Flights of fancy aren’t exactly new in watchmaking; nobody with a firmly grounded mind builds a resonance movement. But there are always those willing to take things a bit further, well into the realms of fantasy. I don’t mean conceptual either, I mean timepieces that look like they’re directly inspired by a D&D player’s handbook.
In fact, plenty of serious watchmakers have been inspired by mythology from across the globe, be that Arthurian legend, Swiss mountain creatures or Czech yarns about happy, mining goblins. None of these are cheap either; we’re talking proper watchmaking, albeit through a very different lens.
So, if you’re looking for a watch fit for your next luxury LARP session – or are just fascinated by some genuinely interesting horological stories – look no further.
Roger Dubuis Knights of the Round Table The Enchanter Merlin
With a name like that, you know this isn’t Roger Dubuis’ first rodeo; they’ve been wrangling King Arthur’s knights into a timekeeping format for years now and it’s always an event to see a new edition. This latest version – and itss previous incarnation, The Omniscient Merlin – pay tribute to the mysterious court magician with a mix of crystal and gold picking out the Giant’s Causeway across the dial.
The various sculptures of all twelve knights, each lovingly (perhaps obsessively) rendered make this particular watch as much as piece of art as a timekeeper. Fortunately, the 45mm rose gold case combined with Roger Dubuis’ architectural sensibilities gives you plenty of space to appreciate them.
More details at Roger Dubuis.
Arnold & Son Ultrathin Tourbillon Dragon & Phoenix
In paying homage to an old Chinese myth, Arnold & Son prove that two legendary creatures are better than one – at least when they’re done this beautifully. On the left you have the dragon; on the right, the phoenix, both rendered as tiny, insanely detailed sculptures circling each other across a gorgeous Verdite (not malachite) dial.
In the story, the dragon and phoenix find a perfect pearl before it’s snatched away by the Queen of Heaven. Here you can see said pearl clutched in the dragon’s tiny claws. It’s almost enough to make you forget that this is also an ultrathin tourbillon just 8.6mm thick. Though with such limited numbers, there’s likely as much chance of getting your hands on one as the phoenix and dragon do getting back their heavenly pearl.
More details at Arnold & Son.
Arcanaut Experimental: Arc II Garnet Goblin
It’s perhaps not too big a surprise Arcanaut have delved into fantasy; their Chief of Materials Development is James Thompson, the Black Badger behind Micromilspec’s collaborative anime universe. However, rather than being inspired by mythology here they’ve built the folklore around the watch.
Said story revolves around a goblin called Maria who lived in a mine and dreamed of sunlight. When she did, she discovered garnets aplenty, just waiting to be turned into a watch. She enlists the help of Arcanaut and we get an absolutely breathtaking dial made of countless garnets polished flat. Only the last part of that is real, but it is an absolute stunner. Who ever let the truth get in the way of a good story?
More details at Arcanaut.
Stollenwurm Series 2
It’s not just a watch here built around myth, but an entire brand. The eponymous Stollenwurm itself is a Swiss alpine creature with the head of a cat and the body of a snake like a chimeric dragon. And indeed, their Series 1 draws inspiration from the creature’s scales for a unique dial finish, combined with astronomical symbols in place of the usual days of the week.
And yet the Series 2 goes even further. The case and movement are similar to the Series 1, but instead of monochromatic cool and scaly engraving, each has a cloisinne dial depicting a different tarot card. They’re beautifully done, incredibly evocative and a big swing from a brand that only launched second half of last year – especially as they’re aiming to produce 22 designs with 5 pieces each. That’s a lot of metiers d’art. But I wonder, what does your tarot watch say about you?
More details at Stollenwurm.
Mr Jones Indefatigable Sphinx
Finally, something a little more affordable but no less fun from the tongue-in-cheek maestros of accessible watchmaking, Mr Jones. As surreal a dial as they come, the head of the titular sphinx changes every hour, rotating through a series of cryptic images from eyeballs to suns to Egyptian mythology. And somehow, that’s not even the most eye-catching part of the watch; the actual hour window opposite is just as fantastical.
Powered by a Sellita movement with the same jump hour module used by Christopher Ward, it’s also at the higher end for Mr Jones, something I’d love to see them do much more of.
More details at Mr Jones.
