Perhaps the biggest indication of how seriously independent watchmakers are taking their debut at SIHH is the quality of the watches selected below. These watch launches brought a vibrant energy and innovative spirit to this year’s show in Geneva.
Independent watchmakers were on top of their game at this year's SIHH. Here are five of our favorites.
MBF HM N°6 SV
The HM N°6 SV is a remixed edition of the HM6 ‘Space Pirate,’ where the SV stands for “Sapphire Vision.” In the new piece, two sapphire crystal plates sandwich a precious metal “streamliner” case band. The new plates highlight the visually-striking mechanics powering the piece. “I always thought that the most beautiful part of HM6 was its movement, and that it was a shame not to show it. But it was only recently that the technology of machining sapphire crystal allowed us to create such a complex case,” explains MBF founder Maximilian Büsser.
GREUBEL FORSEY DOUBLE BALANCIER À DIFFÉRENTIEL CONSTANT
This SIHH 2016 novelty features the brand’s sixth invention, first seen in the Double Balancier Incliné. The piece’s two inclined balance wheels, initially positioned one above the other, now occupy distinct and separate three-dimensional spaces and can be fully admired thanks to a large aperture between 4 o’clock and 10 o’clock. The Double Balancier à Différentiel Constant is a limited edition of 33 pieces in white gold.
URWERK UR-105 T-REX
In this unique satellite watch, a single hours pointer indicates the time, highlighting the path of the sun from sunrise to sunset, traveling from east to west. The case has a ribbed pattern like reptile scales. “We performed a number of different trials before confirming the exact shape of our bronze case. We wanted to achieve the perfect patina. Each model is treated as one-of-a-kind piece of art. It is decorated, beadblasted, micro-sandblasted, purified and then oxidized with a brush,” explained Felix Baumgartner, co-founder of URWERK. A new addition to the UR-105 family, the watch is powered by the automatic winding caliber 5.02 UR regulated by a double turbine. It’s a confident timepiece for the trendsetter.
PARMIGIANI TONDA CHRONOR ANNIVERSAIRE
In celebration of the brand’s 20th anniversary, the Swiss watchmaker launched its first integrated chronograph movement. This complication requires the most skill to create on an industrial scale, and is thus considered the Holy Grail in the watch industry. Available in a blue or white dial and powered by the in-house PF361 movement, “The Tonda Chronor Anniversaire is a reflection of 20 years of work,” says Michel Parmigiani, founder of Parmigiani Fleurier.
HYT H2 TRADITION
An amalgam of contemporary classic and futuristic retro style, HYT introduces classic guilloché finishes in this timepiece, while retaining its hydro-mechanical aesthetic, thanks to a capillary with blue fluid moving forward as the hours pass. Driven by two bellows positioned at both sides of 6 o’clock, the traditional side of the watch features a diamond guilloché main plate, an ogival shaped crown, and its blued hands. “We have always said that we would never create a classic piece. Having said that, this is exactly what we’ve done!” says Vincent Perriard, HYT’s CEO.
