Patek Philippe has done it – it’s found a way to create a minute repeater that chimes the minutes and hours in local time, anywhere in the world.
Halfway through the 6-day fair and we continue to be astounded by the some of the novelties being premiered. Grand complication as well as high jewellery pieces alike drop jaws and draw breaths. Here are those that stole our attention on day three.
Patek Philippe Ref. 5531R World Time Minute Repeater
Patek Philippe has done it - it's managed to create a minute repeater that will chime the minutes and hours of the local time anywhere in the world. Moreover, the time zone can be conveniently set by a simple push of a single pusher. This achievement is credited to the new self-winding caliber R 27 HU movement that consists of 462 parts and is crafted in the manufacture’s haute horlogerie workshops. It is wound by a minirotor in 22K gold which is fully recessed in the movement and exhibits a hand-guilloched hobnail pattern. The face is no less stunning with a magnificent cloisonné enamel depiction of the Lavaux vineyard terrace region on the shores of Lake Geneva, a UNESCO World Heritage site. W patekphilippe.com
Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe Quantième Annuel
Blancpain's iconic Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe gets its first annual calendar this year, featuring an equally new caliber, the Caliber 6054-P, based on the existing twin-barrel Caliber 1150. The self-winding movement which holds a 72-hour power reserve gets its new annual calendar functionality by having it integrated into the base movement rather than have it added via module. All this is housed in a 43mm satin-brushed steel oversized case and is decorated with a black ceramic diving bezel and a meteor grey dial. W blancpain.com
MB&F Fifth Element
MB&F's latest creation is a spaceship of what it is calling a "weather station" that mechanically measures four elements - time, temperature, humidity and air pressure. The sum of all parts come together to give it its name, the Fifth Element. Designed in collaboration with L'Epee, the Swiss manufacturer of high end clocks, the Fifth Element draws inspiration from the UFOs of the 50s and 60s with its shiny curved lines and even comes with a pilot of its own: Ross, MB&F's resident Alien that circles within the machine with its own manual-wound movement. W mbandf.com
Chanel Boy.Friend Calibre 3
Design, balance and aesthetics come naturally to Chanel of course but what's truly impressive is that this particular Skeleton Boy.Friend is that it is powered by Chanel's third rendition of its in-house manufacture. It continues to echo the calibers before it with a gear train that is aligned from top to bottom for a gender-neutral appeal. W chanel.com
