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Back is Beautiful: 10 Luxury Watches With Exhibition Casebacks


In our “Back is Beautiful” series of photo features, we present a portfolio of fine mechanical watches that are as appealing from the back as from the front. This latest installment includes timepieces from A. Lange & Söhne, IWC, Panerai, Patek Philippe, and more. Scroll down to see the selection and click on each image for the larger photo.

1. A. Lange & Söhne Lange 1

A. Lange & Söhne: Lange 1

Reference: 191.032
Movement: In-house Caliber L121.1, hand-wound, big date, power-reserve indicator, diameter = 30.6 mm, height = 5.7 mm, 21,600 vph, 43 jewels, 72-hour power reserve
Case: Rose gold, diameter = 38.5 mm, height = 9.8 mm, curved sapphire crystal with nonreflective coating on both sides, sapphire caseback secured with six screws, water-resistant to 30 meters
Strap and clasp: Alligator strap with rose-gold buckle
Variations: Yellow gold; platinum

2. Armin Strom Skeleton Pure Water

Armin Strom Skeleton Pure Water
Armin Strom Skeleton Pure Water

Reference: ST15-PW.05
Movement: In-house Caliber ARM09-S, hand-wound, power-reserve indicator, diameter = 36.6 mm, height = 6.2 mm, 18,000 vph, 34 jewels, eight-day power reserve
Case: Stainless steel, diameter = 43.4 mm, height = 13 mm, flat sapphire crystal with nonreflective coating on both sides, screwed crown, screw-down caseback with sapphire window, water-resistant to 50 meters
Strap and clasp: Alligator strap with stainless-steel buckle and additional rubber strap
Variations: Black PVD coating; titanium; rose gold
Limited edition: Each version is limited to 100 pieces.

3. Frédérique Constant Classics Moonphase Manufacture

Frédérique Constant Classics Moonphase Manufacture
Frédérique Constant Classics Moonphase Manufacture

Reference: FC-715V4H4
Movement: In-house Caliber FC715, automatic, moon-phase display, diameter = 30.5 mm, height = 8.1 mm, 28,800 vph, 26 jewels, 42-hour power reserve
Case: Rose-gold-plated stainless steel, diameter = 40.5 mm, height = 12.4 mm, curved sapphire crystal with nonreflective coating on both sides, screw-down caseback with sapphire window and hinged caseback cover, water-resistant to 30 meters
Strap and clasp: Alligator strap with rose-gold-plated stainless-steel buckle
Variations: Stainless steel without gold plating

4. Hublot Big Bang Tourbillon Power Reserve 5 Days Titanium

Hublot Big Bang Tourbillon Power Reserve 5 Days Titanium
Hublot Big Bang Tourbillon Power Reserve 5 Days Titanium

Reference: 405.NX.0137.LR
Movement: In-house HUB6016 based on the HUB6010, hand-wound, tourbillon, power-reserve indicator, diameter = 34 mm, height = 5.7 mm, ratchet wheel, 21,600 vph, 25 jewels, 50-hour power reserve
Case: Titanium with black composite resin, diameter = 45 mm, height = 13.2 mm, flat sapphire crystal with nonreflective coating on the inside, screw-down crown, sapphire caseback secured with six screws, water-resistant to 30 meters
Strap and clasp: Rubber and alligator strap with titanium safety buckle
Variations: Rose gold (99 pieces)
Limited edition: 99 pieces

5. IWC Portugieser Perpetual Calendar

IWC Portugieser Perpetual Calendar
IWC Portugieser Perpetual Calendar

Reference: IW503404
Movement: In-house Caliber 52615, automatic, perpetual calendar with double moon-phase and day displays, power-reserve indicator, diameter = 37.8 mm, height = 9 mm, 28,800 vph, 54 jewels, seven-day power reserve
Case: Rose gold, diameter = 44.2 mm, height = 15.3 mm, curved sapphire crystal with nonreflective coating on both sides, screw-down crown, sapphire caseback secured with six screws, water-resistant to 30 meters
Strap and clasp: Alligator strap with rose-gold folding clasp
Variations: White gold

6. Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Calendar

Jaeger-LeCoultre: Master Calendar
Jaeger-LeCoultre: Master Calendar

Reference: 155 84 21
Movement: In-house Caliber 866, automatic, annual calendar with date, day, month and moon-phase, diameter = 26 mm, height = 5.7 mm, 28,800 vph, 32 jewels, 40-hour power reserve
Case: Stainless steel, diameter = 39 mm, height = 10.6 mm, curved sapphire crystal with nonreflective coating on the inside, sapphire caseback secured with four screws, water-resistant to 50 meters
Strap and clasp: Alligator strap with stainless-steel folding clasp
Variations: Rose gold

7. Meistersinger Circularis

MeisterSinger: Circularis
MeisterSinger: Circularis

Reference: CC108
Movement: In-house Caliber MSH01, hand-wound, two barrels, diameter = 32.7 mm, height = 5.4 mm, 28,800 vph, 27 jewels, five-day power reserve
Case: Stainless steel, diameter = 43 mm, height = 12.5 mm, curved sapphire crystal with nonreflective coating on the inside, sapphire caseback secured with four screws, water-resistant to 50 meters
Strap and clasp: Alligator strap with stainless-steel double folding clasp
Variations: Ivory or silver-colored dial

8. Panerai Radiomir 1940 3 Days Automatic Titanio

Panerai Radiomir 1940 3 Days Automatic Titanio
Panerai Radiomir 1940 3 Days Automatic Titanio

Reference: PAM00619
Movement: In-house Caliber P.4000, automatic, diameter = 31 mm, height = 4 mm, 28,800 vph, 31 jewels, 72-hour power reserve
Case: Titanium, diameter = 45 mm, height = 12.2 mm, curved sapphire crystal with nonreflective coating on the outside, screw-down caseback with sapphire window, water-resistant to 100 meters
Strap and clasp: Buffalo leather strap with titanium buckle
Variations: Stainless steel; rose gold

9. Patek Philippe Calatrava Pilot Travel Time

Patek Philippe Calatrava Pilot Travel Time
Patek Philippe Calatrava Pilot Travel Time

Reference: 5524G
Movement: In-house Caliber 324 S C FUS, automatic, second time zone, two day-night indicators, diameter = 31 mm, height = 4.8 mm, Gyromax balance, 28,800 vph, 29 jewels, 40-hour power reserve
Case: White gold, diameter = 42 mm, height = 10.8 mm, sapphire crystal with nonreflective coating, screw-down caseback with sapphire window, water-resistant to 60 meters
Strap and clasp: Calfskin strap with white-gold buckle

10. Piaget Altiplano Chronograph

Piaget Altiplano Chronograph
Piaget Altiplano Chronograph

Reference: GOA40030
Movement: In-house Caliber 883P, hand-wound, flyback chronograph, diameter = 27 mm, height = 4.65 mm, 28,800 vph, 30 jewels, 50-hour power reserve
Case: Rose gold, diameter = 41 mm, height = 8.24 mm, flat sapphire crystal, screw-down crown, sapphire caseback secured by six screws, water-resistant to 30 meters
Strap and clasp: Alligator strap with rose-gold buckle
Variations: White gold with diamond bezel

Photos by Nik Schölzel and OK-Photography. This feature originally appeared in WatchTime Magazine.

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  1. Richard Driscoll

    It’s a shame you didn’t include the Breguet perpetual calendar which has the most beautiful engraved movement as well as a multi-patterned guilloche dial. How could you omit it?

    Reply
  2. Sorry but there are much better looking movements than these by the same manufacturers.

    Reply
  3. Sylvio F. Bertoli

    Nice article. Some casebacks are more beautiful than the front dials.

    Reply
  4. Paulo Costa

    How dare you to leave out FP Journe’s Chronomètre à Résonance?

    Reply
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