Twenty twenty-five will be shaped by several factors, ranging from major anniversaries for a trio of important high horology brands, to economic reality where the slowdown in demand will reshape retail channels (and already led one watch brand to go bust). And the coming year will also see the still-unknowable Rolex strategy unfold, which might happen under the radar but will definitely be interesting.

Big watches for a big year

Next year will be a milestone for trio of important brands. Audemars Piguet (AP), Breguet, and Vacheron Constantin (VC) will all mark significant anniversaries: 150 years at AP, 250 years of Breguet, and 270 years for VC. This implies some major timepieces or even mechanical objects are on the way.

Such watches are practically convention as landmark anniversaries are often platforms for brands to launch major watches. Some of the most complicated watches in contemporary watchmaking were anniversary creations – Patek Philippe marked 150 years with the Calibre 89, and then 175 years with the Grandmaster Chime.

The Patek Philippe Calibre 89 launched in 1989 for its 150th anniversary. Image – Patek Philippe Museum

In 2005, when VC marked its 250th year, it launched the Tour de l’Ile, which was the most complicated wristwatch in the world at the time, and also the most expensive wristwatch sold at auction that year. With that in mind, VC might be working on something that lives up to its status as a maker of haute horlogerie complications.

The Vacheron Constantin Tour de l’Ile. Image – Vacheron Constantin

Expectations are also high given the status of these brands in the watchmaking firmament. AP and VC are traditionally regarded as part of the “holy trinity” of Swiss watchmaking, albeit with their own distinct identities.

Both are coming off all-time highs thanks in large part to their luxury-sports watches, and now each is evolving in a different direction. AP is going all-in with contemporary art and pop culture, while VC is continuing its focus on classical art and museums like the Met in New York.

Arguably the most storied name of them all, Breguet has been less prominent in recent years, so its activities and launches for the 250th year will be telling in many ways.

Coincidentally, all three brands are now led by recently appointed chief executives. AP turned to an outsider, fragrance executive Ilaria Resta, who took over at the start of 2024, while VC and Breguet both promoted from within. Laurent Perves was just named chief executive at VC, and longtime Omega executive Gregory Kissling took over Breguet in October.

Whatever the anniversary watches are, they would have been in the works for several years, so the new leaders’ influence would be more on the events, marketing, and strategy rather than watches themselves – critics take note.

With the Berkley pocket watch, Vacheron Constantin launched the most complicated watch ever in 2024, so what’s in store for next year?

Revelations at Rolex

And on the topic of big brands, something is brewing at the biggest of them all, Rolex. No major anniversary there, but there’s something afoot in Acacias.

Sometimes around the middle of the year, I came across Coronet, an online magazine dedicated to Rolex. The gentleman behind the content is Dan Crivello, a longtime writer for Rolex Magazine, a longstanding blog dedicated to the brand. Although Coronet appears to have been founded in 2019, it seems to have only recently pivoted to a focus on Rolex.

With intriguing articles like an interview with the head of dial prototypes at Rolex, it seems that Coronet isn’t merely another online platform, but something supported by Rolex, either explicitly or implicitly. Several of its articles are so specifically sourced that they inevitably come from the brand, which neither leaks nor drops hints, meaning the dissemination of information is probably planned.

Home to many secrets, Rolex headquarters in Geneva. Image – Rolex

This is intriguing because Rolex has historically been tight-lipped about everything, so this might be an experiment that marks the start of something more in terms of the brand’s engagement with the public. Perhaps Coronet is be a place for Rolex to circulate news that the brand wants out there but doesn’t want to announce itself.

Given the exceptionally long time horizon on which Rolex operates, this might just be part of a wider strategy that will unfold in several parts over years. A handful of other clues relating to Rolex and its plans for brand storytelling have emerged, and time will tell how it develops.

Comings and goings

The anniversaries will be an opportunity for brands to sell more watches, a welcome boost in the current climate. From cars to wine, demand has steadily declined from pandemic highs. While that’s the story across the luxury industry on average, a handful of stars in each segment continue to outperform – Ferrari in cars, Hermes in leather goods and fashion (and surprisingly Prada as well), Rolex and Patek Philippe in watches. None of these market leaders will really have to worry about selling their wares.

For everyone else, however, it’ll be a worrisome year across segments. The families that control Porsche expect the value of their stake in the sports car maker to decline, while the share price of Kering, the group that owns Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent, has declined 40% over the course of 2024.

The Richard Mille RM UP-01 inside a Ferrari Roma. Image – Richard Mille

In watchmaking, tourbillon specialist Purnell recently declared bankruptcy. Brands or suppliers going under will be a sporadic occurrence, but certainly will happen with greater frequency than over the last five years. Competent or highly specialised suppliers in particular will most likely be taken over, with some luxury groups being on the lookout for such opportunities.

Even as brands depart, their ranks will be filled with newcomers. There are brands planning to (re)launch in 2025, reflecting the perennial optimism (and steady stream of investors) in watchmaking. One brave comeback attempt is Breva, a short-lived brand that existed for about two years a decade ago. Its specialty was a US$150,000 watch incorporating a mechanical barometer and altimeter. I don’t know yet what the new Breva will be about, but it will certainly be interesting to see how it unfolds.

Convergence

Many new brands, and also new launches from existing brands, will be social-media friendly, meaning the watches look distinctive in photos. This trend was already apparent for some time but really took hold during the pandemic.

This explains part of the recent popularity of the Cartier Crash, and also the high-contrast straps on otherwise plain watches that are common on social media. A decade ago I would never have imagined a Lange on a neon-yellow strap or an F.P. Journe on a bright white band, but now that’s almost standard dress.

A Crash of “Swinging Sixties” London

The result is going to be more form watches, like the Crash and Cartier’s other assorted shapes, and watches with open dials or no dials at all. The latter has become a recurring theme in independent watchmaking in particular and looks set to continue. If there is one category of suppliers that is doing well, it is those offering decoration to independents making such watches.

More retail channels

While there will be convergence in watches, distribution will continue to grow more diverse, despite most brands having moved towards the boutique-only model. That’s because the slowdown means watch brands will have to work harder to sell watches. This will translate into more availability for consumers as distribution channels widen.

Many brands will do less boutique-only and more third-party retail. While brands will continue to operate their own boutiques, they’ll likely open fewer of them – perhaps even close a few – and instead allow their third-party retailers to have stock.

Ironically, retailers might not be too keen to increase their inventory, or allow brands back in after having been unceremoniously closed down (particularly in the case of brands owned by luxury groups). There’ll be a lot of give and take here.

The strongest brands, however, will not change their distribution strategy. Image – Rolex

But it won’t just be watch retailers that watchmakers turn to for wholesale. Many brands, particularly smaller ones recently established, are increasingly open minded about how and where they sell their watches. Retailers can range from watch magazines and blogs to clothing retailers to luxury e-commerce platforms. This will become more apparent if the slowdown persists or deepens.

The diversification of retail channels will increase the variety of watches as brands customise watches for various retailers. However, imprudent expansion of distribution will diminish brand equity over time. One metric of brand equity is counting the number of limited editions on secondary market sites like Chrono24 and Loupe. This will probably creep upwards in the near future.

More affordability?

The broadening of distribution might even lead to price competition amongst sellers, though that will only be true for brands that make a lot more watches than they can sell at sensible prices.

Watchmakers will instead try to make their watches more affordable. But lower priced new models won’t arrive just yet, since it takes a few years to develop new products (though some larger brands might be able to pull it off quicker).

Affordable even when times were good

But some brands might postpone or even cancel pricey launches that were conceived during the good times. This holds true especially for new brands that found success in the four-figure price category, but have lofty ambitions to sell watches with six-figure price tags.

Brands are loath to reduce retail prices for current models, so boutiques will stick to retail prices for the most part, though some might dangle other incentives to get buyers to part with their money. However, third-party retailers are always more amenable to price negotiations than boutiques, which still translates into more affordability.

The rise of the East

Competitive offerings, at all levels of the price spectrum, will increasingly come from Chinese watchmakers. While historically known for entry-level watches, Chinese watch brands have rapidly advanced in terms of quality and design. Ironically, this is in part thanks to Western brands that relied on Chinese suppliers, providing suppliers a steady incentive to raise the bar.

However, Chinese brands don’t yet have the brand equity of establishment brands, and that will take a some time to build. Over the long term, the most successful will be brands with a coherent cultural identity, as opposed to hybrid brands that straddle cultures, for instance a “Chinese” brand founded by Westerners. The origins of the most successful brands are instantly recognisable – Ferrari is Italian, Hermes is French, and F.P. Journe is Genevois.

At the same time, it is sometimes difficult to figure out who makes what and who owns what in the Chinese watch industry, even for insiders within the industry in China. This can make ownership, provenance, and manufacturing unclear, which in turn gets in the way of building brand equity.

An example of refined watchmaking in China, the Qin Gan Pastorale prototype

Pre-owned

The secondary market has equally been affected by the slowdown, though the big players had to suffer major write-downs in their inventory. This is happening against a landscape populated by many more players that emerged during the pandemic boom. And even when inventory has been written down, inventory levels are high.

As a result, secondary market entities, ranging from auction houses to dealers, will to do more to stand out. This will reinforce two trends that have already taken hold.

The first: merchants evolving into social media influencers, primarily through videos, longer clips on YouTube and short ones on TikTok and Instagram. Some of these videos are like junk food – easy to consume but with little real value – but some are both entertaining and informative. Roman Scharf of Luxury Bazaar, for instance, was one of the first movers in this space and now over 470,000 subscribers on his YouTube channel that covers the business as well as watches in an engaging way.

The second is more “scholarship”, mostly in the form of guides to various types of watches. Such content gives context to a watch, and also reassures buyers that the watch has been “studied”. The more of a particular type of watch a dealer has to sell, the more likely he or she is to pen a guide for it. Such guides can vary in utility and quality, but even considering the commercial angle, the best of them are useful tools.

As we look back on the year, we take pride in the stories we’ve shared and extend our sincere appreciation to all our readers for their support. As 2024 draws to a close, we revisit some of our standout features, spanning in-depth explorations of complex movements, historical perspectives on timekeeping, and comprehensive reviews of the latest watch releases.

Our founder SJX looked at some of the most significant watches to emerge in 2024, including the record-setting F.P. Journe Tourbillon à Remontoir d’Égalité “15/93” prototype, and the fascinating Patek Philippe ref. 767 grand complication with double split-chronographs (which means triple elapsed time measurement) that was acquired by none other than the Patek Philippe Museum.

Together with David Ichim, he also co-authored a series of stories explaining notable Rolex innovations, including the brand’s most complicated watch, the Sky-Dweller; the instantaneous Day-Date; and the Deepsea with its unparalleled pressure resistance.

Based in Seattle, Brandon Moore nonetheless travelled to Geneva, where he visited the Vacheron Constantin manufacture in Geneva suburb Plan-les-Ouates and the Akrivia workshops in the city’s historic Old Town.

Brandon also managed to visit the Patek Philippe Rare Handcrafts exhibition at the brand’s Geneva Salon, resulting in his photoessay. And in between all that, he pondered the last two decades of the perpetual calendar’s evolution, a span that has arguably given birth to some of the most innovative calendar mechanisms in watchmaking.

A veteran watch journalist who has been following watchmaking since the 1980s, Carlos Torres, delved into the fascinating history of Brazil’s watch clubs, which were set up by retailers to promote fine Swiss watches. Such clubs were arguably the forerunners of modern-day group buys and social media communities, and one of them gave birth to the Patek Philippe Gondolo.

Members of the Patek Philippe club of Gondola & Labouriau

Carlos also explored the history of equation of time (EoT), a historical topic so rich it was a two part story – part I explains the history of the concept, and part II focuses on the evolution of the complication that measures EoT.

An engineer in training at EPFL in Switzerland, David Ichim specialises in the mechanical details. His stories are mostly technically inclined, and highlights include the three-parter detailing the Ulysse Nardin Freak – part I covers its history, part II the pioneering use of silicon, and part III its unique escapement.

Equally notable is his detailed exploration of escapement design in The Geometric Efficiency of Escapements.

Best known for having founded the eponymous auction house, Dr. Helmut Crott is one of the world’s leading experts in vintage timepieces, with a particular love of German watchmaking. His knowledge and love of the topic is encapsulated in his in-depth examination of the flying tourbillon, which was invented by famed Glashütte watchmaker Alfred Helwig.

A watch collector based in Seoul, Jason S. Lee, looked at many of the year’s new releases.

Having been a writer for SJX since the beginning of the year, he also reviewed some notable debuts that are part of his own collection, including the TAG Heuer Carrera Dato “Glassbox” and the Omega Speedmaster “First Omega in Space”.

There were relatively fewer surprises in 2024, perhaps because of the overall slowdown in demand for luxury watches. There were a few big surprises though, including the biggest one of all, the Patek Philippe Cubitus, leaving aside the leak thanks to a premature publication of Fortune magazine. Perhaps even more surprising and even bigger, both figuratively and literally, was the Bugatti Tourbillon, a hypercar inspired by a watch.

Also notable was the fact that there was little unexpected from independent watchmakers, which perhaps underlines the still-robust demand for watches by the indies, which stick to safe bets that are easy to sell.

Here’s a look at our team’s take on the unexpected launches of the year.

Biver Automatique – SJX

The first Biver watch was a carillon minute repeater with tourbillon that was finely finished, inside and out, but it was big, thick, and expensive. The follow-up, in contrast, was almost the opposite.

The Automatique is compact and elegantly wearable, with a clean design that has just the right amount of vintage flavour. The only aspect where the Automatique stays true to its predecessor is in the finishing, which is outstanding, inside and out.

The surprising bit about the Automatique is the movement. For one, it was developed by Dubois Depraz, better known as a maker of chronograph- and perpetual calendar modules mounted on ETA movements. Second, it arguably exceeds the movement of the Carillon Tourbillon in terms of design and decoration.

In fact, the JCB-003 movement has too much finishing for me, particularly the hobnail guilloche on the bridges (that is nonetheless done on a hand-operate straight-line engine). I would have preferred a cleaner surface finish, for instance traditional frosting or striping.

Still, the Automatique stands out as one of the most accomplished time-only watches in recent memory. At about US$80,000 in its basic configuration, the Automatique is pricey but competitive with other comparable watches.

Bugatti Tourbillon – David Ichim

While car enthusiasts had their own full year – from the Ferrari F80 to the Pagani Utopia – one particular supercar piqued the interest of horology enthusiasts, the Bugatti Tourbillon. Apart from the suggestive name, the supercarmaker’s latest creation is equipped with an unexpected feature: a fully-mechanical instrument cluster inspired by watchmaking.

In an unexpected development, Bugatti turned to Swiss movement specialist Concepto for the unique mechanical gauges that look, and function, much like classical clockwork.

The mechanical speedometer and tachometer assembly are comprised of racks, pinions and gears, and even feature jewelled bearings. The needles react swiftly at the automatic gear changes, dropping down or climbing up instantly, almost like retrograde indicators. 

While there is much historical precedent for mechanical gauge clusters built by watchmakers – Jaeger instruments were found in Aston Martins and Jaguars for instance – nothing like this has been accomplished in modern times. The Bugatti Tourbillon is one automotive collaboration no one saw coming, but it left car and watch enthusiasts impressed.

Chanel Couture O’Clock Musical Clock – SJX

Priced at over US$2.7 million – and sold quickly after launch – the Couture O’Clock Musical Clock is whimsical, complex, and extremely elaborate. Very much typical of Chanel’s house style, this is a clock that incorporates a music box and automaton. The music box plays a tune that was reputedly a favourite of Coco Chanel, while the automaton is a carousel with dancing mannequins.

Made largely by hand, the clock is decorated with diamonds, as well as 245 pieces of onyx inlaid into the base to form Chanel’s trademark quilted pattern. Even the key that winds the clock is precious: the key is solid 18k gold and matched with an 18k gold chain that together are set with over 350 diamonds totalling some 14 carats.

F.P. Journe Élégante “Gino’s Dream” – SJX

The latest Élégante is atypical of F.P. Journe. In fact, it’s the only F.P. Journe watch I know of with in “rainbow” colours. And the rainbow on the bezel isn’t even precious – the “gemstones” are actually glass-ceramic composite.

But understanding that this pair of watches were made to remember Gino Cukrowicz (1959-2021), François-Paul Journe’s longtime friend and business partner, then the watches make sense. Cukrowicz was as colourful as the watches, while being instrumental in F.P. Journe as one of the founding investors in the company. So the watches may seem unorthodox for the brand, but they actually capture its history perfectly.

Patek Philippe Cubitus – SJX

The Cubitus was one of the most discussed watches of the year, and also quite unexpected. Conceived as the new entry-level Patek Philippe model, the Cubitus is essentially a squared-off Nautilus.

While neither imaginative nor radical, the Cubitus is executed well in typical Patek Philippe fashion. The finishing of the case and bracelet are excellent, and the movement is high-quality, albeit industrial high horology.

Personally, I like the Cubitus design, especially its case dimensions that some criticise as too big. The 45 mm diameter gives it a big footprint on the wrist, but the case is impressively thin, which gives the watch a surprisingly elegant profile. The time-only ref. 5821 is only 8.3 mm high, which is very, very thin, especially in comparison to the diameter.

In my opinion, the fundamental weakness of the Cubitus is nothing intrinsic to the watch, but the price. The base model in steel costs just over US$41,000, which is a lot for a steel watch. This inaccessibility is a problem, both for Patek Philippe and the broader luxury goods industry, though it hasn’t truly affected bottom lines yet.

Rolex Perpetual 1908 in platinum – David Ichim

The Perpetual 1908 launched last year was warmly welcomed, with the sole criticism that the monochromatic dials felt a little bland. This year Rolex did the unexpected move and introduced the 1908 in platinum (ref. 52506), a wholly new take on the newly-minted model sporting a true guilloché dial.

While no stranger to exotic and artisanal dials, traditional engine-turning is a novelty for Rolex. The result is nothing short of remarkable.

The vibrant, “ice blue” dial with a “rice grain” guilloche works well with the stylised Breguet hands and applied numerals. For a brand that’s famous for hard-wearing tool watches, it looks like Rolex also found a winning recipe for the dress watch, blending tradition with modern design sensibilities.

Behind the engine-turned dial is the cal. 7140 — arguably the brand’s first serious attempt at an aesthetically-oriented movement.

While the decoration is clearly done by machine, the quality and consistency is laudable. Though it’s been dressed up, the cal. 7140 stays true to the Rolex focus on timekeeping, and the movement retains the high-performance features typical of Rolex.

Many of the year’s most notable watches were expensive, especially complications and independent watchmaking, but there were still a few standouts at the affordable end of the price spectrum. Some relied on familiar formulas, like the Grand Seiko SLGW005 or Tudor Black Bay 58 GMT, while others like the Louis Erard Vianney Halter collaboration were unexpected.

Here’s our team’s take on the year’s best watches under US$10,000.

Albishorn Type 10 Chronograph — David Ichim

A great debut from the recently-established micro brand is the Type 10 Chronograph. Albishorn’s tagline is “imaginary vintage” — drawing inspiration from actual vintage watches, but reimagined with an entirely novel composition, resulting in watches that are highly suggestive of an era without actually being remakes.

The Type 10 Chronograph exemplifies this philosophy. The hands, typeface, bezel, and slim lugs pay homage to mid-century aviator chronographs from the likes of Airain, Breguet, and Heuer. The unusual arrangement of the chronograph display however makes it entirely unique. 

Inside is a heavily reworked 7750-derived movement, that is positioned unconventionally, leading to the unusual crown and pusher arrangement along with the unorthodox chronograph layout. The manually-wound movement is also C.O.S.C certified and incorporates a chronograph-function indicator.

In fact, the calibre is arguably more than just heavily reworked, amongst other things, it has shorter pinions than a 7750, allowing it to be thinner while requiring assembly by hand. This reflects the technical talent of Albishorn founder Sébastien Chaulmontet, who was head of innovation at La Joux-Perret and then Sellita.

At a bit over US$4,000, the Type 10 is an appealing proposition. 

Grand Seiko 45GS Re-creation SLGW005 – Brandon Moore

The launch of the manually wound, high-beat cal. 9SA4 was one of the highlights of Watches & Wonders for me, and I immediately liked the watch in which it debuted, the “Birch Bark” SLGW003. And I still like that watch, just not as much as I like the vintage-inspired SLGW005 that debuted a few months later, which in my view is one of the most compelling vintage remakes on the market from any brand. And it’s priced a little under US$10,000, which is good value considering the movement.

The SLGW005 is appealing because it delivers on the promise of the original 45GS from 1968, which also contained a manually wound, high-beat movement that ticked at 5 Hz. While Grand Seiko has made 5 Hz movements for years, the cal. 9SA4 is a step up sophistication and performance, featuring an overcoil hairspring, a free-sprung balance, and a proprietary escapement that helps boost the power reserve to 80 hours, in conjunction with twin mainspring barrels.

Among the many mechanical movements produced by Grand Seiko today, the cal. 9SA4 is, in my view, the one that best embodies the spirit of innovation that led Grand Seiko to success in the 1960s and 1970s.

The cal. 9SA4, seen here in the SLGW003

In the SLGW005, that excellent, modern movement is combined with a faithful vintage remake. The vintage elements are nicely done, particularly the font choice for “HI-BEAT” and “36000”, which look a lot better than the painfully plain font choice used for the equivalent markings on the SLGW003. Even the Daini Seikosha lightning bolt symbol is present, lending the watch an extra bit of historical flair.

Louis Erard Le Régulateur Vianney Halter II – SJX

Louis Erard has been rolling out collaborations with independent watchmakers for a long time now, so there are many of them on the market. The second edition of the Vianney Halter regulator, however, stands out as the best collaboration to date.

Not only does it capture the look and feel of the Antiqua perpetual calendar at a modest price, but it is also unique amongst Louis Erard’s collaborations. While most of its past collabs employed the stock case and movement, with only a dial swap, the Vianney Halter II has a case, bezel, back, crown, and dial that are unique – all for a little under US$5,000, or about 10% more than past collaborations.

The detail on the bezel, crown, and dial are impressive for the price, especially in how they manage to replicate the look of the Antiqua. The bezel has gold-plated rivets, while the applied chapter rings on the dial have mirrored edges.

Like all Louis Erard regulator models, this suffers from a large and thick case due to the movement, but it is forgivable given the price.

Tudor Black Bay 58 GMT – Brandon Moore

It’s easy to understand the appeal of the Tudor Black Bay 58 GMT. The design is popular, the compact case fits most wrists well, and the movement is among the best in its class in terms of both its performance and its functionality, offering an independently adjustable hour hand for easy adjustments when crossing time zones.

Furthermore, it benefits from Tudor’s relationship to its parent company, Rolex, enabling it to lean in to the vintage GMT-Master aesthetic without coming off as a copy. It’s a difficult balancing act to pull off, but it works. And if that weren’t enough, the price is right, with the version on the bracelet priced at US$4,600, which arguably makes the BB58 GMT the best value amongst dual-time watches in this price segment.

Omega Speedmaster “First Omega in Space” – Jason Lee

The Speedmaster “First Omega in Space” (FOiS) offers a range of features that will appeal to enthusiasts, including a vintage-inspired “soleil” dial and the latest-generation Moonwatch cal. 3861.

While it does share the design of the original FOiS, and of course it’s a remake of the vintage CK 2998, the latest FOiS is an entirely distinct watch that’s arguably the ideal fusion of classic and contemporary.

Unfortunately, the FOiS also features prominently pronounced faux-vintage lume, which is inevitably controversial. However, it harmonises well with the dial’s blue-grey colour.

Lume aside, the FOiS excels in most tangible aspects, which makes its US$7,900 retail price on a bracelet (and a bit less on a strap) a good value proportion.

Perhaps echoing the paucity of highlights in indie watchmaking, the best complications of 2024 were not numerous, but those that stood out were outstanding. Vacheron Constantin, for instance, unveiled the most complicated watch ever, while Bovet solved the longstanding problem of summer time across continents in an enormous (and enormously expensive) wristwatch.

Here’s the team’s take on the best complications of the year.

A. Lange & Söhne Datograph Handwerkskunst – Brandon Moore

The iconic Datograph turned 25 this year, and collectors were treated to three different limited edition variants to mark the occasion.

We were first introduced to the Datograph Perpetual Tourbillon Honeygold “Lumen” and the Datograph Up/Down 25th Anniversary at Watches & Wonders, but Lange was arguably saving the best for last: the first Datograph to receive the brand’s artisanal Handwerkskunst treatment.

Featuring a hand-engraved tremblage dial and limited to just 25 pieces, the Datograph Handwerkskunst is a fitting way to celebrate a quarter-century of being best-in-class. While not particularly creative, this very-limited edition captures both the magic of Lange and its Datograph perfectly.

Bovet Récital 28 Prowess 1 – SJX

The introduction to our story on the watch sums it up best:

“The Bovet Récital 28 Prowess 1 is an ingenious solution to an age-old problem: accounting for daylight saving time (also known as summer time) in a multi-timezone wristwatch… the solution is extraordinarily complicated, requiring two dozen rollers and many more gears and springs.”

The 24 rollers, each with four positions, inside the Recital 28 allow it to switch between summer and winter time across continents, a first in watchmaking.

However, that results in a movement that is almost impractically large, explaining the 46 mm by 18 mm case. Wearability aside, the Recital 28 is an impressive technical achievement, especially since it largely an in-house development.

In fact, the movement has a part count of over 700, putting it in grand complication territory. In other words, it is an extraordinary complex answer to a simple question – but one that could not have been solved any other way.

IWC Portugieser Eternal Calendar – David Ichim

It was a full year for IWC, which debuted an entirely updated Portugieser collection. Among the numerous new Portugieser models, one stood out: the Portugieser Eternal Calendar.

The watch boasts two exceptional complications — an “eternal” calendar (which stays correct, without adjustments, for at least 400 years, unlike a conventional perpetual calendar that needs to be reset by a watchmaker during the same period) and the most precise mechanical moon phase.

Building upon Kurt Klaus’ calendar module that’s now an IWC signature, the watchmakers from Schaffhausen added a clever system that tracks the centuries to create the “eternal” calendar, while adding a complex gearing ratio for the moon phase display, making it accurate to a day in 45 million years. 

The watch itself is a modest departure from the traditional Portugieser design that installs a glass dial on the front and sapphire bridges in the movement. This gives the watch a more modern look but it still remains elegant at its core, albeit with a large case. The only gripe with the Eternal Calendar is the price, which is high despite the added complexity. 

Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Chronograph in pink gold – David Ichim

The history of Jaeger-LeCoultre (JLC) is marked by notable movements in great watches – not all of which were branded JLC.

One of those movements, however, was in a JLC watch. The cal. 829 from 1995 was a rectangular chronograph movement for the Reverso. The original was a limited run of 500 pieces, but last year JLC brought the movement back into production as the cal. 860. The new calibre was gently updated but largely similar to the original.

This year the brand launched the Reverso Tribute Chronograph in 18k pink gold, with both the famous case as well as the movement plate and bridges fashioned out of the precious metal. This calls to mind special Reverso models from the 1990s, which also featured solid gold movements. Admittedly, this watch is not wholly new, but it is particularly appealing.

The only element missing in the Tribute chronograph are the chronograph-function indicator and date, both of which were found on the 1995 model and added to the movement’s uniqueness. Nevertheless, the watch is appealing, especially with the striped dial and solid gold movement (though the high price is a challenge).

Piaget Altiplano Ultimate Concept Tourbillon – Brandon Moore

The Altiplano Ultimate Concept Tourbillon is a record-breaking watch, being the thinnest tourbillon ever made. Does that matter? Not really. At the rate that records are falling for slimness, its record will surely fall eventually. It’s equally certain that when a slimmer tourbillon is created, it will win by an insignificant margin; the difference will be measured by the tenths of a millimetre, at most.

The records don’t matter, because what makes the AUC Tourbillon special is the remarkable cohesion of its build quality and design, which work together to create an almost miraculous wearing experience that is unlike anything else. Though thinner than a five-franc coin, it manages to look and feel quite robust thanks to its novel materials, like a cobalt-alloy case. If that weren’t enough, it beats at a sporty 4 Hz, and is water resistant to 20 m, meaning it’s actually usable as a watch.

And best of all, it looks like a conventional watch with a round case and crown at three, avoiding a pitfall common to other record-setting ultra-thin watches that have to contort themselves into shapes resembling a credit card or biscuit.

Vacheron Constantin “The Berkley” – Brandon Moore

The creation of a watch like “The Berkley” is not something that happens every year. Though monstrously large, The Berkley is the most complicated watch ever made, surpassing its sister watch, the Reference 57260 that made for the same American collector almost a decade ago.

Among The Berkley’s 63 complications, the most significant is the perpetual Chinese calendar, which is a world first. While it’s said to be extremely complicated to set, the large size provides plenty of space for the various indicators, making it surprisingly legible and elegant for a watch of such complexity.

As an achievement, it rivals historical masterpieces like the Breguet Marie Antoinette and Patek Philippe Calibre 89. And The Berkley perhaps hints at what’s in store for Vacheron Constantin’s 270th anniversary in 2025.

Independent watchmaking continued its hot streak in 2024, with interest and demand for this niche segment holding up better amidst an industry-wide slowdown. But surprisingly – or unsurprisingly depending on how you look at it – there were relatively few outstanding new creations from the indies.

A handful, however, did stand out. We look at the team’s highlights of the year, which range from Konstantin Chaykin’s thinnest-watch-ever to the debut by Swiss-based Japanese watchmaker Takahiro Aigaki.

Aigaki Direct-Impulse Tourbillon – Brandon Moore

I still remember the moment I stumbled across Takahiko Aigaki’s Instagram profile earlier this year, because the close-up image of the tourbillon cage made me do a double take.

Sure, it was well finished, but in 2024 good finishing no longer provides the competitive advantage it once did; the top end of the market is just too competitive. No, what struck me was the unusual double direct-impulse escapement.

When the Direct-Impulse Tourbillon was finally revealed, it was worth the wait. While arguably a bit plain on the outside, the movement exhibits a degree of grace and technicality that is still quite rare. The watch is truly a sleeper, in the sense that the case and dial reveal little of the horological magic within.

Daniel Roth Tourbillon – Brandon Moore

It’s counterintuitive to be writing about the launch of the Daniel Roth brand in 2024, considering the man himself was one of the seminal independent watchmakers in the late 1980s.

But after a couple tumultuous decades, during which time the Daniel Roth name largely disappeared, the brand has found a new home within the LVMH stable, and is poised to be a major beneficiary of the group’s renewed focus on fine watchmaking.

The regular production tourbillon (left), and the souscription edition

First launched in a 20-piece souscription edition in yellow gold, the Tourbillon collection now includes a standard production model in rose gold. Aesthetically, the watch succeeds in its resemblance to early Daniel Roth tourbillons, with a few tweaks to details like the lugs.

But despite the visual similarity, the movement is completely new. Early Roth tourbillons were built on an off-the-shelf Lemania ebauche, coincidentally designed by Daniel Roth himself during his tenure at Breguet. In contrast, the new DR001 movement is produced by Louis Vuitton subsidiary La Fabrique du Temps (LFT) and features improved finishing and a pleasing form that perfectly fits the iconic double ellipse case.

Greubel Forsey Nano Foudroyante EWT – David Ichim

Greubel Forsey’s big moment of 2024 came with the introduction of the Nano Foudroyante EWT. A first for the brand, the chronograph is almost dwarfed by the flying tourbillon regulator that has a foudroyante hand fixed to the rotating cage. The foudroyante hand continuously makes one rotation every second alongside the one-minute revolution of the tourbillon carriage.

Despite its lightning-fast speed, the seconds hand barely registers in terms of mainspring energy consumption (thus leaving chronometry unaffected) as it requires energy in the order of nanoJoules. 

The timepiece also marks the 20th anniversary of the brand, but more importantly it suggests the innovative manufacture has returned to its original motivation of making chronometrical pieces defined by advanced mechanics and high finish.

The movement bears all the trademarks of a Greubel Forsey calibre — inventive architecture and on-point finishing to the smallest detail. The future looks bright for the independent watchmaker, which seems again ready to experiment with new concepts and complications.

Konstantin Chaykin ThinKing – David Ichim

One of the year’s most surprising creations by an independent was without a doubt Konstantin Chaykin’s ThinKing, an ultra-thin timepiece that measures just 1.65 mm in thickness. The watch comes as a surprise because it beats establishment powerhouses in ultra-thin mechanical watchmaking like Bulgari and Richard Mille.

In building the ThinKing, Chaykin heavily reworked basic watch components, from the stripped-down barrel to a regulator with the hairspring and flywheel fixed on different axis.

Beyond the audacious concept, the work must have been tremendous, given the fact that Konstantin Chaykin is a small independent manufacture without access to a large-scale research and development facility (or help from an external specialist).

The ThinKing manages to also touch on some aesthetic sensibilities — the regulator-style time display along with the engraved brand name make up a grinning face, a recurring motif in Chaykin’s Wristmon collection. 

Ulysse Nardin Freak S Nomad – Jason Lee

The Freak S Nomad is the first Freak to unite artisanal craft with its forward-thinking movement in a successful blend of tradition and high-tech. It features a hand-engraved guilloché dial that, in a unique twist, also serves as the barrel cover for the unconventional movement architecture.

Building on the Freak S introduced two years ago, the Nomad adopts a more subdued colour palette and introduces texture and depth with the engine-turned dial. Although the Nomad retains the underlying mechanics of the original, the aesthetic updates — most notably the rotating guilloche dial — lend the watch a sportier character that complements the design.

Not only does the Freak S have most of the movement mounted on a rotating carousel, it’s upgraded with twin inclined balance wheels in silicon, underlining the original Freak’s pioneering use of silicon.

Voutilainen Tourbillon 20^th Anniversary – SJX

The anniversary tourbillon captures the greatness of Voutilainen – exceptional quality and consistency. Every element is executed well, and it’s not particularly surprising or imaginative, the watch is greater than the sum of its parts. And as expected for Voutilainen, the tourbillon is priced reasonably for what it is.

Zoom into the watch, front and back, and the quality of work is apparent. The guilloche on the dial is tidy and refined, while the hands are clearly hand made yet almost perfect. While the dial designs on some of the prototypes were not to my taste, Voutilainen offers extensive dial customisation, which is another of the brand’s key strengths and something that many clients particularly enjoy (perhaps sometimes too much).

The movement is equally well done, a feat that is perhaps even more impressive given that few other makers can achieve this quality at Voutilainen’s scale. Not only is the finishing and construction excellent, Voutilainen also offers several finishing styles for its movements, again demonstrating the brand’s strength.

It is traditional in almost all respects, from finishing to construction, illustrating Voutilainen’s preference for old-school watchmaking. Mr Voutilainen doesn’t try too hard to be different or radical, but instead focuses on doing a few things very, very well.

More broadly, the watch also encapsulates the strength of the business that Kari Voutilainen has built, which now includes a dedicated guilloche building. The breath and expertise across its workshops enable Voutilainen to create the kind of quality found in the tourbillon, and at scale. This is both amusing and ironic given that Mr Voutilainen told me he dreamed of selling two or three watches a year when he first started out on his own.

Over the last decade, metal alloy hairsprings seem to fallen out of favour across watchmaking, with even conservative, haute horlogerie brands like Breguet and Patek Philippe turning to silicon balance springs. Not to mention large-scale makers of sporty watches like Omega and Tudor, which already transitioned to silicon balance springs.

Rolex, however, stands out. The Geneva marque continues to employ a hairspring fabricated of its proprietary blue alloy – the Parachrom hairspring.

The Parachrom hairspring inside the cal. 4131 of the Cosmograph Daytona

The advantages of alloy

The use of blue Parachrom is rooted in the simple fact that the right metal alloy boasts performance that is at least on par with its silicon counterpart – while offering some distinct advantages missing in silicon.

Alloy hairsprings are traditionally made of Nivarox (and its family of related alloys), a special alloy that neither oxidises nor change its dimensions with variations in temperature. Invented in 1933 and almost a century old, Nivarox is a mix of nickel and iron, making it a ferromagnetic alloy, thus susceptible to influence from magnetic fields. 

The cal. 3255 of the Day-Date 40 is equipped with a Parachrom hairspring. Image – Rolex

In order to make its hairsprings more resistant to magnetism and to bypass the Swatch-imposed monopoly on Nivarox hairsprings (Nivarox-FAR being one of the key companies of Swatch Group), Rolex set out to develop its own hairspring alloy in the early 2000s.

This resulted in Parachrom, a patented alloy of niobium and zirconium (Nb-Zr), with traces of titanium, vanadium and tantalum, that boasts excellent paramagnetic properties. Formulating a hairspring alloy from the ground up posed its own unexpected challenges, like an increased “shift” in the hairspring frequency as well as the need for innovative heat treatment.

A classic Nivarox hairspring produced by Precision Engineering found in the Laurent Ferrier Galet Micro Rotor

Frequency shift

Well known to watchmakers is the phenomenon known as frequency shift. Over time, metal hairsprings shift their natural frequencies due to slow, gradual changes at a molecular level. The shift of an untreated ferromagnetic hairspring can result in a 10-second daily variation after just one year.

This is caused in part by the manufacturing process, like rolling and coiling, all of which cause a permanent plastic deformation, leaving the molecular structure of the alloy if ever so slightly disturbed. Molecules are “dislodged” during the processes, then tend to slowly diffuse and return to their equilibrium position over time, which results in changes to the Young’s modulus of the spiral, or simply put, its elasticity and flexibility. This causes the shift in the frequency of the spring. 

The solution takes the form of heat treatments for rolled hairsprings, which basically speeds up the diffusion of the “dislodged” molecules and “locks” the particles in place. Such treatments can drastically lower frequency shift to under a second’s deviation after one year. 

During the development of Parachrom (Nb-Zr), the frequency shift phenomenon was discovered to be even more accentuated compared to conventional hairspring alloy. Moreover, conventional heat treatments proved largely ineffective in solving the problem. The shift rate of an untreated Nb-Zr hairsprings is plotted in Fig I, which is adapted from US patent US6503341B2 filed by Rolex in 2001.

Fig. I – Frequency shift rate for untreated Nb-Zr hairsprings. Source – Patent US6503341B2

Alternative treatments 

Rolex engineers surmised that molecular defects alone could not have been responsible for the high rate of frequency shift, and deduced there was another factor at play, namely oxidisation. Nivarox alloys are intrinsically resistant to oxidisation in normal conditions of room temperature and ambient air interaction, and the oxygen in the atmosphere does not bind to the metal.

Nb-Zr alloys, however, are susceptible to developing a thin oxide film over their surface over time, which binds to the alloy. The layer itself is minuscule (a few nanometers at most) but it forms inconsistently and changes over time, resulting in variations in the spring’s restoring torque, thus altering its frequency.

The solution for this unexpected issue render Parachrom hairsprings unique in the industry. In order to prevent the metal from oxidising, the raw hairsprings are coated with a protective layer through an anodising process.

The Parachrom hairspring in a cal. 3230. Image – Rolex

Anodising is a classic electrolytic passivation process used for coating certain metals with a regular oxide layer. In doing so, it guarantees that the metal will not corrode or further oxidise on its own, as the coating forcibly binds oxygen to the metal. During the electrolysis-like process the oxide layer’s thickness can be finely tuned to very precise tolerances. The metal mostly associated with anodising treatments is aluminium. For example, aluminium watch bezels are anodised in order to make them more wear and corrosion resistant.   

Rolex discovered the anodising process was perfectly suited to its very specific need: the forced oxide layer on Parachrom is uniform, with the layer’s thickness easily adjusted. The oxide layer has a set thickness of approximatively 50 nanometers.

Moreover, the layer doesn’t interfere with the alloy’s molecular structure and is perfectly reproducible over large batches, making it advantageous for mass production. However, this additional step of coating is not required for ferromagnetic alloy springs (like those in Nivarox), which adds to the cost and complexity of the Parachrom hairspring. 

The cal. 4131 found in the current generation Cosmograph Daytona features a Parachrom hairspring. Image – Rolex

Anodising gives Parachrom hairsprings their trademark blue hue, explaining why the material was originally referred to as “Parachrom bleu”. The colour can actually be varied by changing the voltage during the electrolytic process. Early Parachrom hairspring prototypes had greenish hues, before the process was ultimately perfected.

After the anodising process, the hairsprings also pass through an oven for heat treatment at about 200°C, which takes care of the basic molecular imbalance. The end result can be observed in Fig. II, which shows the daily variation of the treated hairsprings caused by residual frequency shift over time. The results ignore position or escapement-induced deviations, and only consider the natural frequency shift phenomenon.

Fig. II – Frequency shift for a fully treated Parachrom spring and a heat-treated-only Nb-Zr spring. Source – Patent US6503341B2

The graph shows two plots: the blue line represents an anodised and heat-treated hairspring, while the red line represents the shift for a hairspring that is only heat-treated and without anodisation. For a fully treated hairspring (namely anodised and heated) the shift is very close to nil and in fact, the result implies the hairspring is self-compensating. Comparatively, the spring that is only heat-treated still exhibits a noticeable shift after just a month.

Ironically, the high-tech nature of Parachrom has an uncanny historical parallel: the colour of Parachrom hairsprings is reminiscent of the traditional heat-blued hairsprings found in high-grade chronometer watches of the 19th and 20th centuries that were a discreet mark of quality, just as the proprietary alloy is today.

A 1920s Patek Philippe observatory chronometer pocket watch with a heat-blued hairspring

The silicon comparison

From its inception, Parachrom was meant to diminish a movement’s susceptibility to magnetic influence. The niobium-zirconium alloy is indeed highly resistant to magnetic fields, but it is not quite as impervious as silicon, which is akin to glass.

Silicon hairsprings possesses several other advantages, including being easier to manufacture, allowing them to be conveniently shaped into inherently isochronous geometries. So why does Rolex still rely on the costly Parachrom alloy hairspring, when it could comfortably pivot to silicon hairsprings across its stable of movements?

The Rolex Syloxi silicon hairspring in cal. 7140 of the Perpetual 1908

The answer arguably lies in robustness and timelessness.

A silicon hairspring is more prone to breaking when subjected to strong shocks, which is unsurprising given the brittle nature of the material. In fact, a silicon hairspring can be snapped in two by pulling it apart vertically, which can happen with a careless watchmaker.

Once broken, a silicon hairspring requires replacing as silicon cannot be mended. With the large-scale production of perfectly-formed silicon hairsprings, replacement is not a problem today, but who can tell if this availability will continue into the distant future?

In contrast, an alloy hairspring would just bend slightly on impact, which can be easily undone by a skilled watchmaker. Even a badly deformed alloy hairspring can be fixed, albeit by a much, much more skilled watchmaker, and at considerable time and expense.

A Parachrom hairspring fitted to a variable inertia balance with Microstella regulating weights. Image – Rolex

Equally, Rolex appears philosophically inclined towards classical watchmaking. If anything, the brand has gone further in this direction in recent years, as exemplified by guilloche dials and display backs for decorated movements. With its blue sheen and Breguet overcoil, the Parachrom hairspring evokes traditional chronometers and hints at a bygone era of precision timekeeping, which complements the Rolex philosophy.

Unique in watchmaking and expensive to develop, Parachrom is also a safe bet, especially compared with alternatives that might prove problematic on the long run – this chimes with the generally conservative and prudent approach of Rolex.

To date, Parachrom has proven its worth, being undoubtedly essential to the impressively tight -2/+2 seconds daily variation dictated by the Rolex Superlative Chronometer certification that’s now standard across the Rolex catalogue. Parachrom has shown itself to perform at least as well as silicon, and perhaps better in some respects, which should assure its position in Rolex movements for a long time to come.

As this year is coming to a close, it becomes apparent that a leitmotif of 2024 were artisanal dials ranging from hand-engraved, enamelled or even silk-inlaid. Louis Vuitton now takes its turn with the Escale Platinum Guilloché and Grand Feu Enamel, a simple, three-hand watch endowed with a complex and impressive dial made by hand.

Initial thoughts

Perhaps reflecting Louis Vuitton’s emphasis on haute horlogerie and independent watchmaking, the new Escale feels more like something from an independent maker, rather than a timepiece made by a luxury giant. This kind of artisan-oriented creation reiterates Louis Vuitton’s focus on horological craft, which is also the motivation behind the Louis Vuitton Watch Prize for Independent Creatives.

The deep blue sector-style dial feels organic thanks to the radial guilloché under translucent enamel. Beyond the artisanal nature of the dial, the design is thoughtful, with its proportions giving the face a classical composition.

The brushed chapter ring with milled dots for markers evokes the minute tracks found in 19th century Breguet pocket watches. The classical styling is combined with Louis Vuitton’s own design cues like the faux rivets on the case band), which makes for a surprisingly pleasant combination.  

A dial crafted by four artisans

The complexity of the dial stems from different finishing techniques being combined to produce a seemingly simple design with a mesmerising effect. Each dial is crafted by four artisans, each a specialist in a different craft. 

The dial blank start out as a white gold disc, which is milled to form a raised lip that serves as a border for the enamel. The milled disc then pass through the hands of the guillocheur, who engraves the blank with a deep, wavy motif with a traditional rose engine.

An enameller then takes over, painting the central sector with powdered coloured glass mixed with water and oil. The process is especially difficult since the mixture needs to be just right in order to ensure the layer is translucent. The technique of enamelling over guilloche is also known as flinque.

At the same time, the enameller applies a layer of counter-enamel to the reverse of the dial plate, which is not visible except to the watchmaker assembling the watch. The technique of counter-enamelling is used to preserve the dial plate’s geometry and flatness during the firing process.

As the enamel melts and binds to the soft gold plate, it can cause the metal surface to slightly contract, warping the plate. Applying a layer on the reverse assures the stress on the metal is evenly distributed on the front and back surfaces.

The dial plate then undergoes multiple firings in an oven at temperatures of over 800° C. This melts the enamel paint onto the dial plate, creating grand feu enamel and a blue-tinted translucent layer over the engine-turned dial.

At this point the dial is all but finished, with only the chapter ring and applied indices remaining. This is where things deviate a little from tradition.

The four baton indices at the quarters extend over the metal lip and onto the enamelled surface. This is a rarity in watchmaking as riveted hour indices on a fired enamel dial are extremely challenging to pull off.

Each marker needs to be anchored to the enamel in some manner, but this runs counter to the fragile, glass-like nature of enamel, which makes it impossible to drill conventional holes to to secure the indices. The solution devised by Louis Vuitton to employ a laser to cut three holes per marker, allowing the feet of each baton index  to be perfectly secured to the dial. 

The hands are simple and made of polished 18k white gold, with the exception of the seconds hand, which is in titanium with the goal of reducing its inertia — or so argue Louis Vuitton’s engineers. Personally I find the choice a bit curious, since the impact of a thin, well poised seconds hand on a movement’s performance is close to negligible, regardless of the material.

A fitting movement

Behind the dial lies the LFT023, a micro-rotor movement created by specialist Le Circle des Horlogers in partnership with Louis Vuitton La Fabrique du Temps (LFT). It’s a 4 Hz movement with 50 hours of power reserve. The LFT023 is also tested and certified as a chronometer by the Geneva Observatory — an uncommon feature even amongst movements made in Geneva.

While the caliber is not particularly sophisticated (apart from the micro-rotor winding system), the finishing is well done and has some appealing, unique touches.

The bridges have a granular, sand-blasted finish, with raised and polished borders. The movement is impressively monochromatic, with clear jewels and rhodium-plated going train. The only contrasting element is the engraved, 22k gold micro rotor and relief gilt lettering (naturally presented in the angular Louis Vuitton typeface). All in all, the LFT023 doesn’t look much like a traditional movement, but has an undeniable chic quality.

The new Escale employs the longstanding case of the model. Here it is 39 mm and platinum, with a brushed case middle  that features rivet-like embellishments for the polished lugs, which are meant to evoke the brass corners of Louis Vuitton’s famous trunks.

Key specs and price

Louis Vuitton Escale Platinum Guilloché and Grand Feu Enamel Dial
Ref. W3Pt21

Diameter: 39 mm
Height: 8.97mm
Material: Platinum
Crystal: Sapphire
Water resistance: 50 m

Movement: LFT023
Features: Hours, minutes, and seconds
Frequency: 28,800 beats per hour (4 Hz)
Winding: Automatic
Power reserve: 50 hours

Strap: Leather with pin buckle

Limited edition: 50 pieces 
Availability: At Louis Vuitton boutiques
Price: €75,000 excluding taxes

For more, visit Louisvuitton.com.

As Urwerk has matured as a brand, its products have evolved to become more wearable. The recently launched UR-150 Scorpion embodies this evolution. The UR-150 incorporates the familiar Urwerk time display – but with a retrograde twist – but in a sleeker, curved case that hugs the wrist.

Initial thoughts

The UR-150 continues the emphasis on wearability established by the compact UR-100. The UR-150 is bigger and bolder, but despite its size, the curved case profile allows it to sit well on the wrist. This contrasts with many of Urwerk’s past models, which tended to have wide, flat case backs that were less ergonomic.

The curved case also looks good, especially since it continues the line of the domed sapphire crystal. This design moderates the hyper-mechanical aesthetic of many Urwerk models, leaving the UR-150 a little more elegant, albeit in a war machine-like way.

In some ways, the UR-150 seems descended from the UR-100. It has a similar tonneau shape, but more streamlined. And it has the signature satellite disc wandering hours, but enhanced with a retrograde minute hand (that’s no doubt borrowed from the UR-210/220/230).

The combination of the retrograde minutes with the satellite disc display is notable for Urwerk as the brand historically kept this time display on its simpler watches, while the top-of-the-line satellite cube display was accompanied by the retrograde indicator. This leaves the UR-150 as something of a bridge between two distinct lines of the brand.

The in-between position of the UR-150 is underlined by the price, which is in-between the UR-100 and UR-220. It’s priced fairly relative to other Urwerk models, but the added retrograde minutes might not be enough of a difference for the casual buyer, who is probably best served by the entry-level UR-100.

While the UR-150 is appealing intrinsically, it does create overlap and thus confusion in the Urwerk model line. This is something faced by all watch brands that mature and grow their offerings, but given the highly-technical nature of Urwerk’s creations, the overlap might diminish the appeal of the higher-end models.

Tonneau spaceship

The UR-150 is essentially an extra-large tonneau-shaped watch. The case measures 42.49 mm by 52.3 1mm and stands 14.79 mm, so it is large, but not crazily so by Urwerk standards.

As is often the case with Urwerk, the case is in a combination of metals, steel on the front and titanium for the back. It is not too heavy (but nowhere near as lightweight as the composite UR-230 Polaris), though I imagine an all-gold version would be unwieldy.

The UR-150 makes its debut in two versions, Titan that is finished in dark grey, and Dark that is almost black. I prefer Titan as the lighter shade shows off the case details better.

The UR-150 Titan is accented in green. Image – Urwerk

The sleek form of the case sets this apart from most Urwerk watches, and it also reflects the tremendous advances that Urwerk has made with its case production techniques. The case is not only beautifully curved, but also sports details like bevelled edges (that are milled of course).

Like the UR-100, the UR-150 has a conventional round dial. But the time display under the highly domed crystal is anything but conventional. Three discs form the wandering hours mechanism, while the minutes are indicated by a red-tipped retrograde hand.

Urwerk added a retrograde minutes to the satellite cube display some two decades ago, and the complication has been refined over the years. Here the retrograde scale is unusually wide, spanning almost 240 degrees, or about two-thirds of the dial circumference.

The dial is generously lumed. Image – Urwerk

Besides the aesthetic appealing of the wide minute scale, the mechanism is slightly more difficult to execute than a conventional retrograde indicator with an acute angle scale so it’s a nice tough.

Both the retrograde hand and carousel that carries the discs are open worked to reveal the mechanics below. Although there are only a handful of parts visible, there is still quite a lot to see, reflecting the complexity of the hour-and-minute display. Amongst other things, the retrograde employs a spring to drive its motion and a flywheel to regulate the speed of the jump.

“We have designed a new satellite complication system… based around a flying wheel and pinion positioned between the satellites and the base movement… [that] deciphers and follows the ‘guiding thread’ of a cam,” explains Urwerk cofounder Felix Baumgartner, “This necessitated developing a spring so special that we needed to machine it in our own workshop. To make this burst of movement more visible, we have doubled the usual distance between the 60 and 0 markers.”

The disassembled display module. Image – Urwerk

The view from the back is complex as well. The open back reveals the automatic winding mechanism with “twin turbines”, basically a pair of gears that regulate the speed of the rotor to optimise winding, at least in theory. While I am unsure if the turbines genuinely enhance winding, they are perfect complements for a watch like this.

While I do like embellishments like the turbines that have some mechanical aspect to them, I would like to do away with the purely stylistic add-ons. These include the Urwerk logo embossed on the lower right nut of the case, and also the “set time” label engraved just under the crown.

Key facts and price

Urwerk UR-150 Scorpion

Case dimensions: 42.49 mm by 52.3 1mm
Height: 14.79 mm
Material: Steel and titanium
Crystal: Sapphire
Water resistance: 30 m

Movement: UR-50.01
Features: Satellite hours, minutes
Frequency: 28,800 beats per hour (4 Hz)
Winding: Automatic
Power reserve: 43 hours

Strap: Rubber strap

Limited edition: 50 pieces each for Titan and Dark
Availability: Now at Urwerk retailers
Price: CHF88,000 for Titan, CHF89,000 for Dark (excluding taxes)

For more, visit Urwerk.com.

Bovet’s latest creation, the Récital 21, is a perpetual calendar with retrograde date presented in a modern style. The large, 44.4 mm titanium case contains tinted sapphire dial that reveals the calendar mechanism with twist: the retrograde date hand is damped so it gradually returns to the origin rather than jumping instantaneously.

Initial thoughts

Bovet is best known for its large complications, some of which are elaborately and intricately styled. The Récital 21 is classic Bovet, but in a slightly more approachable format. It’s a complicated watch but in a more contemporary package, especially with the sapphire dial and luminous markings. The case is (slightly) more wearable, though it has the signature sloped “writing desk” case, which is not for everyone but distinctive nonetheless.

As is typical for Bovet, the movement is in-house and impressively spec’ed. Notably, it incorporates the patented co-axial double seconds (that’s visible on the front and back), and a five-day power reserve.

Sapphire dial

The polished titanium case is 44.4 mm in diameter. In the usual Bovet style, the case slopes downwards from 12 to six o’clock, hence the “writing desk” nickname. Though large, it has short lugs for wearability.

Offered in green, blue, or brown tint, the sapphire crystal dial reveals the calendar module that’s enhanced by a damping mechanism that deliberately slows the date hand during its return.

All of the calendar indications can be adjusted via dedicated pushers, but the case includes an all-in-one pusher on the left of the case that simultaneously advances all the calendar indicators for convenient setting.

The watch is driven by the in-house 13DM05-QPR, a manual-winding movement with a five-day power reserve indicator.

Key facts and price

Bovet Récital 21

Diameter: 44.4 mm
Height: 15.40mm (12h) & 10.25mm (6h)
Material: Titanium
Crystal: Sapphire
Water resistance: 30 m

Movement: Cal. 13DM05-QPR
Functions: Hours, minutes, retrograde date and perpetual calendar with leap year indicator
Winding: Manual-wind
Frequency: 21,600 beats per second (3 Hz)
Power reserve: 140 hours

Strap: Shiny green, blue, or brown alligator strap with polished titanium ardillon buckle

Limited edition: 60 pieces per colour
Availability: Now at Bovet boutiques
Price: Upon request

For more, visit bovet.com