The greatest horology event in the world just concluded in Geneva. Here are our top 12 picks from the Watches and Wonders 2023 show
Watches and Wonders, the largest and one of the most prestigious events in the world of high-end watchmaking was held in Geneva from March 27 to April 2. Held annually, the event brings together some of the most renowned watch brands in the world and showcases the latest and greatest creations in the watch industry. As much as it is an opportunity for brands to connect with customers, retailers, and journalists, it is an exciting event for watch enthusiasts and collectors, as it offers them a glimpse into the cutting-edge technology, exquisite craftsmanship, and timeless elegance of mechanical watches. This year was no different, with most of the world’s leading watchmakers using the event as a platform to launch their 2023 novelties. WatchTime Arabia was at the Palexpo in Geneva right from the first day, getting hands-on experience with all the new releases. And from the bewilderingly expansive array of new watches, we have whittled down a list of our 12 favourite pieces. Read on to know more about these splendid new timepieces.
A. LANGE & SÖHNE ODYSSEUS CHRONOGRAPH
In 2019, A. Lange & Söhne surprised watch lovers and even ruffled a few feathers among die-hard fans by launching the Odysseus steel sports watch range. It was a stark departure from the norm for a watchmaker known historically for its elegant, super high-end dress watches. Four years on, the German heavyweight has released the Odysseus Chronograph, which is also the manufactory’s first chronograph featuring a self-winding movement. In fact, the Calibre L156.1 movement was specially developed for the new chronograph so that the watch could retain the characteristic design elements of the Odysseus range despite the additional complication. The narrow bezel, large dial, lancet-shaped hands and the typical outsize date and day windows have been carried over in the Reference 463.178 chronograph, while the central minute counter does away with the need for a second subdial. The black dial and the contrasting red chrono seconds hand add to the overall sporty elegant look.
The L156.1 calibre is also a thing of beauty seen through the display case back. It features a skeletonised and partially blackrhodium central rotor with a centrifugal mass in 950 platinum. Bridges and plates are made of untreated German silver, the balance bridge is hand-engraved and the gold chatons are secured by blued screws, with every other movement part extravagantly finished by hand. Beating at 28,800vph the movement delivers a power reserve of 50 hours when fully wound. Limited to just 100 watches, this timepiece is exclusively available at A. Lange & Söhne boutiques.
ROLEX PERPETUAL 1908
So immense and overwhelming has been the success and popularity of the Submariner and Daytona range that everyone almost forgot that Rolex also made dress watches. While the majority of those who wanted a Rolex went after the two sports watches, there were hardly any takers for the elegant and classic Cellini. So, the Swiss watchmaking giant killed the Cellini range, only to bring the dress watch line back under another name – the Perpetual 1908. The name is a tribute to the year Hans Wilsdorf conceived the name ‘Rolex’ to sign his creations and registered the brand in Switzerland, and the design takes inspiration from an Oyster Perpetual from 1931. It gets a slim 39mm case and a bezel that is domed and fluted. The dials are offered in intense white or intense black depending on the version, with faceted index hour markers and Arabic numerals at 3, 9 and 12. A small seconds sub-dial at 6 o’clock adds to the overall balance of the dial, while the hour hand with its distinctive circle tip and the sword-shaped minute hand add to its classic elegance. The watch comes fitted on a brown or black alligator leather strap with a double folding clasp.
Available in 18-carat yellow or white gold, the Perpetual 1908 comes with a transparent case back showing off the calibre 7140 automatic movement, with its bridges finished with Rolex’s reinterpretation of the Côtes de Genève decoration. The Superlative Chronometer-certified movement offers a power reserve of 66 hours.
JAEGER-LECOULTRE REVERSO TRIBUTE CHRONOGRAPH
Jaeger-LeCoultre, the watchmaker of watchmakers, had several outstanding releases at Watches and Wonders this year. While all of them were remarkable in one way or the other, the one that stood out for us is the Reverso Tribute Chronograph, which pays homage to the origins of Reverso. Powered by the new Calibre 860, a fully integrated hand-wound chronograph movement, the new timepiece is an absolute work of art that unites two completely different watch faces in one case. The front, with its elegant three-hand face featuring baton hour markers, Dauphine hands and peripheral chemin de fer minutes track against the sunray-brushed dial belies the intricate mechanical complexity beneath. Reverse the case, and you will marvel at the elaborate chronograph with retrograde minutes and a second time, a dial that is entirely skeletonised, bridges decorated with Côtes de Genève, and the chronograph seconds and minute tracks highlighted in black to optimise legibility.
The new movement, which builds on the Calibre 829 from the 1996 Reverso Chronograph, beats at 28,800 vibrations per hour and offers a power reserve of 52 hours, which is impressive considering the high energy needs of a retrograde chronograph and dual time indications. And all this has been packed beautifully into a case that is less than 12mm thick, offered either in pink gold or steel. Two Fagliano Collection straps are offered with each watch, with an interchangeable buckle for easy strap changes.
PATEK PHILIPPE CALATRAVA TRAVEL TIME
From Grand Complications to elegant dress watches and iconic sports watches, Patek Philippe has mindboggling 150-odd references in its portfolio. And the master watchmaker brought 17 new models to the show in Geneva. Out of these, we liked the Calatrava Travel Time Reference 5224R-001 the most. Its slick round case finished in rose gold and a deep blue dial with rose gold applied numerals, hour markers and five minute cabochons make it one of the most understated dual time zone watches around.
It is powered by the new calibre 31-260 PS FUS 24H self-winding movement, which features a patented system for correcting local time by the crown. This crownoperated correction system has helped the watchmaker do away with the traditional pushers on the case side, further adding to the grace and elegance of the design.
GRAND SEIKO TENTAGRAPH
At last year’s show, Grand Seiko introduced its first mechanical complication and a new series of sports watches under the Evolution 9 Collection. This year, the Japanese watchmaker has added its first mechanical chronograph to the Evolution 9 line. Dubbed Tentagraph, the new chronograph is powered by the Caliber 9SC5, which is based on the high-beat Caliber 9SA5. Beating 10 times per second, it also features an energy-efficient escapement and two barrels that gives it a power reserve of three days even with the chronograph in operation.
Grand Seiko claims this makes the Tentagraph the 10-beat chronograph with the longest power reserve in the industry today. The Tentagraph also promises exceptional accuracy as its movement is tested for 20 days to ensure that it conforms to the Grand Seiko Standard of +5 to -3 seconds per day. Despite the case measuring at 43.2mm in diameter and 15.3mm in thickness, the watch’s curved profile, wide lugs and its construction with high-intensity titanium, which is about 30 per cent lighter than stainless steel, ensure great wearability. A blend of Zaratsu polished, distortion-free mirror finish and delicate hairline finish, along with a blue dial with the signature Mt. Iwate pattern gives the Tentagraph an impressive wrist presence. The watch will be available at stores from June 2023.
PARMIGIANI FLEURIER TONDA PF MINUTE RATTRAPANTE
Parmigiani Fleurier has followed up last year’s Tonda PF GMT Rattrapante with an interesting new model at this year’s show – the Tonda PF Minute Rattrapante. The new watch reinterprets one of the most common watchmaking functions – the graduated bezel on a diver’s watch – by making the movement itself carry out this function. While last year’s watch distinguished between local and home time in one-hour increments, the new model displays the minutes in five and one-minute increments respectively.
The dial features an hour hand along with two superimposed minute hands, one indicating real-time coupled with the hour hand, while the other calculates minutes in five or one-minute increments on demand. The design is characteristically minimalist, with Grain d‘Orge guilloché dial in sand grey colour forming the base of the dial, featuring hands and appliques in 18-carat gold. Hidden under the rhodium-plated gold minute hand is the rose gold minute rattrapante hand.
The PF052 automatic movement with a rose gold micro-rotor can be seen through the display case back and offers a power reserve of 48 hours.
IWC INGENIEUR AUTOMATIC 40
Thanks to the larger-than-life aura formed around Patek Philippe’s Nautilus and Audemars Piguet’s Royal Oak over decades, many other steel watches designed by the legendary Gerald Genta have not received the attention they deserve. One such was the IWC Ingenieur SL from the 1970s with
its screw-on bezel with five recesses, a dial with a distinctive pattern, and an integrated H-link bracelet. This year, the Schaffhausen watchmaker has revealed a spiritual successor to this momentous timepiece – the new Ingenieur Automatic 40. Marking the return of a steel sports watch with an integrated bracelet to the brand’s portfolio, the Ingenieur Automatic 40 also features five screws on the bezel, which are always in the same position unlike in the 1970s watch.
The dial features a unique ‘grid’ pattern made up of small lines offset at right angles to each other, adding more depth to the face. The case, bezel, and bracelet feature polished and satin-finished surfaces. The Ingenieur Automatic 40 is powered by the 32111 calibre automatic movement with a power reserve of 120 hours. While a soft-iron inner case shields the movement from magnetic fields, the watch is also water-resistant to 100 metres, adding to its sports watch credentials. The new watch is available in three references in stainless steel and one in titanium, with silver, black and aqua dial options.
PANERAI RADIOMIR OTTO GIORNI
For Panerai, this year is all about the Radiomir, as the brand’s novelties focus solely on paying tribute to the line that started it all. As the brand celebrates Guido Panerai’s 1916 patent of Radiomir – a radium-based substance that illuminates in the dark, the Radiomir Otto Giorni, ref. PAM01347 is a homage to the very first Radiomir prototype from 1935. While the original was a massive 47mm in diameter, the tribute watch has a 45mm case made of eSteel, which is mostly sourced from recycled steel scraps. The case is hand-finished to create a seasoned look, giving each watch a unique character and adding to its vintage aesthetics.
The dial, available in grainy, graded dark brown and blue options, features a small seconds display at 9 o’clock and the inscription 8 Giorni Brevettato at 3 o’clock. The sapphire crystal is domed in a nod to the plexiglass crystal of yore, and the crown retains the signature cone shape seen in all Radiomir watches. The Radiomir Otto Giorni is powered by the handwound P.5000 calibre that has an eight-day power reserve and is visible through the open caseback.
TUDOR BLACK BAY 54
The massive success of its retro-styled dive watch line – the Heritage Black Bay, introduced at Baselworld in 2012 – has helped Tudor alter the perception of being the ‘poor man’s Rolex’ over the years that followed. A decade on, Rolex’s baby brother has introduced what is guaranteed to be an enthusiast’s favourite, the Black Bay 54. The 37mm diver’s watch is a period-correct modern take on the brand’s first-ever dive watch from 1954, the reference 7922.
Tudor has retained the classic proportions of the old times, while the in-house Calibre MT5400 movement and a depth rating of 200 metres make sure it is suitably modern for today’s buyers. Another nod to the past is the deletion of the minute markers from the unidirectional bezel, adding to the Black Bay 54’s pure aesthetics. The watch is offered with either a stainless steel bracelet or a rubber strap.
TAG HEUER CARRERA CHRONOGRAPH GLASSBOX
Celebrating the 60th anniversary of its Carrera line this year, TAG Heuer released two new models inspired by the historic ‘glassbox’ design. One of those has a tourbillon movement, but it is the other, a regular chronograph that is the winner for us. The watch features a domed sapphire crystal that flows elegantly over the tachymeter scale around the dial edge and into the case. The flange and indexes are rounded correspondingly too, adding to the overall smooth aesthetic as well as enhancing the tachymeter’s readability from a broader range of angles. Two variants are offered, one with a blue dial on a blue calfskin leather strap, and a second with a blackand-silver ‘reverse panda’ dial. Inside both options is a version of the Heuer 02 in-house automatic chronograph calibre, dubbed TH20-00 here.
HUBLOT BIG BANG INTEGRATED TOURBILLON FULL CARBON
Hublot has perfected the art of fusion, experimenting with combinations of materials, many of which have not been attempted before in the world of watchmaking. After wowing us with the Big Bang Integral Tourbillon Full Sapphire and the High Jewelry variants, the watchmaker has now introduced one forged entirely from carbon fibre.
The Big Bang Integrated Automatic Tourbillon Full Carbon Texalium fuses haute horology with ultra-high-tech materials by bringing together a micro rotor tourbillon manufactured in-house with an ultra-lightweight carbon fibre case and a seamlessly integrated strap. Apart from giving it a strikingly unique texture and appearance, the magic weave also makes the watch incredibly light, with the case and calibre without the strap weighing just 42 grams, and the strap weighing just another 26 grams. To make sure the watch and the strap remain scratch-free even after rough use, Hublot has coated the carbon fibre with Texalium, another fusion material that combines a fibreglass core with a thin top layer of aluminium.
ROGER DUBUIS MONOVORTEX SPLIT-SECONDS CHRONOGRAPH
While most of the other watchmakers either refined or reworked existing watchmaking techniques, Roger Dubuis showed us their idea of the future of watchmaking in their Hyper Life Factory, a showcase of what the Maison calls Hyper Horology. With the new Monovortex Split-Seconds Chronograph, Roger Dubuis reimagines everything from the tourbillon, how a chronograph works, and even how a watch is wound. The watch features a rattrapante chronograph constructed with a double-column wheel system and a Rotating Minute Counter, a 360-degree tourbillon designed to negate the effects of gravity, and an entirely novel winding system, the Turborotor Cylindrical Oscillating Weight. All this futuristic technology is packed into a 47mm case made of Mineral Composite Fibre exclusively developed by Roger Dubuis, which is said to be 2.5 times lighter than ceramic and 13 per cent lighter than carbon. It is a concept as of now, but Roger Dubuis says it represents everything the Maison” has done, can do, and will do.”
