In our third, and final, instalment of SIHH 2019 coverage, we bring you some of the most stunning timepieces from independent watchmakers around the world that were showcased this year in Geneva.
Ressence Type 2 E-Crown
The Type 2 e-Crown from Ressence is a unique combination of simplicity and elegance of mechanical watches and reliability and convenience of modern technology. It’s 45mm curved case is made of titanium and has a PVD anthracite coating. The dark grey colour of the dial goes very well with the black leather strap and ardillon buckle. The dial houses orbital discs or sub-dials to offer time-related information. There’s also a small disc with blue and orange markings that allows you to select four different modes – two time zones, an app mode and e-Crown mode. In simple terms, e-Crown is an electronic system that automatically resets the watch to the right time. The dial has 10 micro-shutters, which open up to charge a set of photovoltaic cells that power the e-crown system. The watch can also be connected to a companion app via Bluetooth, which can be used to set two different time zones.
Ressence Type 3W
Another interesting offering from Ressence at this year’s SIHH was the Type 3W – a variation of the standard Type 3. Its rather busy, bright silvery-white dial has nested orbital discs that give you a plethora of information – hours, minutes, seconds, oil temperature, day and date – and revolve continuously like planets around the sun. The biggest highlight of the watch, however, is its oil filled ROCS (Ressence Orbital Convex System) display that ensures utmost clarity of the dial, so-much-so that it creates the illusion of the hands being on the surface of the crystal. At 44mm diameter and 15mm thickness, the watch is a bit on the larger side, but its expansive design and dome shape do well to mask its dimensions. It weighs 79 grams and looks very modern and comes with a grey textile strap, which lends it a casual air.
A. Lange & Sohne Grand Lange 1 Moon Phase '25th Anniversary'
The Grand Lange 1 Moon Phase ‘25th Anniversary’ is one of the 10 commemorative special edition watches that A. Lange & Söhne is releasing to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Lange 1. It has a 41mm white-gold case that houses a two-tone argenté-coloured dial, marked with blue numerals and adorned with blue steel hands. But what really sets it apart is a white-gold moon disc with hand engraved stars, making it the first watch from the brand to feature a hand-engraved solid white-gold moon disc. To say that it looks beautiful is to say that the Eiffel tower is a tall structure. It’s much more than that – it takes the idea of luxury and elegance to another level. In a world where ‘limited edition’ is used to market a series of hundreds, or even thousands, of watches, the production of this elegant beauty will be strictly limited to only 25 watches.
A. Lange & Sohne Lange Zeitwerk Date
Another A. Lange & Söhne creation to feature in our list, the Zeitwerk Date is a variation of the Zeitwerk – the first mechanical digital offering from the watchmaker. This new variation of the Zeitwerk features a date ring, which is made of glass and has numbers from 1 to 31 printed around the periphery of the dial. What’s interesting here is that the date is indicated by the movement of a red segment under the dial, which when comes under a transparent number fills it, making it red and indicating the correct date. At 44.2mm diameter and 12.3mm thickness, the watch is a bit on the bigger side, but the beautiful grey dial with rhodium-plated German silver bridge and red accents for date, complete with dark brown alligator strap, is too pleasing a combination to not have on your wrist – if you can afford it, that is.
Greubel Forsey Balancier Contemporain
Another watch that caught our attention at this year’s SIHH was the Balancier Contemporain from the house of Greubel Forsey. It’s another limited edition watch on our list and is limited to only 33 pieces. At 39.6mm, it’s the smallest chronograph to have been made by Greubel Forsey. The dial, even though visually complicated, shows limited information – only time and power reserve. What makes it interesting to look at is the fact that you can see a large balance bridge and a special balance wheel towards the lower part of the dial. It has a white gold case and a rhodium-coloured gold dial with black lacquered hour and minute rings. It’s paired with a hand-sewn alligator strap with gold-pin buckle and hand-engraved GF logo. A look at it is enough to tell you that this timepiece has its origin in the idea of creating art and not just a watch – it’s that captivating.
Read more:
Write your Comment