Best watch to buy for Christmas 2023, from Christopher Ward to Girard-Perregaux
We bring you all the latest goings on in the world of watch news, from new store openings to the latest motoring collaboration.
Sheer lunacy
The moonphase function on a watch can seem an afterthought, an essentially unnecessary complication sitting at six o’clock and largely ignored. Christopher Ward has turned that thinking on its head by launching a watch that is all moonphase.
This is the third time the brand has played with this notion, following on from 2015’s C9, a more classic interpretation, and 2019’s C1 Moonglow – a green SuperLuminova delight with a 3D moon and sporty vibe. Now there’s the C1 Moonphase.
Christopher Ward has stripped the aventurine dial of all detail, even the logo and because each piece of aventurine is different, every dial is unique. However, the real “star” is the moonphase. It is 25 per cent bigger than its predecessor and made from Globolight – a SuperLuminova and ceramic mix that glows white rather than green, which, when combined with its 3-dimensionality and photorealistic moon surface, gives it an eerily realistic appearance.
Christopher Ward has connected the moonphase module to the hour hands of its in-house JJ04 movement to ensure that, if the watch is kept wound it will be accurate for 128 years. It does come on a bracelet, but it is the midnight-blue strap that really emphasises the after-dark elegance of the design. If you’re in the market for a dress watch that’s a little out of this world, look no further.
• Go to christopherward.com
Subdial bullish on the watch market
You may not have heard of Subdial yet, the new-ish kid on the pre-owned block, but you soon will. It’s notable for its Market Index – a chart, in association with Bloomberg, that tracks the prices of the 50 most bankable watches, like a stock market. Subdial’s founders, Christy Davis and Ross Crane, want you to treat your watch collection like an investment portfolio, buying and selling regularly to ensure you capitalise on your wrist-worn investments.
Subdial isn’t just about data analysis, it’s a marketplace too. New watches drop every Thursday and Subdial takes care of everything from authentication to servicing and shipping. There’s even an incentive scheme for those who like to chop and change on the regular, with membership tiers and reduced fees the higher up you move. It’s not for those who think of watches as sentimental objects but if you don’t have that attachment, it’s an exciting way to build a collection.
• subdial.com
Brilliant boutiques
Bricks and mortar are back, and it’s not all about Bond Street anymore. G er, in the capital on east Piazza on the Royal Opera House Arcade. This sleek minimalist spot will showcase the brand’s collections as well as its collaboration with Aston Martin. Slightly closer to watch mecca but very much not your average watch boutique is Kettle Kids on Maddox Street. Kettle Kids, aka Harvey and Jacob Hutson, started their business online with “one thousand pounds from our nan” in 2017 selling high-end watches and jewellery.
This is their first physical space and it’s as original as they are. The shop front is mint acrylic, obscuring what’s inside. A few select watches are displayed like works of art and camel-wool curtains break up the hard surfaces. It’s a delight for the senses as well as being an unconventional space to make your next watch purchase. Also opting for the unconventional is ROX. This Scottish luxury powerhouse has finally ventured south and has opened its first boutique in London in Battersea Power Station. Like everything ROX does it exudes glamour, from the well-stocked champagne bar to the blush, plush furnishings.
Girard-Perregaux, Green Machine
Girard-Perregaux could quite happily have rested on its laurels after the launch of its gorgeous green ceramic Aston-Martin edition Laureato. But no. It has decided what the world needs is another Aston Martin collaboration, this time taking on the iconic Three (well, in this case two) Bridges design. This is the fifth co-branded watch but it is the first time that it has been in Aston Martin’s signature green. The 45mm case is in DLC coated titanium, the inscribed micro rotor and barrel are inspired by the visible brakes that can be seen through the spoked wheels of a DB12, the hands are filled with green lume and the sapphire caseback is emblazoned with the car brand’s logo. It’s a wonderful mash-up of tradition and technology and a sign of a partnership that has still wings.
- £32,100, girard-perregaux.com