The techniques of luxury watch design can be as intricate and delicate as those of a precision automobile, albeit on a much smaller scale. From crystal to carbon fiber, diamond to gold, the materials and make of today’s luxury watches spare no expense to achieve perfection. Benjamin Clymer of the excellent watch blog Hodinkee.com examined 10 of the greatest modern watches on the market today, and how they are shaping the luxury watch world of tomorrow. If you’ve got a case of watch lust, you’re going to love what Benjamin outlined below.
Parmigiani Fleurier Bugatti 370
To commemorate Bugatti’s release of their now legendary Veyron super-car, Parmigiani Fleurier created an equally impressive machine for the wrists of its well-heeled customers. The Bugatti 370 was designed to mimic the appearance of a transversal engine, and the movement in this driver’s watch is actually spread across five separate plates lined in a row. The cylindrical design of this watch allows for easy viewing of the face while the wearer has his hands on the wheel and access to the award-winning movement. Only 150 of these watches are made each year. (Parmigiani.ch)
GreubelForsey Quadruple Tourbillon
A tourbillon is a mechanical complication designed to reduce the negative effect gravity has on the precision of a timepiece. A watch with a single tourbillon is something few can afford; a watch with four of them is truly incredible. The Quadruple Tourbillon from GreubelForsey contains four separate tourbillons that operate independently of each other. It contains a differential much like a car that allows each tourbillon to contribute to the movement’s precision as needed. (GreubelForsey.com)
Maître du Temps Chapter One
What do you get when you take three of the greatest living watchmakers and put them in a room? The Maître du Temps Chapter One. This super-brand consists of Peter Speake-Marin, Christophe Claret, and Roger DuBuis, all of whom have lead their own brand of high-grade watches as well as worked for some of the most prominent companies in Switzerland. This 558-piece marvel of modern engineering is not the most complicated watch today but it is the most interesting. It features a manual-wind mechanical movement, one-minute tourbillon, a mono-pusher chronograph, retrograde date indicator, and a retrograde GMT indicator. However, it is the two rolling bars on top and bottom of the case that attract most of the attention. The upper, moon-phase roller is so precise that Maîtres du Temps actually holds a patent on it. (MaitresduTemps.com)
Linde Werdelin SpidoLite
The SpidoLite is really Linde Werdelin’s breakout model. In the months since its release at BaselWorld 2009, it has graced the pages of countless blogs and magazines as one of the most interesting and innovative designs in modern horology. The case is made of drilled titanium, the movement is a rehashed vintage automatic from independent manufacturer Svend Andersen (that also happens to feature a blue gold rotor), and it seamlessly holds an in-house developed digital tool capable of tracking and reporting a host of valuable information. The SpidoLite along with The Rock instrument create perhaps the truest luxury sport watch in the world; stylized yet supremely functional. (LindeWerdelin.com)
Armin Strom Blue Chip Skeleton
Armin Strom employs less than 20 people across all departments (16 to be exact) and yet they have recently opened a state of the art manufacturing facility in Biel. In fact, they are on the verge of producing a completely in-house watch, something that requires a level of investment far greater than your average 16-person company can afford. The Blue Chip Skeleton represents the core of the Armin Strom brand; it features a hand decorated skeletonized movement and a level of quality unsurpassed in this price point. (ArminStrom.com)
The MB&F HM2
The MB&F HM2 (“horological machine 2”) is the most recognizable offering from this boutique brand founded by the former head of Harry Winston timepieces. Max Busser and friends (MB&F) collaborated to create a 450-piece machine that stands as the first watch with an Instantaneous Jumping Hour, Concentric Retrograde Minutes, Retrograde Date, Bi-Hemisphere Moon-Phase and Automatic Winding. On top of the technical firsts, the HM2 represents a whole new look for wristwatches. Its wide rectangular case has already seen a few imitators; none however match the sleek industrial tones of the HM2. (MB&F.com)
Pita Barcelona Oceana
The Oceana from small Spanish brand Pita Barcelona holds the record as the deepest diving watch in production at a rating of 5000 meters below the water’s surface. These extraordinary numbers are made possible via a truly innovative case-design and some the most durable construction used in watches today. The case features no winding crown and no back cover, thereby eliminating the two most common areas where the watertight seal of a watch is broken. There is also no seal between the 10mm thick crystal and the case. Only 80 units are produced each year and they are completely customizable by case material, face color, bezels, straps, and buckles. (Pita.es)
Angular Momentum Verre Èglomisé Crystal
More so than any other watch in production, Angular Momentum’s watches are true canvases on which art is created. Their Verre Èglomisé Crystal line of timepieces feature crystals on which miniature paintings have been created by hand. Dubbed “miniature painting”, the work is actually done on the inside of the crystal and only a select few artisans in the world are trained in this Roman era field of artistry. While many companies perceive watch making as art, Angular Momentum extends that label to the decoration. (Amusa2008.com)
Cabestan Winch Tourbillon Vertical
The WTV from Cabestan is built in a unique vertical manner in what is perhaps the most mechanical of mechanical wristwatches. The movement is wound with a large key that turns a set of visible cogs. A set wheels, pinions, and drums turn in synchronization to power this impressive timepiece. There is no face to this watch either, but instead two rotating drums set atop a ball bearing. The vertical tourbillon, which is run by what looks like a small bicycle chain, is the first of its kind. Even the crystal on this watch is unique; it consists of 6 hand blown pieces of Pyrex. (Cabestan.ch)
The Urwerk 202
Released in May 2008, the Urwerk 202 was the very first timepiece to integrate fluid dynamics into a watch’s movement. Each of the three minute gauges extend and retract to point to the appropriate time while the automatic winding is regulated by two small turbines seen through the back of the case. The hour is displayed via three orbiting and rotating satellites. These miniature air compressors act as shock absorbers to the movement and increase the lifespan and accuracy of the watch. (Urwerk.com)
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