Four Fantastic Finds from Geneva Watch Days 2020

Excitement once again
With the lack of physical trade shows so far this year, Geneva Watch Days 2020 stuck out as one of the significant events on the horological calendar we could get excited about. Self-managing and decentralized, Watch Days was conceived by a group of brands that wanted a safe, yet useful platform for them to display some of their latest novelties in the one city, Geneva. While not under the one roof, mini-events have been co-ordinated with one another to foster as much of the same atmosphere that trade shows are famous for. With an incredible array of brands all showcasing what they’ve been busy creating, this is one event we did not want to miss. Here we are going to go through some of our favourite novelties that brands have released in recent days and go through just why we love them.

H. Moser Streamliner Centre Seconds
Released as the second addition to the Moser’s new Streamliner family, the Centre Seconds is a gorgeously proportioned and unique looking stainless steel sports watch from a beloved independent brand. While their flyback chronograph version that was released earlier in 2020 divided opinion, the centre seconds variant comes with some changes that have made it a home run for most watch fans. Its new vibrant green fumè dial is the most visually significant change from the grey dial flyback version. On top of that, the dial is simplified with regular hour markers which are accompanied by a stepped chapter ring that provides visual texture.

The Streamliner collection takes its inspiration from a seemingly obscure source - 1930s locomotives. This lends an aesthetic to the watch that is fluid, curvaceous and lacks straight lines. Its case is angular yet, somewhat paradoxically, smooth all over – except for the side of the case including some edges to visually break up the piece. This rhythmic flow to the Streamliner is further compounded by its integrated single-link bracelet that runs right up to the case. While the integrated bracelet aesthetic is certainly not new, Moser has captured it fantastically in what is a novel and unique way that we haven’t seen before in the industry.

Girard Perregaux Laureato Infinity 42mm
Continuing with another integrated bracelet piece, the Girard Perregaux Laureato Infinity was released as a Wempe exclusive to celebrate the two brands’ new partnership. Limited to 188 pieces, this watch has all of the hallmarks of a modern luxury steel sports watch – 42mm in diameter, 316L steel throughout and 100 metres of water resistance. A black onyx dial couples with pink gold hour markers and seconds hand to make for a stunning visual that is only compounded by the rest of the iconic design.

Running on an in-house 4hz automatic movement, visible through the display case back, the Laureato Infinity looks as elegant from behind as it does from the front. With its trademark octagonal bezel sitting atop a circular base, the Laureato Infinity continues the collection’s distinctive aesthetic with the hint of a more luxurious flare.

Bulgari Octo Finissimo Tourbillon Chronograph Skeleton Automatic
The world of watchmaking has a lot of high profile rivalries, Patek Philippe versus Audemars Piguet and Omega versus Rolex are just two of them. One rivalry that seems to fly under the radar is Bulgari versus Piaget in a race to see who can produce the thinnest watch they can. This Bulgari Octo Finissimo Tourbillon Chronograph Skeleton Automatic is Bulgari’s latest innovation in thin-watchmaking. Weighing in at just an insanely impressive 3.5mm thick, this is a serious display of skill from the Italian brand. While Piaget’s Altiplano Ultimate Concept is the thinnest watch ever made at 2mm, this Octo is the thinnest tourbillon chronograph ever made, which is an incredible feat of engineering in and of itself.

With its skeletonized dial, tourbillon, exposed mainspring and chronograph subdials, this Octo looks incredibly impressive. Pairing this dial with its brushed grade 5 titanium construction, Bulgari has created a watch that seems as though it is from the future. The Octo’s famously angular case and immediately identifiable bracelet only add to this futuristic look - making this one of the most distinctive watches to have been released so far at Geneva Watch Days.

Breitling Endurance Pro
Designed to fit within any watch fans active lifestyle perfectly, the Breitling Endurance Pro looks to match every aspect of its engineering to a particular purpose. With such a clearly defined approach, the Endurance Pro lacks a fanciful mechanical movement and a finely finished steel case. Instead, the Endurance Pro comes with a robust quartz movement and a case made from Breitlight. The reason for each of these choices is simple – functionality. While a mechanical movement is more fanciful, its not as accurate or as shock resistant as a quartz movement – which an active user would require. Likewise, Breitlight, the case’s material, is almost six times lighter than stainless steel and is hypoallergenic – all functional benefits over steel.

On top of its performance producing positives, the Endurance Pro has a rather vibrant design. The Endurance Pro is available in 5 different colourways that each contrast its black Breitlight case. With this bright aesthetic, it is no surprise that the Endurance Pro also has a rather eclectic dial layout to match the loud colours on offer. A north, south, east and west configuration is printed on the bezel while a tachymeter lies inside the piece’s rehaut. In addition to this, the Endurance Pro has rather large Arabic numerals which themselves encircle its three chronograph subdials. It is pretty clear that just about every aspect of the Endurance Pro has been carefully calculated to squeeze every ounce of performance out of this timepiece, and Breitling has made something pretty cool looking as a result.