

Founded in 2015 by François Moreau, Reservoir boasts French design with Swisspowered mechanics. Each timepiece features an ETA movement, handmade in Switzerland at La Chaux-de-Fonds, in compliance with traditional craftsmanship and a “Swiss made” label. Inside every Reservoir timepiece is the patented 124-part proprietary module that “deconstructs” the time layout by offering a retrograde minute hand, jumping hour and a fun linear power reserve gauge, not unlike the ones we see every day in our cars. The Airfight collection takes its inspiration from aircraft and centres on the black colour of in-flight instruments. Showcased with a canvas strap, the 43mm Airfight Jet presentation case also includes a supplemental textile NATO band. Inspired by the pressure gauges of the early diving watches, the Hydrosphere “Greg Lecoeur Edition” challenges diving watch conventions…

There’s a wildness to the watches of Roger Dubuis, an excessive opulence that is entirely on brand, given that the Geneva-based manufacture is all about expressing a world of adrenaline-fuelled Hyper Horology. At the heart of this aesthetic are the twin icons of Roger Dubuis — skeletons and tourbillons. For the first time, this vision has been realised in a smaller size of 39mm. This proves that excess does not equal excessive size, as the brand’s RD510SQ calibre — with a single flying tourbillon and the distinctive star-shaped bridge, all covered by the Poinçon de Genéve — demonstrates. In fact, Roger Dubuis has released the Excalibur Spider in multiple colourways — perfect for both men and women looking to join the Roger Dubuis tribe. Offered in DLC titanium and EON…

This year Tissot reissued an old favourite and took its diver down to new depths. There is no escaping the surge in popularity of the integrated steel sports watch, and Tissot continues its run in the pack with an update to its PRX line. The story began in 1978 when Tissot introduced a quartz watch that was bang on trend with the horological zeitgeist of the decade. The “PR” in the name stands for Precise and Robust, and the “X” represents (in Roman numerals) the 10 atmospheres, or 100 metres, to which the watch is waterproof. The quartz powered PRX 40 205 watches are available with either blue or black sunray dials, or an ultra ’70s look of vertically brushed silvery white. The mechanical versions, released in June 2021, are…

Even amongst the rarefied brands that comprise the haute horlogerie set, Urwerk is special. Since inception, the brand, founded by Martin Frei and Felix Baumgartner in 1997, has had a clear and wildly futuristic vision of watchmaking and how to tell the time. The brand’s visionary creations have been driven by their innovative satellite time display. But as the brand grows and evolves, new models come and old models are phased out, and this year’s releases are a poignant example of that. The UR-105 Tantalum Hull (TTH) is the last of its kind; the futuristic and forward-facing case design is making way for other designs. Frei and Baumgartner were determined to show the model out in style with a technical tantalum shroud — a fiendishly difficult metal to work with.…

Few brands — if any — can do quite what Van Cleef & Arpels does when it comes to watches. Primarily a jewellery maison, Van Cleef & Arpels has the skills and the stones it takes to make some of the most stunning high jewellery pieces imaginable. But what sets Van Cleef & Arpels apart is that the brand typically employs sophisticated mechanics, along with flawless aesthetics, to tell the story of time with its Poetic Complications. The latest in this collection is a dazzling trio: the three Lady Arpels Ballerine Musicale watches. Taking inspiration from a meeting between Claude Arpels and choreographer George Balanchine, who composed a three-part ballet, Jewels, inspired by Arpels, this trio of watches features an on-demand musical animation directly inspired by this ballet. The top…

This year, Zodiac’s Grandrally collection takes inspiration from the auto racing chronographs of the ’70s. The timepieces feature a 41mm barrel-shaped case, tachymeter scale and subdials that resemble those on the dashboards of vintage racing cars. The Grandrally Chronographs are powered by the Ronda Z50 quartz movement. In 2021, Zodiac also launched the Super Sea Wolf Neon collection, which injects bright, bold colours into their serious diver’s watch. Two models in this collection are the Zodiac Super Sea Wolf 53 Neon and the Zodiac Super Sea Wolf GMT Neon. Both bring a little fun to a mid-century tool diver’s watch that offers 200m water resistance and a bi-directional bezel with 24-clicks. The automatic Neon model features an electrifying blend of fluorescent green and pure white and is powered by the…

Zenith is unique in the world of watches for — arguably — being more famous for a movement than for a watch design. Of course, the reach, impact and legacy of the pioneering El Primero chronograph is so great that it makes sense. It should come as no surprise then that in 2021, the El Primero is still a key part of Zenith’s greatest offerings. What is a little more unexpected is just how versatile this sophisticated calibre is. Take the Chronomaster Revival A385, a faithful modern take on the original 37mm release from 1969. With its coffeecoloured dial, this watch sums up everything that’s wonderful about vintage watches. Next, look at the Chronomaster Revival Safari, which takes the same essential case design and size, renders it in microblasted titanium…