Whether you love adventure, movies, classics or crypto—luxury watchmakers have something for you. Read on!
This year, watchmakers pulled out all stops to ensure that connoisseurs were impressed, as watch events, like the Geneva Watch Days and Watches & Wonders, sprung back to life. From materials like platinum ruling the roost to tourbillons and skeleton watches stealing the thunder, we round up some of the top luxury watches of 2022 so far for different kinds of wearers.
1. Omega Speedmaster X-33 “Marstimer”—for the space junkie
Omega fashioned the first watch that went to the moon. Now, they’re dreaming bigger, with their eyes and hour markers set on the red planet Mars. This year, Omega launched the Speedmaster X-33 “Marstimer”.
As a day on Mars is 39 minutes longer than a day on Earth, the watch helps astronauts and researchers simultaneously keep track of the date and time on Mars and Earth. Besides its internal makeup, the watch’s architecture is evocative of Mars. The dial features an oxalic anodized aluminium bezel ring with a red hue representing the dust on the planet.
2. Jacob & Co. Astronomia Solar Bitcoin—for the crypto crazy
Bitcoin’s influence has not been limited to people’s wallets as it makes its way to our wrists with the Jacob & Co. Bitcoin Astronomia Solar Bitcoin watch launched in August 2022. The timepiece is an ode to the origin of cryptocurrency and its influence on the world today. Only 25 pieces of this watch are available for purchase.
Additionally, immense detailed craftsmanship has gone into its making. There’s a sapphire sun, a diamond moon and a golden Earth. Take a closer look, and you see a rotating Bitcoin currency logo and a miniature black rocket bearing a Bitcoin sign and reaching for the moon.
In creating this watch, Jacob & Co. has combined the best of its astronomical knowledge with the ever-expanding universe of Bitcoin. The 44 mm case with a thickness of 16.90 mm provides an unobstructed view of the watch’s open-worked flying tourbillon. This watch demands your attention.
3. IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph TOP GUN edition “Woodland”— for the mavericks
This is the timepiece for you if you’re riding high on the Top Gun fever, thanks to the new release this year. At Watches & Wonders 2022, American watchmaker IWC Schaffhausen launched two new Pilot’s watches in the Top Gun edition: Lake Tahoe and Woodland. The latter is the first IWC watch featuring a case made with newly engineered, dark green ceramic. The shade was inspired by the flight suits of naval aviators, giving you the most optimum Top Gun feel. The watch is fashioned from IWC’s trademark material, Ceratanium, a combination of titanium and ceramic. While the former infuses lightness into the watch, ceramic ensures it remains free of scratches. Channel your inner Tom Cruise today!
4. Urwerk UR100-V—for the unconventional
Swiss watchmaker Urwerk is known for its mind-boggling, often bizarre, horological craftsmanship. It holds that label with pride as it launched its latest timepiece: Urwerk UR100-V Ultraviolet, during the Geneva Watch Days 2022.
Urwerk’s co-founder Martin Frei commented on the color choice in the press release, dubbing it an “exploration of the limits”. He said, “Our UltraViolet conveys something mystical; it’s a hue that sits on the border of a dimension we call colour.”
As is the case with most Urwerk watches, this timepiece does more than just tell time; it also tells distance. Once the watch reaches the 60th minute, the minutes hand disappears and reappears as a kilometer counter. It takes 20 minutes for the counter to reach the other end where you see “555.55 km”. It illustrates the 555 kilometers traveled every 20 minutes by every inhabitant of Planet Earth, factoring in the average rotation speed at the equator. On the other side of the watch, there is another kilometer counter that tracks the distance—35,742 km—traveled by Earth around the sun in 20 minutes.
No doubt, the watchmaker does not hold back when creating a watch that pushes the boundaries, and if you are the same, this is the watch for you.
5. MB&F LM Sequential Evo—for those who like to stand out
In May 2022, Maximilian Büsser & Friends (MB&F) introduced the first-of-its-kind chronograph in the world and the first chronograph watch overall for the company… it was about time. The USP? One watch, two chronographs, multiple possibilities.
The timepiece features two chronographs—one with its seconds display at 9 o’clock and the other at 3 o’clock. Each comes with a unique pusher, and there’s a separate “Twinverter” pusher to operate both. It has multiple timing modes like the split-second and the timer, a combination that has never been seen before in any chronograph. Four pushers operate the seconds and minutes hand of both chronographs. There’s a fifth pusher, the “Twinverter”, that controls both chronographs.
While each display can be started, stopped and reset independently, the Twinverter does so collectively. If both chronograph displays are stopped, pressing the Twinverter will cause them to start together and vice versa. If one is running and the other is stopped, the Twinverter stops the one that is running and starts the one that is stopped. It allows you to track two simultaneous events.
6. A. Lange & Söhne 1815 Rattrapante—for the traditional
Launched in July 2022, the 1815 Rattrapante timepiece by German watchmaker A. Lange and Söhne is an excellent pick for those who love their classics. It features the first pure split-seconds chronograph, which refers to two seconds hands timing events happening simultaneously. It boasts a complex mechanism and a stopwatch button at 2 o’clock.
A. Lange and Söhne watches have an illustrious past, as they rose from the dead after the war. Since then, they have become synonymous with classic watches involving hard work and style. In keeping with that, the 1815 Rattrapante is assembled twice by hand, respecting the traditions put together by its founder. The watch features a platinum case wherein the blue hands complement the silver tones of the dial.
7. Grand Seiko Kodo Constant-force tourbillon—for those who love the unexpected
Launched at Watches & Wonders in March 2022, this watch embodies an out-of-character experience for Japanese watchmaker Grand Seiko. Not only is it the brand’s most expensive watch ever produced, but it is also a far departure from the traditional style that it is known for. Dubbed “Kodo”, which means heartbeat in Japanese, this watch is the brand’s first mechanical complication timepiece.
With a 43.8 mm diameter case crafted from Platinum 950 (95% pure platinum) and titanium and a skeleton dial with the tourbillon on full display, the watch makes its presence felt on your wrist, and rightfully so. This was an unexpected move for Grand Seiko and a remarkable one for you to own.
This year has pushed luxury watchmakers to up their game, which means more choices for you.
Also read:
- Top 7 Luxury Watches to Invest in 2022
- Are Luxury Goods Really Worth It?
- About Time: The Rise of Affordable Watches
Header Image Courtesy of MB&F and A. Lange and Söhne
