The 25th GPHG Nominees Are Nicely Balanced Between Established and Independent Brands

Franck Muller has always been a watchmaker of a different breed. The Crazy Hours best shows how it has a different take on the jumping hour complication, and the Round Mystery series of timepieces are how it interprets the mysterious movement, where it uses a series of discs to to indicate the present time. The previous Mystery watches had single or double discs which indicated hours and minutes; the Triple Mystery adds a seconds disc to the mix. To emphasise this layering of concentric circles on the dial, the watchmaker has designed the gem-set watch using a Fibonacci pattern spiral, with larger diamonds at the dial circumference and bezel. The spiral setting aligns with the precisely machined skeleton seconds hand in a floral motif. In its rose gold case (the version entered into the GPHG), this contrast of design and colour is particularly striking.

BOVET’s Récitals are groundbreakers which make frequent appearances at GPHG, and this year’s nomination for the Men’s Complication category builds on last year’s innovative Récital 28. That watch introduced a roller system with the world time complication, enabling Daylight Savings Time (DST) to be displayed conveniently with winter time. This was a problem mechanical watches faced since DST was introduced. In the Récital 30, the roller allows the watch to be adjusted to UTC, AST, EAS, and EWT. The rollers have four cities printed on them, and selecting one of the four time periods causes them to flip to the right city for each time zone. At the centre around the 24-hour ring is a day and night indicator that’s linked to the local time zone, and the watch also shows 25 time zones, with inclusion for the half-hour difference in New Delhi. As a personal milestone, this is also the first BOVET watch with in-house-produced cases. It’s groundbreaking not only for the brand, but also the industry.

While high-frequency timekeeping has been explored in small doses by select watch brands, Chopard has continually invested research and innovation into this pursuit. The calibre 01.14-C, an automatic, high-frequency 8Hz movement with 60 hours of autonomy, is the result. The COSC-certified chronometer is remarkably well-sized for its performance, with a sub-10mm thickness and a 41mm diameter. Epitomising the idea of ruggedness, stealth precision and modern design, the ultra-fast watch has been presented with a bead-blasted and radiant Pitch Black motif on the dial. To match its high-performance movement, the watch is housed in a titanium case with ceramisation, creating an oxide coating on the exterior in order to protect it from scratches. The dark grey, matte-finish and bead-blasted case, and similarly textured rubber strap, ensures that this is a watch that will look as appealing 50 years from now, and just as accurate, as it is today. It’s definitely got our vote for the Sports Watch category.