Luxury Watches

For many watchmakers and collectors alike, the thinner a timepiece is, the better. That may be a matter of preference – or debate – but there’s no disputing the breathtaking, infinitesimal complexity of ultra-thin watches.

When MB&F first introduced the limited-edition series of its Legacy Machine (LM) Split Escapement in 2021, it brought the novels of French author Jules Verne to life through an intricately hand-engraved dial crafted by Eddy Jaquet.

Skeleton timepieces represent a statement of engineering excellence for the world’s finest luxury watchmakers. For the house of Cartier, watchmaking often incorporates rich elements of art and breathtaking jewellery design.

Most have come to associate Jacob & Co with lavishly radical watchmaking. Each piece is an exercise in bold complications using traditional methods. Its Opera Godfather Musical Watch is no different. This limited-edition release, with its mechanical musical box and triple-axis gravitational tourbillon, enjoys the quintessential features of a definitive Jacob & Co classic.

Only a handful of watchmakers focus on the thrills of mechanical depth like Rebellion. Its translucent skeletonised cases and elegantly sportier character are indicative of a passion for motorsport. The spirit of the brand's timepieces is synonymous with that of a sportscar: light, stylishly bold, high octane and visually stunning.

When you've mastered the full suite of mechanical complications – including an extraordinary phases of the moon dial complete with orbiting satellite – where to next? For Bovet 1822, it was a step back from engineering, and into art.

De Bethune is among the most innovative watchmakers in operation today. So it seems apt to ask the company’s CEO, Pierre Jacques, how he drives his team to remain inventive and inspired. Jacques deflects all praise in this regard to his partner in the business, De Bethune cofounder and master watchmaker, Denis Flageollet.

This is no mere watch safe. Sure, Buben & Zörweg’s ‘Bugatti Grande Illusion Deluxe’ boasts the hardcore security tech and precision engineering you’d expect of a high-end safe, and yes it also features four watch winders atop a layer cake-like stack of jewellery trays. But the specs take a back seat to the arresting design and fabulous gadgetry that’s more at home on the set of James Bond than stashed away in an horophile’s strong room.

If there's one thing that IWC Schaffhausen is known for, it's the brilliance of its mechanical depth. The Swiss luxury watchmaker has a penchant for coming up with bold instrument watches and functional complications, most evident in its coloured ceramic and titanium aluminide pieces.

Moonphase complications are among the oldest and most intricate movements in horology, requiring exceptional precision. They not only enhance the aesthetic appeal of a watch but also showcase the complexity and attention to detail involved in its creation. In its latest masterpiece, Glashütte Original reinterprets the moon, offering a glimpse of its captivating aura within the PanoLunarInverse.

Franck Muller continues its quest in crafting timeless creations by marrying together the beauty of high jewellery and the complexity of haute horology in the new Round Skeleton Baguette 31. This iconic piece is part of the Maison's Asia Pacific Exclusive collection. It is also the latest addition to the Round Skeleton lineup but made more unique, thanks to the baguette-cut diamonds and coloured gemstones that adorn the bezel and case.

Jacob & Co is one of the most recognized luxury watchmakers for its horological expertise, as well as its use of high-end materials in crafting great complications. Each masterpiece has made its benchmark around the world and became a true collector's item, just like the Billionaire Timeless Treasure watch which fused high jewellery and horology together and was only available in a limited release of 21 pieces.

Wolf is a renowned British-based luxury brand that curates the most exceptional watch winders and jewellery boxes. It has gone through five generations of the Wolf family line and has continuously operated since its inception in 1834. This year, Wolf celebrates its 190th anniversary by releasing five limited-edition collections, each inspired by its five generations.

In 2022, Grand Seiko released the first Kodo Constant-force Tourbillon, a complication that houses a tourbillon and a constant-force mechanism as one unit on a single axis. It was the first time in horological history that one timepiece holds both complex mechanisms, which is the reason why it garnered the Chronometry Prize at that year’s Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève. This year, Grand Seiko unveils its daybreak counterpart to complete the portrayal of light and dark in its Kodo collection.

The house of Jacob & Co. is synonymous with breathtaking timepieces featuring some of the world’s most complicated movements. Each Jacob & Co. creation is immediately recognisable due to its often extravagant and striking design unlike anything else on the market. This reputation has seen Jacob & Co. pieces grace the wrists of celebrities from Conor McGregor to Elton John to Rihanna and Cristiano Ronaldo.  

When Fatemeh Laleh assumed the role of International Communication and Image Director at Piaget, the company’s CEO Benjamin Comar asked her what she thought of the brand. Beyond a loose awareness of the logo, Laleh says she struggled to answer. “I’m not capable of telling you what the brand is today,” she told her new boss, with remarkable candor.

MB&F's fruitful decade-long partnership with L’Epée 1839 has produced some memorable machines and mechanisms, 15 of them to be exact. The StarfleetMachine, for instance, wowed audiences as an intergalactic spaceship-cum-table clock with double retrograde seconds. Grant, on the other hand, was a combination of what seemed to be a reconfigured futuristic tank, having a clock as a shield on its back.

Back in June, Blancpain celebrated its Bathyscape collection with a contemporary ceramic reinterpretation. The Bathyscaphe Quantième Complet Phases de Lune incorporated the Maison's innovative calendar DNA with the Bathyscape's signature diver aesthetics and functionality, adding another layer to the series' proud history.

If there's one thing Hublot has always understood, it's the beauty that lies in heritage. Since the Maison's launch in 1980, it has continued to push the boundaries of Swiss watchmaking and what a modern timepiece could be. This, of course, started off with the introduction of polished and brushed gold and rubber into haute horology, presenting new ways of defining style and adaptability.

As a younger player in the prodigious world of Swiss watchmaking, Emera prides itself in its sense of creativity and horological ingenuity. The Maison's collections are exercises in new aesthetic frontiers, opting for more futuristic styling laced with centuries-old mechanical practices. This is especially evident in one of its flagship pieces, the Cyborg Exoskeleton Tourbillon Super Structurae.

In the realm of luxury aviation watches, IWC Schaffhausen has earned itself quite the reputation, thanks to its use of ceramic and titanium, functional calendar complications and the iconic moon phase calendar.

Franck Muller's spirit of collaboration is most evident in its work with contemporary art world. The Maison has worked with the likes of Loes van Delft, Hom Nguyen and Daniel Arsham, among others, to create some of its most fascinating modern timepieces. And its latest Cintrée Curvex piece with Japanese artist Ryoko Kaneta is no different.

The famed Classique Double Tourbillon 'Quai de l’Horloge' is arguably the ultimate homage to the richness of Breguet's history. It was with the piece that the Maison would introduce the world to the idea of the tourbillon, which would eventually be patented by Abraham Louis-Breguet himself. All these years later, its latest reiteration, the 5345 in rose gold, still references the same styling cues, as well as Breguet's legendary birthplace in Paris.

Thinking about the Aeternitas Mega, one can't help but appreciate this masterclass in Franck Muller's technical prowess. It's only fitting that the most complicated watch in the world (built with a whopping 36 complications and 1,483 components) is made by the master of complications themselves. This piece encapsulates the brand's commitment to horological innovation. It's a philosophy that has defined its iconic collections since the introduction of the Cintrée Curve in 1987.

The first thing that comes to mind with Roger Dubuis is its distinctive architectural designs and sharp aesthetic quality. In particular, its skeletonised dials allow the wearer an intimate look with the intricacies of the mechanical movements. Each timepiece boasts a unique expression that is sure to impress even the most savvy collector

Nearly 70 years later, Blancpain's Bathyscape collection still enjoys quite the notoriety among watch collectors. The daily-use version of the iconic Fifty Fathoms collection, and its decreased diameter, made it one of the most celebrated diver's watches ever. Recently, the Maison introduced a contemporary reinterpretation of such with the Bathyscaphe Quantième Complet Phases de Lune.

Panerai is often associated with luminescent materials, thanks to the Radiomir that had once revolutionised watchmaking. The Maison would also supply the Italian Navy and its specialist diving corps with precision instruments for decades. Today, it continues to craft some of the more innovative watches, evidenced, for instance, by the groundbreaking ultra-black Panerai Lab-ID Luminor 1950 Carbotech in 2017.

From the guilloché dials to those blue pomme hands, Breguet's horological contributions often get overlooked, except for, say, the watchful eyes of aficionados. The watchmaker to the French Royal Navy typifies a traditional sophistication often lost to modern horology.

It was only in 2020 that Grand Seiko introduced a jewellery watch into its Masterpiece Collection. The iconic Lion would be replaced by the regal white lion, and soon enough, Spring Drive jewelry timepieces would set a new standard for the Maison. At Watches and Wonders Geneva, the latest Spring Drive 8-day jewellery would be met with a glorious reception, leading to some of the most sought-after divers in the world.

In the world of haute horology, these watches stood out as symbols of refinement, horological ingenuity and enduring style. These rare timepieces exuded a particular feminine grace, a kind of unique charm that captivated its fellow Maisons. From sleek minimalist designs to intricate complications and timeless accents, these revered expressions paid homage to women's place in the watchmaking industry.

"The chronograph complication holds a dear place in our Maison," Roger Dubuis Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) Sadry Keiser says. "Mr. Roger Dubuis was passionate about traditional horological complications, so when he launched his company in 1995, he included a chronograph calibre in the very first watches he created."

At this year's Frieze Art Fair in New York, independent curator and Apsara Studio founder Jenn Ellis would unveil the product of an artistic collaboration brokered by Breguet and Frieze a year ago.

Known as the 'Florence on the Elbe', the city of Dresden is often associated with romantic landmarks. Whether it's the Frauenkirche, the Academy of Fine Arts or the Baroque Zwinger Palace, the city's most important icons were made to stand the test of time. Right in the middle of this is where Glashütte Original established its operations, taking mostly from styling cues prevalent in the 19th century.

If there's one feature that distinguishes IWC Schaffhausen from the rest, it's the revered perpetual calendar. The horological calendar mechanism, first devised by none other than Kurt Klause in the '80s, signaled a turning point. Manual synchronisation was introduced and it became a pillar for haute horlogerie complications from then on.

Few names come close to the horological ingenuity of Blancpain. The brand is commonly associated with watchmaking innovation and craftsmanship. And the Villeret Quantième Perpétuel offers its own unique expression, featuring the complex perpetual calendar, as well as the under-lug correctors.

Since its inception, Piaget's savoir-faire is often defined by their daring creativity. In the late '50s, it announced its reintroduction to the world in the form of the first ultra-thin clockwork: the Altiplano collection. The Maison's groundbreaking new movement remains one of the most historically significant innovations in the 20th century, blurring the distinction between art and timepiece.

In only about a decade since its debut, the Rolex Oyster Perpetual Sky-Dweller has quickly transformed itself into one of the most revered watches in recent memory. It's one of the most complicated watches released under the Rolex name in the modern age, combining the perks of the annual calendar and GMT functions. If the beloved GMT-Master was built for the pilot, then this timepiece is handcrafted with the traveller in mind.

It was only two decades ago when Ulysse Nardin introduced an unorthodox timepiece in the face of 'Freak.' At the time, it was heralded for breaking the rules of traditional watchmaking: no dial, no hands and no crown. It was a risk when it was released but has since proven to be a groundbreaking timepiece with a deconstruction concept ahead of its time.

When Caroline Murat, Napoleon Bonaparte's younger sister, imagined Breguet's first wristwatch in 1810, she had Abraham-Louis Breguet create a timepiece worthy of her pedigree. Thus, the introduction of a series that would culminate in the world-famous Reine de Naples line. In honor of Women's Month, Breguet debuts a fresh new silhouette in the 8918.

When Franck Muller's Long Island watch first hit the market in 2000, it was revered for being a true homage to the Art Deco movement, with its curved rectangular case and rectilinear, arched numerals. It was a tasteful, innovative rendition of the Novecento style. More than two decades later, the renowned series gets reconfigured and revitalised with the Franck Muller Long Island Evolution.

It's easy to forget how transformative the first release of the Hublot Big Bang was in 2005. It was a timepiece that paved the way for steel, ceramic and rubber to be seen as opulence redefined. From the 'sandwich' construction and 44-mm case to the large pushers and skeleton dial and strap, it has since become one of the most recognisable watches in the world.

It wasn't so long ago that Audemars Piguet’s first Royal Oak concept for women made quite a splash. Launched in 2018, the 18-carat white-gold timepiece featured a flying tourbillon and an array of brilliant or baguette-cut diamonds. At the time, it completely disrupted ideas of what a women’s wristwatch should be

Much like other Maisons around the world, Franck Muller joins the Lunar New Year festivities with its own reinterpretation of the revered Wood Dragon. Through its varied skeletonisation techniques, the Master of Complications managed to come up with a dazzling collection that mirrors the complexities of Chinese tradition. Hence, the arrival of the new Vanguard Dragon Slim Skeleton Limited Edition and the Cintrée Curvex Ryoko Kaneta Dragon Limited Edition.

When Hublot first came to Richard Orlinski, the Swiss luxury watchmaker wanted a watch that had the makings of a contemporary piece of art. The collaboration ended up producing the coveted Classic Fusion Aerofusion Chronograph Orlinsk, mirroring the celebrated artist's stylised geometric subjects. Now, they've linked up again to create another stunning timepiece in the Classic Fusion Tourbillon Orlinski.

The Year of Dragon only comes around once every 12 years. In Chinese tradition, the revered celestial creature remains an icon of life and immortality. With it comes an abundance of luck, wisdom, and strength, inspiring the world's greatest Maisons to partake in the Wood Dragon tradition. Here, Boulevard looks into some recent limited-edition watches that typify the Lunar New Year spirit.

Girard-Perregaux gained the reputation of being an iconoclast in watchmaking with the introduction of the Constant Escapement in 2013. A winner of the Aiguille D'Or at the Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève, the timepiece was a masterclass in chronometry and mechanical depth. It was a holographic revelation in many ways, addressing the fundamental concern of amplitude drops in watches.

With the Dakar Rally arguably being the ultimate endurance race, it found a worthy partner in Rebellion. The most daring drivers and riders, after all, traverse through sand dunes, rock canyons, and everything else in between. With them should come a timepiece just as hardy and ambitious. For this reiteration of the rally, Rebellion introduces the Predator Chrono Dakar 2024, a watch that captures the relentless nature of the pursuit.

It was in the early 20th century that Blancpain became a standard-bearer for the feminine wristwatch. Betty Fiechter, who would become the first woman to lead a watchmaking company in 1933, had a vision for self-winding timepieces that would be appreciated by women. Hence, the creation of the smallest round movement of the time, the Ladybird model, which offered horological complications once reserved only for masculine watches.

There's a certain poetic touch that characterises Breguet's Reine de Naples. It's a collection rooted in royalty, a historic piece first designed for the Queen of Naples, Napoleon Bonaparte's younger sister, Caroline Murat. This watch is a cornerstone of femininity and refinement. Throughout her lifetime, Murat would come to own more than 30 Breguet watches and clocks herself and this was the collection that stared it all.

Around the turn of the century, Art Deco would come to define a new age. It blended modernity and industrialisation, with machine-like elements elevated to high art. The movement would materialise at the Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes in Paris and would eventually take the United States, as well. Soon, it was a style that would be reflected in architecture, design, furniture, fashion, jewellery and, yes, watches.

For about three decades, François-Henry Bennahmias transformed Audemars Piguet into one of the most dynamic names in high watchmaking. He brought the AP House to life, and would successfully bridge athletics, street culture and the tradition of Le Brassus craftsmanship together. Even as he leaves the brand, Bennahmias isn't done forging daring alliances just yet.

When one thinks of Franck Muller's famed Vanguard series, one can't help but picture its self-winding mechanical movements, edgier exterior and exquisite Cintree Curvex case. The Vanguard, in many ways, has become a blueprint for sportive luxury watchmaking that way.

The world is changing fast, but for a name that has been around since 1755, honouring a rich tradition is the only key to writing one’s future. 

Leica is a name forged in the history books of photography – with a reputation for precision imaging tools dating back to its foundation as Ernst Leitz Optische Werke in 1869. So what happens when a legendary German camera maker applies its philosophy of fine engineering to an entirely new discipline?

The elegant hue of pink gold finally makes its way onto one of Jaeger-LeCoultre’s most innovative timepieces. The Reverso Tribute Duoface Tourbillon is the latest creation from the Swiss luxury watchmaker to receive the pink gold treatment - a fine aesthetic touch inspired by the Maison’s first tourbillon wristwatch, the Reverso Tourbillon, introduced 30 years ago.

The legend of a Swiss timing icon not only lives on, but is seeing a bold revival like no other in 2023 - the 60th anniversary of its debut. Rolex has pulled the covers off its next generation Oyster Perpetual Cosmograph Daytona, a model made famous on the wrist of bonafide American actor and racer, Paul Newman. The model which has since graced the wrists of similar high-profile figures from Michael Jordan to Victoria Beckham continues to garner the respect and affection of watch aficionados the world over.

A name that can stand the true test of time is worthy of a fitting homage. That name today is the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms timepiece, the world’s first modern diver’s watch which debuted in 1953 to become an icon for its pioneering underwater exploits.

Several revolutions in watchmaking took place during the 1970s. In those lost days of disco, perhaps most significantly, we witnessed the rise of quartz movements, which would nearly wipe out the traditional mechanical watch industry.

Over the years, watchmakers have regaled us with ingenious timepieces that look like spaceships or boast complications that chime out the time or bring the galaxy to our wrists. But rarely do we see a watch that completely turns our perception of traditional horology upside down.

“When you commission a Rolls-Royce, you’re working on a canvas that already exists, creating your version through details. With Coachbuild, you’re defining the canvas itself,” says Alex Innes, head of the marque’s bespoke Coachbuild Design team. “Instead of details, we would talk about scale, proportion, grandeur – what sense of occasion are we looking to achieve?”