If we boil the functions and our expectations for a decent timepiece down to their pure essences, we arrive at the mere indication of time: the hours, minutes, and seconds that dominate our daily schedule.

A nice add-on is the date indication because in these fast-paced times we tend to lose track of the date – at least I note that it happens to me with increasing frequency. Therefore, if we want to go simple and plain regarding watches, classic three-hand timepieces with date indication are a perfect choice.

By forgoing additional functions, these frill-free styles with clean, clear dials fulfill the main task of a watch: to simply display the time in an easily readable manner. And they are also easy to maintain and relatively inexpensive (see Lukasz Doskocz’s Give Me Five! 5 Of The Best Value-For-Money Watches At SIHH 2018).

In light of the somewhat more modest tendencies of watchmaking over the last couple of years, I have the impression that a host of classic timepieces from high-end brands have recently hit the market offering a sheer endless variety of awesome styles and variations.

What they all have in common is their meticulous attention to detail, including numerals, hands, case sizes, and materials as well as color schemes and top-notch straps and bracelets, which result in the classiest of looks.

I feel that the designers and watchmakers have been pulling out all the stops to create finer timekeepers with strong personalities. This trend was clearly to be observed at the 2018 SIHH.

Therefore, picking out my favorite five “three-hands plus” from the fantastic watches on display was certainly not easy. I could easily extend this list to “give me 50”!

Retro flair at its best #1: Jaeger-LeCoultre Polaris Date

As a journalist writing about watches, it is my main task to find the right words to describe them properly. Loving both watches and writing, most of the time the words come easily to me.

I must admit that when I saw Jaeger-LeCoultre’s new Polaris collection for the first time, all I could think was, “Holy guacamole, how cool is this watch!” From head to toe – or rather from case to dial and strap – this timepiece, sporty yet deeply elegant, offers such a fantastic look and harmonious design it easily could be my very favorite timepiece of 2018 so far!

Jaeger-LeCoultre Polaris Date

And I feel I am not the only one with this opinion, having spotted many features about this very watch online over the past weeks. While there are certainly a large number of timekeepers to divide opinions, many watch lovers seem to agree that the Polaris Date is one of the most successful introductions so far this year.

Inspired by the iconic Memovox Polaris watch from 1968, this watch is a faithful re-edition with an almost identical case and dial. Although it is not equipped with the original alarm function – the Polaris Memovox from the 2018 collection is, however – this 42 mm timepiece offers water-resistance to 200 meters, even making it a serious diver’s watch from that aspect.

Jaeger-LeCoultre Polaris Memovox 2018

To wear this watch only underwater would be a shame since it is an everyday-wear timepiece par excellence. Especially for aficionados who like a bold, yet casual and understated, style.

The steel case with two crowns, one for winding and setting the movement and one to move the inner bezel, surrounds the black dial with luminescent numerals, markers, and baton-style hands in a yellowish hue for a touch of retro charm.

As a nod to the original of 1968, the case back features an engraved diving helmet. The Polaris Date’s water-friendly ways are enhanced by a new textured black rubber strap.

Jaeger-LeCoultre 2018 Polaris Date on the wrist

For more information, please visit www.jaeger-lecoultre.com/us/en/watches/jaeger-lecoultre-plrs.

You might also enjoy 6 New Watches In Jaeger-LeCoultre 2018 Polaris Collection Including A New Memovox Model.

Quick Facts Jaeger-LeCoultre Polaris Date
Case: 42 mm, stainless steel
Movement: automatic Jaeger-LeCoultre Caliber 899/1, power reserve 38 hours
Functions: hours, minutes, seconds; date
Price: $7,750/€6,420

A style icon for a century, yet with a new twist: Cartier Santos de Cartier, Large Model

One of the most talked about watches at this year’s SIHH, the new Cartier Santos lineup features large and medium versions.

Since its debut in 1904, when watchmaker Louis Cartier “tailored” this timepiece for the wrist of his pilot friend Alberto Santos-Dumont to enable him to read the time in a more comfortable manner during his daring flight adventures, it has symbolized the ultimate in masculine chic with a sporty touch. And it has ranked among the most-sought after square watches ever.

Updating a style icon like the Santos is certainly a challenge for watchmakers, designers, and engineers alike, who must find the right balance between respecting the original characteristics and lending it a more up-to-date style and maybe even improved user-friendliness.

Santos de Cartier in pink gold on the wrist

This is a task that Cartier has fulfilled with much aplomb, focusing both on comfort and contemporary proportions.

Let’s start with the most obvious new feature: the bezel. It is no longer totally square but features extensions on the top and bottom going all the way down to the lugs.

It is designed to visually connect with the new bracelet design, which allows for the removal of up to seven links without any tools. But that’s not all: Cartier also added a new QuickSwitch system for easily changing bracelets and straps. The invisible mechanism blends into the case architecture; to activate it, the owner simply presses the mechanism.

This comes in particularly handy since the Santos is being delivered with a metal bracelet consisting of single links, each one fitted with two screws, and an additional leather strap.

Santos de Cartier in pink gold

Water-resistant to 100 meters, the now slimmer case houses Cartier’s own automatic Caliber 1847 MC with nickel phosphorus (LIGA) components in the escapement to improve anti-magnetic properties (see The Truth About Magnetism And Watches).

One can only agree that Cartier has done an awesome job with the new generation of this century-old style icon. Design and functionality have been updated with great taste and a focus on ease of use.

You might also enjoy Santos de Cartier 2018: One Of The World’s First Men’s Wristwatches Reinvented.

Quick Facts Santos de Cartier Large Model
Case: 39.8 x 47.5 x 9.08 mm, stainless steel, steel/gold, yellow gold or pink gold
Movement: automatic Cartier Caliber 1847 MC, power reserve 42 hours
Functions: hours, minutes, seconds; date
Price: $20,400 (pink gold)

Retro flair at its best #2: Vacheron Constantin FiftySix Selfwinding

At SIHH 2018, the entirely new FiftySix collection, offered in pink gold and stainless steel, enjoyed a grand entrance. Alongside a complete calendar including a moon phase and another model with date, weekday and power reserve indicator, Vacheron Constantin introduced a stunning entry-level execution with date, making for a perfect everyday timepiece.

Vacheron Constantin FiftySix Selfwinding

Its name refers to the year 1956 when the Geneva-based manufacture launched an elegant gold watch with the reference number 6073. The lugs of the historic model were reminiscent of the form of the Maltese cross, the brand’s signature shape.

This is also true for the new edition; however, its shapes are softer and more rounded than the original, lending it a subtle contemporary and decidedly elegant aura.

Vacheron Constantin FiftySix Selfwinding

The sector dial is distinguished by alternating finely expressive Arabic numerals and baton hour markers. The case, 40 x 9.6 mm, houses a brand new automatic movement, Caliber 1346, boasting a power reserve of 44 hours.

Beautifully finished, it is equipped with a skeletonized oscillating weight made from 22-karat gold showing off the Maltese cross.

For more information, please visit www.vacheron-constantin.com/en/watches/fiftysix.

Quick Facts Vacheron Constantin FiftySix Self-Winding
Case: 40 x 9.6 mm, stainless steel
Movement: automatic Caliber VC1326, power reserve 48 hours
Functions: hours, minutes, seconds; date
Price: $11,700

Understatement with Glashütte-style sophistication: A. Lange & Söhne Saxonia Outsize Date

One of the awesome additions to the Saxonia family at this year’s SIHH, the new Saxonia Outsize Date impresses with the horological sophistication and pure style the collection is known for.

Its deeply understated dial features two main protagonists: the brand’s famous large date at 12 o’clock and a large subdial with subsidiary seconds at 6 o’clock. This composition has proven itself a winning formula with its very balanced aura. And now it arrives with a new color twist.

A. Lange & Söhne Saxonia Outsize Date

To match the black hue of the galvanized solid silver dial, the date indication is executed with white numerals on a black background as opposed to the classic style with white disks and black numerals.

Beneath it ticks automatic Caliber L086.8, which is based on the original Caliber L086.1 that has been powering the Saxonia Automatic since 2011. Now endowed with a large date display, it is equipped with a large central rotor with an outer mass in platinum to keep the mainspring tensioned; the maximum power reserve of 72 hours (three days) is achieved with only one spring barrel.

Front and back of the A. Lange & Söhne Saxonia Outsize Date in red gold

Additional technical and artisanal refinements include a classic screw balance with a free-sprung Lange hairspring, an iconic three-quarter plate crafted from untreated German silver, and a manually engraved balance cock with the characteristic whiplash (swan-neck) spring for precision beat adjustments.

You might also enjoy Second-Row Stars: A. Lange & Söhne’s Saxonia Model Family.

For more information, please visit www.alange-soehne.com/en/news-and-more/saxonia-outsize-date.

Quick Facts A. Lange & Söhne Saxonia Outsize Date
Case: 38.5x 9.6 mm, pink gold or white gold
Movement: automatic Lange Caliber L086.8, power reserve 72 hours
Functions: hours, minutes, seconds; large date
Price: €24,500

A laudation of style: Girard-Perregaux Laureato 38mm Ceramic

With its very own aesthetic style distinguished by its octagonal bezel, the Laureato has been a staple in the ranks of luxury sports watches since its introduction in 1975. This year, the line welcomes a premiere: the first Laureato clad in black ceramic.

Girard-Perregaux Laureato 38 mm Ceramic

The lightweight material highlights the Laureato’s characteristic shape with an expressive new look. With a diameter of 38 mm, the case, which is water-resistant to 100 meters, is not only suitable for smaller women’s wrists, it also makes a great option for men who prefer their timepieces on the less oversized side.

Truly beautiful is the dial with its refined clou de Paris pattern in matte black. Similar to A. Lange & Söhne’s Saxonia Outsize Date, the date aperture at 3 o’clock is executed in black with white printing. It nicely complements the timepiece’s stroll on the dark side as does the version with black ceramic bracelet.

Girard-Perregaux Laureato 38 mm Ceramic

Turning the watch over, we discover beauty too. In contrast to the dial, the automatic in-house movement beating at its 4 Hz frequency offers fine decorations in best horological traditions. Caliber 03300-0139 is finely finished with circular graining, Geneva waves, and polished bevels.

For more information, please visit www.girard-perregaux.com/en/laureato/laureato-38-mm-ceramic.

Quick Facts Girard-Perregaux Laureato 38 mm Ceramic
Case: 38 x 10.2 mm, ceramic
Movement: automatic Girard-Perregaux Caliber 03300-0139, power reserve 46 hours
Functions: hours, minutes, seconds; date
Price: €15,300