Wonderful Christmas time

As is now customary, the exhibitors at Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie in Geneva are offering a preview of some of the watches that will make their official debut in January. A practice that has spread to the rest of the profession… 

Like many of the traditions that return each holiday season, presentations in advance of the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie (SIHH) have become almost de rigueur, to the point that most of the exhibiting Maisons now lift the veil on some of the creations that will galvanise attention come January. Joining them are the growing number of brands that exhibit on the fringes of SIHH. Putting sparkle into the festive season, we offer a taste of what's to come.

Audemars Piguet has the Midas touch

 

Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar in yellow gold 

 

Audemars Piguet celebrates the timeless appeal of its Royal Oak by incorporating a classic complication inside a yellow gold case, the original metal of traditional watchmaking. The Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar is equipped with the new self-winding Calibre 5134, which is slightly larger than its predecessor (Calibre 2120) to fit the updated 41 mm case.Day, month,date, leap year and astronomical moon are displayed on the "Grand Tapisserie"dial. The week is shown on the flange.Given the choice of traditional or unconventional materials, the Le Brassus brand has this time opted for the "enduring lustre" of yellow gold.

Cartier reveals all

 

   Cartier Clé Skeleton Automatic 

 

Still in the bloom of youth, having previewed at the SIHH in 2015, the Clé watch returns with Cartier's first automatic skeleton movement. As with the Santos 100, the skeleton bridges form Roman numerals, a feature which the brand has protected by patent. The difficulty lay in incorporating an oscillating weight into the new 9621 MC calibre - modelled on the 1904 MC base movement - in the most unobtrusive way possible while conserving its efficiency. Mission accomplished: the rotor is merely hinted at from the dial side while its winding power remains intact, with a minimum 48-hour power reserve. Housed inside a 41 mm palladium case, this new Clé de Cartier is a lesson in purity and transparency.

Panerai all in white

 

Panerai Radiomir 1940 3 Days Automatic Acciaio – 42 mm 

 

True to form, Officine Panerai revises its classics with a RADIOMIR 1940 whose cushion case measures 42 mm in diameter and 10.93 mm in thickness. This slimline profile is reprised by the P.4000 self-winding calibre, whose 3.95 mm height is made possible by an off-centred oscillating weight that has been set in the movement. The bidirectional tungsten rotor winds two series-mounted barrels to deliver a three-day power reserve,the minimum requirement for any of the brand's watches with an in-house movement. The real novelty of this watch, however, lies in the immaculate white dial, a first in the Radiomir 1940 collection.