Armchair Picks: Robin’s 3 of the Best from Watches and Wonders 2023

The last week certainly saw a huge flurry of activities in the horological scene. After all, this came from the back of one of the most significant horological events in the calendar – Watches and Wonders.

As usual, following the barrage of new launches and novelties over the last few days, we took some time to digest all the happenings and select our top 3 favourite timepieces from the exhibition.

We were rather impressed by most brands and their new offerings this year. There are certainly some that broke the mould and stepped out of their comfort zone, which is something that we would like to applaud. There are others who continue to produce some rather exquisite and fine watches as well. This certainly made our job more difficult, but I guess we have to stick to the rules after all.

So, without any further ado, here are my top 3 picks from Watches & Wonders 2023.

Urwerk UR-102 “Reloaded”

The Urwerk UR-102 “Reloaded” (picture above courtesy of Urwerk) is the first watch on my list. For the regular readers, you might have also recognised that I chose this particular watch for my horological Christmas wishlist last year as well.

There is just something so effortlessly cool about the UR-102, and I am so happy that Urwerk had decided to bring back this timepiece once again. On the surface, the UR-102 features just an arc, with an aperture that displays the hour (which also incidentally acts as a minute indicator of sorts). But it is more than just that. This is a statement piece, and of course, one that also tells us the horological journey of the brand and its extraordinary co-founders.

Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Chronograph

There is always something rather poetic about the Reverso. But when the famed watch manufacturer decided to incorporate the chronograph complication into the iconic timepiece, it instantly brought the Reverso up a few notches.

It is not just the inclusion of the chronograph that makes this watch so desirable. It was the stunning execution that really elevated the Reverso Chronograph (picture above courtesy of JLC). We like how the chronograph was featured on the reverse side, with an openworked dial that allows the gorgeous movement to be viewed. Honestly, if I were to own the Reverso Chronograph, the watch would most likely be worn on the chronograph side for 95% of the time.

The Reverso Chronograph is an incredible and special watch, and there is no doubt about it. Despite the fact that there are many outstanding watches from W&W 2023, this JLC might perhaps be the best novelties that we have seen amongst the lot. This is high praise, considering that there are many brilliant watches at the event as well.

Chopard L.U.C 1860

We round up the selection with another beautiful timepiece: Chopard L.U.C 1860 (picture above courtesy of Chopard).

The Chopard is perhaps what one would consider to be a textbook example of a perfect dress watch. Featuring a discreet 36.5mm steel case, the three-hand L.U.C 1860 is also fitted with a magnificent salmon hand-guilloché dial that is just beautiful beyond words.

On the business-end, the Calibre 96.40-L is also a sight to behold. The movement – which has the Poinçon de Genève hallmark – is well-finished, with haute horlogerie touches throughout. 

With such a beautiful face and a lovely mechanical heart, you cannot really ask for more, can you?

Concluding Thoughts

There are many wonderful novelties this year, with special mention to the new Rolex Perpetual 1908 and the IWC Ingenieur as some of the watches that have nearly made it into my top 3 picks. 

W&W 2023 have certainly shown us that watch manufacturers are willing to step out of their comfort zone to produce extraordinary creations. We certainly hope that this is the start of something amazing.