Time frame: the watch designs that make us tick

Gucci Grip
22 April

Gucci’s Grip watch delighted fans of classical watch design upon its release last year. Paying a stylish tribute to Gerald Genta’s ubiquitous designs of the Seventies, it added in a reworking of the digital-style display for an identity all its own. This year’s new style keeps these details, with the vintage-shaped dial and three windows still the main focus, but a sleek grey PVD case makes this the Grip’s most modern outing yet. The familiar stamp of the GG logo adds a playful touch – and we’d expect nothing less from the charismatic Italian brand.

Writer: Hannah Silver

H Moser Vantablack
17 April

An Instagram post on 1 April last year, announcing the release of a watch where both hands and dial were so deeply black the time was invisible, was a tongue-in-cheek April Fool’s from Swiss watch brand H Moser. The joke, though, was on them, and after a hugely positive response to the Venturer Concept Vantablack the brand realised they’d be missing a trick if they didn’t make it a reality. Vantablack, H Moser say, is the ‘blackest black ever produced by artificial means,’ and is created from carbon nanotubes thousands of times finer than a single human hair. Now, both dial and hands are cast in this black and every other superfluous detail disregarded – including logo and indices – making this an authentically pure ode to minimalism. In a response to the current situation, it is also one of the first pieces which are now available to buy on the brand’s site here.

Writer: Hannah Silver

Audemars Piguet (Re)master01
3 April

Every new timepiece is rife with historical references, knowingly or unknowingly paying tribute to the design greats who have come before them with simple and effective design ticks. The new Audemars Piguet (Re)master01 is directly inspired by the past, somewhat surprisingly eschewing the more obvious Seventies – arguably one of the most exciting times for watch design – and focusing instead on one of their extremely rare chronographs from 1943. The new piece stays faithful to the original, keeping the same two-tone aesthetic with the retro gold-toned dial and pink gold detailing. The already generous watch dimensions are here increased again, improving the legibility of the elegant Art Deco-inspired numerals.

Writer: Hannah Silver

Hamilton PSR
20 March

Hamilton’s unveiling of the first digital electronic wristwatch in 1970 fascinated viewers who watched it being tested on The Tonight Show. Host Johnny Carson demonstrated how pushing the button on the side made the time flash in red LED; holding it down for longer revealed the seconds. Two years later upon its official release, Elvis Presley was one of those quick to snap up one of the 400 models, then the same price as a family car. This new version, available in both stainless steel and in stainless steel coated with yellow gold PVD – our favourite – pays tribute to these historical references with its familiar cushion shape, but updates the design. The time display can now be viewed in both LCD (liquid crystal display) and OLED (organic light emitting diodes), which in short means the time is now also visible in daylight without the need to press a button. The lack of a backlight keeps energy consumption low, and thus this retro tribute to groundbreaking technology ticks along efficiently – or rather, it doesn’t.

Writer: Hannah Silver

Tag Heuer Connected
13 March

As smartwatches seem to be here to stay – for now – so their design continues to evolve. The third edition of the Tag Heuer Connected is a case in point, or rather, stainless steel: with a silhouette that resembles that of the much-loved Carrera, it is the most familiar smartwatch yet. Functions are top-notch, enabling you to analyse your daily run and check in with your Google assistant all before your morning coffee. If it weren’t for these handy features, the chronograph design - including the sleek polished and brushed detailing and ceramic bezel - would make it easy to forget it is a smart watch at all.

Writer: Hannah Silver

A. Lange & Söhne Odysseus
28 February

There is something incredibly chic about a clean stainless steel watch. Once regarded as too heavy and cumbersome to be of use for anything other than purely functional wristwatches, watchmakers have since harnessed the power of stainless steel to create sleek pieces that are both stylish and exceedingly wearable. Take the Odysseus from A. Lange & Söhne, which marks the beginning of steel becoming an enduring part of the German brand’s roster. Plaits of brushed surfaces and chamfered edges, when juxtaposed against the multi-levelled brass dial, become both elegant and sporty.

Writer: Hannah Silver

Phillips in Association with Bacs & Russo
20 February

A personal watch collection is inherently revealing, exposing the habits and affections of those who have patiently indulged their love of horology throughout the years. It is very special indeed when the collection belongs to someone who has directly defined the industry, and Jean-Claude Biver: A Retrospective. Share, Respect, Forgive promises to be a real treat. Jean-Claude Biver, the non-executive president of LVMH Group Watch Division, has assembled an eclectic selection of watches from Patek Philippe, Rolex, Omega and others, as well as being drawn to independents such as Philippe Dufour and Rexhep Rexhepi. The non-selling exhibition has toured the world for the last few months and, next week, will be on show at Phillips in Berkeley Square, London. It is a rare chance to see beautiful and exceptional pieces such as this Patek Philippe collection of the elegant 1518, 2499, 1579 and 96HU watches.

Writer: Hannah Silver

Bamford Watch Department & Girard-Perregaux Cat’s Eye
12 February

Bamford Watch Department’s subversive watch restorations have slowly converted a slew of big watch brands who, while at first dubious, have since been won over by the cutting-edge style with which they award a familiar watch. Now, joining TAG Heuer, Zenith and Bulgari, among others, is Girard-Perregaux, who have given the customiser carte blanche to transform the Cat’s Eye. While the oval case is still instantly recognisable, there is a bold rainbow of twelve colour choices for the dial which, when paired with a textured strap in Epi grain leather, makes for an instantly contemporary result.

Writer: Hannah Silver

SevenFriday x Rocketbyz
31 January

SevenFriday’s second collaboration with artist Tomyboy reinterprets the M3/01 watch in an unapologetic riot of colour. A case, layered with carbon and neon coloured resin, makes for a bold choice when offered in fluorescent pink, orange or green, and we would expect nothing less from a brand named after the most thrilling day of the week. Day or night, these watches are so bright you’ll need glasses to wear them – how appropriate, then, that each limited edition piece comes with its own pair of matching sunglasses.

Writer: Hannah Silver

Longines Heritage Military 1938
19 December

The military watch from the Thirties that inspired the new Longines Heritage was typically understated; design details, although bold, were more easily spotted on second glance. They are referenced by today’s reinterpretation, and the decorated bezel and ribbed crown are both faithful to the original. A NATO-style strap in charcoal grey leather adds an appropriately modern military edge.

Writer: Hannah Silver

Zenith Defy Classic Two Tone
11 December

The trend for bi-metal mixes has hovered around the horological universe for some time now. This year, Zenith has woven in an era-crossing sports-luxe 1970s vibe. The ultra-light brushed titanium case of the Swiss brand’s ‘Defy Classic Two Tone’ is elevated with an 18ct rose-gold bezel. The tech-infused Elite skeleton movement dial and easy-to-wear 41mm case makes it an elegant fit for most wrists.

Writer: Caragh McKay; Photography: Kayser & Schmuck

SevenFriday T-Series
4 December

The new T-Series collection of watches from SevenFriday cut a noticeably thinner silhouette then the heavier watches we are used to from a brand that generally embodies a more industrialised style. The T2/02 plays with a retro aesthetic, incorporating smoky shades of brown and gold into the familiar clashing geometry of the face. New materials lend an edge, and a dial adapted from a sunglass lens gently distorts light while being transparent enough to reveal the skeleton movement within.

Writer: Hannah Silver

Bell & Ross BR03-92
27 November

A watch described as luminescent often refers to the subtle glow of the numerals and indexes on the dial, a term which may need to be redefined with the release of the Bell & Ross BR 03-92 Full Lum. There is no understated glow emitting from this piece which coats its dial in fluorescent green Superluminova® paint. The rubber bracelet, too, incorporates pigments of the luminescent green into the rubber strap which is then moulded and pressed for crystal clear visibility. By day clean and uncluttered, there is no missing the brilliantly bright BR03-92 by night.

Writer: Hannah Silver

Panerai Radiomir
20 November

Panerai has revisited its roots with the newest addition to the Radiomir collection. Originally created for the Royal Italian Navy, the watch began life as an instrument infused with Radiomir – a powder created from radium – with the purpose to light instruments’ dials. The new Radiomir California stays faithful to one of the early designs used during the Second World War, with the same unconventional mix of Roman numerals, Arabic figures and hour markers and no hint of the brand name, in keeping with military secrecy laws at the time.

Writer: Hannah Silver

Vacheron Constantin La Création du Monde
15 November

Vacheron Constantin’s just-announced partnership with the Musée du Louvre looks set to be a spectacular one if their last collaboration is anything to go by. In 2016 La Création du Monde, the 18th century clock, was painstakingly restored by Vacheron Constantin and was displayed in the Louvre: presented to King Louis XV in 1754, it is a rare example of both the precision and exquisite craftsmanship which characterised the era. For Louis Ferla, CEO of Vacheron Constantin, it joins two companies inherently concerned with archiving and conservation: ‘I enthusiastically welcome this collaboration between our two institutions, both centuries-old yet firmly rooted in the 21st century, as evidenced by the favour they enjoy among an audience of connoisseurs.’

Writer: Hannah Silver

HYT Soonow Drop One
13 November

HYT’s avant-garde timepieces have garnered acclaim in the decade since their inception; by using fluid to tell the time, they weave together high technical accomplishment with a fantastically futuristic aesthetic. The Soonow Drop One continues in a similar vein but is one of the most complicated pieces yet, forcing the brightly coloured liquid to bend around the curves of the skull in a process contrary to the laws of gravity and – almost – watchmaking. Telling the time on this titanium dial studded with gold pins is a skill that must be learned, but we imagine that for the wearers of this watch, time is but a trifling detail.

Writer: Hannah Silver

Hublot Big Bang
8 November

In its ongoing collaboration with embroidery house Bischoff of St Gallen, Hublot has added eight new designs for the ‘Big Bang’ watch to its ‘One Click’ interchangeable strap collection. This turquoise and sky-blue abstract braid design has been created on Italian silk organza using a bean stitch.

Writer: Caragh McKay; Photography: Kayser & Schmuck

Tag Heuer Monaco
1 November

It has been fifty years since the Tag Heuer Monaco made its appearance, making watch history with its water-resistant square case. It quickly became ubiquitous – first glimpsed on the wrist of racing driver Jo Siffert, it soon graduated to a starring role in Le Mans thanks to Steve McQueen’s enthusiastic endorsement. It is a moment worth celebrating, and it is one the brand has done in style by releasing five anniversary editions, one for each decade of its existence. This fifth and final piece in the series represents 2009 to 2019, and is the most stripped-back piece yet. Nodding to the black dial on the Monaco which originally appeared at the beginning of the decade, it also incorporates more modern design ticks; a sandblasted case in stainless steel lends a raw edge McQueen would have approved of.

Writer: Hannah Silver

Jaeger-LeCoultre ’Lucky 13’
25 October

Phillips’ Game Changers auction in New York on 10 December will feature the regulation rare Patek Philippe and Rolex watches (including a very nice ’John Player Special’ Daytona estimated at $350-700,000), but stealing some of the thunder will be the LeCoultre ’Lucky 13’. Originally presented to Mercury astronaut (and later Senator) John H Glenn Jr by the Chicago Anti-Superstition Society, it marked his successful first US orbit in Friendship 7, the 13th space capsule produced by McDonnell Aircraft Corp. Uniquely, every hour is marked by a 13. The watch, on show in London until 28 October, has a US-made ’gold-filled’ case and is matched to a hand-wound LeCoultre K831/CW movement as used in the ’Quarter-Master’ 24-hour dialled watches given to the Mercury astronauts by NASA.

Writer: James Gurney

Swatch exhibition
23 October

It would be no exaggeration to say Swatch’s irreverent designs revitalised the quartz watchmaking industry when they appeared in the Eighties. Bold and fun, a host of artist collaborations and witty, smart designs ensured they quickly became collectors’ pieces. Phillips Perpetual will be offering an impressive collection of their own this month, with over 200 unworn Swatch watches available to view and buy at the Phillips Perpetual showroom in London’s Berkeley Square from 25 – 28 October. Swatch, The All It Takes Is The Will To Do It Exhibition is a sale tinged with nostalgia, says Phillips international specialist James Marks. ‘In a world where brands were focused on classic design they tested the water for a fashion driven approach,’ he adds, a point that still stands. ‘Swatch revolutionised the theory that less is more.’

Writer: Hannah Silver

Dior Grand Bal Plume
16 October

The horological interpretation of haute couture, Dior’s Grand Bal collection of watches incorporate a wealth of precious materials, uniting delicate feather-setting skills with accomplished watchmaking abilities. Feathers are paired with diamonds, or zoisite with steel, for unexpected and intricate results. Here, the bold hues of the tiger eye stone and the speckled zoisite dials present a sharp contrast against the oscillating weight; functional yet still beautiful, it can be glimpsed in a swish of black feathers on the dial.

Writer: Hannah Silver

Nomos Tetra plum
4 October

The Tetra watch has been a mainstay of Nomos for a quarter of a century. For a brand that produces primarily round watches, it is unique in being characterised by sharp angles, both in the lines of the case and in the typography. Keeping proportions slim, both in the case itself and for the slender lugs which have been doubled to increase impact, means the end result cuts a bolder silhouette than the distinctive parts would suggest. The rainbow hues of the Tetra dial are always one of the most joyful and surprising elements, and this new autumnal deep plum is no exception.

Writer: Hannah Silver

Audemars Piguet Millenary Frosted Gold Philosophique
20 September

Audemars Piguet’s experiments with abstract notions of telling the time began in 1982 with the first Philosophique watch. It paid tribute to the first time-telling instruments which were equipped with a single hour hand: while less precise, they also lacked the relentlessness which pursues us today. It is to this sentimentality to which the new Millenary Frosted Gold Philosophique nods, defiantly eschewing precision by equipping it with a single hand only. Other design codes are more familiar – the diamond-dust effect of jeweller Carolina Bucci’s frosted gold finishing presents a beautiful juxtaposition to the hand-polished bevels on the case and lugs.

Writer: Hannah Silver

Bravur Geography Limited Edition
11 September

Since its inception in 2011, Swedish watch brand Bravur has encapsulated Nordic cool, staying faithful to a core philosophy which focuses on simplicity. Their careful consideration of every design detail means the brand have long been on our radar, and we were excited to see how far they have come with their latest release. The Geography Limited Edition beautifully juxtaposes colours and textures, with a luscious forest green dial made classic by a gold and titanium plated case and elegant numerals.

Writer: Hannah Silver

Shinola Runwell Automatic
4 September

The Shinola Runwell Automatic is the mature older brother to the Shinola Runwell, released in 2013. It borrows design ticks from the original – the worn brown leather of the strap and gently rounded digits are reassuringly retro – but the automatic movement that drives it is wholly new, launching this piece into a more grown-up league. As we would expect, Shinola have done it on their own terms, inscribing the rotor with the familiar bolt logo in a nod to the Detroit cool at the heart of the brand.

Writer: Hannah Silver

Piaget Secret Water
28 August

Piaget have flirted with Surrealist design codes in the past, dedicating a watch to Gala Dalí in 1973 which cut a distinctive asymmetrical silhouette. These beloved influences can be seen again in the Secret Water watch, where an undulating opal emerges from its textured pink gold fetters. The opal, a personal favourite of Yves G. Piaget, has appeared frequently in Piaget creations for the last five decades, and we can see why – here, the black opal is converted into a rainbow of colour, reflecting hues of yellow, green and blue.

Writer: Hannah Silver

Uniform Wares M42 Chronograph
7 August

British brand Uniform Wares has gone from strength to strength in the decade since its inception. A focus on designing and developing all pieces from their London studio, combined with a distinctive clean design, has given them the edge. Its newest piece, the M42 Chronograph, is a case in point: technically impressive, it also incorporates new engineered finishes on the case, bezel and dial, for a masterpiece in tonal style.

Writer: Hannah Silver

BWD X Black Badger Fordite Tag Heuer Carrera Calibre 5
24 July

Bamford Watch Department’s subversive collaborations twist conventional design codes. Since Tag Heuer authorised Bamford to make personal alterations for their customers, its new releases have increasingly pushed the boundaries of traditional watch design, and this latest piece is a case in point. The ten limited editions in the collection use Fordite, the overspray that builds up in the paint bays of car factories over the years, to create hypnotising and unique dials. The remains appeared at first to be lumps of paint; it is only when they are cut into that the swirling and random patterns inside are revealed.

Writer: Hannah Silver

Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Grande Tradition Répétition Minutes Perpétuelle
22 July 

Jaeger-LeCoultre’s minute repeaters succinctly unite technical mastery with an understated aesthetic, belying the huge specialist accomplishments at their heart. Continuing this tradition is the Master Grande Tradition Répétition Minutes Perpétuelle, an impressively slender addition to the 200 chiming watch calibers the Maison now counts in its inventory. Progressive the technology may be, but a gong that pays tribute to the distinctive tones of an antique pocket watch nods to the brand’s rich historical heritage.

Writer: Hannah Silver

Cartier Santos de Cartier
17 July

While horology’s ties with watchmaking are now well-established, it wasn’t always so. Cartier were one of the first to spot the potential in the new breed of pilots attempting to take to the skies, with Louis Cartier creating a wristwatch for his friend, Brazilian aviator Alberto Santos-Dumont in 1904. Santos-Dumont epitomised the hunger for progress in the early twentieth century, inventing the predecessor to the aeroplane and going on to design 22 flying machines. The watch Louis designed has been fine-tuned over the years, but the core principles, with their emphasis on simplicity and readability, remain the same. The familiar square silhouette is also still present, reflecting the symmetrical Parisian design codes of the time which were most famously epitomised in the four angular corners of the Eiffel Tower.

Writer: Hannah Silver

Harry Winston Histoire de Tourbillon 10
10 July

For the past decade, Harry Winston has been pushing both technical and aesthetic boundaries with the Histoire de Tourbillon collection, which concludes with the Histoire de Tourbillon 10, the tenth and final chapter in the story. Technically, it is spectacular, featuring an astonishing four tourbillons, each in their own rotating cage. The design has grown to accommodate them, with the case no longer rounded but rather cutting a sharp rectangular silhouette. Design ticks nod to the heritage of the brand, with subtle notches on the bezel referencing the sweeping architecture of the entrance to Harry Winston’s Fifth Avenue showroom. The rest of the design is perfectly symmetrical and surprisingly clean – the sculptural pair of sloping bridges supporting the case mount a dial crafted from a single piece of sapphire.

Writer: Hannah Silver

Nendo Buckle
28 June

Japanese designer Oki Sato of design studio Nendo has stripped the design of a watch back to the bare essentials for his third collaboration with Ten: Ten watch collection. A watch, usually consisting of a timepiece, wristband and buckle, is here reduced to just two parts. By fusing together the timepiece and buckle, Sato reduces the watch to the essentials only. Two different straps become one long belt, easily adjusted at the top of the wrist.

Writer: Hannah Silver

IWC Mark 11
21 June

IWC’s experiments in aviation-inspired horology go back seventy years. The first wristwatch they produced in the mid 1930s for civil aviation purposes set the precedent for technical innovations, being particularly resistant to oscillations in temperature. The Mark 11 which followed in 1949 was similarly acclaimed: recognised as a highly accurate navigational tool, it was supplied to the Royal Air Force. Now, IWC are celebrating seven decades of the Mark 11 Pilot’s Watch in style, hosting their first UK pop-up exhibition. Running until 10 August from their flagship New Bond Street store, visitors can discover 12 significant Mark 11 timepieces, as well as military uniforms and artefacts from the halcyon days of air travel. 

Writer: Hannah Silver

Patek Philippe Diamond Ribbon Joaillerie
11 June

Wallflowers need not apply for the Patek Philippe Diamond Ribbon Joaillerie, a gloriously bold interpretation of diamonds for men. The signature round silhouette of the Calatrava is a fitting foil for the hypnotising swirl of diamonds which make up the dial, arranged in graduated size so as to appear endless. Other details are pared-back - delicate numerals in blued gold appear to hover over the dial, while an increased case size creates more comfortable proportions for a watch comprised of 679 diamonds.

Writer: Hannah Silver

Nomos Tangente Sport
4 June

Nomos has perfected its idiosyncratic brand of minimalism in the almost three decades since its inception, and its pared-down aesthetic is evident in the new Tangente Sport. It borrows design quirks from its popular sister, the Bauhaus-inspired Tangente, but alongside the ubiquitous typography and clean face there are sporty accents with an emphasis on strength. A case and bracelet made from surgical steel and a robust strap, composed of 145 individual parts, add a reassuring weight which not only make it near indestructible, but also pleasingly comfortable to wear.

Writer: Hannah Silver

Dior Grand Bal
29 May

The functional becomes beautiful in the Dior Grand Bal Plume Wild, a family of watches which celebrate, rather than conceal, the remarkable technology at their heart. The oscillating weight of the movement becomes the graceful swirl of a ball gown; here ensconced in black feathers, it creates a pleasing textural jarring against veined blue stone.

Writer: Hannah Silver

Calvin Klein Glimpse
22 May

Taking its design cues from the Seventies, the sporty face on the Calvin Klein Glimpse pays homage to a decade which, while challenging for watchmakers, ultimately set the new cultural parameters of watch design. Sleekly rounded and with retro detailings, the Glimpse takes the brand’s watch design in a fascinating new direction.

Writer: Hannah Silver

Pop art
15 May

A  Rolex chronograph once owned by Andy Warhol is our highlight from the Christie’s Rare Watches auction held in Geneva earlier this week, which was previously sold with the rest of his watch and jewellery collection in 1988. Warhol had liked to store it in a dresser in his New York home within easy reach, all the better for enjoying its tactile nature. It is easy to see why the Rolex reference 3525 appealed – marrying steel and gold, its experiments with colour would have been familiar to the King of Pop Art.

Writer: Hannah Silver

Gucci Grip
7 May

The new Grip by Gucci looks set to enter the brand’s roster of classic pieces, which succinctly capture the zeitgeist. A restrained, retro aesthetic and functional design ticks here nod fondly to Gérald Genta’s famed brand of luxury sports watch. The four new timepieces that comprise the Grip collection are sleekly functional, available in both yellow gold and steel. It’s the vintage chic marriage of burgundy calfskin and gleaming yellow gold that makes this the one for us.

Writer: Hannah Silver

TAG Heuer Carrera Calibre Heuer 02T Tourbillon Nanograph
26 April

TAG Heuer’s Carrera Calibre Heuer 02T Tourbillon Nanograph is the maison’s most futuristic yet, now that a new carbon nanotube material has been developed for watchmaking in the TAG Heuer Institute. At the heart of the watch is a balance spring formed from a new material, a high-tech carbon composite that promises exceptional performance and shock-resistance. Naturally enough, the brand has chosen a suitably futuristic design for the new technology that plays on the hexagonal structure of the nano-scale carbon tubes at the heart of the composite. The new balance spring can be seen at the centre of the anodised-green aluminium tourbillon cage at the bottom of the dial, while the titanium case and carbon bezel add to the design’s all-round lightweight form. ‘This timepiece is a force of disruption in haute horlogerie,’ says Guy Bove, TAG Heuer’s new product director.

Writer: James Gurney

Hublot Classic Fusion Chronograph Garage Italia
24 April

Fusing the slick technological and design cues from both the motoring and horological worlds, the Hublot Classic Fusion Chronograph Garage Italia looks to the elements for its true blue design. The watch, the result of a collaboration with Garage Italia, unites Lapo Elkann’s contemporary styling with Hublot’s distinct brand of tough cool. Textures collide in a sky blue ceramic bezel, offset by a full rubber strap patterned delicately with ocean waves.

Writer: Hannah Silver

MB&F Legacy Machine FlyingT
18 March

MB&F’s legendary brand of avant-garde cool is thankfully still very much evident in its very first timepiece for women. The Legacy Machine FlyingT refuses to compromise on technicality and is the latest of creator Maximilian Büsser’s three-dimensional mechanical sculptures, featuring an eponymous 60-second flying tourbillon which hovers enigmatically over a central pillar. The result may be eye-catching, but telling the time itself is surprisingly intimate thanks to a clever angled elegant sub-dial that only the wearer can see.

Writer: Hannah Silver
 

Hublot Big Bang One Click Marc Ferrero
11 March

Hublot’s collaboration with Marc Ferrero is the latest in a long line of prolific partnerships. The Hublot Big Bang One Click Marc Ferrero depicts one of the artist’s most renowned works, ‘Lipstick’, on the dial, circled in spinels or topazes. Ferrero is renowned for  amalgamating different graphic styles, and this collaboration sees precious gems fused with functional technology. Naturally luxury is never compromised, however - the leather strap of Hublot’s patented one click fastening system has here been exchanged for sumptuous alligator and rubber. 

Writer: Hannah Silver

Van Cleef & Arpels Sweet Alhambra
6 March

In 1968, Van Cleef & Arpels launched its first ‘Alhambra’ sautoir. This long-strand necklace was designed around the four-leaf clover-like motif that has become an emblem of the brand. A bejewelled play on the feel-good feeling that luck brings, the Alhambra design indeed proved to be a lucky strike for the French fine jewellery house – it remains Van Cleef & Arpels’ flagship design today. The emblem translates seamlessly into other forms, too, as the cocktail-style ‘Sweet Alhambra’ watch shows. By fitting the crown under the case, the clover silhouette remains graphically pure. Five new versions are launched this month, with a choice of interchangeable leather straps. This guilloché dial design, with layer upon layer of gold detailing, leads us to hope that our luck just might be about to turn.

Writer: Caragh McKay

Vacheron Constantin’s FiftySix Self-Winding
22 January

A time-only display, eschewing frills, perfectly suits the concept of Vacheron Constantin’s FiftySix line, which debuted last year. Augmented at SIHH 2019 by a fetching new dial colour, the FiftySix Self-Winding with sweep seconds is the ideal way to experience what the company calls ’petrol blue’. This rich, royal hue creates a luxurious mien, accented by applied 18-ct white gold numerals for the even hours, with sword hands for the time-telling and an aperture at 3 o’clock for the date. Its 40mm stainless steel case is moisture resistant to 30m. Visible through the sapphire case back is the in-house self-winding 1326 movement, with 48-hour power reserve. Pure class…

Writer: Ken Kessler

Piaget 2019 Limelight Gala
21 January

While many watch maisons use the SIHH platform to underline new technical innovation, Piaget, rightly, reminds us of its unique way with decoration – in precious metals and semi-precious hard stones. Having pursued a glamorous design style that fuses both watch and jewellery techniques in the 1960s and 1970s (left), the watchmaker-jeweller has maintained its reputation for exceptional goldwork and gemsetting. While today it focuses on developing new decorative gold techniques, each year it delights with a contemporary update of one of its classic design. The 2019 Limelight Gala, (right), is created using the houses’s classic ‘Décor Palace’ gold finishing technique, each link being hand-engraved. That richness is deliberately matched to heighten the exotic deep-green malachite dial and invisibly set diamonds. 

Writer: Caragh McKay

Cartier Skeleton Dual Time Zone Tonneau
18 January

Cartier’s reputation for creating horology’s most stylish watch forms, ranging from the classic to the sublime, continues apace. But, each year at SIHH, its serious tech credentials rise to the top in the form of beautifully realised engineered pieces such as this Skeleton Dual Time Zone Tonneau. A supremely elegant feat of engineering, the watch case’s elongated form required a specially curved movement so as not to alter the Tonneau’s eponymous shape. It is also ergonomically considered for a smooth fit on the wrist. In skeletonising the movement, Cartier is infusing serious mechanics with its ever-light touch.

Writer: Caragh McKay

A. Lange & Söhne Zeitwerk Date
15 January

Anniversaries are all about dates, so A. Lange & Söhne has aptly chosen to celebrate 10 years of the fabulous Zeitwerk, the brand’s first mechanical wristwatch with a digital display for jumping hours, with a clever new function.

The Zeitwerk Date’s display encircles the grey dial fitted into the 44.2-millimetre white-gold case, forming a clever system that shows the date in red. To achieve this visual treat, Lange employed a circumferential glass date ring with printed numerals from 1 to 31. The current date is highlighted in red thanks to a small colour segment beneath the date ring which moves ahead exactly one step at midnight.

Writer: Ken Kessler

Seiko Prospex, Street Series
18 December

The Seiko Prospex Street Series nods to the design of the original 1975 Seiko diver’s watch; the first to have a titanium case, its accordion-style strap cleverly expanded and contracted as the divers increased their depth. Lightness and strength remain significant idiosyncrasies of today’s design, and a case reinforced with silicon bands is reassuringly robust. Tweaks to the profile present a more streamlined whole, while the choice of aluminium for the bezel ensures a modern silhouette. Striking the balance between style, wearability and functionality was imperative in the design: ‘We’ve channelled the retro "tuna" shape from the 1975 divers’ model into a more compact, yet reinforced watch,’ explains David Edwards, Seiko UK managing director. ‘It is robust enough to dive 200m under the sea but stylish enough to be worn on the street.’ A clash of textures further blurs the lines between urbane and adventurer, with aluminium and steel softened by a silicone accordion strap treated with a leather pattern process.

Writer: Hannah Silver

Nomos Bauhaus
11 December

Timepieces by German brand Nomos follow the Bauhaus tenets of clean, functional product design, with pristine dial space picked out with useful details. Now, its Tangente neomatik 41 Update has been awarded the Challenge Prize at the 2018 GPHG Awards, a category that was introduced this year with a focus on design-savvy watches below the CHF 4,000 mark. The DUW 6101 movement includes a clever new calendar system encircling the entire dial, which is marked out with Nomos’ signature slimline markings and elongated indices. Counting down the days is simple: at the outer edge, the perforated plate allows two cherry-red indicators to show through the shallow layers, one on either side of the correct date.

Writer: Caitlin McDonald

Rado Thinline Nature
22 November

Rado, the Swiss watchmaker known for its innovative approach to materials, is combining its signature high-tech ceramic with richly textured dials in a new series of True Thinline watches. The models come as part of a creative partnership with Grandi Giardini Italiani, an organisation dedicated to preserving Italy’s historic grand gardens, and each watch has a fittingly nature-inspired dial. 

One model, the Leaf, features a lustrous mother-of-pearl dial in bottle green, threaded underneath with delicate veins - a contrast to the soft shimmer of the polished green ceramic case. Cleverly, each elongated hour marker has been applied onto the underside of the sapphire crystal, so that the watch’s shallow layers are delicately picked out - no mean feat on a watch just 5mm thick. The True Thinline Water’s deep blue mother-of-pearl dial hints at breaking waves, while the brown ceramic Earth takes another approach: the metallised coating on the dial has a grainy glitter.

Writer: Caitlin McDonald

Calvin Klein Rebel
14 November

Raf Simons has introduced some of his signature colour into Calvin Klein’s watches and jewellery arm, as he continues in his role as chief creative officer, unifying each branch of the brand through one, coherent vision. The new collection, and particularly the Rebel watch (pictured here in an Americana-inspired blue, also available in green and red), visually references other aspects of Calvin Klein’s contemporary offerings. Inspired by the statement stripe seen on trousers in Simons’ first Calvin Klein 205W39NYC runway for SS18, and now on jeans throughout the numerous #mycalvins campaign, Rebel marks a bold and continued progression towards the Simons aesthetic, particularly as Calvin Klein watches have predominantly favoured metal or muted pastel shades in the past. 

Writer: Elly Parsons

Gucci G-Timeless 
7 November

Logomania shows zero sign of abating on the catwalks. Just look to Gucci’s A/W 2018 runway, which featured tessellated ‘GG’ logo overcoats and Eighties bomber jackets with ‘Gucci’ embellished in glittering beading. Now, the Italian house has translated this typography-focused aesthetic into its latest 38mm version of the G-Timeless watch. The dial and strap of this design features the ‘GG’ logo as a floating hologram in a futuristic and illusory play on the Gucci motif. Now that’s another Gucci emblem we’ll be adding to our wardrobe.

Writer: Laura Hawkins

Cloak
30 October

For their first timepiece, designer Jack Munro and engineer Harri Lewis, founders of new London watchmakers Cloak, are splitting the watch into building blocks. Each part - the case, dial, bezel and strap - can be swapped out and exchanged, with an emphasis on natural materials. Various stones, including granite, marble and travertine, have been thinly sliced into 1mm-thick dials, and the rock’s natural inclusions are made a feature of: there are no numerals, and only a truncated hour hand on the expansive, minimalist dial. ‘We wanted to create something very sculptural, a simple piece of uninterrupted natural material but with clear functionality,’ says Lewis. ‘The Barcelona Pavilion was our biggest influence: we’re trying to achieve that combination of rich materiality and modern geometry with the elegance that Mies van der Rohe did, but in miniature form,’ adds Munro.

Writer: Caitlin McDonald

Ulysse Nardin Executive Tourbillon Free Wheel 
19 October

Ulysse Nardin has created an angled, box-domed crystal to house its new Executive Tourbillon Free Wheel – crafted from synthetic sapphire, it’s a complex piece to engineer, requiring months of careful R&D. However, the crystal’s real purpose is to showcase the extraordinary openworked dial beneath. The movement’s components, including the gear trains, barrel, power reserve indicator and the tourbillon appear to float above the black honeycomb-textured dial. When viewed from the side, they rise up with surprising height. The tourbillon takes a similarly non-traditional approach to materials, swapping a Swiss lever escapement for Ulysse Nardin’s in-house Anchor Escapement, made entirely from flexible, low-friction silicon.

Writer: Caitlin McDonald

MB&F Grant 
18 October 

MB&F’s clever creations with Swiss clockmakers L’Epée 1839 always raise a smile. Grant, a futurist robot clock crafted from 268 separate components, is designed to trundle around like his namesake, the Grant tank – although this desktop version is best suited to a terrain of papers and pencils. The eight-day movement is visible through his glass-domed head, and with the tilting clock acting as his body, the robot can be manoeuvred into lying, crouching, or standing up at his full 26cm height. In his right hand, Grant wields a removable grenade launcher that doubles up as a key to wind the mechanism and set the correct time. Desk duty has never been so much fun.  

Writer: Caitlin McDonald

Optik Instruments Horizon
10 October 

The new steel Horizon from Henley watchmakers Optik Instruments takes an intuitive approach. The watch’s dial rotates once every 24 hours, its numerals and indices aligning with a red line on the internal bezel to indicate the time. Rather than squeeze 1,440 minutes onto the outer track, it’s divided into leisurely 15-minute increments, marking out the key milestones in each hour. After a while, the wearer will begin to judge the approximate time at a glance based on the position of the ‘horizon’ bisecting the dial; under a gently domed crystal, the contrast between butter yellow and pale grey is striking. We’re feeling less hurried already.

Writer: Caitlin McDonald

Hublot Big Bang One Click Blue Sapphire Diamonds
19 September 

We’ve a soft spot for Hublot’s adventurous approach to fine watches for women. For its latest tough tech design, the Big Bang One Click Blue Sapphire Diamonds, it has taken a sports-luxe angle, producing a see-through case in pastel-hued or clear sapphire crystal. The effect is joyous – like a toy watch, but exquisitely made to stand the test of time. As originally featured in Precious Index, our Watches & Jewellery supplement (see W*230)

Photography: James Robjant. Writer: Caragh McKay

Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Grande Date
5 September

The creation of the Fifty Fathoms has become watch design lore: in 1952, French combat diver Captain Bob Maloubier drafted a practical tool watch for his team, but struggled to find a willing watchmaker – enter Blancpain. The Fifty Fathoms established a dive watch language that has been followed ever since, with a unidirectional bezel – meaning it wouldn’t spin backwards to show a false dive time – and chunky, luminescent hour markers, legible at depth. The new 45mm, titanium Fifty Fathoms Grande Date follows those same codes, with the addition of an instant-change large date complication split over two windows at 6 o’clock. 

Writer: Caitlin McDonald

Rado True Open Heart Skeleton Ceramic Watch
22 August

The chocolate-coloured ceramic that Rado brought to Baselworld three years ago is far more complex to mix than monochrome ceramics, requiring the inclusion of several metal oxides before sintering. When viewed with the naked eye, it shimmers with a slick oiliness. Now, the Swiss watchmaker has used the material for the monobloc case and the bracelet of the True Open Heart Skeleton, with an openworked dial sliced into geometric shapes to reveal the gear trains and balance wheel beneath.

Writer: Caitlin McDonald

Junghans Meister MEGA
15 August

German brand Junghans, known for its utilitarian Max Bill wristwatches, draws on its earlier archives for the new Meister MEGA. Anton Ziegler designed for Junghans from the 1930s to the 1960s, and the Meister watch takes cues from his work for its clear, precise dimensions. Precision is the name of the game inside the Meister MEGA too: a new J101 movement tells time with pinpoint accuracy, via a radio signal with a deviation of 0.006 seconds per million years.

Writer: Caitlin McDonald

Fiona Krüger Mechanical Entropy
31 July

Pigeonholing is a risk for any designer who bursts onto the scene with a groundbreaking, signature piece - but Fiona Krüger need not worry. Chaos is a disruptive departure from the Scottish designer’s skull-shaped, mechanical watches, and, like its name suggests, embraces ideas of order and disorder via a semi-skeletonised, dial-less watch that depicts an explosion of watch parts. Pop art, the Dada movement and most notably Cornelia Parker’s ‘Cold Dark Matter: An Exploded View’ were all muses, while the movement itself is a bespoke creation, made for Krüger by Agenhor, the Swiss premier movement maker which has developed watches for Van Cleef & Arpels, Fabergé and Hermès. Limited to 40 pieces, the titanium watch comes in two finishes – black with either rhodium or gold (pictured) – with new models launching later this year.

Writer: Ming Liu

Timex Marlin
26 July

The original Timex Marlin was launched in the 1960s, accompanied by an ad campaign with all the swagger of advertising’s Golden Age. In one broadcast, a watch was strapped to the rotating propeller of an outboard motor then fished out of the water in perfect working order, proving the tagline that it could ’take a licking and keep on ticking’. Now, the Marlin has been reissued – the first mechanical Timex watch since 1982 – and the lustrous sunburst dial, and stylised font used for the indices, are a faithful re-working of the original. We’ve fallen for it hook, line and sinker. 

Writer: Caitlin McDonald

Hermès Médor Rock
27 June

The pyramid-shaped stud is synonymous with Hermes’ accessories. Originally used to adorn hunting dog collars, the French maison began embellishing belts with the detail in the 1930s. The cabochon-like flourish is also a signature of Hermès’ Médor Rock timepiece; a secret watch concealed by a pyramid-stud, which is revealed with a press on the crown. Now, the quartz watch design has been updated with a bracelet-like triple tour strap. We’ll be winding this sleek interpretation – featuring a Black Barenia calfskin strap – around our wrist in no time.

Writer: Laura Hawkins

Jaeger-LeCoultre Polaris Date and Vacheron Constantin Fiftysix
22 June

Tiny details can change the entire look and feel of a watch – add a few tenths of a millimetre to the width of a hand and the balance is thrown. Which makes it hard for watchmakers to produce variations on a strong parent design. Two new launches make the point. The success of Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Polaris Date is that it takes more than a moment to spot the most obvious difference between it and the classic 1968 Memovox version. That model had three crowns – one for time setting, one for the internal bezel, the other for the diver’s alarm function – the new one has two. Add in today’s taste for more refined finishes and the brand’s skill in preserving the original’s character is more remarkable. Vacheron Constantin has taken a different approach with its updated Fiftysix, using the original as a starting point for what is really an entirely new design. Built around a subtly angled case, it features period details such as a box-shaped crystal and chapter ring graphic to reinforce the vintage feel. As originally featured in Precious Index, our Watches & Jewellery supplement (see W*230)

Photography: Peter Langer. Writer: Caragh McKay

Movado Museum
18 June

In 1947, American industrial designer Nathan George Horwitt conceived the Bauhaus-inspired Museum watch design for Movado, a timepiece featuring a single 12’o clock dot on the dial, symbolising the sun at high noon. The Museum of Modern Art selected Horwitt’s dial design for its permanent collection in 1960; the first time a watch was ever awarded such an accolade. Now, industrial designer Yves Béhar, who has been reinterpreting Movado timepieces since 2015, has reimagined the Museum design with a 28mm case and soft saffiano strap. You’ll be going dotty over it in no time.

Writer: Laura Hawkins

Chanel Code Coco 
15 June

‘Code’ – an enigmatic system of symbols? Or streams of computer data? In Chanel’s horological universe, it’s a mischievous mix of both. The brand’s most recent watch design, Code Coco, toys with the visual signs of the maison’s own history, as well as today’s plugged-in planet. An everyday bracelet, the geometric grid design evokes the classic quilted motif Gabrielle Coco Chanel developed in 1955 as well as a stream of computer pixels. Industrial yet elegant, it also harbours a secret: an exact miniature of the clasp of Chanel’s ‘2.55’ bag, which can be twisted across the dial, hiding it in the process.

These subtle details are heightened with the launch of the Code Coco black ceramic. The material is notoriously difficult to work with and the bracelet was a real challenge. ‘It comprises tiny squares of superhard ceramic,’ says Nicolas Beau, Chanel’s international watch and jewellery director. ‘If we placed them too close together, there was a chance they would crack. It’s ironic, perhaps, that ceramic is so very comfortable, warm and soft to wear – perfect for a bracelet design.’

The Code Coco is a worthy addition to Chanel’s short but audacious watchmaking history (the brand launched its first watch in 1987, and its first high-tech ceramic watch, the J12, in 2000). This year, it also reveals another in-house movement, the Calibre 3, with unusual, smooth, spokeless wheels. ‘Our designers are not watchmakers, they are watch lovers,’ says Beau of the French maison’s stylistic approach. ‘They don’t have a traditional design mindset.’ Proof that you need to break a code to tap into a new language. As originally featured in Precious Index, our Watches & Jewellery supplement (see W*230)

Photography: James Robjant. Writer: Caragh McKay

Piaget Extremely Arty 
13 June

Hard stones such as malachite, tiger’s eye and onyx present a challenge to watchmakers as they are both difficult to work with (being brittle and liable to shatter) and tricky to design around (the vibrant tones of the stones can very easily dominate the watch). The secret is to ensure there’s a balance between a coloured stone’s pop punch and the watch architecture, something Swiss house Piaget demonstrates perfectly with its new Extremely Arty model. Its design, with a sizeable 45x43mm stepped-side case, is derived from a mid-1970s black-dial watch owned by Andy Warhol, a keen Piaget fan. The fact that the watch case is forceful enough to work effectively as a frame for the malachite dial points to Piaget’s jewellery-design thinking. The Extremely Arty timepiece is superbly smart and sophisticated, thanks, not least, to the way the malachite bands graduate in intensity across the dial. The white gold case, in place of the original warm yellow gold, adds a fresh, modern touch. As originally featured in Precious Index, our Watches & Jewellery supplement (see W*230)

Photography: James Robjant. Writer: Caragh McKay

Bell & Ross BR03-92 Diver Bronze
11 June

Bell & Ross has expanded its square-cased divers’ range with the BR03-92 Diver Bronze, which references early diving helmets and is housed in a bronze case designed to patinate. But it’s the watch’s technical clout – its water resistance, luminescent markers, and antishock protection – that will float your boat, should you consider a stylish 300m-deep sea dive anytime soon. As originally featured in Precious Index, our Watches & Jewellery supplement (see W*230)

Photography: Peter Langer. Writer: Caragh McKay

Jaeger-Le Coultre Polaris 2018
6 June

It was in 1968 that Jaeger-LeCoultre launched its Memovox Polaris design. This technical instrument – it has an in-built alarm – had a sporty look that was seriously modern for its time. No wonder that collectors and connoisseurs still wax lyrical about the original. This year, in celebration of its 50th birthday, the Swiss watchmaker has launched a new Polaris collection inspired by that first design. Throughout June, there’s a chance to see all the pieces in one place at Harrods new fine watch department, where Jaeger-LeCoultre is staging a pop-up experience. Wallpaper’s pick? The two-crown black dial model with waffle rubber strap and vanilla Arabic numerals and indices. The hands are created using Super-LumiNova for a vintage-style glow-in-the-dark thrill. The exhibition is on view at Harrods until 27 June.

Writer: Caragh McKay

Farer Stanhope
30 May

Attention to detail is paramount at British watch brand Farer, which has launched its first series of manual-winding watches. Despite a roguish moniker – the Stanhope is named after Lady Hester Stanhope, the English adventurer who rode through the Middle East on horseback in the early 19th century – the off-white dial is carefully considered. The sandwiched central plate has a geometric piqué texture, with touches of navy, powder blue and crimson. ‘There’s always certain limitations in building anything physical, but we constantly work to find ways round them,’ explains co-founder Ben Lewin. ‘As well as multiple rounds of prototyping to perfect the thinness of the cushion case shape and finish, a lot of attention was paid in particular to the dial design and how colours work with each other.’

Writer: Caitlin McDonald

Wind-Up watch fair
17 May

Wind-Up, the watch fair from US blog Worn & Wound, makes its West Coast debut on 18 May, pitching up at San Francisco’s Chandran Gallery in the city’s Tenderloin district. Co-founders Zach Weiss and Blake Malin have cherry-picked around 25 Swiss, American and international names to showcase pieces, from start-ups to established brands such as Oris and Junghans. Independent Tel Aviv watchmakers Itay Noy bring their Full Month watch with stamped-out dates circling the dial to mark each day of the month, while Oregon-based Vero Watch Company crafts clean, utilitarian pieces with oversized digits. Bespoke Watch Projects, a Californian microbrand, will showcase its Damascus steel edition, with a dial composed of compressed layers of heat-treated steel, while young Swiss watch brand Klokers will present its KLOK-08, a style which offers a unique take on time display using rotating discs. Worn & Wound’s Wind-Up Watch Fair is on view from 18-20 May, at 459 Geary Blvd, San Francisco, CA 94102

Writer: Caitlin McDonald

Patek Philippe Pearl of Bahrain
14 May

Of the 221 lots that went under the hammer at Christie’s Rare Watches auction in Geneva today, our eyes were firmly fixed on Lot 86, a supremely rare Patek Philippe pink-gold wristwatch with natural seed-pearl hour markers. The 1958 ‘Pearl of Bahrain’ was a special commission by His Highness Emir Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa I of Bahrain for John Eardley Allcard, a British man central to the development of infrastructure in the Gulf state in the 1950s. It reached a total of CHF250,000.

Writer: Caragh McKay