In case you hadn’t noticed, there are a shitload of new watches from Watches and Wonders taking up precious real estate on the internet and many people’s social media feeds this week. And while the big dogs – Rolex, Patek, TAG Heuer, Tudor and Cartier – have grabbed most of the headlines, there have also been some other real gems, steals and bonkers pieces equally deserving of your attention. So here are some of our favourites.
Montblanc 1858 Iced Sea Automatic Date
Montblanc’s Iced Sea (it got a nickname of Iced Tea almost immediately) was one of the IT watches of 2022, and it’s easy to see why. A good looking diver’s watch with strong icy mountain vibes, what’s not to love? So after all the buzz, it’s an astute move for the fountain pen specialists to drop what’s definitely the iciest Iced Seas of them all. At £2610, that is shouting good value at us.
Bulgari Octo Roma
Naughties rockers Staind and their hit ‘It’s Been a While’ (niche) springs to mind with this one as Bulgari unveils some new Octo Roma merch. It’s fair to say the Italian jewellers and makers of stealth men’s watches have been a bit preoccupied by the Finissimo breaking records since it last released some Romas, but these are worth the wait. Softer angles and more curvaceous make for a smooth update. Our fave is the grey dial.
Gucci 25H Perpetual Calendar
2022 signalled 50 years of Gucci’s high watchmaking so naturally this year’s releases are being launched into the stratosphere. While there is absolutely no shortage of gems, jewels and wizardry in the collection, from a watch geek’s perspective the one model that stands out in particular is the new Gucci 25H Perpetual Calendar. The Italian fashion house has made its 25H pieces something of a household name with Idris Elba wearing one whenever he’s out and about, but adding a PC to the line up seems the most politically correct thing to do. It also adds even more complicated watchmaking kudos to the house, which was immediately picked up on as, true story, someone requested to purchase one, there and then, as they were being presented for the first time. A wise person, they are.
Alpina Extreme Automatic
Amid the craziness of $20m Jacob and Co trophy watches and TAG Heuer Lab-grown diamonds, sometimes a contemporary-looking sports watch at an affordable price is everything you want – and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. Alpina specialises in such watches, and the latest Extreme Automatic fits that exact bill. And the fact that you could conceivably call it round, square or cushion-shaped does add a lovely little conversation starter, should you ever need one.
Frederique Constant Classic Tourbillon Manufacture Rose Gold
Find a more elegant crown on a watch, we’ll wait. Seriously, it is both decadent and as shapely as a bundt cake tin (just us?). Crown aside, the whole piece is really quite striking. Genuinely, of the 200 or so watches I tried on at Watches and Wonders, this was one of the ones that took me by surprise and really stayed with me. The thinness, the rose gold, not to mention the sight of that tourbillon. Anyone looking to break from the norm, you’ll be hard-pressed to find many watches both as complicated and sophisticated as this. Oh, and happy 35th birthday Frederique!
Hublot Classic Fusion Orlinski Chronograph
French artist Richard Orlinski is the king of angular, facet-infused cool, and this year he’s gone soft monochrome. Orlinski’s sculptural work for Hublot catches the light like no other watch case – this time manifested in blasted titanium with a quietly-spoken presence, underlined by choice polished details, crown and pushers. This chronograph is an architectural edifice for the wrist, and a futurist’s delight.
Panerai Radiomir Otto Giorni E
Like Chopard with its Lucent Steel, Panerai has embraced sustainability through its recycled e-steel cases. With a new, deliciously weathered case surface and grained chocolate brown dial, we’ll forgive its 45mm weapon-like size. In fact, equipped with a P.5000 hand-wound calibre that has a massive 8-day reserve (otto giorni, repeat after me with gusto), a resurgence of the big Panerais is upon us.
Ulysse Nardin Freak One
Incredulous as it might seem, the Ulysse Nardin Freak has had a 22 year-evolution to reach this enigmatic form. In its topsy-turvy world, the bezel is twisted to set the time, while the caseback is twirled to wind it. Framed by a facet-rich brushed 18K rose gold bezel, time itself is shown through a twirling carousel of the actual movement. Le Freak, c’est chic as they say, and this time black and gold makes for a glorious time-telling spectacle.
Piaget Polo Perpetual Calendar Obsidian
The Piaget Polo has been on our radar ever since hunk-tastic Ryan Reynolds was a dreamy ambassador, and its status as a killer grail alternative remains undisputed. This time the indefinable shape of the Polo has moved to the top rung of the grail-ladder with ease. An ultra-thin case in white gold set with a hypnotising circle of blue sapphires (65 to be exact) frames a perpetual calendar in a lava-stone Obsidian blue dial. Maximalism at its best, and we’re deeply smitten.
Roger Dubuis Monovortex
One look at this devilishly red marvel from hyper-horologist Roger Dubuis and we are uncharacteristically lost for words. We’re all for svelte dress watches but wear one of these babies and it’s like jumping into a Lamborghini after driving a Fiesta. Everything about the Monovortex is intense, from its deep red composite case to the intricacies of a split-seconds rattrapante chronograph with gold details. This might just be the future of maximalist Haute Horlogerie right here.
Best of the Indies
Watches and Wonders might be a twirling, mind-bending barrage of big brand horology that’ll make the most astute of us consider a second mortgage. But elsewhere in Geneva, horology-niches within niches had us frothing over these quirky-hot wristwear gems. You might never have heard of these brands, but here’s the best of juxtaposed restraint and brash colour-pop independents.
Gerald Charles Maestro GC Sport Clay
Roland Garros cannot come sooner after seeing Gerald Charles’s latest Maestro GC Sport Clay. While attempting to not descend into a sentence full of tennis references, I will say this much: this left-hander is a unique, real deal and wonderfully irregular. Gerald Genta probably turns in his grave every time his name is used in vain to describe something horological-related but there’s no doubting he’ll be chuffed to bits with how this beauty looks.
Laurent Ferrier Square Micro-rotor Evergreen
Laurent Ferrier has given us a blessing of zen-calm in the cushion-cased shape of a 41mm wristwatch. From needle-thin hand-polished dial details to the pebble-smooth case it’s the perfect antidote to the colourful max-luxury carbon-fibre of brasher brands. With its earthy-toned nubuck leather strap and brushed forest green dial, it feels purely meditative after a week in Geneva, and a welcome wrist spa for the soul.
Sylvain Pinaud Origine
Sylvain Pinaud is an award-winning watchmaker based in Sainte-Croix in Switzerland, and his Origine is a hand-crafted grail piece. A large balance with intricate bridgework is the beating heart, gently oscillating at a deserved centre-stage, dramatically cut out of the grained dial surface. The more irrelevant passage of time is shown on an ethereally floating dial with intense blue Breguet hands, in the Pinaud world of future-proof craftsmanship.
Hajime Asaoka Tourbillon Noir
There is a lot to be said about the intense perfection focus of Japanese watchmaking, and Hajime Asaoka is the Sensei. Asaoka-san had a small booth at the AHCI (the Academy of Independent watchmakers), only showing a single watch with a deep black art deco dial. This time with a big tourbillon stealing your attention through an arched cut-out in the dial. One look at the sleek hands centred in abyss-black architectural symmetry and we were checking rates for a second mortgage.
Furlan Marri White Sector
At around £1,000, the new Sector range from small-brand sensation Furlan Marri is easily the most accessible taste of Swiss horology. There are many nods to great designs, but as inspiration rather than homage, all in the perfection of a slim 37.5mm case. At this price the new FM poses serious value with a mechanical La Joux-Perret movement. And come on, those cow horn lugs are to die for, with the crispest white and blue dial we’ve seen in months.
