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WATCHES & STYLE
12 Highlights From Watches & Wonders 2022
by Katherine A.
Cover image: Panthère de Cartier
04 Apr 2022
Cover image: Panthère de Cartier
04 Apr 2022
New colors, shapes, sizes, and movements — never-ending possibilities in watchmaking that’s demonstrated at the largest watch fair in the world.
Watches & Wonders 2022 returns to the Palexpo convention center in Geneva for the first time in two years. During the heightened period of the pandemic, previous formats of the fair were conducted on digital platforms.
Now as travel passages start to open up, Watches & Wonders this year was conducted in a hybrid format, allowing invited guests to attend in person or online via Fondation de la Haute Horlogorie’s (FHH) curated itinerary.
Coming back to the annual convention via digital access was a welcome sight; brands have upped the ante in creating dynamic presentation videos and investing in professional TV studio-esque setups to address their virtual audience. As Laurent Dordet, CEO of Hermès Watches quipped, “We’re becoming TV stars now.”
Even Laurent Lecamp, Managing Director of Montblanc Watches, took on the role as a field reporter as he presented the new 1858 Geosphere Chronograph 0 Oxygen. He took a trek facing Mont Blanc (yes, the mountain!) and battled icy winds as he professionally presented the current novelties to the camera. Talk about meta.
Thus as we celebrate yet another successful edition, here are 12 standouts that encompass everything we love in watchmaking.
- SQUARE SHAPE
- WHIMSICAL DESIGN
- INTEGRATED BRACELETS
- GEMSETTING
- EXTRAVAGANT WATCHMAKING
Cartier is no doubt the supreme ruler of shapes, and when it comes to four-sides, it has littered the Panthère, Santos, Coussin, and Privè collections (the latter celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Chinoise) with superb colours and designs. For the classic Tank, they’ve released a black dial version and it's oh-so très chic. You wonder why this wasn't brought back earlier.
Tank Must in steel
It comes in two sizes for the Tank Must in steel, while the Tank Louis Cartier is in yellow gold, with other variations sporting Art Deco-styled dials in grey and red.
Hublot’s famous sandwich-assembled Big Bang watch takes on a new shape in the Square Bang Unico. It appears in five variants — ceramic, titanium ceramic, titanium, King Gold ceramic, and King Gold — and all sporting a black rubber strap.
We daresay that angular watches are always welcome, especially in this new Big Bang interpretation, and if we’re using the sandwich analogy, then this is definitely the shape for it.
- SQUARE SHAPE
- WHIMSICAL DESIGN
- INTEGRATED BRACELETS
- GEMSETTING
- EXTRAVAGANT WATCHMAKING
Whimsical Design
Hermès’ Arceau Le Foil du Ciel is a multitude of pastel colours in this whimsical design that reminisces the early days of flying. An imagery derived from Loc Dubigeon’s Les Folies du Ciel silk scarf design for Hermès in 1984, we’re treated to an oversized pigeon lifted on two balloons that are materialised via miniature-painted applique.
You have to work for your time if you’re reading it on the Van Cleef & Arpels Lady Arpels Heures Florales. The number of open flowers tells you the hours while minutes are read on a meter via the aperture on the left side of the case.
7 hours for 7 flowers — do you see it?
Did you get the time right? Maybe. Was it fun watching the dial while doing it? Absolutely.
- SQUARE SHAPE
- WHIMSICAL DESIGN
- INTEGRATED BRACELETS
- GEMSETTING
- EXTRAVAGANT WATCHMAKING
Integrated Bracelets
It’s one thing to admire the minimalistic display of Parmigiani Fleurier’s Tonda PF GMT Rattrapante (a complication that cleverly displays dual time zones without the need for extra chapter rings or home/local time indications, and resets back to a single time display with the push of a button), but it’s another to admire that smooth bracelet finish. Presented in a Milano Blue dial, the watch is dressed in polished stainless steel with links tapering towards the wrist.
It’s all about the Chronomaster for Zenith at W&W and they’ve dressed the Chronomaster Sport in rose gold. Available in a black or white dial, and a silver dial in a two-tone version. There’s also now a steel version as a boutique exclusive featuring the tri-colour counters and bezel.
Vacheron Constantin’s archives are a fantastic trove and this time they’ve pulled out the 222 in a new reissue. It’s history repeated as the reappearance of the Jorg Hysek design in its 18K yellow gold wholeness has pleased many fans and aficionados.
Oris ProPilot X Calibre 400 in grey dial
What needs to be talked about more is the Oris ProPilot X Calibre 400, whose titanium body is given a smooth sandblasted finish. In dial colours of blue, grey, and salmon, the watch is fuss-free (a generous 5-day power reserve) and is just plain cool.
- SQUARE SHAPE
- WHIMSICAL DESIGN
- INTEGRATED BRACELETS
- GEMSETTING
- EXTRAVAGANT WATCHMAKING
Gemsetting
An all-black case peppered with diamonds? Who would’ve thought? TAG Heuer doubles up on the technology front with the use of lab-grown diamonds (an ethical solution) to create the Carrera Plasma. Everything is shining in this piece, from the diamond crusted dial to the standout solitaire in place of the winding crown.
- SQUARE SHAPE
- WHIMSICAL DESIGN
- INTEGRATED BRACELETS
- GEMSETTING
- EXTRAVAGANT WATCHMAKING
Extravagant Watchmaking
Jaeger-LeCoultre introduces not one, but two new Atmos clocks this year, and with a majestic blockbuster-worthy soundtrack that accompanied the presentation, the clocks are truly epic. The most complex Atmos ever created, according to JLC, the Atmos Hybris Mechanica Calibre 590, (which they nicknamed the “Tellurium”) captures the solar system down to scale.
It measures earth and moon cycles, a perpetual calendar, zodiac calendar, the seasons, and more, not to mention the marvelous artistry that brings it to life.
The L.U.C collection turns 25 and Chopard presents a trio of new chiming watches to celebrate. Comprising the L.U.C Strike One, L.U.C Full Strike Sapphire and L.U.C Full Strike Tourbillon, the notes (specifically F and C sharp) produced on the crystal gongs have been fine-tuned by the hands of French virtuoso brothers Renaud and Gautier Capuçon.
From left to right: L.U.C Full Strike Tourbillon, L.U.C Full Strike Sapphire, L.U.C Strike One
While the Strike One and Full Strike feature guilloché dials, the Full Strike Sapphire is exposed in a full sapphire case, showing off everything good.
Read the full summary of Chopard's W&W 2022 novelties here.
Ulysse Nardin presents the “Vertical Odyssey: Mission 2” which is a collection of out-of-the-box watchmaking prowess — in other words, it’s typical UN. What powers the new Freak S is huge brain power as the no-dial, no-hands, no-crown wielding watch debuts a self-winding movement with double oscillators, where time is told via the rotating carousel. As UN plainly puts, “movement is king.”
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