This year’s Salon Internationale de la Haute Horlogerie, or SIHH, in Geneva, Switzerland, featured a stunning line-up of the most beautiful watches from around the world. More so now than ever, the luxury watch brands seem to be in touch with their own DNAs, which resulted in a very pure collection of timepieces that truly represented each brand, rather than just a fleeting trend. In such spectacular and impressive company, it was certainly challenging to call favorites. Yet somehow, there were still some standout pieces that grabbed our attention just a touch more than others.
Santos de Cartier
Photo Credit: Haute Time
Cartier brought back the Santos in a complete line-up that included a full-gold, steel-gold and all-steel model of this legendary watch. Notable differences are the newly shaped bezel and the ability to switch easily between a metal bracelet and various straps. While the bracelet is very comfortable to wear and easily size adjustable sans tools, the strap seems to work better with the newly designed look of the iconic timepiece. The cherry on top is the skeleton version of the Santos that Cartier also introduced.
IWC Tribute to Pallweber
Photo Credit: Haute Time
To celebrate its 150th anniversary, IWC launched a wide range of beautiful, limited edition pieces. However, the Tribute to Pallweber was the one that stood out amongst them all. With its jump hour and jump minutes complication, it stayed very close to the design of the pocket watch, on which it is based. Combined with the quintessential clean design for which IWC is so well-known, it is an eye-catcher for sure, yet one that is bound to keep your attention as well.
Baume et Mercier Clifton Baumatic
Photo Credit: Haute Time
The Baume et Mercier Clifton Baumatic was one of the most talked about watches of the SIHH this year, especially with its manufacture movement, five-day power reserve and competitive pricing, at just $2,500. It is also an important watch, not only for Baume et Mercier, but also for the watch world as a whole—for many people, a watch like this can serve as an entry point into the world of Haute Horlogerie.
Piaget Altiplano Ultimate 910P
Photo Credit: Haute Time
With its Altiplano Ultimate 910P, Piaget once again holds the record for the slimmest automatic watch in the world. With a thickness of only 4.3mm, it is indeed a mechanical marvel, one that is realized thanks to its peripheral rotor. This marks quite an achievement for the brand, as the difference in thickness between this model and the previous record holder, the Bulgari Octo Finissimo Automatic (introduced last year), is an impressive 0.85mm. On the wrist, the watch feels light and comfortable, while the majority of its components can be admired from the dial side.
Roger Dubuis Excalibur Aventador S
Photo Credit: Haute Time
Of course, we are all familiar with the Aventador S—Roger Dubuis marked the beginning of its partnership with Lamborghini with this model. However, the two new varieties that the brand introduced at the SIHH this year prove once again what a difference color and material can make. The pink gold version is particularly appealing to us, as it combines a sporty aesthetic with its carbon case and a certain richness with the pink gold finish, giving it a distinctive but gorgeous contrast overall.
Richard Mille RM 53-01 Tourbillon Pablo Mac Donough
Photo Credit: Haute Time
The RM 53-01 already astonished us when we received its press release. But in real life, the watch is even more captivating. While it looks rather delicate, with its vertical movement secured by tiny steel cables, it is one of the most tenacious and durable watches around—durable enough to go into a polo match on the wrist of Pablo Mac Donough—a man who has broken nearly every bone in his body in the pursuit of his sport.
Jaeger-LeCoultre Polaris Chronograph World-Time
Photo Credit: Haute Time
Jaeger-LeCoultre reintroduced the Polaris and we were especially taken by the World-Time model. With a classic, yet athletic look, it offers two of our favorite complications—a chronograph and a world-time complication. This makes it the perfect watch to travel with, while our appetite for Haute Horlogerie is satisfied with the automatic manufacture caliber that beats inside.
Vacheron Constantin FiftySix
Photo Credit: Haute Time
The FiftySix collection by Vacheron Constantin is not only visually very pleasing, but it also expands the brand’s offerings in steel. It was the day-date with power reserve that caught our attention, as it combined that typical classic, yet slightly non-conformist Vacheron Constantin look, with a beautifully shaped case. The crown is recessed into the case, making it well-protected, functional and a stunning Vacheron Constantin piece for daily wear.
A. Lange & Söhne Triple Split
Photo Credit: Haute Time
It is hard not to be in awe when in the presence of the A. Lange & Söhne Triple Split. It was to be expected that its German master watchmakers wanted to outdo themselves after 2004’s Double Split. But it was always unclear as to when that would happen. A technical marvel, the watch can count two times simultaneously in seconds, minutes and hours, and offers a fly-back function on all of them as well. Even the smallest of parts in this watch are finished to perfection—and we wouldn’t expect anything less from this highly esteemed brand.
Panerai L’Astronomo
Photo Credit: Haute Time
Panerai reached most of its success with time-only watches, occasionally venturing out to a chronograph or a GMT-complication. In more recent years, the brand is making more watches that combine multiple complications in a single timepiece. Such is also the case with the new Panerai L’Astronomo. This is a 50mm titanium Luminor 1950, with its manual wind movement featuring a GMT, a tourbillon, moon phases and the equation of time complication. Thanks to two mainspring barrels, it also has a power reserve of four days. Despite the skeletonized dial, the watch is very easy to read, while maintaining that simple, but gorgeous Panerai look and feel.
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