Although many outstanding watches were showcased at Watches & Wonders Geneva 2024, some of the most intriguing novelties were likely not part of the official show.
Among my personal favorites from the watches I saw during meetings outside the exhibition that week were the Vanguart Orb. We covered the release of these watches when they were first announced a few weeks ago.
Just by looking at the first press photos, I already knew these watches would be quite impressive; however, having the opportunity to try them on and see them in metal, I found Vanguart's latest creation far more Grail-worthy than I initially imagined.
At the time of writing, the Vanguart Orb is available in a Grade 5 titanium case or in the premium model presented here, where the titanium core is paired with an outer case made of pure 18-karat rose gold.
Both versions feature hand-finished sandblasted surfaces with small mirror-polished accents, and although I rarely gravitate toward precious metal watches, the rose gold model truly captivated me: the warm hue of the outer case creates a strong visual contrast with the intricate mechanics of the inner movement.
On paper, the Vanguart Orb case measures 41mm in diameter and 10.5mm thick, yet the watch's curved profile combined with rounded integrated lugs creates a surprisingly compact case that naturally contours the wrist. While the Orb is hardly small or petite, the thoughtful case proportions make it incredibly comfortable and light to wear.
Sapphire crystals are installed on both the dial and the caseback of the Vanguart Orb, although the front glass has a concave profile that curves inward along the vertical axis. The watch's water resistance is 30 meters, and at the 3 o'clock position is a large multifunction crown that provides access to the movement.
Instead of pulling the crown out to access different operating modes, it functions as a button with a transmission-style clutch system, which switches between manual winding, automatic winding, and time-setting modes when pressed.
When I met with representatives from Vanguart in Geneva, I was only able to photograph prototypes of the Orb, so there are a few small differences between the watches pictured here and the final production version of the model.
The marking on the barrel (visible at the 12 o'clock position) serves as an indicator of the operating mode selected by the crown, and if you look closely at a couple of the photographs, you'll notice that the words “manual” and “automatic” are missing from the top of the barrel.
Additionally, the prototypes' movement and caseback lack the engravings that will appear on the production models (although you can see them in the press photos from our initial launch article), and Vanguart also informed me that the production versions of the Orb, which will be delivered to customers, will feature more attention to detail.
Looking at the caseback of the Vanguart Orb, you'll notice two small round buttons located on the underside of the lugs.
They are used for quickly removing the two-part strap. Pressing the buttons detaches the strap from the case, and to attach a new one, simply insert the ends and press them until they click into place.
Vanguart will offer several different straps for the Orb, including rubber and leather options, although the version presented here is a purple rubber strap complemented by a large 18-karat rose gold tang-style buckle matching the case.
The strap ends continue the curvature of the case, resulting in a very ergonomic design that evenly distributes the watch's weight across the top surface of the wrist.
The modern multi-component case of the Vanguart Orb is certainly one of its distinguishing features, yet the true highlight of this model is its complex in-house developed movement, which fully decorates both sides of the watch.
The Orb movement, with its plate and bridges made of Grade 5 titanium, consists of 395 individual components and operates at a frequency of 21,600 vibrations per hour (3 Hz) with a power reserve of approximately 60 hours.
Despite its complex functionality, the movement's appearance with its perfectly symmetrical layout is arguably one of its most remarkable features. Like the rest of the watch, the movement is hand-finished with sandblasting, satin-brushing, and highly polished chamfers.
At the 6 o'clock position on the Vanguart Orb's movement dial is a flying minute tourbillon. Since the watch is wound by a peripheral rotor made of PVD-coated titanium that rotates around the dial, the view through the caseback fully reveals the perfectly symmetrical architecture and meticulously finished components.
While the finish on the prototypes photographed for this article was already quite high quality, the production models will receive even more detailed finishing, and the Vanguart logo and mandatory Swiss Made signature will be engraved on the central bridge on the reverse side of the movement, which will also appear on the watch dial at the bottom of the chapter ring, located under the concave sapphire crystal.
Instead of being located around the perimeter of the movement on the reverse side of the watch, the Vanguart Orb places the peripheral rotor on the front, which creates one of the model's main features.
Looking like a smooth sloped ring, positioned between the outer rehaut with luminescent hour markers and the central skeletonized section occupied by the movement, the peripheral rotor encircles the dial and along with the prominently featured flying tourbillon creates a highly dynamic appearance.
The curvature of the rotor continues the slope set by the outer chapter ring, creating a continuous smooth form between the edge of the crystal and the intricate mechanisms occupying the central part of the dial.
The Vanguart Orb rotor is adorned with a single 2mm round-cut diamond, placed on the opposite side from the rotor's pure gold counterweight. Thanks to this, the rotor appears to be floating as it moves to the top of the dial when the watch is lifted vertically to check the time.
Additionally, the rotor only spins if the watch is set in automatic winding mode, and pressing the crown to switch the mechanism to manual winding mode locks the rotor in place, with the diamond instantly aligning at the 12 o'clock position to maintain the sense of symmetry inherent to the rest of the watch.
The Vanguart Orb displays time using a pair of partially skeletonized luminescent hands at the center of the dial, while a small red triangle, located on the inner part of the case, indicates the current setting of the winding crown function.
Depending on the selected winding mode, the triangle points either to “manual” or “automatic”, while it points downward toward the hands to indicate the time-setting position. The inward slope of the chapter ring and rotor creates significant visual depth, and the barrel, hands, and flying tourbillon rise above the rest of the watch mechanisms, creating an overall architectural appearance.
Grail-worthy watches almost always come with equally Grail-worthy prices. From a single glance at these watches and their technical specifications, it's clear they will be quite expensive.
Accordingly, prices for the Vanguart Orb start at 150,000 Swiss Francs for the all-titanium version or 180,000 Swiss Francs for the rose gold version depicted here (which amounts to approximately 165,000 USD and 197,000 USD at the time of writing).
Although production will not be limited to a specific number of units, the availability of the Vanguart Orb will be quite limited, simply due to the numerous hand-finished components and the brand's small-batch approach to creating its watches.
At this price point, there are many fantastic watches to be found, but even in a sea of exceptional watches, the Vanguart Orb stands out as a truly unique offering and easily ranks among the most impressive and visually interesting watches I encountered during my week in Geneva.
More detailed information about the Vanguart Orb can be found on the brand's website.