Registered under Swiss patent 158882, the caliber 490 oscillates at 18,000 vph and boasts a simple yet robust design. Additionally, the movement shows a high-quality finish, with beveled components and and a sunburst-ratchet decorated wheel.

The in-house caliber was designed, assembled and finished by one of the manufacturers of the historic Swiss Watchmakers Cooperative, Alpina’s first name, a distinction that was not commonplace in the 1930s, when sourcing generic movements from suppliers was the norm, and manufacture movements the exception. Caliber 490 was a benchmark movement at the time, with its patented crown that was protected against dust. Also noteworthy are the comparatively high power reserve for the time – 42 hours – and the special design of the pallet lever, which is elongated in order to fit into the rectangular shape.

After having been able to purchase around 50 pieces of this very caliber, Alpina designed a new custom-made case for 28 of them. It is made of highly polished silver and measures 29.5 x 35.7mm in diameter. With a thickness of just 9.71mm, it features anti-reflective sapphire crystals on both the front and back and is attached to a light brown ostrich leather strap with white vintage stitching and a pin buckle.

The two commemorative editions share the Alpina logo from this era, two thin central hands and a small seconds at 6 o’clock, which is typical of the 1930s. The chemin de fer minuterie surrounding the dial also dates from this period.

On the first version (Ref. AL-490BA3C10), the dial is black and displays full Arabic numerals and a circular small seconds. The hands are beige. The second version (Ref. AL-490SA3C10) comes with a silver dial, black hands, and Arabic numerals in a more upright font, typical of the “Années Folles”, while the subdial for the small seconds is square.

Pricing for the Heritage Carrée Mechanical 140 Years is marked at $5,400 when converted to USD (CHF 4,995).

To learn more, visit Alpina, here.

To celebrate the 55th anniversary of the Seiko 5 Sports collection, two stainless-steel Limited Editions based on the SKX Sports Style and Field Sports Style models are now being released. The images of the Peanuts character have been adapted from the original cartoon strips in newspapers.

On the dial of the SRPK25K1, Snoopy is a surfer on a custom Seiko 5 Sports design board. The caseback depicts the beagle in action. With a diameter of 38 millimeters, the watch, which is limited to 8,900 pieces, is water resistant to 10 bar. A nice detail is the font on the unidirectional bezel, which is inspired by the original Peanuts font.

Pricing for the Seiko ref. SRPK25K1 is marked at approximately $430 when converted to USD.

The design of the SRPK27K1 shows Snoopy flying through the air as a helicopter, with his beagle ears serving as propellers. His sidekick Woodstock sits on his lap depicted as a pilot.

Limited to 6,500 pieces, the caseback of the watch features a parachute in the original Seiko 5 Sports design. This newcomer measures 36 mm in diameter and is also water resistant to 10 bar. Both watches are driven by Seiko’s 4R36 self-winding caliber and feature Lumibrite on their dials for nighttime legibility. They will be available from June 2023.

Pricing for the Seiko ref. SRPK27K1 is marked at approximately $410 when converted to USD.

To learn more, visit Seiko, here.

Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda PF Flying Tourbillon

This year’s limited edition of the Tonda PF Flying Tourbillon from Parmigiani Fleurier appears clad in 950 platinum. The elegant Milano blue dial is framed by the line’s signature knurled bezel, also made of platinum. The dial has delta-shaped skeletonized hands and applied markers, celebrating contemporary minimalism. The eye-catching feature is the flying tourbillon, which completes one revolution per minute between 6 and 7 o’clock.

Inside the 42-mm case, which measures just 8.6 mm in height, beats the automatic manufacture caliber PF517. It is wound by a 950 platinum micro-rotor decorated with a fine barleycorn guilloché pattern. Other exquisite finishes, such as circular Geneva Waves, perlage and angled bridges, can be admired through the sapphire crystal case back. Thanks to a screw-down crown, this haute-horlogerie watch, which is limited to 25 pieces, is water resistant to 100 meters. Pricing is available upon request.

To learn more, visit Parmigiani Fleurier, here.

Hublot MP-13 Tourbillon BI-Axis BI-Retrograde

The somewhat long name already hints at the technical complexity of the Hublot MP-13 Tourbillon BI-Axis BI-Retrograde. This exceptional timepiece combines a double-axis tourbillon with two retrograde displays for the hour and minute. This symphony of mechanics is orchestrated by the manufacture caliber HUB6200 with manual winding, which offers a power autonomy of a full four days and consists of a total of 374 components. Some of the intricately decorated parts are revealed through the open-worked dial.

Yet, the flying double-axis tourbillon, positioned at 6 o’clock, is the undisputed star of the dial. On one axis, it completes one full rotation per minute, on the other every 30 seconds. To make this precise performance visible from all sides, the bezel is extended downwards.

The Hublot MP-13 Tourbillon BI-Axis BI-Retrograde is housed in a 44-mm titanium case and is limited to 50 pieces. Pricing is marked at $158,000.

To learn more, visit Hublot, here.

Bulgari Octo Roma Striking Papillon Tourbillon

This new interpretation of the Bulgari Octo Roma Papillon Tourbillon is rightly named “Striking”, as it stages the exceptionally creative form of time display. The hour is jumping and the minutes, arranged on a semicircle, are alternately indexed by two diamond-shaped hands in “Papillon” style, with new sophistication. It also offers fascinating insights into its mechanical inner workings through the partly skeletonized dial.

The characteristic Octo case in black-coated titanium is closed with a sapphire crystal that enhances the dial. As such, the dial illuminates via indications that are coated in vibrant green Superluminova. The same applies to some components of the genuine hand-wound movement, the BVL348 caliber, which provides a 60-hour power reserve.

It goes without saying that this beauty is visible through the sapphire crystal caseback of the 44 mm case. The highlight of the sporty and modern Octo Roma Striking Papillon Tourbillon is the flying tourbillon, which sits in the center of the dial.

Pricing is marked at approximately $140,000 when converted to USD.

To learn more, visit Bulgari, here.

While the details of the movement can be seen in all their beauty via an openwork dial, the fine decoration on the components can be admired through the exhibition case back. There, the exceptional cellist’s electric cello is showcased as a decorative motif, with the silhouette of the instrument carved out.

The body and space between the strings give rise to a velvety texture, which is created by tremblage, a rare handcraft that is cultivated in the workshops of the independent watchmaker. The engraver creates an expressive matte surface using their burin to etch small, almost trembling movements in the metal.

The striking dial view is made possible by a special construction by Moritz Grossmann, the mirrored caliber 107.0. The hand-wound movement is almost inverted, requiring numerous additional constructions, such as changing the direction of rotation of the mainspring barrel and the entire movement. The wheel train runs in the right direction thanks to the mirrored escapement and the mirrored oscillation system – also including the balance spring coiling direction.

This design enables an exceptionally large dial aperture that showcases the sophisticated details of the movement, such as the Grossmann balance, the hand-engraved balance cock, and the ratchet wheel with three-band snailing.

The luxurious look of the Moritz Grossmann Tillman Electric Cello, which is limited to four pieces only, is completed by a supple brown Kudu leather strap. Pricing is marked at $42,190.

To learn more, visit Moritz Grossmann, here.

The live and in-person three-day event will once again take place at midtown Manhattan’s Gotham Hall and will welcome an eclectic and impressive group of more than 30 participating watch brands, as well as collectors, connoisseurs, industry VIPs and influencers, and other members of the worldwide watch community. This year’s edition will span three days, from Friday, October 20, through Sunday, October 22, with an exclusive cocktail party and watch show on opening night, followed by full day shows, panels, and presentations throughout the rest of the weekend.

For 2023, participating brands include A. Lange & Söhne, Armin Strom, Arnold & Son, Bell & Ross, Blancpain, Bovet, Breguet, Bremont, Carl F. Bucherer, Chopard, Chronoswiss, Cyrus, Czapek, Frederique Constant, G-SHOCK, Gerald Charles, Glashütte Original, Greubel Forsey, H. Moser & Cie., HYT, Laurent Ferrier, Louis Erard, MB&F, Moritz Grossmann, Norqain, Oris, Parmigiani Fleurier, Perrelet, Reservoir, RGM, Speake-Marin, Voutilainen, and Zeitwinkel. The event is presented in partnership with the renowned jeweler and exquisite timepiece retailer Wempe.

Industry panels will be presented on Saturday and Sunday at 12pm and 2pm and are included in price of admission. 

• Watch Brand Collaborations: Moderated by Renowned Collector Jeff Kingston
• The Return of the Dress Watch: Moderated by Jeff Kingston
• Time for Sustainability: Moderated by WatchTime Editor-in-Chief Roger Ruegger
• A New Day – Trends in Collecting for Men and Women: Moderated by WatchTime’s Senior Editor Bilal Khan and Publisher Sara Orlando

WatchTime and its partners are incredibly excited to welcome you back this October for this fantastic and important event. Tickets are available now, here, along with more info on WatchTime New York 2023 and its participating brands.

Time & Location

Oct 20, 5:30 PM – Oct 22, 4:00 PM

Gotham Hall, 1356 Broadway, New York, NY 10018, USA

Ticket Details

Two types of tickets are available for admission to WatchTime New York 2023: Friday Night VIP 3-day weekend admissions and general admission single day tickets. The Friday Night VIP Weekend admission is an all-inclusive offering with access to WatchTime New York’s opening night cocktail reception and re-entry on Saturday and Sunday at no extra cost. General admission permits access on either Saturday or Sunday, but not the Friday cocktail reception.

• Friday Night VIP Cocktail Reception, October 20th: 5:30pm-8:30pm
• Saturday General Admission, October 21st: 11am-5pm
• Sunday General Admission, October 22nd: 11am-4pm

Friday Night VIP tickets are priced at $189, here, with single day general admission tickets priced at $39, here. Use code EARLYBIRD at checkout for $10 off VIP weekend admission, and code EARLYBIRDBOGO for two GA tickets for the price of one! Both promo codes expire on June 30.

Industry panels will be presented on Saturday and Sunday at 12pm and 2pm and are included in price of admission.

To learn more, visit WatchTime’s event site, here.