Top 5 Watches Released in the First Half of the Year According to Foreign Journalists: Montblanc, IWC, and More / Compiled by Gisbert L. Brunner

I've never seen such an extraordinary situation hit not just the watch industry, but the whole world. Those of us in the watch industry have lost a forum to see and exchange information about many new products, with all major international watch fairs canceled except for the one in Dubai in January. We asked leading journalists in the watch industry to select their top five new products from those announced in the first half of 2020. We also asked them for their views on the large-scale international watch fairs, which are at a crossroads. This time, we spoke with watch journalist Gisbert L. Brunner.
*This article has been re-edited and published in issue 89 of Chronos Japan, released on June 3, 2020.

Gisbert L. Bruner's Top 5 for the First Half of the Year

1 bit
Montblanc "Montblanc 1858 Split Second Chronograph Limited Edition 100"

Montblanc has gifted the Montblanc 1858 Split-Second Chronograph Limited Edition 100, limited to 100 pieces, with a dazzling blue enamel dial. The tachymeter and telemeter scales add to the watch's nostalgic feel. The masterpiece is the manual-winding movement, Cal. MB M16.31, visible through the transparent back of the classic titanium case. To ensure precise time display and timekeeping to within 1/5 of a second, skilled watchmakers must meticulously assemble 262 individually crafted components. The rattrapante mechanism allows two timers to be started and stopped simultaneously, recording lap times.

2 bit
IWC "Portugieser Yacht Club Moon & Tide"

With a diameter of approximately 45mm, the IWC Portugieser Yacht Club Moon & Tide will help you keep track of the tides. This 18K gold watch is powered by an in-house automatic movement that displays the tides in a regular pattern on its axis. From neap tides to spring tides, the strength of the tides can be determined at a glance by looking at the dial. What's more, it boasts high accuracy, with a daily deviation of approximately 10 minutes over 100 years. It also features a double moon phase display at 12 o'clock, showing the phases of the moon as seen from both the northern and southern hemispheres.

3 bit
Piaget "Altiplano Ultimate Concept"

Piaget's Altiplano Ultimate Concept is just 2mm thick, including its cobalt alloy case. Watchmakers assemble the entire gear train, from the barrel to the balance and escapement, directly into the 1.2mm-thick case back. The gears are "flying wheels," meaning they are cantilevered. The open barrel, located at 6 o'clock, was designed completely from scratch and rotates on ceramic ball bearings. The barrel stores a power reserve of approximately 40 hours, and the balance wheel oscillates at 28,800 vibrations per hour.

4 bit
Bvlgari "Serpenti Seduttori Tourbillon"

The Bvlgari Serpenti Seduttori's manual-winding Caliber BVL150 measures 22mm x 18mm and is only 3.65mm thick. Its shape makes it a perfect fit for the 34mm-wide, 18K pink gold case, which is water-resistant to 3 bar. The highlight of this watch is undoubtedly its one-minute tourbillon. Through the sapphire crystal, which serves as the bearing for this delicate rotor, one can fully admire the balance wheel, which oscillates at 21,600 vph within the tourbillon cage. When fully wound by hand, the tourbillon movement will run for approximately 40 hours.

5 bit
Roger Dubuis "Excalibur Twofold"

Roger Dubuis presents the Excalibur Twofold with a double flying tourbillon. Its 45mm case is crafted from Mineral Composite Fiber (MCF), a unique composite fiber never before used in a luxury mechanical watch. This pure white material is 99.95% silica (silicon dioxide). All angles of the movement's upper plate remain luminous for 60% longer than standard materials. Rubber strap specialist Biwi offers a world-first technology called LumiSuperBiwiNova, which allows the strap to glow brightly in the dark, using a proprietary luminescent FKM rubber (fluoro rubber).