Best Independent Watch Brands of SIHH 2018

Greubel Forsey isn’t a household name to those outside of the horological sphere, but in recent years it has made a speciality out of creating the seemingly impossible. Its latest watch, the Différentiel d’Égalité, comes courtesy of the company’s Experimental Watch Technology programme – and while it isn’t a high-complication timepiece, it does feature a new take on the absolutely fascinating remontoire d’égalité mechanism, first invented in the 18th century. A very long story short (things get complex real fast), the remontoire is concerned with delivering constant force, or energy, to a watch’s balance and escapement in the name of accuracy (told you…). However, the original remontoire mechanism never quite achieved its goal of creating the perfectly constant force to which it aspired – and that’s something Greubel sort to put right. Thanks to a new differential system, the Différentiel d’Égalité did exactly that. Truthfully, there is nothing practical about a perfected remontoire versus any 21st-century lever escapement watch, but who cares? This is watchmaking with swagger by the bucketload. For more information, see greubelforsey.com

Whisper the name Laurent Ferrier and watch experts will have a few words to say about the eponymous watchmaker’s brand. As a watchmaker at Patek Philippe for 37 years, his are watches of unparalleled quality, with a sumptuously classic aesthetic. New for 2018 is the Galet Annual Calendar – an elegant solution to the calendar complication, which works simply by turning the crown to change the day and month on the dial (viewed at 12 o’clock on the dial), as well as the date. It’s an incredibly clean design, comes with an 80-hour power reserve movement (the reserve indicator handily visible through the sapphire case back), and a case finished in platinum. What more could you possibly want? For more information, see laurentferrier.ch

MB&F’s second iteration of the Moonmachine is not only unusual thanks to its trapezoidal case shape, but also boasts the world’s first ‘projected’ moonphase display. What this means is the moonphase complication, usually viewed from above, as is customary when telling the time, is instead viewed from the near side of the watch. The same goes for the hours and minutes – and, to really mess with your head, it’s all just an optical illusion. A mirror within the horizontal movement projects the display so that it can be viewed vertically. It’s weird, wholly unnecessary, and great fun. Basically, what we’re used to from the craziest player in the watch industry. For more information, see mbandf.com

Apple sold eight million watches in Q4 of 2017 – more than the whole of the Swiss watch industry combined. Clearly, integrating digital innovations into traditional timepieces isn’t a novelty anymore, it’s a necessity. Enter Ressence. The brainchild of forward-thinking CEO Benoît Mintiens, the Swiss brand has been pushing the boundaries of mechanical watchmaking since it introduced the oil-based movement inside the Type 3 watch in 2013. Its new watch, the Type 2 e-Crown Concept, goes one step further. It employs an electronic system that allows the watch to self-adjust to new timezones, set the time via a smartphone, or automatically reset after the power reserve winds down. Designed in conjunction with iPod designer Tony Fadell, e-Crown Technology sits between the mechanical movement and Ressence’s unique display disc system. While this timepiece isn’t yet available to the public, it represents what could be an important step for mechanical watches as the threat of the smartwatch looms ever larger. For more information, see ressencewatches.com

In 2015, the family-owned Chopard Group expanded into the world of haute horlogerie with a brand inspired by the life and work of historic watchmaker Ferdinand Berthoud. The man behind the name is considered to be one of the founding fathers of the marine chronometer – a major technical innovation in the 18th century thanks to its ability to accurately measure time over the period of a long sea voyage. As a result, Berthoud the brand takes chronometry as its subject and uses it to create unabashedly high-end watches. The new Chronometre FB 1R-6.1 may be a million miles away from the deck of a wooden Navy ship, but like the marine chronometers of old the watch’s tourbillon / fusée-chain movement is equally concerned with precision. Modern touches like the ultra-resistant carburised stainless steel case and vertically brushed nickel-silver dial give this watch a 21st-century edge, but this is a history lesson in wristwatch form – and we love it. For more information, see ferdinandberthoud.ch

As one of the trickiest complications to design and produce in-house, it’s always impressive when a split-second chronograph, or rattrapante, is produced. This modern iteration comes from the stable of lauded independent manufacturer FP Journe as part of its sporty LineSport collection. Unlike Breitling’s staunchly traditional Navitimer Rattrapante, launched at Baselworld 2017, this watch is very much fixed on the contemporary. The titanium version features a rubber-accented case, with neatly skeletonised sub dials and striking flecks of red on the hands. Big numerals and a further big date complication contribute to a watch that really jumps out of its dial. Yes, it’s big (the case is 44mm), it’s bold, and it won’t be to everyone’s taste, but wearing one of these on your wrist is a statement to fellow horophiles that you see their Rolex Daytona and you raise them a Journe with a difference. For more information, see fpjourne.com

The relaunch of the Toric Chronometre at SIHH last year was one of our favourite timepieces of 2017. Its charming 1920s aesthetic – coin-edge fluting on the bezel, a cream-coloured dial, its unusual date function at six o’clock – appealed to the vintage watch coveter in us, as well as resonating with a dressier style of everyday watch. This year, Parmigiani is back with a more elaborate design that has a phenomenal movement to boot. First, the gorgeous looks: same old-school aesthetic in a red gold case, with an exceedingly intricate pine cone guilloché pattern on the dial for added pizzazz. The movement, meanwhile, has been awarded the toughest and most comprehensive certification on the market: the Qualité Fleurier. It’s a lot of jumping through hoops but watches with this certification are guaranteed to have reliable precision under all circumstances, tested robustness and durability, and high-quality finishing. This, then, is as good as watchmaking gets in 2018. For more information, see parmigiani.com

Urwerk’s avantgarde timepieces have led to a number of iconic (if divisive) watches since its advent in 1995 but, more importantly, each has challenged the conventions of how we tell the time. Perhaps the brand’s greatest success to date is the UR-210. First launched in 2012, the watch is renowned for an ingenious winding-efficiency indicator that calculates whether it is receiving enough energy flow to keep the watch wound – or, to put it another way, whether you’re moving around enough to ensure the watch keeps ticking. The display, of course, is the other key draw. It features a jumping minute hand that runs along an arc at the bottom of the dial, but within the hand itself you will also find three four-sided cubes revealing the hour. (It’s easier to see than to explain…) For 2018, the watch gets a new DLC-coated platinum and titanium case, paired with a handsome cherry red accent. For us, it’s the best-looking rendition of a contemporary watchmaking masterpiece. For more information, see urwerk.com

Over the last few years, H Moser & Cie has grown into the enfant terrible of the watch world thanks to a number of irreverent marketing campaigns. Whether you appreciate its controversialist approach or not, its timepieces continue to impress. Brand new for this year is the Endeavour Flying Hours, which features a highly unusual way of displaying the time. Three hour disks, each rotating on its own axis, are set around a central sapphire main disc that displays the minutes on a 240° sector disk. The current hour features a white backdrop and simultaneously points to the minute track as it makes a full revolution before switching to the next hour. Sure, it’s not running-for-a-train legible, but it’s absolutely captivating, especially with the sunburst blue dial finish. The automatic movement has a 48-hour power reserve and is made entirely in house. Limited to just 60 pieces, expect the Flying Hours to, er, fly. For more information, see h-moser.com