3 to Watch from Watches & Wonders

For the last few days the annual Watches & Wonders trade show has been happening in Hong Kong. As usual, the flashiest, bling-iest models are getting the most media attention but there are also more understated luxury watches on display. Here’s a trio new watches that are worth checking out, all of them from legendary brands.

At 45mm, the IWC Portofino Hand-Wound Day & Date (pictured) is a really big watch with an impressive eight-day power reserve. Also oversized is the date window located at 12 o’clock and the circular day-of-the-week indicator found at the 3 o’clock spot. The latest addition to the IWC Portofino collection has an equally impressive price tag starting at $13,300.

If you prefer a simple watch to one that’s too cluttered up with features you don’t need, the A. Lange & Söhne 1815 Anniversary of F.A. Lange model is an excellent choice. With its 40mm “honey gold” case, German movement, very readable dial and sharp hands, this is a watch made for telling time and it does that very well. This limited edition marks the 200th birthday of the brand’s founder, so only 200 individually numbered pieces will be made of this beauty. That means it will probably sell out quickly, even at $33,500.

Some makers of luxury timepieces seem to think that all women have the same taste as the fictional Lorelei Lee and expect their watches to be covered in precious stones. The Piaget Limelight Stella keeps things classic and classy by restricting the bling to a small wave of diamonds beneath the moonphase disk, while the diamond bezel is optional. The lack of showy jewels allows the large moonphase complication to stand out, especially since it takes up the upper half of the dial. The curved 36mm case houses other subtle details like the star on the rear of the seconds hand. Not at all subtle is the price range, which starts at $20,500.