The Popularity Contest in Timepieces: 10 Top Watches
By Roberta Naas
Well, ok it may not really be a popularity contest, but the truth of the matter is that 2011 was an amazing year for new watch introductions in so many categories, and as such not every watch could be the most sought after. Some, however, definitely pulled far ahead of others in terms of consumer demand -- making them the most popular watches of the year, and also paving the way for new renditions in 2012.
Among the categories or realms of watches that garnered the most attention this year are complicated watches and those offering new technology, extreme complications and high-tech-materials.
“There is a new implementation of useful functions in the complicated realm and new attention paid to high-tech materials,” says Richard Mille, independent watchmaker. “Today’s collector wants developments that blend technology, mechanics and performance and that give a sense of the art of watchmaking.”
Indeed, this attention paid to the art and technical prowess of watchmaking is key to many of the world’s finest connoisseurs. Men and women alike in today’s economical environment seek excellence, craftsmanship and creativity. What follows are 10 top timepieces (unusual technology, complex, high-tech) that wowed the watch world during 2011, and are destined to continue to woo customers as they make their way on to the global markets and, ultimately, on to watch connoisseurs’ wrists.
Unusual Pieces:
Hermes Arceau Time Suspended
In a world where building watches is all about showing the most alluring readouts of time, Hermes stuns us with its newest creation -- Arceau Time Suspended – that actually puts the emphasis on stopping time. From Hermes and master watchmaker jean-Marc Wiederrecht, who has been building some of the most complex watch movements for nearly a quarter of a century, the Arceau Time Suspended watch is truly one of the most original marvels of the 2011 watch world, as it explores the idea of hiding time so one need not worry about its passing. Four years in the development process, the watch brings the Hermes concept of “Time as a Dream” to life.
Essentially the triple retrograde Arceau Time Suspended watch offers hour and minute hands, as well as a retrograde date indication in arc format across the lower portion of the dial. The visible tracking of time (the hours, minutes and date) can be stopped with the push of a button. At that point, the hour and minute hands relocate themselves to a space near 12:00 on the watch dial and no longer move. Even though the watch continues to track time internally, the wearer is not aware of the passing time. Even the date hand disappears. Thus, to forget about time’s passing and enjoy the moment, one need only press a button. With another press on the pushbutton, the hands begin running again and reset themselves automatically to the correct time (which the heart of the watch has been tracking all the while), and date– no matter how long time has been “suspended.” The triple retrograde system (one each for the hands, the minutes and the date) is set on a base movement that always keeps the time. There is a separate 140-piece module on top of the base that engages and disengages the time-stopping mechanism. It is being built in a limited edition of 174 pieces in stainless steel, and 174 pieces in 18-karat rose gold.
Christophe Claret: 21 Black Jack
Crossing a line between timepiece and game piece – the newest Christophe Claret 21 Black Jack is an amazing feat. In this horological masterpiece, Claret deftly combines his specialty of chiming time, with complicated movement making and pure fun for one of the more unique watches on today’s market. In addition to displaying hours and minutes, the watch enables its wearer to play three casino games: black jack – with striking mechanism; roulette; dice. Two side windows reveal the artistry herein: one shows the striking hammer with its gong, while the other shows the two dice. The automatic Caliber BLJ08 consists of 501 parts, 40 jewels and seven double ceramic ball bearing mechanisms. It is offered in either a 45mm gray titanium case, black PVD titanium case, or black PVD titanium and 18-karat white or pink gold case. Dial choices are either a pure black onyx dial, or a sapphire dial featuring plate adorned with casino-related motifs. Just 21 pieces of each version will be built.
Harry Winston: Opus 11
The release of the annual Opus from Harry Winston has been one of the most anticipated unveilings, ever since 2001 when http://www.harrywinston.com/Harry Winston first started its Opus series to celebrate independent watchmaking through distinct partnerships. Indeed, some of the most incredible mechanical timepieces have been born of these collaborations between Harry Winston and individual watchmakers, and 2011 was no exception. The Opus 11, created in partnership with engineer and watchmaker Denis Giguet, (also founder of the watch brand MCT), is a brilliant piece of mechanical engineering that celebrates time -- and the deconstruction thereof. The amazing thing about this watch is not the design, as much as its action. This watch is all about time exploding – or deconstructing -- and then reconstructing right before your eyes. The watch, features three overlapping cylinders or circles – on three levels: the center or main circle indicates the hour; two auxiliary dials on the side of the main circle show the minutes (on a jumping disk for the tens, and on a running disk for the units), and the titanium balance wheel. Every 60 minutes, the digits that indicate the time in the center of the main circle (shown via pallets) explode into tiny bits and pieces and then come back together again almost instantly to form the new hour indication. The action works via a complex rotating gear mechanism with 24 revolving placards. In all, the movement consists of 566 components, 155 jewels, and 24 conical pinions. It is being created in a limited edition of 111 pieces.
Complicated Watches:
Rotonde de Cartier Astroregulateur
An original movement that was five years in the making and has four patents pending, the 9800 MC Calibre, housed in the Rotonde de Cartier Astroregulateur watch, is Cartier’s answer to the effects of gravity on the mechanical movement. Prior to this unveiling, the only movement that could compensate for the effects of gravity on a mechanical watch when in a vertical position was a tourbillion escapement. With the Rotonde de Cartier Astroreguateur, the innovative solution to compensating for gravitational effects focuses on the rotor – the only part of the watch that always returns to the same position even in the vertical plain. To maintain the center of gravity in one position, the escapement of the watch is connected to the rotor and mounted on the front of the watch dial, visible to the wearer. The sub-seconds dial is also attached to the rotor, and rotates with the rotor for a constantly moving visual appeal. The pendular seconds hand rotates around the sub-seconds dial in a normal spin. All of this is accomplished via two differentials that transform the wrist speeds into one single constant speed to the micro-rotor, which has five times more components than a tourbillion escapement. The caliber 9800 MC is a 43-jewel movement with 80 hours of power reserve and 281-parts. Just 50 limited, numbered pieces will be produced of the Astroregulateur in a niobium-titanium alloy case.
A. Lange & Sohne Pour le Merite
The extremely interesting Richard Lange Tourbillon “Pour le Merite” is the brand’s fourth watch to house the company’s unique fuse-and-chain transmission, along with a tourbillon with patented stop-seconds mechanism. What makes this watch so unusual and different is a highly unique concept wherein a portion on the left side of the hour dial disappears for six hours at a time every day from noon to 6:00 pm or from 6:00 to 12:00, to reveal more of the tourbillon escapement, and then returns into place to show more dial. It is a marvelous delight. The hand-finished Lange caliber LO72.1 manually wound movement consists of 351 parts without the chain included and 636 parts with the chain included. The watch is inspired by an historical regulator pocket watch crafted in 1807. The dial features overlapping circles that indicate the time: a large minute circle as the dominant element; smaller subdials for the seconds and the hour. Just 100 pieces will be made in platinum; it will also be offered in pink gold.
Vacheron Constantin Patrimony Traditionnelle World Time
With much research and development devoted to its world time watches, Vacheron Constantin has released, as part of its Patrimony collection, the Traditionnelle World Time -- the first watch created to display all 37 time zones, including those offset from the Universal time coordinates by the quarter hour. The watch is both beautiful and mechanically advanced. Developed in-house and bearing the Geneva Seal, the watch houses the brand’s patent-pending Caliber 2460WT with 255 parts and 40 hours of power reserve. The display features three dials (a map and city names dial, a sapphire disk that shows day and night around the world, and the outer chapter ring that bears the minute track and hour markers. It is offered in 18-karat rose gold, and a white gold version will be forthcoming. It is not a limited edition, but only a few can be built annually.
IWC Portuguese Siderale Scafusia
This year, IWC unveiled one of the most alluring and advanced astronomical watches of our time. Nearly 10 years in the making, the watch brings together astronomical displays and offers real and average solar time, along with a host of other functions. At first glance, the most immediately alluring feature of the highly complex watch is the constant-force tourbillon, which, with second hand attached to it, occupies a grand part of the dial. However, the reverse side of the watch holds much of the astronomical and perpetual calendar magic. Herein are a celestial chart, horizon, geographic coordinates, solar time, sidereal time, sunrise and sunset display, day, night and twilight indications, and a perpetual calendar.
Every Portuguese Siderale Watch, with its newly designed hand-wound 94900 caliber, is unique in that, in addition to the personal celestial chart being customized for the owner’s hemisphere, case materials and dial designs can be selected. The 56 jewel hand-wound movement is shock resistant and the entire 46mm watch is water resistant to 3 bar – strong enough to be worn regularly. Once an order is placed for this piece, it will take about one year to build.
Patek Philippe Minuter Repeater, Ref. 7000
Patek Philippe- long a leader in complex timepieces, turned much of its attention this year to women’s complexities, unveiling an extensive array of complicated women’s watches. Perhaps most alluring is its first-time-ever women’s Minute Repeater. The Ref. 7000 houses multiple gongs to chime the hours, quarter hours and minutes on demand. The self-winding caliber with off-center mini-rotor in 22-karat gold is an ideal movement for the watch thanks to its small dimensions. The 342-part movement consists of intricately finished and precisely placed toothed racks and wheels that move accurately into place to perfectly track and chime the time. Due to the complexity of building this watch, just one master watchmaker is responsible for the assembly, adjustment and completion of each individual piece from start to completion.
High-tech Materials
Panerai Luminor Marina Composite 1950 3 Days Automatic
Panerai , which offers bronze and other innovative and durable materials, has developed a composite of aluminum and ceramic that it unveiled just a few months ago in its Panerai Luminor Marina Composite 1950 3 Days Automatic. The Panerai Composite is created via an electro-chemical process that transforms aluminum particles, making the material extremely light-weight, but at the same time incredibly hard and durable. The matte finish that results from the process is not only technically advanced, but also distinctive in color and appeal. The entire Luminor 1950 case, integrated bezel and trademarked bridge protecting the winding crown, is executed in the material. The 44mm watch houses the automatic Panerai P.9000 movement and features a dial consisting of two superimposed layers of Super-LumiNova for the numerals and hour markers. It is water resistant to 300 meters.
Richard Mille Bubba Watson Tourbillon
With the addition of golfer Bubba Watson (the longest driver on the PGA Tour) to the Richard Mille ambassador line up, the brand has created the avant-garde RM 038 Bubba Watson tourbillon timepiece with titanium parts and a tripartite case of light-weight yet rugged Magnesium-Aluminium AZ91 alloy. The alloy is treated with a crystalline oxide ceramic that makes the case ultra scratch- and corrosion-resistant. The 48mm RM 038 watch is water resistant to 50 meters, and is produced in a limited edition of 38 pieces.