THE LUXURY WATCH EDIT

28th November 2024

For him, or for her? Does it really matter any more..? Even sheltered Switzerland is peeping above its parapet of surrounding Jura mountain crests, growing less and less categoric in cataloguing a watch these days – as our select of crowd-pleasing horological arrivals attests. Words by Alex Doak and Laura McCreddie-Doak.

The Defy has come a long way from simply reviving a funkadelic Seventies case design – it’s quickly established itself as Zenith’s core sports star, with the standout feature of 2024’s titanium water baby being a blue ceramic unidirectional rotating bezel, glowing with SuperLuminova for deepsea clarity. Its versatility shines, too, with an interchangeable strap system: blue rubber, blue fabric or metal bracelet, all included and catering to every stage of your day off, from the deck to beach to bar.

82795 | £10,200

A clockwork orange that, unlikes Anthony Burgess’s protagonists, represents another joyous, deceptively effortless exercise in alchemy from the materials scientists toiling in the Hublot labs, by Lake Geneva. Not so long ago, zirconium-oxide ceramic could only be evenly ‘sintered’ at around 900ºC in black and white, but now the flawlessly consistent case and bezel can be rendered in the first two shades of the rainbow, and more besides. Richard of York may have given battle in vain, but his mnemonic comes in handier and handier chez Hublot. Indigo’s done, so just violet (not Burgess-violent) to go.

82814 | £25,400

Powered by the house’s ‘BVL 191’ workhorse calibre – crafted up in the Vallée de Joux ever since LVMH doubled down on Bulgari’s Swiss watchmaking autonomy – this monumental tribute to Roman classicism features a case cleaved from a single block of steel as artistically as anything from the Italian jeweller. In this case, enhanced by a black ‘diamond-like carbon’ (DLC) coating that’s virtually unscratchable, thanks to its frozen fusion of graphite sheet and diamond lattice..

82931 | £7,700

Back down to period-perfect 39mm in diameter, the original motorsport chronograph dreamt up by Jack Heuer in 1963 to singlewristedly revive his family firm (while kitting-out his F1 buddies with all the utility they could possibly want), the Carrera adopts race-ready ‘panda dial’ configuration for a modern twist on a classic design. It features a unique domed ‘Glassbox’ sapphire crystal with double anti-reflective treatment for instant readability while hugging every bend.

82569 | £6,100

Like the vintage cars and the road race itself, Chopard’s sponsorship of Italy’s 1,000-mile ‘Mille Miglia’ is seemingly immortal, and that goes for the watchmaker and jeweller’s annual celebration in chronograph form. Powered, as always, by the rocksolid Valjoux automatic movement, adapted in-house by Chopard’s boffins in Meyrin near Geneva, 2024’s edition gleams in part-upcycled ‘lucent’ steel with Nero Corsa-black dial, obtained by galvanic treatment.

80970 | £8,230

It doesn’t take many attempts at retro-engineering some extra vowels to realise this nigh-on-perfect modern diving watch is named after its ‘FiXeD’ strap bars –extensions of a monocoque case construct in titanium, in turn retro-engineered for the elite frogmen it once supplied in the Sixties: France’s Marine Nationale navy. Now even-fitter for 2025’s breed of combat swimmer, the ‘manufacture’ Calibre MT5602 ticks solidly inside for a full 70 hours on a single wind, to unwavering ‘chronometer’ precision.

83179 | £3,590

A synthesis of elegance and functionality from watchmaking’s unlikely new master – operating out of its crack new Swiss facility. In racy cobalt, the Interlocking operates on a reliable quartz movement and boasts an analogue display with distinctive features such as the signature Gucci interlocking ‘G’ logo, a small seconds display, plus precision stopwatch, or ‘chronograph’ functionality. The black ceramic bezel even includes a tachymeter, should your speed/distance/time arithmetic be up to it.

83153 | £1,750

Diamonds are the LBD of the jewellery world. Timeless, classic and make you feel like a million dollars when you wear them. This Chopard is the horological equivalent. Everything about it is stylish. There’s the 18-ct rose gold accents of the numerals, crown and either side of the strap, which complements the deep black of the lacquered dial. The dancing stones are an absolute joy to watch. It’s called “Happy” for a reason.

83052 | £4,690

There is something incredibly luxurious about the combination of colours on this watch. The warm tones of Hublot’s proprietary precious metal, King Gold, which contains platinum, perfectly complements the deep blue, with sunray lines of brushed dial drawing the eye to the diamonds that twinkle on the bezel. The rubber strap stops this all from being too ladylike, countering all this opulence with a shot of subversion.

82812 | £15,000

We tend to associate Bulgari with flamboyance and serpents, however, it does do a nice line in understated as well, as this timepiece demonstrates. Although there is something of the Rivera about this design, the idea of white for winter is incredibly chic. It is automatic, has a 40mm case, and would look fabulous with camel full-length overcoat for the ultimate in East coast “eat the rich” luxury.

83042 | £2,980

Last summer may have been all about the Barbie-pink Carrera, thanks to the red-carpet efforts of one Mr Gosling, but now it’s turquoise’s turn. This particular shade puts one in mind of the colour palette for Disney’s Frozen, with its icy-blue dial gorgeously snail brushed so it shimmers in the light. The 36mm case is very on trend, while the brushed and polished bracelet brings some sophistication to the sportiness.

83487 | £2,850

Tool watches have always been what Tudor is most famous. However, with it Clair de Rose collection, it shows it can also find its feminine side. This being Tudor however the pretty face hides an impressive piece of kit. The movement is in-house, it is good to 100m, has a steel case and sapphire crystal. This timepiece may look delicate, but it can take anything you can throw at it. Maybe it’s a tool watch after all.

82858 | £2,800

Gucci has had a reputation for being rather out there with its watch design, but this proves it can do pared back as well. The slight cushion of the case shape gives this timepiece a 1970s vibe, while the powder-pink of the dial studded with diamonds adds a touch of romance to what can, typically, be quite a sporty look. It’s quartz and a very dainty 29mm in diameter.

83067 | £1,540

This is a first time a Chronomaster Sport has been given a green ceramic dial, and doesn’t it wear it well. This is a lovely, richly verdant shade, which allows the contrasting sub dials to really standout, as they can sometimes get lost when paired with more demure colours. Powering all this loveliness is Zenith’s iconic El Primero movement, which the brand debuted back in 1969 as part of the Swiss race to launch the first automatic chronograph.

82582 | £9,700

CONTINUE READING

Jack Heuer’s brilliantly legible motorist’s chronograph careers onward, six decades young.

A force to be reckoned with. Instantly recognisable luxury credentials combined with durability means bold gold is here to stay.

Captain of ‘Pilot’ as livery adorning any watch dial, Zenith has charted the skies since 1909 – continuing in magnificent fashion with an all-new fleet of flying machines.