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This section showcases some of the world's most innovative watchmakers in the field of high-fashion, (Haute Horlogerie) lady's and men's contemporary wristwatch design. Luminaries in this exciting field include Richard Mille, Parmigiani, Carl F. Bucherer, Gerald Genta, A. Lange & Shne and a host of others.
Features that set their timepieces apart are the use of hand-made guilloche dials, sapphire-crystal exposed complications (display backs), and highly decorated 'Cote-de-Geneve' movements with hand-tooled circular graining, blued screws, and/or Geneva stripes. Also of note are the cutting-edge 'steampunk' designs of artists like Vianney Halter.
Contemporary Wristwatch Designers - Pg. 1
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Richard Mille watches are relatively new to the watch-making scene, but they are making quite a name for themselves, with the bold modern designs of their complications. Specializing in exposed-movement designs for men and ladies, in stainless, titanium, or white, yellow and rose gold, with carbon fiber movement plates, titanium accents, and sapphire crystals. Richard Mille watches have manual winding movements.
www.richardmille.com
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The firm of Vacheron and Constantin was started in 1755 by watchmaker Jean-Marc Vacheron of Geneve. The company of Vacheron Chossat & Comp was one of the first to introduce the exposed-movement pocket watches and complications in 1906. Vacheron Constantin designs high-style lady's dress watches in white, yellow or rose gold, and platinum, with diamond accents; as well as elegant men's dress watches.
www.vacheron-constantin.com
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De Bethune is another new company, started in 2002 by the team of Denis Flageollet and David Zanetta. De Bethune's watches come in white or yellow gold and platinum, with platinum or gold ogival lugs. De Bethune's dials have hand-finished Geneva stripe or guilloche patterns in gold or silver. De Bethune is located in the Canton of Jura, Switzerland.
www.debethune.ch
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Hautlence is a newcomer to the world of haute horlogerie, beginning in 2004 at Neuchtel, Switzerland. Created by the collaborative efforts of Renaud de Retz, Jean Plazenet, and Guillaume Tetu, the Hautlence HL and Hautlence HLS collection feature their innovative exposed calibre using jump hour discs and retrograde minutes.
www.hautlence.com
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A native of the Val-de-Travers region of Switzerland, Michael Parmigiani founded Parmigiani Fleurier in 1996 after a lifetime of exposure to the craft of watchmaking. Their 'Bugatti Type 370 watch (shown in photo) has a fully exposed complication, sapphire crystal, and a transverse movement that is inspired by automotive engineering.
www.parmigiani.ch
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Urwerk of Geneva is another newcomer to the world of haute horlogerie, beginning in 1995 with the collaboration of Felix and Thomas Baumgartner, and Martin Frei. Named after the birthplace for timekeeping in 4000 BC, the Sumerian city of Ur, Urwerk created the unique 103 model, with its revolving satellite complication (photo, left).
www.urwerk.com
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The Chopard firm was established by Louis Ulysse Chopard In 1860. Chopard's 'Happy Diamonds' collection (shown in photo) is the perfect blending of timepiece and jewelry piece, featuring paved diamonds in a pattern of concentric rings. The Chopard manufacture is located in Fleurier, the Canton of Jura, Switzerland.
Chopard Wristwatches
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The company was founded in 1969 by Gerald Genta of Geneva, and has set the bar for super-complicated, and stratospherically priced timepieces. They are one of the few watchmakers (also Daniel Roth) to employ a Grand Sonnerie movement in their wristwatches. Gerald Genta's complicated Tourbillon-type movements feature elaborate, hand-decorated parts with fine circular graining, exuding old-world craftsmanship.
www.geraldgenta.com
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Starting his career in 1888 at Falkenplatz, Lucerne, Carl Friedrich Bucherer founded the firm in 1919. In 1933, sons, Carl and Ernst Bucherer inherited the family business. Carl F. Bucherer introduced the Chronograph 'Big Date' with a Venus 210 calibre in 1948.
www.carl-f-bucherer.com
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Vianney Halter ateliers of St. Croix, Switzerland was founded nineteen years ago by Parisian Vianney Halter, who is noted for his cutting-edge 'steampunk' designs such as the multi-dialed 'Contemporaine Antiqua' and 'Trio' wristwatch, and the $220,000 transversal tourbillon 'Cabestan Watch' designed in collaboration with Jean-Franois Ruchonnet.
www.vianney-halter.com
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Shop for Contemporary Designer Wristwatches
Baume & Mercier
Blancpain
Breitling
Bvlgari
Cartier
Corum
Dunhill
Girard Perregaux
IWC Wristwatches
Jaeger-LeCoultre
MontBlanc
Maurice Lacroix
Patek Philippe
Ulysse Nardin
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