Six Watches With Unconventional Functions, Displays And Complications

Breaking the rules or pushing back boundaries is critical for the survival of the watchmaking industry. The majority of today’s watches are rooted in the past, yet forget to see what’s needed for today or even the future. There are brands, however, that do things a bit differently for the sake of creativity or innovation. Brands that find solutions for real-world issues when travelling the world, or switching faces during the day, or getting rid of the traditional winding and setting crown. With this in mind, we’ve gathered six watches with unconventional functions, displays or complications.

MING 57.05 Comet

You can’t accuse MING of a lack of creativity. For close to a decade now, the brand has experimented with design, materials, finishing, colours and so on. On top of that, there’s also a layer of out-of-the-box problem-solving, exemplified by this 57.05 Comet. It cleverly solves the issue of Daylight Saving Time when travelling across time zones, with a patented split bezel system that allows you to switch DST to “on” if needed. It’s brilliantly simple, yet serves a genuine practical purpose when frequently circumnavigating the globe. Available on leather or the brand’s Polymesh 3D-printed titanium bracelet, it retails for CHF 6,950 or CHF 7,950, respectively.

For more information, please visit Ming.Watch.com.

Quick Facts – 40mm x 10.33mm – stainless steel case, brushed & polished – patent-pending DST adjustable bezel – sapphire crystal front & back – multilayered blue dial with raster structure – 24-hour worldtime ring – luminous hands & markers – Sellita for MING Calibre 330-.M2, automatic – 28,800vph – approx. 50h power reserve – cobalt blue leather strap or 3D printed titanium Polymesh bracelet – limited to 200 pieces – CHF 6,950 (leather) or CHF 7,950 (Polymesh)

Voxel Meridion VX01-E

The Meridion VX10-E by new independent watchmaker Voxel has a very unique party trick up its sleeve, as it changes faces during the day. The dial is split into two levels, with the lower one jumping between a 12-hour or 24-hour mode, thanks to an in-house-developed jumping module on top of a Soprod Newton P092. One set of markers runs from midnight to 1 pm, with the second one running from noon to 1 am. An additional day/night indication also shows you which mode you’re in. This is set into an octagonal case made of 904L steel, worn on either a suede leather strap for a price of EUR 2,500 or a steel bracelet for EUR 2,850, respectively.

For more information, please visit VoxelWatches.com.

Quick Facts – 41.4mm diameter – octagonal 904L stainless steel case, brushed & polished – sapphire crystal front  & back – 120m water resistance – grained and sunburst dial in charcoal, silver or blue – switching 12/24 disc with day/night indicator – hands & markers with SLN – Soprod Newton P092 automatic with in-house module – 28,800vph – 44h power reserve – limited to 300 pieces in total – suede leather strap or 904L steel bracelet – EUR 2,500 (strap) or EUR 2,850 (bracelet)

Minerva Unveiled Crownless

If you think this Minerva is missing something, you’re half right, as the Unveiled Crownless gets rid of the traditional winding/setting crown. Instead, the crown has been re-engineered into the bezel, with a special unlocking lever on the caseback. Leave it locked, and the fluted bezel winds the movement. Unlock it, and you can set the time through the bezel. It adds a new dimension to how we interact with our watches, which is surprisingly pleasant and at the same time very simple to use. Add to that a gorgeous dial and top-level movement finishing, and you have a very compelling package altogether. The price is set at EUR 39,000.

For more information, please visit Montblanc.com.

Quick Facts – 41.5mm x 11.99mm – stainless steel case, polished & brushed – 18k rose gold fluted bezel for winding & setting – sapphire crystal front & back – 30m water-resistant – ivory-coloured opaline dial – rose gold-coated hands – recessed small seconds – Calibre M15.08, in-house – manual winding – 139 components – 18,000vph – 80h power reserve – dark green alligator leather strap with folding clasp – regular production – EUR 39,000

Longines Conquest Heritage central power reserve

At first glance, the Conquest Heritage Central Power Reserve by Longines appears to be a conventional watch. Upon close inspection, however, it reveals a rather unique power reserve display. Inspired by a watch from 1959, the central power reserve uses two discs that work together to indicate the remaining power. As the watch is wound, the outer disc rotates until maximum tension is reached. When running, both discs gradually move as the mainspring unwinds, with the pointer indicating the remaining level of autonomy. It takes a little getting used to, but it looks pretty darn cool! This ice blue edition retails for EUR 4,250 on leather or EUR 4,400 on a steel bracelet.

For more information, please visit Longines.com.

Quick Facts – 38mm x 12.30mm – stainless steel case, brushed & polished – light-blue opaline dial – applied rhodium-plated markers & hands – central power reserve indication – framed date window – Calibre L896.5, automatic – exclusive ETA developed movement – 25,200vph – 72h power reserve – silicon balance spring – grey alligator leather strap or stainless steel bracelet with folding clasp – permanent collection – EUR 4,250 (strap) or EUR 4,400 (bracelet)

Artya Complexity Métiers d’Art

Tourbillon watches are not that uncommon, however complex the mechanism may be. Double or even triple tourbillon watches are a lot rarer, but this Artya Complexity Métiers d’Art is truly unique in this high-end mechanical world. Where a regular tourbillon rotates in a perfectly cylindrical motion, the Complexity’s double tourbillons are not only inclined, but also rotate on a conical axis and are coupled by a differential. On top of that, everything is suspended in a clear sapphire crystal case, with hours and minutes indicated on an artistic dial. Limited to just 9 individually numbered pieces, it starts at a price of CHF 190,000.

For more information, please visit Artya.com.

Quick Facts – 42mm x 48mm x 13mm – clear monobloc sapphire crystal case (red ruby also available) – hand-engraved sandblasted dial – applied indices – central hour & minute hands – Calibre Complexity-01, proprietary – manual winding – double-inclined tourbillon with differential – 21,600vph – 50h power reserve – rubber strap with folding clasp – made to order, limited to 9 pieces per case material – CHF 190,000 (sapphire crystal) or CHF 220,000 (red ruby)

Louis Vuitton Tambour Spin Time Air Antipode

Last but certainly not least, we take a look at Louis Vuitton’s captivating Tambour Spin Time Air Antipode. Breaking with the conventions of a traditional world time watch, the Tambour Spin Time Air Antipode puts the 24 time zones of the world on rotating cubes. Each pairing is exactly 12 time zones apart, with the background colour indicator signalling if it’s daytime or nighttime in each specific city. The hours are indicated by a yellow pointer on a central disc with a globe decoration, and a secondary disc with hour numerals. Set in a white gold case, it’s a truly innovative and unique way to tell time across the world. The price is set at EUR 120,000.

For more information, please visit LouisVuitton.com.

Quick Facts – 42.5mm x 12.45mm – white gold case, sapphire crystals front and back, sandblasted bezel with 12 LV letters, 50m water-resistant – sunray and sandblasted dial in blue, white gold markers and hands, world map in galvanic growth – calibre ST12.01, in-house automatic, world time with spin time display, hour disc, minutes, 4Hz, 45h power reserve – blue calfskin strap, gold pin buckle – reference W9WG91 – EUR 120,000