Innholdsfortegnelse for In Time - The Best of 2022 i REVOLUTION WATCH

The founder of TudorCollector.com, Ross Povey is regarded as the world’s leading expert on vintage Tudor watches. He is currently Editor-in-Chief of Revolution magazine in the UK. He has contributed to influential horological publications including The Telegraph, The Rake, Watchonista and Hodinkee, and is the co-author of the book Daytona Perpetual, a celebration of the automatic Rolex Daytona released through Pucci Papaleo Editore. Ross is also an international speaker and regularly hosts watch events in the UK and Europe. Cheryl Chia is a watch writer with a deep interest in independent watchmaking, movement engineering and decoration. Contrary to popular sentiment, she believes that watches can be assessed objectively in terms of complexity, quality and finishing. Felix Scholz has spent the last decade writing professionally about watches, yet he still struggles with…

BVLGARI OCTO FINISSIMO AUTOMATIC SEJIMA LIMITED EDITION REF 103710 MOVEMENT Self-winding caliber BVL 138; 60-hour power reserve FUNCTIONS Hours, minutes and small seconds CASE 40mm; polished steel, transparent caseback with Sejima signature; water resistant to 100m DIAL Polished with mirror effect; rhodium-plated hands STRAP Polished steel bracelet PRICE: USD 14,100 AVAILABILITY Limited edition of 360 pieces, with special packaging in steel with mirror effect As Bvlgari CEO Jean-Christophe Babin and product creation executive director Fabrizio Buonamassa Stigliani made their way around Geneva Watch Days 2022, they carried with them a chest containing many important editions of the Octo Finissimo series. Just in case you haven’t heard of the Octo Finissimo collection, it is Bvlgari’s unparalleled decade-long endeavor that has set eight consecutive world records. Its hero timepiece of 2022 is…

The Roman god of new beginnings and change, Janus has two faces. Just like its namesake deity, picturesque Genoa has two faces – one that faces the alps and one that faces the Ligurian Sea. Portofino is a port in Genoa along the Italian Riviera that attracts tourists from far and wide, but it isn’t exactly touristy. Besides old churches, a statue of Jesus erected underwater to protect seafarers, and a 16th century castle that offers a panoramic view of the Mediterranean Sea, there isn’t too much to see or do in Portofino, except kick back and enjoy la dolce vita. Named after the dolphins (“Portus Delphini”, hence the portmanteau ‘Portofino’) that like to visit it, this colourful harbor has a Ferrari model named after it and there is a…

After having conquered the world of bespoke jewelry, the Jacob & Co. brand is seeking success in the realm of haute horlogerie. When you purchase a Jacob & Co. timepiece, you are buying a piece of a one-of-a-kind tale. Jacob Arabo’s story is one of unparalleled talent, the realization of the American dream and the continual pursuit of the loftiest successes. While playing the story mode of the 2004 video game Def Jam: Fight For NY, I remember “meeting” a certain non-playable character named Jacob the Jeweler. The in-game cash that I, the protagonist, earned could be used to purchase lavish jewelry from Jacob, who would greet me whenever I entered his sparkling boutique: “My friend, how are you today?” This video game character was a tribute to a prominent…

Arnold & Son is one of those “if you know, you know” brands. The boutique brand — now part of the Citizen Watch Group — regularly turns out some exceptional, interesting and occasionally intriguing creations from its La Chaux-de-Fonds manufacture. This year was no different. First up, the latest take on their Nebula, with a 41.5mm case in steel. What makes this watch so visually stunning is that the caliber A&S5201 driving Arnold & Son’s Nebula 41.5 Steel was conceived as a skeleton movement from the beginning. The result is an exceptionally attractive design that has nothing to hide. The fact that the brand has pulled the color scheme way back to blue and silver only adds to the allure. Following on from that are two takes on the visually…

To many vintage watch collectors, Angelus is best known for creating chronographs that incorporated calendar complications, pioneering several firsts along the way such as the Chronodato of 1942, the first serially produced chronograph wristwatch with a peripheral date and the Chrono-Datoluxe of 1948, the very first chronograph with a big date. This year, the brand paid tribute to the Chronodato with an entirely new and ultra contemporary case and dial design. Available in three limited editions in red gold or titanium with carbon composite elements, the watch pairs a complex six-part modular case with a bi-compax multi-layered dial, which has a particularly appealing frosted finish. It measures 42.5mm wide and houses the self-winding caliber A-500 with a column wheel and horizontal clutch, made by La Joux-Perret. Alongside it, Angelus also…

Breitling continues a steady stream of smartly modernized models from its archives. Many brands do that, but Breitling is one of few storied manufactures that do this with at least as much aesthetic flair as new watch brands that heavily emphasize design, in lieu of any heritage to boast of. For collectors, that’s the best of both worlds, as Breitling treads the razor-thin line between honoring its rich history and remaining relevant to new generations of consumers without alienating the old. Two notable anniversaries this year also occasioned the launch of new pilot’s chronographs. In March, Breitling unveiled a redesigned Navitimer collection to mark the 70th anniversary of this cult favorite. This was shortly followed in May by a new Navitimer Cosmonaute to mark the 60th anniversary of Mercury-Atlas 7,…

A decade ago, Bvlgari began researching and developing ultra thin timepieces. Over 60 awards and eight world records later, Bvlgari has risen to become one of the most technically intrepid brands in haute horlogerie. The brand unveiled the Bvlgari Octo Finissimo Ultra in early 2022, which set a new record as the world’s thinnest watch. In order to realize such a delicate timepiece, Bvlgari had to rethink many facets of mechanical watchmaking and invent new, unconventional ways of building various watch components on a much smaller scale. For example, the Ultra’s embossed details that could not be engraved or cast had to be galvanized. Its seconds wheel doubles up as its seconds dial, and the horizontal winding knobs had to be engineered specially for winding and setting this 1.8mm-thin objet…

In recent years, special limited editions of regulators have established themselves as the main calling card of the house. They have been able to combine the aesthetics of the regulators with materials, finishes and even complications that elevate this haute horlogerie niche to the next level. This year, Chronoswiss adds rich and fun executions to the consolidated collections that continue to identify the regulators as an alternative for those of us who prefer an intelligent watchmaking distinction. The Space Timer Moonwalk is a new way to elevate the most romantic complication: the moonphase. The three-dimensional dial structure and the titanium moon illuminated with Super-LumiNova let you admire the galaxy and the moon. Materials such as ITR-2 — a composite material filled with carbon nanotube particles capable of meeting complex specifications…

The brainchild of Chopard co-president Karl-Friedrich Scheufele, Ferdinand Berthoud made its debut in 2015 with the launch of the Chronomètre FB 1, a one-minute tourbillon wristwatch with a pillar construction, fitted with a chain-and-fusée mechanism. Since then, a number of variations and models have been launched — watches that at their core represent the dual pursuit of traditional, 18th century technical solutions and exemplary finishing. This year, the brand invited a young watchmaker from the University of Neuchâtel to develop a movement as part of his graduation project. The result is the Chronomètre FB RSM, which retains the same fundamental movement architecture — a tourbillon regulator with a chain-and-fusée — but incorporates a deadbeat seconds mechanism visible on the dial side and a stop seconds function. Inspired by the Marine…

The story of how Fortis came to streamline and renovate its entire collection should make for a compelling read. For the consumer, the dramatic change is revealed by leafing through pre-owned watch sites and comparing older Fortis watches with the current models on the brand’s website. The maximal masculinity with a 1970s vibe that characterized Fortis’s former collections, from its aviators and cosmonaut-endorsed chronographs to divers, has given way to a much focused catalog that is altogether more restrained and urbane in character, showing greater refinement in quality and performance. Beyond the perceptible upgrade in quality, Fortis this year extended its warranty from two years to five years, even retroactively for selected models. But for Fortis, 2022 is arguably much about the new Stratoliner. It started with the April 13…

At the mention of the name Girard-Perregaux, the brand’s mastery of whimsical skeletonization, meticulous finishing and off-kilter complications immediately come to mind. This year, the brand has dialed it back a notch. One of Girard-Perregaux’s star timepieces of 2022 is the Laureato, an icon first unveiled in 1975 that is now available in pink gold and onyx, at a case size of 42mm. Its streamlined appearance allows one to better appreciate Girard-Perregaux’s mastery of hand finished details and the elegant use of space. The Laureato arrived at a time when prominent bezels and luxury sports watches like the Royal Oak were all the rage. This year, Girard-Perregaux also reinterpreted the Laureato with a flurry of painstaking finishes, sunken chronograph subdials and eye-catching accents. The Laureato Absolute Chronograph Aston Martin F1…

Greubel Forsey has always been at the forefront of technical innovation with their seven Fundamental Inventions that pursue chronometric perfection. Under the leadership of CEO Antonio Calce, all that technical prowess has been distilled and synthesized into a reinterpreted design language that has broadened the brand’s appeal in recent years. The latest Greubel Forsey watches continue to be visually striking and arresting to behold. We start with the most jaw-dropping of them all, the Tourbillon 24 Secondes Architecture. The Architecture takes skeletonization to the extreme, stripping away all of the dial, to showcase exquisitely finished bridges that rise majestically from their base and curve to meet the pivots that they secure. Did we mention the movement’s tourbillon is inclined at 25° and spins more than twice as fast as a…

Right before the year ended in 2021, the Austrian watchmaker and renowned specialist of the Valjoux 7750, Richard Habring, unveiled a pair of totally desirable executions of his classic Felix and Erwin models. While Habring’s dials are usually marked by a steadfast practicality, as with his movements, the new Felix and Erwin watches feature white lacquered dials with Breguet numerals and three-dimensional poire hands. Characterized by a small seconds display at nine o’clock, the Felix pairs black Breguet numerals and indexes with blued hands whereas his emblematic deadbeat seconds model, the Erwin, has all its numerals and hands rendered in blue. These beautiful flourishes make a compelling contrast to the robust, smartly engineered movements at work within. This year, the watchmaker has introduced a pair of GMT models in the…

In looking back at the spate of 2022 releases from Jacob & Co., what’s striking is how the brand has delivered no-holds-barred horology throughout the year in such an undiluted fashion, spanning from the time-only Epic X to its most complicated watch, the Jean Bugatti Tourbillon Chronograph. No doubt the star of the stable, the Jean Bugatti is one of the most complex and unusual chronographs to emerge in the last decade and a fine example of just how far removed the brand is from the diffident incrementalism that typifies much of the watchmaking landscape today. Not only is it a 5Hz chronograph, it is also a double retrograde chronograph that displays the seconds in units and tens, along with a digital jumping minute disk fashioned from sapphire crystal, creating…

This year Kudoke’s core releases have continued to focus on the popular second model. The Kudoke 2 Deep Blue is powered by the distinctive Kaliber 1, with a finely finished 3/4 plate and hand engraved balance cock. On the dial side, the Kudoke 2 eschews a seconds hand in favor of a handsomely engraved day/night indicator at the top of the dial, which rotates every 24 hours. The rest of the dial is remarkably clear, with hour and minute markers on the outer chapter ring and a nameplate above six. This really shows both the finely frosted finish and the rich blue color of the dial in the best possible light. Like many of Kudoke’s creations, this dial isn't part of a permanent collection, and will only be available as…

Since establishing his own brand Montres KF in 2016, German watchmaker Karsten Frässdorf has embarked on one of the most elaborate and earnest attempts to create a marine chronometer for the wrist. The result is a spectacular tourbillon movement with a pillar construction, boasting a marvelously consistent string of obsessive enhancements to chronometry. Chief among them is an outsized compensating balance wheel, itself the subject of three patents. It was designed with a balance bar that extends as temperature increases, allowing a pair of curved arms to bend inwards, thanks to an additional invariable bar made of sapphire crystal. As the arms compress, rotational inertia decreases, causing the balance to oscillate faster to compensate for a weakened hairspring. An innovative stop seconds mechanism comprising of three plates brakes the balance…

In 1979, Yves G. Piaget unveiled the Polo, a watch that was very much in tune with the zeitgeist with a fully integrated bracelet and named after the sport of kings. Following a sighting on the wrist of actress Ursula Andress at the World Polo Cup in Palm Beach, it was immediately taken up by tastemakers of the time and could be seen on many wrists, including those of Andy Warhol and Brooke Shields, and was associated with the sport from which it took its name. With the moniker now firmly adopted by the brand, it has become a showcase for the manufacture’s deep expertise in the two worlds of haute horology and haute jewelry. This year, Piaget gave the world the Polo Skeleton that features the incredible 1200S1 movement.…

The race for ultra thin watches has been running pretty hot over the last few years. This year, out of nowhere, Richard Mille, backed by the power of Ferrari, smashed through the competition with its debut entry, the RM UP-01 Ferrari. The RM UP-01 has a mind-blowing total thickness of 1.75mm and a caliber thickness of 1.18mm. Aside from how incredibly slender this watch is, it is technically eye-browraising that they managed to do it by making a separate caliber and case, rather than integrating the baseplate into the back of the movement. What’s also impressive — though not entirely unexpected given the insane scale they’re working on — is the new escapement. Patented, of course. This escapement, built like the rest of the watch, from titanium, features a variable…

Sinn watches are legit scientific instruments. Initially named “Helmut Sinn Spezialuhren,” Sinn was started in Frankfurt am Main as a company that made navigational clocks and pilot’s chronographs. It was founded by Helmut Sinn, a former World War II pilot and blind-flying instructor. Sinn’s timepieces possess such durability and accuracy that they have been worn on space missions since the 1980s. Today, Sinn continues to accumulate prestigious awards and accolades. Most recently, the 1739 Ag B clinched the Red Dot Award 2022 in the “Product Design” category, and the 717 was presented the award for “Excellent Product Design” at the German Design Awards 2022. Sinn’s new launches fete important milestones of the brand. The new EZM 1.1 S, which features a Sinn movement SZ01 and a 60-minute stop function, commemorates…

Trilobe continues the bold expansion of its “circular watchmaking,” where times are anticipated, not recorded looking back, thanks to its concept of time disks. The Trilobe Nuit Fantastique, a watch that takes its name from the eponymous 1922 novella by Austrian novelist Stefan Zweig, plays with the concept that its exclusive caliber brings to life. The design of the Nuit Fantastique is composed of four parts, three of which are in permanent rotation to display their information in three independent positions. This design required extensive development. The X-Centric caliber is an automatic mechanism conceived by the founder of the house, Gautier Massonneau, and achieved with the collaboration of Le Cercle des Horlogers SA in La Chaux-de-Fonds. The caliber enriches the architectural geometry that we see on the dial, but also…

If you think Urwerk timepieces look like Star Trek’s Starship Enterprise or Star Wars’ Millennium Falcon, you’re not wrong. In fact, the recent UR-112 Aggregat Odyssey was inspired by both the Archimedes ship from Watchmen and the Battlestar Galactica of the eponymous franchise. The new UR-100V, which comprises 52 precisely compressed layers of High Resistance CTP Carbon, was inspired by the cockpit of NASA’s space shuttle, Enterprise. This year, the popular UR-100V was also reinterpreted in black DLC-coated, sandblasted titanium and christened the Black Full Titanium Jacket. The brand also made a version with a copper-colored dome over its satellite hours on beryllium-bronze Geneva crosses. The dome capping the dial of this timepiece, named the UR-100V “Time and Culture I,” is engraved with an ancient Aztec calendar called the “Sun…

Zenith’s focus for 2022 has resolutely been the Defy line, with the introduction of a faithful re-edition of the original “coffre-fort” Defy that launched the line in 1969. Zenith has also dipped into the colors drawer for a new Defy 21 Chroma with rainbow dial and also two new dials for the Defy Midnight line. The 2022 Zenith Defy Revival is a detailed and faithful re-edition of the original watch that has been created using the original plans from the early 1960s. The A3642’s significant presence is what led to the nickname “coffre-fort,” the French word for bank vault. The new Revival piece has the brand’s modern version of the ladder bracelet, and the dial is also incredibly faithful to the original fumé or degrade dial. The Defy 21 Chroma…

Okay, so most of the people I’ve spoken to feel that the “Crypto Crash” and the ensuing dip in prices for many of the speculative watches, is actually good for the watch industry. Edouard Meylan, owner and CEO of H. Moser & Cie., said, “It had to happen. Things were getting too crazy. Now, the prices will find a new place of stability, and that is actually healthy for the industry.” What that means is that many of the most actively traded “hype watches” have dropped anywhere from 20 to 30 percent in value. Yet, at the same time, some watches have been relatively unaffected. A case in point is Richard Mille, whose watches’ secondary market value dipped no more than 10 percent. Why? Well, I’ve long considered a Richard…

It’s been a rocky few years for inperson watch events of any scale, but Geneva Watch Days is stepping up as one of the most interesting players in the space. Begun in 2020, and billed as a decentralized, self-managed fair that is — importantly — open to the public, Geneva Watch Days is a natural haven for independent brands, both big and small. That’s not to say that it doesn’t have some serious backing — notably from industry heavyweight Bvlgari, but also from names like MB&F, De Bethune, Urwerk and more. What this adds up to is a show that puts watchmaking in its best light, with creativity front and center. Smaller brands that would be swallowed up in other arenas have the space to showcase their genius to an…

David and Goliath by Daniele da Volterra is one of my favorite paintings in the Louvre. The 16th century artist uses rich chiaroscuro contrast to emphasize the exerting, rippling and squirming of muscles. Nothing is left to the viewer’s imagination as David engulfs his fallen foe, who tries to escape his beheading. One of few two-sided Renaissance artworks still in existence, this painting is displayed in the middle of a long hallway, allowing admirers to walk around to the other side of David and Goliath to see Goliath continue to writhe and repel his merciless murderer. An ancient iteration of animated visual art, if you will. Just like de Volterra’s masterpiece, the vaunted Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso bucked convention to create an additional canvas. A sought-after icon that can boast almost a…

Born at a time when unprecedented risks were taken and technology began to make giant leaps in search of new horizons, the Accutron Spaceview of the ’60s became the purest example of original design and ingenious technique in perfect harmony. Meticulously reconstructing the visual impact of the original Spaceview with its open dial, the new watches reveal the patented new generation electrostatic energy movement. With its deconstructed and unconventional outer case design and its electronic movement with tuning fork regulation, the new generation Accutron Spaceview is a modern watchmaking statement. The electrostatic energy of the electronic movement is created by twin turbines that rotate, as a result of the wearer’s natural movement, at incredible speeds between two electrodes attached to the movement. The energy, stored in an accumulator, fires up…

Audemars Piguet’s year has been dominated by the 50th anniversary of the Royal Oak. With the brand itself launching new watches in its half-century celebration of one of the most iconic and game-changing sports watches of all time, other parties have also joined in on the fun — such as Phillips auction house, which held a special Royal Oak themed sale in May of this year with some astounding prices achieved. Arguably, the daddy of the line was the steel “Jumbo” that first appeared in 1972 as reference 5402. The 39mm steel Royal Oak has been a perennial presence since and, in 2022, a new steel watch is born in the reference 16202. The 16202 is available in four metals and dial colors: 18K pink gold with a smoked gray…

2022 marked the fifth birthday of one of the coolest new brands that is as loved by collectors as it is by industry insiders. Baltic is the Paris-based watchmaker that tapped into the zeitgeist of the 1940s steel chronograph and Calatrava aesthetic that has been sweeping the vintage watch community for the past few years. To mark the occasion, the brand launched the Aquascaphe Dual-Crown 5th Anniversary. The Baltic Aquascaphe has been available in a number of iterations, including Classique, Bronze and GMT in a range of hues and bezel options. There is also a dual-crown version that takes its inspiration from vintage compressor-cased dive watches, and it is this version on which Baltic has built its birthday take. Like all Baltic watches, the Aquascaphe Dual-Crown 5th Anniversary is hand…

Astoried 104-year-old company that pioneered watchmaking in Japan, Citizen has for the last several decades been making a great range of watches for the everyman, and of every conceivable design and situation — from quartz, mechanical and radio-set movements to the forward-thinking Eco-Drive that powers a watch for months from the littlest exposure to light. In recent years, Citizen has made greater efforts in picking champions to tell the world about. These include 2019’s caliber 0100 Eco-Drive movement boasting a record accuracy of within one second a year; followed two years later by the self-winding caliber 0200, the company’s first new mechanical movement in 11 years and a triumphant fusion of Japanese and Swiss watchmaking know-how, courtesy of input from Citizen-owned movement specialist La Joux-Perret. Besides making bold moves that…

The theme of high fashion houses taking horology seriously continues at Dior, and the famed Parisian couturier is living up to its reputation for elegance and wit with its current crop of timepieces. A case in point is the series of one-of-a-kind creations grouped under the Dior Grand Bal De Printemps collection. These designs are characterized by the ingenious inverse movement, which sees the normally utilitarian rotor take center stage and reimagined as engraved, gem-set kinetic sculptures inspired by folded, draped fabrics and feminine dresses. Naturally, this rotor is set with an assortment of precious stones, the size, color, pattern and flow of them vary depending on the model. Of course, the rotors are only part of the picture; the dial, set behind the precious weight, is typically guillochéd, and…

The clear highlight of Gerald Charles’ 2022 release is the Maestro 8.0 Squelette. It is the brand’s first skeletonized watch and a very strong show of intent by its young CEO, Federico Ziviani. Designed in concert with world renowned designer Octavio Garcia, former chief artistic officer at Audemars Piguet, Ziviani’s vision for the brand’s new flagship exquisitely showcases the Vaucher caliber GCA 5482. The movement’s gold components brightly contrast against the anthracite gray of the NAC-treated skeletonized bridges, recalling a celestial map of the night sky which was Garcia’s source of inspiration. Garcia’s meticulous design includes the nine star-shaped screws that secure the dial’s skeleton and the hexagonal pattern on the micro-rotor, a motif that will become a recurring theme for all Gerald Charles’ timepieces. After releasing the first chronograph…

Even in the exclusive company of true-blue manufactures that are able to develop and create their own movements in-house, Glashütte Original counts as among the most innovative in creating movements that often incorporate unique solutions, improving the usability, performance and even the aesthetics of a mechanical watch. One of the 2022 highlights for the company is the launch of the PanoMaticCalendar. The company already has a large collection of “Pano” dress watches featuring asymmetric dial displays. This new model not only marks the creation of a new movement, but it also happens to be Glashütte Original’s first annual calendar — a functional complication where as long as the self-winding watch is worn enough to stay wound, manual setting of the date is only required once a year for 1st March.…

The field watch is a versatile and dependable type of watch. Built initially for robust outdoor use, it’s a style made by many brands, but few as famous as Hamilton. Originally founded in 1892 in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Hamilton today is part of the Swatch Group family of brands, but the brand’s legacy looms large in the history of American watchmaking. Hamilton’s field watch earned its reputation for excellence on American wrists in both World War II and the Vietnam War. Today, Hamilton still makes the field watch, and while the form hasn’t changed too much, especially on this 38mm variant, technology has improved over the years. This example is powered by the H-10 caliber, a robust automatic with 80 hours of power reserve. The case, which is still a comparatively…

Founded more than 40 years ago, and famed for the art of fusion, Hublot continued to surprise and delight this year. While the Big Bang is the brand’s bread and butter, we saw two different takes on the familiar form this year. First up is the Hublot Square Bang. As you can imagine, this new model takes the classic Big Bang DNA and places it in a square case. Out of the gate, we get five versions: a limited edition All-Black number, along with offerings in titanium, titanium and ceramic, King Gold, and King Gold and ceramic. The movement used across the board is the Unico manufacture chronograph caliber, and this circular caliber inside a squared-off case creates a pleasing circle-in-a-square design motif that prevents the Square Bang from feeling…

2022 is the year that the world recovered from COVID-induced travel restrictions and the world’s borders reopened. Laurent Ferrier seized the moment and launched its latest Classic Traveller in a very tropical and topical shade of green. The third in the “Série Atelier,” the brand’s iconic travel watch had a new green makeover with a beautiful dual-finish “magnetic green” dial. The watch case was in the familiar Laurent Ferrier pebble shape, but this time in grade 5 titanium. Light and incredibly durable, titanium is a material often associated with tool watches, but in this case the watch has a polished finish that gives it the precious look of white gold, yet with the robustness afforded by titanium. Laurent Ferrier steered away from using a second hour hand for indicating home…

Undoubtedly, Louis Erard has earned much kudos when it comes to watch collaborations. Its partnerships with entities and personalities from the contemporary world of architecture and design have given the brand cachet for exceptional originality. Paired with superb watchmaking value, it is no wonder its limited editions typically sell out. Perhaps the most famous of its collaborations in recent years is with French watch architect Alain Silberstein. Other exceptional collabs that have caught our eye include the beautiful Excellence Le Régulateur Louis Erard × Massena Lab, which references the style of marine chronometers created by Antide Janvier in the 19th century. Its limited production references made in-house are also well worth a second look, such as the Excellence Petite Seconde, an essential and beautiful timepiece with perfect proportions and impeccable…

Though the name Nivada might be an old one, the brand today operates in a thoroughly modern way, making the most of its enviable back catalog to inspire and iterate its current collection. The key model in this revival is the Chronomaster Aviator Sea Diver — a watch that seems to have all its thematic bases covered. This manually wound model was announced when Guillaume Laidet relaunched the brand in 2018 and it’s still front and center — for good reason. It embodies everything that was great about mid-century watch design: an attractive, technical-yet-legible twin-register dial, a rotating bezel, and most importantly of all, an attitude for adventure. Today, Nivada also offers customers plenty of configuration options. For example, their recent run of Chronomaster Aviator Sea Divers. Not only did…

Aslew of novelties were released by Panerai, mainly centered on two attributes — case size and case material. The Submersible range distinguished by its unidirectional rotating timing bezel saw the addition of the QuarantaQuattro (“forty-four” in Italian) line, a new 44mm case size that will, as Panerai says, form the “cornerstone” of the collection, coming in between the current 47mm and 42mm case sizes. Driven by the self-winding P.900 movement with three days’ power reserve and featuring water resistance to 300m, standouts include the Submersible QuarantaQuattro Carbotech Blu Abisso, cased in Carbotech, a composite based on carbon fiber and the lightest case material used by Panerai. The Carbotech model is joined by two others in stainless steel, including the Submersible QuarantaQuattro Bianco in a stark white dial with green rubber…

Themed on Ralph Lauren’s equestrian heritage, the Ralph Lauren Stirrup Chronograph comes in two versions: a polished stainless steel edition with white dial and a black PVD stainless steel version with black finish and black dial. Symbolizing daytime and nighttime, this new complication was developed exclusively by a leading Swiss manufacturer for Ralph Lauren. Pointers sweep over a main dial that consists of Roman numerals, a minute track and a chronograph. This dial is framed by a stirrup-shaped case, which is a tip of the hat to horse-riding and the sport of polo, which the brand is synonymous with. Its latest timepiece is driven by the automatic RL650 caliber that beats at a frequency of 28,800 vibrations per hour and has a 48-hour power reserve. Ralph Lauren Watches and Fine…

This year, Ressence has distilled its proprietary technologies in a time-only model — the Type 8. It is the purest watch in the catalog to date, displaying just the hours and minutes. And it comes in at the most affordable price for a Ressence yet. Its minimalist design is visually amplified by the watch’s 42.9mm case width, but being made of titanium, it clocks in at a featherweight 42g overall with the strap included. The tapered case has a sandwich construction with satin-finished flanks that contrast nicely with a polished top surface. Its profile is characterized by a continuous flow from the case to the domed crystal, while the integrated lugs, which are cleverly obscured by a “skirt,” make for a seamless connection between case and strap. The winding and…

This year, Reservoir continues to impress with its parade of striking designs, variously inspired by the high adrenalin worlds of motoring, exploration et al. Straight off the grid, the Reservoir Kanister draws on the speedometer design of the Porsche 356 Speedster. The pastel green minute indexes, a red area, a black dial, and a white hand housed in a grade 5 titanium case with polished finishes give the series a distinct and elegant identity. The Hydrosphere diving watch collection, meanwhile, shows off a new limited version. Cenote is inspired by the subterranean freshwater reservoirs in the Mexican Yucatán Peninsula, considered sacred by the Mayan culture. It takes its design cues and functionality from diving gauges and redefines the aesthetic codes of the diving watch. The watch comes in a 45mm…

Ripples, launched earlier this year during the Watches and Wonders show, is the new, forward-looking “spokesperson” for the British-themed brand, Speake-Marin. With this sports chic watch, which establishes the new Temptation collection. Speake-Marin opens a new creative chapter in the brand’s history, highlighting some of its limited series creations with contemporary watchmaking methods. As a reference to its British heritage, Ripples’ complex case is inspired by the architecture of London City’s financial district. Inside the watch, the gorgeous dial depicts a wavy pattern, not unlike Côtes de Genève, only that it is comprised of individually cut and finished concave elements. To boot, Ripples is the brand’s first-ever bracelet watch in steel. Continuing with the modern and upbeat look, the brand also presented two striking timepieces that cleverly blend the horological…

When it was released in 1947, the Vulcain Cricket won first prize at the International Chronometry Competition by the Neuchâtel Observatory. It is no surprise that the soaring popularity of this timepiece led to long waitlists and even convinced people from all walks of life to trade their wristwatches in for the Vulcain Cricket. The 14K gold version of the Vulcain Cricket was presented to US President Harry S. Truman, who cherished it dearly. Thus began a tradition where almost every POTUS since has been presented with a Vulcain watch. And it seems that the brand has gone from strength to strength since. This year, Vulcain released several throwback Cricket timepieces in small-quantity limited editions, such as the 36mm Cricket Classique with salmon dial, the 36mm Cricket Tradition with samon…

For all the eye-grabbing pastels and luminous hues, fundamental soundness of a solidly constructed Swissmade sports watch, often as a serious diver’s tool. Zodiac was after all one of the first watchmakers alongside Blancpain and Rolex to introduce diver’s watches to consumers in 1953. Today, that 1953 Sea Wolf lives on in Zodiac’s catalog as the Super Sea Wolf 53 Skin Automatic, with the signature triangular lume plots at the cardinal points of the dial. Fossil Group, the parent company of Zodiac, also owns a movement factory STP in Bienne, Switzerland, that produces movements for most of the modern Zodiac pieces. For 2022, the Super Sea Wolf in the latest colorway is a breezy combination of white with light blue accents — a nod to waves breaking at the shore,…

First things first — a big thank you to my colleagues for making every issue of Revolution meaningful, entertaining and educational. At the risk of sounding like I’m blowing smoke up your a**, 2022 has been an especially thrilling year for watch fans. We are currently witnessing the breathtaking revivals of companies like Parmigiani Fleurier, Greubel Forsey and Vacheron Constantin. The out-of-this-world watch on the front cover, for example, marks a new chapter in haute horlogerie for famed bespoke jewelry brand Jacob & Co. And between these front and back covers, you’ll discover the best debutantes of 2022. I hope you’ll enjoy the Geneva Watch Days story that my colleagues have written. So many unique time-telling inventions were launched at this celebration of independent watchmaking, and my team worked hard…

For 2022, Alpina is giving its Startimer collection that was designed for aviation enthusiasts a complete overhaul, taking it back to its origins. The new design is inspired by the pilot’s watches created by the brand at the beginning of the 20th century, complete with a new case, bezel, hands and a brand new size at 41mm diameter. There are three new models in various iterations, featuring a blue, black or green dial; a steel or black PVD-coated case; and finally a steel bracelet or top-stitched calfskin leather strap. Moving on to the seas, Alpina’s Seastrong collection presents exceptional value in the world of diving watches. The new Seastrong Diver 300 Heritage presents athletic vibes powered by state-of-the-art technology and shows off vintage undertones, inspired by the 10 Seastrong, the…

Since its introduction in 2017, the Manero Flyback Chronograph has become a coveted timepiece. The series is characterized by its proper chronograph function with date and small seconds hand. The vintage dial design, framed by a 43mm steel case with mushroom-type pushers, is complemented by a tachymeter scale for added sportiness. The new green reference merges the piece’s functionality with a fresh contemporary look that evokes nature, even in the most cosmopolitan or excessively urban environments. The CFB Manero Peripheral BigDate is a new chapter for the maison in terms of movements with an automatic winding system with peripheral oscillating mass. The beautiful piece is powered by the CFB A2011 manufacture caliber, and it boasts a well-proportioned asymmetrical dial with displays for a large date, day of the week and…

Over the past decade, an overwhelming majority of luxury brands have been incrementally raising their prices to the extent where many fans of fine watchmaking have simply been priced out of the game. But Frederique Constant has consistently pushed the envelope in the opposite direction by making complications such as perpetual calendars, world timers and tourbillons highly affordable. This year, the brand has unveiled a pair of limited editions to mark the 10th anniversary of the Classic Worldtimer Manufacture, a watch that turned the industry on its ear in 2012 by offering an in-house movement with a Louis Cottier-style worldtime function which enables all settings to be neatly adjusted via a single crown — at a mind-blowing sub-four-thousand-dollar price point. Both limited editions have their central dials with a raised…

It’s hard to believe that it was only a few short years ago that Grand Seiko was formally launched globally as a separate luxury brand. Since then, it has grown exponentially, becoming a major player and a household name. The watches have grown apace, too — as these 2022 releases demonstrate. The story of the Grand Seiko Kodo Constant-Force Tourbillon dates back to 2020, when the brand announced its concept constant force tourbillon, which is now a reality. The watch is dominated by the caliber 9ST1, which features a constant force mechanism integrated into the tourbillon cage — an ingenious solution that delivers numerous benefits. Because they are on the same axis, there’s no loss of torque between the two, allowing for 50 hours’ duration for the constant force mechanism…

H. Moser & Cie. has had a bumper crop of new releases this year. To explain what the brand does best, which is wearable haute horlogerie, we start with the Pioneer Cylindrical Tourbillon Skeleton unveiled at Watches and Wonders. Taking something as complicated as the tourbillon, Moser raised the chronometric performance bar further by fitting it with an invention from the 18th century — a cylindrical hairspring. As a result, friction on the balance pivots is reduced and isochronism improved in combination with the variable motion of the tourbillon. The movement is then skeletonized to complement the tourbillon with an architecture that can only be described as one of the most transparent in the industry. Moser’s integrated bracelet Streamliner collection now welcomes a regular production tourbillon model after the one-off…

Since 1932 Harry Winston has been decking out the well-heeled people of New York and the world in dazzling diamonds and assorted other precious metals and stones. The prestigious jeweler began making timepieces in 1989, and naturally plays to its strengths by adding a healthy frosting of stones to most of its watches. This year, the brand has taken a celebratory approach, releasing limited editions for romantic and auspicious occasions. Valentine’s Day was marked with a limited edition model from the luxurious Premier collection — a 36mm white gold watch with 57 brilliant-cut diamonds on the case and a dial that’s part whimsy, part wonder. A bouquet of heart-shaped balloons was crafted out of various shades of mother of pearl, some set with stones, and tied with a heart-shaped bow…

Longines has been making watches for close to 200 years, during which time it has clocked an enviable trail of innovations and achievements that have enriched the history of watchmaking. Today, Longines continues to draw from its history to provide some of the most useful and appealing timepieces at very attractive price points. Of the brand’s most recent timepieces, it’s hard to find a better match for the modern-day adventurer or globetrotter than the Longines Spirit Zulu Time. Inspired by the first dual time zone watch that Longines made in 1925, the new Spirit Zulu Time is discreetly styled, able to track up to three time zones, with a COSC-certified chronometer movement that allows independent setting of the hour hand from the GMT hand. Longines created its first high frequency…

Today, multi-time-zone watches are executed in four predominant forms — an additional central hour hand, a GMT hand with an accompanying 24-hour bezel, a Louis Cottier-type worldtime system or, in rarer cases, a three‑dimensional globe. This year, Moritz Grossmann introduced a highly practical format to the fold with the Universalzeit. It is the perfect middle ground that displays more than two time zones — six, in fact — and a world map, without compromising on dial clarity. In addition to local time, the time in six cities — Tokyo, Singapore, Dubai, Cape Town, Rio de Janeiro and Phoenix — is displayed digitally in apertures with the city names marked on a world map. As daylight saving time is not observed in the selected cities, the watch indicates the actual time…

A manufacture on an exhilarating trajectory, Montblanc continues its ascent, unveiling thrilling complications and versatile dress watches in a variety of styles and materials. In July 2022, Montblanc revealed the Summit 3 — the brand’s latest smartwatch, engineered to help wearers track and achieve their health and fitness goals. Montblanc’s smartwatch and mechanical timepieces are all themed on exploration and extreme conditions. The Montblanc Star Legacy Exo Tourbillon Skeleton “The Ascent” Limited Edition 8, for example, features mountaineer Jacques Balmat and Mont Blanc’s mythical wyvern sculpted along the periphery of the hand engraved subdial. At Watches and Wonders 2022, the brand launched sports watches like the Montblanc 1858 Minerva Monopusher Chronograph Red Arrow LE88, which features a V-bridge inspired by the mountain ridge visible from Montblanc’s workshop; and the Montblanc…

This year’s Omega Days introduced the most monumental release in dive watch history with the Seamaster Planet Ocean Ultra Deep. With a depth rating of an astounding 6,000m, the Ultra Deep is now the deepest-diving commercially available dive watch in the world. It comes in no less than seven variations and the highlight of the collection is, of course, the sole model in grade 5 titanium, which we can unabashedly say is the one to have if you can only buy one. It looks closest to the original three prototypes that unequivocally smashed the deepest diving record at 10,935m, with the “manta ray” lugs and dark gray color scheme throughout. The other versions come with varying dial finishes and are available on either rubber straps or bracelets made in a…

This year saw Seiko lean strongly into their sports heritage with strong offerings in the Prospex family. First up, for many, the Prospex line has been synonymous with dive watches, and one of the standout series of Seiko Prospex watches are the “Save the Ocean” special edition divers, which were first introduced in 2018. Since then, the timepieces have been drawing much-needed attention to the theme of marine conservation. This year, we were treated to a trilogy of releases with an icy theme, inspired by glaciers. In particular, the 1970 Diver’s Modern Re-interpretation (SPB301) takes the chunky, asymmetrical case that is so distinctively Seiko and adds an icy white, textured dial surrounded by a blue bezel, creating a diver that is both striking and stunning. Also from the Prospex line…