SIHH 2018: 12 standout watches from the Carré des Horlogers
close
Marie de Pimodan-Bugnon
Freelance journalist
CLOSE
What’s new in the Carré des Horlogers? How about magnificent guillochage, splendid complications, a hefty dose of innovation and some not-what-you-expected designs. “Carré” may be French for square, these contemporary brands have no trouble thinking outside the box.
Armin Strom Mirrored Force Resonance
Armin Strom highlights its research into resonance, as successfully showcased in the Mirrored Force Resonance. So what’s new? A delicate guilloché dial with variants in blue, black, anthracite, red or bi-colour, and multiple patterns (sunray, barleycorn and concentric waves). All the dials are hand-turned in Kari Voutilainen’s studio, in Môtiers.
F.P Journe élégante by F.P Journe
The product of eight years of research, the élégante by F.P Journe is not only elegant – it is eminently practical too. Offering 8 to 10 years of autonomy in daily use and up to 18 years in standby, this is a revolution for ladies’ wrists. There is a mechanical motion detector, visible on the dial. After 30 minutes without moving, the watch switches to standby mode in order to save energy. A microprocessor continues to measure time, such that the hands automatically reset as soon as the watch is worn again. Magic!
Ferdinand Berthoud Chronomètre FB 1R.6-1
Inspired by the ship’s chronometers produced by watchmaker Ferdinand Berthoud, and particularly his Marine Chronometer N°7, this rare timepiece, enclosed in a 44mm case in carburised stainless steel, matches a strong design with high mechanics and exceptional finishing. A run of 20 pieces, this watch with a fusee-and-chain tourbillon regulator displays hours on a disc, minutes by hand, seconds by a central hand and power reserve. Its secrets are revealed through the two sapphire portholes in each side of the case middle.
Grönefeld Parallax Tourbillon Engraved
The Grönefeld brothers turned to master engraver Kees Engelbarts for the magnificent adornment on the imposing red gold case of the Parallax Tourbillon. The steel dial has also been superbly wrought to highlight the beauty of the flying tourbillon, power-reserve indicator and large central seconds.
HYT H₀ Gold
Deliciously rounded, the H₀ Gold revisits fluid mechanics in 18k champagne-coloured gold. Beneath its sapphire crystal dome, where space and time coincide, the hour is shown by a black fluid. Minutes, seconds and power reserve prefer traditional hands. Slim wrists, this is not for you: the H₀ Gold measures 48.8mm across and stands 18.7mm high.
Kari Voutilainen 217 QRS
The first thing to jump out from the 217 QRS is the magnificent guillochage on the dial; a superb backdrop for the hours, minutes, seconds and a retrograde date. This elegant timepiece is proposed as a run of 30 pieces, with ten each in platinum, white gold and red gold.
Laurent Ferrier Galet Annual Calendar School Piece
And that makes five! Laurent Ferrier can now count the number of its in-house movements to feature an Annual Calendar function on all five fingers. Tucked inside the new, vintage-looking Galet watch, this manual-wind calibre puts the accent on readability. The date is indicated by a central hand, while days and months appear in windows at 12 o’clock.
MB&F MoonMachine 2
Inspired by the HM8, the first MB&F watch to have both the battle-axe rotor and the heads-up time display, this surprising MoonMachine 2 is a collaboration between Maximilan Büsser and the Finnish independent watchmaker Stepan Sarpaneva. Made as three limited editions of 12 (natural titanium with white gold moons, black titanium with white gold moons, red gold and titanium with red gold moons), this miniature machine possesses the world’s first projected moonphase display.
Ressence Type 2 e-Crown Concept
Short for electronic crown, the e-Crown replaces the conventional crown with an automated setup system. Self-sufficient in energy, it demonstrates its potential on the Type 2 e-Crown Concept watch. Innovative, practical and precise, it boasts the famous patented dial and a comfortable titanium case.
RJ-Romain Jerome RJ x Spider Man
Romain Jerome continues to spin its web of horological pop culture. This time the brand teams up with Marvel for a 75-piece limited edition whose hero is none other than Spider-Man. The comic-lover’s dream, it comes in a 48mm black Skylab case, and is powered by a manual-wind skeleton movement.
Speake-Marin London Chronograph
Left to languish since the late 1960s, the Valjoux 92 calibre returns to the spotlight at the heart of this 15-piece limited-edition chronograph. This vintage movement imparts its precision to the three-dimensional dial inside a 42mm Piccadilly case in titanium.
Urwerk UR-210 Black Platinum
The UR 210 goes over to the dark side with this new iteration in black platinum. Inside the case, Urwerk’s famed satellite movement continues to enthral. Faster than the eye can see, the imposing retrograde hand flies between the 60 marker and the 0 marker in one tenth of a second.
