Roger Dubuis at Watches and Wonders 2021

Roger Dubuis, the young and super dynamic brand, the enfant terrible of the Swiss haute horlogerie, is growing up under the guidance of its inspired CEO, Nicola Andreatta, at the same time retaining its unbridled energy, its rebellion and the desire of living life to the max.

The brand worked on a legend and launched the new Excalibur Single Flying Tourbillon. Creating the impression of a thinner look and feel, while heightening the sense of transparency and depth, the calibre is rebuilt from bottom to top in an architectural feat that sees the Roger Dubuis star now levitate freely above the barrel.

This is serious and solid haute horlogerie and I admire it, but what I really loved this year at Roger Dubuis and I applaud them for it is the Excalibur Glow Me Up – the bezel is ornated with 60 baguette-cut diamonds that glow by night. Yes, they glow in many colours. The grooves that hold the stones in place are filled with Super-Luminova, so that the diamonds appear luminescent without altering them. I say the more colours the better during these gloomy times. And do not be mistaken – this is still serious watchmaking, Poincon de Geneve worthy, only with a sense of humour and joie de vivre.

Zenith at Watches and Wonders 2021

Zenith also chose the coloured route for this Watches and Wonders edition – I noticed that several prominent brands went the colourful, luminescent, vivid way, perhaps as an antidote to the surrounding atmosphere of grey. I like the new Defy 21 Spectrum series, where they chose to incorporate very striking and unexpected colours in the chronograph movements, which they then matched with the stones on the dial. My favourite so far – the orange Spectrum, matched by the orange sapphires on the bezel and on the strap. This is the first time they used the orange version and green is also making its debut, paired with a tsavorite paved bezel. The watches will retail for 35,900 CHF.

Chanel at Watches and Wonders 2021

Chanel spoke through the director of its Watch Creation Studio, Arnaud Chastaingt, who presented the theme for this year: electro, inspired by the electronic music of the 90s, which created its own aesthetic culture. The collection plays on the clash between the deep black of the ceramic and the powerful, in-your-face electric colours: J12 Electro, J12 Electro Dream, J12 Electro Star, J12 Xray Electro Caliber 3.1 – they are all a study in contrasts, in unexpected shocks of color.