The fever for previews, pre-launches and teaser campaigns in the world of men’s watches is at an all-time high. In the past, a handful of journalists would be treated to a week of exclusive viewings at the SIHH watch salon in Geneva and report back to the world. Today, watch brands in the Richemont Group race against one another to leak their novelties ahead of time.
Read about beautiful times for women at the SIHH here
Richard Mille will be unveiling the RM 67-01 Extra Flat watch with a dramatically slimmed-down silhouette, just 3.6mm thick. When you think about the impressive level of technicality packed into Richard Mille watches - usually housed in generous three-decker, tonneau-shaped cases - getting to this level of streamlined elegance is a feat in itself. To show off the automatic movement, the dial is skeletonised and, for maximum legibility, the numerals are filled with Luminova and have been sculpted out of solid metal, mounted on rails attached to the movement.
Why are Richard Mille watches so expensive?
It’s going to be a celebratory year for Jaeger-LeCoultre watches as the famous Reverso turns 85 - so expect to see a flurry of declinations for both men and women as the year unfolds. In anticipation of the anniversary, Jaeger-LeCoultre has shared two models from the Tribute collection, both playing on the dual personality of the world’s best-loved reversible watch to incorporate a second time zone function. The Reverso Tribute Duo features two independent dials - the front dial shows home time and, by swivelling the case, the secondary dial displays a second time zone, and a day and night indicator.
The more complex Reverso Tribute Calendar watch incorporates a complete calendar - day, month and date - plus a Moon phase indicator on the front dial and a second time zone dial on the back with an elegant day and night indicator. These watches for men make ideal candidates for globetrotters.
Jaeger-LeCoultre watches and Big Ben strike an impressive alliance
Panerai, the cult Italian brand that has founded an empire on the back of just two luminescent diving watches from its military past, namely the Radiomir and Luminor, is going against its own convention of dark dials. This year, the classic Radiomir 1940 3 Days Automatic Acciaio PAM655 is decked out in a crisp white dial with vintage beige luminescent material instead of the more characteristic green glow that we associate with the brand. The 42mm polished stainless steel case - acciaio in Italian - is slightly smaller than your average Panerai watch, and thanks to the in-house automatic movement, the thickness of the case has been reduced to 10.93mm, providing these men’s watches with a solid three-day power reserve.
Audemars Piguet watches are banking on the return of yellow gold to depose the reign of red gold. The king of its collections, the virile and audacious Royal Oak watch designed by Gérald Genta in 1972 and inspired by the old-fashioned diving helmets with exposed screws, is clad in a 41mm yellow gold suit of armour and ready for battle with a new and sophisticated automatic perpetual calendar movement.
Read more about perpetual calendar watches
