10 min read
There is a moment I wait for on a jumping hour watch. The minute hand creeps towards twelve, and for the last few seconds nothing seems to happen. Then, with a tiny snap, the numeral in the window simply changes. One moment it is three o'clock, the next it is four. No sweep, no in-between. Just a decision. I have always found that moment strangely thrilling. A jumping hour turns a watch into a small piece of theatre: energy quietly building up for sixty minutes, then released in a fraction of a second. It is mechanical watchmaking at its most playful, and it reads more like a digital display than anything you would expect from springs and gears. For a long time, owning one meant spending serious money on names like A. Lange & Söhne or Cartier. Not anymore. Over the last two years, the jump hour has become one of the hottest complications in watchmaking, and some of the most interesting examples now sit within genuine reach. Here are the ones I would put on my own shortlist.
How Does a Jumping Hour Work?
On a normal watch, the hour hand moves continuously. On a jumping hour (also called a jump hour, or montre à guichet), the hour is printed on a disc behind a small window. A minute hand or disc runs as usual, but the hour disc stays perfectly still for the entire hour. The trick is energy storage. As the minutes pass, the movement slowly tensions a spring or loads a cam. At the top of the hour, that energy is released all at once, kicking the hour disc forward by one step. Bremont, for example, says its hour disc jumps in under a tenth of a second.
That sudden release is what makes the complication hard to build well. A jump that is too weak looks sluggish; one that is too strong can strain the movement. It also drains power, which is why many jump hours have a shorter power reserve than the base movement. And on some models, turning the hands backwards can damage the mechanism, so always check the manual before setting the time.
A Short History of the Jump Hour
The idea is older than you might think. Austrian watchmaker Josef Pallweber patented a jumping hour display in 1883, and it soon appeared in pocket watches, including those made by IWC. In 1928, Cartier released the Tank à Guichets, a wristwatch with no hands at all, only small windows for the hours and minutes. The jump hour enjoyed another moment in the 1970s, when brands borrowed its "digital" look to compete with the new electronic watches. Today it is back with a vengeance. Cartier revived the Tank à Guichets, Audemars Piguet launched its Neo Frame Jumping Hour in 2026, and independent and microbrands have followed with remarkable creativity, which is great news for anyone without a six-figure budget.
9 Jumping Hour Watches Within Reach
1. Tissot Newtimer (vintage, 1970s)
The cheapest way into a real Swiss jump hour is to go back in time. In the early 1970s, Tissot made the Newtimer, a bold "direct-read" watch that showed the hours and minutes in windows like an early digital display, with a date at six o'clock. Its automatic movement used a simple add-on module that kicks the hour forward once every sixty minutes. It is wonderfully period-specific, chunky and a little bit disco. Just buy from a trusted vintage dealer and budget for a service.
Where to buy: vintage only. Look at specialist vintage dealers, auction platforms. Ask for clear movement photos and recent service history.
Approx. price: US$150 to $500 on the vintage market
2. Maen x Nico Leonard Grand Tonneau Jump Hour
This collaboration between the Stockholm-based brand Maen and YouTuber Nico Leonard was one of the most talked-about watches of 2025, and it is easy to see why. A sleek tonneau case, an hour window above a rotating minute disc, and a price under €1,000 made a mechanical jump hour feel genuinely democratic. Maen modified the Chinese Sea-Gull ST1721 jump-hour calibre to keep costs down. Pre-orders have closed, so you will likely need to look on the pre-owned market or wait for the next drop.
Where to buy: sold only through Maen's own website, on pre-order. The pre-order window has closed, so check the pre-owned market or sign up on maenwatches.com for future releases.
Price at launch: €999 ·
3. Christopher Ward C1 Jump Hour
Christopher Ward has been doing this longer than almost anyone in this price bracket. Its in-house JJ01 module debuted in 2011, and 2026 marks its 15th anniversary with the C1 Jump Hour XV, featuring a guilloché centre and a Roman numeral hour window. What I love about the JJ01 is how it builds energy steadily across the full hour rather than in a rush at the end, which gives a cleaner, more consistent jump. It is so well regarded that Fears uses the same module in its own jump hour.
Where to buy: Christopher Ward sells direct to customers online at christopherward.com and ships to customers in more than 100 countries. Limited editions sell out, so older references are also worth hunting pre-owned.
Price: from about £1,795 (C1 Jump Hour XV, limited to 300) ·
4. M.A.D.3 Vincent Calabrese (a wandering cousin)
Strictly speaking, the M.A.D.3 is not a jumping hour. Vincent Calabrese's Baladin complication lets the hour window wander slowly around the dial instead of snapping from one numeral to the next. He designed it precisely because he found the abruptness of the jump too harsh. I include it because it is the most poetic answer to the same question: what if a watch told the time without an hour hand? For anyone who loves jump hours, it is an essential counterpoint.
Where to buy: through M.A.D.Editions, part of MB&F. The blue version was offered through an online raffle, while the pink edition was reserved for MB&F's community of owners and friends. If you miss out, the pre-owned market is your best bet.
Price: CHF 2,900 ·
5. Gagà Laboratorio Labormatic Cinquanta (a digital-look cousin)
The Cinquanta looks like a 1950s jukebox reimagined as a wristwatch, with pastel tones, flared lugs and a crown at twelve o'clock like a pocket watch. Hours appear in a window at the top, minutes travel around the dial, and the rotating logo in the centre acts as the seconds. The hour display here moves gradually rather than jumping instantly, so it is a digital-style display, not a true jump hour. But if the look is what draws you to the complication, this is one of the most joyful designs out there.
Where to buy: through Gagà Laboratorio directly; check the brand's website for current availability and stockists.
Price at launch: CHF 3,900 ·
6. Fears Brunswick 40.5 Jump Hour
The Bristol-based brand Fears first used the jump hour in the Alliance 01, a limited collaboration with Christopher Ward in 2023. The Brunswick 40.5 Jump Hour brought it into the permanent collection, housed in Fears' elegant cushion case. The hour appears in a framed window at twelve o'clock, printed in Fears' own "Edwin" typeface, with a single hand for the minutes. It is restrained, very British and dresses up or down with ease.
Where to buy: directly from Fears online and through its network of authorised dealers in the UK, US and beyond.
Price: about US$4,400 ·
7. Bremont Terra Nova Jumping Hour
Nobody expected Bremont, a brand known for aviation tool watches, to launch a jump hour in 2025. Yet the Terra Nova Jumping Hour, inspired by early 20th-century trench and pocket watches, has become one of its most talked-about collections. At Geneva Watch Days 2026 it gained a new 35mm case just 8.9mm thick, along with burgundy and frosted finishes. The exclusive BC634 calibre snaps the hour forward in under a tenth of a second. One thing to note: like many jump hours, it can only be set forwards.
Where to buy: Bremont boutiques, bremont.com and authorised retailers. In India, Bremont is part of the brand line-up at Ethos, so ask your nearest Ethos boutique about availability.
Price: from about ₹ 5,57,000
8. Otsuka Lotec No.8
Jiro Katayama's one-man Tokyo workshop makes some of the most original watches in the world, and the No.8 might be his most theatrical yet. Inspired by mixing consoles at Abbey Road Studios, it pairs an "Hour Channel" jumping hour on the left with a "Minute Fader" retrograde minute that climbs to sixty, then resets as the hour jumps. The catch is availability: Otsuka Lotec watches are made in small numbers and mostly sold by lottery in Japan. But if you ever get the chance, this is a jump hour like no other.
Where to buy: not through normal retail. Otsuka Lotec sells in small batches, mainly by lottery to customers in Japan. Pieces occasionally appear at auction and on the secondary market, usually above the original price.
Price: JPY 990,000 (about €5,390) ·
9. MeisterSinger Panthero Jumping Hour
MeisterSinger is famous for single-hand watches, and for its 25th anniversary in 2026 it found a clever way to combine that philosophy with a jumping hour. The hour jumps in a round window at twelve o'clock, while a single hand traces the minutes, plus a small running seconds at six. It is calm, clean and highly legible, and a smart choice if you want a jump hour that feels like a daily dress watch.
Where to buy: MeisterSinger sells through authorised dealers. In India, the brand is available exclusively through Ethos, so the Panthero can be ordered there.
Price: from ₹ 8,29,000
Even more affordable?
If you just want to try the experience, plenty of smaller brands now offer jump hours built on the Sea-Gull ST1721 movement for a few hundred dollars. Finishing and reliability vary widely, but they are an easy way to find out whether the complication is for you.
What I Would Look For Before Buying a Jump Hour
• A true jump or a drag? Some "digital-look" watches move the hour gradually. If you want that satisfying snap, check that the hour is genuinely instantaneous.
• The quality of the jump. A good module stores energy steadily and releases it cleanly. Watch a video of the change at the top of the hour before you buy.
• Setting the time. Many jump hours can only be set forwards. Others, like the Chronoswiss Neo Digiteur, are bidirectional. Know which you have.
• Power reserve. The jump uses energy, so expect a shorter reserve than the base movement, sometimes only 32 to 38 hours.
• Legibility and size. Hour windows can be small. Try it on, and make sure you can read it at a glance.
• Servicing. Modules add complexity. Brands with established jump-hour experience have a track record worth paying for.
Buying a jump hour from India
Several of these brands, including Bremont and MeisterSinger, can be ordered through Ethos, India's largest luxury watch retailer, which means an Indian invoice and warranty. For direct-to-consumer brands like Christopher Ward, Maen or Fears, you will usually order online from abroad, so factor in customs duty and GST when the parcel arrives, and check how servicing will work before you buy.
Jumping Hour Watches: Frequently Asked Questions
What is a jumping hour watch?
A jumping hour watch shows the hour as a numeral in a window instead of with an hour hand. The numeral stays still all hour, then jumps instantly to the next hour when the minutes reach sixty.
Who invented the jumping hour?
Austrian watchmaker Josef Pallweber patented a jumping hour display in 1883. It later appeared in pocket watches and, from the 1920s, in wristwatches such as the Cartier Tank à Guichets.
What is the most affordable jumping hour watch?
Vintage pieces like the 1970s Tissot Newtimer can be found for a few hundred dollars. Among new watches, the Maen x Nico Leonard Jump Hour launched at €999, while Christopher Ward's C1 Jump Hour starts at around £1,795.
Can you set a jumping hour watch backwards?
It depends on the watch. Many jump hours, including Bremont's, can only be set forwards, while others such as the Chronoswiss Neo Digiteur are designed to be set in either direction. Always check the manual.
