Without a doubt, 2017 was a year full of incredible new watches and exceptional releases from the majority of the brands at the SIHH and Baselworld; however, just like with everything else, we can only pick a handful of watches that took our breath away for one reason or another. From million dollar watches to incredible celestial complications, perpetual calendars, striking time watches and everything in between, here are our 10 favorite watches released this year to wrap up the year 2017.
A. Lange & Söhne Zeitwerk Decimal Strike Honey Gold
Signaling the time in ten-minute intervals is what the A. Lange & Söhne Zeitwerk Decimal Strike is all about. This Lange joins the three other Zeitwerks in an 18K honey gold —A. Lange & Söhne exclusive gold alloy— 100-piece limited edition. With its striking mechanism sounding every ten minutes. First launched in 2009, the Zeitwerk is the most modern and unconventional way of telling time from the A. Lange & Söhne lineup. The third model featuring an acoustic time indication —the Striking Time and the Minute Repeater are the other two— is fitted with a 44.2 mm case and with a solid silver dial with mechanical digital time indication, power reserve and oversized running seconds. More about it here.
Sticker Price €120,000 Euros —approximately $130,000 USD. For more info on A. Lange & Söhne click here.
Armin Strom Mirrored Force Resonance Water
Fitted with an stainless steel case measuring 43.4 mm in diameter, the Armin Strom Mirrored Resonance Water and the Mirrored Resonance Fire are truly the only Resonance watches in the market. Equipped with two oscillating bodies in close proximity that influence each other and eventually synchronize, the Mirrored Force Resonance either in stainless steel or 18K rose gold is a very sophisticated timepiece that took two and a half years to create. Now available in two different metals, the Mirrored Force Resonance just became more appealing for those that prefer the understated look of stainless steel. More about it
The Mirrored Force Resonance Water like its Fire counterpart is available in a limited edition of only 50 pieces.
Sticker Price $54,000 USD. For more info on Armin Strom click here.
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Platinum ref. 26470PT
One of the heaviest watches we've ever reviewed with a total weight only 23 grams short of a full pound —total weight of this watch is 431.9 grams—, this is also one of the most special watches ever made by AP and released in a 50-piece limited edition. More about it here.
Sticker Price $122,000 USD. For more info on Audemars Piguet click here.
Greubel Forsey Quantième Perpetuel à Équation
After seven years of research, the assembly of no fewer than 624 parts, three patents, and the combination of two inventions, Greubel Forsey revolutionizes one of the oldest watchmaking complications, the perpetual calendar, by incorporating an equation of time. With all corrections made rapidly by turning the bi-directional crown, the dial of the QP à Équation indicates leap years, the 24 hours of the day and night, the day of the week, the large date, the month, the hours, the minutes and the seconds, as well as the chronometric 72-hour power reserve. More about it here.
Sticker Price $680,000 USD. For more info on Greubel Forsey click here.
Jacob & Co. Astronomia Clarity Tourbillon
The Astronomia Clarity Tourbillon is a truly unique, groundbreaking timepiece that elevates the art of watchmaking combining the highest level of Swiss timepiece craftsmanship and the horological decorative arts to create a watch that is a poetic visual rendering of the celestial world with every element in constant, visible motion, all under the control of the oscillator at the heart of the three-axis tourbillon with an orbital display of the hours and minutes. More about it here.
Sticker Price $530,000 USD. For more info on Jacob & Co. click here.
Jaquet Droz Grande Seconde Moon
The figure eight layout on the dial of the Jaquet Droz Grande Seconde just got much better with the addition of a very realistic moon phase indicator. Endowed with a pointer-type date indicator and an astronomical moon phase indicator at 6 o’clock, this is by far now, one of the best moon phase watches out there after the Arnold & Son Perpetual Moon —our favorite moon phase timepiece. More about it here.
Sticker Price $28,900 USD for 18K red gold and $15,200 USD for stainless steel. For more info on Jaquet Droz click here.
MB&F Horological Machine No. 6 HM6 Alien Nation
reated in a series of only four unique pieces the new MB&F Horological Machine No. 6 HM6 Alien Nation is the first watch from this manufacture to be cased in a full sapphire case. Additionally, MB&F decided it was time to put someone in the captain’s seat and added six white gold micro-sculptures of aliens that were individually molded and sculpted by Olivier Kuhn of Atelier-Création Kuhn. More about it here.
Sticker Price 500,000 Swiss Francs —approximately $500,000 USD. For more info on MB&F click here.
Patek Philippe Aquanaut Blue Dial ref. 5168G 20th Anniversary
To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Patek Philippe Aquanaut —full history of this model here—, Patek just released a very special new Aquanaut in 18K white gold with blue dial and blue rubber strap. This new reference 5168G fitted with a 42.2 mm case —2.2 mm bigger than reference 5167 and still powered by the same automatic calibre 324 S C powering the Aquanaut ref. 5167. More about it here.
Sticker Price $38,557 USD. For more info on Patek Philippe click here.
Richard Mille RM 050 Jean Todt 50th Anniversary Tourbillon Split Seconds Chronograph
To celebrate the 50th career anniversary of Mr. Jean Todt, the president of the FIA —Federation Internationale de l'Automobile—, Richard Mille has released a total of five different watches in honor of Mr. Todt including the RM 036 Tourbillon G-Sensor Jean Todt, the RM 58-01 World Timer Jean Todt, the RM 11-03 Jean Todt, the RM 056 Jean Todt Sapphire and saving the best —or at least which we think is the ultimate best— for last. This last release is the Richard Mille RM 050 Jean Todt 50th Anniversary which features another striking blue case —Mr.Todt's favorite color—, a tourbillon, a split seconds chronograph and available in a highly exclusive 5-piece limited edition. More about it here.
Sticker Price $1,002,500 USD. For more info on Richard Mille click here.
Vacheron Constantin Celestia Astronomical Grand Complication ref. 3600 Unique Piece
One of the most complicated and exceptional wristwatches ever produced is the new Vacheron Constantin Les Cabinotiers Celestia Astronomical Grand Complication ref. 3600 Unique Piece. This timepiece that is beyond impressive, took five years to develop all the way from scratch, along with two years of design by one dedicated master watchmaker at Vacheron Constantin. The Vacheron Constantin Celestia Astronomical Grand Complication includes 23 complications in a fully integrated movement composed of 514 parts. This new timepiece is now the most accurate Equation of Time in the market. An Equation of Time watch keeps track of the difference between mean solar time —as shown by clocks and watches— and apparent solar time —indicated by sundials—, which varies with the time of year. More about it here.
Sticker Price TBC. For more info on Vacheron Constantin click here.
