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Last month, we examined four of the best “watch guy” watches we could find, including an incredible Montblanc chronograph, a solid-gold Blancpain Fifty Fathoms, a to-die-for Cartier Cintrée in platinum, and a wildly cool perpetual calendar-equipped version of the Lange 1. Now, we’re back with a whole new grip of horological wonders worth geeking out over.
October was a busy time in timekeeping, but certain pieces certainly stood out from the crowd—among them a Girard-Perregaux with a unique constant for escapement; a Honeygold version of A. Lange & Söhne’s Zeitwerk Minute Repeater; a special take on Omega’s Seamaster Planet Ocean in cool, silicon nitride ceramic; and an unabashedly fabulous new bunch of Royal Oaks that are absolutely dripping in diamonds. Whether you’re a watchmaking scholar, an audio obsessive, a seasoned diver, or just a sucker for an iced-out piece of wrist candy, these four pieces should pique your interest.
Girard-Perregaux Neo Constant Escapement
Most mechanical watches use a mechanism called a lever escapement, an innovation developed by English clockmaker Thomas Mudge in the late 18th century. The problem with this system is that as you wear the watch and the mainspring slowly uncoils, power transferred to the movement’s balance wheel decreases, resulting in a drop in amplitude and, ultimately, a loss in accuracy. While numerous watchmakers have sought to counter this problem over the years, Girard-Perregaux’s take on the constant force escapement in 2013 was particularly innovative, resulting in an incredibly stable amplitude and thus, a more accurate watch. Its new refresh of the Neo Constant Escapement is smaller (42.5mm as opposed to 45mm); features more silicon in the movement; and is more legible, with the hands emanating from the center of the dial. At $99,600, you’ve gotta be a diehard movement freak to shell out for one—but if you’re a serious watchmaking nerd, chances are you’ve already swiped your card.
