Three showstopping watches bound for the Geneva fair

It seems the good times are back, with Asian consumers buying high-end watches again. This bodes well for the first big watch event of next year, the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie (SIHH), which takes place in Geneva, Switzerland, in January, and will feature 34 brands (up from 18 in 2015). Watch­­makers are already teasing us with their annual pre-SIHH press blitz, and here are three watches that caught my eye.

First up is the Rotonde de Cartier Mysterious Day & Night. Cartier buffs will know this watch is a nod to the mystery clocks that made the company world famous in the 1920s and 30s (I still have no idea how they work).

The design of the watch leans heavily on an early-20th-century aesthetic (which is a Cartier strength). The use of pink gold for the 40mm case goes against current market trends but works here, providing an attractive contrast to the signature sapphire that tops the crown.

The dial is cleverly divided, with the top half displaying the hour and a day/night indicator, and the lower half showing minutes with a retro­grade blued-steel minute hand.

Inside the watch is a Calibre 9982 MC in-house movement, which is visible from the back, with 48 hours of power reserve.