My colleagues Robin and Chester have chosen their top 5 picks from SIHH 2016 and today it is my turn. As I have done previously, these are in no particular order and are the pieces which caught my eye. My selection was made based on a combination of both the technical and aesthetic side of the watches.
A. Lange & Söhne Grand Lange 1 Moon Phase “Lumen”
I do have a soft spot for for watches that have a good luminous dial. There is just something cool about them when for example you go into a movie theatre and you are wondering half way through the previews when the damn movie is going to start. You look down at your wrist and the dial is glowing! The Grand Lange 1 Moon Phase is the latest timepiece from Lange to receive the “Lumen” treatment. It is a different look for a Lange, but with the same meticulous attention to detail applied. For the old school Lange collectors the Lumen series may seem a little off the cuff but I think they exude a cool factor. Lange have done a fantastic job with this version especially the moonphase. An uber cool piece!
IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph (Ref. IW377709)
The IWC Pilots Chronograph (Ref. IW377709)
My next choice is the IWC Pilots Chronograph (Ref. IW377709). Its older brother the Ref IW371701 was nearly my first mechanical chronograph. I loved the the overall look of the watch but ended up choosing something else. It was always in the back of my mind to get it one day, but then IWC discounted it and changed the design aesthetics with a 3 date window, which wasn’t to my taste. I was very happy to see the single date window return to the Pilots Chronograph for SIHH 2016. Even though the case has grown slightly, the dial is again very legible and looks good! The watch is back on my wishlist.
MB&F Sherman Table Clock
My next selection isn’t a watch! Its the newest table clock creation by MB&F, the Sherman! The creative genius Max Busser has brought us table clocks that look more like pieces of art then a clock. The badass looking Starcruiser, the friendly robot Melchior and Arachnophobia the spider shaped clock. The Sherman Table clock takes its name from the Sherman tank of the US Army. The clock features tracks, just like those you would find on a tank. Like the other creations, the table clock is a collaboration between MB&F L’Epee and the Sherman features an eight day manually wound movement. Max Busser has done it again with this fun little robot table clock!
A. Lange & Söhne Richard Lange Jumping Seconds
The Richard Lange Jumping Seconds was very well received at SIHH 2016. The watch doesnt reveal much dial side, but its simplistic look is what makes it work so well. The Regulator style layout helps the technical side of the watch to shine. The jumping seconds hand is the draw card and focal point of the dial and the wearer can watch it go around the dial with its precise one second jumps. The watch also features a stop reset, which means when the crown is pulled out to adjust the time, the balance wheel is stopped and the seconds hand is reset back to zero to allow for precise time synchronization. Well done Lange!!!!
Officine Panerai PAM 663 Luminor 1950
My final selection is from Panerai and is the PAM 663. A lot of Paneristi have been waiting for the brand to produce a modern version of the Piccolo Egiziano, which was made by Panerai for the Egyptian Navy. The PAM 662 gets pretty close to the original version but my choice is the PAM 663. The crown guard of a Panerai gives the watch a unique shape. What Panerai really got right with both watches was the dial colour. I wouldn’t call it tobbaco or very light brown just “faded”. It was designed with the vintage Panerai models in mind, that have aged due to the luminous materials on their dials which back in the day was Radium. Panerai got the look bang on with the painted vintage Superluminova matching the “faded” dial perfectly. Bellisimo from Panerai!
That concludes my Top 5 picks from from SIHH 2016!
