Buffy Acacia
Some people give equal trust to Tourbillons and enduring calendars, but I really believe that repeat customers are the king of complications. Not only is it extremely complicated to design engineers in such a small case, it also has a history that extends to some of the earliest developments of watches. Despite repeated watches being made for around 275 years, there are still new developments and great ideas that will continue to revolutionise technology. Here are some of the repeat customers of watchmaking’s best moments.
Christopher Ward C1 Bell Cant Classic
Christopher Ward Bell Cant is not a subtly tiny repeater as he only slams into what is known as the sonnerie au passage, but he is on this list for its affordable price. Even getting a repeating watch taste of less than 5,000 USD is surprisingly good. Christopher Ward FS01 looks like a work of a watch that is higher than the laser-etched guilloché dial. The success of this model alone required the success of this former British/Swiss independent model to be rapidly expanded on its own. Price: USD 4,615 (5-link bracelets) These are currently available for trial at London Discovery Studios for £3,745 and can also be pre-ordered.
Jaeger-Lecoultre Reverso Minute Repeater
Known as “watchmaker watchmaker,” Jaeger-Lecoultre is the brain behind some of the most impressive moves for over a century, and is often overlooked by other brand names on the dial. However, in the 21st century, JLC has gained natural recognition. The Reverso Minute Repeater has been a celebration of the most popular watches since 1931, combining the ingenuity, engineering expertise and artistic execution of the Swiss brand. The main dial of the Reverso Minute Repeater introduces a gorgeous Guilloché spiral flooded with Flinqué Enamel, but flipping the case reveals a skeletonized view of the caliber 953. Attaching it to a 31mm 18k pink gold case is not an easy task. Price: 299,000 US$
Louis Vuitton Boiyager Minute Repeater Flying Tourbillon
Louis Vuitton’s high-end watchmaking efforts have been overhauled to streamline the flagship Tambourg collection, but its creative collections thrive under the watchmaking power of Loveliquet Dutemp. The Voyager case is truly unique in the current watch landscape, combining harsh edges and uniform brushing with organic sweep and refined surfaces. It creates a silhouette that feels alien but charming, and then you are pulled deep by an openwork dial, which is only covered with grid-lace sapphire discs that draw attention to the V-shaped flying tourbillon. This window into the L V100 movement can be seen moving the Cathedral minute repeaters, as if they were gadgets from a distant civilization. Price: 285,000 US$
Roger Dubiis Excalibur Grande complications
Looking at the Roger Dubuis catalogue from the foundations from 1995 to today, many mutations from traditional watchmakers can be seen in what the brand now calls “hyper holology.” That phrase is really true in the recent Excalibur Grande Complycation. Equipped with two micro-rotors, the caliber RD118 boasts a perpetual calendar, a flying tourbillon and a fine repeater. Some might say that a chronograph is needed to count as truly epic complexity, but this dial clearly doesn’t require any further additions. A huge retrograde display with a distorted scale creates an intoxicating display. This remains surprisingly easy to read through the organized chaos of openwork dials. With 684 movement components and a Poinson degeneve, this 45mm 18K pink gold chunk of gold shows how to be loud and proud, even before the chimes are activated. Price: 691,000 US$
Biver Carillon Tourbillon Desert Rose
Jean-Claude Biver is watching what Rick Rubin is directing towards music. A man with a fully married business sense and artistic vision creates not only financial success but also a loyal fan base. Founded with his son Pierre, the Biver eponymous brand shook the first few years of operation. Carillon Tour Bellon Desert Rose is one of the most fascinating releases. The caliber JCB-001-B, featuring a flying tourbillon, carillon minute repeater and micro rotor, already carries quite a few references, but unlike other brands, they chose desert rose for a major aesthetic prosperity combination. The 3D Guiloch section of Mother of Pearl is breathtaking alongside the baguette cut ruby hour markers, and the solid 18K rose gold bracelet with its thick links is truly decadent. Price: CHF 670,000 (~US$822,090)
Patek Philippe 5308G-001 Extremity Complications
Without the ability of Patek Philippe, often considered the peak of Swiss watchmaking, the list of high complications is not complete. Within the sporty appearance of the two-tone blue dial and its extremely easy-to-read layout, the quadruple layer complications bundle a permanent calendar with moon faces, split second chronographs and, of course, tiny repeaters. The white gold case is fascinated by its organic shape and skeletonized rug, giving this watch a clear air of view into the future. The Caliber R Chr 27 PS Qi uses a micro rotor to automatically wind a 48-hour power reserve. This can be either covered with the included modular solid caseback or displayed in open sapphire. It may take as much as a nice home, but it also represents a true mastery of some crafts. Price: CHF 1,050,000 (~US$1,284,980)
A.Lange & Söhne Minute Repeater Perpetual
The new A. Lange & Söhne Minute Repeater Perpetual, released this year, combines two noble complications in a suppressed Germanic way that only Lange can do. Some of the extremely tight three watch collections released by Lange this year at Watches and Wonders represent the trio’s most complicated ones, building on the work the brand has done previously with the Langematik Perpetual and Richard Lange Minute Repeater. This movement has been made fun of to some extent, but with the talented Anthony de Haas and his team, the Lucky 50 you can buy can be used and set without fear. Price: POA.
Time+Tide Timeless Pick: Philippe Dufour Grand and Petite Sonnerie
The completely unobstructed eyes scan past this watch and don’t think much about it. Pretty elegant, yes, but the white enamel dial, tall Roman figures and blue breguet hands don’t give that secret easily. But with a little knowledge, the eyes will find the Holy Grail. Released in 1992 as Philippe Dufair’s first wristwatch, he was built on his experience working on repeat customers at Audemars Piguet, becoming the first watchmaker to combine both the complications of a single wristwatch and the petite Sonny. Grand Sonnerie chimes hourly and quarterly by hourly and quarterly. The petite Sonny is similar, but doesn’t ring the time quarterly. These can adjust the interaction with the sliders on the side of the case, allowing you to activate or disable each individually, or manually activate the tiny repeaters by pressing the crown. Only eight of these watches were made, some occasionally appearing at auctions, but Rose Gold was third in 2021, sold by the collected men at a record price of 7,630,000 USD.
