In some watches, a notable feature on the dial is the power reserve indicator. This is a useful feature in the case of a hand-wound movement, but it is increasingly appearing on automatic watches, where it can be helpful as a reminder to put the watch on, or wind it, if you’ve left it in the drawer for a day or so. It also helps the user keep the watch in a state of winding that ensures maximum precision. Here is a selection of watches in which the power reserve indicator is the principal complication. In ascending price order.
1. Limes Pharo Big Date with Power Reserve
This watch has something of Breguet’s looks, with its Roman numerals, the silver-colour dial with different types of guilloché patterns, the blued Breguet hands, and the caseband with vertical fluting. The result is a watch with a very classical appearance, with a touch of asymmetry provided by the power reserve indicator. It is 40.5 mm in diameter, 11 mm thick, in stainless steel. The watch is powered by the ETA 2892-2, modified with the addition of the module for the big date and the power reserve indicator. Price €1,580 inclusive of VAT, plus shipping. Read more here.
2. Radio DiaMaster Power Reserve – €2,170
The DiaMaster Power Reserve by Rado is is in high-tech ceramic, fairly large at 43 mm. The eight-day power reserve indicator includes a red sector indicating that it’s time to put the watch on, or wind it. The movement is the self-winding ETA calibre C07.671, which achieves its 80-hour power reserve through an improved, reduced-friction escapement, and a mainspring made using a new alloy that allows for a smaller central arbour and hence more room for the spring itself. €2,170. Read more here.
3. Oris Artelier Calibre 113 – €5,800
The Oris Artelier Calibre 113 has a dial with an innovative calendar showing day, date, week and month, and a non-linear ten-day power reserve indicator. The in-house movement has a single barrel with a 1.8-metre long mainspring. The watch is 43 mm in diameter, in stainless steel, water resistant to 5 bar. The sapphire caseback reveals the movement, which has a simple finish based on brushed metal surfaces. This no-frills finish reflects Oris’ commitment to making comparatively affordable watches. Price €5,800. Read more here.
4. Ulysse Nardin Marine Torpilleur – €6,900
The Ulysse Nardin Marine Torpilleur is a timepiece in classic marine watch style, with a power reserve indicator at the top and a small seconds subdial at 6 o’clock. It is based on a vintage Ulysse Nardin pocket watch that has a very similar dial design. The case is 42 m in diameter, and it houses the self-winding UN-118 movement with a power reserve of about 60 hours. This version in steel with white lacquer dial costs €6,900. Read more here.
5. Carl F. Bucherer Manero PowerReserve – about €8,100
This new version of the Manero PowerReserve has a trendy blue dial, asymmetrically designed with the power reserve indicator on the right. The case is 42.5 mm in diameter, 12.54 mm thick, in stainless steel. The most spectacular feature of the watch is the in-house CFB 1011 movement, visible through the sapphire caseback, with a very high-tech appearance and a peripheral rotor which leaves everything else in view. The watch is a limited edition of 188 pieces, and it costs 9,400 Swiss francs, about €8,100. Also available in green. Read more here.
6. Panerai Radiomir 1940 3 Days GMT Automatico Acciaio PAM00658
This watch has a dial-side power reserve indicator, and the P.4002 calibre designed and built by Panerai has two mainspring barrels which provide 3 days (72 hours) of running time. In addition, there is a date window, GMT hand, and a day/night indicator on the continuous seconds subdial. Price €11,600 including VAT. The case is in AISI 316L stainless steel with polished finish, 45 mm in diameter with 10 bar water resistance (100 metres). Read more here.
7. Arnold & Son Eight-Day Royal Navy – about €12,000
The Eight-Day Royal Navy by Arnold & Son is a watch in steel, 43 mm in diameter and 10.7 mm thick. The hand-wound A&S1016 movement has dual mainspring barrels providing a power reserve of 192 hours, eight days. Price 12,200 Swiss francs excluding tax, about €10,500 plus tax. Read more here.
8. NOMOS Glashütte Lambda 42mm – €13,800
The NOMOS Glashütte Lambda 42mm has a 42mm case in rose gold, just 8.9 mm thick. The Bauhaus minimalist dial has a large 84-hour power reserve indicator – particularly appropriate considering that it’s a hand-wound watch – and the continuous seconds subdial below.. The sapphire caseback displays the hand-wound Nomos DUW 1001 movement, which is built according to Glashütte watchmaking traditions, with six jewels set in gold chatons and held by blued screws, swan-neck fine adjustment on the balance, and a hand-engraved balance cock. Price €13,800. Read more here.
9. Pierre DeRoche TNT GMT Power Reserve 43 – €12,000
The TNT GMT Power Reserve 43 has a power reserve display at bottom left and a GMT subdial at top right, and a banker’s date, a long date hand with crescent tip pointing to numerals on the inner bezel flange. The hour and minute hands have a jaunty design, mirrored by the small GMT hand showing the time in a second time zone. At first glance, there seems to be no indication of the seconds, but in fact the small rotor on top of the central pivot for the hands rotates and shows that the watch is running. The self-winding movement is made by Dubois Dépraz, with a power reserve of 42 hours,. 13,900 Swiss francs, about €12,000. Read more here.
10. IWC Big Pilot’s Watch Heritage IW501005
With its large conical crown, classic dial design and riveted leather strap, this new Big Pilot’s watch by IWC has an authentic look, close to the original 1940s IWC pilot’s watch, except for the addition of the 7-day power reserve indicator, and the date window. It is large, at 46.2 mm diameter and 15.4 mm thickness. It is powered by the in-house calibre 52110, with a Pellaton self-winding system. Price €14.000. Read more here.
11. Bulgari Octo Finissimo Skeleton – €25,000
The Octo Finissimo Skeleton by Bulgari has a hand-wound movement providing a generous power reserve, about 65 hours, shown by the power reserve indicator. Just about everything is in view, from the winding assembly, right through to the escapement and gear train. A nice touch consists of the two small circular windows revealing the pallet fork rubies. The case is in steel, 40 mm in diameter, very slim at 5.37 mm. Price about €25,000. Read more here.
12. MB&F LM1 Final Edition – €68,000
Legacy Machine 1 by MB&F is a very theatrical watch, with a large balance 14 mm in diameter, suspended from an arched bridge and running at a serene 2.5 Hertz, 18,000 vibrations per hour, two time displays powered by a single movement, and a vertical power reserve indicator at the base of the dial. The movement is by Chronode with consultancy from Jean-François Mojon. This watch is in steel, price 79,000 Swiss francs, about €68,000. Read more here.
13. A. Lange & Söhne Lange 31 – €142,300
In 2007, when it was introduced, the Lange 31 was the world record holder for power reserve in a mechanical watch, reaching 31 days, 744 hours. Since then, other watches have exceeded this, but the Lange 31 is still the watch with a classic case design having the highest power reserve. In 2017, A. Lange & Söhne presented a new variant in white gold and grey dial, a limited edition of 100 watches. There is a large power reserve indicator that has the figure 31 at the top end. Inside, Lange calibre L034 has two mainspring barrels, each with a spring 185 cm long. The watch has a constant-force mechanism to keep the power under control and to deliver a regular torque to the escapement. The mainsprings are wound using a key inserted into a hole in the caseback. Price €142,300. Read more here.
14. Greubel Forsey Art Piece 2 Edition 2 – €423,000
In the new Art Piece 2 Edition 2, much of the space on the dial is dedicated to the power reserve indication, with giant numerals for the 72-hour scale. The watch is hand-wound, with two series-coupled spring barrels. The tourbillon forms a sort of kinetic sculpture, with its two cages revolving at different speeds. To read the time, you press a pusher, and a metallized synthetic sapphire shutter opens to reveal hours and minutes shown on discs. The white gold case is 44 mm in diameter and over 16 mm thick. Price 490,000 Swiss francs, about €423,000. Read more here.
