Bell & Ross Puts A Piece of Space on the New BR-X5

Since its debut in 2022, the BR-X5 has carved out its own lane within Bell & Ross's lineup: a multi component, multi material proposition that trades the brand's famous aviation inspiration for something more architectural and technical, aimed squarely at collectors who want their watches to look like precision instruments rather than dress accessories. The Meteorite edition pushes that identity further by pairing Swiss manufacture watchmaking with a material no factory can replicate.

The star of the piece is Muonionalusta meteorite, an iron meteorite first found in 1906 in Sweden's Norrbotten region. It's believed to have crashed to Earth roughly a million years ago and lay preserved under Scandinavian permafrost for millennia before being unearthed. Slice and etch it correctly, and it reveals a Widmanstätten pattern — a crystalline lattice of fine interlocking lines that only forms when molten metal cools over millions of years in the vacuum of space. It's a structure that simply cannot be faked in a lab, which means every dial carved from it is genuinely one-of-one. Across the 250 pieces in this limited run, no two watches share the same pattern.

Bell & Ross treated the material with real restraint. Rather than veneering a thin slice of meteorite onto a conventional brass dial, the brand machined the dial directly from solid meteorite, with the dial feet passing straight through the raw stone — a monolithic component rather than a composite one. A thin PVD coating protects the surface and stabilizes it against the elements without disguising its character, letting the dial shift between charcoal, silver, and shifting metallic reflections as light hits it. Legibility hasn't been sacrificed for spectacle, either: polished, rhodium-plated "bathtub" indices and skeletonized hands are both filled with blue-glowing Super-LumiNova, so the watch reads as clearly at night as the meteorite pattern reads by day.

Housing it all is the familiar BR-X5 case: 41mm of satin-polished steel, 12.8mm thick, with the collection's signature four exposed case screws and open-worked structure that keeps the watch feeling lighter on the wrist than its dimensions suggest. Power comes from the in-house BR-CAL.323, a COSC-certified automatic caliber with roughly 70 hours of power reserve, a large date at 3 o'clock, and a power reserve indicator at 9 o'clock — backed by a five-year warranty and visible through a sapphire case back. Buyers can choose a steel bracelet for a sharper, technical look or a black rubber strap for something sportier. At 250 pieces, the BR-X5 Meteorite isn't just a limited edition — it's a geological one. Each buyer isn't only acquiring a chronometer-grade Swiss watch; they're acquiring a literal fragment of the universe, shaped long before Earth existed, now keeping time on a wrist.

Luminox Reworks Their Classic Silhouette With The New Navy 3550 Series of Watches

For over thirty years, the Navy SEAL collection has been shorthand for Luminox's core promise: a tough, always-legible tool watch built for people who actually need one. Now the brand has given that lineage its most thoughtful update yet with the launch of the Navy 3550 Series, a redesign that keeps the collection's identity intact while updating its comfort, proportions, and readability on the wrist.

The headline change is the case itself. Luminox has re-engineered the 44mm CARBONOX case with a more streamlined architecture, smoothing the transitions between bezel, case, and strap. The result is a watch that sits noticeably more naturally across a range of wrist sizes, a meaningful upgrade for a collection that's as likely to be worn on Asian wrists regardless of whether it is over a wetsuit or at a desk. Crucially, the redesign doesn't chase a slimmer profile at the expense of durability; the toughness professionals have relied on for decades remains fully intact.

What's easy to miss on first glance is that this is an evolution, not a departure. The watch still carries the collection's signature turtle-shaped silhouette, the visual cue that's made the Navy SEAL series instantly recognizable on wrists from search-and-rescue teams to weekend divers. Luminox has clearly been careful here, refining the ergonomics without diluting the design language that built the collection's reputation in the first place.

Beyond the case, the details support the same goal. Enhanced crown protection, a unidirectional bezel that now sits flush with the case, and slimmer syringe hands, all drawn from the earliest Luminox models, all contribute to a more balanced, modern tactical look without softening the watch's functional edge. A tapered, textured rubber strap rounds out the fit, designed to stay secure and comfortable through long wear.

Legibility has always been the non-negotiable at the centre of Luminox's design philosophy, and the Navy 3550 Series dial upholds this mentality. Bold numerals set in Liberator Sans Heavy give the dial an immediate, no-squinting clarity, while an opened-up chapter ring clears visual clutter and improves the watch's overall readability at a glance. The 200 m water resistance rating now appears directly on the dial, a small but telling touch that puts one of the collection's defining capabilities front and centre rather than tucked into the spec sheet.

Underpinning all of this is the technology the brand is still best known for: Luminox Light Technology. 16 of these luminescent tubes provide constant, self-powered illumination for up to 25 years, with no charging and no external light source required.

The Navy 3550 Series arrives in five colorways, always black with touches of white, red, green or blue. And of course, it wouldn’t be Luminox without a signature blackout version of the watch, black on black, complete stealth. The Navy 3550 Series is a watch that respects its own history. It's not trying to reinvent the Navy SEAL collection so much as sand down its rough edges making it more comfortable, more legible and most importantly still unmistakably Luminox.

Fully Wound, This Panerai Watch Will Last the Entire Month Without Needing Extra Power

Panerai’s long‑standing pursuit of endurance, reliability, and functional clarity reaches a new milestone this year with the introduction of the Luminor 31 Giorni PAM01631. The watch is the latest expression of a philosophy shaped in the brand’s earliest days, when Panerai built secret instruments for the Royal Italian Navy and discovered that performance and purpose were inseparable. Those formative decades forged the hallmarks that still define the Maison today: exceptional legibility, robust construction, and extended autonomy.

The new PAM01631 pays tribute to this heritage through a remarkable technical achievement — a 31‑day power reserve, the longest ever created by Panerai. This breakthrough is the result of seven years of research by the Laboratorio di Idee, the brand’s innovation hub within its Neuchâtel manufacture. Their work builds on a lineage that began in the 1950s with the Angelus SF240 movement, whose eight‑day reserve became a benchmark of Panerai’s military instruments. Later milestones, such as the P.2002 (8‑days) and P.2003 (10‑days) calibres, continued to push the boundaries of autonomy. The new P.2031/S calibre now extends that legacy into unprecedented territory.

Housed in a 44 mm Panerai Goldtech case — a proprietary alloy enriched with copper, platinum, and silver for enhanced durability — the PAM01631 combines Italian design flair with Swiss mechanical rigour. Its skeletonized movement surrounds the four barrels containing 3.3 metres of mainsprings, arranged in series to deliver consistent torque and minimise wear. A patent‑pending Torque Limiter system selects the optimal 31‑day operating window from a potential 36 days, ensuring stable chronometry and protecting the movement from excessive tension. After 31 days, the watch deliberately stops to preserve its chronometric precision.

The open‑worked architecture is complemented by a polarized date display visible only through the aperture at 3 o’clock, while the rest of the date disc appears transparent, offering an unhindered view of the skeleton movement. It also has a curved power‑reserve indicator and Super‑LumiNova X2 accents for enhanced low‑light readability. A sapphire caseback offers a full view of the calibre’s depth and complexity. Practicality remains central: the watch requires just 128 crown turns for a full wind, and a patented jumping‑hour mechanism allows quick time adjustments without disturbing the minute or seconds hands.

Water‑resistant to 10 bar and tested beyond its rated depth, the PAM01631 is delivered with a Goldtech folding clasp featuring the PAM Click Release System for effortless strap changes. Limited to 200 pieces and available exclusively in Panerai boutiques, it stands as the brand’s most advanced expression of its enduring mission — creating instruments built for resilience, clarity, and uncompromising performance.

The Conversation: IWC achieves new heights with its Pilot’s watches

Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar ProSet Le Petit Prince Ref. IW329601

In the high-pressure atmosphere of Watches and Wonders Geneva, where novelties come to receive judgment, IWC Schaffhausen chose to remind the world why it remains the definitive master of the skies. This year marks a staggering milestone: the 90th anniversary of the Pilot’s collection, which has a lineage tracing back to the 1936 “Special Pilot’s Watch” (Ref. IW436).

While the collection’s DNA is rooted in the functional austerity of the mid-century—from the oversized 1940 B-Uhr to the legendary Mark 11 – the 2026 presentation was anything but nostalgic. Instead, the “Engineers of Schaffhausen” leveraged their IWC Experimental (XPL) division to push the boundaries of both material science and mechanical logic.

In our latest editorial “scramble,” the editors of WOW Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand convene to dissect whether the resulting novelties represent the most significant leap for the collection since the Kurt Klaus era. From the surreal spectacle of glowing Big Pilots in darkened auditoriums to the “LIGA wizardry” powering the new Calibre 82665, the trio digs into where IWC is going.

RC: I made a new personal record this year. I have worn a single watch for 18 consecutive days, on the annual Watches and Wonders Geneva trip, of course. This beats the previous record of 17 days for WWG 2024. I also wore this same watch to WWG 2025, but the trip was slightly shorter at 16 days total.

The watch in question? It’s the Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 (Ref. IW388101) that I bought following my visit to IWC’s headquarter in Schaffhausen in June 2023. The idea from the beginning and until now is for it to be my “watch fair” timepiece – the one whose bracelet I can very quickly extend and put on my right wrist as I try the novelties being presented on my left wrist. This may sound somewhat snobbish, but I come from the perspective of safety, if you can appreciate it.

DG: What a fantastic story! I did not realise all the times I met you; in the halls; in the presentation rooms; and during dinner that you had such an interesting philosophy on your wrist. I think you chose the perfect timepiece for this purpose though. The Pilot’s Watch was designed to function in the most hostile of environments, and Watches & Wonders Geneva can get a bit hectic! Rushing from one appointment to the next and dodging trolley bags left and right! The legibility I am sure would have helped for keeping on schedule. I wonder however, did you ever use the chronograph? Maybe how long a presentation went over the limit? Or how long it took them to make your coffee?

AS: It is very funny to hear about new records for wear-time! As it happens, I brought more than one watch (of my own) to the party this year, for the first time. There was an idea there, but I will save that for another discussion session. Alas, neither of the watches was a chronograph but one was obviously the IWC Aquatimer (discontinued 2008) – sadly I do not have a Pilot’s Watch from IWC though I have always admired them from afar… For the Big Pilots, that works just fine.

As for hostile environments and the Palexpo, I have a lot of sympathy there (and I definitely take as much care as possible to avoid scratching my watches) but I doubt that a chronograph would help any! Well, I might have some thoughts there (especially on timing my peers at presentations, if I’m feeling especially curmudgeonly) but this is not the occasion. In any case, we are gathered here today to talk about some of the most significant watches of the fair, and they happen to be IWC Pilot’s Watches. Who would have guessed eh? And a number of perpetual calendars too, which is my favourite complication. And now, speaking of coffee, I need some!

RC: While you go make that, I will reply to Daniel that I did not time the various sessions during the day. I started the chronograph when I left my hotel room and stopped it upon returning to see how many hours I was outside that day.

DG: Which is practically all of the waking hours, am I right?

AS: I must say that I have never timed how long I spend at the fair… what a novel idea! It might be especially useful on the fair’s public days, but I digress.

RC: More impressive than how long we spent at the fair is what we saw there. And, this year, the most impressive stunt I witnessed with my own eyes was the ending part of the keynote by IWC’s Chris Grainger-Herr. As he was talking about the Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar Ceralume® (Ref. IW505801) in the darkened auditorium, he was quietly joined by four figures who pulled their left arms out on cue to show green and highly luminous objects on their wrists that I could see from the other end of the hall from the stage. The moment was surreal, and captured as video on my phone if anyone wants proof.

Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar Ceralume® Ref. IW505801

AS: That thing was so bright I could see it on the wrists of the guys on stage with Grainger-Herr, even without the aid of the live-feed camera screening a shot of someone’s wrist there (it does not look as convincing in the video of the keynote address, but Ruckdee’s video tells the tale of being in the room better). I have always recommended that people check their lume levels before heading into movies or maybe work-related presentations and the like. Usually, this is just a bit of vanity but if you have a watch in Ceralume®, watch out! Eight hours (according to Grainger-Herr at the keynote) of glow-in-the-dark power? I am blown away…still. My first thought was that I need such a watch on standby just to distract people at Watches and Wonders so I can get dibs on some pieces!

DG: Alas, I did not have time to catch the keynote presentation, but my first encounter with Ceralume® was at their booth and it was also a spectacle. It was quite a sight because we were in a booth made to mimic the inside of a spaceship, and there it was, a watch that was glowing in a case like some sort of alien artifact. It was crazy! And I am really happy to see the material go from a concept when it was first unveiled on Lewis Hamilton’s wrist (he is now forced to wear something else now by the way) to a full-on production model where they have stabilised the production of this futuristic material. I cannot wait to see what they do with it next.

RC: According to IWC, Ceralume® is their next level ceramic technology where Super-LumiNova pigments are added to the usual blend of ceramic powders. The development took them some years, and they were assisted by specialist company RC Tritec whose unique business is the Super-Luminova luminous pigments.

DG: I was speaking to one of the presenters during the touch-andtry session and he mentioned that one of the challenges in making this material was that the molecules of the zirconium oxide and luminescent material were in different sizes. And it was really difficult to mix them and ensure the resulting mass was homogeneous so that the entire case glows uniformly and there are no patches of lume.

AS: It was introduced in 2024, if I recall our own coverage correctly (and we correctly noted the involvement of RC Tritec), and presented in a production watch this year, which is very impressive in the world of fine watchmaking. As you gentlemen will be aware, materials science is one of my favourite things and I happened to be chatting with an expert in this field at the start of the fair on experiments on this front by watch firms.

Notably, IWC is one of the few watch firms with a dedicated research and development arm that works on new materials, amongst other things. It is called IWC Experimental (IWC XPL), which might sound uninventive but I suspect it is a nod to the JPL lab. Anyway, this department works on new materials and shock absorption, and we saw the first of its realised projects in the Spring Protect shock absorption system last year, in a real watch too. But I must confess that Ceralume® is by far the most striking and exciting development yet. I mean the watch is a big fella at 46.5mm and now it retains all the wrist presence even in the dark. Truly a bright idea! Ok forgive the pun there, and someone please stop me!

DG: With how much of a talking piece this material is for IWC, I am actually quite surprised they did not combine it with their other innovation for the year, the ability to “turn back time” with the IWCProSet ™ perpetual calendar. I never thought to ask them why, it would have made perfect sense (at least from my layman point of view) to combine the two.

RC: If I have to guess, Ceralume® and the IWC-ProSet™ were two separate developments. And there was no way for them to tell which one would have been ready when.

DG: Okay, this is a pretty good reason. I forget sometimes how developments in the watchmaking industry count in years rather than weeks or months.

RC: One other thing that I did not think about while in Geneva is the movement platform difference. The Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar Ceralume® uses Calibre 52616 with 7-day power reserve. The other novelties with IWC-ProSet™ use Calibre 82665 with 60- hour power reserve.

DG: Just to reiterate for our readers who might not have kept up with the latest from IWC, the perpetual calendars with IWC-ProSet™ features allows for the mechanism to be set both forwards and backwards. Traditionally, the cams that “programme” the calendar are made to go only forward; this is not just convention because the levers literally cannot go backwards. For IWC, the Perpetual Calendar IWC-ProSet™ is based entirely on gears with multiple functional layers and flexible, extendable and retractable fingers to allow for a very intuitive setting of the calendar both backwards and forwards via the crown. This is of course protected by several patents within the new IWC-manufactured 82665 calibre.

Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar ProSet Ref. IW329602

RC: Finally, owners of perpetual calendar watches can, if they wish to, wear them while travelling from east to west. For virtually all perpetual calendar watches before IWC-ProSet™, the only option was for them to first let the power reserve run out then set their watch on the destination country’s time and date before leaving home.

AS: Well, there will be no more of that, at least with IWC-ProSet™ because one can really adjust it any way one wants. I am not 100 percent certain but, I believe the date indications on the Big Pilot’s IWC-ProSet™ models can be adjusted at any time – there is no longer a danger zone where you might have to send your watch in for an expensive service. To return to Daniel’s earlier thinking, IWCProSet ™ does feature a number of material innovations that make all this possible so perhaps XPL was involved. I am thinking here of the LIGA components, of course, but I am getting ahead of myself!

RC: Ashok, since you mentioned just above that you like perpetual calendar watches, what is your take on this new IWC-ProSet™ feature? Are you more impressed by the convenience it offers or the construction, for starters?

AS: Oh, are you sure you want to get me started on this? Well, too late! I will say that my own IWC presentation was late into the fair and I heard whispers about it from some respected peers and seniors. Honestly, it seems like one of the most impressive perpetual calendar developments in years… maybe since certain key examples from Ulysse Nardin and MB&F. I mean, IWC-ProSet™ gets rid of the grand lever! But it retains all the goodness of the Kurt Klaus calibre’s full crown-control! That is amazing stuff.

You know, as IWC itself notes, a key pain point with the aforementioned Kurt Klaus calibre is that you can only adjust it forwards, as far as the date indications go. Daniel, I am pleased that you introduced those ‘fingers’ because they certainly point towards what makes this new calibre special. Aside from how and what they are made of, they also work in conjunction with a programme wheel unlike anything else in conventional watchmaking. I say wheel there but it is really a number of wheels rotating at different speeds…these speeds match up with all the different timings so everything from 24 hours to full years and four-year sequences. To make a long story short, it is this wheel and the fingers (guess why there are three? It has something to do with February) that make the IWC-ProSet™ work. Did I mention that those fingers are spring-loaded?

DG: This is how IWC explains it “At the end of February, the leap year wheel, which completes one revolution every four years, indicates whether it is a leap year. This information is also transmitted through a finger: in regular years, the finger is extended, while it remains retracted in a leap year.” Is the fact that Kurt Klaus’ calibre only allows for adjusting forward the reason why it is commonly known that for older perpetual calendars, it was easy to “break” the movement if adjusted at the wrong time? And that is why many brands incorporate “safety” mechanisms to protect the user from unintentionally destroying their own watch? I have so many questions.

RC: Everything breaks if adjusted at the wrong time, even a simple date watch.

DG: That sounds like a good analogy for life in general.

RC: I can be philosophical at times. I have this joke which I like to make in Thai, but it will not fly in English. I would say, “life is a journey”, but I would spell it in Thai so that the word “journey” reads exactly as “run-in with debt” because “jer” is the sound of the word “to meet” and “nee” is the exact tone of the word “debt”. This applies directly to watch collecting because, well, it is distance running and you get to use your credit card again and again and again.

DG: Well, I suppose with the IWC perpetual calendars you can consider it as value right? Perpetual calendars mean it is accurate until at least the year 2100. So technically, I can buy this watch, go into debt, set it once with the IWC-ProSet™ and leave it on my wrist for the next 70+ years and still have an accurate date at the end of it.

RC: That is most correct, but the IWC-ProSet™ will be of greatest benefit for anyone who travels across continents every once in a while. Besides, you will still have to send the watch in for periodical maintenance after all. This is also why, despite being a moon phase person, I am more excited to see the introduction of the IWC-ProSet™ as it is more useful in real-life settings than the improved accuracy of the moon phase in the latest generation of IWC’s perpetual calendar watch with IWC-ProSet™.

Oh, we forgot to discuss this, right? Regular moon phase watches have a general accumulated deviation of one day in about three years. Astronomical moon phase is much more accurate with one day deviation only after some 122 years. IWC has offered an improved performance of 577.5-year moon phase accuracy since 2003. Now, the figure has been further enhanced to 1,040 years with the IWC-ProSet™ perpetual calendar movement.

AS: Speaking of things left unsaid here, IWC now has four kinds of calendars that are perpetual, if you also count the Eternal Calendar. That means the collector who cares about perpetual calendars now has four reasons to get into IWC! That is three more than the nearest competitor, and this does not even include multicomplications. Not for nothing, there are also three kinds of moon phase indications at IWC! This is basically a really exciting development for the brand, and I can see many opportunities ahead for it. For myself, going back to the points about debt, well I have to plan for how I will approach this challenge without bankruptcy looming in my future!

DG: Which is basically another way of saying Ruckdee’s joke is basically truth. “life is a jer-nee”

RC: Ruckdee is laughing and clapping very hard here in Bangkok! Thank you, guys, for indulging across languages. So, which of IWC’s novelties is your favourite poison? We have first of all the Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar Ceralume® (Ref. IW505801) at 46.5 mm, the Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar ProSet Le Petit Prince (Ref. IW339601) in white ceramic at 43 mm, the Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar ProSet Le Petit Prince (Ref. IW329601) in stainless steel at 42 mm, and, and, and, the Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar ProSet (Ref. IW329602) in 18-carat 5N gold at 42 mm.

DG: As much as I love the inventiveness of the IWC-ProSet™ and all those retractable fingers, I have been saying I needed a watch that will allow me to read the time while on the long flights to Geneva for Watches & Wonders and when they turn down the lights on the plane. And for that reason I have to go with the Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar Ceralume® (Ref. IW505801) and with the 46.5 mm I would not even have to squint!

AS: Steel for me, lads! Honestly though, I have always wanted a calendar watch that I could read in the dark so I can always know the date and time when I wake up on a plane. I am only partially joking there. I do have to say that the 5N gold Ref. IW329602 is very fetching…I will need to go fetch more dollar dollar bills yo, as they say, to make that happen though. Time to work harder!

DG: Just remember that the Ceralume® model, unfortunately, does not set backwards when you wake up on that plane. I think that with the leap forwards in both material and mechanical innovation sets IWC up for an indeed, to borrow a pun, bright future. I am very curious about what happens next with these technologies, I am sure we will see both in multiple collections within the brand. I am envisioning a Ceralume® Ingenieur, case and bracelet, with an IWC-ProSet™ perpetual calendar, now that would be a sight would it not?

AS: I do think that Ceralume® has a lot of possibilities for IWC, far beyond complications. A Ceralume® Aquatimer? Yes please! Well, seriously though, IWC-ProSet™ is like a dream come true, and I am sure many fans of the perpetual calendar will find much to admire there. Of course, only time will tell how all this LIGA wizardry will work out, and of course calibre 82665 is equipped with a silicon hairspring and nickel phosphorus escape wheel so this will all mean different things to progressive and conservative collectors.

RC: For the Ceralume® Aquatimer, XPL must do a marine science study first, to make sure that a glowing blob of green on your wrist does not accidentally make you prey at depths. Ha ha. A Ceralume® Ingenieur is without a doubt safer, given the environment, unless your scientific work is photosensitive! Well, the possibilities are endless for IWC as a manufacture and for end users. Given that we are journalists and industry observers, however, what do you make of these innovations and offerings? Ashok first?

AS: Well, I am dedicating the entire year to innovations, rather than just one issue, so it is clear where I stand. I think collectors on the progressive end will be better pleased, and those who enjoy practical benefits perhaps most pleased! There are just so many opportunities now to find better watches, with all sorts of relative benefits. Now, if you will excuse me, I must go figure out how to make more money!

RC: And Daniel?

DG: I think interestingly with IWC’s innovations this year, they are appealing to both the hardcore watch collector and the casual everyday watch enthusiast. The IWC-ProSet™ solves a problem, perhaps not a big problem, but just the cleverness of the innovation is enough to get fans of technical innovation excited. Then there is just the pure entertainment value of the Ceralume®. Whether you see it on a wrist in a darkened room, or floating in a case, a fully lumed case, dial, strap and hands are just something that puts a smile on any watch enthusiast’s face, regardless of the level of watch knowledge.

RC: IWC has come a very long way indeed, and it is still aspiring to reach new heights. During IWC’s presentation at Watches and Wonders Geneva this year, I was reminded that it was exactly 90 years ago or in 1936 that the brand had presented its first timepiece that was developed with pilots in mind. And look how far it has come from that technically humble but historically significant beginning. On the pioneering frontier, IWC has clearly embraced space as their new challenge. For literary souls, they inspire with the collaboration with the Little Prince, which celebrates the 20th anniversary this year. Then, for discerning watch buyers looking for timepieces to fulfil their everyday requirements, the current lineup is more diverse than ever…especially with the novelties we are highlighting here. So, have fun shopping, dear readers!

Zenith Offers a Peek at the El Primero Movement with The Chronomaster Sport Skeleton

Zenith revolutionised the watchmaking industry back in 1969 by debuting the very first automatic chronograph movement. This was the birth of the El Primero, and it is astonishing thaat this name lives on today, nearly 60 years later. Something that almost always gets lost to the annals of history is the fact that not only was the El Primero the first automatic chronograph ever, it was also the first movement of its kind to achieve a high beat rate of 36,000 vph or 5 Hz. Of course, today, most chronograph movements are automatic winding by default, but still, not many are able to offer a frequency of 5 Hz; most hover around the 3 to 4 Hz mark. This became one of the technical foundations of the maison and remains one of the legacies of the Zenith El Primero movement.

Generally, the reason for a higher oscillation rate is to improve chronometric precision. The idea here is that if the oscillator vibrates at a higher rate, it cancels out the micro-variations of its oscillations. Also, higher speeds mean higher angular momentum, making it more stable when a watch changes positions or even recovers faster when the regulating organ receives shocks. For a chronograph, however, one of the added bonuses for a 36,000 vph movement is that the timing precision can be measured to 1/10th of a second. Because if you do the math, 36,000 vibrations per hour means 600 vibrations per minute and 10 vibrations per second. And to make this even easier to read, the Chronomaster Sport has a chronograph seconds hand that makes one full rotation of the dial in 10 seconds rather than the usual 60, so that the 1/10th of a second can be read instantaneously on the bezel when the chronograph is stopped. It is a very subtle detail, but if you notice, on the ceramic bezel, it reads 1/10th of a second instead of a tachymetre that is found on most chronographs of this style.

For 2026, Zenith has decided to reveal more of the technical mastery that allows this to happen by skeletonising the movement and combining it with a transparent dial. The El Primero 3600 SK movement was delicately openworked with careful attention to structural integrity and chronometric performance, ensuring that the movement’s high-frequency precision remains uncompromised. And as an added level of sophistication, the sapphire dial is subtly tinted from black at the periphery to transparent at the centre. The signature elements that define an El Primero chronograph—the grey, anthracite and blue subdials—have also been cleverly retained despite the transparent nature of the dial.

What is perhaps the most overlooked aspect of this new Chronomaster Sport Skeleton is the clasp on the bracelet. Yes, you read correctly. This clasp is a completely new patented folding clasp for the watch and took them three years, or 1,800 hours, of research to develop. The clasp is secured by a liftup cover and a fastening system reinforced by ceramic ball components. There is a new micro-adjust function on the watch that allows for 2 mm increments across five positions—a total range of 10 mm—without the need for tools, and lastly, it has been tested for use in simulations exceeding 10 years, which is more than 600,000 cumulative cycles.

Patek Philippe And The Art of "On Demand" Complications

Patek Philippe Ref. 5249R‑001 “The Crow and the Fox”; *Digital imaging Joyce Lim*

Why do we collect watches? Among the many reasons why we are so enamoured with these little ticking timekeepers on our wrists, I suspect one of the major considerations is their mechanical nature. In a world increasingly entrenched in electronic infrastructure and the digital interfaces that come with it, there is a romanticism attached to the analogue. To escape the ennui of electronic devices, we instead engage with mechanical components dedicated to achieving a single specific task. It is the same romanticism that causes enthusiasts to prefer vintage cars over the EVs of today, the same ideology that drives the resurgence of film photography over chasing megapixels, and, for our purposes, the same philosophy that drives us to buy, collect and obsess over the “beating heart” nature of a balance spring over the droning tick of a quartz oscillator.

Through the demand for these mechanical timekeepers, brands like Patek Philippe have been able to invest considerable resources into both preserving and advancing, in tandem, the art of horology. By continuously making watches with traditional artistic crafts, they have the ability to keep these master artisans employed, thus keeping these crafts alive, not just within the manufacture but also by passing down the know‑how to the next generation. Additionally, the amount of innovation that goes into the making of these watches is incredible. Some of the things they have managed to achieve within the constraints of a wearable wristwatch are frankly astounding. Development is always present within the watchmaking industry, and it takes years, sometimes decades, to keep honing movements for chronometric precision and reliability.

One of the things that often gets undervalued in a mechanical watch is the way it feels to manipulate. This is something that is not entirely obvious but nonetheless has a very visceral and direct connection to its wearer. With each wave of development within watchmaking, such as computer‑aided design and higher tolerances on the various machines surrounding the industry, the watch becomes more pleasurable to manipulate. Which is why, to shine the spotlight on this aspect of watchmaking, we are dedicating this cover story to the watches that, for lack of a better phrase, love to be manipulated. These are watches with complications that require human intervention, the immediate transfer of energy from human hands to the mechanical components within, setting off a domino effect of movement to trigger a specific function. And let’s face it, these are the best kinds of complications, the kinds that allow their wearer to tinker and play with at any time of the day for that microdose of dopamine that comes with witnessing something beautiful happen at the push of a button, on demand.

PARABLE FOR MODERN TIMES

I can’t think of a better on‑demand complication than the automaton, for it represents the purely hedonistic aspect of luxury watchmaking. It is a complication that, when activated, often serves no practical purpose other than utilising its intricate mechanical construction to entertain the wearer. And for this reason, we chose the new Patek Philippe Ref. 5249R‑001 “The Crow and the Fox” as the watch on the cover of our Summer 2026 issue and as the main highlight to kickstart this article about on‑demand complications.

Although most automatons serve no practical purpose, the Ref. 5249R‑001 incorporates the automaton into the most important function of a wristwatch, which is to tell time. When activated, the fox and the crow on the dial take turns indicating the hour and minutes. It is important to note that this whimsical timepiece represents the first‑ever automaton wristwatch in Patek Philippe’s modern history. Inspired by a pocket watch with a similar automaton presented in 1958, this timepiece, also named “The Crow and the Fox,” is a horological jewel and can still be found exhibited in the Patek Philippe Museum. The pocket watch was originally inspired by a fable of the same name, written by Jean de La Fontaine, one of the most celebrated authors in French literature. In it, the fox tricks the crow with flattery, coaxing it to sing and, in doing so, drop a piece of cheese it had in its mouth into the awaiting jaws of the fox.

True to this fable, the Ref. 5249R‑001 works in a similar way. Upon activating the pusher at the two o’clock position, the fox indicates the hours either with its paw or muzzle depending on the time. Then, maintaining the pressure, the minute hand—decorated with a piece of cheese—drops from the crow’s beak to indicate the minutes on the retrograde scale. “Once the time has been read, releasing the push button will return all hands back to their respective resting position.” Because the time is only available on demand, there is a small seconds indicator with a star in white gold set with a diamond instead of a traditional hand to let the wearer know that the watch is working and time is in motion.

Interestingly, the pocket watch from 1958 was made with the calibre 17‑170 movement, which was a prototype that never went into full production. Its provenance was that the system of double retrograde indications was modified by the great Genevan watchmaker Louis Cottier, the same Cottier who invented the system for indicating time in multiple time zones. Bringing the new Ref. 5249R‑001 to life required a redesign of the mechanism so that it would fit within the confines of a 43 mm case. The calibre 31‑260 PS HMD AU takes advantage of the ultra‑thin micro‑rotor calibre 31‑260 PS and adds a mechanism to display both retrograde hours and minutes on demand. Because the retrograde mechanism functions by means of snail‑shaped cams, the time setting can only be done in a single direction. Turning the crown clockwise moves the hands backwards, and to avoid any damage to the movement, the mechanism is protected by a patented coupling system that activates if the crown is turned anti‑clockwise.

Beyond the intricate mechanism within the Ref. 5249R‑001, the artisanal crafts on this watch are also sublime. While the mechanical components required nearly 70 years of technological and engineering advancements to pull off, the more than 10 appliqués in rose gold, yellow gold and white gold on the dial are only achievable through exceptionally skilled human hands. Engraving the decorative parts is challenging enough, but on the functional parts like the fox’s head and paw, it represents an additional challenge. While engraving requires pressure to remove material, the engraver must take special care to modulate this force because deformation of the profile would risk causing the movement to malfunction. At their thinnest, some applied features measure a mere 0.2 mm in thickness. Even for the minute hand, the cheese had to be made of titanium instead of gold because it needed to be extremely light to prevent any deformation as the automaton is activated.

The case in rose gold is designed in the style of Patek Philippe’s “Officer‑style” watches. The officer‑style watch is so named because it borrows styling from the watches that military officers wore during the First World War. These watches were essentially pocket watches strapped to the wrist and are characterised by screw‑set lugs and the turban‑style crown, both elements found on the Ref. 5249R‑001. The hinged dust cover on the caseback, however, was borrowed from hunter pocket watches. These hinged covers were originally used to protect pocket watches carried by hunters in case they fell from their horses while riding at speed. In contemporary times, the hinged cover has moved to the back of the watch, “protecting” the transparent caseback. With a satisfying click, the cover opens to reveal the intricate and beautifully decorated movement within.

In the original fable, the moral of the story was to beware of flattery as it can sometimes come with an ulterior motive. This will be a hard ask as with the Ref. 5249R-001, there will most definitely be more than a few kind words directed at it. For Patek Philippe however, they chose to interpret this in a different way. In an excerpt from the Patek Philippe book “THE VALUES OF A FAMILY WATCH COMPANY” of 2004, Mr Philippe Stern, then President of Patek Philippe chose this as one of eleven watches that inspired him quoting “This fable is a knowing aside, which I interpret as demonstrating that our aim is not to flatter our clients. We passionately believe in offering them a set of permanent, timeless and intrinsic values that they can identify with from a qualitative, technical and aesthetic point of view, without having to resort to excessive or superficial praise.” In true Patek Philippe fashion they are able to incorporate the highly intricate Ref. 5249R-001 into the current collection of the brand. It won’t be a limited edition but alas, production will undoubtedly be limited considering the complexities of its construction.

DELAYED GRATIFICATION

If the on‑demand time automaton of the previous watch is the epitome of instant gratification, the alarm function represents a more delayed form of pleasure. With the alarm function of the Patek Philippe Calatrava Alarm Ref. 5322G, the user can set a time up to 24 hours in the future, in 15‑minute intervals, then wait in anticipation as it reaches the designated time and the alarm sounds in a trilling tone on the wrist.

The alarm function is not new for Patek Philippe. The Calatrava Alarm Ref. 5322G may be a novelty for 2026, but it replaces the outgoing Ref. 5520 Pilot Alarm Travel Time presented in 2019, which combined both the Travel Time function and the alarm. This new version, the Ref. 5322G, distils the watch down to a single complication, making the alarm the star of the show. By doing this, the watch becomes a little less daunting to wear; it no longer has four crown‑button pushers but instead a single crown at the 4 o’clock position and a single pusher at the 2 o’clock position. The pusher activates, deactivates and interrupts the alarm, while setting the alarm time is done via the crown. When the little bell‑shaped aperture is white, the alarm is active; when it is black, it is deactivated. The digital time in the apertures just below this bell is the alarm time. This alarm function is also interactive for the wearer, as before the alarm can be activated, it must be given power via the crown. At the home position, turning the crown clockwise winds the barrel for the alarm mechanism, while turning it anti‑clockwise winds the regular barrel.

Another layer of complexity that Patek Philippe imparts on their alarm mechanisms comes via the sound. Most alarm wristwatches function by using a hammer to knock directly on the inside of the case, resulting in a more metallic hum. For the Ref. 5322G, however, the calibre AL 30‑660 S C movement sounds the alarm by striking a classic acoustic gong, much like you would find on a minute repeater. It even has the inertial governor component so that the striking is regulated at a constant 2.5 strokes per second for a total of 90 strokes. If left unattended, the alarm will sound for a total of 36 seconds.

Calatrava Alarm Reference 5322G -010; green lacquered dial

Accompanying such an interesting complication, Patek Philippe has updated the Ref. 5322G with more contemporary styling. The dial takes on a green or blue lacquer finish punctuated with a black gradient rim and a textured base to give it more depth. This aesthetic was first introduced by Patek Philippe in 2022 with References 5226 and 5326. Another recognisable design element on the Ref. 5322G is the openworked lugs on the 41 mm white gold Calatrava case and the brand’s emblematic Clous de Paris or “hobnail” guilloché motif on the side. To preserve the continuity of the motif, the construction of the case is unusual, with the lugs attached to the caseback rather than directly to the case. Interestingly, this is also the only Patek Philippe chiming watch to have water resistance, in this case up to 30 m.

IMPROMPTU PERFORMANCE

Perhaps one of the most revered on‑demand complications in horology is the minute repeater. There are many variables that need to cooperate to make this complication great. Engineering and technical innovation are one thing, but a great minute repeater also has to sound beautiful, meaning watchmakers must pay special attention to the quality and clarity of the sound. This means fine‑tuning the gongs that the hammers strike, ensuring the vibrations resonate with the case so they can be broadcast to the wearer. Everything must be tweaked to make it near perfect, which is perhaps why every minute repeater that leaves Patek Philippe has to first pass the discerning ears of Mr Thierry Stern himself.

The minute repeater is special because it is one of the few complications on a wristwatch that has its own power source. In most modern minute repeaters, like the new Patek Philippe Ref. 7047G, this power comes from the hand that activates the mechanism. By pushing the slider, the wearer imparts the required energy into the complication, which is then discharged as a series of single and double strikes of the hammer on the gongs to indicate the hour and minutes via the resulting chime.

For this Patek Philippe minute repeater, they chose to interpret it with a modern twist, inspired by the Ref. 6007. The Ref. 6007 was a commemorative series in stainless steel issued in 2019 to celebrate the opening of the manufacture’s new production facility, PP6. One of its defining characteristics was a dynamic embossed carbon motif on the centre dial, an element clearly seen on the new Ref. 7047G as well. Considering that most of Patek Philippe’s minute repeaters are made with very classical aesthetic elements, the fact that this minute repeater has both hands and white gold numerals filled with a white luminescent coating is quite interesting. More interesting is the irony that while the original minute repeaters were made to help tell time in the dark, the luminescent glow means there is no real need to activate the mechanism, as it will help you read time in the absence of light. Sorry, what I mean is that there is no practical need to activate this, but there will always be an emotional appeal to sliding the lever of a minute repeater and basking in the glorious chimes that follow.

Hublot teams up with Kylian Mbappé for a limited edition in time for the World Cup

The FIFA World Cup has already kicked off at the time of writing, and already, the sensational Kylian Mbappé is at the top of the goal scoring charts, tied with Messi with eight goals scored each for their respective teams. For Mbappé fans, this seems like the perfect time to showcase his first-ever collaborative timepiece with Hublot, aptly named the Big Bang Reloaded Kylian Mbappé.

How it has taken this long for Hublot to create a timepiece with the superstar footballer is quite surprising, seeing as Mbappé has been an ambassador for the brand since 2018. This partnership was formed just two years after Mbappé scored his first professional goal in 2016, and within that time until today, he has continued to break multiple records both with his club and in the UEFA Champions League. His personal mantra, “trust yourself,” can now be uttered with a sense of pride considering his accomplishments, and for his 200-piece limited edition watch, it is engraved subtly on the bezel at 6 o’clock. “It’s about chasing dreams, pushing limits and inspiring the next generation to believe in themselves and pursue success with heart. That’s the power of dreams. That’s what drives me,” he says.

Hublot has chosen to incorporate Mbappé’s elements into their new Big Bang Reloaded, which is the traditional Big Bang reworked to showcase the special components of their UNICO manufacture movement, including the chronograph’s column wheel and the LIGA oscillating clutch. The real star of the show, however, is the subtle elements that Mbappé has decided on for this limited-edition release. The number 10 in King Gold on the dial stands out among the other numerals because it is Mbappé’s lucky number and his entire identity on the pitch. The KM insignia can also be found both on the strap and as a counterbalance to the seconds hand.

The watch is undoubtedly made with luxurious materials, but because it was inspired by football, which at times can get quite rough, these materials can also withstand some abuse. The ceramic of the case was chosen because it is an incredibly resistant material. It is hard, making it scratch-resistant, and it also stands up really well against corrosion. The white colour, on the other hand, has more significance as it signifies clarity. As for the 18K King Gold found on the bezel and its plating on the titanium bezel screws and the number 10, it stands for ambition. Clarity and ambition are both driving forces for Mbappé, and it is because of these traits that he has achieved all that he has.

The Hublot Big Bang Reloaded Kylian Mbappé is limited to only 200 pieces worldwide and will be paired with a special King Gold-coloured fabric strap and Velcro fastener straps with a matching micro-blasted white ceramic sport buckle. It will, however, also be delivered with black and white structured lined rubber straps that can be easily swapped thanks to the “One-Click” system.

Czapek Opens a Portal With The Time Jumper

If memory serves, 2025 was a great year for jumping hour complications. Several brands made their additions to the foray, but alas, it seemed like the horology world saved the best for last. Debuting in November, Czapek unveiled its rendition of the jumping hour mechanism, the Time Jumper, just in time to celebrate its 10th anniversary. Surviving for a decade may seem inconsequential in an industry where most of the big brands celebrate their anniversaries in the realm of centuries. For an independent brand, however, 10 years is an incredible achievement. And with that, they launched a watch that is befitting the magnitude of its celebration.

The Time Jumper is insanely cool. There is a huge digital jumping hour display smack in the centre of the dial surrounded by a traditional guilloche pattern. And if you feel like this pattern seems to be sucking, drawing the eye towards its centre, it is because it was made to do this intentionally. The design on the half-hunter cover is quite sculptural as it is curved like a pebble to give the wearer the illusion that all is being sucked into the centre of the watch, almost like a black hole. And what is at that centre point is worth gazing into. The tricky bit that comes with most jumping hour mechanisms is the amount of energy it takes to instantly ‘jump’ the hour disc, but Czapek seems unfazed by this. Their jumping hour is not the traditional single 12-hour disc as most complications of this sort seem to use, but rather, they employ the use of a big-date-style double-digit display and even offer it in a 24-hour configuration.

This is the power of their new Calibre 10. And this version, the Calibre 10.01, is imbued with the technical innovation, both a première and patent-pending two-disc jumping hour. The Calibre 10 was developed to be an in-house base calibre for more complications that Czapek wants to explore within the next 10 years. To be clear, with each new complication, they will redesign and re-engineer the Calibre 10 so it integrates the complication rather than just develop modules that will fit onto the existing infrastructure. This is counterintuitive to the standard approach of watchmaking driven by commercial or industrial optimisation, but extremely valuable to genuine collectors of horology.

For the curious, the half-hunter case thankfully opens, revealing the inner workings of the movement. This is quite reminiscent of “popping the hood” of the car, where the sleek exterior juxtaposes against the complex engineering of the engine and other components that give the car its raw power. The Calibre 10.1 from the dial side doesn’t disappoint in this regard with enough mechanical theatrics to keep the viewer transfixed. Even on the caseback, the self-winding rotor is skeletonised and made of recycled platinum, offering all the hallmarks of a Czapek movement, like the contrasting rhodium-coated bridges with blackened plates. The Time Jumper will be available in two case materials: stainless steel with a white gold guilloché inlay, limited to 100 pieces; and a full yellow gold case and inlay, limited to only 30 pieces.