On the fourth day of our coverage of Watches & Wonders Geneva, we are back to full presentations within the Palexpo. Time is simply not on our side, which is ironic, given that we are literally surrounded by timekeepers of all sorts. Fortunately, we have cobbled together enough press materials and from our own shoots, to say something useful. After days of focussing on the second part of Watches & Wonders, we want to look at actual wristwatches.

At H. Moser & Cie, we need not spill anything at all with regards to the Endeavour Perpetual Calendar because it literally explains itself on the dial. Since this watch debuted before the fair, we won’t tarry. We have also already covered it, and now we have also spoken with CEO Edouard Meylan about it. This is the first educational dial we can think of in watchmaking, and that is pretty significant. Also there is a new Streamliner Chronograph Blacker than Black, with exterior surfaces coated in Vantablack; Vantablack is the darkest thing known to man, with the material absorbing more 99 per cent of all the light that hits it. Seen head-on, the watch looks like a bunch of hands floating in a black hole. For now, the watch remains experimental, and it struck virtually everyone who saw it, leading many to declare, “What watch?”

Calendar watches appear to be a bit of a thing at Watches & Wonders Geneva, with Jaeger-LeCoultre betting on a Polaris Perpetual Calendar, on the practical side of things, while also bringing astronomical leanings into the picture, with two standout watches powered by calibre 945. The Polaris watch is a tool watch with superlative water-resistance, and all calendar indications controlled by a single pusher. Desynchronisation appears to not be a problem here either, but Jaeger-LeCoultre takes pains to include a safety indicator on the dial, warning one to avoid setting the watch between 8pm and 4am. 

Panerai also has a new perpetual calendar in the game, the Luminor Goldtech Calendario Perpetuo PAM01269, which we almost missed until we asked specifically about it. The Milan-by-way-of-Neuchâtel manufacture has nothing to be shy about this watch, which uses a simple display of information dial-side. The month, year, leap year and power reserve indications are displayed via the caseback on the movement. This model apparently existed last year, but we somehow missed it, which is a shame because the watch has a lot of character and a sense of humour.

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