This year’s edition of Watches and Wonders Geneva ensured that watchmaking achieves international impact. With nearly 22,000 unique visitors and an estimated reach of 350 million people, the high watchmaking appointment had an extraordinary worldwide impact.
The “salon of many wonders”, as they renamed the largest watchmaking summit ever held in Geneva “Watches and Wonders”, has exceeded expectations and ended on the highest of notes. International launches of new watchmaking products demonstrated extraordinary creativity, while a vast digital offering, including panels and keynotes, generated fruitful discussions on social media as well.For its first physical event under its new name, Watches and Wonders Geneva is set within a favorable context for the Swiss watchmaking industry. Thanks to the 38 exhibiting Maisons, including 19 newcomers, the salon was buzzing during a week of extraordinary dynamism.
Among these pages, SuperyachtOne proposes to you a selection of the most innovative, unique and surprising novelties of this annual get-together.
Urwerk – UR-100V Time and Culture line
URWERK pays tribute to perceptions of time through the ages and cultures with its new 100V Time and Culture line. The first episode based on an original idea of SJX takes us to the lands of Central America, around the year 1479. On this UR-100V, a new piece of information is added to the hours and minutes display. Once the 60th minute has passed, the minutes hand disappears and reappears as a kilometre counter. It illustrates the 524.89 kilometres covered every 20 minutes by any person located in Mexico. This is the average speed of the Earth’s rotation calculated at Mexico City.
Chopard – Imperiale Flying Tourbillon
The IMPERIALE collection created in 1994 welcomes its first-ever flying tourbillon movement, L.U.C Calibre 96.24-C. Entirely designed and crafted by Chopard, this exclusive mechanism is one of the only ones on the market bearing both Chronometer-certification and the Poinçon de Genève quality hallmark. Eight-piece limited edition in ethical 18-carat white gold.
Chronométrie Ferdinand Berthoud – FB RSM
The FB-T.FC-RSM calibre, a tourbillon regulator with fusee-and-chain transmission, for the first time incorporates two complications appreciated by discerning collectors: independent deadbeat seconds visible on the dial side and a stop-seconds mechanism.
Patek Philippe – Ref.5326
Patek Philippe combines two of its outstanding patented complications for the first time in one watch: the Annual Calendar (that requires a manual correction only once a year) and the Travel Time system for the display of a second time zone. The outcome is a travel watch whose date display is synchronized with the respective local time. It simultaneously adjusts the date when the time zone is corrected. To package it in style, the manufacture created a totally new Calatrava case
Bulgari – Octo Finissimo Ultra
1.80 millimeters. That is the incredible thickness of the Octo Finissimo Ultra. A revolutionary watch. The result is a spectacular eighth world record, born of such an extreme approach that no one before Bulgari had dared to take. Each of the ten Octo Finissimo Ultra watches is delivered with a specific and individual NFT that guarantees its authenticity and unique character, offering each of the lucky owners of the timepiece exclusive access to a dedicated digital universe.
Roger Dubuis – Knights of the Round Table
Roger Dubuis continues to elevate its art and technical mastery to new heights, with a ground-breaking Knights of the Round Table Monotourbillon timepiece, the pinnacle of its artistic collection combined with one of its signature complications. Each knight is just 6mm tall, created with his own personality and equipped with armour. Translucent purple blocks carved from Murano glass appear to levitate around the Monotourbillon while the double surfaced flange is carved from a single block of Murano glass too.
Purnell – Absolute Sapphire “Hancock Red”
Purnell presented its most ambitious and rare timepiece yet: the Absolute Sapphire “Hancock Red”, part of its Escape II Collection. A rare breed in the world of gemstones, truly red diamonds are one of the most sought-after and elusive precious stones. With a 48mm Full “Hancock Red” Sapphire case, a P03 caliber with Double Spherion, 32 hours power reserve and 32 N mm torque, this beauty is a unique piece.
Ulysse Nardin – Freak S
Having made the choice to amaze the aficionados, the Ulysse Nardin’s developers designed the brand’s first double oscillator with a differential with automatic winding, made possible by the “Grinder” system, twice as efficient as a traditional winding system. The two oscillators never oscillate at the same speed and are therefore mutually compensated thanks to this mechanism, which is as esthetic as it is useful.
De Bethune – DB28GS “JPS”
De Bethune captures the daring age of Formula 1 in the 1970s with the DB28GS “JPS” that adopts the emblematic “John Player Special” contrasting black and gold graphics, the one of the F1 team Lotus. Measuring 44 mm in diameter and water-resistant to 105 metres (10 ATM), the DB28GS ‘JPS’ is no exception to the De Bethune rule of wearer comfort.
Jacob & Co – Jean Bugatti
Inspired by the gifted designer and engineer Jean Bugatti, this new timepiece with its 46-mm case brings retro design to a new level thanks to a singularly advanced movement. Calibre JCFM09 features a pair of one-minute flying tourbillons. A high frequency, double retrograde chronograph with split hands and digital jumping 30-minute counter. This mechanical accomplishment is available with a rose gold case and cream-white dial, or a white gold case with blue dial, both of which are limited to 57 pieces.
Rebellion – T-500
With the T-500, performance enters a new dimension. It takes the form of a watch with an audacious design and uncompromising mechanics. A case with an original and stylish architecture is associated with a high-performance caliber with 450 hours of power reserve. Under the curved sapphire crystal, an impressive mechanical display is revealed. The eloxed movement covers come in a choice of five colors: blue, red, green, orange and black.
Laurent Ferrier – Classic Origin Blue
With its Assegai hands, drop-shaped indices, and elegant powdery-grey hour track, as well as the case’s perfect combination of straight and curved lines and the abundance of exceptional finishes on the movement, this piece represents the quintessence of the brand. Twelve years after its launch, LAURENT FERRIER is maintaining its momentum with an intense blue version of the Classic Origin, one of its latest emblematic models.
Czapek – Antarctique S
Two years after the successful launch of the Antarctique line, sporting chic enters fresh territory with a 38.5mm case and an array of new dials. The ‘Frozen Star’ dial is made from the rarest precious metal on Earth – osmium. Twice as dense as lead, hard yet brittle, unstable unless crystallised, and resistant to extremely high temperatures (with a melting point of 3,000 C), osmium is notoriously difficult to work with.
Moser – Pioneer Cylindrical Tourbillon Skeleton
Three-dimensional power. With this skeleton model, H. Moser & Cie has taken a new approach to its cylindrical tourbillon movement. Under a slightly domed sapphire crystal, reflected in the curve of the sub-dial featuring Globolight® inserts, the one-minute flying tourbillon equipped with a cylindrical hairspring is especially eye-catching. This is a dramatic, sculptural piece, but one which can be worn every day thanks to its balanced proportions and water-resistance up to 12 ATM.
Arnold & Son – Perpetual Moon 38 Eclipse I
With its 38 mm white-gold case, gem-setting and aesthetics, Arnold & Son is offering its first watch designed, created, embellished and powered for women. Under a large precision moon, and featuring a new movement adapted to its dimensions, this watch oozes refinement and delicacy. Each of the eighteen timepieces released has been forged like a sculpture of time.
Louis Moinet – TIME TO RACE
TIME TO RACE is not a limited series, but a set of one-of-a-kind creation. Collectors will be able to personalise their model by selecting a one or two-digit “lucky number” that will appear on the front of the timepiece, along with a dedicated colour code: Rosso Corsa, Racing Green or French blue.The dial side reveals the sumptuous chronograph mechanism, fully visible and highlighted in a whole new way, with the strongly domed crystal reveals it even more fully.
