Despite the complexity of some watches and the individuality of their design, the majority of them still adhere to the two-hand analog style to display the hours and minutes. Here are five watches that do it differently, from our latest visit to the WatchTime archives.
MB&F HM3 FrogX
Max Bรผsser and his friends have long specialized in bold and eccentric designs for their โwatchmaking machinesโ. One of the most memorable is the HM3 Frog, launched in 2010. The 10th anniversary edition, launched last year, continues the tradition with its two globular “eyes” which are actually thin aluminum domes rotating under markers to indicate hours and minutes. The frog-shaped case (48.3mm x 52.7mm) is made of sapphire and is made up of 59 individual parts, including specially colored gaskets to ensure 30 meters of water resistance. The FrogX, in three limited editions of 10 pieces each, is the first in the series whose case is designed to show the high-tech movement, created by Jean-Marc Wiederrecht, and its emblematic battle ax-shaped rotor in a color matched to that of the joint. Price: $152,000.
URWERK UR100-V โT-Rexโ
Urwerk uses orbital rotating satellites for dynamic, three-dimensional timekeeping. The brand presents the latest evolution of this unusual and technically complex system in the UR100-V โT-Rexโ, whose dinosaur moniker is derived from the textured scaly pattern on its 41mm x 49.7mm bronze case. The automatic caliber UR 12.02 inside its reptilian envelope powers a set of three orbital satellites, each representing four hours, rotating on a four-arm carousel. Each satellite also carries a red pointer along a 60-minute scale. The movement features a planetary gearing device that prevents excessive winding and excessive wear of the rotor. In addition to hours and minutes, it includes 20-minute scales indicating the Earth's orbital and rotational distance. Price: $57,000.
Ludovic Ballouard Upside Down
Launched in 2015, the Upside Down lives up to its name with its unconventional dial, on which only one of the 12 Arabic hour numerals is right side up at a time. Each hour digit is mounted on an independent rotating disc with an indicator dot. Every 60 minutes, as the blue leaf-style minute hand completes a full rotation of the dial, a new numeral flips 180 degrees to start a new hour while the previous one returns to its reversed position. All of this is the work of Ludovic Ballouard's Caliber B01, whose patented jumping hour complication uses 12 mechanical Maltese crosses to control the hour discs. Even the 41mm case follows the Upside Down theme, with its curved convex sides reflecting an inverted view of its wearer. Prices start at 75,000 CHF.
Konstantin Chaykin Joker
Russian watchmaker Konstantin Chaykin is renowned for his creative interpretations of calendar complications, most notably the Joker, launched in 2017. Its dial initially appears to be a simple representation of a clown's face but is actually an artfully designed watch regulator: the hours and minutes are indicated on the two “eye” subdials by rolling globes, and the smile-shaped mouth is a window for the unusual display of the phases of the moon, the moon itself being painted in red to resemble a tongue. At 12 o'clock are small symbols representing spades, hearts, diamonds and clubs from card games. Inside the 42mm steel case is Chaykin's K07-0 automatic movement, based on the ETA 2824-2 and enhanced with a module created in the watchmaker's Moscow workshop. Prices start at โฌ12,909; in the photo, the 2017 limited edition which sold for 7,500 CHF.
Vault V1
Watches from Swiss startup Vault, like the 39mm V1 (available in steel and titanium) and the rose gold Vault V1+ (pictured), feature a unique bearing system that allows the movement to rotate 360ยฐ in both ways. While the minutes are displayed conventionally with a central hand, the hours are displayed on a sapphire disc positioned above the dial gears. The disc is smoked and gradually changes from transparent to opaque. The line between the transparent and opaque parts of the disk indicates the current time. The V01 automatic movement that powers this inventive complication offers a power reserve of 50 hours and a frequency of 21,600 vph. Prices start at $42,000.
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