The Wind Up – Watch News #328

Welcome back to The Wind Up, our weekly series highlighting the newest watches of the past seven days. With Watches & Wonders 2025 now in the rear-view mirror, it’s time to set our sights on the future. The world’s biggest brands are back on the design block, unveiling a string of incredible haute horology pieces, daily drivers and unique novelties.

From dive watches and sports timepieces to the latest in classy dress watches and grand complications, the last few weeks have offered no shortage of stand-out announcements. What’s more, it isn’t over yet. This week, the world’s biggest watchmakers—and a few budding independents—kept the good vibes rolling. In this latest instalment, we’ll be featuring some of the coolest new watches, including pieces from the likes of Breguet, Ulysse Nardin and Hublot. Happy reading, fellas, and I hope you have a great week ahead.

Frederique Constant Classic Tourbillon Manufacture

• Brand: Frederique Constant
• Model: Classic Tourbillon Manufacture
• Reference: Ref. FC-980MPBL3H8
• Diameter: 39mm
• Thickness: 10.99mm
• Material: White gold
• Water Resistance: 30 metres
• Movement: Calibre FC-980-4
• Power Reserve: 38 hours
• Price: CHF34,995 (Limited to 36 pieces)

New from Frederique Constant is the Classic Tourbillon Manufacture, now with a blue-grey mother-of-pearl dial. Encased in a three-part white gold case, the Frederique Constant Classic Tourbillon Manufacture is an emphatic take on some higher-end watchmaking from Frederique Constant, which has become somewhat synonymous with affordability and accessibility.

The mother-of-pearl dial is beautifully paired with a light blue alligator leather strap, complementing the dial’s soft yet vivid colour palette. Soft and warm, the unique fusion of subtle grey and blue hues works exceptionally well to enhance the aesthetic of the 18-carat white gold case while also showing off the brilliance of the hand-applied hour markers.

The in-house tourbillon is on full display through an aperture at 6 o’clock and sports some really nice architecture. Overall, it’s a lovely bit of kit, albeit a touch expensive. Frederique Constant has confirmed that only 36 individually numbered pieces will be produced, each priced at CHF34,995.

Hublot Big Bang Meca-10 Concrete Jungle

• Brand: Hublot
• Model: Big Bang Meca-10 Concrete Jungle
• Reference: Ref. 424.XC.5510.NR.NYC25
• Diameter: 44mm
• Thickness: 15.30mm
• Material: Concrete
• Water Resistance: 50 metres
• Movement: Calibre HUB1201
• Power Reserve: 10 days
• Price: AUD$50,800

Hublot is making some serious moves of late. Just a few short weeks after announcing the first tourbillon to arrive in the Square Bang family, the high-end watchmaker has followed it up with a stunning all-purpose beast. The Big Bang Meca-10 Concrete Jungle, as the name implies, is an homage to the streets of New York City, arriving complete with a remarkable concrete case and bezel. As Julian Tornare, CEO of Hublot, explained, the industrial component not only plays up to the maison’s innovative approach, but also to the raw brutalism that drives the new era of watchmaking.

“Concrete has long been misunderstood as cold and industrial, but in the world of high design, it has become something else entirely—tactile, refined, even expressive,” Tornare said. “With the Big Bang MECA-10 Concrete Jungle, this timepiece captures the raw energy of New York and the meticulous precision of Swiss watchmaking. This timepiece is dedicated to our new New York Boutique and is crafted from the same material as our new Fifth Avenue boutique’s façade.”

While there are numerous highlights to call out, the Big Bang Meca-10 Concrete Jungle’s open-worked dial is perhaps the most impressive of all. The structure houses exposed bridges, wheels, and various indicators, providing a visual feast that feels entirely contemporary, particularly with the dots of red that break up an otherwise monotone look. Of course, the star attraction here is the Big Bang Meca-10 Concrete Jungle’s 10-day power reserve, thanks to the hand-wound HUB1201 movement.

Breguet Type XX Chronographe Limited Edition

• Brand: Breguet
• Model: Type XX Chronographe Limited Edition
• Reference: Ref. 2075BH/G9/398
• Diameter: 38.30mm
• Thickness: 13.20mm
• Material: Breguet gold
• Water Resistance: 50 metres
• Movement: Calibre 7278
• Power Reserve: 60 hours
• Price: AUD$66,500 (Limited to 250 pieces)

Breguet’s 250th anniversary celebrations continue with a pair of vintage-inspired chronographs, the highlight of which is undoubtedly the Type XX Chronographe Limited Edition. Encased in the maison’s very own gold alloy, the Type XX Chronographe Limited Edition does away with a date window and instead sports an enlarged 15-minute totaliser in the stylised “Big Eye” enlarged format. It’s a unique take on the classic Breguet style, which may well have its detractors, but this is perhaps the most exciting Type XX model released so far.

According to Gregory Kissling, CEO of Breguet, the new models provide a glimpse into A-L Breguet’s original ethos, right down to the spirit of creation. “These new Type XX timepieces, with their smaller diameter and hand-wound movement, venerate the design codes of the original models,” Kissling said.

Inside, the stunning new timepiece is powered by the calibre 7279, marking the first time the product line has boasted manually wound movements. Essentially a variation of the high-performance, 5 Hz calibre 728 introduced by Breguet in 2023, this movement incorporates a flyback function that allows the watch to be reset to zero and a new count instantly started by a single press of the pusher located at 4 o’clock. You’ll also find a 15-minute counter at 3 o’clock and a small seconds display at 9 o’clock.

The Type XX Chronographe Limited Edition’s manually wound movement is covered by a plate that covers most of its inner workings. However, the plate itself is rather special and features a hand-engraved depiction of the Breguet 19 aeroplane designed by Louis Breguet. According to the brand, the engraving also depicts the precise route taken in 1930, the European and North American landmasses’ frosted finishing contrasts against the smooth Atlantic Ocean. Simply stunning, but you would expect nothing less from Breguet.

Ulysse Nardin Freak X Gold Enamel

• Brand: Ulysse Nardin 
• Model: Freak X Gold Enamel
• Reference: Ref. 2305-270LE-3AE-BLUE/1A
• Diameter: 43mm
• Thickness: 13.38mm
• Material: Titanium and rose gold
• Water Resistance: 50 metres
• Movement: Calibre UN-230
• Power Reserve: 72 hours
• Price: USD48,500 (Limited to 120 pieces)

Finally, from Ulysse Nardin, is the Freak X Gold Enamel; a nod to the maison’s most important product lineup and the classic finery of a rare métier d’art. Featuring a blue PVD titanium and rose gold case, alongside the same incredible rotating heaving mass that the Freak has become synonymous with, this timepiece is every bit a world-stopper. A main point of differentiation with the Freak X Gold Enamel is the blue flinqué enamel dial, which adds another element of drama to a watch that is already super cinematic.

According to the brand, the Freak X builds on the same principles as the original Freak, with the entire movement rotating to indicate time. For the uninitiated, the hours are shown by a pointer on a rotating disc, while the movement itself completes a full revolution every hour to mark the minutes. “This complication, known as a flying carousel, is unique in that the movement is held without an upper bridge, seemingly “flying” above the hour disc, creating a mesmerising visual and mechanical show.”

The Ulysse Nardin Freak X Gold Enamel is an exceptional timepiece whose real prowess lies within its mechanism. But with that said, it’s always fun to see new iterations of the Freak X, and in the Freak X Gold Enamel that is still absolutely the case.