Several watch brands have experimented with transforming watches, such as Montblanc whose Metamorphosis II has a dial that morphs from a time-date format to a chronograph format by means of a mechanical transformation that takes about 15 seconds. This was a limited edition of 18 pieces, price on request so presumably a few hundred thousand euro. Hamilton’s Face-to-Face Chronograph also transforms, but using a different method, a swivelling case, and at a far more accessible price, €3,795. I saw it at a Hamilton presentation, and it is a preview of a watch that will be presented at Baselworld in March. It will be available on the market at the end of 2016.

While the original Face-to-Face had two movements, one for each face, this 2016 version has a single movement, the H-21, partially visible through the dial. The more classical front face has the normal time and chronograph indications, with day-date windows, while rotating the case reveals a different face featuring a blue chronograph second hand that can be read off a tachymeter-pulsometer scale. This hand is driven by the same movement and so it runs anti-clockwise. An interesting concept, well-engineered, and an excellent performer for the brand in terms of sales. The first edition of Face-to-Face was a limited edition of 1,892 pieces, a conservative batch size considering its unorthodox design, but they sold out on the very first day of their appearance at Baselworld.