While there are some people who are all about the magnanimous value of tool watches and microbrands, sometimes it’s nice to admire some truly wild watch designs. The kind will make you stand out in any crowd. At Hands On Horology, there will be some bangers from independent and haute horology brands in London you might not have heard of, bursting with a creative spirit that will turn your preconceptions upside down. You could almost call it Hands On Haute Horology.
Haute Rive Honoris
We are very pleased to share the bespoke creativity of Haute-Rive at Hands On Horology, expanding on their top-tier offering with the Honoris. The brand’s latest model comes with a dramatic deep blue figure-of-eight dial design set in a hand-polished 18K white or rose gold case with a deep blue dial. The dial has the deep lustre only Grand Feu enamel can provide and offers a fitting background to an open-worked theatre. The signature figure-of-eight design includes the captivating view of a flying tourbillon at six o’clock, and turning the watch over to reveal the HR01 movement, which is quite the revelation. The elaborate manual wind movement offers an unprecedented 1,000-hours of power reserve through a single barrel, thanks to a 3-metre-long mainspring.
Seryn Watches Adam Rotation
As a member of the prestigious AHCI since 2021, Luděk Seryn is one of the most exciting and creative independent watchmakers currently establishing himself as a major player in haute horology. The watch that first drew notoriety was the Karel Rotation in 2019, which has subsequently been developed further in the form of the Adam Rotation ADR. What makes these watches exceptional is their interpretation of the carrousel movement, which is to say a movement that rotates inside the case of the watch. It makes for a extraordinary ballet of immaculately machined mechanical parts. What makes the Adam Rotation extra special is the lack of any bridges on the rear of the watch, giving an unparalleled view of the movement, which is wound autonomously via a peripheral rotor.
Bianchet Ultrafino
The impact of Bianchet’s intricate design language is underlined in the B 1.618 Ultrafino, a tonneau-shaped sports watch with a slim difference. The soft rectangular shape features the rarity of combining a titanium automatic tourbillon movement with one of the sleekest integrated bracelets we’ve seen this year. The UT01 movement is an engineering marvel, measuring just 3.85 mm thick and weighing only 8 grams. As one of the very few ultrathin automatic flying tourbillon movements in titanium encased in a 40mm case of brushed grade 5 titanium, the Ultrafino’s open-worked intricacies are tougher than they look. Boasting as it does 5,000G shock resistance and a 5ATM depth rating. A Bianchet is an investment, but in return offers a different take on today’s ubiquitous grail brand wristwear for the select few.
BA111OD Chapter 4 Onyx Flying Tourbillon
You will not see many examples of BA111OD’s watchmaking on British wrists, but this has the potential to change with watches like the Chapter 4. With this new concave 41mm steel case, BA111OD offers a temptingly accessible entry ticket to the dazzling world of the tourbillon with a minimalist difference. The Neuchâtel brand has set a flying tourbillon at 7 o’clock as the principal actor on a minimal stage sans hour markers. The enigmatic background is mirror-polished onyx stone, allowing the ethereally floating tourbillon to capture all the attention it deserves. The biggest temptation of the BA111OD tourbillon range is that it offers the biggest surprise regarding the price, as the only sub-£1K tourbillon watch from Switzerland available today.
Antoine Preziuso TTR Blue Equalizer Frequencies
We have seen tourbillon watch designs before, usually with the prima ballerina exhibiting its pirouettes at six o’clock. Antoine Preziuso’s TTR Blue Equalizer Frequencies takes the concept to new dimensions with the Tourbillon of Tourbillons movement. This is a core component for this brand, and the result of collaboration with his son Florian. Framed by a case that including its sides, crown and lugs are set with no less than 233 sapphires, wild is an understatement. The TTR is a sizeable watch at 47mm with three tourbillons on a revolving plate connected by a triple differential. Each tourbillon completes one rotation per minute, at a faster rhythm than the plate, which completes six rotations per hour (one rotation every ten minutes). And despite its size and open-worked complexity, Antoine Preziuso’s TTR Blue Equalizer Frequencies has a balanced poise to its flamboyance.
Justin Richardson Tank
Legendary watch designers like Gerald Genta have shown us that watches do not need to follow the geometric rules. Today many grail watches champion the unlikely octagon shape, just like the Octavo series from British watchmaker Justin Richardson. He has carved out a shapely niche in the industry, though the latest 432 plays to a different shapely tune. The delicately sized 32x43mm case exhibits small-cased comfort with a big faceted presence. The 432 has a dramatic rectangular shape with a faceted slope to its sides, echoed in a deep rehaut that frames the dial. The three-dimensional effect of the 18K gold case pulls the attention to an inner dial with an equally a strong personality. Framed by dramatic polished indices the dial comes in a vibrant black mother of pearl with a crisp inset small seconds square at 6. Justin Richardson produce bespoke watches, so samples may vary.
Frederique Constant Classics Perpetual Calendar
Frederique Constant is not a brand associated with flippant or wild watch designs, let’s be clear on that. But that preconception flipped this year with a watch that looks anything but. So what is this epitome of Swiss classicism doing in this flamboyant story? Swiss Watching is predictable, and with an in-house perpetual calendar, you’d think the price would be too. However, while the 12.1 mm-thick stainless steel case is not surprising, in terms of value, the Classic Perpetual Calendar Manufacture is remarkable. At a retail price of £8,695, this is an unbeatable sum of manufacture parts. But with its gorgeous salmon dial, it is also a lot more. With a warm, copper-like tone and polished indices, the dial is busy yet immaculately balanced, offering classic dress watch elegance at a remarkably accessible price.
For a full list of exhibitors head over to Hands On Horology.
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