On the side of the other factories, very beautiful parts have also been presented, including many revisits of iconic models. These often have the advantage of lending themselves to multiple variations, as their shape and design have been well thought out. The field of possibilities is infinite, just to fill both the consumer who is looking for a beautiful watch to wear on a daily basis, and the collector eager for beautiful complications or dials calling for the talent of craftsmen. This year, we cannot speak of complicated watches without mentioning the exceptional work carried out by Vacheron Constantin. The house famous 270 years in the service of exceptional watchmaking by presenting its watch in the Cabinotiers Solaria ultra large complication – the first. A piece which, with its 1,521 components, required eight years of work for its designer. This type of parts is not intended for an average customer. Useless, moreover, to talk about its exorbitant price. But it testifies to the incredible expertise of the manufacture.
This little privilege granted by Queen Mathilde to Princess Éléonore for national holidays
Under the spotlight
Getting out a few watches from the share of beautiful parts is a particularly difficult exercise. Besides brands known to all, independent watchmakers also carry out a goldsmith’s work. This is the case of Hyt and its Guilloche T1 T1 which cleverly mixes innovative and tradition. This watch in edition limited to 8 copies Marie Display Fluidic Display of Hours and Manual Guilloche, an ancestral art which is transmitted from generation to generation. We also had a good crush on the Toric perpetual quotation, proposed in platinum and rose gold by amonggiani Fleurier.
While the dials of the perpetual quinting watches are often congested by a lot of information, the Manufacture offers a minimalist vision thanks to an ingenious coaxial design. All the essential information, day and date on the one hand, months and bissextile years on the other, is grouped on two meters positioned at 4 a.m. and 8 a.m. This intuitive provision preserves the central space for the fundamental indications of hours and minutes. Three correctors discreetly located on the side of the case facilitate a fluid adjustment of calendar functions. Cartier has once again managed to seduce us by relying on the tank at the counter, a mechanical digital model dating from 1928. Hats off to Rolex for its new Oyster Perpetual Land-Dweller which opens a new chapter in the history of the house.
Art Deco: why this centenary style is more trendy than ever in jewelry
Trends in the spotlight
The craze for reasonable diameters seems to be confirmed. Many pieces are displayed below 40 mm and are suitable for both ladies and gentlemen. Even sportsmen are more discreet! On the dial side, the green is always very present, becoming almost a classic, but blue seems to be growing in all the nuances. Yellow gold and pink gold are imposed in majesty, even if titanium, platinum, and of course more affordable steel are omnipresent. In recent times, the explosion of the price of watches had left us dreamer. Some factories seem to have become aware that the purchasing power of most customers did not evolve at the same rate as the cost of living. We were delighted to note that we can make beautiful mechanical watches, by addressing as many people as possible, especially at Baume & Mercier, Frederique Constant, nomos Glashütte (which even offers payment in several times on its site), and Oris.
