In Switzerland for the fourth incarnation of Geneva Watch Days (GWD, until 2 September), a grassroots (if you can have such a thing in the watch world) mini fair that showcases mostly smaller boutique makers, there’s an energetic buzz in the air with everyone bringing their best beach tans to the party. It’s a heterodox gathering that takes in pure horology, design-led brands, the ultra-traditional and the achingly avant-garde. And supporting the whole enterprise are a handful of more recognisable names, including Breitling, Bulgari, Girard-Perregaux, Oris and Ulysse Nardin.
GWD caters to a sector that’s still enjoying its Covid bounce (as work from home merged seamlessly into shop from home) and that was evident in the sheer creativity on show. The following five are just a taster of what the 40 or so brands taking part had to show.
Geneva Watch Days 2023 highlights
Bulgari Octo Finissimo CarbonGold Automatic
Bulgari’s transformation over the past 20 years into fully fledged watchmaker has been astonishing; only Cartier now comes close to rivalling the brand’s volume, range and depth. The new version of the Octo Finissimo, a perpetual calendar in ‘Carbon Gold’ is horological magic – the whole watch is a bare 2.75mm in profile and is cased in carbon fibre, while the movement bridges visible through the back are in rose gold.
£25,000, bulgari.com
H Moser & Cie Endeavour Tourbillon Concept Vantablack
H Moser & Cie has acquired a fast-growing legion of followers by combining studiously traditional watchmaking values with a contemporary aesthetic and clever tech. The Endeavour Tourbillon Concept Vantablack matches a reworked tourbillon movement with a dial in Vantablack, the ultra-low reflective surface coating associated with Anish Kapoor.
£75,000, h-moser.com
Singer Reimagined 1969 Timer
Singer Reimagined grew out of a partnership between famed Californian Porsche specialist Singer Vehicle Design and Marco Borraccino, an Italian watch designer (and lecturer at Geneva’s HEAD). The result is a series of watches built around the most advanced chronograph movement on the market that have a unique look with plenty of motorsport cues as in the tonneau-cased 1969.
CHF29,900 (€31,000), singerreimagined.com
Ulysse Nardin Blast Free Wheel Marquetry
In a competitive field, Ulysse Nardin can lay claim to being the single most revolutionary watchmaker over the last 20 years. It’s a position they balance with being a more or less traditional watchmaker. Blast Free Wheel Marquetry lives up to the revolution side with a movement that’s all technical fireworks, from the silicon ‘flying anchor’ to the laser-etched dial.
£120,670, ulysse-nardin.com
Ressence Type 3 EE
Ressence designs watches that show time through concentric discs, a seemingly ultra-modern concept that has its roots in clockmaking from the 17th century. With all the gearing hidden beneath the surface, the design of the Type 3 EE favours colour over detail, though the new watch debuts a number typeface that allows deeper a SuperLuminova fill.
CHF38,200 (€40,000), ressencewatches.com
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