If you are a frequent visitor and reader of my blog you know, that I already featured all these watches, technologies and innovations during the last months. I assume some of you will now probably have a sense of déjà vu …
There we go, here are my ten favorites …
I want to mention it: This is of course NOT a ranking since my favorites are sorted alphabetically.
A. Lange & Söhne Grand Complication
Collectors and aficionados had to wait for quite a long time until they could see and hear the first minute repeater from A. Lange & Söhne. The Grand Complication is a masterpiece limited to six pieces, but its impressive technology will now have major influence in future developments of wristwatches with a striking mechanism.
Discover the full story HERE and HERE
Antoine Martin Slow Runner
Whilst many manufacturers dramatically increased the speed of their oscillating balances, master watchmaker Martin Braun slowed down time. His balance wheel oscilates at 1 Hertz or 7200 A/h.
Discover the full story HERE and HERE
Breguet Classique Chronométrie 7727
Using strong magnetic fields in a wristwatch was a no go until this watch developed. The engineers and watchmakers from Breguet use a 1,3 Tesla strong magnetic field to eliminate the influence of friction and gravity.
Discover the full story HERE
Hublot MP 05 LaFerrari
A stunning watch! Its eleven barrels deliver a power reserve of 50 days, that’s a new world record. But the coolest feature is the electric drill to wind the Hublot La Ferrari watch.
Discover the full story HERE and HERE
Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Grande Tradition Gyrotourbillon 3 Jubilee
The watchmaking potential of Jaeger-LeCoultre is still very much underestimated by a greater public. This year the manufacturer showed an instantaneous digital-display chronograph boasting extraordinary precision that destine it to become a new watchmaking legend, since it is the first chronograph to be associated with a flying spherical tourbillon.
Discover the full story HERE
Jaquet Droz The Charming Bird
To celebrate the 275th anniversary of the Pierre Jaquet-Droz manufactory the engineers and watchmakers at Jaquet Droz combined the basics of automata that first made its reputation in the 18th century with contemporary watchmaking to present The Charming Bird.
Discover the full story HERE
Max Büsser MB&F Legacy Machine No.2
Legacy Machines are wondrous reinterpretations of significant horological inventions by the greatest watchmakers in history. Legacy Machine No. 2 is a timepiece tracing its lineage back over 250 years to three of the greatest watchmakers who ever lived.
Discover the full story HERE
Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra >15.000 Gauss
This watch can withstand magnetic fields of over 15.000 Gauss. That is 15 times more than a Rolex Milgauss or an IWC Ingenieur can resist. Using this new technology enables Omega to dispense with a soft iron inner case and also to reveal the watch movement through a sapphire crystal case back.
Discover the full story HERE
Richard Mille RM 56-01 Tourbillon Sapphire
This is a fully transparent watch! All the parts of the RM 56-01 made from sapphire crystal have been treated with an anti-glare coating, and have also been subjected to strict testing to optimize their resistance capabilities.
Discover the full story HERE
Swatch Sistem51
In my eyes the development of Sistem51 is as ingenious and spectacular as developing a Grand Complication. You may think it’s difficult to produce a watch consisting of some hundreds of tiny components. That´s for sure correct. But, launching an automatic watch consisting of only 51 components and producing and selling it for only 150 Swiss Francs or 120 Euro is not less complicated.
Discover the full story HERE
>>> Next to come: Design … My top ten watches 2013
The Breguet watch is beautiful, as expected from the manufacture.
If this list is representative of innovation in the Swiss watch industry, it does send an interesting message. If $10,000 is considered a “reasonable” price for a Swiss mechanical watch, exactly two watches on this list fall within this price range. Raise that limit to $100,000 and we get two more watches. Which leaves six watches on this list that are in the six figure or seven figure range.
Now, it is pretty much impossible to create new and interesting complications for under $10K – so the innovations in this space have to be process-related or materials-related and those are indeed the type of innovations we see in the Swatch Sistem51 and the Omega Aqua Terra >15000 Gauss.
It is also worth noting that both these watches are from the Swatch Group. Which brings me to the question – is no one else working on this kind of technology in the Swiss watch industry? I’m pretty sure that Rolex, Richemont and LVMH could innovate in this space if they wanted to. They may not have any brands in the Swatch price range but they do have have brands in the Omega price range. So, why aren’t we seeing any such innovations from them?
– HCE
For sure there are watches missing in my list, but your remarks are correct. Today Swatch Group became the technology leader of the industry’s the others could follow, especially Rolex with a huge R&D departement, but they simply don’t do. We will see what 2014 has to offer and I will let you know a.s.a.p.
Amazing watches, I love the Breguet!
I agree to this list except the Omega which is in my opinion underqualified.
Thanks for your feedback! Why do you think that the Omega is “underqualified”?
Sorry I only saw your reply now. The reason I think the Omega is ‘underqalified’ is because in my opinion the ‘antimagnetic’ issue is over rated in watches. 1,000 Gaus is more than enough and I don’t see how one will benefit from a higher gauss rate .
Now worries my friend, but I have to disagree since it’s not a matter of 1000 or 10000 or even 15000 Gauss, it’s the fact, that the new Omega technology needs no longer an inner soft iron case and the entire movement is made out of amagnetic components. It’s just a”regular” movement and fit for all the various threats that might come along… It’s a watchmaking revolution, that step by step is going to be integrated in all the Omega collections …
Thanks Alexander! Impressive selection.
Personally I think the Breguet is the real new thing which might change a lot in the future.
The Omega concept will have a drect real value for watch buyers.
Some other “inovations” are “just” more and more of well established techniques. Nevertheless presented in nice watches.
excellent article …as always…happy new year