A retrograde is an indication where the hand makes only a part, instead of a full, revolution of a dial before it jumps back to the starting point. A pioneer in the field, Vacheron Constantin has made watches with such indications for a century and its latest Traditionnelle Tourbillon Retrograde Date Openface sees the hand following an arch spanning 9 o’clock to 3 o’clock.

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2. Audemars Piguet Code 11.59 Starwheel

There’s also an arch in the Code 11.59by Audemars Piguet Starwheel. This is a reintroduction of the 1990s Starwheel Wandering Hours complication inspired by 17th-century clocks. The hours appear on three circulating and rotating discs, with the current hour shown at the top of the watch at the correct angle, and a discreet arrow showing minutes along the top of the dial.

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3. Hautlence Sphere Series 1

Ever since its inception in 2004, jumping hours, TV-shaped cases and retrograde minute arches have been hallmarks of Hautlence. With the Sphere Series 1, another dimension is added – literally – thanks to the jumping hours being located on a ball jutting out from the display.

4. Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda PF Xiali Calendar

But how about looking at the whole year differently? Parmigiani Fleurier released a Chinese lunar-solar calendar with an auspicious rouge dial this year. The Tonda PF Xiali Calendar comes complete with a red dial and traditional calendar watch face with Chinese characters and moonphase.

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5. H. Moser & Cie Endeavour Chinese Calendar

It’s not enough for H. Moser & Cie to attempt a Chinese calendar. Rather, they’ve Endeavoured to do away with subdials in favour of a double retrograde complication, with a character denoting the relevant zodiac animal at 12 o’clock and Gregorian date at 6.

6. Longines Spirit Zulu Time 39mm

For those keeping track of more than one timezone, there are few more legible options than the iconic Longines Spirit Zulu Time, now in a very wearable 39mm compared to the previous 42mm. Dating back to 1925, Longines’ dual-time piece refers to the military call sign for Z, who use the term “Zulu time” to designate universal time.

7. Saint Laurent Rive Droite x Girard-Perregaux Casquette 2.0

Eschewing hands altogether, Saint Laurent has collaborated with Girard-Perregaux to reintroduce the 1970s Casquette with this year’s Rive Droite Casquette 2.0. The new model upholds the design language of the original, but it is now encased in ceramic and grade 5 titanium as digital time is shown with blood-red LED. To preserve battery life, this is a watch with “time on demand”: you have to press a button to reveal the time.