Watches & Wonders: sport meets chic

Think sports watch and the image that generally comes to mind is a dial bristling with counters and scales, designed to capture the split second when all our efforts come together in an exploit. We invariably think of chronographs cut out for racing, dive watches that brave the deep, or high-flying pilot’s watches. However, we would be wrong to forget that sport is a matter of style and elegance too. It’s the angle chosen by the brands taking part in Watches & Wonders, more apt for a gentle hike than riding the rapids.

A. Lange & Söhne Odysseus

A. Lange & Söhne had been conspicuous by its absence from the booming luxury sports watch segment until a couple of months ago, when the Saxon brand presented the Odysseus, several years in development. Cased in steel with a 40.5mm diameter, it comes on an integrated bracelet. Driving the subsidiary seconds, day and date displays is a new in-house automatic movement, the L155.1 Datomatic with 312 components and 50 hours of power reserve.

Pasha de Cartier

After Panthère, Santos and Baignoire, Cartier revisits yet another of its icons, the Pasha, which made its debut in the brand’s collections in 1985. Its distinctive features are a square railroad track in a robust, round case, 100-metre water-resistance, a chained crown, Clous de Paris details on the interchangeable bracelets, and the 1847 MC automatic movement whose amagnetic components are further protected by a paramagnetic shield.

H. Moser & Cie Streamliner Flyback Chronograph

H. Moser & Cie. takes a new direction with the introduction to its catalogue of a line of sports watches. Named after the high-speed trains of the 1920s and 1930s, the Streamliner ticks all the boxes. The flowing lines and ergonomic contours of the 42.3mm cushion-shaped case in steel, mounted on an integrated bracelet, combine with the originality and precision of an automatic chronograph with a central display and a flyback mechanism for the minutes and seconds.

IWC Portugieser Chronograph

This firm favourite in the Portugieser line adopts a gorgeous bottle green colour as well as a new movement. Calibre IWC 69355, which beats at 28,800 Hz for eighth-of-a-second precision and delivers 46 hours of power reserve, takes up residence inside a 41mm steel case that is water-resistant to 30 metres. On the dial, small hacking seconds are joined by recessed counters for the chronograph minutes and seconds.

Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Control Chronograph Calendar

Doing the honours inside this 40mm Chronograph Calendar in steel or Grand Rose Gold – the spearhead of the new Master collection – is the new in-house 759 calibre. It powers a bi-compax chronograph coupled with the triple calendar displays of day, month and date plus moon phases. This is the first time Jaeger-LeCoultre has put all these complications into one watch… a reminder that time measurement goes hand-in-hand with astronomy.

Laurent Ferrier Grand Sport Tourbillon

Laurent Ferrier is also onboard with one of the hottest watch trends in recent years. The result is this Grand Sport Tourbillon whose smooth curves and rounded profiles are a hallmark of the brand. Housed inside a 44mm steel case with integrated bracelet is the very same movement that took home the Men’s Watch prize at the 2010 GPHG, with a tourbillon and double balance spring that can only be seen through the back of the case.

Montblanc 1858 24H

This 1858 24H from Montblanc sits perfectly with the collection’s theme of exploration. In addition to showing the time over 24 hours by way of a single central hand, it doubles up as a compass, hence the scale around the edge of the dial with markers for 5 degree intervals. Simply direct the hand towards the sun and the cardinal points on the compass scale will be correctly aligned. Carrying on the theme, the dial is decorated with a map of the Northern Hemisphere with luminescent highlighting on the meridians.

Panerai Luminor Marina Fibratech™ - 44mm

The new Luminor Marina sees the debut of Fibratech™, a material whose remarkable properties – 60% lighter than steel, resilient and highly resistant to corrosion – explain its use in the aerospace industry. This innovative material is made from natural and sustainable mineral fibres that are produced by the fusion of basalt rock then bound with polymers. Appreciated for its nuanced grey tones, Fibratech™ is making a grand entrance into Panerai’s collections this year.

Rebellion Re-Volt Carbon Forged Bruno Senna

Rebellion is offering a limited reissue of its RE-Volt in the green and yellow colours of Bruno Senna: nephew of Ayrton Senna, driver for the Rebellion Racing Team since 2017 and brand ambassador. The skeletonised movement sits under the openworked dial inside a forged carbon case. Bruno Senna’s signature is emblazoned across the sapphire crystal at 6 o’clock, just above the escapement.