We go round the doors with the SW team on what their hits and misses were.
Philologus
@wildwristwatch
Hit
I was pleasantly surprised this year at the releases from Watches & Wonders. Unlike previous years which features more hit or miss pieces, this year, it seems most brands brought their A game. Perhaps it is because of the uncertain times we live in, but I for one am not complaining. I love almost all the releases from IWC (and their slimmed down sizes) and felt that they had the best presentation video among the brands. A Lange’s white gold Odysseus on rubber feeds right into my current craving for a sports watch with an integrated rubber strap. Cartier too released interesting innovative watches. For me though, it has to be JLC’s Master Control Chronograph Calendar that takes the cake. Now some would argue that the watch looks plain or that it looks like any other release in the JLC Master line. However, it is this very simple elegance that really makes this watch appeal to me, more so when you consider what it packs under the hood. To have a chronograph and an annual or triple date calendar one on slim compact package of 40mm by 12.05mm watch is remarkable. Many brands struggle to keep slimness on basic time and date watches under 13mm. And yet the watch with 3 sub-dials retains such a clean look. I would also argue that it is not boring, with heat-blued seconds and chronograph hands and red numerals at the top of each sub-dial to give this watch a touch of colour. It also comes with all the bells and whistles too that you’d expect from the watchmaker’s watchmaker with a new movement that features a silicon escapement (a first in regular production for the brand), a solid gold rotor and 65 hours power reserve. JLC is truly one of the most underrated watch brands in my opinion. The price too at CHF 14,500 (SGD 21,600) while not cheap, provides exceptional value for money that you would be hard-pressed to find elsewhere, especially with these dimensions. All in all, an extremely versatile watch that I would love to get and swap out onto a rubber strap for a sportier look. I did say I was in a rubber strap sports watch phase.
Miss
This was a hard category to pick a watch for. After all, I thought there were many great releases this year. However, if I had to pick one, it would have to be the Purnell Escape series of watches. There were four of them, two Treasures and two Carbons. All four bore the same problem to me aesthetically. Before I go on, I have to qualify that Purnell looks like it is doing great work. I am not all that familiar with the brand but any brand that dares bank its entire business on producing solely tourbillon watches and continue to survive has my respect. Besides, the technology and innovation that has gone into its Spherion cages for the double tourbillons on the Escape series looks cool and interesting. However, there is one glaring aesthetic issue with the series and that is the gaping hole right in between the double tourbillons. I understand that with skeletonized dials and tourbillon cages, there are bound to be gaps in the watch but to leave a huge pizza slice hole right at the bottom of the watch is lazy designing in my opinion. It’s a shame really because that pizza slice hole grabs the attention and shifts it away from what looks like amazing work on the movements in these watches. I am not sure what else could have been done to fill that hole but I reckon anything would have been better than nothing. On another separate note, in his speech, Maurizio Mazzochi claimed that the Purnell Escape Treasure Baguette was a watch that was targeted at the more feminine market hence the slimmed down size of 44mm from 48mm. While that is a significant reduction in size, I am not sure how many wrists could pull off that size especially when it is meant for the female audience.
CMJ
@mr.c.mojo
Hit
Piaget is a brand that I don’t often think about. I can’t really explain it, I don’t know if it’s because I associate them more with jewellery or because their watches aren’t generally my style. They are just not a brand that comes to mind when I think about watches. If you had asked me a few days ago which brand produces the “World’s Thinnest Mechanical Watch”, I would not have been able to tell you off the top of my head that it is Piaget. Clearly they are a brand with an interest in innovation, technology and pushing the boundaries of Haute horology. It would be easy to wax on about how the Piaget Altiplano Ultimate Concept has gone from being a concept in 2018 to part of the brand’s standard range of watches, but that wasn’t the watch that caught my eye. My favourite release of Watches and Wonders 2020 is the Piaget Polo G0A45005.
If you read our “Watch of The Year” article in December 2019, then my pick for the best watch won’t surprise you. It is a green dialled sport watch with an integrated bracelet and beautiful finishing. While I enjoy all the complications and artistry in watches, what I’m really looking for is a handsome watch that I could wear every day. Something that will work in the office, in a restaurant, walking the dog or relaxing by a pool. I think the Polo fits this bill. I know it’s not an entirely new model and there has been a limited edition of 500 pieces with green dials on green straps in the past, so this is more of an addition to the range. It’s not pushing the boundaries of design by any means and that’s probably why I like it so much. Among a smorgasbord of, erm, creative design, it stands out for its simplicity. At the time of writing there are hardly any details of the G0A45005 on the Watches and Wonders website and there is no mention of it on Piaget’s website. I look forward to learning more about it and seeing more photos in the coming weeks.
Miss
Vacheron Constantin is a brand that I have a lot of time for. They produced some strong masculine watches that can easily rival the sports watches of their competitors. My least favourite of the Watches and Wonders 2020 releases however has to be their Overseas Perpetual Calendar ultra-thin skeleton.
Now don’t get me wrong, I like a perpetual calendar, I like a thin watch and I can see the appeal of a skeletonised watch. The problem I have with this watch is that the dial is way too busy to the point of being quite hard to read. It doesn’t seem like a watch that could be used everyday which kind of renders the perpetual calendar redundant. I see this as more of a watch collector’s safe queen. Something that can be brought out on special occasions and admired, before being squirrelled away again. The IWC Portugieser Perpetual Calendars, by comparison, have a beautiful symmetry and legibility. They are watches that I think you could comfortably wear and use every day. Maybe if the perpetual calendars by the two brands hadn’t been released at the same time the difference in legibility and practicality would not be so pronounced. I think the fact that these releases have been made online and you can essentially see the two side by side really highlights my what a difference dial legibility can make. While I can appreciate that it is technically impressive the Overseas Perpetual Calendar ultra-thin skeleton misses the mark for me.
Overall I admire Watches and Wonders efforts to bring the show online, especially given the current circumstances. I think that elements of the operation and presentation of information could have been slicker, but as I’m sure many people have experienced when trying to run Skype/Teams/Zoom calls in recent weeks, with the best will in the world it sometimes feels like a fight against technology. The programs and tools that we have are good but not perfect. I think that Watches and Wonders made a valiant effort and I admire them and the brands for carrying on with their releases. Hopefully this is the start of a new era in watch releases. I would like to see Watches and Wonders build on this platform, enhancing it further in future years.
Edwin Mcachlan
@Edwin_McLachlan
Hit
Jaeger Le Coultre Master Grande Tradition Grande Complication I mean…look at this thing. LOOK at it. I don’t even know where to start. Literally everything, from the case architecture and finishing, to the sheer depth, complexity and sci-fi vibes of that dial, to the crisp and ethereal sounds of the preposterously over-engineered JLC minute repeater; this is the kind of “go f**k yourself” energy I’m here for. The sheer audacity, conceptual pretentiousness and craftsmanship that goes into creations like this is so inspiring to me, and irrespective of the fact I could never wear this 45mm beast, let alone afford it, I would have absolutely killed to have seen and heard it outside of JLC’s press video. Real artistry, this.
Miss
Speake-Marin One & Two Openworked Tourbillon Okay, not “the worst”, probably far from it. I was originally going to devote this section to mercilessly dunking on Baume & Mercier’s mind-numbingly dull offerings, but I feel a somewhat less destructive use of time would be to reflect on the solitary new release from Speake-Marin, a brand I’ve always had a bit of a soft spot for. When I first saw one of their Serpent Calendars, a couple of years ago, I was immediately won over. You could say that the eccentric steampunk aesthetic of the brand’s designs really…Speake to me. I’ll show myself out. But really. The whole look isn’t *for me*, per se, I could never pull off that kind of look, but I always inferred a bit of mad professor cheekiness from their early releases in particular.
Perhaps I’m reading too far into things, but I can’t help but think that their catalogue has lost a bit of magic since the departure of founder Peter Speake-Marin in 2017, and I feel like this new Openworked Tourbillon epitomises this feeling. It’s not like it’s technically unimpressive, or entirely ugly: the 38mm variant in particular is probably a nice-looking piece in the metal. But, aside from residual hints at Speake-Marins trademarks (heart-shaped hands, those signature lugs) there’s just something very “safe” and restrained about its overall vision impression. When you compare and contrast the Openwoked Tourbillon with the headline-grabbing Altiplano Ultimate Concept from Piaget, the sheer Rube Goldberg abandon of the latter makes the former look, well, a bit grey and dull.
Ralf
@Koolpep
Hit
When Rick asked me about the best and the worst release from Watches and Wanders 2020 for me there was no doubt it had to be the Panerai Marina Goldtech, no no the JLC Master Calendar with the genius calendar hand jump over the moon phase, no no the Clifton 9 days power reserve and moon phase takes the cake. No no the Piaget with that incredible thin movement…. Ok – so this is clear as mud. I cannot choose a winner yet, I must see these in person to really judge them. The crazy achievements of Rebellion, Speake-Marin, Laurent Ferrier, Piaget and Purnell are horological masterpieces but so far out of reach that they are irrelevant for me. IF I had to choose only one it would probably be the H.MOSER STREAMLINER – ha – surprised?
Yeah. Me too, but to be honest – since I had this baby on my wrist earlier this year in Dubai – I am a fan, and since this still counts as a WW2020 release, I chose this wonderful watch that is one of the watches that just feel “right” on the wrist.
Miss.
I am a big fan of Cartier – they have some extraordinary classic designs and some newer ones that I also deeply love. However – the new Tank Asymetrique does nothing to me – like the Crash, I just can’t relate to it at all.
That’s it – my worst release choice it is. Runner ups: IWC who presented nice but predictable iterations without any real wow factor to me. Second runner up was Paiget – they managed to create the thinnest and most amazing movement and then put it to use in a watch where not even ¼ of the dial actually tells the time. Yes, the movement is the star of the show -but hey – some people still use the watch to tell the time.
Sean O’Tormey
@the_complicated_wrist
Hit
My pick from Watches and Wonders 2020 is the Vacheron Constantin Overseas Perpetual Calendar Ultra-Thin Skeleton in rose gold on the full gold bracelet.
Sure, there is a house in Le Brassus that is more commonly thought of when one thinks of integrated perpetual calendar sports watches but I think VC does it better here. This VC on the full gold bracelet with the open work dial is just sexy like a chocolate strawberry. I could wax poetically about the movement and the craftsmanship involved in the watch but it’s just a sexy watch. It’s a watch I will never own, barring an unexpected lottery win, but as a watch nerd I am just happy knowing this watch exists.
Miss
My “loser” from Watches and Wonders 2020 is the IWC Portugieser Automatic 40.
Now this is not a “loser” because there is anything wrong with the watch. The watch has an in-house movement with beautifully clean dials and a choice of dial colors. However, I picked this as my “loser” because of its size. The Portuguese has always been a big watch due to the fact the Portuguese was originally built and designed around pocket watch movements. But 40mm is a big watch when the watch is all dial, the watch will just wear big, far larger than it’s nominal case size. I picked this as my loser because I was hoping for a release more in line with the 1990’s Portugieser reference 3531 which had a 35mm case diameter. I understand 35mm is too small for the modern marketplace but I would have loved to see this watch in a 38mm case. In a 38m case this watch would be a perfect everyday wear for me.
Rick.
@rickticktalk
Hit
Bring it on IWC, probably the most capable and broad-based company in the Richemont group is finally moving on from building great buildings to building some great watches, and this is a very clever watch. The Yacht Club Moon and Tide, locally settable by the user for high and low tides, you don’t see one of these everyday, but at £30K there is probably a reason for that
Miss
Panerai Luminor………….
Don’t be ridiculous do you think I am going to give this a miss!?!
Look at it….
Time to get the SW only fans account in full swing, I will ask Kat what shady stuff she would recommend for #allthewatches
P.S I also need to try and make up for this little expose Thanks Sophy, Panerai may never speak to me again.