TimeCrafters: the Best of New York’s Haute Horlogerie Show

This weekend New York City hosted the third annual TimeCrafters. The show, which was exhibited at the Park Avenue Armory, featured more than twenty of the world’s most exceptional brands.

Luxury watchmakers including A. Lange & Söhne, Audemars Piguet, Bulgari, Chopard, Christophe Claret, De Bethune, Frederique Constant, Hublot, HYT, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Parmigiani, Richard Mille, TAG Heuer, Urwerk and Zenith had the chance to showcase their new novelties.

Jaeger-LeCoultre

This piece is the Jaeger-LeCoultre Duomètre Sphérotourbillon. Its hand-engraved 18K white gold dial showcases the Sphérotourbillon and a transparent tourbillon bridge. The Sphérotourbillon is also visible via a transparent window in the case when viewed from the side.

We also saw the Duomètre Sphérotourbillon Pocket Watch from Jaeger-LeCoultre, which features the first Sphérotourbillon to be included in a pocket watch. This 48mm piece features a sleek blue enamel bezel, which enriches both the white enamel of the three subdials and the hand-engraved main plate. Check it out in action:

Richard Mille

At Richard Mille we saw the RM 35-01 Rafael Nadal. This 49.94mm x 42.00mm x 14.05mm timepiece was designed especially for Nadal, who is a Friend of the Brand. The case is in NTPT® carbon, a unique material that produces these undulations. It also features a free sprung balance with variable inertia, which ensures reliability even when this piece is subjected to shock during Nadal’s powerful backhand.

At Hublot we saw the Official Watch of the World Cup, which is a Big Bang Unico Bi-Retrograde Chrono model. It was produced in two limited editions: 200 pieces in ceramic and 100 pieces in King Gold, both of which are pictured here.

At HYT we saw four of the manufacture’s new 2014 novelties. Pictured here, counter-clockwise from back left, is the H2 TITANIUM & WHITE GOLD BLUE, the H2 TITANIUM PLATINUM SQ in red, the H2 BLACK DLC & PINK GOLD and another H2 TITANIUM PLATINUM SQ, this time in green.

From Zenith, we saw two incredible pieces. The El Primero Tourbillon, pictured left, features a 44mm rose gold case with hours and minutes, a 12-hour counter and a 30-minute counter, as well as small seconds and the date on the tourbillon carriage. The Pilot Montre d’Aéronef Type 20 Annual Calendar, pictured right, features a 48mm steel case with hours and minutes, a central chronograph hand, a small seconds subdial and a 60-minute counter, as well as indications for the day, month and date.

At Chopard, we saw the L.U.C Engine One H. This limited edition titanium timepiece, of which only 100 were produced, evokes automotive style and aesthetics, with sleek red highlights. At its heart is the L.U.C Caliber 04.02-L, a chronometer-certified hand-wound tourbillon movement. It features hours and minutes, small seconds, and a power-reserve indicator.

We saw this De Bethune DB16 on the wrist of company CEO Pierre Jacques. This perpetual calendar features a 43mm pink gold case with a silver-toned sunburst guilloché dial. Functions include hours, minutes, central jumping seconds, the date at 6 o’clock, the day at 9 o’clock, the month at 3 o’clock, a moon-phase and leap-year indicator at 12 o’clock, a tourbillon with 30-second indication and a power reserve indicator.

At Urwerk we saw the UR-105M AITIN (left) and the UR-105M (right). This 53mm timepiece features a steel ‘armor’, tacked onto a titanium body by visible screws on the bezel. This shield isn’t just there for aesthetics: it also protects the mechanism at the heart of this model.

And finally, at Parmigiani Fleurier, we saw the Bugatti Super Sport, which features a unique 36.0mm x 50.7mm x 22.7mm rose gold case with a prominent 11mm crown. Functions include hours and minutes, as well as a power reserve indicator. Only 30 individually numbered pieces were produced.

Photo credit: Haute Time.