A quick lesson before we dive into more of the finest timepieces around. The Grande Sonnerie (French for “grand strike”) is the most elaborate and the most desirable complications of them all, combining a
quarter striking mechanism with a repeater. A repeater, for the layperson, refers to watches or clocks that chime the hours or minutes at the press of a button. Without knowing any of that, you’d do well to realise that these masterpieces are among the most coveted by collectors.
Breguet Marine Équation Marchante 5887
Inspired by Abraham-Louis Breguet’s contributions to marine chronometry, the Breguet Marine collection pays tribute to a unique heritage with the fantastically sophisticated Marchante 5887, showcasing three highly intricate complications — a perpetual calendar, a tourbillon and the rare complexity called, “equation of time”, which essentially displays the difference between mean and true solar time, corresponding to civil or standard hours and minutes. A marvellous guilloché gold dial, a 60-second tourbillon with titanium carriage, twin faceted hands in 18k gold, a retrograde third hand tipped with an anchor and a running fourth solar hand distinguished by a gilded sun — all go into making this an outstanding accomplishment. The watch’s movement — visible through the caseback, includes engraved bridges depicting the Royal Louis, a French Royal Navy ship, and a wind rose (weather chart) motif. marine.breguet.com
Frederique Constant Worldtimer
Swiss makers Frederique Constant showed at this year’s Baselworld for the first time as a brand owned by Citizen, showcasing their new Classic Manufacture World-timer which, unlike most worldtimers, has no multiple pushers, and is controlled entirely by the lone crown. The watch handsomely blends gold and chocolate tones, sporting haute horlogerie finishes — visible through a sapphire caseback — in perlage and Côtes de Genève decorations. The hands are hand-polished and plated with rose gold, and the hour markers have lume plots, while the dial has a finely etched world map and 24 reference cities. The shades of brown make this a piece to flaunt. frederiqueconstant.com
Greubel Forsey Grande Sonnerie
Robert Greubel and Stephen Forsey of the ultra high-end Swiss watchmakers Greubel Forsey put in over a decade’s R&D to debut their first ever chiming watch, the singular Grande Sonnerie. One of the most challenging complications ever made, it boasts of 935 components packed into a 16.13mm thick case, while also serving as a minute repeater. The finishing is remarkable, featuring nickel silver bridges with relief engraved captions and olive-domed jewels fitted in gold chatons. Expected limited run of five to eight pieces annually. greubelforsey.com
Chopard L.U.C Perpetual Chrono
This prized Perpetual Chrono, from the L.U.C collection named after founder watchmaker Louis-Ulysse Chopard, sports a solid gold dial adorned with a hand-guilloché sunburst motif — retaining the colour blue of the Chopard platinum series. The sapphire crystal case back reveals a host of traditional finishes including the Côtes de Genève and perlage — flourishes that speak of eminent workmanship on behalf of expert finniseurs, rendered in nickel silver. Made in a limited edition of 20 pieces, with a hand-sewn matt blue alligator leather strap, matched with a platinum pin buckle. chopard.com
Hublot Techframe Ferrari Tourbillon Chronograph
For Ferrari’s 70th anniversary, Hublot sought inspiration in car design for this high-end tourbillon chronograph, led by Ferrari Head of Design Flavio Manzoni, to create an object of old-school fascination. The pusher, in signature P485 Ferrari red, lends a singular touch to the watch’s lattice structure and skeletal dial. An invisible crystal on top adds to the slick appeal, with the entire piece housed in a 45mm case. Available in King Gold, Titanium or PEEK (Polyether Ether Ketone) Carbon, in 70 limited edition pieces each. hublot.com
Ulysse Nardin InnoVision 2
Ulysse Nardin is re-shaping the future of watchmaking with a host of new materials, technologies and unprecedented innovations — such as dual constant escapements, balance wheels with gold mass
elements and micro paddles, 24 carat hard gold wheels, gorgeous 1–11 and 13–23 displays and 3D glass minute hands — setting a veritable watchmaking milestone. ulysse-nardin.com
Tag Heuer Carrera Calibre 16
A revisited classic unveiled at the Geneva Watch Fair 2017, this Day-Date Chronograph marks the Calibre 16’s 10th birthday with a sporty alpha makeover in black titanium, with beige detailing and a
distressed brown leather strap. Also, it’s among the range’s more affordable pieces. tagheuer.com
Rolex Cellini Moonphase
The first Rolex moon-phase release in almost 70 years, this prestige timepiece makes an elegant display of the lunar cycle in 18 carat Everose gold, on a white lacquer dial with a blue enamelled disc — depicting the full moon with a meteorite applique and the new moon with a silver ring. With a self-winding mechanical movement whose moonphase module is astronomically accurate for 122 years. rolex.com