Watchmakers up the exclusivity factor

In the watchmaking universe, exclusivity comes in the name of Limited Edition series. An ode to excellence, these watches are the crowning glory of their brands.

Breguet
MARIE ANTOINETTE
Breguet's new version of the Marie-Antoinette Dentelle watch is a tribute to the French queen's love of lace. With a lace-inspired design in white gold, the jewelled watch is decorated with 70 brilliant-cut diamonds along the curved case and mother-of-pearl dial. A sphere decked in 98 brilliant cut diamonds and attached to the case at 6 o'clock reveals a magnificent oval ruby of almost 1.2 carats. A mere five pieces of the watch are produced each year.

Vacheron Constantin
LES UNIVERS INFINIS
Crafted using engraving and enamelling techniques, interlocking shells and starfish form an ochre-tinged seabed with slender light skeletonised hands hovering above. Inspired by work of artist Maurits Cornelis Escher, the watch comes in an 18-carat white gold case with a transparent, sapphire crystal caseback and black Mississippiensis alligator strap. Only 20 limited edition pieces are available.

Hublot
TUTTI FRUTTI TOURBILLON PAVE
Hublot's first tourbillon watch for ladies, this elegant, timepiece is set with stones in trendy colours and 621 diamonds totalling 3.82 carats. The perfect fusion of watchmaking expertise and feminine style, the Tutti Frutti Tourbillon Pave has been created entirely inhouse, in the workshops at the Hublot Manufacturer. Fitted with a movement comprising 153 components and a flying tourbillon visible on the dial side, this limited edition offers 18 pieces for each colour.

Greubel Forsey
TOURBILLON 24 SECONDES CONTEMPORAIN
The Tourbillon 24 Secondes Contemporain is characterised by a round case and an emphasis on the technical aspects of its movement. The timepiece challenges the frontiers of horological architecture in three-dimensions, where the depth of vision is enhanced by a royal blue finish of the plates and bridges. This unique edition of 33 pieces features a titanium movement and platinum case.

Audemars Piguet
LEO MESSI ROYAL OAK CHRONOGRAPH
Leo Messi became the brand ambassador for Audemars Piguet in 2010, and today the soccer player has a watch dedicated to him. The Leo Messi Royal Oak Chronograph will be limited to 1000 pieces, where each watch comes in a case shaped like a lacquered shoe box decorated on the inside with the player's dedication. Made up of 304 components, the watch is additionally fitted with a single-block of 18-carat gold oscillating weight.

Jaeger-LeCoultre
GRAND REVERSO ULTRA THIN
A timepiece with two finely crafted faces, the Grande Reverso Ultra Thin Squelette is entirely openworked and decorated by hand. Issued in a 50-piece limited edition, the Grande Reverso Ultra Thin SQ radiates emblematic Art Deco lines. The mechanical movement reveals its interwoven wheel-trains and the sides have been individually handdrawn, chamfered, polished, chased and engraved. The emissary of an artistic and technical expertise.

Cartier
ASTROTOURBILLON CARBON CRYSTAL
Cartier's limited edition Rotonde de Cartier Astrotourbillon Carbon Crystal watch incorporates some of the technology showcased in the ID Two concept watch, but unlike the ID Two, this one is for sale. The watch features an inhouse Cartier made movement which is a re-think of the traditional tourbillon escapement. It comes in a 47mm wide niobium-titanium case, sports white and grey tones, and the centre dial has been skeletonised, to make the movement highly viewable. Only a limited 50 pieces of this edition have been pledged.

Jaquet Droz
PETITE HEURE MINUTE RELIEF DRAGON
Celebrating one of the most venerable of Asian legends, Jaquet Droz has endowed the Petite Heure Minute Relief Dragon with sumptuous materials and technical features. Delicately engraved in gold and mounted on the dial, the dragon rises from a bed of mother-of-pearl, with its tail engraved on the oscillating weight, which is visible through the back of the case. Red gold highlights each detail of this spectacular model issued in a limited 88 pieces.

Ulysse Nardin
CALIBER 118
Last year, UN's astronomic complication Moonstruck had left the world awe-struck. This year, its Caliber 118 has woven toughness into a delicate precision movement. A concoction of silicium and 50 man-made diamonds, eliminates friction and removes the need for lubrication of the escapement, thereby defeating the prime reasons of a watch's wear-and-tear. The movement features an in-house produced oscillator adjustable to four screws.