Watches & Wonders wrapped with breathtaking timepieces for both men and women but the real time-stoppers were the haute horology debuts. Both classic maisons like Rolex, Patek Phillipe and Audemars Piguet as well as avant garde brands from Roger Dubuis to Hublot brought forth grand complication pieces that stunned.
Here are some of our favourites:
Roger Dubuis Excalibur Single Flying Tourbillon
From the house of hyper horology Roger Dubuis comes the Excalibur Single Flying Tourbillon, reinterpreted for the impression of a thinner look and feel, while heightening the sense of transparency and depth. The calibre is rebuilt from bottom to top in an architectural feat that sees the Roger Dubuis star now levitate freely above the barrel. The new RD512SQ calibre is stunning with a titanium lower tourbillon cage – twice lighter than stainless steel – and a mirror-polished Cobalt Chrome upper tourbillon cage. The weight of the piece is reduced to optimum effect, all of which allows the power reserve to be radically optimised to 72 hours, providing the option of leaving the watch unworn over weekends without the worry of resetting come Monday. Proving no detail goes unconsidered, non-magnetic material is used inside the tourbillon to better serve the wearers and improve their experience. Underscored by rarity, the 42mm case is only available in eighty-eight pieces per colourway: Dark Grey DLC Titanium, Cobalt Chrome CarTech Micro-Melt BioDur CCMTM and the new EON GOLD, a pink gold shade that remains more stable thanks to non-tarnish technology. W rogerdubuis.com
Hublot Big Bang Integral Tourbillon Full Sapphire
After years of developing and maturing its craft in sapphire watches, Hublot cements its reputation with the unveiling of a transparent, glass-like timepiece that features an integrated case and bracelet both made from sapphire. Its pure look is achieved by Hublot opting for the new Automatic Tourbillon Calibre with sapphire bridges – the HUB6035, regulated by a flying tourbillon offering up to 72 hours in power reserve. To further enhance its original transparency, the sapphire is also polished with diamond powder repeatedly to create that flawless finish – a painstaking process that easily demands over 100 hours of work. W hublot.com
Octo Finissimo Perpetual Calendar Craftmanship
After seven years, nearly 60 international awards and a seventh world record, Bvlgari’s Octo Finissimo has definitely made its mark on the Haute Horlogerie landscape in a very short space of time. After exploring ultra-miniaturisation in the fields of the automatic movement as well as the minute repeater, chronograph and tourbillon, Bvlgari presents Octo Finissimo Perpetual Calendar, the slimmest in the world. This new record is available in two variations: the “signature” titanium like all Bvlgari’s World Record, and a platinum version. No less than 408 components interacting within the extremely limited space provided by the slender 5.80 mm case of the Octo Finissimo Perpetual Calendar. The development of the 2.75 mm calibre required the movement design engineers of the Manufacture in Le Sentier to devise new solutions, such as the use of a micro-rotor and the optimal use of the space between the components without reducing their dimensions. W bulgari.com
H. Moser & Cie Endeavour Tourbillon Concept Tiger’s Eye
Bold yet minimalistic, the new additions to H. Moser & Cie’s Endeavour collection feature two highly fetching dial variations – a blue dial called “Falcon’s Eye” and the “Ox’s Eye” red dial. The former comes housed in a white gold dial, and the latter in red gold – with both measuring 40mm in diameter. Its minimalist quality comes from its lack of logos and indexes – allowing the wearer to appreciate the beauty and depth of the dial in all its glory. The beating heart of the Tiger’s Eye is the Calibre HMC 804, a self-winding manufacture movement that features a double flat balance spring – used to reduce friction while enhancing accuracy. W h-moser.com
