VIDEO: Top watches of 2021 above $20k (Part 2)

Fergus Nash

To finish off the list of our favourite 2021 releases by budget, we’re going beyond the notion of affordability, and even beyond attainability. Whether or not you have half a million dollars to drop on a watch, doesn’t necessarily guarantee that you will be able to get one, and that just makes the prospect all the more tantalising. These are the watches that can quite easily end up haunting your dreams, so you know that if you see one and you’ve got the cash, don’t hesitate for a single moment.

Rolex Daytona Meteorite

2021 gave us a lot of surprises from Rolex, but one of the most shocking was a white-gold Daytona complete with a silvery-grey meteorite dial. It’s a material that’s been used in many microbrand watches, but set in a luxury context the jagged criss-crosses of mysterious metals have a beguiling appeal beneath the five-pointed crown. Attached to Oysterflex rubber, the monochromatic colour scheme just works perfectly. Read more

Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Flying Tourbillon

This intriguing Royal Oak reference is a welcome evolution of the line in a subtle way, with the iconic and extremely wearable 41mm case remaining unchanged, yet the dial appearing surprisingly refreshing. Instead of the classic waffle dial, the Tapisserie has been morphed into a sunburst emanating from the flying tourbillon complication at 6 o’clock, and a fumé effect added around the peripheries of the dial. If you love the Royal Oak but want something unique, this is for you. Read more

Cartier Mechanical Legends Crash Skeleton

Cartier’s Crash has always been one of their most elusive and beguiling case shapes, supposedly inspired by a deformed watch which survived a fiery car accident in late ‘60s London. In this Mechanical Legends edition, the skeletonised dial accentuates the molten style with the negative spaces creating morphed Roman numerals, also allowing the owner to see how the movement has been arranged to fit the strange shape. It’s definitely not the most legible watch out there, but it is intriguing. Read more

Louis Vuitton Tambour Carpe Diem

 

The Tambour Carpe Diem is nothing short of artwork from Louis Vuitton, showing excellence in multiple craft disciplines and culminating in an exotic, gothic, and exciting half-million dollar watch. With the three dimensional and animated skull, snake, and hourglass on the dial aside, this delightfully dark watch boasts complications such as a jump-hour, retrograde minutes, and a minute repeater. The longer you stare at it, the more it pulls you in. Read more

IWC Big Pilot’s Watch Shock Absorber XPL

As perhaps the first modern pilot’s watch to be engineered for genuine modern pilots, the Shock Absorber XPL’s entire existence is based around the task of not only surviving a nasty knock against a jet’s cockpit, but also being scratch-free. The SPRIN-g PROTECT system isolates the movement from the case, able to sustain g-forces of up to and over 30,000. Paired with the Ceratanium case, this ultra-innovative limited production should remain as spotless as new forever.

Hublot Big Bang Integral Ceramic

The Big Bang Integral is purely and simply a masterclass in materials, as the simple and understated (for an Hublot) case shape meets the sleek, clever bracelet to display as much ceramic as possible. Available in white, blue, or grey, the variety brushed and polished surfaces allows the material to show the different effects it can have, from militant sportiness to fluid glossiness. Complete with the HUB1280 UNICO flyback chronograph movement, it’s truly a special watch. Read more

Zenith DEFY El Primero 21 Felipe Pantone Edition

Felipe Panatone is one of the most prolific contemporary artists focusing on bold graffiti-like colours and greyscale optical patterns that boggle and excite the eye, so it makes perfect sense that his signature DEFY El Primero 21 from Zenith is one of the most exciting-looking releases we’ve seen. Covered in geometric intricacy, the hands, indices and some movement components really pop off the dial with a yellow-blue gradient reminiscent of heat treatment. Read more