For a remarkably long period, time has been displayed in a predictable and familiar manner. We’ve come to expect all watches to feature separate hands for the hours, minutes and seconds, which glide across the dial at their own pace. Learning to read your own watch thanks to this system became one of the first things that children were taught when they started growing up. It seems like one of those areas of watchmaking that are so fundamental that they cannot be replaced, such that even an Apple Watch embraces this type of display.

However, some watchmakers have challenged this approach. In our eyes, one of the most compelling alternatives can be found in jump hour watches. Foregoing the traditional hands, these feature a series of discs in different configurations, which jump at certain transitions, hence their name. Despite having first appeared in the 19th century, this innovative way of displaying the time has seen mixed success over time.

 

A Lange & Söhne Zeitwerk digital time display jump hour watch for A Collected Man London

The enigmatic display of A. Lange & Söhne's Zeitwerk.

 

It rose in popularity in the early 20th century, when the likes of Cartier, Patek Philippe and Audemars Piguet embraced the contrarian approach jump hour watches embodied, which went hand in hand with the spirit of the time. Forward thinkers such as Gary Cooper or Duke Ellington embraced the concept whole heartedly. Then, it seemed that they all but disappeared, before resurfacing decades later, as brands and independent watchmakers took a more contrarian approach, yet again. The likes of Daniel Roth, Vianney Halter, MB&F, DeBethune and François-Paul Journe would rediscover the jump hour. To get a sense of how these have evolved over time, and some of the difficulties involved in their production, let’s jump right in.

 

The Birth of Jump Hour Watches

 

While many have cited IWC’s Pallweber pieces as pioneering the jump hour watch, the Schaffhausen-based br