Vacheron Constantin's Overseas collection might be about the spirit of travel but from their showing of the Overseas Tourbillon line at Watches and Wonders 2024, they didn't venture too far with the design. Other than the three Patrimony pieces, the Overseas collection had a boost in model numbers. Four sunray green-dial Overseas watches (35mm gem-set version: a 41mm date: a 41mm dual time: a 42.5mm chronograph) were added to the line-up but it's the titanium Overseas Tourbillon that caught our eye.
Made entirely out of the light and robust metal, the titanium Overseas Tourbillon houses a tourbillon (duh) movement that serenely spins within its Maltese cross-inspired cage. The model holds the same characteristics as other Overseas Tourbillons—42.5mm by 10.39mm thick; small seconds display indicated by a coloured screw on the tourbillon; hexagonal bezel; blue dial. The last Overseas Tourbillon variant was impressive, thanks to its skeletonised feature. This titanium version may not have the wow factor but with the knowledge of what its made of, it's worth it.
The grade-five titanium Overseas Tourbillion holds A Calibre 2160 movement that’s only 5.65 mm thick and you can see the entire movement through an open-worked caseback. The Calibre 2160 also has a power reserve of more than three days. You can easily switch the watch among three straps—polished titanium, dark blue leather and dark blue rubber—with a titanium stainless steel folding clasp buckle.
As this is a boutique exclusive, which means if you want to get your hands on the titanium Overseas Tourbillon, head down to the nearest Vacheron Constantin outlet and put your name on a waiting list.
There's a whispering among TUDOR fans about a perennial favourite making an appearance. Since 1985, when TUDOR decided to build upon their first dive watch (the Oyster Prince Submariner), it led to a defining chapter in the brand's history: the Black Bay line. Chief among the range is the iconic Black Bay 58. It had nary a crown guard; the 38mm case sizing; the gold indices and markings—these are the hallmarks of a crowd favourite that felt familiar, timeless even, and, yet, was able to stand on its own. For this year's Watches and Wonders, TUDOR presents to us two Black Bay 58 variants. The first is in 18K gold with a green dial and bezel; this oozes opulence and sophistication. The other—and this is the one that got us into a tizzy—incorporates the Black Bay GMT's dual-time functionality. This is the Black Bay 58 GMT (probably the most on-the-nose appellation) and it's the watch that all TUDOR fans were waiting for.
A mid-size METAS Certified GMT Manufacture Calibre MT5450-U sits inside a 38mm, 12.8mm thick case. On the dial, there's a practical date window and the usual snowflake hands. Hands and hour indices are coated with Super-LumiNova material, guaranteeing visibility even in low-light conditions. Gilt accents adorn a burgundy and black, aluminium, bi-directional bezel. (Might we add that this "Coke" look is a missed opportunity with a certain sister brand but having the Black Bay 58 GMT sport this colour combo is a hit with fans.)
Completing the ensemble, the Black Bay 58 GMT is available with either the timeless rivet-style bracelet or a sporty rubber strap, providing versatility for every occasion.
TUDOR may not have broken new innovation ground with its novelties but the Black Bay 58 GMT is enough to please fans and capture the attention of newcomers.
With hundreds of patents and movements to its name, you'd think that Jaeger-LeCoultre would coast on its past achievements but no. This is Watches and Wonder. This is where you present the best for the year. It's the perfect stage to show your peers why you've earned the title as the "watchmaker's watchmaker". Thus, for this year's Watches and Wonder, JLC flexes its complications muscles with three Duometre models: the Duometre Chronograph Moon; the Duometre Quantieme Lunaire and the Duometre Heliotourbillon Perpetual. It is the last model that strikes our fancy.
The Duometre model is a marvel in the history of movements. Before its advent, any watch with a secondary function (like a chronograph where you keep time and act as a stopwatch) would draw energy that also powers the drivetrain and that leads to a loss of balance amplitude. In short, it slows the ticks. JLC came up with an elegant solution. One that doubles the barrels and gear trains—one for timekeeping and the other for complications and displays; all linked to a single escapement.
Layering on that excellence with another is the addition of a new tourbillon construction in the Duometre Heliotourbillon Perpetual. JLC's features a new manual Calibre 388 (in-house, of course) with a tourbillion that rotates on three axes (a first for the brand).
Supported on ceramic ball bearings to minimise friction and consisting of 163 components weighing less than 0.7 grams, the tourbillon is fitted with a cylindrical hairspring. There are three titanium cages. The first is angled at 90 degrees to the balance wheel; the second is set at 90 degrees to the first; and the third cage is perpendicular to the second and makes a full rotation every minute.
Oh, and did we mention that the multi-axes tourbillon also has a perpetual calendar? A grande date display is set at 3 o’clock. And the year indication has a special mechanism that highlights the last digit of every leap year in red.
Inspired by the Savonette pocket watches, the Duometre Heliotourbillon Perpetual is encased in a gold case. With a pleasing rounded bezel, the timepiece's convex crystal case features an open-worked view of the tourbillon on the left, while on the right, the time display.
Limited to 20 pieces, we suspect that this will be a very expensive investment- *looks at price tag* Yup, USD438,000.00. That sounds about right for a very complicated watch like Jaeger-LeCoultre's Duometre Heliotourbillon Perpetual.
The thing about magic tricks is that once it happens, you'd want to take another look at the effect... and you're still amazed that it actually occurred. That's the feeling we had with Cartier's Santos-Dumont Rewind.
Other than the Santos de Cartier with Dual Time feature—a first, I might add—where you have a second time zone in a sub-dial at 6 o’clock, along with a night/day indicator, the Santos-Dumont features a dial that... well, we're getting ahead of ourselves. Let's begin at where it all happened; the start of the Santos.
Not only was the Cartier Santos the first pilot's watch (it was created for the aviator Alberto Santos-Dumont) but it was also the first to pioneer the square case and the first to be won on the wrist (back then, pocket watches were the norm). The model is Cartier's oldest line and hasn't deviated much from its original look (exposed screws; square-ish case, etc).
The Santos-Dumont Rewind comes in a 31.5 × 43.5mm platinum case that's 7.3mm thick; the caseback has an engraved Alberto Santos-Dumont's signature. A brown alligator leather strap with platinum ardillon buckle complements the ruby cabochon crown. Watch the apple-shaped hands sweep across the carnelian dial... backwards?
And now we come to the effect. This seemingly-regular Santos-Dumont has Roman numerals that are positioned in reverse. In fact, the timepiece is powered by a reversed 230 MC hand-wound movement, which means the hands move counter-clockwise. But why is it in reverse? Well, why not?
This isn't the first time that Cartier manufactures a timepiece that runs contrariwise. There was a one-of-a-kind timepiece—a platinum Cartier Tonneau that runs in reverse—made for architect and photographer, Hiroshi Sugimoto. It's not often that you'd see this irreverent side of Cartier. But when it does happen, it highlights the brand's willingness to go off the beaten path; much like what it did for Alberto Santos-Dumont many years ago.
The Cartier Santos-Dumont Rewind is only limited to 200 pieces. This means that when you see it—poof—it might already be gone.
The perennial watch event returns to Geneva. Here, we'll highlight the biggest watch announcements of the year. So, to kick things off, we begin with the brand that's always on everybody's lips (and wrists): Rolex. More specifically, the Rolex GMT-Master II in Oystersteel in a different colourway.
Rolex returns with a fresh new paint of some of its most iconic models. Like, the GMT-Master II in Oystersteel. If you were expecting the "Coke" version (red and black bezel), you'd be disappointed. But then you'll be elated because the GMT-Master II now arrives in a Cerachrom bezel insert (first introduced last year), either in grey and black ceramic. This colour contrast brings to mind the changing of day and night. Not a bad thing to ruminate, if you're staring at the face of time. There are moulded, recessed graduations and PVD-coated numerals on the insert that makes it easy to read.
The Oystersteel alloy is nothing to sneeze at. This material is highly resistant to corrosion and shocks and even with the onslaught of time, it'll still offers that same lustre as when you first bought it. Opt for either the Oyster bracelet or Jubilee bracelet. Another colour pops out, set against the black lacquer dial, the 24-hour hand displays and the GMT-Master II inscription are in a striking green. According to Rolex, the green is supposed to "highlight our connection to the world.
Similar to other the other timepieces in the line-up, the GMT-Master II has a 40mm case and a Calibre 3285 movement for different timezones.
Fifty-five years after the launch of the TAG Heuer Monaco, the brand decided to shake things up. And it lies in the keyword: "rattrapante" (French for "catch up"). It's a chronograph movement that's difficult to manufacture. TAG Heuer's repute is built upon its split-seconds rattrapante function during the early days of motorsports. It is this complication that would lead to some of TAG Heuer's best chronograph mechanisms like its newly announced Monaco Split-Seconds Chronograph.
In the early days of motorsports, TAG Heuer was hard at work in mastering the split-seconds. Introduced in 1916, its Mikrograph was the preferred timekeeping device with a recording down to 1/100th of a second. Then came the Microsplit, another rattrapante also accurate to 1/100th of a second. The iconic 11.402 model would arrive later, this time capable of measuring time with 1/10th of a second accuracy.
The 11.402 model was Jean Campiche of Scuderia Ferrari fame and then in 1989, TAG Heuer gave us a quartz split-seconds chronograph wristwatch that was popular among racing legends like Ayrton Senna, Gerhard Berger and Michael Schumacher.
This brings us to the split-seconds chronograph: TAG Heuer's Monaco Split-Seconds Chronograph.
The distinctive square-shape dial, the split-seconds innovation... it's a match-up that's a long time coming. Constructed from lightweight grade-5 titanium and sapphire crystal, you can peer through the domed sapphire crystal to see its inner workings. Within the Monaco Split-Seconds Chronograph is the TH81-00 calibre, that's developed with Vaucher Manufacture Fleurier. Not only is this a precision in timekeeping, it's also one of the lightest chronograph movements ever crafted by TAG Heuer. It comes in two colourways: a racing red or classic Monaco-blue.
The price tag for this is (does a spit-take) a whooping USD138,000 but with a complication like a split-seconds movement, it may be worth every coin.
After Montblanc launched its Iced Sea Collection in 2022 (y'know the ones with the glacier dials), the brand gives us the newest addition: the 0 Oxygen Deep 4810. That is a very specific number, you might say. But "4810" is a mainstay of the brand—that is the height in metres of Mont Blanc, the highest mountain in the Alps. For this venture, the 0 Oxygen Deep 4810 holds claim to being water-resistant at the depths of 4810 metres. (For context, this is almost half of the depth of the Mariana Trench at 10,909m.)
Given that it's able to withstand the depths, it makes sense that the 0 Oxygen Deep 4810 is housed in a titanium case and shielded screw-down crown.
Like the other Iced Sea timepieces, the dial of the 0 Oxygen Deep 4810 is inspired by the Mer de Glace, a valley glacier. According to the presser, the dial showcases an "interlocking network of crystals that have been frozen in time for millennia". Like the Iced Sea line, the dial's look is brought about via gratté-boisé—a tedious polishing effect that doesn't remove any of the material.
While the dial is a sight to behold, the caseback reveals a 3D-engraving of what you see under a sheet of ice. Created by a laser-generated oxidation that gives the caseback an otherworldly glimpse, a contrast of colour and texture.
If you're attempting to explore the ocean depths, illumination is a must. White Super-LumiNova acts as photoluminescence on the hands, indexes and a dot at 12 o'clock. Montblanc's COSC-certified automatic MB 29.29 movement, ticks away inside; with five days of power reserve. The Iced Sea 0 Oxygen Deep 4810 joins the ranks of Montblanc's “Zero Oxygen” timepieces that are made without any oxygen to ensure a more precise and longer performance; as well as the elimination of fogging.
Rounding up the watch is an interchangeable black rubber strap that's tapered in a V-shape and can be easily adjusted directly on the wrist.
