Avant-garde MB&F doesn't simply make watches – it makes horological 'machines' that are as much works of kinetic art as they are timekeeping devices. Following on the heels of out-there collaborations with music box makers Reuge and luxury stationer Caran d'Ache, it has once again teamed up with clockmaker L'Epee for an ambitious desktop analogue weather station. The futuristic creation combines a clock, barometer, thermometer and hygrometer (an instrument that measures the water vapour in the atmosphere) in a fantastical UFO complete with miniature alien perched in the centre.
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Recent years have seen the iconic French brand step up its watchmaking capabilities in earnest, debuting its in-house-produced Calibre 1 in the men's watch Monsieur, followed by the Calibre 2 placed in ornate women's piece Premiere Camelia Skeleton. After three years of development, Chanel's third in-house movement gets a similarly chic outing in the form of its best-selling Boy Friend watch, first introduced in 2015. Here the dial has been opened up to reveal the elegant movement within, finished with a beige gold border to match the angular, octagonal case.
Rolex is expanding its GMT-Master II range by introducing a new iteration in Oystersteel, equipped with bidirectional rotatable bezel, redesigned lugs and sides and fitted with a five-link Jubilee bracelet.
Last year saw one of the watch industry's most important figures, Georges Kern, depart from luxury group Richemont to take the reins at Breitling. One of his first moves has been to revamp the brand's legendary pilot's watch the Navitimer, introducing a new collection of pared-back versions that take their name from the Huit Aviation Department, an organisation Breitling set up to make aviation instruments in the 1930s. Counted among them is this classic chronograph, equipped with self-winding COSC-certified chronometer movement.
The combination of a complete calendar – denoting the date, days of the week and the month – with a moonphase has been one of Blancpain's signature complications since the 1980s. Here, this is stepped up a level with the addition of a practical GMT function, with home time signalled via a red-tipped hand, while setting the in-house movement's many functions has become even more practical with the implementation of the brand's patented under-lug correctors.
This new release from Jaquet Droz brings together many hallmarks of the watchmaker into one classically elegant timepiece. The refined black Grand Feu enamel dial is based around the signature figure-of-eight motif, with the bottom circle concealing the watch's showpiece, a shining moon crafted from 22-carat gold that glides across the surface.
Hublot's no stranger to pioneering new materials, having created Magic Gold, the world's most scratch resistant 18k gold, in 2011. This time it has turned its attention to ceramic, constructing an entire case out of a vibrant red variant. Coming out of the in-house Hublot Research and Development department, this innovative material is harder than conventional ceramics, with a depth of colour achieved through a fusion of pressure and heat that sinters the ceramic without burning the pigments.
Carl F. Bucherer Manero Tourbillon Double Peripheral
The highlight of this impressive new in-house movement from this Lucerne-based watchmaker is the peripherally mounted tourbillion, giving the appearance of it floating in the aperture on the dial. The tourbillion also comes with a stop-seconds function, meaning you can set it to the second, adding another level of precision to the COSC-certified chronometer.
As the Seamaster Diver 300m reaches its 25th birthday, Omega is celebrating by giving this beloved model a minor makeover. Updates include a new ceramic bezel featuring the diving scale in Ceragold (involving a process that enables gold to be inset into ceramic) or white enamel, while the use of the ceramic continues to the dials in black, blue or PVD chrome and featuring the distinctive wave pattern.
In proof that time sometimes stands still in the watch world, this Baselworld saw Patek Philippe finally embrace social media in earnest by launching its first official Instagram account. And it did so in style, offering a rare preview into one of its new releases, the 5524R, a handsome take on the Calatrava Pilot Travel Time, now available in rose gold with brown dial.
This latest piece of haute horlogerie from Zenith comes equipped with its 'gravity control' module at the heart of the high-frequency El Primero movement. It aims to cancel the effects of gravity on the running rate of the watch by keeping the regulator and the balance wheel in a horizontal position.
With the announcement of Tag Heuer as the official partner for Aston Martin Racing, comes the release of two special-edition watches that take their cues from the iconic automotive marque. Those seen in the Carrera Calibre Heuer 01 include a hexagonal pattern on the dial recalling details of the Vantage, while its lugs take inspiration from the smooth lines of the cars.
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