Our Predictions In The Challenge Category Of The 2022 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG): Our Panel Is Nearly Unanimous For A Mad Watch

Watches under 3,500 Swiss francs . . . now it gets interesting. And the competition gets even fiercer. This is the first horological category in which every one of the finalists deserves a place here, and any of them could win. So what did our peanut gallery pick?

MB&F Arachnophobia, look out it's scuttling to a dark corner near you!

Halloween Heartbeat: MB&F Arachnophobia – Reprise

Halloween, a word contracted from “All Hallow’s Eve,” is a predominately American celebration whose traditions come from late nineteenth-century Celtic origins. And along comes a modern mechanical time-telling spider in celebration, the MB&F Arachnophobia: a realistic-looking arachnid made of metal and other materials traditionally used in watchmaking. Look upon it if you dare!

Our Predictions In The Chronograph Category Of The 2022 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG): It’s Down To A Pair Of Aces

Is the chronograph still everybody’s favorite complication? The brands most certainly think so as a vast number are introduced each year. An the six that are nominated in this category represent the cream of the crop, though our peanut gallery thinks only two are real contenders.

5 Of The World’s Most Expensive Pilot’s Watches From Patek Philippe, Breguet, MB&F, IWC, And Richard Mille – Reprise

Whether you are a desk pilot who enjoys aviation-themed watches or a jetsetter who flies the friendly skies in private Gulfstreams, these 5 watches will deliver the perfect flair of sophistication with an abundance of horological clout. And a price tag to match!

GaryG’s Early Winning Picks For The Grand Prix d’Horlogerie De Genève (GPHG) 2022

The 2022 GPHG finalists have been announced and GaryG gives a shoutout to several of the entries that he feels are of special merit or interest. He suspects that some, but not all, of them will be his winner picks but reserves the right to change his mind when the annual round tables commence.

Why I Bought It: MB&F Legacy Machine 101 2021 Edition – Reprise

Once upon a time, there was a watch enthusiast (GaryG) who admired the work of Max Büsser and his watchmaking enterprise MB&F and who dearly wanted to own one of his watches. But which one? Well, it took years, but Gary eventually decided on the eye-catching 2021 LM101 in white gold and here he explains why.

MB&F LM Sequential EVO Dual Chronograph: An Ingenious Application Of A Simple Idea (That Nobody Had Thought Of Before)

Ian Skellern usually starts explaining a wristwatch with a tour of the watch’s dial and main features, but the LM Sequential EVO is a monument to its mirror-image dual chronograph with Twinverter function movement so here he starts with the best part: its movement.

3 Indies With Eye-Catching Dials: Czapek Antarctique Passage De Drake, Ming 20.11 Mosaic, And MB&F LM FlyingT Malachite – Reprise

Here Elizabeth Doerr highlights three new watches of 2021 by independent watchmakers with eye-catching dials that really caught her own eye.

Behind The Lens: MB&F Horological Machine No. 9 Sapphire Vision In White Gold

GaryG was delighted when his favorite local independent watch retailer brought out a very special piece, one of five HM9 Sapphire Vision watches in white gold with a vivid purple movement. And he was even more pleased when he was allowed to take some photos to share before the watch was delivered to its happy new owner.

M.A.D.1 Friends Edition From (Not By) MB&F: Why I Bought It, Why You Can’t (Not Yet Anyway), And Why It’s A Marketing Masterclass – Plus Video of Max Büsser Explaining The Watch And Concept – Reprise

Ian Skellern generally likes relatively restrained, traditional, high-end watches that are not too big for his small wrists. So with its large, high case, blingy, spinning “LOOK AT ME!” rotor on top, and mass-market Miyota movement, the M.A.D.1 ticks all of the boxes on his “may be interesting, but not for me” list. Here he explains why he bought one anyway and his first impressions.