World-renowned watch journalist Gisbert L. Brunner's top 5 new watches of 2020

Gisbert L. Bruner

Co-founder and co-owner of "uhrenkosmos". Studied law, psychology and pedagogy at Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich. Started collecting watches in 1964. One of the three authors of "Wristwatches".

A year of facing difficulties and achieving bountiful harvests
　The world is struggling to catch its breath due to the coronavirus pandemic. People are suffering, and the impact of the pandemic is evident in the watch industry. However, we cannot simply turn a blind eye to reality and hope that good times will return as soon as possible. On the contrary, we must muster our strength, creativity, and unity—more than ever before. This positive phenomenon is happening right now for many Swiss watch brands. 2020 will likely go down in history as a year of severe economic crisis, temporary factory closures, reduced working hours, and, most unfortunate of all, layoffs. However, there have also been some memorable, noteworthy, and extremely interesting new releases, powerful proof that the history of mechanical watches, which began more than 700 years ago, is not over yet.

　Models featuring fascinating complications, such as high-precision calendars and musical instruments, have been released, further refining the accuracy that has been achieved through centuries of trial and error. New movements are being developed one after another, and efforts are being made to extend quality guarantee periods and further improve maintenance. If you are confident in your products and their quality, there is no need to limit yourself. The COVID-19 pandemic may ultimately have a positive side effect. The two models from Oris and Frederique Constant mentioned here demonstrate that watches with innovative internal mechanisms do not necessarily have to be expensive.

Gisbert L. Bruner's Top 5 New Watches for 2020

Chronométrie Ferdinand Berthoud Chronometer FB 2RE

The Chronometer FB 2RE is equipped with the Caliber FB-RE.FC, which is equipped with a fusé-and-chain movement and a one-second remontoir d'égalité mechanism. This extremely difficult mechanism to realize drives the jumping seconds, which is a sight to behold.

Frederique Constant Highlife Perpetual Calendar Manufacture

Frederique Constant offers the most affordable sporty mechanical wristwatches with perpetual calendars and moon phase displays. The stainless steel model shown here is equipped with the company's own automatic movement, the FC-775.

Oris Aquis Date Caliber 400

The twin barrels provide a power reserve of approximately 120 hours. It also comes with a 10-year recommended overhaul period and a quality guarantee. The new model boasts water resistance to 30 bar and enhanced magnetic resistance, all while being reasonably priced.

Parmigiani Fleurier Hijra Perpetual Calendar

This watch is the first in the history of mechanical wristwatches to feature a perpetual calendar designed based on the Islamic lunar calendar, the Hijri calendar, made possible by the Cal. PF009 movement, which has a power reserve of approximately 48 hours and a moon phase display.

Patek Philippe Grand Sonnerie 6301P

The Caliber GS 36-750 PS IRM is an exceptional movement, featuring a carillon-style grand and petite sonnerie, minute repeater, power reserve indicator for the movement and chiming mechanism, and jumping seconds.