The current hipster craze for handmade stuff has officially entered horology. Handmade artisanship has always been part of high-end watchmaking, but the Hand Made 1 from Greubel Forsey really deserves its name. Ninety-five per cent of the parts – 272 in the movement and 36 in the case – are produced using only hand-operated tools. Each one takes 6,000 hours to execute, which works out to about three years in terms of man-hours. The goal of the project is to resurrect the forgotten skills of the pre-industrial revolution days of watchmaking. The tourbillon movement (not used for any other models) may not be the most technical invention from Robert Greubel and Stephen Forsey – but the Hand Made 1 still ranks at the top of what is humanly possible. How motorsports and luxury watches race in the same lane Ulysse Nardin, pioneer in horological silicium technology, takes this technology (which is occasionally frowned upon by traditionalists) to the next level with the concept watch Freak neXt. The innovation has replaced a traditional balance wheel with a multilayered flying oscillator moving at 12 hertz. A construction of 32 silicium micro blades stacked three-dimensionally on top of a solid layer that serves as a flywheel makes the balance cock obsolete. And, as there are no traditional pivoting points, the only friction is with the air; so there is no need for oil. The automatic movement with 70 hours of power reserve is driven with grinder technology, which is twice as efficient as a normal oscillating weight. What I also like is that cutting-edge technology like this gets an equally contemporary housing made of platinum and titanium. Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Master Grande Tradition Gyrotourbillon Westminster Perpétuel could be seen as a nod to Brexit. Why? The minute repeater is a so-called Westminster carillon – it repeats the famous four-note sounding of Big Ben with the aid of four sets of hammers and crystal gongs activated by the slider on the left flank of the 43mm white gold case. Which watches sold for the most in Hong Kong in 2019? As for the rest: there is a gyrotourbillon, easy-to-use perpetual calendar and a one-minute constant force mechanism providing consistent energy, which improves precision and allows for jumping minutes. This solution improves the accuracy of the minute repeater. Besides looking good, the gyrotourbillon improves accuracy, which Jaeger-LeCoultre has proved by winning the most important Chronometrie competitions with watches using this technology. Spectacularly equipped with an impressive double-axis tourbillon, spinning dial suspended on four ball-bearing devices, rotating magnesium globe, and rotating 1ct diamond moon with the eponymous 288-facet Jacob Cut, the Jacob & Co. Astronomia Flawless Imperial Dragon is sky-high on the horological radar. I have included it here as I have rarely seen such pristine execution in turning a watch into a unique art piece. The hand-sculpted red-gold dragon slithers around the mechanical parts, and its fierce ruby eyes capture your gaze. The old phrase of “paint the dragon, dot the eyes” is apt. To have an unhindered view from all angles, the 50mm-wide dragon’s lair is made completely in sapphire crystal – an engineering feat which requires almost 1,000 hours of work. The Bulgari Octo – which many connoisseurs predict will be a future icon – can also be packed with complications. Roma Grande Sonnerie Perpetual Calendar is a horologically supersized meal – perhaps it would be more accurate to describe it as a horologically Michelin-starred menu. The automatically wound manufacture movement features grande and petite sonnerie (watch speak for chimes every quarter, with or without extra chimes for the hours as well), minute repeater, tourbillon, perpetual calendar, moon phase, and two different “fuel” indicators – one at 4.30 for the 48-hour power reserve of the movement and one at 1.30 for the 28 hours of chiming functions. Would you pay US$1.35 million for a rainbow watch? This horological symphony, which is visible thanks to the smoked yet see-through crystal dial, is flamboyantly housed in a 44mm, 18ct white gold case set with 35 baguette diamonds. For better acoustic properties, the middle case is made of titanium – the denser gold has a muting effect. The Roma Grande Sonnerie Perpetual Calendar is limited to eight pieces. Want more stories like this? Sign up here . Follow STYLE on Facebook , Instagram , YouTube and Twitter .