5 Highlights from Geneva Watch Days
In the few short years since Geneva Watch Days was founded, the event has earned its spot as one of the premier watch events in the world — an informal alternative to Watches & Wonders — and with better weather. Last year the show saw almost 14,000 visitors, including 600 media representatives and 250 retailers — this year promises to be even bigger, with 66 brands taking part in a four-day event that promises to showcase the diversity, boldness and ingenuity through an innovative program of events, and, of course — new watch releases. Here are some of our favourite new releases, and stay tuned for part two.
The Ulysse Nardin Freak X Crystalium
Since its debut in 2001, the Ulysse Nardin Freak has maintained its status as one of the most iconic watches ever created. No hands. No dial. No crown. It was remarkable. In 2019, the Freak legacy became more accessible than ever before with the introduction of the Freak X, which offered an added crown for the first time, while maintaining the famous carousel time display.
The latest version of this model is the Freak X Crystalium, which takes the bold design of the Freak X, clad in black DLC-treated titanium and pairs it with a dial the likes of which we've never seen before, made from Crystalium. Crystalium is a revolutionary material built off a core of ruthenium, which is subjected to several days of vapour deposition to grow natural, fractal-like crystal structures in a controlled way. This remarkable material is then treated with a warm rose gold PVD finish and coated to create a dial that is just as dramatic as the Freak's time display.
The Oris Big Crown Calibre 113
Oris' watches featuring its own in-house calibres are among some of the most interesting — and compelling — watches the brand creates. The just-released Big Crown Calibre 113 is no exception. The new calibre 113 builds off the brand's legacy of large, manually wound movements, specifically the 110, which debuted in 2014. The classic Big Crown case houses the manually wound movement, which fits a mighty 10 days of power reserve, thanks to its massive mainspring.
The power level is displayed via the non-linear power reserve on the right-hand subdial. With the 113, Oris has created a 'business calendar' complication, which shows the date, the weekday and the week of the year: an unusual, but entirely practical way of marking the time, especially if you're in project management. Of course, there's also a month indicator for maximum versatility. It wouldn't be an Oris watch without a remarkable colour scheme, and the minty green dial with rose pink highlights is certainly remarkable.
The Frederique Constant Classics Premiere
Frederique Constant is known for its accessible, classically inspired take on watch design, and their latest pair of Classics Premiere epitomises this approach. Sized at a versatile and on-trend 38.5mm, and offered for the first time on a supple five-link bracelet, these watches are made with everyday wear in mind. But beyond the case and bracelet, it’s the dial that houses all the drama.
Offered in Bermuda grey or salmon pink, the stepped dial features a pleasing mix of grained and brushed finishes, as well as applied Breguet-style numerals and ‘pomme’ hands, making for a compelling vintage combination that’s sure to appeal to collectors old and new alike.
The Speake Marin Openworked Tourbillon Purple Hour
In recent years, Speake Marin has built a reputation for its impressive openworked designs, which add some serious design flair to its exceptional watchmaking, all wrapped up in the famous Piccadilly case. The brand's latest, the Openworked Tourbillon Purple Hour, is no exception.
The layout of the watch is unconventional, with the exquisitely finished flying tourbillon sitting in the top right of the case — counterbalanced by the tungsten microrotor, engraved barrel and power reserve indicators that neatly fill the rest of the case. On its own, the calibre is enough to grab your attention, but the dramatic purple PVD treatment, expertly finished and paired with a casual denim pattern strap, makes this Speake Marin an outstanding statement.
The TAG Heuer Carrera Astronomer
TAG Heuer is a brand known for its expertise in precision timekeeping, especially chronographs. For Geneva Watch Days, the brand has shown us a different area of their expertise — the moonphase. The Carrera Astronomer pays tribute to TAG Heuer's long history of lunar timekeeping, not just with watches like the cult-collector classic the Solunar, but also the brand's status as being the first timekeeper in space, when a Heuer stopwatch was worn by astronaut John Glenn in the 1962 Friendship 7 mission.
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The new Carrera Astronomer continues this story of lunar celebration, with a remarkable and unusual moon phase, which uses a scale of seven illustrated lunar phases instead of the traditional disc. This graphic display offers a more precise readout and is supplemented with an age-of-moon indicator, accurately charting the 29.5-day lunar cycle. On top of that, this 39mm steel watch boasts a bold caseback engraved with a celestial observatory, a graphic tribute to the importance of the moon in timekeeping.