LOFT Awards 2022: Part 2
Daniel PintoIn this article, we present the good, the bad, and the ugly of the watch world in 2022.
It was a truly spectacular year in terms of launches, with an optimistic post-Covid market, brands that dared to launch new models, and several moments that moved us to tears at being part of this little corner of the horological cosmos. It was truly difficult to choose the winners, and the debate within the LOFT team was intense and at times almost violent, but we're confident that these are the rightful winners of the 2022 LOFT Awards.
Best Complication: Omega Speedmaster Chrono Chime
https://youtu.be/RDdIJ7cE_ggIn a year full of new Speedmasters —not counting the MoonSwatches —I must say we never saw this one coming. Its Sedna gold case inspired by the CK2998, the aventurine enamel dial, and the guilloché subdials are just the accompaniment to the main course this crazy watch offers us: a new movement forged with more than 45 grams of gold, developed in conjunction with Blancpain, which equips a split-seconds chronograph linked to a minute repeater working hand in hand so that for the first time in history we can hear the time measured by the chronograph. It's the most complex movement Omega has made in its more than 100 years of history, yet its look is clean and elegant, with all the functions visible and unobtrusive. A testament to the genius of the master watchmakers and designers behind this spectacular project.
It could easily have been the watch of the year, and it was certainly the best proof that Omega is a titan of the industry, capable of making everything from simple diving watches to the most exotic complications ever conceived.
Best Indie Watch: MADEdition MAD1
2022 was the year watchmaking finally burst into pop culture, and the "hype culture" typically associated with sneaker culture took hold of collectors, with releases that sold out in seconds, pre-orders that crashed websites, and endless lines at some boutiques. Amidst this craze, one watch stood out as the most coveted of all. The MADEdition MAD1 comes from the mind of genius Max Busser, who, along with his brand MB&F, has been a protagonist of the "indie" scene for years and one of the symbols of modern haute horlogerie.
Unlike its stablemates, this MAD came at a fairly reasonable price (CHF 1,900), but without neglecting the madness that makes Max's creations so unique. In this case, it featured an inverted rotor, visible on the front of the watch, with the "sphere" distributed in a circular pattern around the sides of the cylindrical sapphire crystal surrounding the case, and electric blue details. The result is stunning, modern, and at the same time 100% recognizable as an MB&F creation.
The catch is that this watch was only offered to Max's "friends," who have been supporting his project over the years. Since it wasn't available to the general public, the expected secondary market craze ensued, with prices now reaching well over $10,000. But that's the least of it. Today, we want to applaud Max Busser for appreciating those who have supported him to get where he is today, and for doing so in such a brilliant and wonderful way: by creating the best indie watch of 2022.
Best moment: MoonSwatch launch
Obviously we can’t be happy that someone got stabbed outside a Swatch boutique, but the mere fact that this news was broadcast on broadcast TV or CNN for the whole world speaks to the power and reach of our favorite moment of 2022: the launch of the controversial MoonSwatch . The unusual fact of two watch brands collaborating on a single product, plus the universal appeal of the Moonwatch as a symbol of space exploration, came together with a friendly price tag to break the internet, cause absolute chaos in stores, and spark a resale space race on the secondary market.
For those of us who have been enjoying this world for years, it was the first time our "normal" friends contacted us to talk about a watch. For many, it was their first "real" watch. The media coverage it has garnered has been a real lifeline for Swatch, while the variety of colors has attracted more women to our hobby and to the brands.
Almost a year after its launch, we still see huge lines outside stores, and the watch keeps appearing on the wrists of celebrities who have left their Nautilus at home for a while to be part of the social phenomenon called MoonSwatch. In a way, the MoonSwatch has brought us back to better, more innocent, democratic times, where we could all be happy for a moment with just a piece of plastic (well, bioceramic, actually) on our wrist and the desire to tell the story of how we got it.
Best Watchmaker Character: FP Journe
He's not new, he's not young, and he's not trendy. However, for those of us who have enjoyed his legacy for some time, François-Paul Journe's arrival at the Olympus of collecting was inevitable. From his first collection in 1999, Journe demonstrated a unique talent for combining horological advances of the highest technical level with an elegant and classic style. His pieces, available only by subscription, changed hands only among the most experienced collectors. However, with the explosion of social media and the appetite for independent watchmakers, Journe was perfectly positioned to leap to the top.
Each of his creations highlights a specific expertise , with many pieces equipped with complications, such as the Chronomètre à Résonance , that have only been achieved by him. Add to this the relative scarcity due to his low production volumes, exacerbated by the length of time required for the traditional finishing techniques he uses to give his pieces that distinctive neoclassical look, and we arrive at the current situation: entry-level watches selling for three times their value, and his most special watches breaking price records every year during the Geneva auction season.
The fanaticism for the maestro has reached such an extent that this year a pair of toy figurines representing FP Journe sold for CHF 25,200, and, as if that weren't enough, an FPJourne wooden box (for storing watches) was then auctioned off for CHF 37,800. An empty box, without watches, for almost $40,000! This helps illustrate the leap Journe has made, from a small niche of fans a few years ago to popular stardom in 2022.
Watch of the Year: Tudor Pelagos
https://youtu.be/T1LhP9hJwPgIt wasn't easy. This year, like never before, we were fortunate enough to test over 100 new releases of all styles and price ranges. The dress watch is making a comeback, the GMT is the trendy complication, and gold is the new steel. However, our Watch of the Year winner is a mid-range steel dive watch. Boring, right? Well, the truth is, sometimes boring can be a good thing, especially when you have to wear it every day.
We must confess that we've always been fans of the Pelagos , but its gigantic size prevented us from loving it properly. Then, as if by magic, Tudor did something it had already been doing very well for a few years: listened to its customers. Out of nowhere, without warning, it launched a new Pelagos, similar to the previous one, but improved in all those small, insignificant details that, for us collectors, are the most important thing in the world. Let's take it step by step, shall we? First, we went from 42 to 39 millimeters, and voila... the Pelagos delivers the same wrist experience as a '70s Submariner. Pure magic. A useless helium escape valve? Out with it! With that, we shaved a few millimeters off the height, which gives it better proportions, an even lighter weight, and less chance of smashing it against every door frame we cross during the day. A date display? Out with it! Now the look is symmetrical and even more beautiful. The buckle? Add in the Black Bay 's easy T-Fit adjustment, and now you never have to worry about a watch not fitting perfectly on your wrist again. Even the movement has been modernized, featuring the new COSC-certified MT5400.
All these small changes add up and make a huge difference in the user experience, taking the Pelagos from contender to absolute favorite. At USD 4,400, there's no other watch today that offers this combination of quality (think Tudor and Rolex share their technical expertise), design, historical credibility, and technology. A launch that arrived without much fanfare ended up becoming our favorite watch of 2022.
Happy New Year, and stay tuned to find out what 2023 will bring.
See you at LOFT!
