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A MATTER OF TIME
Watches, if they’re built at the highest level, share much in common with their automotive cousins. An owner with a newly purchased timepiece exhibits that same self-satisfied air as if he or she were driving out of a showroom. The pleasure is much more than looks and status. Like the best cars, the best watches become all the more impressive when you look under the hood. Inspect these 16 watches closely and we think you’ll agree.
BY JAMES MALCOLMSON
JAEGER-LECOULTRE MASTER COMPRESSOR EXTREME LAB
If you compare watches to sports cars, the Jaeger-LeCoultre Extreme Lab would be a very tricked-out Ferrari. It is one of the most remarkable technical achievements to have come out of the Swiss workshops in years. The company combined no fewer than 45 different materials, many of which have never been used in watches before, to create the first watch ever that requires absolutely no oil lubrication — something even the most vaunted car companies can only dream about. $270,000
Jaeger-LeCoultre
(800) 552-8463
www.jaeger-lecoultre.com
CHOPARD L.U.C TECH TWIST
At first glance, you may think this exotic-looking watch is one of those highly complicated timepieces with a six-figure price tag. Chopard’s engineers actually created this modernist watch with a few key modifications to one of the company’s simplest movements. Despite its high-tech look, Chopard’s L.U.C Tech Twist is made to show off the mechanical beauty that has been at the heart of Swiss watches for centuries. $10,570
Chopard, (800) 246-7273, www.chopard.com
IWC DA VINCI CHRONOGRAPH
Chronographs, which time events like a stopwatch, may be one of the most commonly seen types of watches, but creating one of these movements from scratch is an incredibly difficult exercise. IWC has put its first-ever chronograph movement into an unusual dial and case and the result, by all accounts, is very successful. The central counter is easy to read, and the reverse curves in the case create one of the most masculine-looking chronographs available today. $12,500 to $47,000
IWC, (702) 732-8463, www.iwc.comhttp://www.iwc.com
ZENITH GRANDE CLASS TRAVELLER OPEN MULTICITY
If you spend repetitive hours on airplanes, you know that resetting your watch only heightens the feeling of jet lag. Thanks to a knob on the side of its case, Zenith’s Grande Class Traveller Open Multicity can dial a new location and the appropriate time with a quick movement. A simple convenience like this becomes a pleasure indeed. $13,000 to $30,000
Zenith, (702) 770-3520, www.zenith-watches.com
BALLON BLEU DE CARTIER
Cartier designs its watches with a set of proprietary proportions that seemingly always delivers a great-looking watch. Its new Ballon Bleu, on the other hand, really should be felt to be appreciated. The elliptical profile of the case feels like a stone that has been smoothed in a river and sits on your wrist with gentleness. The shape and unusual covered crown make this one of the most modern pieces the company has ever made, but classic elements like sword-shaped hands and Roman numerals will keep this watch looking fresh for years to come. $7,300
Cartier, (800) 227-8437, www.cartier.com
VACHERON CONSTANTIN PATRIMONY CONTEMPORAINE SELF-WINDING
 If you want to buy a watch to pass down to your children, keep it simple. This understated classic from Vacheron Constantin will be valued years from now, not for the bells and whistles, but because every detail you can see, even the movement, has been finished to perfection. $17,200
Vacheron Constantin, (877) 862-7555,
www.vacheron-constantin.com
PERRELET SKELETON CHRONO ANNIVERSARY EDITION
Skeleton watches, in which many of the movement plates are cut away to reveal the interior, are one of the more popular ways to really enjoy a mechanical timepiece. Unfortunately, many examples of this traditional art end up looking more like lace curtains than a piece of machinery. Credit Perrelet for combining pink and white gold, giving their skeleton a brawny look that befits the mechanics inside. $28,000
Perrelet, (860) 246-9858, www.perrelet.com
RICHARD MILLE RM016
Richard Mille is a name that quickens the pulse of hard-core watch fanatics. But until recently, you had to buy a six-figure complicated timepiece to enjoy the performance-oriented design he brings to every component. The new RM016 is a simple self-winding watch and a new case shape for the company, but if you want to experience a product from one of the most coveted designers in watchmaking, there may be no better opportunity. $44,000 to $50,000
Richard Mille, (310) 470-1388, www.richardmille.com
HARRY WINSTON AVENUE EXOTIC BIRDS
The best women’s watches are made with equal parts of feminine design and the traditional  craftsmanship that has made Swiss timepieces valued for centuries. Harry Winston has dressed a limited edition of its Avenue watch in the oldest and rarest of these crafts: the art of enamel. The colored bird shapes on its dials are actually pigmented glass that is painted and repeatedly fired in an oven by an expert craftsperson. There are very few of these skilled artisans left, which makes owning one all the more satisfying. $46,600
Harry Winston, (800) 848-3948, www.harrywinston.com
BERTOLUCCI OUNI
Walking along the beach, you may at some time have found the round, symmetrical husk of a sea urchin. A designer at Bertolucci did, and saw the makings of a jewelry watch. With diamonds and sapphires in place of spines, the little Ouni is less prickly and a lot more charming than its undersea inspiration, but be advised: You should avoid stepping on it just the same. $48,000
Bertolucci, (212) 204-0580, www.bertolucci-watches.com
ULYSSE NARDIN DUAL TIME LADY
Not wanting to neglect the many women who travel extensively on business, Ulysse Nardin has shrunk its practical Dual Time movement into a feminine case. The buttons on the side let you advance or retard the hour hand without resetting the minutes, and a window at 9 o’clock tracks a second time zone — perfect for making quick adjustments to a new city. $6,200
Ulysse Nardin, (561) 988-8600, 
www.ulysse-nardin.com
TAG HEUER PROFESSIONAL SPORTS WATCH
Specialized sports watches for men, like the TAG Heuer Tiger Woods, appear on a regular basis, much to the consternation of the many women who enjoy sports just as much. Next season you can expect to see plenty of ladies on the links with a hot pink version of this watch, which is ultralight and built with a crown and strap that won’t impede your swing. $1,495
TAG Heuer, (973) 467-1890,
www.tagheuer.com
BREGUET QUEEN OF NAPLES
It’s no secret that women want watches that turn heads just as much as men do. The unusual, egg-shaped Queen of Naples watch from Breguet fits the description perfectly. The brand’s founder, Abraham-Louis Breguet, originally designed a similar piece for Napoleon’s sister, who was installed as the Queen of Naples in the early 19th century. She, obviously no slouch for style, desired something distinctive from the best watchmaker of the day. Owning the modern version doesn’t exactly confer royalty, but the feeling of wearing the superlative diamond setting, guilloché-engraved dial and handsomely finished movement is about as close as you can get with a timepiece. $30,300
Breguet, (212) 288-4014, www.breguet.com
PATEK PHILIPPE’S GONDOLO, REF. 4949
Men prize Patek Philippe wristwatches for the level of craftsmanship put into the case and mechanical movements. The Gondolo Ref. 4949 has a quartz movement, but the fine finishing that collectors covet is evident everywhere on the watch, from the delicate graduated diamonds set on either side of the dial to the engraved latticework on the side of the case. Hold it and you’ll get a sense of the time someone spent making sure every detail is perfect. $14,900
 Patek Philippe, (212) 218-1240,
www.patek.com
BEDAT & CO NO. 3
Bedat & Co designed its No. 3 model as a traditionally elegant ladies’ watch with a slightly bold flair. What may not have been apparent from the original sketches was exactly how versatile it could become. Some of the latest versions with drawn-out lines and the understated, contemporary tones of cognac diamonds are pieces you can wear in the office or at a charity ball with equal comfort. $9,950
Bedat & Co, (877) 233-2826,
www.bedat.com
A. LANGE & SÖHNE LITTLE LANGE 1 SOIRÉE
The Germans are great at making solid and reliable timepieces for men, but their ladies’ watches can sometimes appear to be a little more solid and reliable than feminine. After years of tinkering with their signature Lange 1 design, famous maker A. Lange & Söhne finally found the right combination of petite size and ladylike touches such as mother-of-pearl, diamonds, and a stingray strap. The watch retains all of the company’s impressive quality and a sense of delicacy — a winning combination. $39,400
A. Lange & Söhne, (800) 408-8147, www.alange-soehne.com
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