The 2022 edition of Watches & Wonders is underway in Geneva and we’re sharing our favorite horological debuts, including the latest from Hermès, Chopard, Ulysse Nardin, Grand Seiko, and IWC Schaffhausen.
Hermès Arceau Pocket Cheval Punk, © Joel von Allmen, courtesy of Hermès.
Hermès stunned with the reveal of its one-of-a-kind Arceau Pocket Cheval Punk, which looked to the designer and illustrator Daisuke Nomura’s 2021 men’s silk scarf design for the maison. Inspired by Nomura’s punk horse, the 30 mm pocket watch features a white gold case bearing an enamel head of a mohawked horse, sitting atop a transferred saddle-stitched pattern. Powered by the Manufacture Hermès H1924 movement, the gorgeous timepiece has functions for hours, minutes, and a minute repeater, and hangs from a glossy abyss blue alligator leather cord.
Happy Sport Metiers d’Art, courtesy of Chopard.
Chopard’s Happy Sport Métiers d’Art models were impactful in more ways than one—the three enchanting timepieces (limited to eight pieces each) have been made with ethical gold to honor the endangered species they represent. The dial of each watch has been made into a miniature habitat for the minuscule animals (a polar bear, a hummingbird, and a sea turtle), which have been imagined using marquetry techniques, topaz, opal, mother-of-pearl, and diamonds. Each 40 mm model utilizes the mechanical self-winding Chopard 96.23-L movement and fastens with a satin-finished alligator strap that corresponds with its animal.
Freak S, courtesy of Ulysse Nardin.
Those in search of horological innovation and unique design will need not look any further after the release of Ulysse Nardin’s new Freak S model. The watch is a futuristic statement piece bearing an intricate form resembling a spaceship on its dial. While we won’t easily forget the outer view, it’s what’s inside that we found most compelling—the Freak S utilizes a “Grinder” automatic winding system, which enables a double oscillator with a vertical differential (the watchmaker’s very first). Made from a mix of black ceramic, black titanium, and rose gold, the dial marks the passing of time through a baguette movement that rotates every hour.
Masterpiece Collection, courtesy of Grand Seiko.
Of Grand Seiko’s new debuts, we’ve found our thoughts lingering on the dazzling addition to its Masterpiece Collection. Embodying the rarity and strength of a white lion, this new timepiece has been imagined in white gold and Platinum 950, its surface sparkling with diamonds and the occasional black spinel, which have been embedded in the place of numerals. With just five pieces made, the 44.5 mm timepiece has been outfitted with a total of nearly 300 stones and a white crocodile strap with a three-fold clasp.
Big Pilot’s Watch 43 TOP GUN Edition in Woodland, courtesy of IWC Schaffhausen.
Among several new pieces, IWC Schaffhausen introduced the Big Pilot’s Watch 43 TOP GUN Edition. The house’s second model to use the new “Woodland” ceramic—an exciting feat considering the complex process required to create colored ceramics—the model features a 43.88 mm case attached to a green rubber strap. The classic round body measures time in hours, minutes, and seconds notated by easy-to-read Arabic numerals, and powered by a Pellaton automatic winding system.
