Four World-First Watches Up For Nomination At GPHG

 

 

With the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Geneve (GPHG) award ceremony around the  corner, the top watches currently in the running for the win in more than a dozen categories are making a traveling tour around the world — on display for watch lovers in a host of countries to get a look before the final decisions are announced in early November. We have covered a host of these watches already, but now we take a closer look at five top watches that are world-first premiers.

 

Armin Strom Orbit Manufacture Edition

A nominee in the men’s complications category: Armin Strom’s Orbit Manufacture Edition watch. Independent Swiss brand Armin Strom this year unveiled the world’s first timepiece with  date function on the bezel. The 43.4mm stainless steel and ceramic watch required an all new movement– a mechanical self-winding skeletonized caliber — to make this feature operational and the in-house column-wheel mechanism also allows for the date function to be deactivated and reactivated with the push of a button on the case side. The date hand jumps to the current date on the fixed black ceramic bezel whenever the date is activated. The watch offers hours, minutes, seconds, date, per reserve, date on demand and retrograde date. CHF 29,500.

 

 

MB&F Legacy Machine Sequential EVO

A nominee in the chronograph category of GPHG: MB&F’s Legacy Machine Sequential Evo. Independent Swiss watch brand MB&F, founded just 17 years ago, has already introduced its 20^th caliber – in the form of the Legacy Machine Sequential Evo. The brand’s first-ever chronograph, and a world first for the timing system, the movement was developed by master watchmaker Stephen McDonnell, with whom MB&F worked before (think MB&F’s first-ever perpetual calendar watch). It incorporates two column-wheel chronographs with a “Twinverter” switch that enables the wearer to change timing modes to time events cumulatively, sequentially, or discontinuously. The highly complicated watch is a world first and is crafted in zirconium. $180,000.

 

 

Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda PF GMT Rattrapante

A contender in the GPHG men’s complications category:  Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda PF GMT Rattrapante.     The watch houses the new automatic caliber PF051, and represents the first time that a Rattrapante (flyback) hand is being used as a GMT hand instead of its traditional use in a split-second chronograph. The hand indicates a second time zone and then, when no longer needed, flies back to its resting position beneath the home-time hour hand. It has a patent pending.  Crafted in stainless steel with platinum bezel. $28,700.

 

Van Cleef & Arpels Lady Arpels Heures  Florales Cerisier

A strong contender in the ladies’ complications category at GPHG: Van Cleef & Arpels Florales Cerisier Arpels Heuers watch. Crafted in 18-karat rose gold and white gold with pink sapphires, white and yellow diamonds and superb miniature painting and enamel work, this Van Cleef & Arpels Lady Arpels Heures Florales Cerisier watch is a world-first and up for nomination in the Women’s Complications category.  It houses a complex mechanism that – at the turn of every hour – 166 elements are set into motion. The petals in the garden open in three different sequences for new combinations hourly that indicate the time from one hour to the next. As each flower opens, a diamond  center is revealed. A tiny automaton on the wrist, the 38mm gold watch offers a lateral display of the minutes.  It retails for approximately $246,000.