Horologii

The Best of Geneva Watch Days 2022

Now that the Geneva Watch Days 2022 event has come to a close, we thought it only right to give you a run-down of the best releases presented. There was certainly no shortage of prominent brands there this year putting their prowess on display, whether it be Breitling, Oris, DOXA, Maurice Lacroix… the list goes on! And so without further ado, here are our personal favourites…

DOXA Army Steel Watch

One of the biggest points of convergence during the Geneva Watch Days 2022 event was the new DOXA Army Steel watch. Last year, the Swiss watch brand partnered with Watches of Switzerland to launch a special 100-piece limited edition DOXA Army watch with a black ceramic case. The design also honoured a historic partnership DOXA had with the elite Swiss Army Divers unit during the 1960’s. Now in similar fashion, but this time as a permanent piece and engineered from classic stainless steel, DOXA launches a new range DOXA Army watches for the wrists of professional divers and watch collectors alike. The designs come with a choice of two bezels, steel with black ceramic or bronze with green ceramic, as well as two straps, a beads of rice bracelet or a black or green rubber strap. The dials of each DOXA Army Steel watch are completed in sandy beige and offer bright orange hardware for the display of the hours, minutes, seconds and date.

Quick Facts:

  • Case: 42.5mm stainless steel, unidirectional rotating bezel in steel with black ceramic insert or bronze with green ceramic insert, 60 minute scale, sapphire crystal glass, 300 metre water resistance
  • Dial: Sand beige with orange hour, minutes and seconds hand, Superluminova inserts, date at 3 o’clock
  • Movement: ETA 2824 automatic winding with 38 hour power reserve
  • Strap: Beads of rice bracelet or rubber strap in black or green

Breitling Professional Endurance Pro Green

Somewhat out of the blue, Breitling have added a single model to their Professional Endurance Pro collection for Geneva Watch Days 2022. The original series launched in 2020 and was described by the luxury watch giants as the “ultimate athleisure watch” offering strong and modern aesthetics and one of their COSC certified SuperQuartz movements at the core. The new Breitling Professional Endurance Pro Green watch offers much of the same but with a new khaki green colour palette. Khaki green surrounds the matte black dial on the pulsometer scale, outlines the minute markers and makes up the entire rubber strap. The rest of the Breitling Professional Endurance Pro Green watch follows suit to the rest of the collection offering a 44mm Breitlight case, bi-directional rotating compass scale, 100 metre water resistance and anti-reflective sapphire crystal glass.

Quick Facts:

  • Case: 44mm Breitlight, bidirectional rotating bezel with compass scale, AR sapphire crystal glass, 100 metre water resistance
  • Dial: Black with khaki green pulsometer scale, Superluminova numerals and hands, black subsidiary dials
  • Movement: Breitling 82 SuperQuartz movement with hours, minutes, central chronograph seconds, small seconds, 1/10th counter, 30 minutes counter, date
  • Strap: Khaki green rubber with Breitlight pin buckle

Maurice Lacroix Pontos S Chronographs

Taking a step away from their flagship Aikon line for a moment, Maurice Lacroix spent Geneva Watch Days 2022 nurturing their less-known Pontos model and in turn launched a new collection of Maurice Lacroix Pontos S Chronographs. As the ‘S’ in the name indicates, these watches offer a far sportier appeal compared to classic Pontos Chronograph watches in the collection, boasting black ceramic bezels with tachymeter scales, day and date complication and strong baton indexes rather than traditional Arabic numerals. There are currently four new Maurice Lacroix Pontos S Chronographs to choose from, all 43mm wide with stainless steel cases in a choice of a silver white or navy blue dial. Each dial then pairs with a nylon strap or steel bracelet. The dials beautifully present the chronograph complication through rhodium plated hardware, the silver dial in particular catching our eye for its panda-like look. Powering the designs is the Calibre ML112 automatic winding movement which can be enjoyed through the glass back.

Quick Facts:

  • Case: 43mm stainless steel, fixed black ceramic tachymeter bezel, AR sapphire crystal glass, 100 metre water resistance
  • Dial: Silver with black counters or blue with blue counters, Superluminova hands, faceted indexes
  • Movement: ML112 automatic winding movement with hours, minutes and chronograph seconds, 30-minute counter, 12-hour counter, small seconds and date, 42 hour power reserve
  • Strap: Steel bracelet or textile strap in dark grey or blue

Oris Aquis Date Mother of Pearl Watches

Earlier this year, Swiss watch manufacturer Oris launched a special green mother of pearl Aquis watch designed in association with New York Harbour. Its iridescent centre evoked the shadowy waters of the waterway and was part of a 2,000 piece limited edition run. Now offering the same gemstone as the display, this time all part of the permanent Aquis collection, Oris launches a range of Aquis Date Mother of Pearl Watches. The 36.5mm stainless steel cases offer all the familiar tropes of the legendary diver’s watch with double domed sapphire, unidirectional rotating bezel, presently finished in steel with a relief scale, and a 300 metre water resistance. The dials are of course the true centrepieces, finished in Blush Pink, Aegean Blue, and Seafoam Green set with Superluminova inserts on the hands and indexes. Each Aquis Date Mother of Pearl watch is completed by a three-row link stainless steel bracelet.

Quick Facts:

  • Case: 36.5mm stainless steel, unidirectional steel bezel with 60 minute scale in relief, AR sapphire crystal glass, 300 metre water resistance
  • Dial: Blush Pink, Aegean Blue or Seafoam Green mother of pearl,  Superluminova hands and indexes
  • Movement: Oris 733 automatic winding movement with hours, minutes, seconds and date, 38 hour power reserve
  • Strap: Steel bracelet with folding buckle

Czapek Quai des Bergues Sapphire Blue & Emerald Green

A personal favourite of ours from Geneva Watch Days 2022 came from Czapek in the form of two Quai des Bergues watches, one in Emerald Green and another in Sapphire Blue. At first, the designs seem familiar opting for the 42.5mm stainless steel case and flinque dials dressed in the signature guilloche pattern, elongated Roman numerals and Fleur de Lys hands. New to the Czapek Quai des Bergues Sapphire Blue & Emerald Green watches is an updated version of the Calibre SXH1 movement displayed beautifully through the sapphire crystal case back. Changes can be spotted in the openwork bridges, the upgraded oscillating rotor, Breguet terminal curve hairspring and the rubies which are now rounded for improved lubrication. We’re still promised a 7 day power reserve and the unique display of the small seconds, power reserve indication and day of the week.

Quick Facts:

  • Case: 42.5mm stainless steel, fixed bezel, AR sapphire crystal glass, 50 metre water resistance
  • Dial: Sapphire blue or emerald green handmade flinqué enamel, Roman numerals, Fleur-de-Lys hands
  • Movement: Calibre SXH1 manual winding movement with hours, minutes, small seconds, power reserve indication, day of the week, 38 hour power reserve
  • Strap: Alligator leather with pin buckle

Corum Bubble X AIIROH Limited Edition

For their Geneva Watch Days 2022 showcase, Corum partnered up with French street artist Aiiroh to rewrite their iconic Bubble watch into a colourful explosion collage art. The Corum Bubble X AIIROH Limited Edition features a beautiful rose petal collage inspired by Aiiroh’s work which in itself is already eye catching, but below Corum’s impressive domed “bubble” crystal the visuals are magnified and distorted for an unmissable finish. At some angles, the collage art looks as though it is moving. On top of the display is then a stylized black rose spiral motif which secures the silvered petal hands for the hours and minutes and the bold red seconds hand. The case of the Corum Bubble X AIIROH watch is larger than typical designs in the collection, offering a 47mm diameter engineered from black PVD stainless steel. It secures to the wrist by a black textile strap but when off the wrist, you can enjoy the automatic Calibre CO 082 with its 42-hour power reserve through the exhibition case back. The Corum Bubble X AIIROH is a limited edition of only 88 pieces.

Quick Facts:

  • Case: 47mm black PVD stainless steel, domed sapphire crystal glass, 100 metre water resistance
  • Dial: Black rose cut out above colourful collage art, petal hands for the hours and minutes
  • Movement: Calibre CO 082 automatic winding movement with hours, minutes and seconds, 42 hour power reserve
  • Strap: Black textile
  • Limited: 88 pieces

Frederique Constant Classics Heart Beat Manufacture

Meanwhile, Frederique Constant have given their popular Classics Heart Beat Manufacture model a rather dramatic makeover for Geneva Watch Days 2022. They have swapped out the distinctive comma-shaped skeletonised aperture at 6 o’clock for a classic circular opening and reduced the case size to 39mm. The finish is a traditional looking dress watch presented in a choice of stainless steel or 18 carat rose gold, both electing a large onion-shaped crown, convex sapphire crystal glass and a matching glass case back. The dials of the new Frederique Constant Classics Heart Beat Manufacture watches are white lacquered with blue hour and minute hands, Roman numerals and two railroad-style tracks in black. Poking its head through the rounded aperture at 6 o’clock is the Calibre FC-930-3 movement boasting a 38 hour power reserve.

Quick Facts:

  • Case: 39mm stainless steel or 18 carat rose gold, fixed bezel, convex sapphire crystal glass, 30 metre water resistance
  • Dial: White lacquer with black printed Roman numerals and railway track, skeletonised aperture at 6 o’clock
  • Movement: Calibre FC-930-3 automatic winding movement with hours and minutes, 38 hour power reserve
  • Strap: Black or brown alligator leather

Louis Erard Le Regulateur Louis Erard x Label Noir Limited Edition

For Louis Erard’s latest release, they have partnered with customisation experts Label Noir to beautify their popular Excellence Regulator watch. The Louis Erard Le Regulateur Louis Erard x Label Noir watch is a limited edition of only just 178 pieces and delivers an exciting aesthetic inclusive of a black PVD coated case, a matching black dial and several eclectic green accents. Green can be spotted on the fir-tree hand on the small seconds, on the alternating white and green dotted minutes track, the Label Noir logo at 9 o’clock and the stitching found on the black Cordura woven fabric strap. The case of the Louis Erard Le Regulateur Louis Erard x Label Noir Limited Edition sits on the wrist at 42mm and houses the élaboré grade Sellita SW266-1 automatic winding movement, exposing it through the exhibition case back.

Quick Facts:

  • Case: 42mm black PVD stainless steel, fixed bezel, domed sapphire crystal glass, 50 metre water resistance
  • Dial: Black vertical brushed with polished black hour counter, green seconds hand
  • Movement: Sellita SW266-1 automatic winding movement with hours, minutes and seconds in regulator set-up, 38 hour power reserve
  • Strap: Black Cordura woven fabric  
  • Limited Edition: 178 pieces

Oris Divers Sixty Five 12H Calibre 400

Last but certainly not least in our run down of the best releases from Geneva Watch Days 2022, we have a second launch from Oris. The Oris Divers Sixty Five 12H Calibre 400 see’s their popular vintage diver’s watch equipped with their in-houseCalibre 400. This is the first time Oris have presented the movement within a non-limited Sixty Five Divers model. The movement continues to impress with a 5-day power reserve, 10-year warranty and high levels of anti-magnetism. Another first for the Oris Divers Sixty Five 12H Calibre 400 watch is that the Divers Sixty Five bezel presents a 12 hour scale so you can read off a second time zone. The scale is printed in white upon a black aluminium bidirectional insert which sits above the 40mm stainless steel case. Other features of the Oris Divers Sixty Five 12H Calibre 400 watch include domed sapphire crystal glass, a matte black dial and plenty of Superluminova coated hardware.

Quick Facts:

  • Case: 40mm stainless steel, bidirectional black aluminium bezel with 12 hour scale, domed sapphire crystal glass, 100 metre water resistance
  • Dial: Matte black with Superluminova hands and indexes
  • Movement: Calibre 400 automatic winding, hours, minutes, seconds and date, 120 hour power reserve
  • Strap: Black leather or steel bracelet

If any of these new Geneva Watch Days 2022 releases have caught your eye and you’d like to learn more about them, check out our in-depth reviews on each of the models on the Horologii website here. You can also order and pre-order the full Geneva Watch Days line-up at Jura Watches here or by calling our team on 01335 453453.