SOME OF THE FINEST MINDS IN REPLICA WATCHMAKING GATHER AT SIHH, SO THE SHOW IS ALWAYS AWASH WITH HIGH-END COMPLICATIONS. WATCHES OF SWITZERLAND’S EXPERTS PICK OUT FOUR OF THE BEST
Replica Cartier Rotonde de Cartier Grande Complication
Cartier’s Fine Watchmaking Division is a regular on this news feed – only a few weeks ago we were introducing you to the handful of creations that emerged from Cartier’s elite watchmaking setup before SIHH, including the spectacular skeletonised Crash.
Cartier wasn’t done there, though. The division’s headliner was the Rotonde de Cartier Grande Complication, the most complicated replica watches Cartier has ever made.
‘It’s almost impossible to overstate how impressive Cartier’s Fine Watchmaking Division is,’ says Mark Toulson, Watches of Switzerland’s Head of Watch Buying. ‘There are now 29 in-house calibres in Cartier’s collection, all added since 2007 – but the Grande Complication is the king. It packs a trio of the most sought-after high-end complications into one watch – a perpetual calendar, a tourbillon and a minute repeater. And all in a skeletonised movement that’s only 5.49mm thick. It’s an astonishing achievement from a brand that’s changing the way we think about watchmaking.’
Replica Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Grande Tradition Grande Complication
An astral theme pervaded chez Jaeger-LeCoultre at SIHH this year. We covered the meteorite dial Master Calendar before the show, which turned out to be the first of a series of astronomically inspired pieces.
One of those was the Master Grande Tradition Grande Complication, a hugely complicated watch. Aesthetically, it’s dominated by its celestial dial design, a sky chart showing the northern hemisphere. That dial makes a full rotation in 23 hours, 56 minutes and four seconds, known as sidereal time (rather than the 24 hours of civilian time). Attached to the dial is what the brand is calling an ‘orbital flying tourbillon’, which makes the full rotation, too. And then spinning around the edge of the dial is a sun, which points to the signs of the zodiac. A lot going on in one watch.
‘Jaeger-LeCoultre’s fine watchmaking ambitions continue to propel it to new heights,’ says David Lindsay, Watches of Switzerland’s Retail Director, Luxury Brands. ‘Only a few of the world’s replica watches brands could even attempt a piece like this. By pulling it off, Jaeger-LeCoultre has once again proved why it’s such an important brand for collectors.’
Replica Roger Dubuis Excalibur Brocéliande
Roger Dubuis’ mediaeval-themed watches never fail to entertain – or provoke, depending on your personal tastes. Whatever your inclination, there’s no getting away from the fact that every Roger Dubuis replica watches is exquisitely produced. In fact, Roger Dubuis is the only watch brand that receives the prestigious Geneva Seal quality stamp for every watch it makes.
‘What I love about Roger Dubuis is that it makes unique watches for people looking to create their own trend,’ says Damian Otwinowski, store director of Watches of Switzerland’s 155 Regent Street showroom. ‘This ladies’ diamond-set skeletonised flying tourbillon is all about the magic of the French Brocéliande forest, where legend has it the magician Merlin is buried. The spidery ivy decoration on the dial represents eternity and really brings that to life in an entertaining way. It’s a story on your wrist.’
Replica Lange & Söhne Zeitwerk Minute Repeater
Lange’s SIHH portfolio of beautifully hand-finished watches – many of them highly, highly complicated – is routinely one of the show’s highlights. This year’s was led by the remarkable Zeitwerk Minute Repeater, which, if you discount the €1.9m Grand Complication hyperwatch of two years ago, is the first Lange watch with a chiming mechanism.
Uncommonly, it chimes the hours, 10-minute intervals and minutes on demand, where most repeaters chime quarters, instead of 10-minute intervals. On top of that, the display is digital, with jumping numerals, meaning you get a repeater that chimes the time exactly as you see it when read laterally across the dial.
‘The press loved Lange again this year, and the super-smart Zeitwerk in particular,’ says Calibre editor Robin Swithinbank, who was at the show. ‘It’s an ingenious watch with the mild-mannered looks of a far simpler timepiece. As always with Lange, it’s only when you get under the skin you discover just how spectacular its replica watches sale are.’