01: Audemars Piguet Royal Oak RD #2 Perpetual Calendar Extra-Thin
It may not look it, but this is indeed Audemars Piguet’s second experimental RD watch, following in the footsteps of the incredible chiming RD #1 last year. The classically styled perpetual calendar is the thinnest automatic one in the world, with the in-house 5133 calibre coming in at just 2.89mm thick. With the case it remains an unbelievably skinny 6.30mm, and took five years to develop.
02: Ulysse Nardin Freak Vision
Concept watches are wonderful inspirations but are rarely feasible for regular production. So Ulysse Nardin has scaled back on the 10 innovations found in last year’s Freak Innovision 2 to give us the very wearable Freak Vision. It is the first commercially available automatic Freak, has an extra light escape wheel made of silicon and nickel, and a constant Anchor Escapement.
03: Greubel Forsey Differential d’Egalite
It’s been 10 years since Greubel Forsey first revealed its Differential d’Egalite, the brand’s patented constant force mechanism. This year it reemerges with improvements, allowing it to maintain a constant balance amplitude for all 60 hours of its power reserve. It is also the first watch from the duo to feature dead beat seconds.
04: Montblanc 1858 Geosphere
Taking on the theme of mountain exploration this year, Montblanc has released a fascinating tool watch that combines a dual time display with a world time complication that is depicted via both Northern and Southern hemispheres. Adding to its adventurous look are the compass-like bi-directional rotating bezel and a case back that pays homage to the Seven Summits Challenge.
