Xavier Markl's Top 10 of the SIHH 2017
The SIHH 2017 was my 19th attendance to the Geneva-based fair. What a pleasure to tour the inescapable Geneva Haute Horlogerie rendez-vous, which has been great vintage indeed! Here's my top ten favorite watches, after over 2,000 pictures shot. These are presented without specific order, focusing on gents watches (no mention therefore of the magnificent jeweled watches from Cartier, Piaget or Van Cleef and Arpels). A tough choice but as we had to pick ten, here we go with my personal highlightsGreubel Forsey Grande SonnerieThe grande sonnerie and petite sonnerie hold a special place in the world of Haute Horlogerie. There is only a handful of watchmakers capable of manufacturing such works of arts, often regarded as the ultimate horological complication. Robert Greubel and Stephen Forsey are adding a 24-second inclined tourbillon to their impressive Grande Sonnerie. The power-hungry strike-work mechanism is powered by its one barrel wound by a micro-rotor to fulfill its function for lo

First Look: The AP Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar John Mayer Limited Edition
It’s no secret that Audemars Piguet has long been involved with celebrities and influential people from the world of music. It usually goes well beyond ambassadors and AP has launched several watches in collaboration with musicians – the latest to surface was the chocolate ceramic Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar “Cactus Jack” made with Travis Scott. Now, it’s time for a collaboration with artist (and famous watch collector) John Mayer, who has decided to bring a fresh, modern take on the classic Tuscan dial perpetual calendar. Meet the new Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar “John Mayer” Limited Edition 26574BC, a watch that also has historical importance, as we’ll see when talking about its calibre 5134.What we’re looking at here is nothing groundbreaking at first sight. In most aspects, this John Mayer limited version of the RO QP is identical to the permanent collection models we’ve covered here. What matters has to do with the dial,

Introducing The Green and Red Lacquered Tank Louis Cartier
To say that Cartier has been prolific at Watches & Wonders 2023 would be an understatement. The brand is on fire, with so many new and attractive models, covering all collections, including a highly attractive Cartier Prive collection resurrecting the Tank Normale, or even a stunning grande complication pocket watch… But now, it’ll be about the most classic of the watches from the Tank collection, the Tank Louis Cartier. And it comes back this year in a duo of yellow gold, hand-wound models with Red and Green Lacquered Dials.?While the Cartier Tank dates back to 1917, with the inaugural model later renamed Tank Normale, the most emblematic version could well be the second iteration of this watch. Named Tank Louis Cartier, it has to be seen as a refined take on the original rectangular concept, with the emblematic design reworked to create a more delicate watch, its unique aesthetic being due to its vertical thin brancards and smooth angles. Ad - Scroll to con

Hands-On - Ulysse Nardin Rainbow Collection 2022 (Specs & Price)
Colour is the new protagonist at many watch brands, often making up for a lack of novelties but admittedly bringing a more lighthearted mood to the scene. As you will have noticed, classical black and silver dials are being replaced with bolder and bolder colours. Ulysse Nardin rides this trend during Geneva Watch Days with the launch of two 39mm Lady Diver models and a 45mm Blast Tourbillon, both with an unexpected twist. Instead of applying colour to the dial, UN decks the bezel with an array of multi-coloured gemstones designed to evoke the shimmering colours of its breakthrough silicium escapement. As the first brand to introduce an escapement with silicium components inside the 2001 Freak, UN takes inspiration from the iridescent rainbow of colours produced by the material.SiliciumUlysse Nardin will go down in history as a pioneer of silicium components in watchmaking. Since the early 2000s, silicium has become a promising material for watchmaking thanks to its non-magnetic qualit

Hands-on - MeisterSinger Phanero - Baselworld 2016 (live pics & price)
When you think MeisterSinger, you certainly have to think single-hand / mono-aiguille kind of watches – ?only one?single hand that displays the time, in a slow and not-so-precise way, which actually brings a certain?charm to these watches. This is what?MeisterSinger is good at – besides being an interesting and affordable proposition for watch lovers in a need of something different. For Baselworld 2016, the brand came up with their smallest, simplest, so-to-say the purest watch they probably ever had. Here is the?MeisterSinger Phanero, with thin hand-wound movement and revamped design.The collection of?MeisterSinger is built?around one single axis, as all of their watches, whether they have complications or not, have one hand that displays the time. No differentiation of the hours and minutes here. One single hand rotates around the dial in 12 hours, running on a track with 5-minute segments. Thus, we can’t call?MeisterSinger watches precise ones – in terms of