atchmaking created essential instruments that drove development in the new era. This was the first wave of globalisation, requiring the world to be split into different time zones to be observed by all countries.

So, where does sport come into all this? Sport was developing in parallel at the same speed, becoming more popular and requiring its own timekeeping instruments with the highest levels of accuracy possible. Sport was an important area of experimentation for watchmaking and a driver for change in itself because it had an essential need for chronographs and timekeeping devices.

Sport was an important area of experimentation for watchmaking and a driver for change in itself because it had an essential need for chronographs and timekeeping devices.

Sport undoubtedly played a key role in the progress of the watchmaking industry and the era as a whole. This role attracted a wider audience and a new audience of enthusiasts.

In today’s world, nobody needs a chronograph on their wrist for their everyday life. But sports watches remain a vestige of the era: reliable accuracy, robust, high performing with an aesthetic appeal that endures.

BREGUET MARINE CHRONOGRAPHE 5527

In 1820, Abraham-Louis Breguet, official timekeeper to the French Royal Navy since 1815, created the double second watch, or observation chronometer, a forefather of the modern chronograph. So, what could be more natural than for the brand that bears his name to introduce a marine chronograph with a blue dial and wave motif to recall its origins? The attractive piece also comes in titanium for the first time, portraying a sporty character when worn with a rubber strap. From 20,000 to 50,000$

PATEK PHILIPPE AQUANAUT REF. 5968A

The Aquanaut first appeared in 1997, twenty years after the famous Nautilus collection, which inspired the Aquanaut, was launched. At the time, Patek Philippe’s aim for the rounder watch was to broaden the brand’s appeal to a younger audience. The ‘wings’ of the Nautilus model were smoothed down and the watch featured a more square dial and a rubber strap. Both sporty and stylish, the collection helped the brand attract new watch fans, grow its clientele, venture into the women’s watch market and release an interesting range of colours. Following the introduction of the Travel Time in 2011 (we’d been waiting a long time) the first chronograph was added to the watch (calibre CH 28-520 C, automatic flyback chronograph). Visually, the chronograph’s markers, with a central seconds hand, peripheral seconds track with quarter-second markers and 60-minute timer fit seamlessly into the iconic design, made unique thanks to the orange details that stand out from the black background. From 20,000 to 50,000$

ROLEX GMT-MASTER II

In 1954, Rolex launched the GMT-Master reference 6524 in collaboration with the famous Pan Am company. The model has gone on to become the benchmark for GMT watches. The watch has gradually undergone various iterations ever since. Innovation has inched forward without ever affecting the iconic status of the model. In 1955, the graduated 24-hour disc of the GMT-Master’s bicolour bezel – which has since become more than emblematic – was made of Plexiglas. In 1959, it was made of anodised aluminium. In 2005, high-tech ceramic arrived on the scene with the GMT-Master II. In 2007, the bezel and bezel disc were crafted from a single piece of what officially became known as “Cerachrom”, the name given to the inhouse technology. The numerals and graduations are moulded in solid material and PVD-plated with gold or platinum. The piece is UV-resistant. From 5,000 to 10,000$

TUDOR BLACK BAY GMT

To Tudor, the Black Bay line is “the result of a subtle combination of historic styles and modern watchmaking. As opposed to simply reissuing a new version identical to the classic, Tudor has distilled over 60 years of diving watch designs into one thoroughly modern piece.” The Black Bay GMT model was one of the stand-out pieces at Baselworld 2018. It features a 41 mm steel case with a Pepsistyle 24-hour bidirectional rotating bezel in anodised aluminium that strikingly resembles the iconic GMT-Master from Tudor’s sister brand Rolex. Nonetheless, the Black Bay GMT has many distinctive details. Don’t let that comparison hold you back. From 3,000 to 5,000$

CHANEL J12 COLLECTOR ROSE

The J12 has made a lasting impression since it first appeared in 2000. For its designer Jacques Helleu, his aim was to create “a sporty watch combining design and technology," at that time in the form of hi-tech ceramic. More than twenty years later, the J12 has been a resounding success and has proven to be an extremely versatile design. With the 38 mm J12 Collector Rose, mixing a white ceramic case with a pearlescent rose dial dotted with 12 diamonds to mark the hours, Chanel has proven that sport, femininity and sophisticated style can all be part of the same design. From 5’000 to 10’000$

FAVRE-LEUBA RAIDER BATHY 120 MEMODEPTH

When the Bathy was first introduced in 1968 it was one of the first wristwatches to come with a pressure membrane and centre hand to measure depth more accurately. For its 50th anniversary, the Raider Bathy 120 MemoDepth comes with an updated depth gauge. A special pressure membrane integrated into the back of the case allows water to enter a chamber where pressure is measured to determine depth up to 120 metres, twice that of the original Bathy watch. Depth is indicated on the dial by the blue centre hand. The watch also has a depth memory function to record the maximum depth reached during a dive. The membrane and movement are hermetically separated, protecting the watch. From 5,000 to 10,000$

CASIO G-SHOCK MR-G “TETSU-TSUBA”

Over 100 million G-Shock watches have been sold in thirty-five years, cementing its status as one of the most popular sports watches in the world. Tetsu-Tsuba, the latest version of the watch, is bursting with technical features and extremely robust. The name comes from a traditional Japanese artisanal metalwork technique. The model proves that the two diametrically opposed worlds of technology and tradition can be combined in one piece. In this case, GPS Hybrid Wave Ceptor technology, which guarantees accuracy in any location worldwide in all conditions, and the traditional art form of Tetsu-Tsuba work seamlessly together. From 5,000 to 10,000$

SINGER TRACK1 HONG KONG EDITION

The AgenGraphe, (the name comes from Jean-Marc Wiederrecht’s firm Agenhor) the calibre powering the Singer Track1 stands apart from all previous chronograph movements. The result of a decade of development, it completely redefines fundamental principles that have remained unchanged for decades. The underlying idea was to enhance the legibility of the chronograph – which is usually poor – with the use of small counters spread out across the dial. Thanks to a radically new architecture, the AgenGraphe brings together all the chronograph functions in the centre of the watch, allowing for an easy and intuitive reading of elapsed time. To further enhance legibility, the chronograph incorporates jumping minute and hour indicators. The Hong Kong Edition is the third iteration of the watch. From 20,000 to 50,000$

CHOPARD MILLE MIGLIA 2018 RACE EDITION

Chopard has created a special-edition watch to celebrate thirty years of partnership with the Mille Miglia race. The design is inspired by the dashboards of classic cars. Other details also reveal the automobile-inspired design, such as the notched crown resembling a petrol-tank cap and pushers shaped like engine pistons. The strap is perforated in the style of driving gloves. The movement is COSC certified. From 5,000 to 10,000$

EBERHARD & CO. NUVOLARI LEGEND

For over thirty years, Eberhard has celebrated the exploits of racing driver Nuvolari in a collection of sports chronographs. The most recent is the vintage-look Nuvolari Legend. Featuring an automatic movement, the watch comes in a 39.5 mm or 43 mm steel case. The chronograph has a minute display at 12 o’ clock, hour display at 6 o’ clock and a spiral tachometer scale in km/hr in the centre. From 3,000 to 5,000$

BELL & ROSS BR 03-92 DIVER BLUE

Bell & Ross introduced their first diving watch with a square case in 2017, demonstrating their ability to create professional underwater instruments. In the same mould as the Hydromax from 1997, which is water-resistant to 11,100 m, and the BR02 range launched in 2007, the BR03-92 Diver translates the signature square design into the world of diving, an area where round watches dominate. The BR 03-92 was a new point of departure leading to an entirely new collection. The BR03-92 Diver Blue and BR03-92 Diver Bronze are the two most recent additions to the collection. From 3,000 to 5,000$

HAMILTON KHAKI X-WIND AUTO CHRONO LIMITED EDITION

Inspired by the original Khaki X-Wind Auto Chrono designed for timekeeping in the air, the 2018 limited edition features the maximum number of functions needed by pilots, including an innovative drift-angle calculator. The bearing structure of the dial makes reading the watch intuitive, whether the wearer is reading one of the chronograph’s three displays, the date window at 9 o’ clock or the rotating bezel with clearly visible markers. The watch includes a COSC H-21-Si calibre, the first Hamilton chronograph movement with a silicon hairspring. The non-magnetic material is particularly useful for pilots, as they often travel through areas with strong magnetic fields such as airports. From 1,000 to 3000$

LONGINES HYDROCONQUEST

The HydroConquest watch is a true diving watch, water resistant up to 300 m with a uni-directional rotating bezel, screw-in crown and back, protective crown cover, double security folding clasp and integrated diving extension. It comes in two versions: a 41 mm diameter chronograph model and a calendar version with three hands measuring 41 or 43 mm in diameter. Both come with an automatic mechanical movement. From 1,000 to 3000$

CERTINA DS ACTION DIVER SEA TURTLE CONSERVANCY

Launched in 1959, the DS concept (Double Safety) uses special O-ring gaskets between the crown and the case back to comply with ISO 6425 for professional diving watches. This special version is water resistant up to 300 m with a screwdown crown and case and a unidirectional bezel with hands coated in Super-LumiNova. The watch includes the automatic Powermatic 80 ETA movement, famous for its eighty-hour power reserve. Less than 1,000$

TISSOT SEASTAR 1000

The Tissot Seastar 1000 automatic Powermatic 80 has all of the functions a diver could need: water resistance to 300 m, luminous hands, with an additional luminous dot on the seconds hand, a diving scale marked minute-by-minute up to twenty minutes, then every five minutes, screw-in crown and back. The 43 mm diameter watch is worn with a steel strap with a folding clasp and diving extension or rubber strap. Less than 1,000$

BULOVA SPORT CHAMPLAIN PRECISIONIST

Powered by the Bulova proprietary Precisionist eight-hand quartz chronograph movement with a 262kHz vibrational frequency, eight times greater than standard timepieces for unparalleled accuracy. Stainless steel and blue IP steel screw-back case with screw-down crown, black carbon fibre chronograph dial with date feature and red accents, curved mineral crystal, textured blue polyurethane strap with three-piece buckle closure, and 300-metre water resistance. Less than 1,000$

JEAN MARCEL OCEANUM CHRONOGRAPH

The meeting point between sport and timeless elegance. This watch comes with an automatic chronograph movement based on the ETA 2894-2 and is water resistant up to 300 m. Only 200 watches have been created (100 blue and 100 salmon pink), featuring a sapphire case back and a leather, rubber or Milanese mesh strap. From 1,000 to 3000$

HANHART PRIMUS DIVER

Established in 1882, Hanhart supplied the Navy with chronographs, including the famous single-button Calibre 40, and stopwatches. Today naval officers, leisure sailors and divers wear wristwatches or use stopwatches from Hanhart both on and under the water. The Primus Diver’s fluted bezel with inlaid red marking is reminiscent of the design of the watch manufacturer’s legendary chronographs and is realised as a concave, unidirectional rotating bezel featuring a scale for calculating the dive time. It can be adjusted in an anticlockwise direction and has a detent set in steps of a minute. Automatic chronograph movement HAN3809 (bicompax). From 3’000 to 5,000$

SEIKO PROSPEX 1968 COMMEMORATIVE EDITION

In 1968, just three years after Seiko’s first diver’s watch was made, Seiko’s engineers raised the bar with a hi-beat diver’s watch with 300 metre water resistance, which became one of the foundation stones on which Seiko’s future diver’s watch development was based. It had a 10-beat high precision automatic calibre, a onepiece structure, screw-down protection crown and unidirectional rotating bezel. 50 years after, Seiko presents a commemorative version of this watch. Its signature feature is the deep green colour of the dial and bezel. Durability and strength are the watchwords; the zirconia ceramic bezel is highly resistant to scratches and shocks, the stainless steel case has a super-hard coating and the sapphire crystal has an anti-reflective coating both inside and out. The minute markers on the bezel are painted with a specially powerful Lumibrite to increase the legibility of the rotating bezel. In addition to the steel bracelet, a high strength silicone strap also accompanies the watch. From 1,000 to 3000$

BAUME & MERCIER CLIFTON CLUB INDIAN LEGEND TRIBUTE CHIEF

Baume & Mercier has created a series of sports watches to celebrate its partnership with Indian Motorcycle, which was founded in the USA in 1901. The collection includes the Clifton Club Indian Legend Tribute Chief model, featuring an automatic chronograph housed in a 44 mm satin-finished stainless-steel case emblazoned with ADLC details. The black dial with riveted indexes is encircled by a tachymetric scale to measure speed. The hour and minute hands are coated in Superluminova. The signature style of Indian’s motorcycles can be seen in the watch design: the red seconds hand of the chronograph displays the brand’s iconic “I” and the date 1901 is engraved onto the date disc and the case back features the famous Indian headdress. From 3’000 to 5,000$

MICHEL HERBELIN NEWPORT CHRONOGRAPH AUTOMATIC

Michel Herbelin has completely redesigned its automatic chronograph, fitted with a Sellita SW510, to mark the 30th anniversary of its Newport collection originally created in 1988. The 43.5 mm case comes in stainless steel, while the dial features three sub-dials, all finished in anthracite-grey PVD. The updated rectangular push-pieces are located on either side of the crown, which is still notched but now comes in a conical shape, accentuating the geometrical design of the case. Water-resistant to 100 m, the tricompax chronograph can record elapsed times up to 12 hours. Three sub-dials at 3, 6 and 9 o’clock display 30-minute and hour counters and a small seconds hand. A worldwide limited edition of 300 numbered timepieces was launched at Baselworld 2018. From 1,000 to 3000$

SQUALE 1521 50 ATM PROFESSIONAL

This watch is designed by Charles von Büren, the founder of Squale. Since the fifties, Squale has been creating its own diving watches, and the most recent model has to be the most simply elegant of the entire range. Water resistant up to 500 m, the watch has an attractive compact design at 42 mm in diameter and 13 mm in thickness. The custom shape of the case protects the screw-down crown at four-thirty, while the orange minute hand makes the watch easy to read. The watch comes in three different finishes: high-gloss polished steel, sandblasted steel, or matte PVD. There is also a wide range of lacquered dial colours available. The movement is an ETA Swiss 2824-2 automatic. Less than 1,000$

TRASER P68 PATHFINDER AUTOMATIC

Traser invented the self-illuminating technology trigalight®, so it’s no surprise that light is the main feature of the P68 Pathfinder Automatic and all other Traser watches. Trigalight® functions without external light or energy sources, guaranteeing complete visibility even in the most demanding environments. Trigalight® takes the leading role when Super-LumiNova elements have faded. A glimpse inside the case reveals the secret of the P68 Pathfinder Automatic: a compass that can be operated with one hand using the crown at 8 o’clock. Used in combination with the position of the sun and the hour hand, the compass makes it easy to determine the wearer’s current position and the cardinal directions. Less than 1,000$

CITIZEN ECO-DRIVE DIVER 200M CHRONOGRAPH PROMASTER

This ISO-compliant chronograph features water resistance for diving up to 200m and a unidirectional bezel, screw down crown and push buttons. This model features a 1/5 second chronograph that can measure up to 60 minutes. Promaster’s photo-luminescent markings absorb light fast, stay bright for a long time and cover a generous proportion of the hands. Eco- Drive generates energy to drive the watch even in dim light and stores the surplus in a rechargeable cell. On a single full charge, it can run for up to six months in total darkness, eliminating the need to replace or recharge batteries. Less than 1,000$

LOUIS ERARD CHRONOGRAPH 1931 TITANIUM

Coming in anthracite-red and anthracite-blue versions, the first titanium model by Louis Erard is elegant, sporty and defiantly modern. The ultra-light case is made from resistant sandblasted titanium. The 44 mm chronograph incorporates the design aspects of the successful 1931 line, particularly the visible wheel at 12 o’ clock. The automatic ETA 7750 Valjoux mechanical movement is inside the case back. From 1,000 to 3000$

All mentioned prices are indicative and correspond to price segment.

TO READ MORE
Europa Star Watch Curator ’18 is a selection of 147 watches classified under 13 specific trends:
Tourbillons - Globes - Sun, Moon & Stars - Purity - Open-worked - Skulls - Sport - Tough - New displays - Barocco - Vintage & Neo-vintage - Connected - Calibres.