Horologii

Our Favourite Watches of 2016

With 2016 coming to a close, we thought it was only right to share all the timepieces that have stolen our hearts this year.

BALL Engineer Hydrocarbon Nedu. £3,310.

One of the most respected watch manufacturers in the US, BALL watches were originally created to ensure the accurate and safe time keeping of trains on the American Railroad. BALL has been producing watches since 1891, continuously updating their product range to keep in line with the shifting consumer patterns of the 21st century. The Engineer Hydrocarbon timepiece is no exception to the impeccable standard of BALL watches. With a flawless automatic Swiss made movement, the watch excels as a daily or dress piece, as well as a divers watch, with an impressive water resistance of up to 2000ft/600m.

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BREMONT DH-88 Steel Limited Edition. £7,995.

A true testament to British watch manufacturing, Bremont have long prided themselves on being made right here in the UK. The brand have staked themselves into British soil and are now one of the biggest (if not the biggest) watch manufacturers in England. The DH-88, released in November 2016, is a limited edition design with only 282 pieces being produced. At less than £8,000, the chronometer model boasts as striking polished stainless steel case, automatic chronograph movement and a black leather strap. But be sure to get your order in quick as they are expected to be one of the most popular watches of the year.

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GRAND SEIKO Spring Drive Sports GMT Limited Edition. £10,000.

Since 1960, Grand Seiko has been the manufacturer of some of the best watches on the market. Starting with classic styling and sleek designs, the watches were immediately popular when they emerged on the market and 50 years later, they maintain this popularity with some of the most stunning timepieces ever. The Sports GMT is a perfect example of Grand Seiko’s supreme engineering. It is incredibly light with a titanium inner case and an outer shell crafted from zirconia ceramic, a material seven times stronger than stainless steel. The piece boasts the Grand Seiko Spring Drive chronograph GMT calibre 9R96 movement, maintaining accuracy of 0.5 seconds a day.

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LOUIS ERARD Heritage Classic Chronograph. £1,495.

By combining a passion for horology with fine Swiss manufacturing, Louis Erard’s have mastered the art of watchmaking by creating timepieces that are original and authentic while still remaining suitably affordable. Each Louis Erard watch is designed for precision time keeping with designs that can’t help but get people talking. The Louis Erard Heritage Classic watch is built with a chronograph function, a day and date window at the 3 position, roman numerals to decorate the outer face and a crocodile leather strap to complete the elegant and stylish look.

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ORIS Carl Brashear Limited Edition. £1,900.

The brand new Oris Carl Brashear Limited Edition watch remembers the extraordinary life of Carl Brashear, the U.S Navy’s first African American master diver. The watch, commissioned after the success of the Oris Sixty-Five Divers watch, is a brand new limited edition timepiece of only 2000 pieces. This watch marking Brashear’s astonishing life is the first Oris watch to be made from bronze, a material used in deep sea diving helmets that will naturally age and change colour the more it is worn. The 100m water resistance timepiece is completed by a vintage style dark brown leather strap with a bronze pin buckle that matches the distinctive case.

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BAUME ET MERCIER Capeland Shelby Cobra Limited Edition. £3,200.

Baume Et Mercier have been producing some of the best watches in the world since 1830. The founders Louis-Victor and Célestin Baume, brothers from Geneva Switzerland, live by the motto “Accept only perfection; only manufacture watches of the highest quality” and this latest timepiece stays true to this principle. Styled on the Shelby Cobra, the watch is one of the most contemporary pieces ever created by the brand. The chronograph watch boasts an automatic chronograph movement and a stunning black and yellow face completed by the familiar Cobra emblem on the seconds hand. The watch is a limited edition of only 1963 pieces to mark the prestigious year of the Shelby Cobra.

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BELL & ROSS Aero GT Limited Edition. 36,300.

The Bell and Ross AeroGT BR 03 94 Limited Edition watch was designed following the release of the Aero GT concept car, an automobile with extraordinary body work that streamlined like a fighter jet, boasting a vertical tail fin and two unusually sized exhausts reminiscent of a turbojet engine. With only 500 of these incredible timepieces to be put into production, the watch is a bargain at £6,300. It offers a skeleton face design, proudly displaying the intuitive engineering that has gone into the watch. The date window, strap and chronograph dials are accented in hot rod red to complete the design.

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MEISTERSINGER Perigraph £1,695.

MeisterSinger is one of those rare brands which genuinely offers something unique in a watch since each of their designs is single handed. The German brand offers something truly bespoke and quirky, screaming to be the focal point of a conversation. The Meistersinger Perigraph is stunning to view and a pleasure to own, with a single hour hand and a rotating minute dial set within the crisp cream face. The contrasting brown leather strap offers a sleek and vintage look, while the blue hand gives a burst of colour to keep a modern style.

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MAURICE LACROIX Masterpiece Gravity Limited Edition. £10,500.

The Masterpiece Gravity Limited Edition in blue is part of a stunning trio of exclusive limited edition pieces launched by Maurice Lacroix to celebrate 40 years of the brands success. Maurice LaCroix have only commissioned 40 of these watches to be created and they are already selling quickly. The stunning creation destined to influence the imagination, is defined by the brand themselves as the perfect embodiment of the Maurice Lacroix approach to watchmaking. We don’t feel we need to talk too much about this model since the unique and beautiful design speaks for itself.

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U-BOAT Classico 45 Tungsteno. £3,400.

U-Boat watches are known for their outlandish style and large sizes, but made in Italy, the timepieces are also crafted with some of the finest materials used in watch manufacturing. U-Boat watches are bold, aggressive and oversized but they embody a force and style that reveals the unique personality of the man behind the revival, Italo Fontana. The Classico Tungsteno is one of the most popular U-Boat designs to date, with the crown situated on the left and a stainless inlay on the strap for a unique finish.

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SEVENFRIDAY Punk M1-04 Limited Edition. £1,400.

Perhaps one of the most eye-catching brands of the modern watch world, SevenFriday produces incredible timepieces with movements inspired by industrial machinery and mechanics. The brand is quickly becoming one of the most sought after by watch collectors, simply because of the quirky designs produced at such an affordable price. The Punk is a limited edition model of only 450 pieces and an absolute deal at £1,400. It embodies the punk style that was seen everywhere in the 70’s and is now making an reappearance again in the 21st century. The piece has been designed with studs inlayed into the case and strap with a black and red finish that screams anarchy.

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CERTINA DS Action Divers Automatic. £620.

Certina watches offer a modern and contemporary look combined with the most time-tested movements that have been perfected over the brands many years of watchmaking. These outstanding sport classic timepieces feature excellent design and intuition, engineered by one of the most sought after manufacturers of Swiss watches. These incredible timepieces often boast a fashionable, distinctly retro flavour and their automatic movement ensures impressive accuracy and reliability. The DS Action Divers watch is a high quality timepiece, fit for sport, business, leisure, and of course diving with a 200m water resistance. If that wasn’t enough, the piece is shockingly good value at a mere £620.00.

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RAYMOND WEIL Maestro Beatles Limited Edition. £975.

Music has always been an essential part of Raymond Weil’s DNA. With over 35 years of involvement in the music industry, the Swiss watchmaker composes its timepieces the way musicians compose their music. The maestro Beatles Limited Edition is a testament to that, featuring a mechanical self-winding movement housed within a polished steel case. The 13 Beatles album titles are written around the bespoke dial, with a special index at 4 o clock which recalls the cover of the iconic album ‘Help’ released in 1965. The case back presents a smoked sapphire crystal window that carries the official Beatles logo and the limited edition number engraved, a perfect treat for any Beatles fan.

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RADO Ladies’ Centrix. £1,010.

Often referred to for their sleek styling and use of unusual materials, Rado manufactures some of the most talked about watches on the market. This Ladies’ Centrix watch is no exception, featuring a sapphire crystal that spans the entire face, ceramic inlays around the watch bracelet and 6 diamonds set at the quarter indices.  The watch is as functional as it is beautiful, designed for dress or casual wear with a water resistance of up to 30m. The reverse of the watch is equally stunning, with a sapphire crystal window which shows off the ingenuity of the automatic movement inside.

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TAG HEUER Ladies’ Formula 1. £1,350.

For more than 150 years, TAG Heuer has prided itself on beating every challenge it has faced. By defying the time honoured conventions of Swiss watchmaking, Tag now produces watches with ever higher levels of precision and performance than ever before. The Ladies’ Formula 1 model is a stunning example of this, complete with sapphire crystal glass which protects a diamond set dial and a date window at the 3 o clock position. The watch is powered by a Swiss quartz movement and is available in stainless steel with black or white accents, both equally elegant on the wrist.

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LONGINES Ladies’ La Grande Classique. £650.

Longines are renowned for bringing incredible looking Swiss made watches at an incredible price, and this Longines Ladies La Grand Classique watch does just that. The La Grand Classique collection embodies the oldest aesthetic traditions of the brand that is known around the world for its winged hourglass logo. The ultra-slim profile of the specially designed case lends this collection a timeless beauty. A scratch resistant sapphire crystal protects the sleek and minimalistic face, making this watch both functional and fashionable. Perfect for both casual and dress wear, this Longines piece makes a charming addition to any watch or jewellery collection.

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BREITLING Ladies’ Galactic 36 Automatic. £7,555.

Breitling watches have been producing timepieces for professionals since 1884, and is now one of the few remaining independent family run Swiss watch brands. It is also one of the world’s only major watch brands to equip all its models with chronometer-certified movements. The Ladies Galactic 36 employs all of these qualities and more, designed for women wishing to enjoy a blend of refined luxury and uncompromising technical sophistication. These watches are available with a choice of leather or lizard skin straps or metal bracelets to suit all tastes.

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JUNGHANS Max Bill Automatic. £875.

Junghans opened its doors in 1861 and quickly developed itself into one of the most compelling success stories in the history of German watchmaking. Using a unique combination of precision technology and commendable aesthetical appeal, Junghans watches are becoming incredibly sought after by collectors. As one of their most recognised models, this Junghans Max Bill Automatic watch boasts the work of architect and painter Max Bill who is acknowledged as one of the greatest timepiece designers in Europe. His unrivalled energy for clarity and precision in design can be seen in the entirety of the Max Bill watch collection. The sleek stainless steel case of this Max Bill watch houses Junghans’ famous self-winding mechanical J800 movement.

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BAUME ET MERCIER Ladies’ Promesse. £1,900.

Designed with 1970s influences, the Baume and Mercier Promesse watch collection transforms a timekeeping device into a breathtaking centrepiece with jewellery like characteristics. The feminine orientated timepieces attract all attention to their thick oval shaped bezels and perfectly round dial in the centre, accentuated by 8 diamonds to mark several of the hour positions. The completely unique and mesmerising design is imbued with a power and delicacy, a true testament to the creativity of the Baume & Mercier watch designers. The Promesse watch boasts an exquisite stainless steel case housing a Swiss quartz movement with a water resistance of 50 metres.

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GRAHAM Chronofighter Vintage UK Limited Edition. £3,750.

As an independent watch company, Graham manufactures its watches in its very own production facilities in La Chaux-de-Fonds, the watchmaking capital of Switzerland. The movements used by Graham are first rate Swiss movements, all engineered or adapted exclusively for its timepieces. This stunning Chronofighter piece celebrates the manufacturer’s 15th anniversary and as such is a limited edition watch with only 15 pieces to be created worldwide, making it incredible value at £3,750.  The piece features its own limited number of the piece under a day date window at the 9 position.  A tan brown strap keeps the watch looking casual enough to wear daily while the flamboyant case and face make it a suitable dress watch too.

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