That Dazzle from Phillips Geneva Watch Auction X

There are two types of watches that appeal to me: over-engineered fake watches that reliably tell the time in adverse circumstances, and over-engineered watches that tell the time simply for the sake of doing so — in short, tool watches and the restrained replica watches of high horology. Both are extraordinary feats of engineering and craftsmanship. In my opinion, beauty often comes from functional aesthetics or higher level of decoration. The best watch has both.
Bling never caught my eye, but what are we collectors if we can’t learn to appreciate and respect all the traditions of watchmaking? I can’t love a frozen watch from the bottom of my heart, but that’s who I am. Since ancient times, humans have been fascinated by shiny things.Our love of luxury is undeniable. Among the items on offer at the Phillips replica watch auction in Geneva are some of the most incredible watches in the collection world, such as Speedmasters, Daytonas, Royal Oaks and Nautilus model. But some have a serious artistic touch. 
A Submariner falls into one of the categories we’ve talked above. It’s a watch that’s engineered to perform in adverse conditions. It’s fantastic at what it does, and for that it’s become an icon. And somewhere along the line it has also ironically become a canvas for bedazzling gem-set work. I’m not sure of the origin story for giving a tool watch the gem-set treatment, but it’s very much a reality. And it’s done in-house by Rolex – and Rolex doesn’t make mistakes.
The extreme juxtaposition is what makes this Sub interesting. Is it a form of horological commentary on society? Is it a reaction to the death of the tool list? One thing is certain, it has a hellish existence. Let’s see if the bidders agree.
The El Primero is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, and Zenith has been spoiling us with some really neat renditions of the A386, but this might be the ultimate one. The dial is fashioned from lapis-lazuli and the case is made from platinum. The dial text has been pared down by removing the “automatic” and “chronograph” lines so as to let the dial shine. If a tool watch were ever designed for a Mughal Emperor, this might be the one.
It’s difficult to call the understated elegance of any watch from A. Lange & Söhne anything but reserved, but the amount of surface area in pink gold on this Zeitwerk might be the closest the Glashütte-based manufacturer gets to bling. Works from Langer have the ability to stop you in your tracks with their perfect proportions of cases and dials. They are even dotted with the warm glow of a perfectly finished German silver bridge on the other side.
Aesthetically, the watch may not really have a flashy effect, but when you consider what the watch refers to, you come to a compelling conclusion. The Zeitwerk’s jumping numeric time display is a reference to the five-minute clock in Dresden’s Semper Opera House. Opened in 1841, it was instantly taken as one of Europe’s most beautiful opera houses. So, Zeitwerk is nothing more than an outdated piece of jewelry.