2015 Geneva week: my selection of Independent watches

Feb 08, 2015,02:42 AM
 

The holding of the SIHH gives the opportunity to many independent brands to organize presentations in Geneva hotels to take advantage of the presence of retailers and journalists from around the world. These presentations allow them to unveil the first trends of the year and at the end to welcome in a more classy and relaxed environment than at Baselworld their interlocutors. I found that the attitude of independent brands was actually quite close to those of the SIHH ie that avoided to take any unnecessary risks and they focused on presenting new versions of existing models. The economic environment is definitely there and for large as for small companies, caution is in order.

This is not to say that the offer was uninteresting and my final point of view was far from this feeling. First, for some, the year has just begun and the real novelties will come later. Then I found in the different hotels suites several nuggets that I liked very much.

I propose you the selection of my favorite independent watches  of the 2015 Geneva watch week.

As every year, De Bethune is part of the selection even though I have not felt a similar feeling than last year at the same hotel des Bergues. I could have put in my selection the DB28 GS which marks the brand's return to the niche of the sports watches. But it was impossible for me to resist to the captivating charm of the DB25T  Zodiac. Let's be clear: on the pure mechanical point of view, it doesn't bring anything (but already offers a lot!) in addition from the DB25T presented a few years ago. But what dial! The peripheral sky made of polished blued titanium  is decorated with a dozen solid gold engravings which symbolize the zodiac signs.
The contrasts, the light reflections are beautiful and highlight the perfect finishings of the details. But the best point about this watch is the consistency between this design and the behaviour of the second hand which acts as a dead-beat second, evoking the longcase clocks. I even forget the movement features a 5hz tourbillon. De Bethune strikes again!





The movement of the DB25T Zodiac and the specific mechanism of the dead-beat second hand:






I remember very well what Martin Frei said during the presentation of the metal bracelet dedicated to the Urwerk UR-202: "With this bracelet (made by Maspoli), the design of the UR-202 is finally completed " . I would like to say: "the same story with the UR-210". If I consider all the independent watches that I had the chance to wear in recent years, it is perhaps UR-202S that left me the most vivid memory. I found this watch simply beautiful. It creates an ideal scenery for the display of the wandering hour. The UR-210S "Full Metal Jacket" with its bracelet coming from the same source and its monochrome shades gives me the same feeling ... with the strong asset of the retrograde behaviour of the large hand, which is reminiscent of Opus V at least for me! To make a long story short, I consider the UR-210S as one of the finest Urwerk.






For several years, Peter Speake-Marin has worked to build a brand. This trend is accompanied also this year by a closer partnership with Vaucher. But what's bred in the bone will come out in the flesh! The Jumping Hours, an unique piece, is a further demonstration of his creativity and talent. Reading the time, or better said the hours is not easy because based on small hands that show the current time as soon as the minutes are within the fifteen minutes corresponding to them (the upper hands jumps first at the beginning of the new hour then the second hand jumps at the beginning of the second quarter etc ...). Due to the fact they are not surrounded by any scale, the hands require a small mental gymnastics to assess the current time. But who cares! The watch is fascinating and the absence of an actual dial ( the time display mechanism replaces it) provides a technical and poetic welcome touch. One of the nicest surprises of the week.





The LM1 Platinum was unveiled at the end of last year. It therefore didn't create the same feeling of surprise than the other pieces  I discovered for the first time. However, a MB& F watch is never a trivial piece and it was a pleasure to observe the beauty of the blue dial which has a different hue from that of the LM1 Xia Hang. And then the LM1 remains for me the most beautiful Legacy Machine: the large  hanging balance wheel is mesmerizing, the two dials provide a display of a second time zone disconnected from the first ... I believe that the Platinum LM1  is the most beautiful version of this awesome watch, both classic and original at the same time.






Stil the same beautiful handwind movement:





A few weeks after an unique version of the GMT Kari Voutilainen, I was not excepting to find Art Deco figures in a different but equally compelling context. Laurent Favre presented in the context of the WAG in Geneva the A.Favre 10.3 & son with the evocative nickname "Gatsby". Totally faithful to the Roaring Twenties, it is a true watchmaking "excess" that the Gatsby offers us with two balance wheels, no dial, hanging figures, exceptional finishings. This watch is a real demonstration of the talent of Laurent Favre. A true cabaret show and you can't imagine how I struggled to stop watching it and gving it back to his creator!





The brand Breva is named after a blowing wind around Lake Como ... it became logical that a watch of the collection features a complication whose purpose is to measure the wind speed. The proud owner of a Genie 03 can therefore, by activating a push to raise up an anemometer and measure, once stabilized, the wind speed ... or  his own speed. The complication can make us smile but Breva anchors in a market segment that few brands occupy. Moreover, the Genie 03 offers the first movement,  with micro-rotor, entirely developed by the brand what is a sign of maturity. So, behind the fun and interactive side of the complication, I see through the Genie 03 a brand on the rise.





The anemometer is out:





The new movement, fully developped in house and its micro-rotor:







Finally, I wanted to finish this selection with the beautiful cloisonné enamel dial of Laurent Ferrier Traveller . Travel watches always have the vocation at least to make our mind wander. The Traveller is a dual time watch, it doesn't have necessarily the same imaginative power that Worldtimer watches. But it was not counting on this dial realized with perfect control which proposes an exploration of several continents. Obviously, we can feel the Patek inspiration  but the size of the decorated part and the integration of the two windows (date of the right, second time zone of the left) give to the watch a slightly old-fashioned but unquestionable charm.






As always, some other watches deserved to be part of this selection but future articles will give me the opportunity to present them and to come back with more details on these.

Fr.Xavier
This message has been edited by foversta on 2015-02-08 02:43:28


More posts: DB25TDe BethuneLaurent FerrierSpeake-MarinUR-210UR-210SUrwerkVoutilainenZodiac

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From your selection, the sporty De Bethune, then the LM 1 from Max, for me.

 
 By: amanico : February 8th, 2015-02:52
I liked the former Breva a lot... Not this one. I can't put it in words, but the dial attracts me much less than the former watches from Breva. The sporty De Béthune is really something to see, face and back. Wow! As for the LM 1... my favourite from Max.... 

Thanks for the report Fx

 
 By: Mark in Paris : February 8th, 2015-06:23
Always nice to hear about indies and about your opinion on that matter. The Zodiac is definitely a great De Bethune and I especially love the hour ring with its thin Roman numerals. I guess in the metal the Zodiac ring must be gorgeous too. Not often I sa... 

Hey Foversta, Great Post. The Laurent Ferrier...

 
 By: elliot55 : February 8th, 2015-10:04
... Traveler is simply gorgeous! - Scott

I too find the zodiac the highlight of De Bethune this year...LM1 amazing..

 
 By: moc : February 8th, 2015-13:55
Really exceptional watches...would love to have both... Mo

DeBethune Zodiac is

 
 By: MTF : February 9th, 2015-01:22
...stylish without being too opulent. What is that 0 - 5 scale at 12 o'clock? Days of Power Reserve? Maybe I should notice this brand more......... DeBethune The Laurent Ferrier is also elegant and all you need for travelling. I am usually present only at...  

Thank you FX for your thoughts, that Favre is really striking!

 
 By: DonCorson : February 12th, 2015-01:13
Any idea why it has 2 balance wheels? Resonance à la Journe? Differential à la Dufour? Other? Best, Don

Just my jaded impressions

 
 By: amerix : February 12th, 2015-09:51
the De Bethune - very, very pretty - but on a real man's wrist? the LF Traveller - an undigestible color scheme on a geo-gone-crazy dial. the UR-210S is far too mighty to be showcased on that famous wrist, and those min-min markings are almost indetectabl... 

THank you Fx

 
 By: cisco : February 14th, 2015-09:36
Like the first Urwerk on bracelet I loooove this combination of the Urwerk 202s. They really found a way to reinvent an existing watch, the bracelet goes so well with their watch. Fantastic once again. Not a lot of bracelet are successful with High end wa...