The ninth edition of Poland’s Watch of the Year by CH24.PL included all timepieces introduced in 2018 competing across six categories. All of the timepieces were nominated by the international jury comprising journalists from six countries (including yours truly). Brands did not enter their watches; the shortlists were selected by the jury.
The laureates celebrated on October 19, with more than 100 guests attending a gala evening at Warsaw’s Sobanski Palace. The night’s big winners are as follows.
Grand Prix and Complicated Watch: A. Lange & Söhne Triple Split
The Grand Prix prize rewards the “best watch of the past 12 months” with no further instructions needed, while the Complicated Watch is also a self-explanatory category.
A. Lange & Söhne Triple Split (photo courtesy AllenS)
Introduced at SIHH in January 2018, the Triple Split has landed on a number of lists over the course of 2018, proving the impression the innovative chronograph has left on tastemakers – including a top-five list by legendary watchmaker Philippe Dufour (see Video: Philippe Dufour’s Top 5 Watches From SIHH 2018 Featuring A. Lange & Söhne, Girard-Perregaux, Romain Gauthier, And IWC).
Classic Watch: A. Lange & Söhne 1815 Homage to Walter Lange
The international jury also voted a watch by A. Lange & Söhne as the best classic watch of 2018: the 1815 Homage to Walter Lange, a timepiece crafted in memory of the firm’s much-loved patriarch, Walter Lange, who passed away in January 2017.
A. Lange & Söhne 1815 Homage to Walter Lange
This timepiece’s special element is a large sweep dead-second hand that is started and stopped with a pusher but not reset to zero as it is accompanied by a conventional running seconds indication on a subdial at 6 o’clock. Based on a nineteenth-century pocket watch by A. Lange & Söhne, this combination developed by Ferdinand Adolph Lange himself was first seen in a watch made by Walter’s grandfather, Emil.
Quick Facts A. Lange & Söhne Homage to Walter Lange unique piece
Case: stainless steel, 40.5 mm
Dial and hands: three-level fired black enamel dial with railway-track minute scale and polished hands
Movement: manually winding Caliber L1924
Functions: hours, minutes, small seconds; central jumping seconds with stop function
Limitation: unique piece
Price: to be auctioned at Phillips Geneva, May 13, 2018 without reserve
Production year: 2018
Sports Watch: Rolex GMT-Master II “Pepsi”
Rolex and sibling brand Tudor displayed their mastery of the GMT complication in 2018, both bringing out so-called Pepsi versions of their two-time-zone watches at Baselworld.
Rolex GMT-Master II “Pepsi”
The use of the red-and-white ceramic bezel on both the Rolex GMT-Master II and the Tudor Black Bay GMT was meant to strengthen the message and draw attention to both models. In Warsaw, however, the Rolex version won out.
Quick Facts Rolex GMT Master II “Pepsi”
Case: 40 mm, stainless steel
Movement: automatic Caliber 3285 with blue Parachrom hairspring, approx. 70 hours power reserve, Superlative Chronometer certificate (C.O.S.C. plus Rolex certification after encasing), 70-hour power reserve
Functions: hours, minutes, seconds; second time zone, 24-hour indication
Price: 8,800 Swiss francs
Ladies Watch: Cartier Révélation d’une Panthère
This watch was a clear winner for me at its introduction at the 2018 edition of SIHH. In fact I named it to my top five list of women’s watches at that fair (see Best Of SIHH: Top 5 Watches For Women).
Cartier Révélation d’une Panthère
A tactile, creative, and fun watch, this Cartier is for me is perhaps the epitome of what this brand does best when so inclined. Fascinating with its 900 pink gold balls trapped inside the space between the sapphire crystal and the dial, when the watch is moved the balls fall through a special liquid between the sapphire crystal and the brass dial that take a moment to form a panther face before continuing to fall to the bottom of the dial. I couldn’t take my eyes off it!
Quick Facts Cartier Révélation d’une Panthère
Case: 37 x 6 mm, pink gold set with 88 brilliant-cut diamonds (2.15 ct)
Dial: red, green or black with 900 gold beads that form a panther head when held horizontally
Movement: manual-wind Caliber 430
Functions: hours, minutes
Limitation: 100 pieces each with red or green dial; unlimited number of black dial
Price: $106,000
Innovation in Watchmaking: Bulgari Octo Finissimo Tourbillon Automatic
Bulgari Octo Finissimo Tourbillon Automatic
Bulgari continues to release versions of the Octo Finissimo with ever more complication – like this automatic tourbillon whose movement comes in at just 1.95 mm in height.
Quick Facts Bulgari Octo Finissimo Tourbillon Automatic
Case: 42 x 42 x 3.95 mm, titanium
Movement: automatic Caliber BVL 288, one-minute tourbillon, 1.95 mm in height, 55-hour power reserve, 3 Hz/21,600 vph frequency
Functions: hours, minutes
Limitation: 50 pieces
Price: $118,000
Watch priced below 10,000 PLN: Certina DS PH200M
This category is similar to the Petite Aiguille of the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève, where the idea is to honor an affordable watch, but one that creates interest among the general public (the sum of 10,000 Polish zloty is equal to about $2,700, €2,350, or 2,700 Swiss francs).
Certina DS PH200M (photo courtesy ch24.pl)
This Certina model is a straight-up re-edition of a historical diver’s watch from the 1960s that was used in expeditions and research projects taking place both in high altitudes and underneath the waves of the oceans through the 1970s. The only visible concession to modern technology is the movement: ETA’s fantastic Powermatic 80, introduced in 2013 and used in watches by Swatch Group siblings Hamilton and Tissot as well as Certina.
Kiss drummer Eric Singer chose this model as one of ten best he saw at Baselworld 2018 (see Kiss Drummer And Passionate Watch Collector Eric Singer’s Baselworld 2018 Top 10).
Quick Facts Certina DS PH200M
Case: 42.8 mm, stainless steel with unidirectionally rotating bezel, water resistant to 20 bar
Movement: automatic Caliber ETA Powermatic 80.111 with a power reserve of 80 hours
Functions: hours, minutes, seconds; date
Price: CHF 695/€695
Public Prize: Tissot Seastar 1000 Automatic Diver
The same movement as found in the above Certina in a different watch . . . and Poland’s public decided this one was more attractive.
Tissot Seastar 1000 Automatic Diver
For more information, please visit www.tissotwatches.com.
Quick Facts Tissot Seastar 1000 Automatic Diver
Case: 43 x 12.7 mm, stainless steel
Movement: automatic Caliber ETA Powermatic 80.111 with a power reserve of 80 hours
Functions: hours, minutes, seconds; date
Price: CHF 690/€690
Special Jury Prize: Edouard Meylan, CEO H .Moser & Cie
The international jury awarded the young CEO of H. Moser & Cie., Edouard Meylan, with the Special Jury Prize for the unconventional way that he directs his high-end watch manufacture in a fresh and at times controversial way – his own way of promoting the high art of watchmaking.
For a good example, please see H. Moser & Cie. Creates $1 Million Watch Made Of Genuine Swiss Cheese.
For the original posts (in English) announcing the winners see Watch of the Year 2018 Awarded Timepieces and Watch Of The Year 2018 – final gala, winners, awards.
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