A snake on the wrist is better than two in the bush – especially if it’s made of precious materials, tells the time and comes from the house of Bulgari. The flexible Serpenti watch coils around the wearer’s wrist just like a real snake. The rounded triangular shape at one end is both the watch case and the head of the reptile.

Bulgari: The Serpenti Spiga Ceramic combines black ceramic, rose gold and diamonds. Quartz movement. $12,400.

Bulgari introduced the first Serpenti watches in the 1940s. Dangerous creatures have long fascinated watch designers. Cartier has a tradition of featuring predators – the panther has occupied a fixed place in the repertoire of this famous Parisian watch and jewelry house since 1914.

A wildcat made of precious metal can threaten the bank account of anyone who intends to buy one – and a panther would not be such a thrilling watchmate if its elegance were not paired with the ferocity of the predator’s face. The Révélation, a panther watch from Cartier, artfully reveals its charms thanks to a spectacular hourglass feature. Moving the dial causes tiny gold beads to fall from top to bottom to slowly form the panther’s face, and gradually have it vanish again.

Cartier: The Révélation contains tiny gold beads that come together to form a panther’s face. Rose gold with diamonds. Hand-wound Caliber 430 MC. $112,000.

Another wild feline inspired the imagination of the designers at Jaquet Droz. A delicate miniature portrait of a lion’s face is painted on the enamel dial of the Petite Heure Minute Lion in exquisite detail, within the tiniest space. Jaquet Droz celebrates the talents of fine crafts-men who make each one of the 28 pieces a unique specimen.

Jaquet Droz: The Petite Heure Minute Lion in rose gold features a painted lion gazing out from the dial. Automatic movement 2653.P. $32,200.

The wolf on the dial of the ArtyA Wolf Tourbillon 1/1 has an even more aggressive look. Belgian artist Bram Ramon is behind the complex decoration of this one-off piece, with a dial that features floral ornamentation and an impressive wolf’s head, combined with engraving work and miniature sculpture. The Wolf watch design – with its medieval touches and biker style – is a potent mixture of rock and roll, mythology and fine craftsmanship, a typical combination for ArtyA, enhanced here with the addition of a flying tourbillon. The wild wolf makes this Swiss timepiece into an expressive piece of jewelry for tough guys.

ArtyA: The Wolf Tourbillon 1/1 is one-of- a-kind with a steel case, gold inlays and an exclusive ArtyA hand- wind movement with flying tourbillon. $180,000.

An animal that evokes fear and fascination was transformed into a timepiece by the creative Geneva watch brand MB&F, in collaboration with the clockmaker L’Epée 1839. The spider clock Arachnophobia is designed as a table or wall clock – too large to be worn on the wrist. But the godmother of the eight-legged metal clock creature, whose body contains the timepiece, is many times larger. The Arachnophobia was inspired by the 9-meter-tall spider sculpture “Maman,” created by French-American artist Louise Bourgeois, which exudes a feeling that’s both protective and threatening. The Arachnophobia embodies the fine line that exists between the macabre and elegance.

MB&F and L’Epée 1839: The Arachnophobia in black aluminum. The eight-day movement is wound with a key. CHF 14,500.

The original Tank, created by Louis Cartier in 1917 and released in 1919, is one of the most recognizable designs in the history of watchmaking. It also offered a foundation for numerous variations of the Tank design that Cartier has developed in the past century, including the Normale. After a lengthy hiatus of its production, the Normale is now offered as a symbolic reference to the brand’s past and present alike.

Among the most recognizable features of the Tank is its geometric silhouette, contrasting the soft contours of the wrist with its rectangular shape. The dimensions of the new Normale have been increased in comparison to predecessors, now occupying a modernized footprint of 35.2mm x 27.8mm. Cartier is offering two iterations of the watch, one clad in yellow gold and the other in platinum. For the signature cabochon, the yellow gold version is adorned with a blue sapphire while the winding crown of the platinum model is complete with a ruby. 

Maintaining the design iconography of the original, the dial includes a characteristic inner railroad track with Roman numeral indices on its exterior. Hidden within the VII numeral is the year 1917, an explicit reference to the debut year of the Tank. The yellow gold iteration sports blued hands, while the hands ticking on the platinum model share its cool-toned hue. The backdrop for both models is silvery-white in color, maintaining the sophisticated versatility that the Tank Normale is renowned for.  

Ticking inside is the manual winding mechanical caliber 070. It is an 82-part movement that offers a power reserve of approximately 38 hours. 

The yellow gold version is available on either a brown alligator strap or a yellow gold bracelet, while the platinum model is available on a black alligator strap or platinum bracelet. Production of the Cartier Privé Tank Normale in yellow gold and platinum is limited to 200 pieces of each metal on a strap and 100 pieces of each on a bracelet. 

Pricing for the yellow gold model on a strap is marked at $31,000, pricing for the platinum option on a strap is $34,900, the yellow gold version with a bracelet is priced at $46,600, and the platinum model on a bracelet retails for $53,500. 

Also joining the Privé collection, Cartier is producing 50 more Tank Normale versions in yellow gold and 50 in platinum that both have signature skeletonized movements. These skeletonized versions have slightly adjusted dimensions of 35.2mm x 27.8mm. Powered by the caliber 9628 MC, the 24-hour movement features color-matched accenting on its bridges. The 24-hour hand takes 24 hours to complete a full rotation, while the minute hand rotates once every hour. Sun-shaped bridges mark the top half of the dial, representing daylight hours, while a crescent moon accent marks the bottom half, representing nighttime.

Pricing for the skeletonized Cartier Privé Tank Normale is marked at $71,000 for the yellow gold model and $80,000 for the platinum iteration. 

To learn more, visit Cartier here. 

Tudor Black Bay Pro – Retail Price $4,150

Tudor’s Black Bay Pro celebrates its first birthday this year after its initial launch at the 2022 meeting of Watches and Wonders in Geneva. As the latest new design introduced to the brand’s catalog, the moderately-sized GMT quickly became one of the most sought-after models from Tudor. The 39mm steel case features a fixed bezel with 24-hour indices engraved on it and a screw-down crown with the Tudor rose in relief. Standing out against the sleek black dial is a yellow “Snowflake” hand that indicates home time via the bezel. The local time is indicated by the shorter, white “Snowflake” hand, which can be conveniently moved either backwards or forwards to adjust the time. Otherwise the dial sports cream-colored geometric indices with a luminous coating and an easily legible date window at 3 o’clock. 

Powering the watch is the caliber MT5652, a C.O.S.C. chronometer certified mechanism developed specifically for the Black Bay Pro. The bi-directional rotor system makes the movement especially favorable, as the GMT feature encourages frequent time zone changes. As expected from a Tudor genuine caliber, the Black Bay Pro has a weekend-proof power reserve of 70 hours. Securing the watch on the wrist is a riveted steel bracelet with a polished and satin finish, and a Tudor “T-fit” clasp with rapid adjustment system, making it easy to use on the go. 

Tudor’s Black Bay Pro retails with a price tag of $4,150. 

To learn more, visit Tudor here.

TAG Heuer Carrera – Retail Price $4,750

TAG Heuer has an indisputable tough identity, often taking inspiration from the likes of motorsport legends and other extreme sports ventures. The brand’s Carrera collection is especially automotive-centric, taking practical design notes from car racing and combining them with the underpinnings of luxury aesthetics and craftsmanship. The ref. CBN2A1AA.FT6228 sports the distinctive 44mm steel case with chronograph pushers and an easy-grip crown. Referencing its racing roots, the sleek black ceramic bezel is complete with a tachymeter scale. For the dial, TAG Heuer forgoes traditional hour markers, instead opting for minute indicators in five minute increments. There are three sub-dials, one each at 12, 6, and 9 o’clock, with symmetry created by a bold date window at 3 o’clock. Throughout the case and dial are vivid red accents, creating a dramatic contrast against the otherwise black and silver-tone design. 

To achieve this fusion of aesthetics and functionality, the watch relies on the caliber 16 automatic chronograph movement. It has a moderate power reserve of 42 hours and is capable of displaying hours and minutes, with the chronograph displaying a 1/4 second indicator, a 30 minutes counter, a 12 hours counter, and the date.

The TAG Heuer Carrera ref. CBN2A1AA.FT6228 retails via the brand’s website for $4,750. 

To learn more, visit TAG Heuer here.

Cartier Tank Must – Retail Price $4,200

The Cartier Tank Must has become somewhat of an iconic timepiece for the brand since its initial release in 1917. Its design is simple, yet unusual, elegant, yet minimalistic. On the exterior, its rectangular case measures 41mm by 31mm, the present example taking shape in steel. Characteristic of Cartier, the crown is beaded and set with a synthetic cabochon-shaped spinel. The watch sits 8.4mm high on the wrist, and the case offers a water resistance to 30 meters, though this is perhaps not the watch meant for water sports. Instead, the sophisticated design comes to life on the silvered dial, complete with Roman numeral indices, a geometric minute track, and two blued-steel sword-shaped hands. 

The watch depends on a quartz movement, ensuring precise timekeeping without frills. The standard strap option for the Tank Must is a black grained calfskin strap with a steel ardillon buckle closure. Though the black strap is a classic look, Cartier utilizes an interchangeable design that allows the wearer to use the strap or bracelet of their choice. 

The present Cartier Tank Must is the extra-large edition, which retails for $4,200. Alternatively, the watch is available in a small size with downsized dimensions of 29.5mm x 22mm x 6.6mm with a price tag of $2,790, or in a large size measuring  33.7mm x 25.5mm x 6.6mm retailing for $2,930.

To learn more, visit Cartier here.

The skeletonization reveals many fascinating details of the inner mechanism, such as the gongs and hammers of the minute repeater. Cartier stages this statement piece in a frame of rock crystal, black obsidian, and white gold. The owner can either attached a chain to carry it via a special eyelet or use it as a table clock.

Due to its technical and artisan complexity, the Cartier Rotonde de Cartier Grande Complication is limited to five pieces with pricing available upon request.

To learn more, visit Cartier, here.

This year at Watches and Wonders 2023, Cartier again expanded the Santos-Dumont collection named after him with three luxury versions, limited to 200 pieces each, with particularly refined dials. The Roman numerals of the two-hand timepieces are cut out of jasper, jade, and dumortierite and are finely crafted onto the square dial. Combined with the radiating guilloche in the center, this creates an expressive sculptural impression.

The exterior measures 46.6mm by 33.9mm in diameter and with a height of 7.5mm, dimensions referenced for the “large” options of this model. Inside the two-hand watch beats the 430 MC hand-wound caliber from the Cartier manufacture. On the reverse, the case backs are engraved with the signature of Alberto Santos-Dumont.

The new Cartier Santos-Dumont executions in 750 pink and yellow gold retail for approximately $19,300 when converted to USD. The platinum version comes in at approximately $25,400. All three newcomers are fitted with color-coordinated alligator leather straps.

To learn more, visit Cartier, here.