For those who work in the world of watches, the third week of January is when you get on a plane to Geneva for four days of champagne drinking and handling some of the most expensive and technically accomplished timepieces around – otherwise known as Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie (SIHH). After seeing so many launches, we may be a bit watch-blind. But here are our eight favorites. If you’re a watch nerd like us, or you just want to adorn your wrist with a baller design piece, these are the timepieces you should be considering.
IWC Tribute to Pallweber ‘150 Years’
When you’re IWC and you have an anniversary to celebrate, choosing a watch to mark that milestone is going to be hard. Schauffhausen’s IWC decided to launch 25 new models across its five most iconic collections for its 150th birthday. Although there are the usual suspects in there – dress watches and divers – it is this tribute to the Pallweber pocket watch that really gets the pulse racing. Back in 1884, IWC’s second owner Johann Rauschenbach-Schenk secured the rights to Josef Pallweber’s digital jump hours technology and here it has been rendered in wristwatch form for the first time. Rather than go for a straight reproduction, IWC has Art Deco’d the font, plumped up the mechanism and put the whole thing in a decadent, 18-carat red gold case. This is a dresswatch unlike any other.
Montblanc 1858 Geosphere Time World
After spending a few years trying on different identities, Montblanc has finally decided that its purpose in life is to make really great watches at astoundingly good prices, and this year’s crop of chronographs and calibres is no exception. This 1858 Geosphere was the star of this show. The 1858 collection is a tribute to the Minerva manufacture, which was integrated into Montblanc back in 2008, and this specific model is dedicated to the world’s Seven Summit mountaineering challenge; the successful ascent of the highest mountain on every continent, which has only been completed by 500 athletes. The two globes rotate in 24 hours and show the northern (at twelve) and southern (at five) hemispheres. You can estimate the time by using the day/night rings around each globe. You’ve also got a second time zone at 9 o’clock, which is more straightforward to read. It’s a great-looking timepiece that might not take you up a mountain but will certainly take your watch game to new heights.
Baume & Mercier Clifton Baumatic
Despite having a name that sounds like one of Wallace and Gromit’s inventions, this watch is a smart move for Richemont’s entry-level brand. Aside from its classic good looks, this watch is the guinea pig for the luxury conglomerate’s further adventures in silicon. Taking a step on from the Clifton Manual 1830, which was the first Richemont-Group watch to feature a silicon balance, this new movement, developed using all the technical clout at Baume & Mercier’s disposal, also has a silicon lever and escape wheel – the former having been geometrically optimised to better transfer energy. All this magic results in a watch with a chronometer-grade precision throughout its 120-hour reserve. And all for the bargain price (in watch terms) of £2,150.
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore
It’s tempting to write off baller brand AP’s Offshore line as being the same as its famous Royal Oak but with more heft and strap options. It was a defining watch of its time when it was launched in 1993. Not only was it the first chronograph Royal Oak, but it was also aimed at a young clientele that wanted the luxury of AP with hints of sportiness. Le Brassus has decided to have some fun in celebration of its 25th birthday. This Instagram post features some crazy reimaginings for how a clock could look. With its camo strap and contrasting green ceramic bezel and beige dial, it might not be for everyone but if you’re going to own a Royal Oak Offshore what’s the point in being coy about it?
Cartier Santos
Given that it’s a luxury brand with such a rich heritage, it isn’t surprising that Cartier’s current strategy seems to be tending towards revamp rather than revolution. Last year saw it giving its Tank Américaine a dust off and this year it’s the turn of one of the last century’s most iconic watches: the Santos. This is the squared-off design created for Brazilian aviator Alberto Santos that became not only the first-ever pilot’s watch, but the first-ever wristwatch too. It’s a huge deal for time-telling. For 2018, the case has been thinned, the square bezel replaced by a rounded one, and it’s also been stretched. SmartLink is the true innovation. With a simple twist of the tool, you can add or remove links. QuickSwitch allows you to swap the strap for a wristband with a single button press. Is there a downside to it being so easy to adjust? You can pinch your partner easier.
Jaeger LeCoultre Polaris Memvox
Jaeger LeCoultre has a birthday to celebrate, and its Polaris collection is a way to inspire the young man to look beyond Rolex. Polaris Memovox pays homage to the original Jaeger alarm watch launched in 1968. Instead of an update, it is a full-on homage. It features a vintage-looking vanilla SuperLuminova, Arabic numerals and indices, the minute rail, the three part case for resonance, and of course the alarm. The time of the alarm is set by the rotating disc on the inside. This is the anniversary edition, which is only limited to 1,000 pieces. So, get on the list now.
Piaget Altiplano Ultimate 910P Automatic
Piaget is pursuing thin as determinedly as a fashion model in the run-up to London Fashion Week. This obsession started in 1957, when it launched its Calibre 9P – which at just 2mm high was the first ultra-thin hand-wound movement – and it has shown no signs of abating. The Altiplano Ultimate 910P is the thinnest automatic timepiece on the market. Like the Altiplano 900P which is wafer thin, the mainplate and caseback are merged together, giving the appearance that the gear train has been used to decorate the watch. To make it an automatic, Piaget has ditched the centrally mounted rotor – a 1mm bridge was considered too thick – and gone for a barely perceptible peripheral rotor, while the hands have been placed below the bridges to stop them from coming into contact with the glass. It looks incredible on the wrist, and is so light that you won’t know you’re wearing it.
Hermès Carrè H
This is Hermès’s first year of being allowed to play with the haute horlogerie big boys at SIHH. Luckily, it didn’t disappoint. Alongside the usual whimsy and scarf prints was this cracker – the Carré H, which has been given a makeover by its original designer and furniture maker, Marc Berthier. When it came out in 2010, the idea of the Carré H was for it to be a watch for the modern dandy. It was an instant success with its minimalistic aesthetic, square case design and deceptive simplicity. For 2018, the square small seconds has gone, it’s been beefed up to 38mm and the centre features an interesting cross-hatch guilloche that really plays with the light. Second hand gives the watch a trendy mid-century look.
