Welcome to the 2018 edition of Quill & Pad’s Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève predictions in which the team picks favorites and explains why.

The panelists are:

Ian Skellern (IS), co-founder and technical director
Joshua Munchow (JM), resident nerd writer
Martin Green (MG), resident gentleman
Ryan Schmidt (RS), contributor and author of The Wristwatch Handbook: A Comprehensive Guide to Mechanical Wristwatches
Alex Ghotbi (AG), vintage watch expert at Phillips
Ashton Tracy (AT), contributor, watchmaker, and blogger
Nick Gould (NG), contributor

Note: as jury members, editor-in-chief Elizabeth Doerr and resident collector GaryG do not take part in these early predictions.

The GPHG foundation describes the Men’s category for watches entered as: “comprising the following indications: hours, minutes, seconds, date, power reserve, and classic moon phase. These timepieces may be adorned with a maximum of five carats’ worth of gemstones.”

Men’s category shortlisted watches for the 2018 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève, clockwise from top left: Akrivia Chronomètre Contemporain, De Bethune Steel Wheels, H. Moser & Cie. Endeavour Flying Hours, MB&F Legacy Machine Split Escapement, Vacheron Constantin Triple Calendrier 1942, and Kari Voutilainen 217QRS

JM: Week two sees us break down the most ambiguous category in the GPHG: the men’s watches. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: there is not much direction in this category and nothing to draw as a common determining factor, so it ends up being a rather varied group of timepieces that could all be judged very differently were they to be in a different category.

I literally love every single watch in this category, but I certainly don’t think they all represent the best Men’s watch. If anything, I believe this category should be changed to the “Men’s Classic” category to at least focus the objective for judging. For me this results in some hard decisions and a small case of “judging guilt.”

RS: What an outstanding selection of watches, though, Joshua; I would walk hot coals for any one of these beauties!

AT: The men’s range this year is far reaching with classic-looking offerings from Vacheron Constantin and Akrivia to ultra-modern from De Bethune and MB&F. I love the diversity and think it makes for an interesting lineup. Ultimately, I think the top spot will go to either Akrivia or MB&F.

IS: Looking at finalists for the GPHG Men’s category highlights the fact that #MeToo movement is on the slow train to Watch Town. While my reaction to the pre-selected Ladies watches (as a group) was, “Really, this is the best we can do?”, the 2018 Men’s pre-selected watches elicited a hearty “WOW!”

I cannot remember ever seeing such a strong lineup in any GPHG category. Ever. There isn’t a watch here that I would not be overjoyed to own and wear, and there’s a style for every (or at least most) tastes.

MG: I agree, Ian, this does look like the most complicated lineup of contenders in the GPHG Men’s category we have had in quite some time. The diversity is incredible, which makes it very hard for me to decide which one I favor, and I am sure that the jury will have the same challenge. I must say that it is a very strong lineup with no ugly ducklings, so at the same time you cannot really choose wrongly!

AG: This one was the toughest for me to decide, every single one of these watches would give me pleasure to wear and own. However, I narrowed it down to three: the H. Moser Endeavour Flying Hours as I love the time indication and the way it has been implemented; the De Bethune as it is a very audacious take on the brand’s iconic DB28; and the Akrivia Rexhep Rexhepi Chronomètre Contemporain.

Akrivia Rexhep Rexhepi Chronomètre Contemporain

AG: Since the presentation of his Chronomètre Contemporain I have been longing for one! The case is beautifully constructed with its stepped lugs, the black enamel dial with gilt printing is very chic, and the watch has a very elegant vintage 1940s feel. Turn the watch around and the movement is a slap in the face: the construction is modern and the finishing sublime. So the dichotomy between classical design and very modern movement make it a very exciting watch.

Akrivia Rexhep Rexhepi Chronomètre Contemporain

RS: This could be the year for Akrivia and Rexhep Rexhepi, Alex, a young brand and a young guy, both with a shocking level of maturity, class, and individuality for their respective ages. The less-is-more trend in the watch world has grown roots in my opinion, and I would be delighted to see that reflected in the results of this category.

That immaculate dial with large subsidiary seconds – so clean, yet there is ample character in the chapter ring and choice of numerals to display. The zero-reset and Besançon certification add romanticism and functionality to this simple, accurate masterpiece. Flip the thing over and you are rewarded with the ode to symmetry and finish that is a signature of the brand. In a seriously competitive group I take my hat off to this gorgeous three-hander.

MG: I must say that it was strange to see an uncomplicated Akrivia, but a closer look explains that the Chronomètre Contemporain is anything but “uncomplicated.” The movement is one of the most beautiful of recent years, as it shows refinement but also pays tribute to the rich history of Swiss watchmaking. I think that its diameter of 38 mm is spot on, making Akrivia one of the very few brands to know that for the majority of men this is absolutely the most elegant size. I know that this is for many men almost a dirty word today (don’t worry, being elegant as a man does not compromise performance elsewhere!), but the Akrivia is an elegant watch. It could have also become a very boring watch, but fortunately Rexhepi and team spiced up the dial with a design that stands out, but not too much. The whole watch is a perfect balancing act and therefore my winner in this category.

IS: The Akrivia Chronomètre Contemporain is my third-place choice, and that’s despite not liking the dial: that inner line with its square crenulations around the Roman numerals is a blemish for me – and yet I still love it!

I also think it an especially ill-considered branding error for a small brand not to keep a consistent name on the dial. I would have preferred Akriva founder Rexheps Rexhepi’s signature on the movement at the back rather than in block letters on the front. I don’t think that’s who he is, nor the brand.

Did I mention that none of that matters, I love it anyway? How’s that for informed analysis?!

AT: This is a beautiful timepiece: simple, understated, and elegant. I just love the dial on this watch, it has such depth. I’m a big fan of the alternating indents around the inner ring that highlight the numbers. The concave bezel is not my favorite, but the lugs are elegant and well shaped.

The movement is the real star of the show here with a 100-hour power reserve from a single barrel. It’s an aesthetically pleasing movement with one big drawback for me: that balance. I am not a fan of it being hidden amongst the train wheels as if it were one. I understand he had symmetry in mind, but for me it just detracts from the beauty of the movement.

NG: Akrivia’s Chronomètre Contemporain is the winner for me in this category. This new timepiece from Rexhep Rexhepi is more classic looking than its older siblings, but still has the same attention to detail applied to it. And the movement architecture is fantastic.

Akrivia Rexhep Rexhepi Chronomètre Contemporain

JM: For me, the Men’s category comes down to being more of a simple watch, something that a spy could wear and nobody would think it odd. And while it might garner appreciative looks, it won’t make the intended target suspicious. This almost always excludes the crazier watches in favor of more refined timepieces. That is why I have to give the nod this year to the Akrivia Chronomètre Contemporain, a tremendous example of refinement in design.

It is like a wizard in that it has exactly what it needs and no more. If it were to ever need something more, then it would have had it from the start. Akrivia’s mechanics are always stunning, and the design is something that flies under the radar while being something to truly appreciate when you give it a good long look. The proportions are spot on, the numerals simple, and the line work creates just enough visual motion without making it seem too energetic. For me, this is exactly what the Men’s category is about, a simple yet terrific watch that knows exactly what it wants and isn’t worried that it could be more “extra.”

For more information please visit www.gphg.org/horlogerie/en/watches/chronometre-contemporain and/or www.akrivia.com.

Further reading: Akrivia Rexhep Rexhepi Chronomètre Contemporain: A Fork In The Road, A Pivot, Or Something Else Entirely?

Quick Facts Akrivia Rexhep Rexhepi Chronomètre Contemporain
Case: 38 x 9.5 mm, red gold
Dial: black grand feu enamel on 18-karat gold dial blank
Movement: manual winding Caliber RR-01 with 100-hour power reserve, 2.5 Hz/18,000 vph frequency, chronometer-certified by the Besançon observatory
Functions: hours, minutes, hacking seconds with zero reset function
Price: CHF 59,940

De Bethune DB28 Steel Wheels

MG: De Bethune is back and hasn’t missed a beat! The DB28 Steel Wheels is futuristic, sexy, complicated, and most of all a pure-blooded De Bethune! In terms of design you either like it or you don’t but for the rest there is very little to complain about. What I like best about the DB28 Steel Wheels is that it has been kept to a wearable size with a diameter of 42.6 mm and a very slender and pleasant height of only 9.3 mm.

De Bethune DB28 Steel Wheels Blue

IS: Disclaimer: I have owned and habitually worn a De Bethune DB28 for many years and to me it is the perfect watch in (nearly) every way. But as a movement geek, I cannot help but feel a modicum of envy at the Steel Wheels, as the open dial reveals much more of the movement than the standard DB28.

The main problem I’ve found with open dials is that the complexity below the hands substantially limits their legibility; however, the Steel Wheels’ blue metal and sapphire crystal hands contrast clearly against the micro mechanics below.

The only reason I am not giving my vote to the De Bethune DB28 Steel Wheels is that as innovating as it is, it isn’t innovative enough from what preceded it. Better looking, perhaps (eye of the beholder), but not better/innovative/creative enough in this lineup.

That’s painful to write when you love the brand and model as much as I do, but it just goes to highlight what a vintage year this is for the Men’s category watches.

NG: The first word that comes to mind upon seeing the DB28 Star Wheels is “wowzer!” Revealing the inner workings of the watch on the dial side gives it a whole new look, and I always am a sucker for that signature De Bethune blue.

RS: Are there no limits to what the DB28 can deliver? Perhaps I am biased, but I would challenge other brands with “edition fever” to take a leaf out of De Bethune’s book, a brand that each time makes the DB28 not just different, but different.

I love how the DB28 has retained the bridge but revealed so much more of the movement on the dial – far more attractive than your garden-variety open dial/skeleton offering. Amidst the flurry of signatures, the moon phase, the blued titanium, the entirely signature escapement, balance and bridge, it’s easy to overlook those hands! The hour hand is “sapphire-rimmed by blued steel,” which gets my heart racing just to type.

Why might it not win? Because we expect the world from De Bethune, and even with this fresh appearance, and despite my earlier point, I think it might take a fully fresh model to shatter the senses of a jury that will be up to their chins in horology.

Close look dial side of the De Bethune DB28 Steel Wheels Blue

JM: De Bethune is one of my darlings; I think in fact De Bethune is probably in my top three favorite watch brands, period. But as Faulkner said, “you must kill all your darlings.” The DB28 Steel Wheels is awesome, and I wrote about it saying as much, but as a competitor in the Men’s category it feels out of place, almost like De Bethune should have put it in the complication or mechanical exception category. I think the watch has so many things going for it that to compete against a classic three-hander shows just how open, and directionless, this category is. It doesn’t feel like the best Men’s watch, regardless of how awesome it truly is.

AT: The watch manufacturer that boldly goes where none have gone before. A movement with six-day power reserve is certainly impressive, along with a moon phase that is accurate for 122 years. But I just can’t get on board. I dislike 12 o’clock winding and absolutely abhor the rocket-ship hands.

For more information please visitwww.gphg.org/horlogerie/en/watches/db28-steel-wheels and/or www.debethune.ch.

Further reading: De Bethune DB28 Steel Wheels Blue: Distilling The Essence Of Greatness

Quick Facts De Bethune DB28 Steel Wheels Blue
Case: 42.6 x 9.3 mm, polished and blued grade 5 titanium with floating lugs
Movement: manual winding Caliber DB2115V4 with 144-hour power reserve, 4 Hz/28,800 vph frequency, silicon escapement
Functions: hours, minutes; spherical moon phase, power reserve
Limitation: 25 pieces
Price: 89,000 Swiss francs

Moser & Cie. Endeavour Flying Hours

JM: Probably one of the most commercially viable yet un-Moser watches to come from the brand, the Endeavour Flying Hours features a complication that I am in love with in a new format. The flying hours design is an awesome mechanism for creatively displaying how time passes and how things change. Urwerk even based its entire existence on the concept. But as I have said for other watches, simplicity and chill are what I define as belonging to a good, straightforward, men’s watch. While it is simple in the Moser sense, it still brings a lot of energy that should take the watch into special categories other than the Men’s category, so I feel it isn’t in its proper home, and sadly doesn’t take the top spot.

H. Moser & Cie Endeavour Flying Hours

MG: I don’t know what it is, but I cannot warm up to the Endeavour Flying Hours. It is a nice enough watch, but every time I see it the first thing that pops into my mind is “Kickstarter.” I know that I don’t do the watch justice with this, but I simply cannot help it. I sometimes also feel that Moser is pushing its boundaries in too many different directions at the same time in a very persistent way to get attention. In my opinion, Moser doesn’t need this as to me it only draws away attention away from its very strong, though more traditional, lineup.

AT: The planetary gears displaying the hours and minutes are certainly impressive, but it doesn’t have the wow factor. And, unfortunately, the dial looks a bit like a biohazard sign.

NG: Moser has put its own twist on showing the time without the conventional use of hands, and it is successfully executed! I do love the blue dial, which it contrasts nicely against the sapphire crystal minute disk.

RS: I really like it when you can see crosspollination amongst sibling brands, and this to me is yet another Moser with echoes of Hautlence. What a characterful watch. But, and I say this having already acknowledged that I would walk hot coals for the watch, this isn’t the best from Moser. First, I feel that just too much of that usually uninterrupted funky blue has been blocked from view, and second, a Moser without those gorgeous leaf hands is only half a Moser in my opinion! Fun, funky, and fresh all the same.

H. Moser & Cie Endeavour Flying Hours on the wrist

IS: The H. Moser & Cie. Endeavour Flying Hours is my pick for second place. And as far as I’m concerned, I’m really splitting hairs over my top three of six 10/10 men’s wristwatches.

While Moser has long had an extremely well-deserved reputation for its mastery of simplicity, the audacity of placing a large central star wheel indication over rotating disks on a smoky blue dial is simply genius. The juxtaposition of the elegant simplicity of the complex indications against a striking, but unobtrusive canvas is just spot on.

There is not one detail lacking in the design and execution of the H. Moser & Cie. Endeavour Flying Hours, nor is there anything superfluous. Take a bow, Moser, for highlighting just how simply you can make an intriguing complication. Yet another watch I would applaud vigorously were it to be selected the winner here.

For more information please visit www.gphg.org/horlogerie/en/watches/endeavour-flying-hours and/or www.h-moser.com.

Further reading: Moser & Cie. Endeavour Flying Hours: Great Expectations Just Got Greater (Star Wheels Tend To Do That)

Quick Facts H. Moser & Cie Endeavour Flying Hours
Case: 42 x 12.3 mm, white gold
Movement: automatic Caliber C806, developed in partnership with Hautlence and based on H. Moser Caliber HMC 200, with 72-hour power reserve, 3 Hz/21,600 vph frequency
Functions: hours and minutes via rotating disks
Limitation: 60 pieces
Price: $32,000/32,000 Swiss francs

MB&F Legacy Machine Split Escapement

IS: My limited experience of tracking the winners of the GPHG’s best Men’s watch over the years is that the jury tends to vote conservatively. The laureates tend to be (but are not always) impeccably executed traditionally styled watches, and if that were to be the case here the advantage should go to the Vacheron Constantin Historiques Triple Calendrier 1942, the Akrivia Chronomètre Contemporain, or Voutilainen’s 217QRS.

However, if the jury members open their minds to more creativity and audacity then the winners might come from the pool comprising the H. Moser & Cie. Endeavour Flying Hours, De Bethune’s DB28 Steel Wheels, and – my choice for best Men’s watch at the 2018 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève – the MB&F Legacy Machine Split Escapement.

Like with the Moser, the dial layout, colors, textures, and architecture here is absolutely spot on. While an impeccably finished in-house movement fills the display back, it’s the majestic arch and central split escapement on the dial that catches the eye and trips the heart. This is a visually enticing piece of kinetic art for the non-horologically minded and a technical treat for us.

While I am not that confident that the MB&F Legacy Machine Split Escapement will be the jury’s first choice, it is mine.

MG: The “problem” I have with the Moser is one I also have with the Legacy Machine Split Escapement by MB&F. I think that the Legacy Machine is one of the brand’s strongest offerings, but among those I like the Split Escapement the least. I suspect it is the dial architecture as I do like the LM 101. Apart from that, the technical achievement is of course as impressive as it is interesting.

I am going to blame Max Büsser that this is my least favorite Legacy Machine as all of his other creations are so much more exotic and eye-catching.

MB&F Legacy Machine Split Escapement

NG: The Legacy Machine series makes the balance wheel the focal point for the wearer, and it certainly pops out at you against the frosted blue dial. Mechanically it is something new, too, with the balance wheel separated from the impulse jewel and escapement, which are on the other side of the movement. Usually you find all four components on the same side. For this it gets my third-place vote.

JM: The MB&F Legacy Machine Split Escapement sports a design language that became instantly iconic the moment the first Legacy Machine made its debut, and this version is just as visually stunning while being reserved. It isn’t overly flashy for such an “out-there” design, but it does still call attention to itself in a way that the best Men’s watch wouldn’t. That is why I can’t give it the title but still think it plays a strong game.

RS: The entire Legacy Machine range can move into my house and mooch off me for the rest of its days as far as I am concerned. Each one just feels like the perfect result of decades-in-the-making for Maximilian Büsser and his chums.

The SE is, however, not the best LE in my opinion. I have something of a date phobia in watches, and the simplicity of this format would always have me thinking, “why not just go with a 101?” I also think that the separation of the escapement from the balance is a masterstroke in the Legacy Machine Perpetual because it frees up vital real estate.

On the Split Escapement I find myself missing that escape wheel and pallet lever, wondering how it’s doing on the other side of this flat earth that MB&F has built. Again, I am being very harsh here so that I can choose my favorite without losing any more sleep!

The movement of MB&F’s Legacy Machine Split Escapement

AT: Ah, the Legacy Machine. First off, let me state how much I love the dial. I think the frosted blue is a beautiful touch. The problem for me with this watch is it embodies everything I dislike in a timepiece: technical feats that aren’t that amazing combined with separate dials and exposed balance assemblies. But I’m the kind of guy that sees more beauty in a 1985 G Wagen than a 2018 AMG E 63.

The split escapement is not a technical feat that I admire. You have essentially just created an extra-long balance staff with a roller attached to the end of it. I keep reading about how the manufacturing process is so much more complex because of the length of the staff. That is a statement I am unsure of, but we don’t have the time to get into it now. In the end, I think the MB&F will be the eventual winner, as I am the minority.

For more information please visit www.gphg.org/horlogerie/en/watches/legacy-machine-split-escapement and/or www.mbandf.com.

Quick Facts MB&F Legacy Machine Split Escapement
Case: 44 x 17.5 mm, white gold
Dial: traditionally frosted without use of chemicals and PVD coated
Movement: manual winding caliber developed by Stephen McDonnell; 72-hour power reserve, 2.5 Hz/18,000 vph frequency; special escapement with suspended balance wheel; twin spring barrels
Functions: hours, minutes; date,  power reserve indication
Limitation: 18 pieces
Price: 79,000 Swiss francs

Vacheron Constantin Historiques Triple Calendrier 1942

AT: This is the most beautiful watch of the lot, in my humble opinion. I am a sucker for a such a traditional-looking triple calendar and I just love this. This is a perfect example of a company that is doing vintage throwbacks well. It hasn’t been excessively “patina-ed.” Regular readers of the site will know my strong thoughts on that (see Fauxtina: A Faux Vintage Faux Pas)!

I don’t think it will take the top spot this year as it is up against some strong competition. However, it’s the one I would have on my wrist.

Vacheron Constantin Historiques Triple Calendrier 1942

IS: The Vacheron Constantin Historiques Triple Calendrier 1942 is one of the nicest looking retro-style watches I have ever seen. Despite displaying six indications, including a triple calendar (date, day, month), the dial remains remarkably clean and well laid out.

MG: I am not the biggest fan of vintage reinterpetations, but I must say that I find the Historiques Triple Calendrier 1942 by Vacheron Constantin a true delight! I think that complete calendar watches without a moon phase always have a special appeal, and I think that the use of color makes this Vacheron Constantin even more attractive.

What disappoints me however is the diameter of 40 mm, which I think is simply too large for a classic watch like that. I also find the look of new Caliber 4400 SQ not very appealing. The layout might be functional for the complications of the movement, but I would have preferred a closed case back. And I consider its predecessor, Caliber 1400, which is also not a movement with the most beautiful layout, much nicer.

IS: However, the rules unambiguously state that watches in the Men’s category should only feature the following indications: hours, minutes, seconds, date, power reserve, and classic moon phase. There is no mention of either a day or month display, so unfortunately I feel that I have to rule the Historiques Triple Calendrier 1942 out of the competition.

Here’s a tip for the GPHG committee: because there are always likely to be watches with either features or a combination of features that were unanticipated, why not just add a proviso for the rules in each category that the committee can grant derogations to models that might otherwise not find a home?

And even after all that, while not my pick, if the jury ignored the fact that a watch does not qualify (as it tends to do), then I would not blame them for Vacheron Constantin Historiques Triple Calendrier 1942 as best Men’s watch 2018, but in a field this strong, where design, execution, and engineering are all superlative, I’m going to add extra points for innovation, the one area this watch very deliberately underplays.

NG: This is a modern watch, but it has such a cool retro vibe to it with its art deco numerals, bi-color dial, and articulated lugs. At its price point, however, it could also have been an annual calendar, which would have made it even more appealing.

Vacheron Constantin Historiques Triple Calendrier 1942

JM: The Vacheron Constantin Historiques Triple Calendar 1942 reaches for a very strong design language from the vintage realm and captures it marvelously. It would be a fantastic watch to time travel with to any spot in the twentieth century. It could be passed off as just a great Men’s watch in any era because it would blend in so well. The calendar is top notch and the proportions are excellent, but for me it is missing a little something that sets it apart in just the right way for this category.

RS: Although more complicated than the Akrivia, this watch just oozes elegance! This is one of the best looking “retro” watches to emerge from any historic maison in recent years. It’s a bottle full of “haute sauce” that I would pour on any dish. One comment: I want my subsidiary seconds to be large, and this model next to the Voutilainen or Akrivia just comes up a little short.

For more information please visit www.gphg.org/horlogerie/en/watches/historiques-triple-calendrier-1942 and/or www.vacheron-constantin.com.

Quick Facts Vacheron Constantin Historiques Triple Calendrier 1942
Case: 40 x 10.35 mm, stainless steel
Functions: hours, minutes, seconds; date, day, month
Movement: manually wound Caliber 4400 QC, 65-hour power reserve, 4 Hz/28,800 vph frequency
Price: 20,700 Swiss francs

Voutilainen 217QRS

IS: I do not remember ever seeing a Kari Voutilainen watch that doesn’t elicit a Pavlovian drooling response, and the 217QRS continues that tradition. It is simply sensational from every angle, and the in-house movement is a work of art itself. As is the dial, as are the hands, as is the case.

And at 39 mm, I suggest that any ladies looking for an aesthetically and technically superlative wristwatch might find the Voutilainen 217QRS interesting.

I’m sorry, Kari, as much as I dream to have a 217QRS (one of ten, so probably already sold out) and I would applaud your victory, my vote goes elsewhere.

Voutilainen 217QRS

JM: Almost every time that a Kari Voutilainen timepiece is seen in a category, I have to bite my lip out of guilt. I adore the style, craftsmanship, mechanics, and the modern-vintage tug of war that the watches play. Heck, I would say that there is nothing fundamentally wrong with any Voutilainen watch, ever. So why, then, do I seem to always make it the bridesmaid and never the bride?

The 217QRS is awesome, and the slow retrograde date is a terrific sidestep of normality, but it still feels like it isn’t strong enough, in this moment, to take the top spot. I would probably beg, borrow, and steal to own this watch, yet it struggles to make me undoubtedly say, “Yes, this is the best one this year.”

I’m sorry, Kari, I still have a fan boy crush on your watches. Can you forgive me?

RS: It’s easy to look at this and think, “didn’t this already win last year or the year before?” That’s because Kari is always winning, and his aesthetic sits in a tight grouping of offerings.

But Kari has done something – three things – particularly uniquely here. First, that retrograde date is attractive and no doubt fun to observe; second, the pusher for the date change is integrated with the crown so as not to disrupt his design; third, he has featured a “unique balance-spring system,” which involves the use of both a Phillips and a Grossmann curve. I love this about his watches: they are decorative in a light-hearted and almost mouth-watering way, but he often throws something supremely highbrow into his movements. This is a well-earned second place for me.

MG: The 217QRS comes a very close second for me very behind the Akrivia, and I hope that Vacheron Constantin is taking notes on how to make a movement look sexy, beautiful, and high end! To me this watch is pure excitement for people who know watches, and everybody else will probably have no idea that you are wearing something special. That’s okay: it is actually part of the appeal!

I only have two issues with this watch. For one, I know that price is not to be mentioned when judging in the GPHG, but I feel that Voutilainen is pushing it with the 217QRS. Secondly, what is with the name? This sounds like the product code for the intake manifold of an Audi!

Voutilainen 217QRS

AT: The movement in the Voutilainen is simply beautiful; it is so elegant is oozes class. The balance assembly and polished steel bridge are both incredible features that bring this watch into a class of its own. I think a retrograde date is definitely a nice complication, but I feel it can overcomplicate a dial. While I do like the watch, I feel like it has too much going on. I think that has to do with the dial color choice. I find the white dial to be much more appealing visually.

NG: I have always liked Kari Voutilainen’s timepieces, and this one is another great-looking watch with a retrograde date mechanism that doesn’t snap back at the start of a new month, instead gliding back slowly. Movement-wise you get Voutilainen’s top-tier finishing and impulse escapement. It comes in at my second place.

For more information please visit www.gphg.org/horlogerie/en/watches/217qrs and/or www.voutilainen.ch.

Further reading: Kari Voutilainen 217QRS With Retrograde Date: Striving For Perfect Beauty

Quick Facts Voutilainen 217QRS
Case: 39 x 11.5 mm, white gold
Dial: hand-guilloche
Movement: manual winding Voutilainen Caliber 217QRS with extra-large balance wheel, balance spring with Grossmann internal curve and external Phillips overcoil, Voutilainen direct-impulse escapement, 2.5 Hz/18,000 vph frequency, 65-hour power reserve
Functions: hours, minutes, seconds; retrograde date
Price: 118,000 Swiss francs

Predicted Winners

Joshua: Akrivia Rexhep Rexhepi Chronomètre Contemporain

Martin: Akrivia Rexhep Rexhepi Chronomètre Contemporain

Ryan: Akrivia Rexhep Rexhepi Chronomètre Contemporain

Alex: Akrivia Rexhep Rexhepi Chronomètre Contemporain

Nick: Akrivia Rexhep Rexhepi Chronomètre Contemporain

Ashton: MB&F Legacy Machine Split Escapement

Ian: MB&F Legacy Machine Split Escapement

You may also enjoy:

Akrivia Rexhep Rexhepi Chronomètre Contemporain: A Fork In The Road, A Pivot, Or Something Else Entirely?
De Bethune DB28 Steel Wheels Blue: Distilling The Essence Of Greatness
Moser & Cie. Endeavour Flying Hours: Great Expectations Just Got Greater (Star Wheels Tend To Do That)
Kari Voutilainen 217QRS With Retrograde Date: Striving For Perfect Beauty
Quill & Pad’s Predictions In The Ladies Category Of The 2018 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève