Men’s Folio reports live from Geneva, the cradle of fine watchmaking, on the Day 2 highlights of Watches & Wonders. Click here for highlights of Day 1.
Patek Philippe World Time Ref. 5330G-001
Patek Philippe’s next-generation World Time Watch sees a world first introduced at Watches & Wonders 2024: a date display synchronised with local time. The Patek Philippe World Time Ref. 5330G-001 joins the ranks as a regular production piece after being launched as a limited edition in Tokyo during the Patek Philippe “Watch Art” Grand Exhibition. This year’s edition is powered by the groundbreaking automatic calibre 240 HU C with the world time and date complications synchronised to local time. A series of engineering ingenuity in the patented differential mechanism controls the date function, allowing it to recognise if the date is required to move forward or backwards by a day when the wearer crosses and selects a new timezone. Advancing the local city is a breeze thanks to the pusher at 10 o’clock. The various elements are positioned harmoniously on the blue-grey opaline dial with the silvered periphery date display indicated by a red-tip glass hand, while the world time display surrounds the central carbon motif. The Patek Philippe World Time Ref. 5330G-001 is presented in a 40mm 18K white gold case with a blue-grey calfskin “denim” motif embossed strap complementing the dial.
A. Lange & Söhne Datograph Perpetual Tourbillon Honeygold “Lumen”
A. Lange & Söhne’s emblematic triple complication heavyweight Datograph Perpetual Tourbillon receives a modern makeover at Watches & Wonders 2024. While classical watchmaking remains at the heart of A. Lange & Söhne’s timepieces, the Saxon watchmaker’s Lumen treatment, lend watches a touch of modernity thanks to a grey-coated sapphire crystal dial. Luminous compounds applied to the watch hands, calendar displays and circumferential dial ring give these elements a magical glow-in-the-dark effect when lighting conditions fall. The A. Lange & Söhne Datograph Perpetual Tourbillon Honeygold “Lumen” comes encased for the first time in the Saxon watchmaker’s proprietary Honeygold. Within lies the technically astute calibre L952.4, with 684 components controlling the instant jump perpetual calendar displays, flyback chronograph and a tourbillon. This exclusive version is limited to 50 pieces worldwide.
Zenith DEFY Extreme Diver
Zenith takes to the oceans at Watches & Wonders 2024 with the Zenith DEFY Extreme Diver. The historical 1969 Zenith DEFY served as the point of reference for the new creation. Hallmarks such as the signature angular case and dodecagonal bezel were retained, and the necessary ingredients of a dive watch were added. As the namesake suggests, the diver is part of Zenith’s purpose-built DEFY Extreme collection, aimed at handling harsh conditions. The latest incarnation, the Zenith DEFY Extreme Diver, sees the timepiece engineered to take on the watery depths with a 600m water-resistant 42.5mm titanium case. Notably, the rotating dive bezel is fashioned from a single ceramic piece, adding to the watch’s robustness. Oversized watch hands and hour indices ensure legibility and readability even in low light conditions thanks to SuperLuminova X1 coated watch hands. Precision, another of Zenith’s virtues, is upheld with the high-frequency El Primero calibre 3620 SC.
Stay tuned for more Watches & Wonders 2024 updates in the coming days. Otherwise, click here to catch up with our April 2024 issue.
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