The most expensive watches from 2017's first watch fair

Every January for the past couple of decades, Richemont Group brands such as Cartier, Audemars Piguet Van Cleef and Arpels, and Jaeger-LeCoultre host a watch fair in Geneva called the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie Genève. Over the years other brands, like Ulysse Nardin, MB&F, and H. Moser et Cie have join in showcasing their new wares for 2017. Here are some highlights.

Richard Mille RM 50-03 Tourbillon Split Seconds Chronograph Ultralight McLaren F1

 

 

Yes, the name is a mouthful. But there is a lot going on in this watch, the first release in a 10-year partnership with racing brand McLaren. Made from carbon, titanium, and graphene, it takes design cues from the McLaren racer, such as the hollow pushers and the rubberised torque reducer on the crown. Richard Mille claims this is the lightest split-second tourbillon watch on the market.

Price: 980,000 euros ($1.04 million)

A Lange & Söhne Tourbograph Perpetual 'Pour Le Mérite'

 

 

This watch won’t be on your wrist until fall, but you can order it now. Only 50 will be made. You can see the perpetual calendar functions, the large tourbillon, the rising moon, and the day of the week. Harder to read, until you hold the watch in your hands, is the rattrapante chronograph hands, which can split the time.

Price: 450,000 euros

H Moser et Cie Swiss Alpine Montblanc TimeWalker Chronograph 1000

 

 

Using a movement created by sister brand Hautlence, H Moser has updated its Swiss Alpine watch to showcase more of the horology behind the dial. The jumping hours complication shows the time in Roman numerals that rotate through the display window at top, above the retrograde minutes hand; the organ on the left side of the watch rotates once an hour. The case is white gold, and 10 pieces will be made by the end of the year.

Price: On request

Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar in Black Ceramic

 

 

Our friends at the Hodinkee watch blog called this the "hottest watch of SIHH 2017”. Heat, in this case, is defined by enthusiasm among fans — it's not a radical departure for the brand, or a new complication. But the black ceramic case and bracelet, with alternating brushed matte and glossy treatments, is special. It takes 30 hours just to get the brushing on the bracelet right, because ceramic is virtually un-scratchable. It's got everything you love in a perpetual calendar: hours, minutes, day of the month, month, day of the week, even week of the year around the bezel, plus the leap year complication. But if you're one of the 100 lucky Royal Oak fans to get one on your wrist this year, it's going to be the slick case that you'll be showing off to your friends.

Price: $93,900 

Vacheron Constantin Celestia 

 

 

When I walked into the Vacheron booth this year, it was clear that when it came to complications, that brand was just playing on another level. Look at this watch. On the front dial you have sunrise and sunset indicators, an equation of time, zodiacal signs, seasons and equinoxes, a measurement of how high the tide is, a moonphase, and Sun-Earth-Moon conjunction. 

Do you want this watch? Too bad, you can't have it. The single version that was made was sold during SIHH. But the brand will make variations on it, and you can expect to see more thrilling watches like this light up expo floors for years to come.

Price: Unknown, but upwards of a million dollars

Cartier Panthère de Cartier Spot Watch

 

 

A variation on the resurrected "panthère" line that Cartier is pushing this year, this diamond-and-white-gold-and-black-enamel timepiece was a showstopper in terms of looks. The line in general is simple and elegant, like a squared-off Tank with a little more energy. But the diamond-encrusted versions, which creep up towards and over the $100,000 range, were stunning. The whimsy here, along with the careful craftsmanship, are emblematic of how Cartier is continuing to innovate while honouring their core lines.

Price: On request