Against the backdrop of Lake Leman and in sweltering weather, once again watch lovers from all over the world came together at Geneva Watch Days 2024 (GWD). Mostly populated by independent and micro brands, this year’s edition is proving that the independents and micro-brands are getting a lot of support and are ready to redefine the world of watch collecting. 

In terms of themes, there was a lot of variety but also some common ground. Some found inspiration in the sky and the celestial bodies in it. One such company was SpaceOne. The team composed by Théo Auffret, Guillaume Laidet and Olivier Gamiette brought new iterations of their debut piece, SpaceOne – including the very limited Perpétuel Gallery Edition; and of the Tellurium, one in a blue titanium case with aventurine dial and the other in a black DLC titanium case with onyx dial.

Raketa, the Russian brand with roots in the Soviet Union, challenged our reading of time with its Russian Code 0302, a watch where the hands move anticlockwise. Why? Because this is the direction in which planets rotate around the sun. On the dial, the sky over their factory in St Petersburg on the day Yuri Gagarin flew into space (12th April 1961).

Coming purely from the imagination of its creator, Sébastien Chaulmontent, the very first Albishorn x Massena Lab watch. Sébastien’s idea is to create vintage watches that never existed (think Atlas of imaginary places but for the horological world). As such, the debut model – the Maxigraph – is an imaginary regatta chrono from 1939, the year of the first Le Bol d’Or race on Lac Léman. The 39mm monopusher chronograph with a patented ten-minute retrograde regatta countdown would have been commissioned by the owner of the sailboat that won, helping the crew in the crucial countdown to start. 

Also with a retro-vibe, we saw some interesting additions to existing lines. Nivada Grenchen for example updated its Chronomaster line and Chronoking Mecaquartz introduced a kit of five interchangeable bi-directional bezels that one can easily click on and off for its Chronomaster and Chronoking Mecaquartz both of which were updated with new vintage dials, all of them in their classic 38mm cases.

Singer Reimagined presented two new models within its 1969 collection and four new references (two Chronographs and two Timers). Aesthetically, both models come with 40mm brushed cases. One in stainless steel – matching the bracelet – combined with a sun-brushed silver coloured dial, while the other is encased in bronze and features a green velvety dial and Velcro-fastened NATO strap.

The chronograph movement features the most recent version of the Agengraphe calibre. The design cleverly enhances the readability of the 60 hours chronograph function. The timers on the other hand are a great example of how to make something complex look and feel easy. The secret is an intricate zero-reset system combined with a flyback device. Push the button at 2 o’clock and the central second-hand jumps to measure elapsed time.

Bridging the realm between sport and dress watches, one of the youngest brands in the show, Guebly. The first watch from the newly established brand embodies all the qualities founder Adnane Kerd admires the most in a timepiece: harmony, simplicity, technicality and exceptional finish. As such the Guebly Prologue Chapitre 1. Made from grade 5 titanium and housed in a 42 mm case, the watch looks robust, yet elegant thanks to the guilloche on its clean dial (both by Voutilanen and Cattin SA). The movement shows a lot of finesse, with superb hand-finishings, including chamfered bridges, polished and sandblasted surfaces, and graining. 

In elegant azure, the Vianney Halter x Alexandre Beauregard Ulysse Limited Edition, which has finally gone into production after a slight styling change. The outer ring on the dial has been removed to allow for a better expression of the geometric pattern made of individual aquamarine pieces encase in gold lace. Halter’s movement is beautiful. From the shape of the bridges – that remind of the movement of the tides – to the sharpness of the corners and the softness provided by the beveling in each wheel. Only 10 of them are to be made.

Remi Maillat was feeling remarkably relaxed given that all of his 25 Krayon Anywhere Métiers d’Art Aurora and 15 Azur have been delivered. He showed us his next adventure, a new Anywhere Metiers d’Art limited edition different to anything he has done before. Unfortunately we are sworn to secrecy until the 17th of October.

We couldn’t conclude this review of the highlights from GWD without mentioning the most colourful collaboration of them all, that between H. Moser & Cie and Studio Underd0g. The short brief, “It’s about passion… fruit” resulted in one timepiece by each watchmaker. They come as a pair and are limited to 100 sets. Both show the acid colours of the tropical fruit on the dial – even the green of the seeds. The Endeavour Perpetual Calendar Passion Fruit by H. Moser & Cie. feature a combination of a purple lacquered sunburst finished with a Maracuja “Grand Feu” enamel dial on a yellow gold base hammered with three different pigments to achieve the desire finish. On the 03Series Passi0n Fruit by Studio Underd0g we see a coarse dégradé amber and purple multilayer dial, striking a perfect balance between elegance and exuberance.

We hope that our selection from GWD 2024 will inspire you about what to acquire next for your watch collection and maybe even introduce you to brands of which you were not aware before. Happy collecting.

Author: Julia Pasarón