BEST IN SHOW

IN THE FIRST OF TWO SPECIAL REPORTS, STEPHANIE IP AND JON WALL SELECT THEIR HIGHLIGHTS OF WATCHES AND WONDERS 2022, HELD EARLY LAST MONTH IN GENEVA

- STEPHANIE IP AND JON WALL

ROLEX

The annual drop from Rolex, which now takes place at Watches and Wonders, ranged from the somewhat predictable to the totally unexpected, with the biggest surprise of all being the unveiling of a left-handed (i.e., intended to be worn on the right wrist) GMT-Master II. If no one saw this coming, nor would they probably have imagined that the process not only involved reversing the calibre - which isn't anything like as easy as simply flipping it over, but involves some major re-engineering - and placing the crown on the left of the case, but also re-locating the date window and its Cyclops lens to the 9 o'clock position. If the end result still looks frankly weird, as if the whole watch were upside down, it's also unusually audacious and the fact that this newcomer's bezel carries the Crown's first ever green-and-black insert means this destro GMT may well be found on more left wrists than right ones (assuming, of course, it's possible to get hold of one in the rush).