AW14 MENS LUXURY WATCH EDIT

11th October 2014

The definitive directory of what you should be wearing on your wrist right now. Words by Alex Doak.

It was Abraham-Louis Breguet himself who invented the merry-go-round ‘tourbillon’ carriage over two hundred years ago, and while the need for his nifty gadget is rendered rather pointless in wristwatch form, it makes for a fascinating expression of craftsmanship and ingenuity. This surprisingly contemporary example, the ref. 5277, with silicon spring and white gold carriage is the thinnest self-winding example ever made.

Think ‘Ferrari’, think ‘red’, right? More imaginative sorts might also think ‘banana yellow’, thanks to the background colour of the famous Prancing Horse logo – which is exactly what the boffins at Hublot have done here, with their latest high-tech tribute to the Italian carmaker. Remarkably, the carbon-fibre bezel of the ‘Big Bang Ferrari Ceramic Carbon’ is made entirely in-house at Hublot’s watch factory.

Things are feeling frisky over in Switzerland’s sleepy village of Fleurier. The largest resident of this watchmaking hub, Parmigiani has launched a range conceived with urbanites in mind – affordable, funky timepieces with a true metropolitan spirit, called, aptly enough, ‘Métro’. The Tonda Métrographe men boasts a crisp, modern design, with its hours and minutes counters picked out in luminous green – as urgent and urban as a Manhattan “Walk” sign.

Returning from a 30-year hiatus, Rolex owned Tudor is now back on British soil, much to the relief of watch collectors and fashionable sorts alike. Offering a wide range of robust, affordable pieces, the highlight has to the Heritage Black Bay diver, now available in a lush royal blue. Originally a more affordable version of Rolex’s Submariner, the Black Bay is now in a league of its own.

The fledgling British brand properly took flight this year, with a trio of announcements. Most recently there’s been the rather spectacular Wright Flyer (see our aviation feature on page 88) and a gorgeous Jaguar E-Type limited edition, but Bremont’s 2014 really got going at Baselworld, when they announced a high-profile hook-up with American aerospace giant Boeing. Our favourite piece is the Model 1, named after Boeing’s very first plane, of 1916. Chocks away, chaps!

The Swiss-made watches of Bell & Ross are created with one thing in mind: professional utility. Drawing on its experience in the aeronautical and military fields, the Parisian brand is beloved of engineers, designers and professional aviators alike. And this year, the BR 03 instrument watch gets even more practical, with a high-tech ceramic case, which resists scratching, does not fade, and weighs far less than other materials.

60370 | £2,900

In a major update of Ulysse Nardin’s most iconic line, the second-time-zone DualTime collection is now endowed with ‘Manufacture’ status, meaning its new UN-334 movement is made entirely in-house. Not only that, but when you land in a new time-zone, you needn’t remove your watch to re-set – simply click the hours hand forward or back using the buttons at 10 and 8 o’clock.

From the sporty chic of Chopard’s new Happy Ocean to the elegant majesty of the Millenary from Audemars Piguet, there’s plenty to get excited about with this selection of new-season watches.

The definitive directory of what you should be wearing on your wrist right now.

Miniature versions of men’s watches, moonphases and the return of yellow gold are looking to be the key trends for 2016, as Laura McCreddie explains.