Despite the turbulence, 2020 has undoubtedly been a remarkable year for the watch world on social media, with brands and collectors connecting like they never have before through Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Reddit, YouTube, and other channels. In the spirit of social media and looking back on 2020, we put together a list of the top five watches of the year — that is, according to impressions on WatchTime’s Instagram account.

5. A. Lange & Söhne 1815 Tourbograph Perpetual Honeygold “Homage to F.A. Lange”

WatchTime Live was one of our favorite highlights of the year, bringing together so many great brands, thought leaders, and collectors for our best digital event yet! One of the most exciting watchmakers we and our visitors caught up with there was fan-favorite A. Lange & Söhne, which over the course of the event unveiled and discussed several of its “Homage to F.A. Lange” Limited Editions.

The new 1815 Tourbograph Perpetual Honeygold, the most astoundingly complex of the Homage trio, quickly caught fire across our social channels. Limited to just 50 pieces and bringing together five different complications, all within a visually stunning design, it is no wonder as to why.

4. Parmigiani Fleurier Toric Tourbillon Slate Edition

Nothing quite attracts the eye of watch collectors quite like a micro-rotor, and Parmigiani Fleurier’s new Toric Tourbillon Slate Edition, released at this year’s Watches & Wonders digital event, certainly did deliver.

The new watch — which represents the maison’s first to use of a tourbillon movement in the Toric collection — is an attractive combination of luxe textures and expert polishing. With a couple thousand likes for its slate-colored guilloché dial, openworked tourbillon, and platinum micro-rotor, among many other notable features, this was a watch people loved to see in 2020.

3. IWC Portugieser Yacht Club Moon and Tide

IWC picks one of its many collections to refresh each year, and in 2020 the focus was on the Portugieser line, paying particular attention to the luxurious Yacht Club sub-series. That turned out to be a wise move, as few watches caught as much attention on our channels as the brand’s new Portugieser Yacht Club Moon and Tide, IWC’s first watch to feature an unusual mechanical tide indicator.

Besides its unique complication at 12 o’clock, the 44.5-mm x 14.4-mm rose gold piece also showcases a moon-phase, spring and neap tide indicator, and the eye catching automatic Caliber 82835, a movement developed in-house by the brand.

2. Citizen Promaster Sky 30^th Anniversary

We didn’t expect to find this next model toward the top of our list, and you probably didn’t, either, but the watch world has a way of surprising us all. We are talking, of course, about the Citizen Promaster Sky 30th Anniversary, the flagship model in the Japanese brand’s revamped Promaster line, and one keenly geared toward use by professional pilots.

Priced at $2,500, though currently on sale by Citizen for $2,000, the Promaster Sky 30^th Anniversary is easily the most affordable watch on our list and arguably the most eye-catching due to its super-complex dial.

1. The Caseback of Omega’s Speedmaster “Silver Snoopy Award” 50th Anniversary

If the Citizen model above was the watch least expected to make the list, the Omega “Silver Snoopy Award” 50th Anniversary, with its amazing and unprecedented moving caseback, was probably the one most anticipated to take the top slot.

With tens of thousands of eyes viewing Snoopy’s mechanical launch into orbit, the unofficial Speedmaster of the Year is as technologically intriguing as it is visually engaging. Even when it isn’t moving, the caseback alone captures your attention thanks to its unorthodox and playful style — a unique look that begs you to flip the watch over to take a peek.

When you are wearing the watch on your wrist, the dial and case feature all the aesthetic elements you love about the original, classic Speedmaster Professional, here in a handsome blue-and-white special-edition package. Altogether it offers something quite unique from Omega, and a highly-praised refresh to an already incredibly popular collection.

What do you think of our list? Mostly what you expected or full of surprises? Let us know in the comments!

1. If you’re just starting out in the world of watches, visit online communities and ask questions. No, don’t ask “Which watch should I buy.” The forum participants don’t know you, so their advice is likely to be off the mark. Instead, ask specific questions about watches to build your knowledge. Ask questions based on the guidelines below. In any online community, keep in mind that the answers may reflect a built-in bias. Regular forum participants may have already formed strong brand allegiances. A site dedicated to a particular brand will be populated by devotees of that brand.

2. Make a list of the features and qualities you seek in a timepiece, prioritize them, and then look for watches that fit your list. Really think about the features. Will you use the watch in the water? Do you need to be able read it in the dark? Do you need a particular complication? Do you need a large date for better legibility? If you like to swap straps, do you need standard lugs? Will you trade overall legibility for a cool look? Are service costs a concern? The list goes on.

3. The more time you devote to the search, the happier you will be in the end. Avoid impulse purchases. Be methodical.

4. If at all possible, do not buy a given watch because you think it will please or impress other people. You can purchase any watch, and people will line up to tell you that you should have purchased their favorite watch instead. Putting your happiness in the hands of others is risky business. Learn to shrug off criticism. Be confident in your choices. The only opinion that counts is yours.

5. Every time you see an image of a watch you like, save it. Try to locate multiple images of the same watch. Don’t focus on professional beauty shots – try to find good live shots. Look at the saved images every day (or more often). Keep a list ranking your favorites. If a watch stays at the top for a while, it may be a winner. On the other hand, once you spot something that bothers you about a watch, you will notice it every time you look at the watch, so you should probably eliminate it from your list.

6. Do your best to pinpoint the two or three things about a watch that really make you like it. Don’t just say “It looks nice” – be specific. Once you do that, you can seek out other watches with those qualities.

7. Be as thorough as possible in your search. Nothing is worse than buying a watch, only to find one you like better the following week. (Though for some, that is a way of life. They are “flippers” or “catch-and- release” collectors who live for the hunt, and this article is not for them.) If you’ve found a watch you really like, visit the watch communities, tell the good people which watch that is, and ask them to recommend similar watches. In this regard, advice from others can prove useful.

8. TRY BEFORE YOU BUY! Try on as many watches as possible. Watches can definitely surprise you once on your wrist. Watches that prove too big, too small, too thick, and/or too heavy generate much buyers’ remorse. If you see a watch you like online, find the same watch locally and try it on. If you can’t find that watch, find one that’s close in size and try it on. If you buy long distance without a test drive, make sure you can return the watch, no questions asked.

9. When you’re trying on watches, pay close attention to how they make you feel. Ideally, one watch will “call to you” from among the many you’re considering. That may be the one to buy, assuming it continues calling over a period of time. Don’t get married after (or during) the first date.

10. Once you’ve made a decision, try it on for a few days (the decision, not the watch). Act as though you’ve already purchased the watch, and your search has ended. Any other watch you were thinking of buying is now beyond reach. Are you still happy with your choice?

Finding the perfect watch can be a challenge, but the hunt is part of the fun, and the right choice can bring years of enjoyment.

This article was originally published in 2014 and has been updated.

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For those interested in the third option, we have put together a list of dive watches from lesser known brands (in alphabetical order) that we feel are worth checking out, covering a wide range of prices and specs.

1. Aegir Instruments

Aegir Instruments

In 2007, Australian diver Todd Caldwell started to bring his vision of the perfect dive watch to life. The result is 42-mm in case diameter, water-resistant to 701 meters, and can be ordered with a rotating (CD-2) or fixed bezel (CD-1). A nice feature: the watch is powered by a Soprod A10 movement. Prices start at $1,600.

2. Aquadive

Aquadive Bathyscaphe 300

A legendary dive watch brand from the past returned in 2011, using the same case as the legendary “Bathyscaphe” model from the 1970s (but not its depth-meter functionality). There are 43-mm and 47-mm models available, both with up to 3,000 meters of water resistance, with different functions and movements, and there are even some new old stock (NOS) models available. Prices start at $990.

3. Germano & Walter

Germano Walter T-500

For the last 10 years, Pietro Germano and Alexander Walter have been offering vintage-inspired watches in small numbers out of Germany. The current model T~500 is available with either an ETA 2892 or a NOS 2472, and the bezel can be locked with a second crown at 4 o’clock. Prices start at 3,700 euros.

4. H2O/Helberg

Helberg CH1 SS1

These two German brands (introduced in 2011 and 2013) from Clemens Helberg offer endless possibilities for personalization, and the Orca model even allows the owner to swap the case after the configuration (remember the Aquatique from Japy?). Prices start at 500 euros and the watches’ maximum water resistance is an impressive 6,000 meters.

5. Pita

Pita Oceana DLC

In 2005, this Spanish AHCI member presented a rather unusual dive watch powered by a base caliber from ETA: The up-to-5,000 meter water-resistant Oceana doesn’t need a crown, since it is operated via its caseback. Prices start at 4,575 euros.

6. Suissemecanica

Suissemecanica SM8

In 2011, this freshly launched Swiss watch brand started with the SM8 collection. All its dive watches are water-resistant to 200 meters and feature an internal bezel that can be operated after the slider is moved up or down. Movements for the single-pusher chrono, GMT, and three-hand models come from Concepto. Prices start at 11,9000 euros.

7. Squale

Squale 500

Since 2010, the legendary Italian dive watch brand has returned to its former glory and offers not only some of its traditional models (based on ETA movements), but is slowly expanding the collection with more complicated editions and specialties (e.g. using NOS parts). Prices start at 600 euros.

8. Tempus Computare

Tempus Computare Shark Watcher

Launched in 2010, the Swiss brand tries to combine a rather unusual 47-mm chronograph model with a strong commitment to the protection of the ocean (as well as discovering new places to apply luminescent material). This resulted in a watch made for the Sea Shepherd organization. Both the Shark Watcher and Sea Shepherd models are based on a Valjoux 7750. Prices start at about 7,000 euros.

9. UTS München

UTS 4000M Professional Diver

Since 1999, this German company has offered some substantial dive watches with the brand’s signature lug design. Some models are equipped with bezel locking mechanisms and some are water resistant to 4,000 meters. Prices start at 2,500 euros. For WatchTime’s profile of the brand and its founder, click here.

10. Vintage VDB

As its name indicates, this brand, also from Germany, specializes in vintage-inspired dive watches that are also powered by vintage movements. Recently, the team behind VDB started to offer annual editions to meet the growing demand and considers a run of 80 watches a complete series. Prices start at 1,190 euros.

As with every list, chances are that your own favorite “alternative” dive watch brand is not on it. So please use the comments section to let us know which lesser-known brand ticks all of your boxes.

This article was originally published in 2014 and has been updated.

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One of my late, watch-loving friends had a special appreciation for chronographs and even ended all his e-mails with, “Chronographs, like most finer things in life, only improve with time.” If you want to know more about chronograph movements, and certain specific calibers, from a collector’s point of view, I recommend you read the interview I did with him several years ago (click here). Although it does not include the latest chronograph movements, it is still a useful article covering many important aspects of chronographs.

Another great read that I can recommend if you want to learn more about chronograph movements is the book Chronograph Wristwatches – To Stop Time, written by Gerd-Rüdiger Lang (founder and former CEO of Chronoswiss) and Reinhard Meis. The book dates from 1993 and offers good – albeit very technical – descriptions of the various chronograph movements out there.

My personal Top 10 contains in-house manufactured movements as well as mass-produced movements from manufacturers such as Lemania. You will also note that I’ve included types with both column-wheel and lever mechanisms. Other considerations include aesthetics and other attributes, all based on my experience in watch collecting over the last 15 years.

1. Zenith El Primero

The Zenith El Primero was introduced in 1969 and the first two versions were Caliber 3019PHC (with chronograph and date) and Caliber 3019PHF (with triple date, moon-phase, and chronograph).  This first automatic chronograph movement ever is a ‘fast ticker,’ with a frequency of 36,000 vibrations per hour (vph). Most chronographs at the time of its introduction were ticking at 18,000 vph or 21,600 vph. The 36,000 vph makes it possible to time intervals to 1/10^th of a second. The El Primero movement as we know it today is an evolution of the very first Caliber 3019 movements. Over time, we’ve seen several brands other than Zenith using El Primero chronograph movements, including Movado, TAG Heuer, Ebel, and even some Rolex Daytonas (though Rolex made some adjustments to it). If you are really into chronographs, you need at least one watch with this movement inside it.

2. Lemania 5100

You don’t have to be a movement expert to see that this one is a rather ugly specimen. It has no column-wheel mechanism and it even has some plastic parts inside. The reason that I put this particular movement at number 2 is that it is a no-nonsense workhorse, with central second and minute chronograph hands (for easier reading), a 24-hour hand, and a day-date feature. This movement was discontinued a few years ago, which apparently brought a few chronograph collectors nearly to tears. Tutima is one of the brands that has used it for a very long time, even after the discontinuation of its production. Other brands that have used the Lemania 5100 include Omega (which calls it Caliber 1045), Sinn, Fortis, Porsche Design, and Alain Silberstein. Lemania also created its own chronograph watches in the past that contained this movement. Word is that Fortis, Sinn and Tutima used this particular movement because it was the only one at the time meeting military requirements for chronograph watches. (Photo from Watchconcept.com).

3. Lemania 2310

Another Lemania, but very different than the 5100. This Lemania 2310 is perhaps better known under Omega’s “Caliber 321” label, which was used in the very first Omega Speedmaster watches (click here). However, Omega wasn’t the only brand to use this Lemania column-wheel chronograph caliber. Even Patek Philippe used it for some of its chronograph watches, renaming it Caliber CH27-70. Of course, the Patek Philippe CH27-70 looked very different from the Omega Caliber 321 in terms of its finish, but both are based on that very same Lemania movement. Speedmaster fans crave the original Caliber 321, which Omega replaced in 1968 with Caliber 861 (also based on a Lemania movement), which had a lever mechanism instead of a column wheel. (Photo courtesy of SteveG)

4. Rolex 4130

Before 2000, Rolex used hand-wound Valjoux Caliber 72 chronograph movements, and modified Zenith El Primero movements, for its Cosmograph Daytona watches. In 2000, Rolex introduced the successor to its Caliber 4030 movement (based on the El Primero), Rolex Caliber 4130. Fully developed and manufactured in-house, this automatic chronograph chronometer movement is solid as a rock and cleverly engineered. Rolex was able to reduce the number of components with a new, patented solution for the chronograph mechanism. The extra space has been used to house a larger mainspring, which increased the power-reserve capacity from 50 to 72 hours. A watchmaker from a local Rolex service center has also told me that the Daytona is quite easy for them to service thanks to this movement’s construction.

5. A. Lange & Söhne L951.6

The hand-wound Caliber L951.6 by A. Lange & Söhne powers the brand’s Datograph Auf/Ab timepiece and, as you can see from the photo, has an incredibly high level of finishing and craftsmanship. The balance bridge has that traditional Glashütte finish (hand-engraving) and all the movement parts are meticulously finished as well. All the parts — even the balance spring — are manufactured in-house. This particular movement consists of 451 parts, which means assembly is surely a painstaking job for Lange’s watchmakers in Germany. Although I have much respect and admiration for all Lange movements, the one in the Datograph Auf/Ab (“Up/Down”) movement is definitely one of my favorites.

6. Omega Caliber 9300

In 2011, a few years after the introduction of its in-house-developed-and-produced Caliber 8500-family of movements, Omega introduced the Caliber 9300 chronograph movement, which was also entirely developed and manufactured in-house. This impressively large caliber has the brand’s renowned co-axial escapement, a column-wheel mechanism, and a silicon balance spring. The movement has a 60-hour power reserve. So far, Omega has only used Caliber 9300 in its Seamaster Planet Ocean chronographs and Speedmaster Caliber 9300 watches, including the Speedmaster “Dark Side of the Moon.” Caliber 9300 has a two-register layout in which the subdial at 3 o’clock shows both the recorded hours and minutes. This subdial can also be used as a second-time-zone indicator if used cleverly. A review on the Omega Speedmaster 9300 can be found here.

7. TAG Heuer Caliber 1969

Remember the uproar when it was revealed that TAG Heuer’s Caliber 1887 movement was based on a Seiko chronograph caliber? Even though TAG Heuer modified it, and is producing it in Switzerland, the word “Seiko” lit a fire under some diehard Swiss-watch fans. Recently, TAG Heuer introduced another new chronograph movement, Caliber 1969.  The caliber number refers to the year that TAG introduced its first mechanical, automatic chronograph movement, Caliber 11. And it should be noted that this movement has nothing to do with the more controversial Caliber 1887. It is a tricompax chronograph (subdials at 9, 6 and 3 o’clock) and has a power reserve of 70 hours. There are no watches available with this movement yet, as TAG Heuer just recently announced it and officially opened the production facility. I can only hope it will do a perfect re-edition of some of the classic, vintage Heuer watches that used the Caliber 11 movement in the past.

8. Patek Philippe CHR 29-535 PS Q

This movement, Caliber CHR 29-535 PS Q, was developed in-house by Patek Philippe. It is hand-wound and was used for the first time in Patek’s Reference 5402P (I wrote about that watch here). The movement consists of 496 parts and features not only a chronograph with split-seconds function, but also a perpetual calendar, placing it firmly in Patek Philippe’s Grand Complications collection. It is a relatively small movement compared to the others here (30 mm diameter) but quite thick. The finishing on all the parts is magnificent. Patek Philippe has filed for a patent on its new split-seconds lever construction. An amazing movement that is unfortunately —  like the A. Lange & Söhne chronograph movement that came in at #5 — available only for a fortunate few.

9. Seiko Ananta Spring Drive Movement (Caliber 5R86)

I recall that, at one point, Seiko‘s Spring Drive movement got so much publicity that people who inquired about my watch hobby were under the assumption that all watches wound by the motion of the wrist were called “Spring Drive” watches. Seiko did an excellent marketing job on that. The Ananta Chronograph was a Seiko watch that really caught my eye, with its Caliber 5R86 movement. Instead of a traditional escapement, the Spring Drive system uses a combination of a balance wheel, electro-magnetic energy, and a quartz oscillator for optimum accuracy; it uses a rotor to wind the mainspring. As you can see, the finishing is superb. If you can live without the traditional tick-tock of a purely mechanical movement, give a watch with this Seiko movement a chance.

10. Breitling B01

Following in the footsteps of Omega and TAG Heuer, Breitling also felt the urge to design and develop a chronograph movement in its own facilities. Breitling introduced its B01 chronograph movement in 2009. Before that, Breitling, like many other watch brands, used mainly ETA/Valjoux chronograph movements, along with an occasional Lemania. The Breitling B01 movement is fully developed and manufactured in-house and has a column-wheel chronograph system. It has a 70-hour power reserve and a traditional tricompax layout. It was first introduced in the Chronomat, but since then Breitling has also installed versions of it in a number of its other watches, including the Navitimer 01, Montbrillant 01 and Chronomat 44.

What are your favorite chronograph movements (not watches)? Please share them with us by leaving a comment.

This article was originally posted in 2015 and has been updated.

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1. A. Lange & Söhne Zeitwerk Striking Time

A. Lange & Sohne Zeitwerk Striking Time

The A. Lange & Söhne Zeitwerk Striking Time has a rose-gold case and hands and a silver dial. Unlike most repeaters and other chiming watches, it has its chiming mechanism integrated into the dial design. The black-polished steel hammers are located on either side of the large small-seconds subdial at 6 o’clock. The hammer on the right strikes the quarter hours and the one on the left, the full hours. The two gongs, embedded in a recess between the dial and the bezel, are also visible from the dial side. Every 15 minutes, the mechanism triggers the striking of one of the gongs — three high-pitched chimes for each quarter hour and one low-pitched chime for the top of every full hour. The watch has a device that can deactivate the chiming mechanism whenever the owner wishes to not be disturbed by it: Simply press the push-piece at 4 o’clock and the hammers raise away from the gongs and hold in place, thus silencing the watch. For more details, click here.

2. Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Concept Supersonnerie

The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Concept Supersonnerie — which went from concept watch to commercial model in just a year — is the result of eight years of acoustic research by the brand’s R&D department. The chiming mechanism, which is 10 times louder than that of a traditional chiming watch, applies the principles of stringed instruments, with gongs attached to a purpose-built copper-alloy plate that Audemars calls a “sound board” positioned between the movement and the mainplate. The principle is akin to the way strings work in an acoustic guitar, stretched over a hollow case that amplifies the sound. Gongs are conventionally attached to the mainplate, which can dampen rather than enhance the chime. The Audemars Piguet system essentially separates the acoustical from the technical, resulting in a cleaner, louder sound, amplified by the space between the plate and the sound board. For more on this groundbreaking watch, read our report from SIHH 2016.

3. Breguet Ref. 7800 Classique “La Musicale”

Breguet Classique La Musicale

At the push of a button (located at 10 o’clock), or when it strikes a pre-set time, the Breguet Ref. 7800 Classique “La Musicale” plays Bach’s “Badinerie.” Its musical mechanism resembles a music box, utilizing a disk with pegs that strike the 15 blades of the “keyboard.” A membrane made of Swatch’s LiquidMetal fitted under the movement amplifies the sound while maintaining water resistance.

4. Bulgari Octo Finissimo Minute Repeater

At Baselworld 2016, Bulgari released the Bulgari Octo Finissimo Minute Repeater, which now claims the title of smallest striking watch on the market. In general, a chiming watch tends to be on the large side, due to the need for sufficiently generous interior volume for optimal diffusion of the sound within the case, thus ensuring ideal acoustic quality. With this watch, however, Bulgari set out to achieve this “perfect sound” within the smallest possible space. To this end, the brand developed the in-house BVL Caliber 362, which measures just 3.12 mm thick, and created a case whose overall thickness is only 6.85 mm. (Its diameter is 40 mm.) The case is made of titanium, a low-density metal whose properties are excellent for sound diffusion. Another clever touch: the cut-out hour-markers on the dial (also made of titanium) and cut-out ring around the small seconds subdial, which created openings that serve to amplify the resonance inside the case and thereby optimize the sound effect. You can read more on the watch here.

5. Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Ultra Thin Minute Repeater Flying Tourbillon

Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Ultra Thin Minute Repeater Flying Tourbillon

One of the highlight pieces of SIHH 2014, the Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Ultra Thin Minute Repeater Flying Tourbillon is the eleventh creation in the brand’s Hybris Mechanica collection and the first ultra-thin Grand Complication model. The watch is very slim for a minute repeater, at just 7.9 mm thin. It is also equipped with an original tourbillon, a high-performance new balance spring, a peripheral automatic winding system, a retractable single push-button, and a minute repeater equipped with a silent-timelapse reduction system. The watch is equipped with two patented trebuchet hammers that ensure stronger, cleaner striking on the two crystal gongs fixed to the sapphire crystal, which helps to amplify the sound diffusion. Instead of a traditional slide, the minute repeater is activated by a retractable, single push-button, for which Jaeger-LeCoultre has filed a patent, with a discreet locking system at 8 o’clock. Visit our Jaeger-LeCoultre brand page for more on this very complicated timepiece.

6. Jaquet Droz Bird Repeater

Jaquet Droz Bird Repeater

The Jaquet Droz Bird Repeater is inspired by the brand’s namesake, Pierre Jaquet-Droz, known for his automaton creations, which often featured birds. A push-button triggers the minute repeater, which strikes the hours, quarters, and minutes as the birds on the dial come to life. The system uses a cathedral gong whose resonant, mellow tones are generated by two turns around the mechanism. Click here for more on the Jaquet Droz Bird Repeater and here to see the new skeletonized version.

7. Piaget Emperador Coussin Automatic Minute Repeater

Piaget Emperador Coussin Automatic Minute Repeater

At SIHH 2013, Piaget unveiled its first-ever minute repeater, the Piaget Emperador Coussin Automatic Minute Repeater. Activating the slide at 9 o’clock triggers the minute repeater on demand, with the sound generated by a gong designed for enhanced transmission of the vibrations – and thus the sound – through the movement and on through the case. In order to preserve the purity of this sound throughout its duration, the movement, Caliber 1290P, is equipped with an inertia flywheel to regulate the rhythm between the start and finish of the chiming. Click here for our full-length article on this Piaget minute repeater.

8. Tutima Hommage Minute Repeater

Tutima Hommage Minute Repeater

Germany’s Tutima released its first chiming watch with an in-house movement, the Tutima Hommage Minute Repeater, in 2013. Tutima, a Glashütte-based watch company that traces its history back to the 1920s, spent three years developing the movement for the watch, Hommage Caliber 800. From the back, the owner can see Tutima’s historical insignia, the relief engravings on the cover of the striking mechanism’s barrel, and the mechanism that activates the repeater’s tiny hammers.

9. Ulysse Nardin Stranger

Ulysse Nardin Stranger

The Ulysse Nardin Stranger chimes the melody of the iconic 1966 Frank Sinatra song, “Strangers in the Night” on the hour or on demand. The Stranger’s movement, which took five years to develop and includes functions that emulate those of a classical music box, is visible through a sapphire crystal in the caseback. The on/off pusher that activates and deactivates the chiming mechanism is located at 10 o’clock; the wearer uses this to “program” the watch to play its “Strangers in the Night” melody on the hour or not at all.

10. Vacheron Constantin Patrimony Contemporaine Ultra-Thin Calibre 1731

The Vacheron Constantin Patrimony Contemporaine Ultra-Thin Calibre 1731, powered by the astonishingly thin, 3.9-mm Caliber 1731, made its auspicious debut at 2013’s inaugural “Watches and Wonders” watch fair in Hong Kong. It boasts a 65-hour power reserve and also incorporates the “flying strike governor” developed for Vacheron’s 2755 movement in 2007, which is designed to steady the rate at which the repeater’s hammer’s strike the gongs. To ensure as clear a sound as possible for the chimes, the gongs are stacked, rather than placed side by side, and connected to the case middle. In this way, the case is made to be as one with the movement; the case is constructed without joints so that it and the gongs can interact — metal against metal — for an ideal amplitude of sound.

This article was originally published in 2013 and has been updated with new material.

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