Sculpting Time, With 6 Highly Expressive Case Designs

A beautiful product is nothing without a good package, and the same goes for watches. You can design the most stunning dial, back it up with a stellar mechanical movement, but put it in a case that doesn’t match, and it all falls flat. And it’s a real challenge for watchmakers and brands to get right, as they’re bound by the fact that a watch needs to serve the purpose of, well, a watch. Ergonomics comes into play, but also ductility, rigidity and so on. But what if they can tick all those boxes, and yet go very creative in their design? What if, besides the dial and movement, they allow themselves to go above and beyond to create something provocative, something eye-catching? Sure, that means it probably won’t appeal to everyone, but isn’t that the whole point? Don’t we all want something that deeply resonates with us, that creates an emotion? The six watches we’ve paired together in this week’s Buying Guide certainly hit all the marks in expressiveness and creativity!

Hublot MP-17 Meca-10 Arsham Splash Titanium Sapphire

Leave it to Hublot to divide a room. Over the years, the brand has lost nothing of its provocative nature, and the MP-17 Meca-10 Arsham Splash Titanium Sapphire is a perfect embodiment of that. The round central case is topped with an ice-like sapphire crystal bezel and a uniquely asymmetrical crystal over the dial. The play between materials, finishes and reflections is a collision of engineering and art. Made in collaboration with Daniel Arsham, this 99-piece limited edition uses the new HUB1205 Meca-10 movement that displays hours, minutes, small seconds and the power reserve, which is a whopping 240 hours. The price is set at EUR 69,000.

For more information, please visit Hublot.com.

Quick Facts – 42mm x 15.35mm – titanium case, micro-blasted – frosted sapphire crystal bezel – splash-shaped sapphire crystal front & back – 50m water-resistant – openwprked dial construction – Arsham green Super-LumiNova – HUB1205 Meca-10, in-house – manual winding – skeleton construction – 264 components – 240h power reserve – Charmille grained black rubber strap with titanium deployant buckle – limited to 99 pieces – EUR 69,000

David Candaux DC12 MaveriK

David Candaux himself can already be described as a maverick of the indie watchmaking scene, with his unconventional ideas and complications. Inclined tourbillons, highly domed dials, a retractable “magic crown” and so on. It’s all very thought-provoking, but the DC12 MaveriK takes things up a notch or two. Not only does it pack a very special double regulator system, but also a highly three-dimensional dial. This is all housed in a very fluid, curvaceous titanium case, with a central barrel and two lug “blades” on either side. With production being limited to an unspecified number, this one will set you back CHF 98,000 before taxes.

For more information, please visit DavidCandaux.com.

Quick Facts – 39.5mm x 11.7mm – curved grade 5 titanium case, brushed & polished – retractable “Magic Crown” – sapphire crystal front & back – 50m water-resistant – shaped multi-level dial – three-dimensional indices – blued hands – exposed double regulator – Calibre 30, in-house – manual winding – flying planetary at 12′ – 21,600vph – 58h power reserve – handamde rubber strap with velcro clasp – limited prodution (unspecified) – CHF 98,000 (excl. VAT)

Urwerk UR-150 Blue Scorpion

Urwerk is another one of those names that is known for its stellar creativity both inside and out. The brand’s signature satellite system, until recently found in virtually every Urwerk, usually gets the attention, but the steel case of the UR-150 Blue Scorpion is rather special, too. From the side, it’s an almost continuous curve, with circular, vertical and horizontal grooves, and recessed sections in its flanks. The notches for the screws give it yet more detail, and the big crown and noon rounds things off nicely. This new version of the UR-150 obviously uses blue as the main colour. It is limited to 50 pieces and has a price tag of CHF 90,000.

For more information, please visit Urwerk.com.

Quick Facts – 42.5mm x 51mm x 14.8mm – steel case, sand- and micro-bead blasted – circular, vertical & horizontal grooves – sapphire crystal front & back – crown at noon – blue aluminium satellite system – wandering/satellite hours, retrograde minutes – blue minute track – UR-50.01, automatic – Vaucher base with in-house module – 28,800vph – 43h power reserve – blue hybrid rubber strap with folding clasp – limited to 50 pieces – CHF 90,000

Holthinrichs Signature LAB Series 1.24

From the Netherlands, and using architecture as a proverbial foundation for its design DNA, Holthinrichs has been carving out a very sculptural horological niche. The latest, the Signature LAB Series 1.24, has a 3D printed titanium case with a uniquely shaped profile. The use of negative space, play of shadows and flowing lines results in a striking, lightweight and very airy case. Especially the lugs, an integral part of the design, are extraordinary. The dial hints at the colours found in the brand’s new atelier, housed in the historical Dutch Armoury in Delft. Using a Sellita SW300 automatic with an in-house rotor, this one is limited to 79 pieces and retails for EUR 5,900 excl. VAT.

For more information, please visit HolthinrichsWatches.com.

Quick Facts – 38.5mm x 9.85mm – 46mm lug-to-lug – 3D-printed grade 5 titanium case – sculpted lugs – sapphire crystal front & back – handmade copper dial with green and gold leaf finish – floating hour markers – facetted skeletonised hands – Sellita SW300, automatic – 28,800vph – 42h power reserve – handmade patina rotor – Cognac rooster leather strap with 3D printed titanium pin buckle – limited to 79 pieces – EUR 5,900 (excl. VAT)

Artya Purity Curvy HMS Mirror

When you think of Artya, you can’t ignore the expressive nature of the brand. The Purity Curvy HMS Mirror, which comes in a range of case materials, finishes and colours, is a tonneau-shaped time-only watch. But that’s not all, as the flowing curves and lines of the case make it so much more than just a tonneau watch. It really is one of those watches to be examined in real life to fully appreciate. Inside houses an openworked manually wound movement with the brand’s signature “Stairway to Heaven” escapement, set over a mirror-polished backplate (optional!). Prices start at CHF 27,900 in titanium and go up to CHF 77,900 for one in NanoSapphire crystal.

For more information, please visit Artya.com.

Quick Facts – 38.5mm x 43mm x 12mm – tonneau-shaped case in titanium, clear or NanoSapphire crystal – crown at noon – sapphire crystal front & back – openworked dial – suspended hour/minutes dial with integrated small seconds – Manually wound movement developed with Télòs SA – 134 components – 28,800vph – twin barrels with 72h power reserve – wide variety of strap options, with ArtyA pin buckle – limited to 99 pieces per case material – CHF 27,900 to CHF 77.900

Credor Locomotive

We’re rounding things off with the Credor Locomotive Green, the unconventional Genta-designed luxury sports watch. The shaped titanium case, which is a softly rounded hexagon at heart, with a brushed & polished bezel that follows the same profile, and is held in place with six functional screws. The crown is playfully set at 4′, and the bracelet only barely touches the case, it seems. From every angle, you can discover new and interesting details. The green dial is finished with a hexagonal pattern repeating the shapes of the inner links of the bracelet. Inside beats the Calibre CR01, which is exclusive to Credor. It retails for EUR 14,500.

For more information, please visit Credor.com.

Quick Facts – 38.8mm x 8.9mm – high-intensity titanium case, brushed & polished – hexagonal design – shaped bezel with functional screws – sapphire crystal – solid titanium back – 100m water-resistant – green dial with hexagonal pattern – applied luminous markers & hands – Calibre CR01, automatic – 28,800vph – 45h power reserve – high-intensity titanium bracelet with folding clasp – GCCR997 – non-limited edition – EUR 14,500