PATEK PHILIPPE PERPETUAL CALENDAR REF. 5940

Patek Philippe Perpetual Calendar Ref. 5940

Patek Philippe’s cushion-shaped Perpetual Calendar Ref. 5940 is now also available with a rose-gold case. It is powered by Patek’s ultra-thin Caliber 240 Q with micro-rotor. The case measures 37 mm by 44.6 mm. The Ref. 5940R-001 is available for $87,320.

HERMÈS SLIM D’HERMÈS QUANTIÈME PERPÉTUEL

Hermes Slim d’Hermes Quantième Perpétuel

In January 2017, Hermès unveiled a new version of the Slim d’Hermès Quantième Perpétuel with platinum case and blue dial. The watch is powered by in-house Caliber H1950, an ultra-thin mechanical movement with micro-rotor. The Slim d’Hermès Quantième Perpétuel in platinum is available for $39,900.

AUDEMARS PIGUET ROYAL OAK PERPETUAL CALENDAR

Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar

During SIHH 2017, Audemars Piguet unveiled the Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar with black ceramic case and bracelet. The 41-mm-large case houses the self-winding Caliber 5134. The price for the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar in full ceramic is $93,900. For more on the watch and its movement, click here.

FREDERIQUE CONSTANT MANUFACTURE PERPETUAL CALENDAR

Frederique Constant Manufacture Perpetual Calendar

in 2016, Frederique Constant unveiled to the world the Manufacture Perpetual Calendar with a full, in-house-developed perpetual calendar, priced under $10,000. it is available in either a stainless-steel or rose-gold-plated case, priced at $8,795 and $8,995. We cover the Frederique Constant Manufacture Perpetual Calendar in detail here.

A. LANGE & SÖHNE POUR LE MÉRITE

A Lange & Söhne Tourbograph Perpetual “Pour Le Mérite”

The hand-wound Tourbograph Perpetual “Pour le Mérite” in platinum is A. Lange & Söhne’s most complex watch with the attribute “Pour le Mérite.” The in-house movement combines five grand complications: perpetual calendar, chronograph, rattrapante function, fusée-and-chain transmission and tourbillon. The 43-mm-large Tourbograph Perpetual (we cover it in depth here) comes in a limited edition of 50 pieces, priced at 480,000 euros.

GLASHÜTTE ORIGINAL SENATOR EXCELLENCE PERPETUAL CALENDAR

Glashütte Original Senator Excellence Perpetual Calendar in gold and steel

The Glashütte Original Senator Excellence Perpetual Calendar is based on the brand’s in-house automatic base movement, Caliber 36, and offers a 100-hour power reserve. The 42-mm watch sells for $22,000 in steel and $35,100 in rose gold. Click here for our full report on the watch from Baselworld 2017.

More than just a bit different, these new watches venture light- years beyond everything we thought was normal.

Musical: Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Self-Winding Music Edition

Audemars Piguet transforms music into a colorful lightshow with this exciting new version of the Royal Oak Offshore (Ref. 15601BC.44.D343CA.01). The aventurine dial of this 43-mm-diameter white-gold watch reproduces the motifs of an equalizer with the 10 rainbow-colored columns of a sound filter’s display represented by invisibly set rubies, peridots and tsavorites, as well as green, blue and orange sapphires. The same varieties of colored gemstones decorate the bezel, giving the watch a total of 230 jewels with a total weight of 6.15 carats. The crown guard on the side of the case was inspired the faders on mixing consoles. Those who prefer an even more colorful version can detach the dark blue rubber strap and replace it with one of three interchangeable straps, which are available in turquoise blue, yellow and green. The colorful dial, which dispenses with a date window in favor of its appearance, conceals automatic manufacture Caliber 4309, which amasses a 70-hour power reserve. The finely decorated movement has an oscillating weight made of 22-karat red gold and can be viewed through the window of sapphire crystal in the caseback. Price on request.

Transparent: Cyrus Genève Klepcy’s Vertical Skeleton Tourbillon Sapphire

As a further escalation of its disruptive design, this Geneva-based watch brand is releasing its vertical tourbillon in a new version (Ref. 539.506.2G.A) with a case crafted from sapphire crystal. Even more exciting than the transparent case, however, is the “standing” escapement at the center, which transmits its power to the gear train at a 90-degree angle. The hands for the hours and minutes are retrograde, which means that each hand suddenly jumps back to its zero position at the end of its journey. First used in 2018, hand-wound Caliber CYR625 amasses a 100-hour power reserve and is the brainchild of master watchmaker Jean-François Mojon, who is technically responsible for all of Cyrus Genève’s creations. A rotating ball at the 12 o’clock shows how many hours of the four days remain in the power reserve. The gold bridge is inspired by Leonardo da Vinci’s self-supporting bridge. Only 10 pieces of this very special transparent version of the Vertical Skeleton Tourbillon will be built. Each will be offered for CHF 245,000.

Moonstruck: HYT Moon Runner Supernova Blue

The Swiss brand HYT is known for its innovative time display, in which a dark liquid in a capillary tube gradually displaces a light-colored liquid. The time is shown where the two liquids meet. The lighter-colored liquid is pumped back into the tube at 6 o’clock, when the cycle begins again. Under the aegis of new CEO Davide Cerrato, who was formerly Managing Director at Montblanc Watches, HYT is combining this unconventional double-fluid technology with a calendar for the first time. Needless to say, the astronomical indications are likewise anything but ordinary. The date, month and an additional moon-phase display rotate in the center of the watch. A motionless hand in the lower half of the dial shows the date and the month. The moon’s phases are shown by a partly blue hemisphere in a central circle. A triangle for the minutes completes the ballet of indicators. Movement developer Eric Coudray conceived hand-wound Caliber 601-MO, which amasses a 3-day power reserve. The image pictured here was taken when the Moon Runner Supernova Blue was showing full moon at 10:09 a.m. on March 28. This unusual presentation is priced at $126,190.

Chivalrous: Roger Dubuis Knights of the Round Table Monotourbillon

In 2022, Roger Dubuis again introduced a watch model dedicated to the 12 knights of King Arthur’s Round Table. Twelve miniature figures in rose gold represent the knights on the face of the Knights of the Round Table Monotourbillon (Ref. RDDBEX1025). The knights are fabricated by a 3-D process and subsequently refined by hand. Each figure embodies a different knight of the legendary Round Table and each wields a different weapon. They are gathered around the central tourbillon and a miniature Round Table made from Murano glass in different colors. The broad hour hand and minute hands, each crafted from several gold elements, rotate under the table. The 45-mm-diameter rose-gold case encloses automatic manufacture Caliber RD115, which like all of Roger Dubuis’s movements, bears the Hallmark of Geneva as a sign of its workmanship and finishing. Roger Dubuis is building only eight pieces of this model, each of which costs approximately 590,000 euros.

Benevolent: Urwerk UR-110 Bakelite

As the so-called “final edition” of the UR-110 collection, the Genevabased brand created this eye-catching one-of-a-kind timepiece, and sold it at auction for 120,000 Swiss francs to benefit the Swiss Red Cross. As a special feature of its design and materials, the titanium case has an inlay made from Bakelite, a type of plastic that was introduced in 1909 and frequently used in subsequent years. The movement powers Urwerk’s impressive satellite display, in which hour cubes rotate into the correct position and then progress along a minute scale. Those who look more deeply into automatic Caliber UR 9.01 will find a seconds and a day-night indicator, as well as an “oil change” alarm, which reminds the wearer when the time has come for the watch to undergo routine servicing. The case measures 47 mm by 51 mm and is 16 mm in height.

Ultra-Flat: Richard Mille RM UP-01 Ferrari

This watch is not only the new world record holder in slim construction, but also an expressive design object, which suits Richard Mille’s partner Ferrari. The 51-mm by 39-mm titanium case is only 1.75 mm in height. It houses Caliber RMUP-01, a manually wound movement with the extraordinarily low height of just 1.18 mm. A pair of unconventional “crowns,” each integrated into the movement, are among the special features that enable this model to achieve its extreme slimness. One of these crowns is used to select the desired function of winding or setting the hands, and its counterpart is used to perform the selected task. The time display and the visible balance are covered by sapphire crystals, each of which is only 0.2 mm thick at its thinnest point. Thirteen Richard Millestyle screws secure the titanium cover plate. Ferrari’s famous prancing horse prominently immortalizes the brand on the front of the watch, where the logo is only slightly smaller than the time display itself. Considering the price of $1,888,000, the number of editions is surprising: Richard Mille plans to build 150 of these timepieces.

Air Permeable: Hublot Big Bang Tourbillon Samuel Ross

The artist, filmmaker and fashion designer Samuel Ross, who has been a brand ambassador for Hublot since 2020, is now bringing his graphic language to watchmaking with a limited edition Big Bang Tourbillon (Ref. 428.NX.0100.RX.SRA22). He also brings his signature color scheme, his penchant for austere geometric shapes and his fondness for urban design to this model, which is 44 mm in diameter and 13.75 mm in height. The new watch features a distinctive, stylized hexagon, both in the honeycomb titanium mesh beneath the sapphire dial as well as in segments of the case and wristband. Ross chose orange for the case sides, parts of the crown, the tourbillon bridge and the rubber strap as a symbol of energy and optimism. These orange components also contrast well with the gray of the satin-finished titanium elements. The lightweight, openworked titanium parts combine with the supple rubber strap to ensure a comfortable feel on the wrist. In-house Caliber HUB6035 ticks inside the case, where a microrotor automatically winds the mainspring to offer a 3-day power reserve. Only 50 pieces of the Big Bang Tourbillon Samuel Ross will be built. Each sells for $116,000.

Heroic: Kross Studio “The Batman Tourbillon”

Comics and complications are the specialties of the Swiss watch brand Kross Studio. The brand’s latest creative output is “The Batman” Tourbillon, a wristwatch inspired by the famous Bat-Signal used by the Gotham City police to summon the dark avenger for help. A central tourbillon rotates behind nine parallel protective bars, a minute ring rotates at the periphery, and the pointed “ears” of Batman’s mask serve as the hour hand. The image pictured shows how the dial looks at 10 o’clock. The 45-mm case is made of black DLC-coated titanium and has a domed sapphire crystal, which is why the overall height is a massive 20 mm. The watch is affixed to a leather strap, but there are two other rubber straps included, one with black stitching and a second with red stitching. Hand-wound in-house Caliber KS 7’001 will continue to run for five days after it has been fully wound by manually turning a D-shaped lever that folds out of the back. The time is set by pressing a large button on the side of the case and then turning the D-shaped lever in either direction. Ten aspiring superheroes who pay $100,000 for this watch can venture on to the night-wrapped streets of Gotham City wearing this model — or they can use the signal lamp, which is included with the watch, to summon the real Batman.

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Comic Hero: Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Concept Black Panther Flying Tourbillon

In 2021, AP’s President François-Henry Bennahmias announced the collaboration between his watchmaking company and the Marvel comic book franchise. The first watch to emerge from this partnership is the Royal Oak Concept Black Panther Flying Tourbillon. This model didn’t exactly win over the fans of traditional watches, but one of its achievements is undeniable: it faithfully depicts the animalistic superhero Black Panther, who was most recently portrayed by the late Chadwick Boseman. Clad in a high-tech suit and wearing clawed gloves, the Black Panther’s hand-painted white-gold figure seems to be getting ready to pounce. His lower body elastically embraces both the shaft of the main hands at the center of the dial and the tourbillon cage at 6 o’clock, while the skeletonized barrel is clearly visible under the superhero’s right arm. The 42-mm case of the Royal Oak Concept model series is made of titanium; the bezel and crown are made of scratch-resistant ceramic. Complicated hand-wound manufacture Caliber 2965 heroically keeps time inside the case. This comic-inspired wristwatch is limited to 250 timepieces. Price is upon request.

Stun Gun: Hamilton Ventura Elvis 80 Skeleton

Today’s Ventura automatically winds itself, but Hamilton created it in 1957 as the world’s first battery-powered wristwatch — and gave it a nearly triangular case. As in the early days, a stylized zigzag voltage line traverses the dial of some new models to symbolize the former electrical power supply. Elvis Presley was the Ventura’s most famous fan: he wore the original model not only in private life, but also in the 1961 film, Blue Hawaii. One of the latest Ventura models is the watch shown here, which not only attracts attention thanks to its modern reinterpretation of the case shape, but also with its skeletonized dial and its combination of elegant rose-gold plating and a sporty rubber wristband. ETA’s automatic Caliber Powermatic 80 ticks inside the 42.5-mm-by-44.6-mm stainless-steel case. The Ventura is by far the most accessibly priced watch in our roundup of crazy timepieces: it sells for an affordable $1,795.

Transparency Artist: MB&F Horological Machine No. 9 Sapphire Vision

Max Büsser and Friends have opened their streamlined Time Machine Number Nine to the eyes of mechanics-savvy viewers. For this, the Geneva-based think tank used an extremely complex sapphire crystal cover with multiple curves and domes. A symmetrical architecture is created inside the rear of the transparent sapphire shell by a hand-wound manufacture movement with two balances. It collaborates with a centrally positioned planetary differential, which averages the time kept by the two movements and thus ensures optimal timekeeping. The vertical dial shows the hours and minutes. MB&F builds models in rose and white gold, each with two differently colored movement bridges. Each of the four model variants is made in a strictly limited series of five watches. Each timepiece is priced at $440,000.

Breaking Tradition: Hublot MP-09 Tourbillon Bi-Axis 5 Days Power Reserve 3D Carbon

The design of this “Masterpiece” (MP) from Hublot carries all visual habits to the absurd. The bezel breaks out of its conventional circular shape at the 6, where it also slopes downward to approach the back of the case. This creates a unique “hanging jaw,” where a tourbillon rotates on two axes, and keeps on turning for five full days after the watch has been fully wound. The running autonomy is shown by a large-format inscription at the 7, while the current status of the power reserve is indicated at the 3. The skeletonized, three-dimensional main dial is enclosed by a skeletonized semicircular date display with two arcs of numerals. The crazy frame for manufacture hand-wound Caliber MHUB9009.H1.RA.B is formed by a 49-mm-wide and 18-mm-high case made of so-called “3D carbon,” a composite material that Hublot makes from multiple layers and can shape into even the most complex forms. The MP-09 is made in four series of eight watches each: in yellow, green, blue and red. Each watch sells for $200,000.

Shining Piece: Roger Dubuis Excalibur Single Flying Tourbillon “Glow Me Up”

This Geneva-based manufacturer is known for its tourbillons and double tourbillons, but it also likes to experiment with new forms of gem-setting. The latest result is this creation, which looks like a jewelry watch by day, but becomes colorfully avant-garde at night. Glowing diamonds? You’ve never seen anything like this! The appearance is striking, but the technical background is not that complicated. The settings of the 60 baguette diamonds along the bezel are filled with differently colored Super-LumiNova, so the gemstones glow in different colors at night. Luminous material is also applied to the star-shaped movement bridge, the rim of the tourbillon and the outer ring of the nearly non-existent dial. This results in a unique light spectacle of at night. When the sun rises, this timepiece transforms back into a technically sophisticated but visually almost demure jewelry watch. Each of the eight 42-mm rose-gold watches encases in-house hand-wound Caliber RD512SQ and sells for $215,000.

Flaming Beacon: Urwerk UR-220 SL “Asimov”

The Geneva-based manufacturer Urwerk has been making a name for itself for years with its satellite displays. Now these moving and rotating display blocks for the hours also start to light up. And that’s not all: in addition, luminosity usefully highlights the numerals on the arcing minutes scale, along which the glowing hour numerals sweep, and also accentuates the brand name on the plate as well as the power-reserve display, which appears on two indicators at the upper left and right. Despite the new and radiant optics, the patented hour display remains the most astonishing feature of this new watch. A skeletonized arm serves as the frame for the hour cone on this display. The hour cone turns its correct side upward as it quickly moves back to the beginning of the minutes scale, where it’s picked up by the hour hand and gradually carried forward along the scale. After the frame hand has completed one hour-long task, it hurries back to the start of the scale and picks up the next hour cone. Hand-wound manufacture Caliber UR-7.20, which runs for 48 hours after it has been fully wound, is responsible for this function and for several other technical tricks. The case, which measures 43.8 mm by 53.6 mm, is made of 81 layers of TPC carbon composite. Urwerk uses a special manufacturing method to give the case a concentrically circular texture. The price for so much innovative spirit? $168,000.

A version of this article first appeared in the WatchTime 2022 Special Design Issue, on sale now.

That conversation is hardly one that will change the world, as it is always focused on watches. But we discuss the latest developments in the industry, new timepieces we added to the collection, the ones we sold, the new models we like (and don’t like). For an outsider who might hear some of our conversation it must sound like we are talking in code: ‘I got the 16710 with a Pepsi, but I might change it to Coke, or should I go Noir?’ For us it is instantly crystal clear.

The further into the evening the meeting goes, the more relaxed the atmosphere, and then people start to toss in statements and questions that are bound to get an avid response, such as ‘Seamaster or Submariner?’ or ‘The best Royal Oak is a 5402ST A-series.’ As you already see, topics that you can debate about for years. Talking this nonsense is not only highly entertaining, when done with some gist, but also adds to a better understanding of the world of watches, I have learned. More importantly, it can also fuel friendships that might be based on this nonsense but are very real. Some of my oldest and strongest friendships emerged from our mutual passion for watches. While we enjoy talking nonsense, we are also there for each other for the more serious life events, and that is another great aspect of this wonderful hobby and amazing industry.

Some of you might recognize this: for years, you have been admiring a certain watch, and when you finally get it, you are very excited only to realize after a couple of weeks that you are not wearing it as much as you should. This might have nothing to do with the watch itself but more with the wearing comfort provided. If the watch has a strap, this is often an easy fix, yet it is a whole different ball game when fitted with a bracelet.

I feel that some brands still underestimate the strength of a well-designed bracelet, both aesthetically and for wearing comfort. To some extent, this is a commercial decision. Developing a new kind of bracelet is quite expensive and relatively challenging. Such cost will mean that either the price of the watch will go up, which might make it less competitive in the market, or cut into the brands’ margins. After all, the watch industry is still a competitive and commercial endeavor. For some smaller brands, developing a bracelet of their own is so costly that it is simply unwise to dedicate a large number of resources to it. This makes it that, in particular, the classic three-link bracelet remains prevalent.

Of course, we as consumers also have something to do with this, and we always say that we like new stuff, but the reality is that we don’t want it to be too different from what we already know either. So being conservative pays off for the brands. That being said, when they do invest in a new bracelet design, and the market receives it well, it will also reflect on the watch it’s on. In fact, it can further fuel its success. Good examples of this are the so-called Bond-bracelet on the Omega Seamaster Professional and the bracelet of the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak. In both cases, they are significantly different from what was otherwise available on the market, contribute to the watch’s identity, and are very comfortable to wear. Also, that superb bracelet that IWC offered on their Flieger- and Doppelchronograph is one of which I have fond memories.

Bracelets like those above elevate the watch as a whole, increasing their wearing comfort and good looks. While it might not be easy, I wish that brands put more focus on creating bracelets just like that. I know it is an investment, but mechanical watchmaking is an artistic process, and the bracelet should be part of this.

What is your favorite bracelet on a watch, and why? Tell us in the comments!