Our 10 favourite watches from the 2015 SIHH in Geneva

The Geneva watch show has long marked the opening of the ‘watch season’, as it were. We attended the 25th Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie – SIHH for short – and now bring you our favourite new models, from A. Lange & Söhne to Parmigiani…

Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Tourbillon

The story of the Royal Oak Offshore dates back to 1993, when Audemars Piguet introduced an evolution of the Gérald Genta Royal Oak collection. In 2015, the new self-winding Tourbillon sets new standards – not only because its light movement weighs a mere 0.45g, but also because it has been moved to the front of the watch, so its intricacies are on display.

A. Lange & Söhne Zeitwerk Minute Repeater

The A. Lange & Söhne Zeitwerk Minute Repeater has much in common with electro-pop pioneers Kraftwerk: both were ahead of their respective times, and both did so in a rather unorthodox way. The Glashütte-based watch manufacturer’s ‘mechanical digital clock’ marked the watch world permanently with its first appearance, and now the family receives a melodious update. Our personal highlight of the show.

Cartier Rotonde de Cartier Grande Complication

With the new Rotonde de Cartier Grande Complication, Cartier’s ‘Queen of complications’ Carole Forestier has managed to fit three complications (minute repeater, perpetual calendar and flying tourbillon) within a case just 5.49mm thick. It’ll come as no surprise, then, that it takes 30 weeks to build each one.

Montblanc Tourbillon Cylindrique Geosphères Vasco da Gama

With the new Villeret Tourbillon Cylindrique Geosphères Vasco Gama, Montblanc has revealed a watch that displays three time zones – local, home and world time – by using connected Northern and Southern hemispheres in the lower part of the dial. This worldly knowledge doesn’t come cheap, however: the Hamburg manufactory will relieve you of around 250,000 euros in return for one of the 18 rose-gold pieces produced.

Parmigiani Bugatti Type 370 Révélation

To celebrate its 10th year in partnership with Bugatti, Parmigiani has shown three new interpretations of a watch built for the famous French marque. The Bugatti-Parmigiani partnership always generates interesting pieces, and the Type 370 Révélation is no different – offering glimpses of the inner workings through a radiator-like grille that can be fully opened.

Richard Mille RM19-02 Tourbillon Fleur

The most expensive and visually free-thinking watch of the show was Richard Mille’s 1.5-million-euro ‘RM19-02 ’, which places a flying tourbillon within the five petals of an 18-carat gold purple magnolia. Working either in a cycle, or on demand via the pusher at 9 o’clock, the five petals open to reveal the flying tourbillon escapement, which in turn rises by 1mm to give the wearer a better view (and to replicate the natural movement of a stamen). 

IWC Portugieser Hand Wound Eight Days Edition '75th Anniversary'

SIHH 2015 saw IWC celebrate the 75th anniversary of a watch entwined with the company’s history: the Portuguese. To celebrate, the company has re-christened the line ‘Portugieser’, and created an elegant limited-edition wristwatch that boasts an 8-day power reserve encased in a design that harks back to the 1930s original.

Greubel Forsey GMT Black 

First to integrate a miniature globe into the fascia of a wristwatch, genius watch duo Robert Greubel and Stephen Forsey are now reaping the rewards via order books bursting at the bindings – yet their innovation shows no signs of abating. At SIHH 2015, Forsey shows his famous GMT watch in black. Well, they say it’s slimming, after all…

Panerai Luminor Submersible 1950 Carbotech

For the first time, Italian manufacturer Panerai has produced a model from the 1950s collection that isn’t enclosed in a metal case – instead using a carbonfibre composite dubbed ‘Carbotech’. As you might expect, this promises to offer a level of durability unprecedented in the watch world, but let’s be honest: the bigger draw is the pretty pattern it creates.

Ralph Lauren Automotive Skeleton

This year, Ralph Lauren will reveal no fewer than six watches dedicated to subjects from his world-class car collection. SIHH 2015 sees the launch of the Automotive Skeleton, which pays tribute to his Pebble Beach-winning 1938 Bugatti Type 57SC Atlantic. The semi-open face is framed by amboyna burl, a wood traditionally used to decorate the interiors of the most luxurious automobiles.

You can find a wide range of classic watches for sale in the Classic Driver Market.