Discover the newest and most innovative timepieces, selected by the editors at Robb Report Monaco & Côte d’Azur.
WATCH OF THE YEAR: BOVET RÉCITAL 28 PROWESS 1
Not much has changed for the world timer since Patek Philippe popularised the invention of watchmaker Louis Cottier back in 1931 (an invention that Patek Philippe still uses to this day). Sure, there have been improvements on it. And watchmakers other than Patek Philippe have availed themselves of the invention. But the format has more or less stayed the same throughout these 90 years. Then came Bovet in 2024 with something that hadn’t yet been seen: a brand-new way to make the world timer modern—and certainly more functional —by adding daylight saving time for all its time zones. The majority of developed countries (still) use daylight saving time, though it goes into effect at different times in different parts of the world. And that has been the hurdle watchmakers have had to jump to implement it into a wristwatch.
Bovet’s Récital 28 Prowess 1 displays the world’s 24 time zones with a difference of one hour and solves the daylight saving time problem in a creative way. The 24 reference cities are shown on rollers positioned in a circle surrounding the time display. Each of these rollers has four positions, which respectively show UTC (Coordinated World Time), AST (American Summer Time), EAS (European and American Summer Time), and EWT (European Winter Time) on a small roller to the left of the world time display. To make it as easy to use as possible, the roller’s mode is changed simply by pressing the sapphire cabochon-topped pusher in the crown, which rotates the roller by 90 degrees.
Adding to the complexity of the watch as a whole (but making it more functional for the owner), Bovet added a perpetual calendar (which needs no manual correction, even in February), whose elements are shown in both rollers (month, date, leap year) and windows (day). And, naturally, the Récital 28 Prowess 1 includes Bovet’s patented double-sided flying tourbillon. But here it has been modified so that the escapement is on one side of the fixation point and the balance spring on the other side. This makes the tourbillon even more transparent than ever before.
And while this watch with seven days’ worth of power reserve is ingenious in its creative mechanics, naturally no corners were cut in terms of the fantastic finishing that Bovet is known for. Each and every one of the 744 components that make up this masterpiece has been hand-finished, and all of the bridges are hand-engraved. While it dispenses with much of the very decorative flourishes that Bovet is known for, it still represents a glowing love letter to fine finishing with the 47 angles rentrants it contains— a technique for bevelling the intersection of two chamfers that no machine can yet reproduce. Only eight examples of the truly majestic Récital 28 Prowess 1, available in red gold, platinum and titanium, can be produced in one year.
JUMP HOUR: CHOPARD L.U.C QUATTRO SPIRIT 25
Ask any designer, and one thing you come away with is that simplicity is always the hardest thing to get just right. Which is why even though this iteration of the Quattro Spirit 25 is the second version of this watch, it is still one of 2024’s best. The first iteration came out in 2021 as part of the 25-year celebration of Chopard Manufacture in an ethical rose gold case with a white enamel dial, but arguably this white gold version with its enigmatic black enamel grand feu dial is superior just from the standpoint of the visuals alone. The mechanics remain the same, with the timepiece exemplifying all that Chopard Manufacture masters, including the fourbarrel L.U.C movement (hence the name Quattro) that provides an eight-day power reserve; it is based on the very first movement that was 100 percent developed and manufactured by Chopard. The fast adjustment system allows the user to turn the crown in both directions to adjust the time, something previously unthinkable for a jump hour.
This beautifully crafted and finished movement has earned the prestigious Seal of Geneva. And even the handcrafted enamel dial is made right at Chopard in the enamel workshop that opened in 2018. This new iteration in ethical white gold with the flawless black enamel dial also features the minute hand as the main eye-catcher, while the hour, which makes a quick jump to the next numeral every 60 minutes, is shown in the small window at 6 o’clock. This watch, available in a 100-piece limited edition, really contains the best the L.U.C line has to offer; its purity, seeming simplicity and elegance seem heaven sent.
REMONTOIR: FERDINAND BERTHOUD CHRONOMÈTRE FB RES
A decade after the debut of Ferdinand Berthoud’s wristwatches, the now-skeletonised version of its second caliber introduced in 2020 offers a full view of the most interesting elements: the one-second remontoir (for which the “RES” stands in the watch’s name: “remontoir d’égalité squelette”) and fusée-and-chain transmission. This movement, which has won the highest accolades in the industry for its precision timekeeping, now reveals more of itself through the customisable and hand-finished bridges and base plate of the new Chronomètre FB RES, which is a completely revisited design showcasing its considerable technical highlights. And an extraordinary level of manual finishing has been applied in order to reveal the beauty of each component.
Ferdinand Berthoud will make only 38 of these movements, all of which are open to customisation, including the case, which is available in round or octagonal options and in stainless steel, titanium, ceramised titanium, platinum, and 18-karat white, yellow or rose gold. In all, more than 200 variations can be simulated by an online configurator specifically created for this model.
SKELETON WATCH: H. MOSER & CIE.STREAMLINER TOURBILLON SKELETON
H. Moser finally gave the popular Streamliner line a skeletonised tourbillon movement, which puts the mechanics fully on display without disturbing the minimalist ethic of the line. Every detail of the movement is visible here—there is no hiding anything—but in particular the one-minute flying tourbillon with its in-house double hairspring captures the eye while leaving the impression that the tourbillon is really floating. Putting this movement into the very wearable 40 x 12.1 mm Streamliner case with its comfortable integrated bracelet—a sporty luxury watch of the very best kind—was a bold statement, but one that was worth the risk considering the excellent result.
DRAGON: ROGER DUBUIS EXCALIBUR DRAGON MONOTOURBILLON
If we thought dragons were only appropriate designs for watches when Chinese New Year rolls around, we had better think again. These mythological creatures make for excellent decorative elements any time, especially when they are woven into the watch design as well as Roger Dubuis has done here. The expression of the dragon is not in your face, which would be perilous on a skeletonised watch such as this. Instead, it is integrated into the visible movement design in a very restrained manner, seeming to dance along to the beat of the flying one-minute tourbillon.
And the almost abstract approach ensures that the legendary creature doesn’t disturb anyone’s enjoyment of the high mechanics. While it may not look like it, the dragon consists of 27 individual rose gold elements, each embellished with black lacquer on the sides, helping it to disappear into the background, and polished on top to shine in fiery might. The single elements are set on 25 different levels, a visual trick to ensure that the mighty lizard looks voluminous, vital and three-dimensional without overtaking the mechanics, which are the real stars of this show. Limited to just 28 pieces, this friendly basilisk-decorated timepiece is endowed with the prestigious Seal of Geneva.
REGULATOR DIAL: JACOB & CO.ASTRONOMIA RÉGULATEUR
Using the astronomia design base it has cultivated over the past ten years, Jacob & Co. ensures that this watch looks like it is showing a heck of a lot more than just the time. While the classic regulator displays hours, minutes, and seconds in separate spaces, this watch uses the classic elements in its own way: separate displays rotate around the dial along with a very visible flying tourbillon in a wild three-dimensional array that fans of the brand will already be familiar with from previous Astronomia watches. The seconds are displayed by a fixed golden arrow indicator where 6 o’clock would be on a traditional dial, using the entire rotating dial to count the 60 seconds.
Jacob & Co.’s Astronomia Régulateur, which is available in blue, green and red colourways in a 43 mm red gold case, is in constant motion. Which is exactly what makes it so interesting. Limited to 250 pieces.
PLATINUM: ROLEX PERPETUAL 1908
Platinum and ice blue are not an unknown combination at Rolex. But used to dress Rolex’s new Perpetual 1908, which made its debut in 2023, it takes on an astonishingly lively level of animation. The 1908, which refers to the year Hans Wilsdorf renamed his company to become Rolex, was introduced to replace the Cellini family of dress watches, which had been phased out. And, indeed, the 1908 seems a bit more typically Rolex than the Cellini with its light fluting around the bezel (so light it is almost a coin edge) and more characteristic facial features.
This dress watch is striking with its thinner 39 mm case (here in platinum) and the delicate guilloche pattern of the dial, here in the ice blue that signifies a platinum case at Rolex. It joins the standing collection.
COLOURFUL DIAL: GRAND SEIKOL SPORT COLLECTION CALIBER 9R, 20TH ANNIVERSARY LIMITED EDITION SBGC275
This spring drive-powered beauty marks the 20th anniversary of Grand Seiko’s Caliber 9R in 2024. While that in itself is already rather special, it is the dial inspired by a sunrise over the Hotaka mountain range in Japan’s Shinshu province with its brilliant reds and oranges that captures the heart. This dial is made using a patented process called Optical Multilayer Coating, which involves several layers of PVD film that result in one of the coolest effects to grace a Grand Seiko watch: depending on the light, the actual colour the eye sees can change.
In effect, just wearing the watch will cause the dial to look different at every angle. It’s like a magnificent, wrist-sized sunrise. Combined with one of the most complicated Spring Drive movements Grand Seiko makes and housed inside a high-intensity titanium case, this chronograph GMT watch is available only in a limited edition of 700 pieces.
RETRO DESIGN: ZENITH DEFY REVIVAL A3648
Zenith launched its defy line in 1969, and the first diver of the line, Reference A3648, came out the same year. While divers haven’t been part of Zenith’s core collection for many years, the most recent history of this historical manufacture has seen a “revival” of chic Defy models, with the Defy Revival A3648 being the very best of these so far with its ultra-retro look. Seamlessly merging style and substance, its period-appropriate 37 mm angular stainless steel case retains the same depth rating as the 1969 icon it is modelled on: 600 metres (1,969 feet) despite its transparent case back offering a view of the Zenith Elite Caliber 670, which is not period appropriate, but which utlises today’s advanced technology for the love of mechanics.
CLOCK: URWERK SPACETIME BLADE
With the prototype donated to raise funds at the Only Watch charity auction, the serial version of Urwerk’s SpaceTime Blade is fortuitously freely available for anyone to purchase, even if it is limited to just 33 pieces. This clock really looks like science fiction incarnate with its contemporary fusion of horology, design and an added pinch of playfulness certain to appeal to pretty much anyone.
The electric clock comprises 1,446 components, one of which is a 1.7 m glass sheath that houses an electronic spinal column comprising eight Nixie tubes masterfully created by Dalibor Farny, a pioneer in the rebirth of Nixie tube technology. Each bulb, composed of 88 individual components, is filled with lowpressure neon gas, which when ignited generates an intense orange display.
These bulbs flaunt a total of eight modes that can change up to 100,000 times per second: the time (hours, minutes and seconds); more precise time (hours, minutes and seconds plus one-tenth and one-hundredth of a second); calendar (day, month, year in numerals); indication in kilometres of the Earth’s daily rotation as measured at the equator; indication in kilometres of the Earth’s daily revolution around the Sun; indication in kilometres of the Earth’s daily revolution around the Sun in one year; shuffle mode; and pause.
Even though the robust bronze base with black patina looks a bit like a Jedi knight’s lightsaber, it was indeed inspired by the sizable crown found on Urwerk’s timepieces. The heavy remote control is even more reminiscent of a lightsaber from the Star Wars movies, and upon mentioning this to its designer and brand co-founder, Martin Frei, with a twinkle in his eye, he confirmed that the similarity was purposeful.
MOST COMPLICATED: VACHERON CONSTANTIN LES CABINOTIERSBERKLEY GRAND COMPLICATION
The new record for the most complicated watch in the world is now held by Vacheron Constantin’s Les Cabinotiers Berkley Grand Complication. It grabbed the “most complicated” crown from the previous iteration of the one-off timepiece introduced in 2015, Reference 57260, which boasted 57 complications.
The Berkley, which, it turns out, was also commissioned by the same private collector, contains 63, including the world’s first Chinese perpetual calendar, and comprises a staggering 2,877 components. Named for the client who commissioned this watch—W. R. Berkley, the billionaire owner of the W. R. Berkley Corporation insurance holding company and chairman of the board of trustees for New York University—it has since been revealed that he also owns Reference 57260 as well as the famous King Farouk pocket watch that was Vacheron Constantin’s most complicated and famous timepiece in the mid-20th century.
Taking almost 12 months alone for the assembly, naturally it is the Chinese perpetual calendar that differentiates the Berkley from its predecessor, a calendar many thought impossible to add to a watch in this way due to its irregularities. Weighing almost 1 kilogram, this one-off custom creation is absolutely museum-worthy.
BRACELET: PATEK PHILIPPE GOLDEN ELLIPSE REF. 5738/1R-001
Patek Philippe’s golden ellipse first appeared in 1968, which means that in 2018 it enjoyed a 50-year anniversary (naturally with a special timepiece introduction). The regular production watch is still in the collection, currently in rose gold and platinum versions. What makes the rose gold version shown at Watches & Wonders 2024 so special, however, is its incredible new bracelet—the first metal bracelet the company has given this watch. The astonishingly decorative and supple chain-style rose gold bracelet comprises 363 elements individually assembled by hand, including a folding clasp that can be adjusted in three positions.
The manufacturer was intent on eliminating a specific technical drawback associated with the chain-style bracelet before introducing it: this type is notoriously difficult to adjust to the perfect length for a given wrist and often requires sizing through the factory or even the creation of a bespoke length. However, 15 years’ worth of development has produced the patented design, which allows adjustment right at the point of sale. This model joins the regular collection, but the bracelet’s handcrafted nature surely won’t allow very many to be made in a year.
