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Furlan Marri have become a household name in modern microbrand watch design – if your household is full of watch nerds. Which is what makes the fact that in 2025 they are celebrating only their 4^th anniversary all the more amazing. They are the definition of ‘exploding onto the scene’ and if you want to know more about the men behind the brand, we have an interview with co-founder Andrea Furlan in Oracle Time Issue 111. For now though, they’re celebrating their latest birthday with a new model, the Red Hunter.

The watch word here is neo-vintage, which you could argue is actually the watch word for the entire Furlan Marri brand. It means taking classic or traditional elements from vintage watches and presenting them in fresh, new ways for a modern watch market. Take the case for example, which measures just 36mm in diameter. That’s very small by modern standards but in the mid-20^th century it wouldn’t have been unusual. In fact, across the past two years or so, there has been a major trend in the industry returning to smaller dimensions after the behemoths of the 2000s.

However, the Red Hunter’s case actually pays tribute to an even older style of case, the hunter pocket watch. A style of pocket watch that dates back to the very earliest days of horology centuries ago and that uses a folding metal lid to protect the face of the watch. The name refers to it being a protective cover used while hunting – similar in concept to the original JLC Reverso being a way to protect your watch while playing polo.

For Furlan Marri’s watch, that translates itself into having a pocket watch-style hunter hinged caseback, which you can lift up to reveal an exhibition window beneath. On the inside of the hunter cap there’s an engraving celebrating the 4^th anniversary of the brand. The movement that’s revealed when you lift the back is the La Joux-Perret G100 movement, a far cry from the mecaquartz movements the brand was using in their debut year. It has a 68-hour power reserve and a new Furlan Marri branded rotor in gold.

The movement powers the hour, minute and seconds hands you can see on the dial. It’s a really nice Alpha handset with a bright red seconds hand that informs the ‘red’ part of Furlan Marri Red Hunter. The dial itself is black lacquer with pronounced contours across the minute track, hour scale and central disk. There are a lot of details to delve into as it uses a combination of a railway minute scale, Arabic numerals, curved Roman numerals and spherical dot indices. While there’s technically a lot going on, the overall result doesn’t feel over designed and it’s actually a very clean display. It hits that neo-vintage buzzword with its retro influences but modern feel.

The Fulan Marri Red Hunter is available for a limited pre-order starting on 23^rd April 2pm BST and closing on 4^th May 9pm BST. It’s priced at CHF 1,650 (approx. £1,525), so it sits as a mid-range option between the Sector and Disco Volante. I can easily picture the Red Hunter becoming one of the most popular Furlan Marri models to date. It’s a superb blend of elegance and wearability with a hint of proactive sportiness from that flash of red in the seconds hand and strap stitching.

More details at Furlan Marri.

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Grandeur ReVolv

With a unique time display (reminiscent of the Louis Vuitton Spin Time) that features a dual wandering hours layout, a 42.5mm titanium case, and groundbreaking black Super-LumiNova, the ReVolv from Grandeur delivers haute horology vibes at a fraction of the price. It’s round design with wide, flat surfaces almost makes it feel like a wandering hours interpretation of the Cartier Tank à Guichets, fusing retro and futuristic design.

More details at Grandeur.

Nodus Sector Sport II

Nodus have refined the Sector Sport with a thinner case and an ergonomically adapted bracelet, making it one of the most wearable Seiko NH-based watches ever. The Frost variant is as clean as they come, design-wise. It has a highly legible display with oversize lumed markers in a 3/6/9 layout. Another part of that is it doesn’t feature the additional cross hair pattern or 24-hour scale of the Field editions while also having a smoother, rounder bezel.

More details at Nodus.

Mandetbrote Watches Secret Orbital Watch

With a looping minute display and quirky charm, Hong Kong-based Secret’s Orbital shows why some of the most creative and affordable watchmaking is happening in the microbrand space. The minute display system took two years to develop with a distinctive dual gear system that allows for the loof-the-loop. Hours are told via a rotating disk at the bottom of the display. The movement is a modified Miyota 9015.

More details at Kickstarter.

Ubiq Trek Aqualight

With a titanium case measuring 38mm x 11mm and a super-legible dial featuring solid lume block hour markers, the Ubiq Trek Aqualight feels like a field watch packed with playful pops of colour. Specifically, it has a dark blue dial with teal numerals on its 24-hour scale and hour hand. It reminds me of the colours of an atlas, making me want to get out and explore the world.

More details on Ubiq’s Instagram.

Straum Jan Mayen

Scandi microbrand Straum has dropped a quartet of stunning, multi-coloured textured dials for their 39mm Jan Mayen. The Aurora Sky, Meltwater Teal, Tundra Brown and Alpine Glow add vibrant personality to a rugged steel-cased watch. They’re each inspired by an aspect of life in and around the arctic circle with eyecatching gradients and a captivating texture akin to fractured or melting ice. The real kicker is the La Joux-Perret G101 movement.

More details at Straum.

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Independent watchmaking seems to be in an ascendency that shows no sign of stopping. But, it has split into two very distinct poles. On one end you have the classical horologists like Laurent Ferrier, F.P. Journe, and Biver, creating gorgeous traditional watches. On the other you have the iconoclasts, the groundbreakers that, while sometimes divisive always make a splash. It’s among that latter group, the MB&Fs and Urwerks of the world that Vanguart is more than ready to take their place. While the brand was founded in 2017 by a watch-loving quartet of experts Axel Leuenberger, Mehmet Koruturk, Jérémy Freléchox, and Thierry Fischer the story of Vanguart actually starts long before the brand ever existed with a watch that caused quite a lot of buzz: the Black Hole.

“We didn’t actually know Thierry back then,” explains Axel, “but we did get the buzz around the watch. So, when we finally met, it just clicked: you’re the guy behind the Black Hole! And ten years later, we had the opportunity to make it a reality.”

If you’re wondering why it didn’t become a reality sooner than that, that’s because the Black Hole wasn’t really meant to be built or at least, that wasn’t its main reason for being. Thierry is an industrial designer first and foremost and actually designed it for his diploma a decade before Vanguart became a reality. And just look at the thing, constantly rotating rings orbiting around a central tourbillon surrounded by sci-fi racing lines. It’s out-of-this-world in more ways than one, including, practically.

“When I was first designing the Black Hole,” says Thierry of the process, “I didn’t have the knowledge I have today. I didn’t understand how to meet the physical constraints of watchmaking, especially the movements. To me, it was an incredible idea; it was up to Axel and Jeremy to make it work.”

Speaking of Axel, between himself and co-founder Jérémy Freléchox, you couldn’t ask for a better pair of watchmakers to get stuff done. Both are veterans of those four mythical letters, APRP, or Audemars Piguet Renaud et Papi. The legendary movement development studio has alumni scattered across the watch world, like A. Lange & Sohne’s Tony de Haas, the Brothers Gronefeld. Robert Greubel, Stephen Forsey, and Christophe Claret. So, when they get excited about a project, you know there’s something in there and they were very excited about the Black Hole.

“The case is very special,” says Axel. “Every shape is designed like a car. There are no straight lines, all curves, and when you pass the light and see it moving over the watch it’s incredible, a mix of sporty, futuristic and artisan.”

It’s hard not to look at the Black Hole and imagine a serious horological pedigree behind it. Nobody would doubt you if you told them it was an MB&F for its curvaceous asymmetry and unique approach to time. Where many independent watchmakers struggle with their sophomore album – especially when it hit such a stride as the Black Hole that wasn’t the case for Thierry.

“Honestly, the second project was easier. Everything about the Black Hole is atypical and transferring those design codes to something that actually has hands, is actually symmetrical, that idea made it easier than staring at a blank page.”

Not that he’s been making things any easier on Axel and Jérémy over the years, of course. That’s one of the benefits of coming from a non-watch background of course, coming at things from a completely new perspective and not constantly bow to the whims of time and space. Nor does Thierry ever aim to hit the finished target first time.

“It’s never a case of drawing a finished watch,” says Thierry. “It’s more about how what I draw, the ideas I put to paper, can be translated into a watch. That’s my favourite part of the process, working with Axel to figure out how or even if we can make it work.”

Obviously, the question then is, does it always work? “I have to say no all the time!” says Axel. “But there’s often some serendipity too. You need to take a step back and thing right, how can we address this? You end up finding a completely different approach, something new and cool. Sometimes the challenges lead to something better than we were expecting.”

That’s how you end up with Orb, Vanguart’s 2024 follow-up. And indeed, it’s closer to a traditional watch than the Black Hole, but in the same way that the UK is closer to Switzerland than it is Japan. Sure, it’s geographically on the same continent, but they’re still very different countries. It has hands, a rounded shape and recognisable features, but there’s nothing ‘traditional’ about Orb. It treads the same aesthetic footprint of automotive-flavour futurism, big, bold and very obviously an incredible piece of horology. Baby’s first FlikFlak this is not. In Axel’s words, “we make watches for people that have everything. A Vanguart is never going to be someone’s first watch.”

I mean, you could buy a Black Hole or Orb as your debut timepiece, but given the esotericism inbuilt into watches like this and the fact that Vanguart currently make just 100 pieces a year it’s unlikely you’ll even know about them until you’re in too deep. That all said, once you’re at this level, there’s plenty to appreciate about what Vanguart do. “Collectors look at brands like Audemars Piguet and Richard Mille,” says Axel, “watchmakers that are both sporty and amazingly finished, hitting both types of watch and both types of collectors. That’s where we want to be. We’re part-way there already, we have two points along an axis in the Black Hole and Orb. But we need the third so people can triangulate what we’re all about.”

That third plot on the graph won’t be with us until 2026 at the earliest, so don’t hold your breath quite yet. What you can look forward to are new editions of both watches currently in the Vanguart stable. We’re sworn to secrecy on details, but Vanguart’s future is looking very interesting. In fact, Axel puts it best: “I believe the future is something we can put into a watch. So that’s what we do.”

More details at Vanguart.

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Nixiefab La NBnixie N° 1 Tubes ZIN 70

More of a horological accessory for your home, Nixiefab produce a wide range of Nixie tube clocks. Nixie tubes use light to display numerals making for a soft glowing time display with a cool retro vibe harking back to the 1970s. This edition features a stand made of ebonised oak and raw lime wood, creating a dynamic contrast between the light and dark wood. It also features wi-fi connectivity to automatically correct itself to local time.

Available at Nixie Fab.

Heist Clean Watch Cleaning Kit, £30

The Heist Watch Cleaning Kit includes everything you need to keep your watches in top condition and tackle any grime that’s built up on your timepieces. It contains an 80ml cleaning solution specially formulated for use on all the common materials used in watchmaking, including precious metals. A microfibre cloth for ensuring a nice finish at the end of the cleaning process and a soft-bristle brush for reaching awkward positions between bracelet links or around the bezel.

Available at Heist.

Johnsons of Lichfield Bespoke Winder Safe £12,000

Johnson’s of Lichfield are a luxury safe retailer specialising in designing robust custom watch and jewellery safes for your home. This elegant, modern safe from their Luxe range includes custom chrome bolt pockets and hardware, as well as reliable Rapport Watch Winders. These beautiful pieces of furniture are all made to order letting the client choose their exact specification. A practical and great addition to any watch collector’s home. Additionally, they are insurance approved.

Available at Johnson’s of Lichfield.

Benson Watch Winders Black Series, £1,500

Benson’s Black Series is their high-end watch winder collection for between two and 12 watches depending on the model. Despite the name they can feature a variety of finishes, though the signature is of course the black lacquer. Each of the rotors in the fleet of winders can also be set individually, allowing you to customise each to the watch they are destined to hold, preventing over-winding and potential damage to your pieces. On top of the winder portion of the box, they feature storage space for additional watches.

Available at Benson.

Artem Loop Less Hydroflex Strap, £191

Artem’s latest strap is the Loop-less Hydroflex, a top quality FKM rubber strap that’s completely waterproof while having a texture that emulates their signature sailcloth. The loop-less appellation is a nod to the fact that it’s fitted with a deployant clasp so there is no need for the additional keepers found on traditional straps that keep the tail of the strap in order. It’s the perfect strap for a variety of watches, as the saying goes, from boardroom to beach.

Available at Artem.

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Science and horology have a long and storied history together, and within that lies the compelling history of anti-magnetic watches, a prime example of horological innovation driven by scientific understanding. There are hundreds if not thousands of watchmaking advances that are only possible due to engineers and scientists, concepts that might not originally have horology in mind – everything from friction to resonance – but that have nonetheless moulded how modern watches are made.

But that’s all a bit passive for us. That could apply to any industry like cars, smartphones, construction. What about when it’s the other way around? Timekeeping is intrinsic to many fields of scientific discovery, so what happens when science calls and watchmaking answers? To get there, we need to look at the most famous example of the ‘science watch’, the Rolex Milgauss and its relationship to Geneva’s CERN installation. But first, we need to talk about magnets.

Vacheron Pocket Watch (1915)

Magnets are cool, right? Get one powerful enough and you can make a frog levitate, if that’s what you’re into. But even weak magnetic forces can have an impact on delicate machinery like that in your watch. In the early days of timekeeping, when weather changes at sea were the biggest issue, marine chronometers didn’t need to factor magnetic fields in. But as electricity took over particularly when it came to advancements like the railroad timekeeping started to become an issue. What happens is that, when parts of your watch get magnetised, they begin to stick together.

This is most noticeable in the delicate balance spring, which begins to coil and uncoil more erratically and pick up time, but it can happen to other parts too. These days you can just hold it up to an old CRT TV and hit ‘degauss’ (or get yourself a handy degausser often used in high-end audio), but in the early days that wasn’t an option. Watchmakers had known about the issues with magnetism for decades and indeed Vacheron Constantin spent tens of years developing the first anti-magnetic pocket watch that dropped in 1915. For wristwatches though, the premier anti-magnetic timepiece was the 1930 Tissot Antimagnetique. No points for originality in that name.

Tissot Antimagnetique posters (circa. 1930s)

The Antimagnetique’s movement included a palladium balance spring, balance wheel and lever. Given how much palladium costs, it was expensive and honestly, wouldn’t stand up to even the most basic modern movement. It was a step in the right direction, though. New, antimagnetic materials wouldn’t crop up for decades later in any solid way. Instead, IWC would utilise an ancient scientific device: the Faraday Cage.

When watchmakers talk about soft iron inner shells, this is what they mean, and it was a device first used by scientist Michael Faraday in 1836. It basically disperses electromagnetic fields and IWC miniaturised it into a watch, first in their military pilots’ pieces, then for civilians into the 1955 Ingenieur. This version of the Ingenieur, the Ref. 666, was a world away from the Genta-re-designed version we got in the 1970s and again much more recently, and this emphasis on scientific development is where the collection gets its name – not the over-engineered, screwed bezel and love of industrial style. It worked well enough that it could stand up to 1,000 gauss. That brings us to CERN.

IWC Ingenieur ref. 666 (1955), image credit: Analog:Shift

CERN, founded in 1956, is the European Organization for Nuclear Research. Along with a host of scientists and underground facilities, it’s home to the 27km tunnel of superconducting magnets that is the Large Hadron Collider, created to smash particles together at mind-boggling speed. It’s the pinnacle of human discovery on Earth and, for the scientists there, a bit of a problem. The key thing there is ‘superconducting magnets’, and the collider’s not the only part of CERN that uses plenty of magnetic forces.

The scientists needed watches that could withstand regular exposure and, for a project of this magnet-ude (sorry), who better than Rolex? Thus, the Milgauss was born, a watch that could withstand… 1,000 gauss. Yes, they were a year late to that particular party, but between the association with Switzerland’s most important scientific installation and the awesome design of the Milgauss itself easily Rolex’s most underrated watch it’s no surprise that it became the de facto poster child for advanced anti-magnetism.

IWC Ingenieur SL

The battle continued if a bit subdued over the next 50-odd years. By this point most watch brands were using non-ferrous metals for components, so watches were becoming naturally more magnetic resistant. One high point was the IWC Ingenieur 500,000 A/m, which was resistant to around 6,250 gauss. Rather than the usual soft iron inner cage, this version used a niobium-zirconium hairspring, anti-magnetic escape wheel and pallet fork, and rotor bearings made of ruby and was by far the most anti-magnetic watch of its era, something that wouldn’t be beaten until the turn of the millennium, when 2001 changed watchmaking.

2001 was the year of the Ulysse Nardin Freak. Not only was this insane carousel monster uniquely designed, but it was the first watch to use silicon components. There’s a lot to love about silicon. It’s consistent to produce, it’s resistant to temperature, it creates very little friction and it’s entirely amagnetic. You already know what happened next. Silicon took the watch world by storm. Swatch Group and Omega in particular, embraced silicon, creating entire escapements from the advanced material.

Ulysse Nardin Freak (2001)

Ulysse Nardin continued with it in everything from movements to marquetry and Zenith even tried to build a cutting-edge new movement entirely from silicon in the Defy LAB which didn’t take off, for better or worse. This has gotten to the point where today, anti-magnetic no longer means it can survive a hundred fridge magnets. Omega’s Master Chronometer standard tests their watches to 15,000 gauss, the same level as a working MRI machine, and that’s just what they’re tested to. They can in reality achieve much, much higher, but saying ‘it can survive an MRI machine’ is good marketing.

And honestly, for most of us, that’s all anti-magnetism really is. Sure, fridge magnets can wreck vintage watches, but most everyday modern watches won’t be impacted unless you’re working on a Japanese bullet train. And let’s be honest, in the same way being able to talk up a dive watch’s 1,000m water resistance is just a bit of fun, so too is this. But for those few, those scientists and engineers, that still need a watch in environments that hate accurate timekeeping, there’s still a niche, be that CERN, just outside of Geneva, or elsewhere in the world.

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The G-Shock Black and Bold Red Series features black bezels with unpainted logos combined with red-tinted LCD displays. The stealthy style is reminiscent of the old DW-5600MS-1 and the DW-6900UMS-1 but with non-inverted LCD displays and a bolder red tint. The series consists of affordable models in a variety of sizes and display types, including […]

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Hordes of people are flocking around a billboard. Robed in an assortment of blue and orange caps, the masses savour their moment to pose by the oversized poster. You can spot this Orange Army as they call themselves from afar: the devout fan base of four-time Formula 1 World Champion, Max Verstappen. Saluting the pictured Dutch Lion with selfies and screams, the frenzied enthusiasts are mere hours away from discovering the livery of the 2025 Formula 1 season at the inaugural F1 75 Live broadcast in London, marking the sport’s milestone anniversary.

Verstappen isn’t ready just yet to reveal all. We’re meeting in west London a few hours before, with fans already decorating tube lines in their team kits. Yet, the current kingpin of the track is calm amidst all the pageantry, the composed spirit of a seasoned victor taking each day as it comes. He’s decorated in his own updated livery, a dark blue team kit more understated than the season before, but still bearing a chest that’s healthily decorated with sponsors. The mood is light and Verstappen forthright.

Noticeably so, but it’s easy to forget that racing drivers are adept at hurling themselves around sharp corners at high speeds, just as they are skilled communicators, repeatedly relaying crucial data by radio to their engineers. It makes for a straightforward interlocutor, but a confident one, too. He stands on arrival and offers a firm handshake. While fan-fuelled mania brews just 10 miles away, there’s no spectacle here only a sense of calm normalcy, a peer in age, despite being one of the most celebrated sporting names on the planet.

As the evening spectacle approaches, Verstappen glances at his wrist – not out of a need to track time until lights out, nor out of indifference, but to appreciate a watch clearly destined for him: a TAG Heuer Monaco. “Living in Monaco, [knowing the history of Monaco, and winning Monaco – there’s a lot of Monaco attached to it,” shares the Oracle Red Bull Racing frontman. His life has come to orbit the microstate along the French Riviera, but such is the case with most Formula 1 drivers, given its preferred geographical logistics when touring the globe.

But TAG Heuer’s hallmark model means more than just a symbol of topography for the champion. Sure, it’s a paean tribute to a rich automotive history, considered one of the ultimate racing watches following its release in 1969 in the era of Heuer without the TAG hat tip to Steve McQueen in Le Mans for the revved up fanfare that ensued. At most, it’s a reflection on the soaring arc of his career. “My tastes [with TAG Heuer] have evolved. I started with the smallest, and we ended up going to the Monaco. It’s how my career went, so it’s perfect.

What’s more surprising, a decade of drinking the same carbonated drink, or a pairing between a driver and a watch brand that continues to make sense? The beverage clangs to the table on its return, and Verstappen reveals a Monaco Chronograph Automatic in titanium, often seen fastened to his wrist since its launch in 2023. He thumbs the strap with his hands. “You cannot afford any mistakes in engineering,” he commands the room with a deep, slightly gravelly voice.

Pointing to his wrist he continues, “it all depends on precision. [And] of course that comes down to the manufacturing.” A prodigy of precision, he begins to recount a visit to TAG Heuer’s manufacturer in the esteemed horological locale, La Chaux-de-Fonds. The Red Bull Racing alternative, Milton Keynes’ MK-7 base, turned Swiss. “I tried [the mechanics) myself, it’s very impressive, but my hand is not stable enough to be very precise,” he laughs.  It sounds baffling from a man who operates in a world of hundredths of seconds.

“You see how so many little components work together and don’t break at the same time when you’re banging your watch around. So, I had to try, but I was shaking. I have a lot of respect for that, and I guess when they would come to our factory, it’s the same, you know? Just bigger components, same precision.” Victors don’t often admit their defeats, but Verstappen’s the first to make it known which lane is best for him. That said, it is the very same mindset of a watchmaker: pure adrenaline, obsessive detail, and a flavour for risk.

That approach is echoed between these two mechanical worlds, admits Verstappen. “The motivation is going back to the people you’ve worked with already for a long time, and trying to win again.” Speed might just be the key difference between these marvels of engineering and less screaming fans of course, although collector clubs can get loud and proud. Regardless, it’s a long journey to achieve the dream. The prizeman cites his racing beginnings largely due to his father, Jos Verstappen, a former Formula racing driver who encouraged Max into karting from a young age. Paternal influence led him to timely pursuits beyond the track, too. “I think I [got into watches] because my dad was really into them too,” he shares. “He loves it, and I think as a kid, seeing him with different watches on his wrist, he was so passionate about it, and [by] nature you grow into it. I knew what a (brand like TAG Heuer meant for sports, and for Formula 1, but starting together, I got more involved in the history behind it. It’s [been] a very nice insight for me.”

At their very core, watches revolve around a beating movement, but what is it that truly moves this World Champion? “A lot of different things, to be honest,” he pauses. “I’ve never really felt like any Grand Prix has been the same, because it depends on what has happened that weekend, the previous weekend and what happens in your private life. It can all have an impact and an influence. That’s what keeps it from being boring. In the years that I’ve done Formula 1, you come to understand your body a lot more, what you need, what you can do and you cannot do.  You apply that and you try to make the best of it in between races combine it all together to make it a success.”

While time waits for no man, Verstappen is keen to chase it. That’s what he reminds himself, cutting through the noise of the hunt. “We have this saying in Dutch, ‘Doe maar gewoon normaal dan ben je gek genoeg.” He translates: “just act normal, because you’re already crazy enough.”

More details at Max Verstappen.

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Discontinuations are a fact of life in the watch industry. Brands only have a certain amount of production capacity and the drive to always be releasing new watches means that some of the older catalogue models have to get cut to make way for the latest freshness. However, that doesn’t mean it isn’t sad to see them go. Here’s a selection of watches getting discontinued in 2025 that we’re going to miss.

Rolex Oyster Perpetual Celebration

The Celebration dial Rolex Oyster Perpetual will always have a place in my heart. It was released in 2023 at the first Watches and Wonders I attended in person. It stunned collectors and enthusiasts alike for the uncharacteristically fun and playful way it interprets a design from one of Switzerland’s most traditionally reserved ateliers. A turquoise dial (at a time when tiffany blue was all conquering) decorated with a slew of bubbles in the colours of the other Oyster Perpetual models in the existing collection.

Its discontinuation is not a complete surprise given a huge swath of the Oyster Perpetual collection has been discontinued at the same time. Plus Rolex have released a series of new OPs in pastel colours this year so it’s a straightforward of the old making way for the new.

Tudor Black Bay P01

Production of the Black Bay P01 reportedly ceased as early as 2023, however it remained in Tudor boutiques and online while stocks lasted. Then around November last year rumours began to circulate that ADs couldn’t get hold of the watch any more. Now in 2025 it has been quietly removed from the Tudor website, signalling its final discontinuation.

It was an experimental watch based on unused blueprints from Tudor’s mid 1900s military experiments. It has essentially been supplanted by the Black Bay Pro as there’s no need for two adventure-ready dual time models, even if the P01’s distinctive quirks like the 4 o’clock crown make it a cult favourite.

Patek Philippe Nautilus Moonphase Ref. 5712/1A-001

If you want to discover every watch Patek Philippe has discontinued in 2025, we’ve got you covered here. Perhaps the most significant discontinuation is the Nautilus Moonphase Ref. 5712/1A-001, one of the few remaining steel Nautli in production. Though Its removal does fit within Patek’s trend over the past 4 years or so to make the Nautilus exclusively a precious metal collection, despite the model being one of the most famous steel watches of all time.

Baltic Bicompax

They might be on a different level to the other watch brands featured in this article but French brand Baltic have been very open about the circumstances surrounding the discontinuation of the Bicompax chronograph. It was originally the counterpart to the popular HMS collection featuring the same array of dial colours and options but with a Seagull calibre ST1901 calibre instead. And there lies the issue.

Seagull recently changed their pricing and order structure to increase the number of movements in a minimum order. Making it impractical for host of microbrands to continue using their calibres as they only produce watches in low quantities. Baltic have taken the decision to discontinue the watch as a result.

Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Ref. 15407 Skeleton

Audemars Piguet are celebrating their 150^th anniversary so it’s not surprising that a few older models are making way for anniversary creations. Specifically, two of the Royal Oak skeletons have been discontinued, the Ref. 15407ST and 15407OR, the steel and pink gold editions of the same watch. They were some of the nicer skeleton dial Royal Oaks with displays that offer amazing depth and insight into the inner workings of the movements. The focus in 2025 has been on new material interpretations of existing models so perhaps it’s not too farfetched to expect the return of these skeleton displays in ceramic or sand gold.

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We recently looked at the amazing artisanal finishing techniques. But what if you were to flip over a watch and look through the exhibition caseback? What are some of the most common and important types of finishing found on the beating heart of a watch? Between striping, perlage and brushing, these are some of the quintessential movement finishing techniques every collector should be able to identify.

Anglage

Also known by the French term bevelling or chamfering, this finishing technique sets the standard for haute horology movements. If you look at the flank of a movement bridge, if there is a 45-degree angled, polished bevel that catches the light, this is the perfect example. This bevelled detail is one of the most complex and time-consuming techniques, and from a technical standpoint, believed to prevent material stress concentrations along the edges of bridgework.

A decorator will carefully smooth down edges with files and sometimes a micro-rotor tool with an ebony tip to form a uniform width and two sharp parallel lines. The surface of the sloping angle is then hand-finished with files and wood pegs with abrasive paste, giving a polish that is incomparable to machine-made attempts. It is a time-consuming technique that requires years of experience and a patient hand and is seen as the recognisable feature of a top tier watch movement. The pièce de resistance is curved outer bevelling, as rounded angles can only be done by hand without the possibility of going straight from point to point. Here, the surface of the chamfer is also convex, and only a few extremely trained hands can achieve this after many years of training.

Biver Automatique

We’ve already reviewed this magnificent beast of a watch (the rose gold version specifically), so for the full rundown head to our review section. But in brief, every part of the watch is finished to perfection and that includes bevelling on every single edge of the movement. It’s magnificent and shows off a lot of the techniques listed here, but it’s the way the light hits the anglage that really sets it off.

Striping

Also known as Côtes de Genève, Côtes de Glashütte or Côtes de Fleurier depending on the exact regional variation, striping is the wave-like linear pattern on movement bridges, 3⁄4 plates and often rotors. It is an instantly recognisable mechanical movement feature and perhaps the most recognisable metal finishing method together with perlage. As with many forms of metal finishing, it had a functional purpose that, with today’s precision and sealing technology, is almost rendered obsolete. The interesting and undulating surface was originally intended to keep dust and particles away from the gears and other smaller components of the movement, and it still works to do so.

With today’s strict quality control within an atelier and improved seals for watch cases, it has become a decorative part of a movement. The stripes are machine-applied in a symmetric, straight or circular pattern and must be perfectly aligned on adjoining pieces of bridgework.

Daniel Roth Extra Plat

Sure, there are a lot of different finishes you could use the latest from Daniel Roth to illustrate. But along with everything happening on the dial, it has some of the cleanest, most beautiful striping on the movement of any watch. With its large plates uninterrupted by a rotor – it’s manual-wind, of course – the striping has room to show off and it makes the most of it. This is exactly what you’d expect from the revival of an iconoclastic independent watchmaker.

Perlage

Perlage and perlée are French words used for a pearl-like pattern often used inside watch cases or the mainplate. Since its infancy, the automotive industry has used large-scale perlée patterns on surfaces such as car dashboards. These days, that parallel is confined to luxury vehicles like Paganis and the Bugatti Veyron 16.4, echoing the perlage of vintage Bugatti single seaters. This light-catching and decorative pattern offers intricate overlapping circles that can be machined – or hand-made. It is mostly used to finish larger surfaces that are not in your line of sight.

The size of the small circles and their concentric accuracy is a tell-tale sign of top-tier watchmaking. When done by hand, perlage needs the rock-steady hand of a trained artisan who uses a rotating abrasive tip or peg pressed onto the metal in overlapping patterns of circles. The difficulty lies in achieving a consistent pattern across a larger piece of metal. Still, as with all finishings, a few tell-tale microscopic flaws only underline the charm of the craft.

Piaget Polo Flying Tourbillon

Perlage is a relatively common sight through an open caseback, especially at a certain echelon of watchmaking, but through the dial is another matter. Piaget’s first ever Polo- mounted flying tourbillon opens up the front of the dial just enough to show some of those precise circles underneath the handset. With finishing like this, who even needs a dial?

Black Polish

Any metal polishing technique which aims to achieve a smooth gloss surface that will reflect light, to elevate the appearance of a part while ensuring fit and quality. The enigmatic technique of black polish, also known as miroir or poli noir in French (mirror, in English), is a term that conjures up images of horological alchemy and is the food of legends. Or if you’re talking about Grand Seiko, the term Zaratsu polishing refers to the same concept.

The resulting finish is a mirror-like polish that appears pure black at an acute angle, hence the name. After preparing the component’s metal and ensuring no surface irregularities are present, it will be polished face down on a zinc plate, onto which an abrasive diamond paste is added. Using a careful circular motion, it is a detailed and minute process that takes a steady hand, gradually using finer pastes in stages to achieve a mirror-flattened surface.

Grand Seiko Evolution 9 Spring Drive U.F.A Ice Forest

Black or Zaratsu polish is typically a technique most commonly used on a watch’s case but it can be seen on movements as well. The Grand Seiko Evolution 9 Spring Drive U.F.A Ice Forest uses it on the bevelled edges of the 9RB2. It’s actually an example of a watch brand combining multiple finishing techniques, using the polish to highlight the elements of anglage.

Satin Brush

Satin brushing is one of the most common types of finishing in all of watchmaking, not just in movements. It’s technically a type of polish but uses an abrasive pad in order to mark the metal with lines parallel to the direction of polishing. It’s popular due to its relative ease of application while also creating a good looking effect that makes the use of metal’s natural lustre and shine.

There are multiple styles of brushed finishing that can be applied to a movement’s components. A plate or bridge might have a unidirectional brush to it with all the grain of the brushed lines oriented in the same direction. Alternatives include circular grained brushing, where the lines arc along a curve, such as following the curve of a rotor. Another popular one is sunray brushing, where the lines radiate outward from a central point, typically used on circular components such as the barrel cover (or more commonly a watch’s dial).

IWC Ingenieur Perpetual Calendar

Released during Watches & Wonders, the IWC Ingenieur Perpetual Calendar introduces the first haute horology complication to the revived integrated bracelet sports watch collection. A brushed finish on the calibre IWC 82600 makes a lot of sense. It adds a nice sense of refinement without going over the top with ostentatious engraving, leaning into the industrial, utilitarian influences behind the watch’s design.

Engraving

There are huge number of engraving techniques that can be used across a watch, including on the movement. We covered lots of specific styles such as guilloché or hand-engraving in our article on artisanal dial finishes and all the information there applies to movements too. The main distinction when it comes to a movement is that you’ll more often see engraved lettering. Whether that’s the brand’s logo on a rotor or details about the movement itself such as number of jewels or a reference number. Or potentially the Poinçon de Genève – a special seal of approval that you can read all about in Oracle Time Issue 111.

A.Lange & Söhne 1815

The A. Lange & Söhne 1815 34mm released at Watches & Wonders features multiple styles of engraving. At the simplest level it features engravings of the brand’s name and details. But also, connecting to the balance wheel the main bridge on display is decoration with a curling and furling floral motif.

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Today’s contemporary independent watchmakers offer a truly extensive range of options for watch collectors across designs, movements, materials, and of course price points. Everything from haute horology to entry level is covered. This feature takes a look at recent auction highlights for just some of the watches made by a new generation of talented independents demonstrating their creativity and dedication to the craft of watchmaking.

Further insight into both auctions and independents is provided by Alexandre Ghotbi, Deputy Chairman, Watches, Head of Watches, Europe, and Middle East at Phillips in Association with Bacs & Russo. I also profile the F.P.Journe ‘Young Talent Competition’ for watchmakers. New talent doesn’t occur overnight and is often years in the making. Prizes such as the F.P.Journe award help to build this talent.

Alexandre Ghotbi at Phillips

Thomas Perazzi (Deputy Chairman, Watches, Head of Watches, Asia), Aurel Bacs (Senior Consultant), Alexandre Ghotbi (Deputy Chairman, Watches, Head of Watches, Europe & Middle East) and Paul Boutros (Deputy Chairman, Head of Watches, Americas) at the Hong Watch Auction XIX, November 2024. Image credit: Phillips

Phillips in Association with Bacs & Russo is one of the world’s leading auction houses for rare and collectable watches. The auction house has helped showcase independent watchmakers. For example this March in London Phillips held an exhibition titled, ‘Independent Spirit’, featuring five independent watchmakers. In response to my questions Alexandre Ghotbi from Phillips shares his thoughts on the collector market for independents and bringing watches by newer independents to auction.

Why do you think independent makers have become such an important collector category?

“Independent watchmaking regroups many different kinds of watches from the very futuristic designs such as MB&F or Urwerk to the ultra-classical pieces of Philippe Dufour or Kari Voutilainen, and from the most simple to the most complicated these brands speak to a growing audience as they bring something utterly new to the market… the makers DNA and soul, a design and complications reflecting the maker’s vision and not a response to market trends. They are rare as the maker’s production capacity is low and not due to marketing requests”.

All of your watch auctions are carefully curated to present superb timepieces. How do you decide when to include the work of newer and perhaps less well-known independent watchmakers in your sales?

“We decide to take watches that we ourselves would like to own. The watch needs to be relevant and honest. However, we also make sure that a watch does not arrive at auction too soon but needs to have a bit of history and presence. We very often get requests by very small brands to launch at our auctions and we systematically suggest that they wait a bit as it would be dramatic for them that they come to auction, with no existing clients/market and the first watch sells below market price”.

Do you have some personal favourite examples of watches by newer independent watchmakers that have sold recently or are coming up for sale at Phillips?

“I have a soft spot for Sylvain Pinaud, Rexhep Rexhepi/Akrivia and Krayon that will make its auction debut in our Geneva May auction”.

Rexhep Rexhepi AKRIVIA Tourbillon

AKRIVIA AK0 (2021), image credit: Phillips

We have almost become used to the record auction prices for watches by some of the leading independents who launched their brands in the 80s through to the beginning of the 2000s. Watches by Philippe Dufour, F.P.Journe, Richard Mille, and Roger W. Smith have all created auction headlines. But now one of the newer post 2000 generation of independent watchmakers, Rexhep Rexhepi, has joined this illustrious group.

Rexhep Rexhepi almost needs no introduction to passionate watch followers and collectors alike. Formally trained he has worked with some of the best in the business including Patek Philippe and F.P. Journe. He launched his independent Atelier AKRIVIA in 2012 based in Geneva’s Old Town. Timepieces from the atelier are designed and made in-house. The founder’s own collection is signed ‘Rexhep Rexhepi’. At last years’ 10th edition of the charity auction Only Watch his contribution of a Chronomètre Antimagnétique, Ref. RRCA achieved a stunning CHF2,100,000, (£1,840,590).

The AKRIVIA watch pictured in the banner photo for this feature is an AK01, titanium single button chronograph tourbillon wristwatch from 2021. The magnificent blue dial displays not only the tourbillon workings but also that of the chronograph. Phillips noted in their cataloguing that the watch is one of less than 20 ever made and is the first AKRIVIA model created. As a special extra for the winning bidder AKRIVIA offered a complementary watch service for this piece.

With an estimate of CHF300,000 – 600,000 the watch achieved an outstanding CHF1,079,500, (£946,150), including buyer’s premium at the Phillips in Association with Bacs & Russo Geneva watch auction held on 10 November 2024.

Masahiro Kikuno Tourbillon

Masahiro Kikuno 18k pink gold tourbillon (2011) and Hajime Asaoka Tourbillon (2013), image credit: Phillips

Japanese contemporary independent watchmaking is starting to receive due recognition with makers such as Hajime Asaoka, and Jiro Katayama founder of the independent brand Otsuka Lotec. In February Oracle Time ran an excellent article about Hajime Asaoka written by Thor Svaboe. Shown above is a tourbillon wristwatch by Hajime Asaoka.

Another Japanese independent is Masahiro Kikuno who, like Hajime Asaoka, is a member of the prestigious Académie Horlogère des Créateurs Indépendants (AHCI). The Swiss based organisation works to help support the traditions of watchmaking and the art of the independent watchmaker. Last November at their ‘TOKI’ watch auction Phillips in Association with Bacs & Russo sold a highly distinctive piece by Masahiro Kikuno. This being a unique 18k pink gold 43mm cased tourbillon wristwatch with guilloché dial from 2011 pictured above. One of just two pieces, the other is in silver, both were exhibited at Baselworld in 2012. The in-house manual movement is hand finished with a Herringbone pattern. At the auction the watch comprehensively outdid the estimate of HK $200,000 – 400,000 to achieve HK $2,286,000, (£227,120), including buyer’s premium.

Petermann Bedat Ref. 1967

Petermann Bedat, Ref.1967, (2021), image credit: Phillips

Gaël Petermann and Florian Bédat met at watchmaking school in Geneva in 2007 then worked together at A. Lange & Söhne before launching their eponymous independent brand in Switzerland. As Phillips noted in their cataloguing about the watchmakers they are ‘one of the most creative, young and inventive duo in contemporary watchmaking’.

Featured here is a Petermann Bedat, Ref.1967, 1/1 semi-skeletonized stainless steel wristwatch with central deadbeat seconds from 2021. The watch is powered by an in-house manual calibre. 171 movement and sized 39mm in diameter. As Phillips added the Ref.1967 was the brand’s first model originally launched in 2018. Hours of work have been applied to the movement finishing including ‘coats de Geneva’ to the bridges, hand-polished chamfers, plus perlage to the mainplate.

The watch certainly found favour making more than double the high estimate of CHF40,000 – 80,000 to achieve an excellent CHF215,900, (£189,230), including buyer’s premium. The piece was sold by Phillips in Association with Bacs & Russo at their Geneva watch auction held on 10 November 2024.

Sylvain Pinaud Origine

Sylvain Pinaud Origine (2024), image credit: Phillips

In 2019 watchmaker Sylvain Pinaud won the notable Meilleur Ouvrier de France craft award for his watchmaking. By 2022 he has established himself as an independent. His first wristwatch model was the Origine. The example featured here is in stainless steel with a visible balance at the 6 o’clock position. The watch is from 2024 with an in-house manual movement placed in a 40mm diameter case. Pinaud was awarded the 2022 ‘Horological Revelation’ prize at the esteemed Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG) [LINK TO: https://www.gphg.org/en] awards. He also contributed a watch to the 2024, 10th Edition of the Only Watch charity auction.

The Origine was sold by Phillips in Association with Bacs & Russo during their Geneva watch auction on 10 November 2024 making CHF165,100, (£144,700), including buyer’s premium exceeding the auction estimate of CHF60,000 – 120,000.

Romain Gauthier Logical One

Romain Gauthier Logical One (c.2015), image credit: Phillips

Mention a fusée-and-chain mechanism and most will think you are talking about some old antique pocket watch but modern wristwatches can have them as well. Take for example independent watchmaker Romain Gauthier who has incorporated the mechanism into his Logical One wristwatch. Originally a micro-mechanical engineer Gauthier set up as an independent in 2005. In 2013 he launched the Logical One wristwatch incorporating a modern fusée-and-chain mechanism to provide constant force to the movement. The watchmaker was recognised for this achievement by taking the 2013 ‘Men’s Complication Watch Prize’ at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG) awards. The Logical One example seen in this feature is from c.2015 with its case is fashioned from 18k pink gold and sized at 43mm diameter. The fusée-and-chain system can be seen on the left side of the dial.

Auctioned by Phillips in Association with Bacs & Russo’s at their Geneva watch sale on 10 November 2024 the watch took CHF120,650, (£105,740), including buyer’s premium. The guide estimate was set at CHF60,000 – 120,000.

Grönefeld 1941 Remontoire

Grönefeld 1941 Remontoire, image credit: Sotheby’s

From a watchmaking family based in Oldenzaal, the Dutch Grönefeld brothers Bart and Tim founded their own independent brand, Grönefeld, in 2008. Both brothers are formally trained in watchmaking and now combine their technical knowledge and skills to design their own timepieces. The 1941 Remontoire limited edition wristwatch from 2016 displayed in this article was named after the year their watchmaker father Johannes ‘Sjef’ was born. Inspiration was also drawn from the old church turret clock in Oldenzaal. Powered by an in-house calibre. G-05 mechanical movement in an 18k pink gold case the wristwatch is sized 39.5 mm in diameter. The piece features an eight seconds constant force mechanism seen at the 9 o’clock position. This Remontoire function seeks to even out fluctuations in power delivery across the range of the mainspring. In 2016 the model won the ‘Men’s Watch Prize’ at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG) awards.

Estimated at US$50,000 – 100,000 this watch achieved $US66,000, (£51,000), including buyer’s premium at Sotheby’s Important Watches sale on 6 December 2024 in New York.

J.N Shapiro Infinity

J.N. Shapiro Infinity (2021), image credit: Phillips

With its classically refined dial featuring guilloche, a chapter ring and blued Breguet style hands this watch projects style and craftsmanship. The work of American independent Joshua Shapiro whose studies included the exacting craft of learning how to use an engine-turning machine to create guilloche patterns on dials. Launching his independent brand in 2018 he released the Infinity wristwatch. Displayed here is a J.N. Shapiro, Infinity, 18k white gold wristwatch with a hand guilloché dial, manual movement, and case sized 40mm diameter dated to 2021. Auctioned at Phillips in Association with Bacs & Russo Geneva watch sale on 12 May 2024 it sold for CHF 33,020, (£28,940), including buyer’s premium with a guide estimate of CHF20,000 – 40,000.

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