The three watches that had the most impact on the wrist this year are purely visceral choices. The brain had no say in this group whatsoever. This was about weight, specifically its presence. Regardless of size, style, or slimness, each of these selections, to quote an incredible new song by Interpol, weighed a ton for its micro-mastery.
In the Bulgari x Vianney case, the mastery lies in incongruity. The Frederique Constant masters an overplayed genre with virtuoso flourishes the brand frankly has no business possessing, especially at this price. And the Gallet Tribute to Yachting Big Eye stood out among more obvious butch choices for its primary-colour pop and perfect proportions on the wrist.
Bulgari Octo Finissimo Dual Time x Vianney Halter
The Bulgari Octo Finissimo Dual Time x Vianney Halter was the standout watch of Geneva Watch Days by a margin. What I loved most was the collision of two almost antithetical schools of design that, on paper, really should not work together nearly as well as they do. On one side you have Bulgari’s obsession with extreme thinness, that ultra-modern, architectural Finissimo language. On the other, you have Vianney Halter’s portholes, rivets and unmistakable steampunk universe. Somehow, the two layer together like bizarre plotlines in a fever dream.
And I think it says something bigger about the Finissimo itself. Its route to iconic status has never been the obvious highway. It has taken a much less trodden goat path up a very steep mountain, with every strange, creatively driven collaboration pushing that square, slim silhouette deeper and deeper into our consciousness. Tadao Ando, Laurent Grasso, Kazuyo Sejima, Mo Coppoletta, and now Vianney Halter. Each one makes the Finissimo feel less like a watch model and more like a canvas. This might be the strangest painting on that canvas yet, but also one of the most convincing. It feels genuinely unexpected, which is increasingly rare in watches.
The Bulgari Octo Finissimo Dual Time x Vianney Halter in titanium is limited to 30 pieces, while the rose gold model is limited to 15 pieces; both are available from Bulgari boutiques. Price: CHF 70,000 (titanium), CHF 108,000 (rose gold)
Frederique Constant Classics Moneta Handwinding
This was almost the opposite kind of pleasure. I warmed to the Frederique Constant Classics Moneta Handwinding as you warm to an open fire and a mug of schnapps on a winter night. It is just so restrained, so elegant, and so immediately at home on the wrist. The grained salmon dial, which darkens to black at its edges, is perfectly tuned in person, and the whole thing has that slightly mid-century, beautifully proportioned feeling that makes you wonder why watches ever needed to become more complicated than this.
It is, in truth, a very simple watch, but everything about it feels considered. For me, this is Frederique Constant playing in a reliable spot: classic, handsome Swiss watchmaking that delivers lashings of charm for the money.
The Frederique Constant Classics Moneta Handwinding is limited to 999 pieces and is available now from Frederique Constant boutiques. Price: £1,795
Gallet Classics Tribute to Multichron Yachting Big Eye
And then there was the Gallet Tribute to Yachting Big Eye. This one just has that primary colour pop that amounts to artsy swagger on the wrist. The same way the Seafarer works. The same way the Skipper works. The colour, the regatta-timing display, the vintage-racing DNA, and the slightly eccentric functionality all come together in a watch that feels enormously characterful without becoming cosplay.
Was Eric Wind in the room for this decision, I wonder? It feels like someone of his calibre in terms of taste has actually understood what made vintage Gallet cool in the first place and brought that spirit forward. It is sporty, strange, colourful and incredibly fun. Exactly the kind of watch I want to see more of. And, importantly, want to wear.
The Gallet Classics Tribute to Multichron Yachting Big Eye is available now from Gallet/Breitling boutiques. Price: £5,300