Round-UpThe Wonders Off-Site: The Finest New Watches Being Unveiled In Geneva, April 2024
While Watches and Wonders 2024 brings the global watch community to Geneva, scattered around this Swiss city will be various other brands showcasing their products as well. Some are a part of a collective called ‘Geneva Watch Week’, while others will present independently. Here are some of these brands’ finest new novelties
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Bovet Récital 28 Prowess 1
Bovet introduces the Récital 28 Prowess 1 at Watches & Wonders 2024, revolutionising world time watches. Addressing the challenges of Daylight Saving Time variations, its innovative roller system enables seamless adjustment to 24 time zones, including UTC and DST variations. With a rich heritage in multiple time zone watches, Bovet’s meticulous craftsmanship is evident in the intricate hand-finishing and hand-engraved bridges of the 43mm case options. This exceptional timepiece features an expanded flying tourbillon, perpetual calendar, and 10-day power reserve from a single barrel. Limited to just eight pieces annually due to the intricate assembly process, the Récital 28 Prowess 1 promises unparalleled precision and exclusivity in global timekeeping.
Breitling Professional Aerospace B70 Orbiter
The Breitling Aerospace B70 Orbiter 25th anniversary edition carries forward design traits of the brand’s ana-digi display (an analogue display for hours and minutes, and an LCD digital display for seconds) along with new features. This ‘modern-day tool watch’ showcases a bright orange dial, matching the Orbiter 3 capsule, featuring orange Super-LumiNova luminescent numerals, indexes, and hands, with the LCD display featuring backlight so that the watch showcases time under low-light conditions. The watch box contains two strap options for the watch: a titanium bracelet or black rubber strap with a folding clasp.
Bulgari Serpenti Tubogas X Tadao Ando
Celebrated Japanese architect Tadao Ando collaborated with Bulgari Executive Director of Product Creation Fabrizio Buonamassa Stigliani to produce Tadao Ando X Bulgari Serpenti; a thematic quartet representing four seasons. The four versions are Summer (natsu): a dual toned yellow gold and steel with green aventurine dial; autumn (aki): rose gold with tiger’s eye; winter (fuyu): steel with white mother-of-pearl; and spring (haru): a dual toned rose gold and steel with pink mother-of-pearl dial. All dials feature fragmented surfaces to reflect the rugged, reptilian theme. Each timepiece is encased in a box crafted and signed by Tadao Ando
Corum Admiral Collection: Meteorite, Malachite, And Aventurine
The Swiss luxury watch brand, Corum recently announced the launch of four new models within their iconic Admiral collection—two versions of the Meteorite in 42mm, and the 38mm Malachite and Aventurine models. Just like their predecessors, the new Admiral 42mm iterations feature the distinct dodecagonal bezel and 12 nautical pennants as hour markers, along with a new addition—meteorite dials in natural grey and tinted blue colours. On the other hand, the 18-karat rose gold Admiral 38mm watches boast dials in marvelous stones of green malachite and dark blue aventurine. The meteorite watches are presented on stainless-steel interhorn bracelets with a triple-blade folding clasp. Water-resistant to 100m, the watches are equipped with the calibre CO 395—an automatic winding movement with 42-hour power reserve.
The Admiral 38 rose-gold models with malachite and aventurine dials feature 12-sided cases that are adorned with 72 diamonds, along with 10 additional diamonds on the dial that serve as hour markers. Furthermore, the vibrant dials are perfectly complemented by a white vulcanised rubber strap for both the models. They are driven by the automatic calibre CO 082, beating at a frequency of 28,800vph to supply an energy reserve of at least 42 hours. One can view this mechanism through the sapphire caseback that offers a water-resistance of 100m.
Doxa Sub 200T
The Doxa Sub 200T is a compact, stylish dive watch that perfectly balances heritage and the needs of a modern watch enthusiast. With a more compact 39mm case and an expanded colour palette, including the stunning new Sea Emerald Green, the Sub 200T offers a refreshing change from the larger sizes prevalent in recent years. Crafted from 316L stainless steel, the Sub 200T’s case is designed to withstand underwater adventures while maintaining a comfortable profile on the wrist. The watch features Doxa’s signature unidirectional rotating bezel and offers a choice between the classic iconic dial and the eye-catching sunray dial. Powered by a reliable Swiss automatic movement and offering customisation options, including a sporty FKM rubber strap and the classic ‘beads-of-rice’ stainless steel bracelet, the Doxa Sub 200T is a well-crafted, reliable, and stylish timepiece that caters to the diverse preferences of watch enthusiasts and divers.
Jacob & Co Astronomia Régulateur
Inbuilt with an entirely new calibre JCAM56, the 250-piece limited run Jacob & Co Astronomia Régulateur is touted as the world’s first watch to feature a vertical rotating movement that completes one full rotation in 60 seconds/one minute. The Jacob & Co Astronomia Régulateur features three arms that complete 60 seconds/one-minute rotations. Following the Jacob & Co Astronomia signature of gravity-defying tourbillons, one arm of the new Régulateur is the solitary double-axis flying tourbillon at the 12 o’clock hour marker. The other two arms are the ‘floating’ sub-dials with Arabic markers; the minutes sub-dial at three o’clock sits, and the hour sub-dial at nine o’clock. This timepiece runs on the brand’s thinnest Astronomia movement till date—the new vertically proportioned JCAM56 calibre—comprising 552 components, beating at 21,600vph and offering upto 48 hours of power reserve. The case comes attached to openworked lugs that secure a blue alligator leather strap with rose gold deployment buckle to the wrist.
Le Régulateur Tourbillon Louis Erard X Alain Silberstein Black
The Le Régulateur Tourbillon Louis Erard X Alain Silberstein Black is a collaboration piece featuring a matt black dial with silver hour counter and a unique red hue highlighted index at the 60-minute marker. Signature Alain Silberstein hands in red, blue, and yellow pop against the black background, enhancing readability. The watch showcases thoughtful skeletonisation with a cut-out at six o’clock, revealing the tourbillon. Housed in a micro-blasted Grade-2 titanium case, it measures 40mm in diameter and 11.80mm in thickness. The timepiece is powered by the tourbillon régulateur mechanical handwound BCP T02 calibre, offering a 100-hour power reserve. It comes with a black nylon strap equipped with a titanium buckle. This collaboration exemplifies fine Swiss watchmaking with contemporary creativity and technical expertise.
Maurice Lacroix Masterpiece Skeleton X Label Noir
Even before Swiss watch customisation experts Label Noir collaborated with Maurice Lacroix for the Masterpiece Skeleton, the watch was beautiful in its openworked construction. The latest iteration, however, is a monochromatic marvel, with bridges in anthracite and black, beautifully displaying the mainspring, escape wheel, and other components of the manual-winding manufacture calibre ML134. Anthracite and black DLC treatment on the 43mm steel case enhances the contrasts and plays with light and shadows on the Maurice Lacroix Masterpiece Skeleton Label Noir. Matt black hour and minute hands are filled with Super-LumiNova, and at nine is a small seconds counter with a blackened hand, strategically placed and beautifully treated. Because why would one need to focus on time ticking by when the movement—usually hidden from view—is on display in these gorgeous shades of black!
Nivada Grenchen F77 Stainless Steel Lapis Lazuli
The Nivada Grenchen F77 Stainless Steel Lapis Lazuli features an entire dial made from this deep blue ornamental stone, shimmering with the light from the many minerals in it. This new blue F77 timepiece tries to symbolise the continuous complex and dynamic occurrences situated deep within the Earth’s crust, while resorting to a decorative aura to drive home the point. It runs on an automatic Swiss-made SOPROD P024 movement and provides upto 38-hour power reserve. Moreover, the watch carries forward the distinctive trait of its formative concept in 1977, stainless steel design with an integrated bracelet.
Urwerk SpaceTime Blade Clock With Nixie Tubes
The Urwerk SpaceTime Blade Clock with Nixie tubes, first unveiled at the 2023 Only Watch auction. Now a year later, this vertical timepiece, reminiscent to a Jedi’s Lightsaber, has been relaunched around the ongoing Watches and Wonders 2024, in a 33-piece limited edition deal. This Clock stands 5.5ft tall and weighs approximately 20kgs. It involves eight vertically stacked Nixie tubes that emit a fiery orange glow. These tubes—based on the original innovation during the 1950s, later used by Soviet Union’s military and industrial infrastructure—are fashioned from hand-blown glass, each one comprising 88 parts and hand assembled one by one. When switched on, the tubes showcase eight different display modes, namely hours, minutes, seconds, split seconds, day, month, year, and even the Earth’s rotation in kilometres. A protective glass tube with a pedestal made from the wax-casted bronze technique—used earlier in making traditional jewellery and sculptures—encloses the Nixie tubes for protection, longevity, and aesthetic appeal.
Watch this space for all the best new launches during the most wonderful time of the year for the world of watches
