Maen’s Jump Hour Watch Was the Best Release of Watches & Wonders — and Costs Only $1,139

Watches & Wonders, the biggest watch event of the year, has wrapped up in Geneva, and many great timepieces were shown off. There was a new Rolex, offered with a pistachio dial; some beautiful new pieces from favorite brands of mine, like A. Lange & Söhne and Ressence; and Vacheron Constantin released the most complicated wristwatch of all time.However, one complication stood out: the jumping hour. First introduced by brands like Cartier in the 1920s, this is a mechanical form of digital timekeeping in which the hour digit appears in a window, springing to the next instantly on the change of the hour. The classic version of the complication works through a snail cam, which rotates once an hour, with the lever dropping off the cam’s edge on the hour, releasing a spring that jumps the hour disk to its next position.The style fell out of favor by the 1930s, with most watchmakers telling the time with hands, but mechanical digital timekeeping is still around, such as in one of my favorite watches on the market, A. Lange & Söhne’s Zeitwerk. The jumping hour is rarer, but it was back this year at Watches & Wonders in three different watches.The most expensive and prestigious is Cartier’s “Privé Tank à Guichets” — a reissue and update of a 1928 watch, keeping the classic Tank proportions but with a blank, brushed metal face and a jumping hour complication. It’s stylish but a limited release — the platinum version is limited to 200 pieces — and you know the price will be obscene, given that it’s not listed.The next jumping hour watch came from Bremont; the struggling British brand which recently underwent a controversial and underwhelming rebranding. Their new Terra Nova Jumping Hour is chic and distinct, though, particularly in the slightly more unusual 40.5mm stainless steel version, featuring both a jumping hour movement and a second hand. A blank-face bronze version will be limited to 100 pieces, but the 904L stainless model will be widely available, available at $4,300.Maen x Nico Leonard Grand Tonneau Jump Hour. Courtesy of MaenBut neither of these was my favorite jumping hour watch revealed. Instead, it was the Grand Tonneau Jump Hour from the small Swedish brand Maen, made in collaboration with Dutch watch YouTuber Nico Leonard. It’s not just my favorite new jumping hour watch, but my favorite watch unveiled this year.To start with the looks; it’s a beautiful, refined piece, with a classic tonneau shape, a chunky but small 34mm stainless steel case, with polished lugs, an integrated thick rubber strap, and an elegant sunray dial in either black, red, or the chic “forest green” of my review unit. The branding and windows on the dial are symmetrical, with the crown of Nico Leonard’s Pride and Pinion boutique printed below the minute window.Maen x Nico Leonard Grand Tonneau Jump Hour. Courtesy of MaenThe whole piece feels appropriately art deco yet utterly modern, and the quality is superb. It feels premium yet comfortable; the integrated FKM rubber strap is exceptionally comfortable, and what’s all the more shocking is that it’s available for only $1,139.The only problem is that the watch is only available through a limited pre-order window ending April 13, shipping the pieces to customers in late November. I wish this were a more conventional release, available as part of their permanent collection; but even as it stands, I cannot recommend it more strongly. It’s elegant, modern yet classic, and of exceptional value for money. I’m having to restrain myself from placing an order.Maen x Nico Leonard Grand Tonneau Jump Hour. Courtesy of Maen

Maen’s Jump Hour Watch Was the Best Release of Watches & Wonders — and Costs Only $1,139

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