Stealth is the ultimate flex with Parmigiani’s Tonda PF Chronograph Mysterieux, my top pick of the fair. It is an ingenious, classy take on the conventional chronograph, pairing a beautifully pristine dial with an entirely intuitive method of telling elapsed time and civil time. Crucially, it remains completely faithful to the streamlined aesthetics and DNA of the Tonda PF family. It is a real beauty, both inside and out, and I love the fact that it is marvelously understated.

At first glance, Tonda PF Chronograph Mysterieux looks like a regular three-hand watch. There are no distracting subdials, just the immaculate beauty of a dial hand-finished in grain d’Orge guilloché. But in a clever sleight of hand that recalls that of 2022’s Tonda PF GMT Rattrapante, the hands split on the press of a pusher at 7.30, and the time-only watch morphs into a chronograph.

Five hands now appear on the dial — the three original rhodium-plated hands transforms into chronograph hands that count down elapsed time, while the two newly emerged rose gold hands tell civil time. Another click on the pusher, which functions like a monopusher on a regular chronograph, sends the rose gold hands scurrying back to align below the rhodium hands, and the watch resumes its time-only guise once again.

The new Caliber PF053 shares the spotlight via the sapphire exhibition caseback. It features an unusual triple-clutch column-wheel chronograph architecture, with skeletonized rose gold rotor, all beautifully finished.

My second pick, too, packs a punch, but it is very far from understated with its significant 44mm girth. I am referring to the Rolex Yacht-Master II. This is one of those watches you might admire from afar, with nary a chance of owning it, much less putting it to its designated use to time races on the high seas. Still, I like that it is bold and brash and quite brilliant in translating the complicated timings of yacht racing into a highly legible process with regatta hands that truly “count down” by moving counter-clockwise on the dial.

In place of the clutter of its predecessors, the regatta scale has been moved to the sloped flange. This frees up the matte lacquer white dial, which is especially fetching in the steel model with red accents.

Rolex Yacht-Master II

The “programming” of the timings now rely on the pushers on the right, which makes it far more intuitive than the previous Ring Command System. The unidirectional rotating bezel is fitted with the blue Cerachom insert which now has regular 60-minute graduation. The new Yacht Master II is also powered by one of Rolex’s most complicated calibers to date, the 4162. This is an upgrade from the 4161 and bears the new Chronergy escapement along with a Parachrom hairspring and Paraflex shock absorber.

Another “legacy” watch is the Bvlgari Octo Finissimo 37. On the surface, it looks exactly like its predecessor, just sized down to a more palatable 37mm for smaller wrists. But it goes well beyond that. The task of shaving 3mm in diameter off on one of the world’s slimmest watches is in itself a monumental feat; Bvlgari developed the new BVF 100 ultra thin movement for it. It is self-winding, comes with a micro-rotor, is roughly 20% smaller overall than its predecessor powering the Octo Finissimo 40mm, and still packs 72 hours in power reserve.

Backstory aside, this is my pick because I love the look and feel of the now more suitably-sized Octo Finissimo on my small wrist. The new titanium model, in particular, wears extremely well with the new bracelet that comes with new pushers, is still sculptural and now draping feather-light. But I must admit, it’s tough to choose between the three variants available — 18-carat gold and titanium, sandblasted or satin-polished. This is a watch that I have always admired, and it is a pleasure to finally wear it properly.

Bvlgari Octo Finissimo 37

At 44mm, this next watch is one that I physically cannot wear; it is just too big for my wrist, and probably many others, too. The Cubitus has been very polarizing since it was launched in 2024, and I was never a fan until this latest release.

Firstly, the Patek Philippe Cubitus Perpetual Calendar addressed one of the key criticisms of the family with a new square-shaped Caliber 28 28 Q SQU for Patek Philippe’s first square watch, even if it is based on the existing Caliber 240. Secondly, unlike its predecessor, this has a distinct and modern identity. It is forceful and confident, with an open-worked dial that deliberately draws attention to the sculpted horizontal lines.

On the back, the movement is skeletonized to perfectly align with the lines on the dial, creating a striking cut-out effect. The movement itself is rendered in a stunning monochromatic palette, with all the key components rhodium-plated save for blued screws and the Calatrava cross inked in blue on the rotor. This also marks the first high complication for the Cubitus family, and in characteristic Patek Philippe fashion, the moonphase at six o’clock is beautifully rendered and finished.

My final pick is Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Master Hybris Mechanica Ultra Thin Minute Repeater Tourbillon. It is fantastic on paper with its remarkable specs, and even better in real life.

Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Hybris Mechanica Ultra Thin Minute Repeater Tourbillon

This is based on Jaeger-LeCoultre’s celebrated ultra-thin Caliber 362 which was released in 2014. The entire stunning movement, which was conceived as a fully integrated movement, is now open to view on the dial side, thanks to the clever use of sapphire bridges. When first released, the 362 was the world’s thinnest automatic minute repeater tourbillon at 5mm thick, and it remains so. The tourbillon itself is suspended without an upper bridge and weighs just 0.248g.

The back of the watch is markedly more conservative, but still shows off the exquisite finishing with 48 inner angles and 60 hand-beveled components on the movement. Last but not least, the sound is crisp and precise, without a lengthy lag between hours and minutes. This might not be the newest kid on the block, but for me, it is certainly one of the most beautiful.