The Six Time-Only Watches Competing at Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève, the “Oscars of Watchmaking”

Let’s look at some of the GPHG-nominated watches that fall under the Time-Only category. This basically means they display only analog time indications—hours, minutes, and seconds—by means of two or three hands on a solid dial, devoid of any other indication, complicationComplicationAny function on a mechanical watch beyond telling the hours, minutes, and seconds, such as a calendar, chronograph, moon phase, or tourbillon. Complications demonstrate a watchmaker's technical skill, and moreGo to Complication Glossary, or gem setting.

Of the six watches we’re going to look at, three are relatively true and classic, but with different interpretations, and three are pushing forward something specifically different.

For the classic watches, you could look at the Chopard L.U.C 1860. It’s very crisp and classic, with a 36.50-millimeter stainless steel case on a leather strap and a self-winding movement. There are no numbers, just indices and a seconds subdial.

You have the Laurent Ferrier Classic Origin Beige, which is a watch with a 40-millimeter red gold case, a leather strap, and a refined beige opaline dial. This uses a hand-wound movement with a distinctive design and finishing treatment, as seen through the clear caseback.

Then, continuing with the classic dials, there is the Naoya Hida & Company NH Type 8A, the only one with actual numerals, which has a very different aesthetic and even a different size. It has a 31-millimeter stainless steel case on leather with a manual-wind movement. In many ways, this watch looks the most retro or traditional.

We have the more distinctive pieces. The obvious difference with the Piaget Polo 79 Sodalite watch is that it has the signature gadroon horizontal visual lines that cross from one end of the case to the other and are also seen on the precious sodalite dial. It’s a 38-millimeter watch in white gold with an integrated bracelet and an ultra-thin automatic movementAutomatic MovementA mechanical watch movement powered by a rotor that winds the mainspring through the natural motion of the wearer's wrist, removing the need for a battery. Prized by collectors forGo to Automatic Movement Glossary.

There is the Parmigiani Fleurier Toric Petite Seconde, which is the largest of this bunch of time-only pieces (depending on how you measure, because the last watch is longer up and down but less wide side to side), with a 40.6-millimeter platinum case on a leather strap and a manual mechanical movement. What’s special here is a hammered finish on the morning blue dial, which is itself made of 18-karat white gold.

We also have the very distinct Bulgari Octo Finissimo 37 in satin-polished titanium, which measures 37 by 42 millimeters, with a matching satin-polished titanium bracelet and a self-winding mechanical movement. Bulgari has made great strides with this watch in its larger form, getting the attention of serious watch collectors. This piece can draw from a whole different market because of its smaller dimensions. But the truth is that the larger-size Octo Finissimos have become pretty iconic.

If you look at all these watches, what you see is that none of them have a central seconds hand, which is actually technically harder than a seconds hand in a subdial; so, these time-only watches are really about the statement of cleanliness and vision that the maisons want to bring forward. While these are not complications or technically intensive watches, they have the aesthetic that many younger buyers appreciate more than the busier or sportier pieces that have been popular for quite a while. As such, they can be key in bringing new enthusiasts and buyers into the market with pieces that speak to them.