ROGER DUBUIS EXCALIBUR QUATUOR COBALT MICROMELT

Roger Dubuis has pulled out all the stops for SIHH 2017 with three new releases: the Excalibur 36, the Excalibur Spider Skeleton Automatic, and arguably the most impressive, the Excalibur Quatuor Cobalt MicroMelt. This latter model, a limited edition of eight pieces, is very much in keeping with the brand’s tradition of unconventional design and innovation, taking the title as the best watches for men ever to be constructed from a super durable, high-performance alloy called ‘cobalt chrome’.

The special alloy is incredibly strong and corrosion resistant, and is used in the crown, bezel and case, which measures 48mm-wide and 18.38mm-thick—so definitely not for the shy, retiring type. Roger Dubuis is keeping the secret of exactly what its cobalt chrome is made of close to its chest, but the brand says it’s produced through a process it calls ‘MicroMelt’, which involves melting and atomising the alloy, before compressing it and reforming it into the super strong material.

The Quatuor part of the name comes from the four tourbillon balances the watch uses to help counter the effect of gravity on the watch’s timekeeping. You can see them spinning on the four ‘corners’ of the watch’s dial, surrounding a PVD-coated time display. The colour scheme is an eye-catching blue with red highlights (including red stitching on the watch’s alligator strap), and the dial is partially skeletonised to allow a better view of the tourbillons.

The watch is powered by the in-house, manual-wind RD101 Quatuor movement, which beats at a frequency of 28,800vph for each of the tourbillons, and offers a power reserve of 40 hours—not bad considering it’s powering four balances, as well as the regular time. The movement is Geneva Seal certified, meaning it meets demanding criteria for both quality and craftsmanship, and the watch offers a water resistance rating of 50mm.

RICHARD MILLE RM 50-03 MCLAREN F1

Richard Mille is no stranger to breaking records, and the latest watch by the brand to do so is the RM 50-03 McLaren F1; this highly complicated split second tourbillon watch weighs just 38 grams in total, including the strap. To put that in perspective, the entire timepiece weighs less than a golf ball. Considering what’s going on inside the watch, that’s a pretty impressive statistic.


As we’ve come to expect from Richard Mille, the brand has experimented with new and innovative materials to create their new timepiece. As well as using both titanium and carbon TPT in the watch’s construction, Richard Mille has also introduced a material not seen before in watchmaking, Graph TPT. Otherwise known as graphene, this recently developed material has tested 200 times stronger than steel, while being lighter and more flexible. These properties and their implication for Formula 1 racing are why McLaren has invested so much into the research and development of graphene, and as this watch is the result of the partnership between the brands, it’s understandable that Richard Mille has chosen the innovative material for the timepiece as well.

Made of grade 5 titanium and skeletonisation to reduce the weight even further, the movement itself only tallies in at seven grams. Bear in mind, the movement boasts a tourbillon, split-second chronograph, 70-hour power reserve and torque indicator. The transverse cage, which supports the calibre, is also crafted from TPT carbon and is directly inspired by the ‘wishbone’ suspension of a McLaren-Honda F1 car.

As you might have already guessed, taking home one of these watches home is going to cost you a pretty penny, retailing at 980,000 CHF. The Richard Mille RM 50-03 McLaren F1 is the first product between the watchmaker and McLaren, so—on the theory that the only way is up—it will be interesting to see what the collaboration produces next.

H. MOSER & CIE SWISS MAD WATCH

In recent years, we’ve seen an explosion of interesting new case materials—carbon fibre, titanium, and even parts of historical artefacts (case in point, Romain Jerome’s Titanic DNA watch). Probably what no one was expecting, however, was a case made from Swiss cheese—yes, you heard us right, cheese. H. Moser & Cie has released the Swiss Mad Watch (not a typo—it’s an intentional play on the term Swiss made) that features a case made out of a composite material that includes locally sourced Vacherin Mont d’Or cheese.

This is the result of H. Moser & Cie’s stance in the ‘how many components must be Swiss in origin for a watch to be classed as Swiss made’ debate, with the brand announcing that 60 per cent is too lean a requirement. The brand makes a point of the fact that its creations are all over 95 per cent Swiss—and as proof of this fact, has released a 100 per cent Swiss watch with a 42mm case crafted, in part, of that other great Swiss export: cheese.

This tongue-in-cheek timepiece also features an attractive red fumé dial that, coupled with the doubled-up indices at 12, 3, 6 and 9 o’clock, is more than slightly reminiscent of the Swiss flag. The hand-stitched strap is made of Swiss cowhide, and the movement is built entirely in-house at the brand’s Swiss workshop, and beats at 18,000vph, with a power reserve of three days.

It’s all for a good cause, of course—the proceeds of the Swiss Mad Watch, which is priced at 1,081,291 CHF in honour of Switzerland’s founding date of 1291, will go towards a fund to support independent Swiss watchmakers. Point made, H. Moser & Cie, point made.

MORITZ GROSSMANN ATUM SKELETT

The origins of Moritz Grossmann date back to the 19th century, when the brand’s namesake, Karl Moritz Grossmann, set up an atelier in a small town nestled within the Ore Mountains of Glashutte. Fast forward to 2008, and watchmaker Christine Hutter revived the brand for the 21st century, drawing on the traditional craftsmanship of the brand’s originator and adding some modern innovation into the mix.

The brand has put an emphasis on contemporary design since its rebirth, superbly demonstrated in its latest watch, the Atum Skelett. Bearing the name of an Egyptian deity (in line with the rest of the brand’s models), the watch is a beautiful example of skeletonisation—and it’s no wonder why, as the company sought out master engraver Christophe Schaffo in the development of the watch. Schaffo has run his own workshop in La Brévine, Switzerland, since 1985, and specialises in creating one-of-a-kind pieces from existing watches.

The watch’s calibre 100.5 has been skeletonised and stripped back as much as possible to allow for Schaffo’s customisation of the component parts. The bridges have been painstakingly chamfered, chased, and engraved entirely by hand, all of which is visible on both the dial side and through the exhibition caseback.

The dial also features a sophisticated chapter ring of Roman numerals around its perimeter, and long, elegantly tapered hands are made distinct from the skeletonisation thanks to their deep purple coloration. Moritz Grossmann Atum Skelett’s case measures 41mm in diameter, and for that extra level of customisation, can be ordered in either a rose or white gold case.