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- Watches And Wonders, Day 2. Chrono JLC Reverso, Stunning Patek Enamel Dial, Retrograde Spreads Through The Vacheron Line and Oris Creates a Real Kermit
Watches And Wonders, Day 2. Chrono JLC Reverso, Stunning Patek Enamel Dial, Retrograde Spreads Through The Vacheron Line and Oris Creates a Real Kermit
News from the largest watch fair are slowing down, so we'll be back to normal in no time
It's About Time
March 28, 2023
Hey friends, welcome to the second day of Watches and Wonders. Yesterday’s edition was of record length - over 25 minutes of reading time - and today we are dealing with the overflow of all the news that didn’t fit in yesterday and a couple of new announcements.
Just a reminder - this is not a regular edition of the It’s About Time newsletter. I threw away all the bells and whistles, all the additional links and videos just to cram in as much W&W news as possible. This is NOT what the newsletter usually looks like, so stick around till after all the W&W hubbub calms down. There’s a lot going on, so let’s get going!
In this issue:
It’s more Watches and Wonders news, nothing else
Today’s reading time: 17 minutes and 22 seconds. Much more manageable than yesterday.
We’re starting off with a bang! We’re giving away TWO of this year’s hottest watches, The Tiffany Tissot PRX Powermatic 80
All you have to do is click the button below and have five of your friends subscribe. Both you and one of your friends will be eligible to win one of the watches
👂What’s new
1/
Reverso Tribute Chronograph. That says it all, pretty much. Jaeger-LeCoultre has announced a Reverso chronograph in the 1930s-themed aesthetic of their beloved "Tribute" models. It comes in stainless steel and rose gold. Both versions have the same dimensions - 49.4 (lug to lug), 29.9 wide, and 11.14mm thick - with, you guessed it, two faces. One side is a classic time-only dial, while the reverso side is a skeletonized dial with a large chronograph seconds measure and a 30-minute retrograde indication. The skeleton dial comes in handy to see the brand new movement, the JLC 860, which is manually wound and supports a power reserve of 52 hours.
Pricing for the Reverso Tribute Chronograph starts at $21,400 in steel and $37,400 in pink gold.
JLC also updates it’s classic Tribute models with new Small Seconds models with vintage colors. The watches feature faceted dauphine hands, colored dials, applied bar indexes, and a small seconds display at 6:00. The difference between existing models is the new pink gold, ultra slim case which has decreased by a full millimeter in thickness from its stainless steel predecessor. Unfortunately the updated steel model remans 8.5mm.
There are two colors you can choose from - a mirror effect black lacquer dial (an homage to the black dials of the original 1931 Reverso) and a burgundy lacquer dial. Both are paired with straps from Argentinian heritage brand Casa Fagliano in complementary colors. The third pink gold case dial variant comes in sunray-brushed silver foil and is paired with another Fagliano Collection strap and an additional black alligator strap from JLC. The final addition: a silver opaline dial with black nickel finished hands and indexes for the steel Tribute case.
Price: $9,600 (steel) and $21,900 (pink gold)
Paying homage to the first tourbillon they introduced thirty years ago, Jaeger-LeCoultre showed off its beautiful Reverso Tribute Duoface Tourbillon in 18k pink gold. The watch uses the Calibre 847 and features two different dials - a clean and elegant one with a time function and tourbillon on a silver sunburst dial, and the reverse with miniaturized black dial showing a second time zone and a day-night indicator. The black dial features partial skeletonisation, including hand angling of the bridges, done by JLC's Manufacture's Métiers Rares workshop.
And you will pay for the manual labor. $139,000.
Their releases covered sports, elegance and high horology. The last thing JLC showed was a little bit of bling with the Reverso One Precious Colors, two new models that harness the brand’s in-house Métiers Rares atelier to create two colorfully enameled and gem-set creations.
The case is crafted from gold (white gold for the green colorway and pink gold for the blue colorway), but the enameling work and gem-setting steal the show. Go check it out on the linked website, as the process of creating these unique watches really is fantastic.
Prices for the Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso One Precious Colors have yet to be released, but both will be available with limited production.
2/
After unveiling new Aquanaut models, a very sporty Calatrava, a Calatrava with a 24-hour display and their first pilot-style Travel Time Chronograph, Patek dropped a big one - a Grand Complication.
The Patek Philippe 5178G-012 sports a hypnotic guilloché pattern which has been done by hand (unlike the stamped one they put on a $40.000 Calatrava). The dial plate is made of white gold just like the case and then covered with blue Grand Feu enamel. The calibre R 27 PS can be seen through the sapphire caseback, with a large 22k golden micro-rotor for automatic winding and two lengthy gongs for a loud and clear minute repeater complication.
Price on request.
3/
For the first time, Vacheron is introducing its signature retrograde date display into the Overseas line, taking an old-school complication and bumping up the sportiness. The in-house Calibre 2460 R31L/2 features a retrograde date (moving clockwise across the top half of the dial before jumping back to the first day of the month after 31 or whenever you set it) and a hyper-accurate moon phase accurate to 122 years before needing a one-day correction.
These displays are reflected in a blue lacquered dial with a velvet-finished flange and sunburst satin-brushed center. You'll also notice the "age of the moon" indicator above the moonphase aperture on the dial, showing where the moon sits in its 29 days, 12 hours, and 45-minute cycle orbiting the earth.
Price is on request
The retrograde date will also be included in the Vacheron Constantin’s Traditionnelle family of watches with the Vacheron Constantin Traditionnelle Tourbillon Retrograde Date Openface. The watch has a 41mm pink gold case that is 11.07mm thick. Its round shape is emphasized by particularly long lugs, which, in combination with the dial, makes for a contemporary blend of styles. Parts of the dial are skeletonized and the upper half of the dial features the retrograde date display with its blackened hand with a white tip. The lower half features the Maltese Cross tourbillon that integrates very nicely without overpowering the other elements. No word on price yet.
Then there’s the Vacheron Constantin Patrimony Retrograde Day-Date, a beautiful 42.5mm platinum case with a stunning salmon-colored dial. The dial features a nice sunburst finish, bringing life to the already impressive color. In this piece, the retrograde displays of the day on the lower half and the date on the upper half take center stage. Price is also unknown at the moment.
The regular Overseas gets a slight refresh, as well. Until today, the line has been available in 41mm and 37mm options only, but Vacheron Constantin clearly saw enough demand for a smaller proposition, resulting in the release of the Overseas self-winding 35mm.
The four references are split across two metals, available in stainless steel of 18k 5N pink gold, with the metals extending to the accompanying bracelets. Snazzing them up a little, the Maltese cross-inspired bezels of the diamond-set models are graced with 90 round-cut diamonds, guaranteeing a minimum of 0.86 carats
Vacheron is tight lipped on the pricing of all of their models.
4/
The Chopard Alpine Eagle is the family-owned brand's twist on the integrated bracelet sports watch, most popular in blue and then later green. Chopard now upgrades both the case and dial. Chopard has taken the AE and gone the ultra-thin route, creating a watch that is now just 8mm in thickness (the OG is 9.7mmm thick for comparison).
In so doing, it has also adjusted the dial layout, forgoing a center seconds display in favor of small seconds – and, along the way, getting rid of the controversial date window. The salmon dial color, officially called "Monte Rosa Pink," contrasts against the lume-filled, distinctive, applied Roman numeral markings.
This watch is not limited and will join the existing Alpine Eagle collection at It is a price of EUR 24,400.
Another addition to the Alpine Eagle family is the introduction of the high frequency new titanium Alpine Eagle Cadence 8HF that features a "pitch black" colored dial.
There’s an addition to the L.U.C. Collection, as well with the new L.U.C. 1860 in a Lucent Steel case and solid-gold guilloché dial. It’s a classy thing at 36.5mm, with a salmon dial with a hand-guillochéd radiating pattern. It’s priced at $23,200.
The Chopard IMPERIALE is a range of feminine watches typified by floral motifs and elaborate material decoration, however this new limited edition for Watches & Wonders is perhaps their most ambitious and glamorous display yet.
For the latest Chopard IMPERIALE, the lotus flower has been revisited as the underlying theme of both the decorations and complications. The lotus is celebrated across many cultures and has a long list of significant associations, but this particular homage follows an Egyptian legend where the sun rises once the petals have opened at dawn before setting as the flower closes in darkness. You can see how the lotus has been represented with resplendent 18k rose gold, engraved delicately to show the texture of the petals. The top half of the flower has been skeletonised to reveal the dial underneath, which is actually a fully-revolving day/night indicator.
5/
The deeply cool Oris ProPilot Altimeter is back, thinner and with a higher operating ceiling (up to 6,000 meters). It’s still a big boy at 47mm wide, but now 16mm thick. Yeah, it’s not thin, but it’s an improvement. The case is made of carbon fiber with a titanium bezel
The Oris ProPilot Altimeter will be available starting in March of 2023 with a retail price of CHF 6,200 and buyers will be able to pick from two references, one that displays altitude in meters, or one in feet.
The Rolex Kermit is no longer the only kermit watch. Oris has partnered up with Disney's The Muppets for a new ProPilot X Calibre 400 "Kermit Edition." Titanium case, titanium bracelet, in-house movement. And Kermit the Frog pops up once a month in place of the numeral "1" at the 6 o’clock date window. Priced at CHF 4,400, this just might be the deal of Watches & Wonders.
6/
Everybody was excited about what the big brands were showing at Watches & Wonders. A lot of people were disappointed as the majority of changes were introductions of new sizes and colors to watches that have been around for years. So they turned to smaller watchmakers. Like Parmigiani Fleurier, who knocked it out of the park with their offering.
First up is the Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda PF Minute Rattrapante, which offers a similar design to last year’s GMT model, but reimagines the collection’s rattrapante mechanism to be a highly innovative feature for measuring elapsed time. Not only is the way the watch displays time innovative (go read the article, it just doesn’t fit here), it could be a great deal. That’s a funny thing to say about a watch that costs $30,600, but considering the materials (steel, platinum, gold…) and the tech in the in-house movement, it could be a steal.
As mentioned, the Tonda PF Minute Rattrapante is very similar to the GMT and to differentiate them a bit, Parmigiani Fleurier gave it a very fancy update. The dial colour remains unchanged – that deep Milano blue featuring a guilloché main grain d’orge pattern, uninterrupted by unnecessary indices or logos, but the case gets an 18k rose gold update. This has a more substantial price of €57,630.
Since Parmigiani Fleurier’s change of ownership and introduction of the Tonda PF range in 2021, the Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda PF Micro-Rotor has been a distilled representation of the brand’s DNA. It began with a subtle flex in stainless steel and a platinum bezel, then evolved into a soft rose gold edition, but now it embraces the power of platinum’s luxurious heft in a “stealth wealth” package. You will need wealth, as it will cost you CHF 85,000.
Parmigiani Fleurier also updated their trio of calendar watches, those that famously tracked three different calendars - the most complete version of a constantly varying chinese Xiali calendar, an evolution of their 2011 islamic Hijri calendar table clock, now housed in a wristwatch, and finally, a watchmaking classic in a Gregorian Annual calendar.
Lastly, there’s the Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda PF Flying Tourbillon, now with a Milano blue dial
7/
Hating Hublot online has become a bit of a meme. But a meme that never gets old. I tried and tried, I just can’t get myself to care about Hublot watches. But, in the interest of journalistic integrity, I’ll run through all the thing they announced at Watches & Wonders.
Hublot has partnered up with artist Takashi Murakami to create a series of watches that you can only own if you buy an NFT. Of course Hublot would release an NFT. They first came out with 13 watches, now they announce the other 12 models.
Last year, as part of its novelties for 2022, Hublot unveiled the Square Bang collection, which takes the core aesthetic of its flagship Big Bang series and transforms it into a model with a square-shaped case. Now the Hublot Square Bang Unico Sapphire brings a full transparent sapphire case to the line.
There’s also a new Square Bang in black ceramic.
They have also upped the ante on exotic materials with a full carbon integrated bracelet for the new Hublot Big Bang Integrated Tourbillon Full Carbon priced at CHF120,000.
Then there are the supremely awkward Hublot MP-13 Tourbillon Bi-Axis Retrograde and the Hublot Classic Fusion Chronograph Orlinski which comes in a subtle microblasted titanium case.
8/
Dubbed Révélation, the latest addition to the Czapek Antarctique collection is a skeletonised beauty – more contemporary and technical than its predecessors but also more focused on classical horology. The independent watchmaker has stripped down its luxury sports watch to display its inner workings, an opportunity to show off the beauty of its micro-rotor calibre. It comes in a 40.5mm case version, fitted with a distinctive integrated steel bracelet with its C-shaped polished centre link.
The price is set at CHF 38,000
9/
Ulysse Nardin has been making the Freak for 22 years and has been polarizing the watch community just as long. I’m in the “don’t like it” camp, but there’s no denying the amount of technical innovation that’s crammed in this watch, as well as the glimpse of the future for UN. They just won’t be in my consideration when I will be buying a €69,600 watch.
10/
In 2022, Frederique Constant introduced an open-dial Classics Heart Beat Manufacture and it was met with outrage. The exposed balance wheel at 6 o’clock, however well executed, was a cheap trick mimicking the appearance of a tourbillon.
Now FC is offering an apology with the Classics Tourbillon Manufacture, a very classy watch with a real tourbillon, but without the high-end tourbillon price. The new FC in a 18k rose gold case will set you back $24,595. Which, considering the other things we have seen at W&W is a deal.
11/
It’s now really official - green is the dial color of the year. Choices here are binary: choose either the 40mm round Classic case in 18kt red gold or the slightly more modern Square steel case measuring 41mm. Each features a 3 o’clock crown and a big, bright sapphire caseback that makes for great entertainment when viewing the highly decorated movement
The Laurent Ferrier Square and Classic Micro-Rotor Evergreen are available now for 47,500 CHF and 57,500 CHF
12/
I’m not trying to denigrate F.P. Journe with this title. I think that their F.F.C. watch is actually very funny, along with being perhaps the most inventive watch of the year. Just look at it. The watch is just a fist with fingers that count out the hours. Is that not brilliant?
13/
German independent Kudoke has carved out its own niche with a distinctive blend of English-inspired movements and Germanic attention-to-detail in its Handwerk line of watches. The latest addition to the line is the Kudoke 3, which largely sticks to the successful formula of prior models, but offers a twist in the form of a split-level dial and triple-scale hour display.
14/
This is a watch was not introduced at Watches&Wonders, but announced right before it, so I decided to include it here. Hamilton has great ties with the movie industry, popping up all over the place - most notably as one of the major plot devices in Nolan’s Interstellar. Most recently, Hamilton has worked with the Chinese production of the sequel to their hyper successful sci fi hit Wandering Earth, and the watch Brand is putting out two special edition models for fans of the movie.
The first is a transparent plastic-cased regulator style piece, making an appearance in the movie itself. Powered by Hamilton’s H-12 calibre, a development of the ETA 2825-2, its black and white dial variants will be produced in very limited numbers of only 122 per colorway. However, this watch will be available only in mainland China.
For the rest of us, Hamilton modified their Jazzmaster Thinline and gave it the same Solar System-inspired dial relief that can be found on the resin-cased piece. The watch comes with a black or white dial, with bright red hands. The case is 40mm and only 7mm thick. To get this thin at such a low price don’t expect a mechanical movement - it’s powered by the ETA 980.163, a quartz movement with a height of only 2.2mm.
The special edition will be available from March 2023 worldwide at CHF 635 without tax.
15/
Another piece announced over the weekend before W&W. Louis Erard has quickly become known for its democratising approach to offering traditional métiers d’art to a broader public. That’s why nobody gasped in surprise that their latest model features an exquisite handmade dial using wood marquetry to depict an abstract cubist pattern. Handmade by artisan Bastien Chevalier, the 99 limited edition Excellence Marqueterie comes under EUR 4,000.
The case is 42mm, 12.5mm thick and it’s powered by a Sellita SW261-1 automatic calibre with its customised Louis Erard rotor, but that’s less important in this watch - the chequerboard dial is completely hand made and each colour is sourced from a different kind of wood – the three shades of blue are applied to tulip tree wood, while the grey-stained areas are made of willow burl. Each cut has to be precise to a tenth of a millimetre to ensure composition without gaps. When you put so much work into the dial, of course there are no numerals on it and time is indicated by the signature blued fir tree hands of Louis Erard.
The watch is limited to 99 pieces and retails for CHF 3,900 (excl. tax). At the time of writing they are still some for sale, so go and buy this now as it will the cheapest way you can get such a dial.
16/
The first watch of De Bethune, the DB1, was a classic two-register chronograph with a mono pusher architecture. And following this tradition, the brand is now releasing DB Eight, a watch that pays tribute to the very elegant watch but, of course, with a twist.
The 42.4mm case is made of polished titanium with ogive-shaped lugs and a very thin profile of 9.2mm, while the dial has Breguet numerals, blued hands and two different hand-guilloche patterns. Here comes the twist, with the unusual display for the chronograph function. The DB Eight appears first as a time-only watch with two seconds hand. But it’s not. Hours and minutes are in the center, and the rest is devoted to the Chrono, with a central seconds and a 60-minute sub-dial. The chronograph is actuated by the crown, which serves for winding, adjusting and starting the chrono.
Inside the case is the hand-wound, in-house calibre DB3000. The brand’s 31st movement and a new development, it’s also the 4th monopusher chronograph conceived by Denis Flageollet, following the DB1, DB8 and Maxichrono.
Price is set at CHF 85,000.
17/
Not a W&W release, but very cool. Numerals on a dial are a thing of personal preference. Some like Roman, others Arabic. I prefer just markers. But what if you like all three but want to wear just one watch? Then get the Gyrodial, a watch from the new brand Byrne, where the markers rotate every 24 hours to change their apperance.
To change its face on a daily basis, the Byrne GyroDial features cubes at 3, 6, 9 and 12 displaying digits or markers, each making a jump every day (at midnight or midday, depending on how you’ve set your watch) or on-demand via the crown. The latest version of the Byrne GyroDial, the Zero, no longer features a dial and exposes the magic tricks of its mechanism. With its monochromatic look, the Gyrodial feels more modern, industrial, and technical.
The Byrne GyroDial relies on the automatic calibre 5555, developed and assembled with Le Temps Manufacture, a movement maker based in Fleurier, which works behind the scene for some of the greatest names in the industry. The watch comes in the brand’s distinctive case. Its cushion shape is enhanced by taut lines, a curved profile and a round bezel opening. Measuring 41.7mm in diameter, it is made out of grade 5 titanium with a mix of brushed and polished surfaces.
The Byrne GyroDial Zero comes in two versions: Rhodium Silver or Black Rhodium, on a leather or rubber strap. The price is set at EUR 17,500.