Haute Time’s Favorite Watches Of 2017 Part II
2017 was a good year when it comes to watches. As we already discovered a few of Haute Time’s favorite watches of this year in Part I, there were simply too many to put all in one article. That’s, why in part II we showcase a few other favorites that have been released this year!
Patek Philippe Ref.5320G
Patek Philippe delighted us this year with a very strong line-up of new models, in which it is very hard to call favorites. When you press the issue, we will choose for the Ref.5320G. Inspired by the history of the brand, this perpetual calendar is not your average retro watch. Its classic lines never become forced and seems more to invoke the style of a gentleman from the 1950’s who enjoyed an active lifestyle, in which the lugs give it elegance, and the dial a beautiful sense of functionality.
Zenith Defy Lab
This list would not be complete without the Zenith Defy Lab, as it changes the oscillator as we know it. Running at an astonishing 15 hertz, its new oscillator from monocrystalline silicon serves as a replacement to the traditional 30-component sprung balance: An incredible achievement that brings the precision of a mechanical watch into a new realm. Zenith amplified the innovation of this movement, by creating a case made from Aeronith, the world’s lightest aluminum composite.
Omega Speedmaster Apollo XVII 45th Anniversary
Speedmasters are increasingly popular, and that can hardly be a surprise when you take a look at the third installment of the Speedmaster Apollo XVII limited edition. It is dedicated to Gene Cernan, who passed away in January of this year and known as the last man on the moon. This watch shows that Omega doesn’t take its limited editions lightly, but made significant changes, although all within the limits of the Speedmaster-DNA. The result is a beautiful chronograph, with many interesting details, of which they made 1972 (the year of the Apollo 17 mission) in steel, and 272 in rose gold.
Roger Dubuis Excalibur Aventador S
2017 is also the year in which Roger Dubuis joined forces with Lamborghini, and the first fruit of their collaboration is the Roger Dubuis Excalibur Aventador S. Dedicated to one of Lamborghini’s fiercest cars, it comes with two balance wheels, placed at a 90-degree angle and connected to a differential. Roger Dubuis also decided to fit the watch with a dead-beat second hand, which is quite unusual these days for a mechanical watch. The whole movement is shaped like a Lamborghini-engine, and comes in two limited editions: one features a 45mm case made from multi-layers carbon, and another one crafted from C-SMC forged carbon, which Lamborghini also uses in their cars.
Vacheron Constantin Les Cabinotiers Celestia Astronomical Grand Complication 3600
GPHGPerhaps the new watch with the longest names, yet that is not only in which the Vacheron Constantin Les Cabinotiers Celestia Astronomical Grand Complication 3600 excels: it is fitted with no-less than 23 complications. Vacheron Constantin was not only been able to integrate them a movement that is only 36mm wide and 8.7mm thick, but also give it three weeks of power reserve. No wonder that this watch also won the Mechanical Exception watch prize in this years GPHG.
