Pandemic Keepsakes

LIMITED MOVEMENT AND commercial activity have been a dampener for watch companies, many of which decided not to roll out new models this year, even if it was possible to sell them online. But for those that bucked the trend and went ahead, the watches they launch now may well become collectibles in years to come, thanks to their association with such a momentous time. Here are some candidates:

01. KRAYON

Krayon's Anywhere is a watch with an intriguing name, from a brand you've probably never heard of. Founded by Remi Maillat, a watch design engineer and math prodigy, Krayon is new in the watch world. But it already got off to a good start with its debut creation, Everywhere, which won the innovation prize in 2018 at the Grand Prix d' Horlogerie de Genève. Anywhere is a "logical progression" from Everywhere, a "hyper complication" which can indicate the time of sunset and sunrise anywhere in the world. It builds on the same patent and goes to the core of a personal "ephemeris" -- a table showing the positions of a heavenly body on a number of dates in a regular sequence. Krayon's founder claims that Anywhere is a first in watchmaking, where time marks our relationship with Earth. It provides a watchmaker's answer to a philosophical challenge. When the sun rises and sets are decisive moments of the day, according to Mr Maillat, "when nature awakens at dawn, or prepares for rest at dusk". He adds, "It is the time when animals drink, fish feed and predators hunt. It is the time of our connection with Earth." The watch comes in a 39 mm wide white or rose gold case and is powered by a new in-house hand-wound movement which Mr Maillat designed in the tradition of the classic calibers.