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These timepieces are made for the few. The very few. And chances are, most of them have already found their way into the private collections of high-level collectors and aficionados who have the means to support such an acquisition. Because we’re talking about watches priced from €67,000, with the most expensive one reaching €140,000! So yes, they’re for the few. But that doesn’t mean we can’t admire them, examine them, and dream about them. Even if we never own one. I had the chance to see them up close, to wear them, and to discuss them with the representatives of the independent maisons behind their creation. It’s one of the small privileges we journalists enjoy.
The five brands featured below showcased their latest models – four of them in the Carré des Horlogers, that unique section of Watches & Wonders dedicated to independent watchmakers, and the fifth, newcomer Kross Studio, in its own booth on the exhibition’s first floor. Without further delay, here they are in alphabetical order. Enjoy!
Simplicity in all its glory. This is the first tourbillon in the group. It was designed to mark 260 years of heritage from John Arnold and pays tribute to his ingenuity, technical genius, and close ties with his friend Abraham-Louis Breguet. It’s a beautiful watch with an 18K yellow gold case measuring 41.5 mm in diameter, and a white Grand Feu enamel dial. Its hand-wound mechanical movement offers a remarkable 100-hour power reserve! It comes on a refined blue alligator leather strap. Only 11 pieces will be made, this is a limited edition.
Price: CHF 129,800 (approx. €139,300)
What immediately grabs your attention with this piece is its striking architectural design and the delicately textured guilloché dial. Czapek calls it “Singularité.” The new Czapek & Cie Antarctique Tourbillon is powered by the brand-new in-house Calibre 9 with a flying tourbillon. Its launch marks the beginning of Czapek & Cie’s anniversary year, celebrating 10 years since the company’s rebirth, and 180 years since its founding in Geneva by François Czapek in 1845. Since its revival, the brand has made a point of offering a degree of personalization so collectors can wear a watch that truly reflects them. That’s why the Antarctique Tourbillon in stainless steel comes in three dial color variations: Glacier Blue, Photon Sphere (a 5N gold tone), and the pictured grey Secret Alloy, produced in a limited run of 50 pieces.
Price: CHF 63,000 (approx. €67,300)
Clad in red from top to bottom, the LINEAR Series 3 is far from ordinary. Then again, so is every avant-garde creation by Hautlence. Where do I begin? The striking, almost rectangular TV-screen-like case? It’s made of steel, measures 43 x 50.8 mm, has a thickness of 12.2 mm, and is water resistant up to 100 meters. The dial? Multi-layered, with linear retrograde jumping hours, meaning the hours are displayed on a vertical column at the left side, and indicated by a red hand that jumps from one position to the next and resets instantly from 12 to 01. The minutes appear to float, with their Arabic numerals glowing thanks to 3D Globolight® material. At the bottom lies the tourbillon. All this is made possible by the uniquely designed automatic D50 manufacture movement, which offers 72 hours of power reserve. The watch is limited to only 28 pieces.
Price: CHF 63,000 (approx. €67,300)
Let me be clear, this article features watches most of us can only dream of. One such piece is the Endeavour Tourbillon Concept Turquoise Enamel. I was lucky enough to hold it and wear it, and it was love at first sight. H. Moser & Cie. has truly outdone itself here, bringing radically modern aesthetics to the ultra-traditional art of Grand Feu enamel. Staying true to its signature fumé look, the Manufacture created a bright turquoise dial that catches the light with every flick of the wrist, adorned with nothing more than two gold hands and the tourbillon. A perfect frame for this piece of art is the 40 mm 5N red gold case, which houses the self-winding HMC 805 Tourbillon movement. In my opinion, the brand strikes the ideal balance between technology and aesthetics. Chapeau!
Price: CHF 75,000 (approx. €80,500)
Just when you think you’ve seen it all and nothing can surprise you, the newly founded Kross Studio comes along and brings Marco Tedeschi’s artistic vision to life with a skeleton tourbillon that flips convention on its head. Look closely. At first glance, you don’t notice the details that make it so special. The case, shaped like a pebble, is made of grade 5 titanium and measures 44 mm. It has no visible lugs, and the strap appears to pass straight through the case, though that’s not quite the case. A unique quick-release system lets you detach it and change straps to suit your mood (from smooth leather to alligator, fabric, or rubber). To preserve the seamless “pebble” shape, the crystal is domed and the crown is flat and integrated into the case. Center stage belongs to the architecturally stunning skeleton manufacture KS 7010 MT movement, which is hand-wound, COSC-certified as a chronometer, and offers 7 days of power reserve. What more could you ask?
Price: CHF 68,000 (approx. €73,000)
