Round table: Men’s watches

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Round table: Men’s watches - GPHG 2015
2 minutes read
After a broad consensus in our first few round tables, opinions start to differ as we evaluate the finalists in the men’s watch category at this year’s Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève.

Paul O’Neil, editor-in-chief, WorldTempus
The pre-selected watches in the men’s category run the gamut from ultra-classical to ultra-futuristic and, even though there are only six of them, pander to a variety of masculine tastes. When choosing a watch that should be one’s default choice for a gent’s watch, I have to walk a fine line between choosing the watch I would wear myself and the one that I think stands out the most purely on merit. In this case I’ve tended more towards the latter and picked Piaget’s Altiplano 900P. It’s a watch that crams legibility of time, visibility of the movement, technical innovation and record-breaking capabilities into a 38mm circle. At a thickness of just 3.65mm it’s the world’s thinnest watch, but it still manages to wear its heart on its sleeve.

Round table: Men’s watches

Olivier Müller, WorldTempus contributor
The men’s watch prize, the focus of all marketing activity! Should it be a recompense for fulfilling the needs of man today? Or tomorrow? Or for appealing to the greatest majority? It’s a huge debate, but in the face of such uncertainty we should reward those who take risks and dare to rise above the consensus. For me, one piece rises above the others. Once again, as always, MB&F does nothing like anybody else and releases an anniversary edition of its HMX, the pure essence of the brand but at an affordable price, to say thank you to the friends of a brand that celebrates ten years of total independence. In addition to its innovative mechanics and sublime chassis, this HMX proves that watchmaking can be human and not simply unaffordable, even on its birthday. And that is something new.

Round table: Men’s watches

David Chokron, WorldTempus contributor
Bulgari’s Octo design has seen several implementations and the Bulgari Octo Finissimo is the richest and most successful. The case of this watch is a success for several reasons. Firstly, it fits perfectly on the wrist even though it is ultra-thin. The watch’s ability to adapt to the contours of the wrist has not been sacrificed at the expense of shaving millimetres of its size. Secondly, it is a refined extrapolation of an Octo case that is usually thicker. But, despite reducing its volume by 50%, the watch does not lose any of its personality or its sophistication. Finally, the Octo manages to be totally angular yet soft at the same time. Consisting of numerous edges and points, it only has one circular element: the bezel. But it is not aggressive, just powerful. It is fitted with an ultra-thin movement produced wholly in-house at the Bulgari workshops, who incredible capabilities are often forgotten.

Round table: Men’s watches

Vote for your favourite watch in the Men's category in our readers' poll.

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