The Best Releases From Geneva Watch Days 2023

As summer is coming to an end, the watch events calendar is picking up with plenty of exhibits, shows, auctions, and awards happening until the end of the year. One of these events is Geneva Watch Days, where almost 40 brands will showcase their latest releases. We’ve combed through them and picked out our favorites. Here are, in our opinion, the best releases from Geneva Watch Days 2023.

What is Geneva Watch Days?

Founded in 2020 by Breitling, Bulgari, De Bethune, Girard-Perregaux, H. Moser & Cie., MB&F, Ulysse Nardin, and Urwerk, Geneva Watch Days is an annual watch event that now includes almost 40 brands. Unlike other watch shows that take place under one roof, Geneva Watch Days is more flexible.

While one central location (Rotonde du Mont-Blanc pavilion on Lake Geneva) hosts various events throughout the five-day-long affair, lots of the action happens in the brands’ showrooms throughout the city. As the organizers say, “It is an independent and collaborative organization that is self-managed, light, flexible, and agile, providing a common space to showcase the latest in watchmaking, while giving participating brands the opportunity to host decentralized activities.”

The 2023 edition is slated to take place from August 29 to September 2, 2023 — so if you find yourself in Geneva during the week, pass by the pavilion or one of the boutiques to soak in all the horological goodness. But if you aren’t there, no worries — we’ve compiled a list of the best new releases from Geneva Watch Days 2023 for you to enjoy.

Brands Participating in Geneva Watch Days 2023

H. Moser & Cie Vantablack Watches

For Geneva Watch Days 2023, H. Moser has introduced two new watches to its Endeavour collection: the Endeavour Tourbillon Concept Vantablack and the Endeavour Centre Seconds Vantablack.

Vantablack is a material made of carbon nanostructures that absorbs 99.965% of light; it’s said to be the darkest substance on the planet. As you may recall, H. Moser is no stranger to Vantablack, having used the “blackest black” on its dials in the past.

This time, the dials are paired with red gold cases. Both watches featured 40mm 5N red gold cases and red gold hands on the Vantablack dials. The Endeavour Centre Seconds Vantablack also includes red gold indices. On the other hand, the Endeavour Tourbillon Concept Vantablack is void of any hour markers (a signature of the H. Moser Concept line), giving full attention to the one-minute tourbillon at 6 o’clock.

2023 Retail Prices:
H. Moser & Cie Endeavour Centre Seconds Vantablack: $27,600 MSRP
H. Moser & Cie Endeavour Tourbillon Concept Vantablack: $82,500 MSRP

Further reading: 5 Reasons Not to Sleep on H. Moser & Cie Watches

MB&F HM9 “Flow” Sapphire Vision Watches

Introduced in 2018, the Horological Machine N°9, a.k.a. the HM9 “Flow,” houses what MB&F founder Maximilian Büsser described as “the most beautiful movement we’ve created to date.” With that in mind, in 2019, MB&F revealed the “Sapphire Vision” version of the HM9, featuring a transparent sapphire shell to show as much of the movement as possible. The unconventional form of the watches is a tribute to the automotive and aeronautic designs of the 1940s and 50s.

And now, the HM9-SV (which stands for Sapphire Vision) is back, available in two highly limited editions. The first is in yellow gold, paired with a PVD-coated green engine and black strap. The other is in white gold, combined with a PVD-coated blue engine and brown strap.

Both creations run on the spectacular manual-winding in-house movement regulated by a pair of fully independent balances and supplied with 45 hours of power reserve via a single large mainspring barrel. A series of gears, wheels, and screws, and other mechanical elements, all arranged, in true MB&F fashion, in three-dimensional form. Most impressively, however, is the shape of the movement, which faithfully follows the wild silhouette of the HM9-SV watch.

MB&F will only make five pieces of each of the yellow gold and white HM9 Sapphire Vision watches, each priced at a jaw-dropping $490,000 at retail.

More on MB&F: MB&F Introduces the Limited LMX Paris Edition Watch

Bulgari Octo Finissimo CarbonGold Watches

Bulgari is expanding its popular Octo Finissimo watch collection yet again with a duo of CarbonGold watches, crafted from forged carbon and embellished with rose gold details.

The first is the Bulgari Octo Finissimo CarbonGold Automatic, featuring a time-only dial housed inside its 40mm in diameter by 6.9mm thick forged carbon case. The other is the Bulgari Octo Finissimo CarbonGold Perpetual Calendar with the same 40mm forged carbon case but slightly taller, coming in at 7.6mm thick. Both editions are fitted with flat sapphire crystals on both sides of the case to maintain the characteristic ultra-svelte silhouette of Octo Finissimo watches. Furthermore, both watches are furnished with rose gold crowns with black ceramic inserts on the right-hand side of the cases while the left sides are fitted with rose gold plates engraved with 18k gold hallmarks.

As expected, the ultra-thin movements powering the watches are visible from the caseback — Caliber BVL 138 for the three-handed automatic and Caliber BVL 305 for the automatic perpetual calendar, both featuring rose gold on the micro-rotors and upper plates and bridges.

2023 Retail Prices:
Bulgari Octo Finissimo CarbonGold Automatic: $26,800 USD MSRP
Bulgari Octo Finissimo CarbonGold Perpetual Calendar: $89,000 MSRP

Back to Basics: What is a Perpetual Calendar Watch? 

Ulysse Nardin Blast Free Wheel Marquetry

Silicon has been central to Ulysse Nardin’s modern era, first appearing in the form of pioneering silicon escapement wheels in the first Freak watch in 2001. Ulysse Nardin is now using silicon not only as a technical material but also as one with artistic applications. Say hello to the Ulysse Nardin Blast Free Wheel Marquetry watch, presented at Geneva Watch Days 2023.

Similar to other Blast Free Wheel watches, the dial of this version is home to a series of movement components that appear as separate entities, seemingly independent from one another. However, the star of the Blast Free Wheel Marquetry is its striking blue dial, composed of 103 radiant blue silicon slices in a marquetry pattern. We’ve seen this application before by Ulysse Nardin — namely in the Freak collection — but this is the first time the Blast collection gets this dial treatment. The dial is encased in a white gold 45mm case and the watch runs on manually wound Caliber UN-176 to power the time, power reserve indicator, and flying tourbillon, which boasts a 170-hour power reserve.

As of the time of publishing, the price of the watch is only revealed “upon request,” which tells you this will be one pricey piece from Ulysse Nardin.

Back to Basics: What is a Tourbillon Watch?

Jacob & Co. “The World Is Yours” Dual Time Zone

Inspired by a watch that Jacob Arabo received from his father at 13 years old, Jacob & Co. unveiled its “The World is Yours” Dual Time Zone in rose gold and blue lacquer for Geneva Days 2023. Inside the 43mm rose gold case sits a beautifully executed dial that depicts the Earth as seen from the sky — namely the Atlantic Ocean and the continents that frame it.

The intricately detailed landmass is stamped and rendered in rose gold while at the center of the domed dial are a trio of subdials — two independent time zones and a shared running seconds hand in the form of a compass rose. Everything is then shielded by a domed sapphire crystal.

This is the inaugural “The World Is Yours” watch from Jacob & Co., which was conceived in honor of Jacob’s father, and we can expect more pieces to join the collection in the near future. Limited to 999 pieces, the Jacob & Co. “The World Is Yours” Dual Time Zone will be priced at $57,000 at retail.

That rounds up our top picks from Geneva Watch Days 2023 so far; it is only the first day so we might see some other fantastic new releases come out over the next five days. Stay tuned right here for any updates.

More 2023 Watch Releases from Grey Market Magazine:
New and Discontinued Rolex Watches for 2023
New Patek Philippe Watches for 2023
Six New Audemars Piguet Code 11.59 Watches Now In Steel
New Vacheron Constantin Overseas Chronograph “Panda” for 2023
Rolex Surprises Everyone with New Daytona Le Mans Watch