New Watches From Geneva Watch Days at James Porter & Son

Just as we're all coming to terms with the ending of the summer, we welcome a new batch of releases from some of the biggest movers and shakers the industry has to offer. For those who might not remember, Geneva Watch Days was born during the turmoil year of 2020, and with the backing of the city, 17 watch brands held an in-person watch event when the more prominent shows couldn't. It was decentralised, self-managed, and delivered a multi-brand experience spread across the city, focusing on allowing each participating watch brand to host attendees (private and public) in their own curated space. 

In the three years since its inception, the show has enjoyed further success and significantly grown to accommodate nearly 40 brands and exhibitors, host talks and panels, and provide more casual-centric opportunities to connect with the industry. At its core, it's also an added date in the diary for watch folks to keep an eye out for, as brands use the show to debut new novelties away from Watches & Wonders earlier in the year. 

It's less hectic than March and April, but there was still plenty to be excited about. With that perpetually thrilling thought in mind, let's run through some of the noteworthy pieces and those you can expect to find at your favourite Glaswegian watch showroom shortly (that's James Porter & Son if you hadn't realised).

Byrne

Gyro Dial Zero Pink Gold

Having only been in the conversation since the 2022 edition of GWDs, this year's show wasn't likely to be where Byrne debuted an entirely new watch. As an independently operated brand that's directed its energy towards a mechanical innovation (a quadrant of rotating cubes every 24 hours revealing different hour markers), a riff on the Gyrodial Zero was on the menu. Previously only available in titanium cases, the 2023 edition of the Zero introduces a precious metal to the lineup: pink gold. Better still, if you like your watches with a pinch of je ne sais quoi, the Zero Pink Gold is also being produced in a limited edition run of 10 featuring diamonds throughout the cubes. This next level of luxe for Byrne brilliantly conveys the scope of possibilities they've managed to create with the Gyro. A new metal is a logical step in the right direction for such a young brand, as John and Claire Byrne look to build the foundations of their new venture with evolutions that underscore the brand's essence rather than dilute it. The future looks bright for Byrne.

Starting from €36,500, €57,000 for the diamond edition.

DOXA

SUB 300β Sharkhunter

Doxa is beginning to develop a fearless habit of releasing pretty wild pieces as of late. Models that come to mind include the Sub 300 Carbon Aqua Lung US Divers and the crazy solid gold Sub 200 T Graph of 2019 (seriously, what a moment when that guy was revealed). Well, for GWDs they've been at it again, but this time fusing a little bit of both aforementioned watches (sort of). Black ceramic meets 18k yellow gold on this predominantly subdued yet utterly striking take on the Sub 300, the SUB 300β Sharkhunter. 

It's probably one of their chicest releases of the past few years. Fitted to a black FKM rubber strap and carrying a grained dial texture that pairs fantastically with said rubber, this is a Doxa your grandfather could never have imagined. Now, I can see why purists may struggle with this one. As a brand built on functionality, functionality, and also functionality, the black dial with black printing, minute markers, bezel readings, date window and date printing doesn't really speak to their traditional principles. But I can't hide my genuine emotions here, I love this bold approach, and I suspect much of it has to do with its rebellious nature. It's the anti-Doxa Doxa, and although I said purists may be forced to turn their heads, I can imagine a world where this is appealing to both ends of their client base. For those who perhaps don't have the brand on their radar due to contemporary preferences, come and look at the SUB 300β Sharkhunter. Doxa fanatics who follow the brand loyally, aren't afraid of what others think and relish in the brand's confidence: please see the SUB 300β Sharkhunter. It's a marmite release that fuses black ceramic and precious metal; Doxa, you never cease to amaze.

Starting from £6,950.

Czapek & Cie

The Place Vendôme Complicité

Following on from their flying start to the year at Watches & Wonders – check those out right here – Czapek dropped a bombshell the other week, offering two for the price of one. Sadly, it wasn’t two watches for the price of one, but rather the two escapements and balance wheels critical to the mechanical wonder of the Place Vendôme Complicité.

Despite seeming complex, this new skeletonised release is actually somewhat straightforward to grasp. The twin set of escapements and balances oscillate in opposing directions, with both systems being powered by a singular barrel before a differential gear works to average out the two rates. This system allows for any anonymous variations to be cancelled out, thus delivering more accurate timekeeping. It's a rather brilliant concept, and it can be found elsewhere from the likes of MB&F or Philippe Dufour and his Duality.

Now, it may seem straightforward as an idea, but when it comes to producing a watch like this, well, that's where the complexities come into play. To stress this, the idea behind the watch has been in place since 2018, but Czapek struggled to find a watchmaking partner to make it happen. That was until a lead came in the form of one of the CEO's children. They just so happened to be in school with a fellow pupil whose father was a watchmaker who could make this a possibility, Bernhard Lederer. Much like the Antarctique Révélation released earlier in the year, the Place Vendôme Complicité puts the movement architecture dial side, maximising the opportunity to relish the movement. Limited to 100 pieces in total, which is split between a deep sapphire blue and a lovely muted grey, this white gold-cased Place Vendôme is easily one of the show's highlights. 

Starting from £91,500.

Read my in-depth article to the Place Vendôme Complicité here.

Frederique Constant

A two-pronged attack was deployed by Frederique Constant for GWDs, with one release focused on innovation while the other focused on commercial success (or, as I like to say, "giving the people what they want"). Let's start with the former.

Classic Power Reserve Big Date Manufacture

Stage 1 of their 2023 Manufacture rollout saw the release of the Classic Tourbillon, and for its second act, it gets the Big Date treatment. As its name perfectly outlines, the latest Manufacture FC is a 40mm entry to the Classic series that delivers a power reserve indicator and a double date aperture. Celebrating its 35th birthday and, with this, its 31st calibre,  the FC-735 automatic movement debuts in four references: limited editions in platinum (35 pieces) and rose gold (350), and two steel non-limited references. A dark blue meteorite dial has been fitted to each of the 35 platinum models, sunburst grey dials contrast the rose gold pieces, and a choice of either blue or silver sunburst dials for the steel references. It's a robust and well-defined collection with something for every parameter, be it price, metal, colour, or style. Diamond cut and hand-polished applied indices, alpha hands, a central seconds hand, and a balanced placement of each complication go a long way to make this release possibly the sleeper hit of Geneva. 

But let's remember what the Classic Power Reserve Big Date Manufacture represents. To have designed, created, produced and serialised 31 calibres in only 35 years of operation is staggering. Kudos to Frederique Constant, they've had one hell of a year.

Starting from £4,295 for the steel examples, topping out at £22,995 for the platinum, and £15,995 for the rose. 

Classic Carree Ladies

Alongside the headlining Manufacture release is an intelligent rollout of three new Classic Carree models. Unapologetically aimed at the female collector, this understated, timeless and purposefully dainty series gets more glam with diamonds throughout the dials. Powered by quartz movements in rose and yellow gold plated cases, these approachable expressions of the eternally elegant rectangular dress watch are fantastic options for those seeking a delicate presence of diamonds. If you want more, lean towards the blue-dialled piece featuring diamonds on each case flank. Less is often more, and although some may not like to hear it, the smaller, more feminine watches are typically the best sellers for brands (that's certainly the case for Rolex, with the sub 36mm Datejusts making up the higher percentage of sales over the decades).

Maurice Lacroix

Aikon Skeleton Urban Tribe

After having shifted attention away from the Aikon due to the return of the Pontos S Diver, Maurice Lacroix returns to their take on integrated bracelets sports in a seriously expressive manner. Its name is the Aikon Skeleton Urban Tribe, and its execution merges two previously seen elements in one newly limited launch. 2021 saw the Aikon collection receive a limited edition of the 42mm Urban Tribe – a time and date three-hander whose stand-out feature was the entire tribal engraved case and integrated bracelet. 500 were made and swiftly sold out. Well, for 2023, Maurice Lacroix has brought it back, now clocking in at 39mm wide with a sapphire plate dial revealing the various bridges and inner workings of the Sellita SW200-1-based Calibre ML115. Again limited to 500 pieces, this skeletonised take on the Urban Tribe arguably pairs with the nuances and througher case engraving better than the first edition.

It's a fair call to say this will only be for some tastes, but I'm struggling to think of a watch that offers this unique level of visual intrigue at this price point on a serial level. We've all seen the customised watches people have commissioned over the years with similar engraving styles, but this Maurice Lacroix provides a comparable aesthetic in a forward-thinking, complete package.

The Aikon Skeleton Urban Tribe will set you back £3,990.

Oris

Wrapping up the GWDs releases with a crowd-pleasing brand that consistently creates watches worthy of discussion, Oris. With well-defined categories and collections, the Holstein-based manufacturer brought a little of everything this year, picking up neatly where they left off at Watches & Wonders.  

Oris AquisPro 4000m

Starting with the most extreme end of the spectrum with an announcement: Oris now goes deeper than ever. Clocking in at 4,000m, the AquisPro holds the record for the most water-resistant watch the brand has ever created. Flying past the Omega Proplof (1,200m) but losing out to its deeper cousin, the Ultra Deep (6,000m), Oris' supersized Aquis parks itself neatly between those two depths – although it still remains quite a fair wack off the 11,000m from Rolex and the Deepsea Challenge. But the AquisPro claws numerous points back, as it comes at less than half the price of these fellow deep divers. Furthermore, with its baby blue wave motif dial matching blue rubber strap and tonal matching coloured ceramic bezel insert, it's arguably got a little more character and personality.

At 49.5mm with a thickness of 23.4mm and a lug-to-lug of 55mm, it's not exactly an inconspicuous watch, but it's not trying to be. It's also not aiming to be as wildly appealing as the non-Pro Aquis references. This one is for the hardiest diving-watch fans, with wrists that can comfortably take its prominent dimensions. But note that three key additional elements work greatly in Aquis-Pro's favour. Firstly, Oris has gone with titanium. Lightweight and better suited to handle immense pressure. Secondly, a patented Oris innovation known as the Rotation Safety System (RSS). Essentially, this locking bezel mechanism ensures no accidental engagement of the bezel as the watch descends. Finally, we have the Calibre 400 under the hood. That's right, five days of autonomy, a 10-year recommended service interval window, a 10-year warranty, anti-magnetic properties, and, as Oris puts it, "better-than-chronometer accuracy".

Prices start for the new AquisPro at £4,900. 

Oris × Bracenet Aquis Date

Two of the most endearing aspects of Oris are their inclusive approach to watchmaking and their authentic environmental consciousness. Many brands claim these now-en-vogue actions, but few deliver on their promises. Actions speak louder than words, and action is at the forefront of Oris' operation, with the latest Aquis writing the next chapter in the brand's environmentally conscious operation.

First, Oris took ocean plastic to make dials with the Upcycle; now they're using discarded fishing nets known as 'ghost nets' similarly, and the results speak for themselves. To help realise these pieces, Oris partnered with experts in re-purposing old fishing nets, Bracenet and have produced two different Aquis models, 36.5mm and 43.5mm. Aside from the whimsical watery hues of the personality-affluent dials, everything else remains textbook Aquis here, with 300m of water resistance, date complications at six, and sandblasted stainless steel relief bezels. Crucially, though, there are no differences in design or execution between each size, excluding the subtle sans 15-minute bezel markings of the smaller piece.

Despite being similar in concept to the Upcycle, I'd argue that the dials of these new models are more universally appealing. They almost give a stone-like dial appearance, like something you'd expect to see from Piaget during the 1970s, with each dial being completely unique. Coming in at a flat £2,000 for each size, Oris has interwoven its brand messaging into the heart of their output without compromising the end product. 

Oris Artelier S

As we take a moment to catch our breath after those two top-class diving watches, let us turn our attention towards a less discussed side to Oris, the Artelier collection. Through no fault of its own, this is a series of watches that struggle to have their voice heard in the sea of loud Aquis' and Divers from Oris. With this latest edition, it still may not be the loudest, but it's certainly saying the right words. The Artelier S is a restrained design from Holstein, available with either a black or green dial. Arguably, the most commanding aspect of these watches is the hours, minutes, and seconds hands themselves, as the markers sit right on the edge of the dial, maintaining an undisturbed dial presence. The bezel and overall 38mm case form factor are other elements that accentuate the stripped-back allure of the Artelier S. The reality is that the likes of the Aquis, Pro-Pilot X, and Sixty Five will continue to grab the headlines, but do yourself a favour and scratch beneath Oris' sporty surface, and you'll uncover some beautiful gems. 

Prices start for the new Artelier S models from £1,600