Geneva Watch Days 2022 have begun, and as a result, you can now say that you have seen a watch that is unlike any other you have seen. Be patient, even if it sounds exaggerated. Bulgari’s new Octo Finissimo Sejima was created in collaboration with Japanese architect Kazuyo Sejima.
This Haute Horlogerie piece is entirely made of mirror-polished surfaces, with the second hand appearing to float in the air and the surface of the watch reflecting on you: “It peeks into your soul.” In fact, this is just one of the quirky timepieces debuting at the Geneva Watch Days 2022 event.
After the other major watch fairs canceled their programming in the midst of a pandemic in 2020, the Geneva-based fair was founded. Since then, events honoring the best in horology have returned to normalcy; however, the GWD remains, now billed as a “decentralized and self-managed multi-brand event,” and, best of all, the Geneva Watch Days edition 2022 presents the latest in independent watchmaking.
Doxa Army
Not all of the watches on display at Geneva Watch Days 2022 are out of the ordinary; some are simply outliers. The Doxa Army belongs to the latter group: Doxa released a limited edition ceramic Army earlier this year, but it is now expanding.
The new Doxa Army, which was originally designed for military divers in 1968, is available in stainless steel with a black bezel and bronze with a green finish. We can’t get enough of the slim orange hands and Tetris block indices, which give the dial just the right amount of drama.
MB&F Legacy Machine Split Escapement EVOÂ
Let’s take it up a notch. No brand values rarity more than MB&F, which regularly creates timepieces in the shape of spaceships and androids. For World Health Day, and with the Geneva Watch Days 2022 fair as a backdrop, the house introduces two new versions of its LM Split Escapement EVO: one in a “Icy cool” color and another limited edition with a black dial called “BeverlyHills”.
The balance suspended in the center of the dial is the most noticeable feature. (In layman’s terms, it’s the component that regulates time; imagine it as a pendulum.) It’s a form of advanced watchmaking witchcraft.
Ulysse Nardin’s Blast Rainbow
The watch’s name is more than appropriate, because this rainbow is an explosion. Despite their popularity, gem-set Rainbow watches have not been a major player in the industry in recent years. The Rainbow Daytona craze began in 2012, when Rolex released the first version of the watch, and it has since tightened its grip on the industry.
Fortunately, several brands, including Ulysse Nardin, are now producing their own Rainbow watches. The Swiss manufacturer known for Ludwig Oechslin creations balances the 50 sapphires and rubies on the bezel with a Skeleton-like dial, allowing the underlying machinery to be fully visible. Without a doubt, this piece presented at Geneva Watch Days 2022 embodies what every watch enthusiast values: a brilliant design and an admirable mechanism.
Oris Divers Sixty-Five
This Divers Sixty-Five, which is nearly perfect, is a success of Geneva Watch Days 2022. This model is not new to the Oris catalog, but it has received some minor updates. The most noticeable difference is found under the hood, where the watch incorporates the brand’s Caliber 400 movement.
In terms of specifics, it is an antimagnetic watch that is automatic and will continue to function for five days when not worn. All of this would be less exciting if the watch wasn’t so stunning.
Arnold & Son Luna Magna Ultimate II
Take one of the oddest watches on the market—the Luna Magna, with its large marble dial—and raise it a notch. Previous editions of the Luna Magna featured the usual night sky colors, but this new version appears to have emerged from a bioluminescent lagoon. Diamonds can be found on the bezel, the dial, and even the moon phase subdial, which is set with 322 diamonds. Arnold & Son is in charge of the real Moon’s competition, and Geneva Watch Days 2022 is the stage that sets it up.
Octo Finissimo Sejima by Bulgari
Kazuyo Sejima, the architect who collaborated with Bulgari on this watch, is known for creating objects that resemble mirrors: in the past, he designed trains in Tokyo with similar reflections, designed to blend into their surroundings. The mirrored surface, on the other hand, appears to make the new Bulgari Octo Finissimo Sejima stand out even more. As an added bonus, photographing this watch is nearly impossible because it reflects any camera and everyone who turns to look at it. This is definitely a watch to flaunt in public.
Vagabonde Series 4 by Hautlence
A clock with an elevated mechanism and dimensions similar to a vintage television? It’s not a dream; it’s reality. This is the appeal of Geneva Watch Days 2022: putting independent watchmakers like Hautlence in the spotlight.
Without naming names, the greats of the watch industry may occasionally feel as if they are competing with imitators. In this case, however, rest assured that Hautlence’s Vagabonde Series 4 is unlike anything else in the world.
