Long-lasting watch design strikes a harmonious balance between form and function, a delicate harmony epitomised in a recent cohort of watch releases.

From Vacheron Constantin’s Historiques American 1921 watch, which offsets a clean dial with a richly coloured strap, to Omega’s discreet platinum Constellation Observatory watch, tone is muted throughout.

For TAG Heuer, texture reigns on a Carrera chronograph with a purple sunray brushed dial. Texture, too, is interpreted in icy blue in Montblanc’s Iced Sea Automatic Date 0 Oxygen watch in stainless steel.

Elsewhere, the Richard Mille RM 72-01 Automatic Lifestyle flyback chronograph sits at the intersection of technicality and legibility, while the tiger iron dial on the Rolex GMT-Master II watch makes for a desirable contrast.

For the Tank Louis Cartier and Tudor Black Bay 54, minimalism reigns, updated in contemporary colour.

Meanwhile, subtle interplays on the dial, seen on the IWC Ingenieur Automatic 42 and the Patek Philippe Calatrava 6007G-011 watches, will appeal to those looking for a more subtle embellishment.

This article appears in the May 2026 Issue of Wallpaper*, available in print on newsstands, on the Wallpaper* app on Apple iOS, and to subscribers of Apple News +. Subscribe to Wallpaper* today

The Manufacture brings its most ambitious lineup in years to Watches and Wonders 2026: 20 new creations, four limited-edition Nautilus anniversary pieces, and a debut automaton wristwatch that marks a first in Patek’s modern history. Here's a breakdown of every new model.

Celestial Sunrise/Sunset (ref. 6105G-001)

Patek’s headliner of 2026 is a technical first: a wristwatch that displays the times of sunrise and sunset, housed in a 47mm white-gold case with a dial charting the Geneva night sky. The movement features a patented system that simultaneously corrects the time and sunrise/sunset indications whenever the clocks change.

‘The Crow and the Fox’ Automaton (ref. 5249R-001)

This wristwatch automaton is inspired by a pocket watch from 1958, currently held in the Patek Philippe Museum. Drawing on La Fontaine's fable ‘The Crow and the Fox’, it displays hours and minutes on demand, animating the scene beneath a rich brown opaline dial set in a rose-gold case. It is the first automaton wristwatch in Patek’s modern history.

Cubitus Perpetual Calendar (ref. 5840P-001)

The Cubitus collection gets its first grand complication: a perpetual calendar in a large platinum case. The open-worked blue dial, with its characteristic horizontal pierced strips, reveals the skeletonised movement beneath – making the mechanics themselves part of the design.

24-Hour Alarm with Date (ref. 5322G-001)

Patek Philippe brings the alarm complication back to the forefront with a 41mm white-gold piece combining a hobnail-guilloché caseband with a textured lacquer dial. The movement allows users to set an alarm for any time in a 24-hour cycle, sounding via a hammer on a classic gong.

Minute Repeater Calatrava (ref. 7047G-001)

This is a minute repeater in a modern Calatrava guise, pairing a white-gold case with a navy-blue dial and an embossed carbon motif. The self-winding movement keeps the profile remarkably slim – making it one of Patek's thinnest-ever minute repeaters.

Gem-set Perpetual Calendar Minute Repeater (ref. 5374/400P-001)

This is the most rarefied piece in Patek’s 2026 collection, limited to just eight examples. Its platinum case frames a Balinese mother-of-pearl dial set with Paraiba tourmalines – among the rarest gems on earth, and the very reason production cannot exceed eight pieces.

Flyback Chronograph with Perpetual Calendar (ref. 5204G-010)

A new version of an iconic reference, the Flyback Chronograph Perpetual Calendar gets a navy-blue sunburst dial, white-gold case and a navy composite strap with red contrast stitching – a deliberately sporty finish for a complex watch.

In-Line Perpetual Calendar (ref. 5236P-011)

This is a platinum grand complication built around Patek’s patented in-line perpetual calendar: day, date and month united in a single aperture at 12 o'clock. The ultra-thin movement keeps the profile elegantly slim, while the vertically satin-finished dial gives the watch a refined, modern character.

Perpetual Calendar Chronograph Trilogy (refs. 5270P-015, 5270P-016 and 5270P-017)

Three new platinum versions of one of Patek’s most celebrated references arrive simultaneously: a charcoal-grey lacquer dial, a blue lacquer dial and a striking red lacquer dial, each with a dark gradient rim. Same architecture, three very different personalities.

Annual Calendar (refs. 5396R-016 and 4946G-001)

The Manufacture presents two new takes on its Annual Calendar complication. The rose-gold version pairs warm tones with a sand-beige sunburst dial, while the white-gold version takes a more contemporary approach, with a textured blue-grey dial and a denim-motif strap.

World Time (ref. 7129J-001)

One of Patek Philippe's most practical complications, the World Time allows simultaneous reading of all time zones at a glance. This version makes a bold statement with a yellow-gold case and carmine-red lacquer dial, while a single push of a button updates every city display at once.

Calatrava (refs. 5227G-015, 7200/50G-001 and 7200/50G-012)

Three new Calatravas affirm the collection's values of pure design, proportion and refinement. The men's model features an opaline dial and the signature Officer-style case, while two women's models offer a choice of sand-beige or ice-blue sunburst dials, each powered by an ultra-thin movement that keeps the case super slender.

Golden Ellipse (refs. 5738G-001 and 3738G/100G-014)

The Golden Ellipse – whose distinctive oval case is proportioned according to the golden ratio – returns in two versions: the large Jumbo size and a medium size. Both feature olive-green sunburst dials with shimmering depth, and ultra-thin movements that make them among the thinnest watches in the current collection.

Nautilus 50th Anniversary (refs. 5810/1G-001, 5810G-001, 5610/1P-001 and 958G-001)

Four limited-edition pieces celebrate the Nautilus – Patek’s iconic luxury sports watch, launched in 1976 – turning 50. Two large-format models in white gold – one on a metal bracelet, one on a fabric-style strap – are joined by a slightly smaller platinum version on a platinum bracelet. All three use an ultra-thin movement that itself dates back to 1977. Rounding out the quartet is a Nautilus desk clock in white gold – a playful, unexpected nod to the collection's origins.

When Patek Philippe launched its Cubitus two years ago, there were many concerned with its distinctive shape: depending on who you asked, it was too square, or maybe not square enough. 'The entire point of the watch is to have a recognisable case shape,' one Reddit user noted – that, after all, is a key factor in what makes a watch iconic, at least eventually.

Those complainers may wonder why the watch has since become a best-seller anyway, with grey market values topping three times the retail price. Perhaps, in part, it’s because any deviation from the traditional round form – which is said to account for at least 90 per cent of the watch market – stands out, gaining attention as consumers get used to the idea. Cartier’s wonky Crash (featured in Cartier's current V&A exhibition) and Audemars Piguet’s octagonal Royal Oak – designed by Gerald Genta – met similar disaffection at first too. Might, indeed, they be considered the pathfinders, with unusual shapes predicted as a key trend for 2025?

Dennison Watch, for example, has recently launched its ALD collection with a rounded ‘TV screen’ dial, despite the awareness that, 'square, cushion, oval, oblong, whatever the shape, it just isn’t commercial', as founder Toby Sutton puts it. 'But unusual watches that were just considered “ugly” five years ago are now classed as “different”, so we thought it was worth the risk.'

Maen has launched its first jumping hour with a twist on the tonneau, while Gerald Charles – Genta’s own brand – has just won the Luxury Watch of the Year at the Inhorgenta Awards for the Masterlink version of its asymmetric Maestro case.

Indeed, according to Federico Ziviani, the company’s CEO, 'having the right shape is extremely difficult, but that shape has [nonetheless] become our signature' – so much so that when he joined Gerald Charles in 2019, he discontinued production of all of its other shaped watches.

Other new launches so far in 2025 include the likes of a True Square skeleton and oval Tej Chuahan Diastar from Rado, an octagonal Laureato Aston Martin edition from Girard Perregaux, a rectangular Extraflat from Richard Mille, plus more stand-out ‘experimental’ pieces from the likes of Urwerk and MB&F. But the vast majority of new pieces? Still round.

'Roundness is written into the history of watches – it’s a classic form, many parts of the movement are round, the hands are centred and trace a round form, so it’s hard to escape. It’s what most clients want,' says the independent watch designer and MB&F regular Eric Giroud. 'I think you see a divide between brands with a watchmaking heritage, for whom round is logical, and those with a jewellery heritage, for whom a watch is also an exploration of form.'

Might the latter be moving to the fore? While there are several differently shaped watches that have eventually achieved iconic status – Tag Heuer’s Monaco or Jaeger LeCoultre’s Reverso, for instance – there remains a deep-seated reluctance to break free of the tyranny of the round. According to Matthieu Allegre, the designer behind Amida’s reimagined Digitrend driver’s watch, the 1970s marked the last boom time for unusual shapes, but the Quartz crisis then encouraged a return to safe options.

'With round the habit again, the more complex the shape the greater the volume of sales you need to make developments costs worthwhile. But the market is changing again,' he insists. 'Yes, these shapes take time to find acceptance, but they have a strong identity. The industry can’t keep thinking of them as risky, especially when, I think, there’s more of a demand for novelty in case shape, especially given social media and the need to stand out that it demands.'

Sylvain Berneron, designer of what has been widely acclaimed as one of the most innovative watches of recent years (his debut Berneron Mirage watch is entirely asymmetric and takes its case shape from the lay-out of the movement) argues that the slow rise of unusual case shapes is a counter-reaction to the watch market’s over-saturation by vintage-inspired steel sports watches. And, he adds, the reluctance of the major luxury conglomerates to experiment. 'For them, designing another chronograph movement that can fit into several different round models is just that much easier,' he suggests.

Berneron adds that the watch is undergoing a fundamental change of role, and especially for Gen Z: with acceptance that the idea of the time-telling tool watch makes less and less sense in the smartphone age, the move is towards more expressive designs and what he calls 'technical jewellery'. 'Nobody needs a rotating bezel,' he says. 'But the big brands of this extremely conservative industry haven’t understood that yet. It’s being slow to react to a consumer who is waiting for something more interesting, and the way to provide that is to be more shape-led.'

Patek Phillippe has unveiled a blockbuster collection at Watches and Wonders in Geneva, with three new movements leading the pack: a self-winding Quadruple Complication, a Calatrava, and a desk clock.

The 15 releases also include practical complications, some simpler designs offering timeless elegance, and new additions to the Ladies' Nautilus collection. Additionally, 78 'Rare Handcrafts' are being showcased.

Read on for a selection of timepieces from Patek’s 2025 collection, all of which espouse the innovation and craftsmanship associated with the brand.

5308 Minute Repeater

The new Quadruple Complication features a minute repeater, a split-seconds chronograph, and an instantaneous perpetual calendar which displays the day, date and month in 30 milliseconds. This white gold watch comes after a limited-edition version showcased at the Watch Art Grand Exhibition in 2023 and represents the evolution of the Triple Complication Reference 5208.

The 5308 Minute Repeater is powered by a self-winding movement with 799 components. It features a nice-blue dial with blue metallised hour markers and Dauphine hands and a 42mm case with skeletonized lugs and interchangeable crystal case backs. It also comes with a navy alligator strap and a fold-over clasp in white gold.

5370R Split-Seconds Chronograph

The Split-Seconds Chronograph is the first rose gold version of the Grand Complication, featuring a brown enamel dial with a tachymeter scale in beige to create a two-tone appearance. The dial also features rose gold Breguet numerals and leaf-shaped hands with luminescent coating which ensures legibility.

Powered by the CHR 29-535 PS caliber, this watch boasts six patented innovations, and one patent for the split-seconds mechanism. The case features a concave bezel and recessed flanks. It comes with a dark brown alligator leather strap and a new, patented clasp.

6159 Retrograde Perpetual Calendar

This is a modern take on a coveted Grand Complication, balancing mechanical intricacy with a contemporary look. The model features a metallised crystal dial with a black rim, offering a partial view of the components inside, including the self-winding 26-330 S QR caliber. The perpetual calendar displays the day, leap year, month, and moon phases, with the retrograde date hand instantly resetting to the first of the next month.

The dial consists of baton-style hour markers and Dauphine hands, while the 39.5mm case features a classic Patek detail: a guilloché hobnail pattern on the bezel and the back. The black composite strap is secured by a patented triple-blade clasp in white gold.

7340/1R Perpetual Calendar

The new Reference 7340/1R is the first round Twenty-4 (Patek’s series of mechanical ladies watches) with a non-gemset bezel. It is powered by the self-winding, 3.88mm-thick 240 Q caliber, which is made up of 275 components and are visible through the transparent caseback.

Calendar displays are shown by hands in subdials – the day and 24-hour indication at nine o'clock, the date at six o'clock, and the month and leap-year cycle at three o'clock. The dial itself features a silk-like finish. Both the case and bracelet are polished rose gold; the bracelet stands out for its design, with delicately cambered central links framed by slim two-tier outer links.

5328 8-Day Power Reserve

A new Calatrava model brings instantaneous day and date displays at six o'clock, as well as an eight-day power reserve indicator at 12 o'clock (with a ninth ‘reserve’ day indicated in red). The 8-Day Power Reserve also features a new movement – the 31-505 8J PS IRM CI J caliber – which can be viewed through the transparent sapphire case back.

The textured dial is a breezy blue with a black-gradient rim, white gold numerals and syringe-shaped hands. The caseband also displays Patek’s signature guilloched hobnail pattern, and the strap comes in either navy calfskin or a grained taupe calfskin. The both are fitted with a triple-blade fold-over clasp, allowing the wearer to interchange straps.

5524 Calatrava Pilot Travel Time

The Calatrava Pilot Travel Time is a take on Patek’s travel watch and as such features a ‘Travel Time system’ whereby pushers on the left side of the case allow the local time to be adjusted forward or backward without affecting the home time, each demarcated by separate hands.

The model, which is powered by the self-winding 26-330 S C FUS caliber, has an ivory lacquered dial with blackened white gold numerals and sword-type hands. It comes with a khaki green strap and a clevis prong buckle which is inspired by aviator harnesses.

4946R Annual Calendar Moon Phases

The new Annual Calendar has a rose gold 38mm case; a chestnut dial embellished with a ‘shantung’ pattern; rose gold numerals; and leaf-shaped hands with a luminescent coating for legibility. The timepiece displays the day and month via subdials, with a date aperture and moon-phase display at six o'clock.

The complications are powered by the 26-330 S QA LU caliber, visible through the case back. The Annual Calendar mechanism was invented and patented by Patek in 1996, and is quite ingenious, requiring only one manual correction per year.

6196P Calatrava

This 38mm manually-wound model boasts a vintage-inspired opaline dial with faceted anthracite hour markers and Dauphine-style hands. The small seconds are placed at six o'clock, where a brilliant-cut diamond also adorns the caseband (this is the case with all Patek platinum models). The case has a beveled bezel, satin-finished flanks and slender lugs.

The 6196P Calatrava is powered by the 30-255 PS caliber which, first introduced in 2021, offers a 65-hour power reserve. The movement's architecture is once again visible through the case back. Finally, a chocolatey alligator strap and platinum buckle completes the picture of elegance.

Follow more news from the Wallpaper* team at Watches & Wonders

2025 is the year of creamy Mocha Mousse, according to Pantone. This warm, indulgent shade of mocha has a sweet-tasting vibe, blending tones of chocolate, mauve, nude, and subtle hints of rose gold. For wristwear, this coincides with independent and bigger brands alike enriching their portfolio with watches that combine modernity and retro into coffee tones, adding depth to an understated elegance.

Trilobe Nuit Fantastique

French minimalist chic doesn’t get better than the evocatively named Nuit Fantastique by Trilobe, with its rich, pared-back style. In a choice of two case sizes, the 9.2mm slim Trilobe comes on a brown leather strap, with a warm-grained golden dial. The Nuit Fantastique features a flush-fitting rotating outer ring for the hours, while the minutes and seconds are displayed by an offset, patented figure-of-eight two-part display that remains remarkably legible.

Nuit Fantastique, Dune Rose Gold, €22,800, from trilobe.com

Hublot Big Bang Beige Ceramic

In brawny contrast to the minimalist Trilobe, the recently released curved Spirit of Big Bang has an almost dusty pink tinge to its ceramic case. It’s a delicate contrast to Hublot’s tool-watch aesthetic, and the soft-toned case has a big presence. Through the magic of soft-touch lightweight ceramic and an ergonomic, curved case, the self-winding chronograph is a comfortable beast with a soft heart.

Spirit of Big Bang Beige Ceramic, £23,500, from hublot.com

Parmigiani Fleurier Serenissima Due

Parmigiani's Tonda PF is a minimal take on classic sports watch design we didn’t know we needed. In collaboration with Singapore-based watch media giant Revolution, the latte-beige guilloche dial of the 40mm Serenissima Due limited edition works in more ways than one. It has a remarkably slim 7-8mm case, and it distils recognisable cues into what can only be described as essential elegance, modernising a well-known genre with a dollop of mocha.

Parmigiani Fleurier x Revolution Tonda PF Micro-Rotor Serenissima Due, €25,850, from revolutionwatch.com

Circula Facet Brown

The new Facet by German brand Circula is fiercely modern, presented in a mid-sized 38mm diameter case with a distinct multitude of brushed and polished angles. It sits softly on the wrist, despite its drama, with the dial offering a warm contrast. Juxtaposed against a cool faceted exterior is the dial in a rich chocolate tone featuring a concentric brick pattern. A focus on details includes a proprietary typeface for the numerals, while the slim 10mm case houses an automatic movement from La Joux-Perret.

Facet Brown - Steel Strap with Butterfly Clasp, €1,990, from circulawatches.com

IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 TOP GUN Mojave Desert

IWC has long been at the forefront of ceramic technology for watch cases, and the Top Gun Mojave range was a world first with the sand-beige-hued ceramic. The 41mm Chronograph plays an understated game, featuring a matte chocolate dial and tonal latte-looking beige. Can we get a refill please?

Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 TOP GUN Mojave Desert, CHF10,500 (£9,266), from iwc.com

Brew Retrograph Espresso

Not many watch brands were created through a love of coffee, but New York-based Brew is the espresso-inspired exception. The design mission for the Retrograph Chronograph was to create a utilitarian, retro-tinged watch that could be used for measuring increments over periods of time, more specifically an espresso shot in the range of 25-35 seconds. Featuring full chronograph functionality courtesy of a meca-quartz movement, the rounded shape of the PVD-rose gold plate works oh-so well with the sunray brushed mocha dial.

Brew Retrograph - Espresso, £305, from brew-watches.com

Patek Philippe Aquanaut 5968R

Patek Philippe remains one of the strongest players when it comes to creating collectable collections, and the timeless design of the Aquanaut is a classic. It remains a superb everyday watch, on a soft brown rubber strap, and the combination of chocolate brown and rose gold is pretty hard to beat.

Patek Philippe Aquanaut 5968R, patek.com, also available at watchesofswitzerland.com, £67,010

Tudor Royal

The Black Bay series is a big success for Tudor, and for all the right reasons. But dive deeper into the company's catalogue and you’ll find the timeless Royal giving a warm 1980s vibe. With a two-tone case in four sizes, it boasts a personal take on the integrated bracelet design we all want and an everyday tough 100m depth rating. But at the end of the day the Royal lives up to its name, offering a strong red-carpet factor that includes a warm cocoa dial with gold details and a rather slim 10mm case.

Tudor Royal, £3,490, from tudorwatch.com

Bremont Terra Nova

After a big re-jig last year, Bremont launched a new range, including the Terra Nova. The 40.5mm Terra Nova features a strong retro-infused tonneau case and a hand-stitched leather strap. The new Bremont logo features on a bold, pilot-inspired dial, and the limited edition ‘Caramel’ version comes in a fetching shade of coffee with cream markings.

Bremont Terra Nova 40.5 Date Caramel, £3,200, from bremont.com

Laurent Ferrier Grand Sport Tourbillon Golden Brown

With over 30 years at Patek Philippe and a racing career under his belt, Laurent Ferrier has carved out an award-winning name for his eponymous, small Genevan brand since its inception in 2010. Today the father-and son atelier offers a distinct take on traditional watchmaking, culminating in the deep brown dial of the Grand Sport Tourbillon. A bold 44mm case in brushed rose gold encapsulates the brand’s understated ethos while redefining the hotly contested genre of the sports watch.

Laurent Ferrier Grand Sport Tourbillon Golden Brown, CHF225,000 (£198,500), from laurentferrier.com

The anniversary of a watch’s debut is often marked with an impressive new release, ably demonstrating the brand’s technical progression since the original’s launch. Lately though, a slew of brands have come full circle and returned to consider the founding watch itself. We’ve taken our pick of the year's best watch reinterpretations.

Casio commemorated its 50th anniversary with the re-release of a collection that has surely earned its status as a cult classic. Originally appearing in 1974, the ongoing re-release of digital watches brings back models from the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s.

G-Shock, too, is making the classic contemporary again, marking its 40th anniversary with the Remaster series, featuring sharp new design details including transparent cases and useful tech. Elsewhere, Audemars Piguet translated an original 1960s design into a brutalist-inspired asymmetrical creation, [Re]master02; Hermès has rethought the Arceau watch 50 years after its release; Piaget revisited the Polo Date to mark 150 years; and Patek Philippe has imbued the Golden Ellipse, originally launched in 1968, with a 1970s-style gold mesh strap.

Find more Wallpaper* Design Awards winners in the February 2025 issue of Wallpaper* is available in print on newsstands from 9 January 2025, on the Wallpaper* app on Apple iOS, and to subscribers of Apple News +. Subscribe to Wallpaper* today

In an embrace of the refreshingly quirky looks of modernity and retro, watch brands are being seduced by new and avant-garde watch shapes. From mirage-like references to a 1950s disco, here are the new dial silhouettes to look out for.

Berneron Mirage

Looking at images of the swoopy world of Berneron can be disconcerting. As if inspired by Dalí, the debut watch of young watchmaker Sylvain Berneron is an enigmatic creation offering more than meets the eye. The dial is imbued with a mirage-like vibe, hence the model’s name. Despite the first impressions, the design has its base in the odd but optimised shape of a thin 2.3mm manufacture movement designed on a solid gold base plate by Berneron, housed in an elegant white gold case.

Berneron

Furlan Marri Disco

With a dial oozing a late 1940s complex charm, but with a cheeky touch of lume, Furlan Marri nails it with their take on the 1950s watch shape known as the Disco Volante. Offering a new take on dress-watch pizzazz, it hides small lugs from view, tucked into an organic, circular case. When offered on a Milanese mesh bracelet, it commands a big presence, surprising from a small 38mm case.

Furlan Marri

Toledano & Chan B/1 TimeForArt

In this piece, unique for the TimeForArt auction this December in New York, the brutalist charm of the B/1 is rendered in solid meteorite as old as Earth itself, lending it the air of an ancient artefact left on our planet by an alien civilisation. The striated criss-cross patterns of the meteorite dial match the case for dramatic structural beauty, fitted to a tonal ostrich leg strap.

Toledano & Chan

Anoma A1

The London-based brand Matteo Violet-Vianello takes its inspiration from the soft shapes of the 1950s, going viral this year with the A1. watch. Making a triangular-shaped watch feel natural on the wrist says a lot about Violet-Vianello’s design skills, and the vibrant two-tone dial makes the A1 a stand-out piece. It is a triangular and colourful sign of today’s emerging love of odd-shaped beauty.

Anoma Watches

Patek Philippe Golden Ellipse

The original and the best, the Golden Ellipse is the result of 15 years of development. Composed of over 300 links and 363 parts for the 18ct rose gold bracelet, it trounces anything on the market for sleek comfort, exquisitely juxtaposing an ebony black dial.

Patek Philippe

When watch houses reinvent their iconic designs in jewelled form, the results can be sublime, joyous, and downright outrageous. We single out five classic watch designs that have been given a precious spin for 2024.

Jewelled watches for 2024

Audemars Piguet Royal Oak

Its reputation was forged in pure, gleaming steel, yet the Royal Oak’s super-clean lines take surprisingly well to a gem-set guise. But then, as one of the original super-thin mechanisms, this superstar watch – it was the first design to use steel like precious metal – has a naturally slender profile, allowing for the added volume that precious-stone setting dictates. Audemars Piguet has been involved in the business of jewelled timepieces since the late 19th century, when it provided mechanisms for houses such as Cartier and Tiffany & Co. Having established an in-house jewellery studio in 1980, it has developed a jewelled-watch style all its own. This year’s Royal Oak automatic variation is a fine example: a combination of 861 baguette-cut black sapphires, intense and light tsavorites and smoky quartz combine to create a moody camouflage effect.

audemarspiguet.com

Bulgari Octo Roma

Secret watches, timepieces with a jewelled dial cap and so designed to look like a bracelet, were originally created for women in the 1920s, who, keen to keep a social diary on track, might discreetly consult their watch without insulting their host. Today, watch brands increasingly use them as a form of storytelling, with fantastical narratives all the better to display in-house jewellery design and setting skills. And, when it comes to crafting fables around the intricate technological skills that jewelled watches require, Bulgari is a master. This year’s high-jewellery Fenice Octo Roma Secret Watch is made possible by the impossibly thin BVL 268SK Octo Roma movement. It allows for an intricate mechanical skeletonised dial and the decorative dial cover. Here, it is a phoenix rising up across the sizeable 44mm dial in a precious sweep of blue sapphires, aquamarines, and a tourmaline Paraiba.

bulgari.com

Patek Philippe Aquanaut Luce

While the 1976 Nautilus design is currently Patek Philippe’s most sought-after sports-luxe design, the Aquanaut, a more casual variation launched 20 years later, in 1996, gets my vote. Probably because its streamlined profile and casual rubber bracelet, reflecting the checkerboard pattern of the dial, is less boardroom CEO and more St Tropez weekender. This year’s high-jewellery model boosts the gem factor with a beautifully considered combination of two setting techniques: rectangular baguettes and snow-setting, where variously sized smaller brilliant-cut white diamonds are tightly clustered into a glinting surface. Here, their addition softens the stark lines of the 72 baguette-cut blue sapphires and 38 baguette-cut diamonds, creating a rich jewel for the wrist and a glamorous promise of surf-bound, summer pursuits.

patek.com

Piaget Polo

The watchmaker-jeweller is celebrating its 150th birthday this year, and the star of the party is the Piaget Polo designed by Yves Piaget in 1979. Yves was a dedicated art lover who counted Andy Warhol as a friend, and there’s something of a Howard Hodgkin influence in his original watch design, where the watch case, bracelet and sleek gadroon decoration were fully integrated in a sublimely pure combination of the jeweller’s and watchmaker's crafts. The Polo was ‘carved, link by link from a single block of 18ct gold’, according to an ad campaign at the time and is, you might argue, the original sports-luxe watch. In the intervening 45 years, it has been redesigned almost beyond recognition, but some elements remain, including its super-skinny form, which lends itself to this celebratory deep-red ruby iteration with baguette-cut rubies and diamonds. The skeleton dial is also a recurring Piaget motif. However, at a whopping 49mm wide, this version of the Piaget Polo is out of bounds for slender wrists.

piaget.com

Rolex Daytona

Two new, jewelled versions of Rolex’s 1963 Oyster Perpetual Cosmograph Daytona are launched this year, each incorporating mother-of-pearl dials and markers. The luminous coating found in molluscs, such as oyster shells, has long been a favourite dial material for watch houses, because it can be cut into super-thin sheets. Profile volume is a prime consideration in watch design, and Rolex has been using mother-of-pearl as a decorative material for years. Both new Daytonas have white-gold cases, and the first features the slick, black Oysterflex bracelet with white mother-of-pearl dial and chrono subdials in black. The metal bracelet edition, however, sees the details reversed, with a black mother-of-pearl dial and white mother-of-pearl counters. Thirty-six brilliant-cut diamonds circle each dial, while the chunky diamond dial markers add a sporty frisson.

rolex.com

Over a century in business has seen Patek Philippe create a handful of era-defying watch designs, variations of which are commonly seen on the wrists of aficionados such as Jay-Z, Drake and Victoria Beckham. The watchmaker, one of a handful of independently owned Swiss watch names, is rarely singled out as a design-led house, however. Showiness is not its nature, yet Patek Philippe boasts an avant-garde side that's well worth exploring. Its singular, decorated clock designs are a case in point. This week (7-16 June), at the ‘Patek Philippe Rare Handcrafts 2024’ exhibition in London, its magnificently outré and highly collectable enamelled dome clocks take centre stage. Here's what we saw.

Patek Philippe’s enamelled dome clocks

The Paris 1924 Olympics Dome

Often known as anniversary clocks, dome clocks, whose forms were inspired by classic celestial observatories, were old-fashioned even when they were still being produced in the mid-1960s. But spotting their potential as a canvas for the disappearing enameller's art, Philippe Stern, father of current Patek Philippe CEO Thierry, decided to buy up abandoned stocks in the 1980s. Today, Patek Philippe dome clocks are highly sought-after collectors' pieces. Here, the Paris Olympics centenary clock, inspired by original poster illustrations, is brought to life in a series of enamelling methods, including grand feu cloisonné, paillonné and miniature painting (see our technique guide below). The athlete silhouettes are moulded in gold wire measuring 0.19 x 0.78 mm wide, while the Olympic Flame is illustrated in five shades of red enamel. The event dates are highlighted in silver paillons (tiny pieces of silver leaf) beneath the enamel. Twelve firings at 750°C were required to perfect the varied depth of tones throughout.

The Miami Beach Dome

Whatever the subject, and whatever your taste, the mix of high tradition, rare craftsmanship and sweeping, architectural subjects that combine to create a Patek Philippe dome clock gives them a museum quality all their own. The Miami Beach clock is a fine example. From tangy pinks and oranges to palm greens and ocean blues, the sublime palette of 39 translucent, opaque and opalescent shades created as an expression of the city's art deco heritage requires an alchemist's way with colour. The building profiles and serrated palm tree leaves were shaped using 11.37m of gold wire just 0.2 x 0.6 mm wide. Details are highlighted in a single colour enamel by way of miniature painting techniques. Each enamelled plate required up to 12 firings at around 890°C to 910°C.

The Tiki Dome

‘My father is passionate about rare crafts,’ Thierry Stern says. ‘He has a collection of enamelled pieces that he'd occasionally let me look at when I was young but that I wasn’t allowed to touch, so I was always fascinated by them.’ This Polynesian scene, created in the grand feu cloisonné enamel style, required 28.55m of gold wire, measuring 0.2 x 0.6mm wide to create the scene outlines. The enameller worked with 64 colours, of which 44 were translucent, 14 opalescent and six opaque. Deft touches of miniature painting highlight finer details. Each enamelled plate required 11 firings at 920°C.

The American Locomotive Dome

Philippe Stern saw a way to bring new stories to life through artisanal crafts. The American locomotive homage took 16.52m of gold wire at 0.19 x 0.78mm wide to outline three trains whizzing past New York skyscrapers by night. A palette of 31 enamel colours, mainly translucent but some semi-translucent or opaque, was achieved, with miniature painting on enamel in 11 colours, highlighting fine details. Silver paillons embedded beneath the translucent enamel illuminate the windows, creating a sense of depth. Each enamelled plate required an average of 14 firings at a temperature of 750°C.

Enamelling: a brief guide

• Cloisonné A method where artistic outlines are hand-moulded in supremely fine wire, usually gold, which is fixed to a base plate coated with a ground layer of enamel. After the first firing, the spaces between the wire partitions are filled with enamel paint and fired many times to fine-tune the desired colour effect, from transparency to intensity.
• Champlevé Here, a metal base is engraved, and the engraved markings filled with enamel; it’s a method suited to series production or simple decoration on a flat surface. Intricate designs, however, require handwork in the cloisonné style.
• Paillonné enamelling involves cutting tiny pieces of gold or silver leaf into a pattern, like sequins, and embedding them in layers of transparent enamel.
• Miniature painting A technique that few people master, miniature painting is a highly specialised art in its own right. Here, enamel is mixed with oil rather than water. It is then applied with a very fine brush on a ground layer of enamel, allowing for naturally expressive portraits, landscapes, and crowd scenes.

For more information, visit the Patek Philippe Rare Handcrafts exhibition website

If the appeal of the yellow gold watch to some has long been limited by its association with bling, might matters now be on the turn? From the Stealth Wealth feeling of heavy white gold, to the reinvigorating glow of yellow or 18K rose on a cold autumn day, precious metal is back and on trend this year.

Browse gold watches

Colourful watches showcasing a rainbow of bright hues are among this year's most eye-catching new releases, with shades from sorbet to psychedelic illustrated in bright straps and unexpected materials. From the blue tones of IWC and Audemars Piguet, to the pretty in pink Hublot, wine-coloured Montblanc, via the bright Richar Mille , Tag Heuer and Patek Philippe and more understated Omega and Jaeger-LeCoultre – discover the exquisite new watches here.

The new colourful watches

Tag Heuer

A sporting history is alive and well in the Extreme Sport chronograph from Tag Heuer, which puts a stylish spin on everyday materials with an orange rubber strap.

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Montblanc

Montblanc nod to a spirit of adventure with a a play on pattern of the dial, here drawn in a deep burgundy.

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Audemars Piguet

A deep blue is an elegant foil for the rose gold detailing on this exquisitely understated Code 11.59 watch.

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Jaeger-LeCoultre

Cutting a strong geometrical silhouette, the Reverso Tribute, here in a deep racing green, proves simple can be striking.

jaeger-lecoultre.com

Hublot

A sweet baby pink belies the sharp technicality at the heart of the Big Bang, crafted in sapphire to allow us to fully appreciate the beauty of the movement.

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IWC

IWC marks its relationship with Formula One in style, with bright blue markers and detailing emphasising a shared commitment to legibility.

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Richard Mille

A distinctive tonneau-shaped case is given a vibrant new lease of life when drawn in dark yellow quartz, as an in this shapely RM 65-01 chronograph.

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Omega

Sporty, clean and simple - Omega references a classical watchmaking heritage with the Seamaster Planet Ocean, which comes with a green rubber strap for easy wearability.

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Patek Philippe

A dark face is a sharp foil for a bold orange strap in this very modern rethink of the Aquanaut collection.

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A version of this article appears in the December 2024 issue of Wallpaper*, available in print on newsstands from 7 of November, on the Wallpaper* app on Apple iOS, and to subscribers of Apple News +. Subscribe to Wallpaper* today

Complications meet design in this year’s new watches from Patek Philippe, just unveiled at Watches and Wonders 2023. 

Intricate watches get a rethink, with the brand’s most complicated watch in the current collection – encompassing 20 complications – produced for the first time in white and rose gold. The striking mechanism on the Patek Philippe 6300GR Grandmaster Chime is fitted with three gongs, with five chiming modes sounding out noises from an alarm with time strike to a grande sonnerie.

Complications are also carefully considered in the Patek Philippe 5316/50P, with a triple grand complication combining a minute repeater, a tourbillon and a perpetual calendar with retrograde date hand. In the Patek Philippe 5178G, the focus shifts to artistry, with a hand-guilloched dial casting a hypnotising swirl, an intricate foil for the alligator strap in either peacock blue or shiny orange.

Artistry meets world time in the Patek Philippe 5531G, with the centre of the dial faithfully depicting a steamboat cruising on Lake Geneva. A striking mechanism, with the minute repeater marking local time for the time zone showing at 12 o’clock, completes the sensory experience. Time, too, is the focus of the Patek Philippe 5224R, which draws its 24-hour display in elegant gold numerals and a local time hand in rose gold, elegant hues also reflected in the 5905R.

Watches strike a colourful tone – the 5268/200R is an elegant taupe, the 4997/200R a deep purple. Sporty codes reign in the 5924G, with two new models of the Calatrava Pilot equipped with a flyback chronograph and Travel Time function, with the first chronograph model in the line cutting a distinctive silhouette. It is a legibility carried through to the new Calatrava model, the 6007G, characterised by an ebony black dial embossed with a textured motif.  

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It may have been a little while since we have needed or been able to straddle multiple time zones, but luckily, watch brands are a step ahead, and a host of new world timer models are ready to meet the needs of today’s traveller. For Patek Philippe, substance comes at no compromise to style in the Ref 5326G-001 Annual Calendar Travel Time, which encompasses an unprecedented combination of two complications.

Patek Philippe Annual Calendar Travel Time

The annual calendar, which only needs to be corrected once a year, and the travel time display system, which shows a second time zone, will together make life easier for the wearer thanks to an automatic adjustment of the date when the time is changed.

The piece is contained inside a refreshed Calatrava case with an intricately embellished outer rim – the textured charcoal dial is circled with a black gradient, nodding to the effects of vintage photography in a subtle marriage of the classic and the contemporary.

The watch forms a key part of the brand’s 2022 releases, sitting alongside new pieces that continue to explore multiple time zones through a technical lens. Three new World Time models intertwine this horological feat with a considered aesthetic, incorporating both enamelled and guilloche dials. Other new pieces, including the Ref 5205R-011, Ref 4910/1200A-011 and Ref 7130R-014, play with a gradient of colours, and are characterised by a distinctive olive green.

Exquisite artistry is celebrated in the remaining models, with intricate gem-setting on the Ref 5374/300P-001 encompassing a hypnotic loop of baguette-cut diamonds and sapphires, which circle the dial in a nod to the house’s heritage with the technique. The double circle of brilliant-cut diamonds on the Ref 7121/200G-001 model is offset by its blue sunburst dial and moonphase. Meanwhile, 59 pieces in this year’s Rare Handcrafts collection celebrate intricate skills in a tribute to the house’s artistry traditions.

INFORMATION

A version of this article appears in the June 2022 issue of Wallpaper*. Subscribe today

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In this wedding day watch, warm metallic tones lend a welcome toughness to the cool whites of a wedding dress, with chunky rose gold chain links adding an androgynous touch to the femininity of frou-frou frills. Patek Philippe veers away from the overly delicate in its only collection aimed solely at women, translating the clean design codes of its traditionally male collections into the women’s Twenty-4 collection of watches.

Here, rosy hues and double diamonds marry well with feminine flourishes in this piece that makes an elegant foil for the fun of a wedding dress.

A dial embellished with a subtle pattern that recalls the grainy textured finish of silk is juxtaposed with the smooth finish of rose gold and edged in a double loop of diamonds for a sporty luxe finish. A round case and the uncluttered simplicity of the face make this the ideal choice for a more casual celebration. The warmth of the gold in the Twenty-4 collection adds an effortless wearability to this timepiece, which will work with every look.

Add this watch to a bridal look for a modern take on matrimonial elegance. For further wedding inspiration, let us introduce Weddingpaper*, Wallpaper’s first dip into nuptial nirvana, as seen in the October 2021, 25th Anniversary Issue and coming to Wallpaper.com throughout this week. Forget the conventional and the staid; here, tradition comes with a twist and frou frou frills with a velvet blue mule.

Whether it’s pairing the cool metal hues of a rose gold wristwatch with the billowing folds of an In-Grid Bride gown, or juxtaposing a luminescent Mikimoto pearl brooch against the mischievous polka dots of a Dunhill shirt, brides and grooms are sure to find something style wise to love. Wedding guests, too, take note: our chic and sculptural guide to timeless gifting puts the days of mismatched china long behind us, making for a very modern take on wedded bliss.

INFORMATION

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A version of this article appears in the October 2021, 25th Anniversary Issue of Wallpaper*, on newsstands and available to subscribers – 12 digital issues for $12/£12/€12.

Patek Philippe released the first Calatrava model in 1932. With simple legibility at the forefront of its design, it encapsulated the Bauhaus principles of function determining the form of an object. Simple hour markers and a sparse dial, now familiar components of watch design, were then unexpected, and in direct contrast to the ornate art deco designs that preceded the Calatrava. Originally created to broaden the appeal of the brand beyond niche watch enthusiasts, its uncluttered form continues to appeal to the mainstream nearly a century on.

Over time, the core design has been rethought in various iterations. We've seen new models studded with precious stones or guilloched, or streamlined with flat or rounded bezels tweaking the familiar silhouette.

Today, two new additions to the Calatrava family, the 6119G and the 6119R, continue to put timekeeping at the forefront, eschewing superfluous details. The round shape of the case neatly reflects not only the shape of the movement inside but also the circular nature of time.

These two new models nod to an iteration released in 1985, the 3919. Alongside a white dial and black lacquered Roman numerals, it featured an intricate Clous de Paris pattern decorating the bezel. Here, the bezel embellishment remains, although the numerals are now sleek markers in gold. The guilloched bezel is wider, in line with the increased proportions of the case itself, which is slightly larger than earlier models. The 6119R, in rose gold with an understated textured dial, and the 6119G, in white gold with a satin-finished dial, both feature a new movement. 

INFORMATION

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Phillips Asia’s first cross-category online auction blurs the lines between disciplines, for the first time uniting watches, jewellery and art under one umbrella. It made sense to tap into the zeitgeist when it came to relaxing formerly stringent classifications: ‘We have seen a great deal of cross-category collecting, as collectors’ tastes continue to evolve globally,’ says Delissa Handoko, head of online sales.

It is a heady mix – Mikimoto pearls and a rare pink gold Patek Philippe Ref. 5164R-001 are shown with jewels from Cartier and Van Cleef and pieces by Josh Sperling and Katherine Bernhardt, alongside Daniel Arsham’s mischievous Mickey Mouse and Jeff Koons’ balloon dogs. Arsham himself dips between cultures – his blackened stainless steel wristwatch with playful wandering minute and seconds sits alongside last year’s bronze hourglass.

The ‘Refresh: Reload' auction is divided into two parts, with ‘Refresh' a light-hearted edit of contemporary artworks and bright jewels and watches. ‘Reload' dips more towards the avant garde, uniting more progressive pieces with special editions and collectibles. In total, 180 lots are available to view at Phillips Hong Kong.

Collaboration is a key theme, and Daniel Arsham is not the only one to explore other art forms; Kaws and Dior’s figures and Alex Isreal and Rimowa’s luggage are also included here, a testament to the fruitful spirit of new partnerships.

INFORMATION

Bidding closes on 28 May

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The biennial Only Watch auction, which will take place at Christie’s Geneva on 9 November, has a simple rubric: one unique watch from each brand taking part. It’s become a fixture in the watch world, partly because of the simplicity of the formula - everyone loves a pièce unique - and partly because it attracts both industry heavyweights such as Patek Philippe and independent brands like Urwerk. It helps too that Only Watch’s founder, Luc Pattavino, is such a convincing advocate for the medical research that the auction funds.

Louis Vuitton

LV have always been prepared to add a little humour to what could be a quite portentous event, the Only Watch being a charity auction to raise funds for medical research. Where others look to show-off the highest horological flights of their watchmakers, Vuitton put a liberal sprinkling of diamonds and a very rock and roll enamel dial over theirs.

Tudor

The notional retail price of Tudor’s stealth Black Bay Ceramic One is around the £4,000 but judging by the last Only Watch, the hammer price is likely to be 90 to 100 times that. The watch isn’t quite Tudor’s first foray into ceramic but it’s the first Black Bay to have a case made in the material as well as being the first to have a sapphire glass caseback to show off the movement.

Voutilainen

The only pocket-watch in the auction, Kari Voutilainen’s TP1 is a collaboration by the master with his just-graduated daughter. It’s a masterpiece of control and precision: the colours glow without dominating, the ‘guilloché’ engraving is perfectly weighted and the vintage LeCoultre movement inside is superbly finished.

Patek Philippe

Patek’s approach is equally simple – produce one of their more complex watches in either steel or titanium. These attract the big money, the 2017 watch going for SFr.6.2million (out of an auction total of SFr.10.8million), for three reasons: these watches are otherwise only produced in precious metals, Patek don’t usually do pièce uniques and there’s no waiting list. This year it’s a steel, which you can expect to go for a multiple of the c. £2million a ’normal’ version would cost.

Urwerk / De Bethune

Almost certainly the star of the show, a collaboration between Urwerk and de Bethune, two of the most creative and adventurous watchmakers of the last century. The case and unique movement inside show the input of both the brand’s designers and watchmakers from the mirror-polished titanium case, floating lugs and curved crystal through to the miniature spherical Moonphase.

Bell & Ross

The one-off BR 05 in rose gold that Bell & Ross have produced for the auction gives a markedly different feel to the Paris-based brand’s new line. It’s already proved a hit for one of the most design-conscious of watch houses.

INFORMATION

onlywatch.com

It never serves to be complacent. As much as Rolex or Omega, Patek Philippe is a Baselworld stalwart and is as protective of its ‘novelties’ as any. Moreover, Patek Philippe is as conservative and ultra-Swiss as any brand can be, so sneak previews are not expected. And yet, for 2018, the Grand Lady of Geneva has used social media to drive enthusiasts to check the health of their bank statements.

There’s something else about Patek Philippe that one shouldn’t take for granted, which is the assumption that the aforementioned conservatism defines them. For years, the company resisted producing facsimiles of certain museum pieces which were out of character for the brand, the Calatrava Pilot Travel Time Ref 5524 watches that stole the show in 2015. Inspired by navigators’ models in their museum, they proved divisive.

Tool watches are not a Patek Philippe forte, but these managed to transcend the criticisms in the same manner that the Nautilus showed how the company could produce a sport watch in steel and create a cult. (This year ought to see hot new Nautilus and Aquanaut models, which have become perennials for Patek.) But so in demand are the Calatrava Pilots models, they can command a premium over list price. 

For 2018, the existing 42mm white gold model will be joined by a rose gold version with brown dial and – more earth-shattering for PP-watchers – a version for the ladies, the Ref. 7234R sized at 37.5mm. Also fitted with the self-winding cal. 324 S C FUS movement, the smaller watch is, ironically, the same size as a typical man’s watch of 20 years ago. Which makes it more ‘unisex’ than simply ‘ladies’. And at a time when wage parity and other matters between the genders are hot topics, the smaller model couldn't be more timely. How so? Reverse psychology. Some men simply don’t have big enough wrists for rocking a 42mm watch…

INFORMATION

For more information, visit the Patek Phillipe website and the Baselworld website

Today Bonhams Los Angeles will auction the author Jackie Collins’ watch and jewellery collection as part of the sale of her $3m estate. During a near-50 year writing career, the author, who died in 2015, wrote 32 novels, selling half a billion copies worldwide.

Born in London in 1937, the younger sister of actress Joan Collins who starred in film adaptations of two of her novels, The Stud (1978) and The Bitch (1979), the author lived for much of her life in Beverly Hills, immersing herself in the Hollywood lifestyle her fans loved to read about.

Her taste in jewellery was as bold and eclectic as her personality and writing style. ‘She was very much her own person, challenging the societal norms of how women wear jewellery,’ says Susan Abeles, director of Bonhams’ US jewellery department. ‘She successfully paired contrasting designs, layering both “day” and “night” jewellery to create her own style.’

One striking art deco emerald and diamond platinum necklace (estimate £32-48,000) may well have been worn for lunch on Rodeo Drive. Another piece, an impressive 6.04 carat pear-shaped diamond ring (estimate £78-128,000), is depicted in a glamorous Tamara de Lempicka-style portrait of the author, which is also on the auction block.

Collins once joked, ‘My weakness is wearing too much leopard print.’ Her love of big cats is evident in her extensive collection of Cartier Panthère jewels, including one necklace (£8-12,000) that features felines stalking their way around a stiff gold collar.

Titled ‘A Life In Chapters’, the auction also features Collins’ watch collection. A typically understated 1949 Patek Philippe Reference 2448 Calatrava (£4-6,400), with an unusual two-two tone silver dial, stands out as an understated men's piece among her many women’s dress watches. Another Patek Philippe is a rare 1958 model with a rectangular platinum bezel of baguette-cut diamonds (lot 620, £12-16,000).

Part of the proceeds from the 1000-lot estate sale, which includes her art collection and her bespoke 2002 Jaguar XKR Coupe, will go to support women’s arts and education initiatives, ensuring that Jackie Collins, the original ‘Boss Lady’ has the last word to the end.

INFORMATION

The auction ‘Jackie Collins – A Life In Chapters’ will take place today. For more information, visit the Bonhams website

London's most prestigious retail corner just got a little more luxurious with the opening of fine-watch marque Patek Philippe's elegantly conceived new salon. Situated opposite Peter Marino's flagship Louis Vuitton store, Patek Philippe has extended it's original boutique at 15 New Bond Street store into the vast confines of number 16 next door, increasing its floor space five-fold from a tiny 85 sq m to a definitive 420.

Reda Amalou of Paris practice AW² has created an impressively modern emporium for this, one of watchmaking's most traditional houses, to such a well-considered point that its subtle glamour is a comfortable fit among the high gloss, high fashion maisons that surround it.

It marks a welcome new era in horological retail design that echoes the recent Marino decade of contemporary opulence that has transformed the high-jewellery retail experience for leading houses across the globe. Amalou has referred to classic Art Deco motifs and symmetric pathways to similar effect: number 16's pale gold concrete walls, pristeen cream marble flooring and hammered bronze details are classic rather than opulent.

The Bond Street boutique now houses the largest collection of current Patek Philippe models anywhere. Of course, servicing and repairs are a major factor for any fine watch house and so two watchmakers are ensconced in an impressive repairs lab on the lower floor. They look out onto a comfy library area that doubles as a waiting area. 

ADDRESS

Patek Philippe
16 New Bond Street
London W1S 3SU

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Omega Spacemaster Z-33

One of our favourite designs of the fair, Omega’s heritage-inspired piece of the year is this retro-design quartz pilot watch with digital display referencing an original 1970s model. It’s got so many hi-tech pushers and functions that we are almost convinced that, with just one push, we can make a plane fly

Baselworld, the biggest watch and jewellery fair on the planet is gearing up for change. Next year, all 160,000 square metres of the enormous exhibition centre on the Swiss-French border are due for a revamp as part of a major expansion. The perfect opportunity, then, for each brand to re-work the million-dollar temporary boutique stands that have been their Basel homes for the past six years.

From Rolex’s sweeping Roman-style marble staircase structure to Dior’s mini Avenue Montaigne-style boutique and Breitling’s giant ‘floating’ fish tank installation, the current stands have stood the test of time well enough not to feel too tired in their last year. The message? Baselworld is and always will be one of the slickest shows on earth.

And this year, with such polished ranges on show, we thought that the watches pretty much followed suit. From Omega to Zenith and Patek Philippe, the mood was focused on strengthening or building core lines. Hence, we were presented with some of the sharpest collections in years

Of course, getting it so right is all very well and good but it’s the crazy, ‘not quite sure about that’ pieces that are, in a way, a healthier representation of what makes watchmaking tick. It is, after all, an intensely creative business. To that end, we jostled our way through the crowds to get an up-close look at some of the most decadent dial designs ever – feathers, crystal gold, marble and wood were just some of the inventive materials on show. There were some pretty imaginative technologies being bandied about too. More of which to come. But for now, here’s our round up of 15 of the best in show.

Dior VIII Grand Bal ‘Plumes’

The house’s most inventive watch range just got more so, with its playful inverse caliber – the oscillating weight is mounted on the front rather than the back (where it is traditionally) – featuring a fan of feathers

Bell & Ross WW1 Heure Sautante Platinum

Jumping hour mechanisms – where the hour is relayed in a sizeable aperture on the dial – are beautifully old-school. This spanking-new take from French brand Bell & Ross also displays how they allow watchmakers more dial space to re-work traditional notions of design. Limited to 25 pieces

Chanel J12 GMT Black Matte

It was created as a watch suited to both men and women but this year the J12 gets a tad more masculine: the original high-gloss ceramic design is refashioned in subtle matte-black. The dial is a sizeable 41mm; the movement is self-winding mechanical and there’s the added fun of a world-time function

Hublot Classic Fusion Extra-thin Skeleton

The brand best known for its super-sized wristpieces has taken a super-skinny turn with this year’s skeleton model. It’s also given us a new alloy – King Gold – to think about. Good old Hublot for reminding us of the watch industry’s ability to re-invent the wristpiece

Maurice Lacroix Pontos

Sporty Nato straps are a big trend this year and Maurice Lacroix’s Pontos nails it to a T. A great value chronograph for sporty and stylish types alike, it’s fitted with a reliable Valjoux chrono movement

Patek Philippe Ladies First Perpetual Calendar (ref 7140)

Brands are falling over themselves to create mechanical watches for women – a relatively new trend – but Patek create such established models that it feels as though they’ve been doing it forever. This seriously complicated piece is an elegant case in point

Rado True Thinline

When it comes to new technology and design, Rado has always been pretty out there – it was one of the first to experiment with now-ubiquitous ceramic. This year, the brand has developed an intriguing method of turning white ceramic into gold using a plasma treatment that slowly transforms the atomic make-up of the material

Hermès Arceau 1912

It was 100 years ago that one of the Hermès family came up with the idea of a leather watch strap for young Jacqueline Hermès’ pocket watch, so that she would not lose it while at play. Not only does this new model pay homage to her, it is Hermès’ first mechanical watch for women

Rolex Oyster Perpetual Sky-Dweller

This deceptively simple-looking little number comes complete with dual-time zone and 24-hour time display, read via a rotating disc on the dial. The fact that it is placed in an off-centre position is sure to have collectors standing to attention

Tag Heuer Limited Edition Heuer Carrera

Jack Heuer – the man who put the square-case Monaco on Steve McQueen’s wrist in the early 1970s – is 80 this year. He designed some of the most iconic watches of our times. The Carrera was one of them, and this anniversary issue shows why

Tudor Pellagos

This new divers’ watch is actually inspired by one of the house’s original models from the 1960s. The good-looking satin-finish titanium case is one major selling point; the helium valve (designed to absorb variations in pressure), marked ‘Gas Escape Valve’, quite another

Breitling Transocean Chronograph

The Transocean is one of Breitling’s key models, designed in the 1950s. This year’s decidedly handsome world-time model nods to its past but, equipped with a new in-house movement, most definitely points towards a brighter future

Louis Vuitton Tambour Regatta America’s Cup

As official timekeeper of the America’s Cup – which takes place in San Francisco next year – Louis Vuitton has created a series of watches dedicated to the sailing competition. This version has a nifty five-minute revolving-cube countdown function

Zenith Pilot Big Date Special

Pilot watches are, quite literally, big this year, and Zenith’s limited-edition Montre D’Aeronef Type 20 leads the charge with its 57.5mm diameter dial. For those less inclined to strap a giant timepiece to their sleeve, the brand’s more demure Pilot Big Date Special was a best in show