menu
Departments
.svg)
A different way of reading time
In an era where watchmaking often leans toward increasing complexity and visual density, the jump hour complication offers something radically different: simplicity.
Instead of traditional hands, time is displayed through apertures. The hour appears, then instantly “jumps” at the top of each hour. The result is clean, architectural, almost abstract, a fundamentally different way of engaging with time.
Before the wristwatch: the origins of digital time
Legend: Josef Pallweber for IWC Pocket Watch
Long before Cartier, and even before the wristwatch itself, the idea of a “digital” mechanical display had already emerged.
In 1883, Austrian engineer Josef Pallweber patented a jump hour mechanism, later produced by firms such as IWC and Cortebert. These early pocket watches already challenged the traditional way of reading time, replacing hands with numerals displayed through apertures.
From pocket to wrist: The Art Deco turning point
It was not until the early 20th century that the jump hour truly found its aesthetic identity.
The Art Deco period provided the perfect context, transforming the dial into a study of geometry and form. Brands including Rolex, Bulova, Breguet and Audemars Piguet explored the concept throughout the 1920s and 1930s.
Audemars Piguet, in particular, produced a number of jump hour wristwatches between 1924 and 1951, including the pre-model1271 (1929), demonstrating an early and sustained interest in aperture-based displays.
Cartier and the refinement of the jump hour
Legend: Cartier Original « Tank à Guichets », 1928
Cartier did not invent the jump hour, but refined it into one of the most iconic wristwatch designs of the 20th century.
Introduced in 1928, the Tank à Guichets removed hands entirely, replacing them with apertures for hours and minutes in a bold, architectural display.
One of the earliest known examples was purchased that same year by the Maharaja Bhupinder Singh of Patiala, suggesting he may well have been among the very first, if not the first client to wear the model.
While jump hour wristwatches had already been explored earlier in the decade by Audemars Piguet, it is Cartier that ultimately defined the aesthetic and cultural identity of the complication.
The model would later be worn by figures such as Duke Ellington, further cementing its status as a symbol of avant-garde elegance. Several subtle variations exist among early Tank à Guichets pieces, from crown design to the positioning of the minute aperture, details thoroughly documented in Franco Cologni’s reference work The Tank Watch.
Jump hours beyond the wrist
Legend: Hermes by Clarté, Jump hour bag watch. Estimate €1,000-1,500, Fine Watches at Adam’s auctioneers, 13 May 2026.
While most collectors associate jump hours with wristwatches, the complication also found expression in more unusual formats.
A particularly charming example is the Clarté jump hour bag watch made for Hermès Paris, circa 1935, featured in our upcoming sale. Designed as both an object of utility and style, it reflects the same Art Deco fascination with geometry and modernity, while extending the jump hour display beyond the wrist into the world of personal accessories.
Why collectors are drawn to jump hours
Legend: Breguet Ref. 3420BA, Enamel dial, Jump Hour Watch, No. 15/800, Sold €17,500 at Adam’s Auctioneers Fine Watches, 14 May 2025.
Jump hour watches combine technical complexity with visual restraint.
This duality resonates strongly with collectors today: minimalist design paired with mechanical sophistication, all anchored in a rich historical context. Unlike more overtly complicated watches, their appeal lies in subtlety.
In our experience, these pieces often attract a more design-driven collector than traditional complications.
We saw this first hand in our previous sale, where a Breguet jump hour wristwatch stood out for its elegance and rarity, a reminder that even within a niche category, quality and provenance remain decisive.
A contemporary revival
In recent years, the jump hour has made a discreet yet meaningful return.
In 2023, Cartier reintroduced the Tank à Guichets as part of its Privé collection, remaining faithful to the original design while subtly updating the mechanics.
At the same time, Audemars Piguet returned to its roots with the Neo Frame Jumping Hour, drawing on its late-1920s “pre-model” wristwatches such as reference 1271, while introducing its first self-winding take on the complication.
Alongside these high-profile releases, more discreet pieces such as the Chaumet Jump Hour ref.10A are also gaining renewed attention among collectors. Produced in the early 1990s, the model is particularly notable for its discreet technical pedigree, developed during a period when Chaumet collaborated with independent watchmakers such as François-Paul Journe.
Beyond its distinctive design, the 10A also reminds us that the jump hour is far from a purely aesthetic exercise. The instantaneous jumping mechanism, requiring precise energy management and controlled release, remains a technically demanding complication, one that bridges graphic simplicity with genuine horological sophistication.
This renewed interest signals a wider shift: collectors today are increasingly drawn to watches defined as much by design as by mechanics.
Still niche, jump hour watches are becoming increasingly relevant. They offer something rare, not just a complication, but an entirely different way of experiencing time.
Works Sold at Adam’s Now in the Irish National Collection
A great opportunity to purchase both established and lesser-known artist’s work at an accessible price point, the Online Picture Auction is the first of many sales to be hosted at Adam’s in 2026. It is perfect for those looking to start a collection and the discerning collector alike.
Through this article, let our expert Adam Pearson guiding you to the (re)discovery of the once established Irish painter Richard O’Neill.
Buying at Auction and the Role of Antiques in a Modern Home
Important Irish Art Auction Highlights
Oliver Dowling Collection by Aidan Dunne
2024 is a year in which Adam’s wants to recognise the key role buying antique furniture and furnishings at auction contributes greatly to the sustainable initiative. In 2019 the Environmental Protection Agency reported stark figures that each year in Ireland 1.2 million reusable bulky items, primarily furniture goes into landfill. Similar to the problem of ‘fast fashion’, the constant production and consumption of new items is leading to rapidly growing waste problem. We want to acknowledge those who are already buying second hand or antique furniture at auction and to encourage new buyers by highlighting the benefits of acquiring affordable, well-made quality items that are built to last.
Irish author, recipe creator and lifestyle influencer, Indy Parsons, selects her favourite pieces from our upcoming Fine Jewellery & Watches auction
.jpg)
Cork-born Irish actress, Sarah Greene, selects her favourite pieces from our upcoming Fine Jewellery & Watches auction
Yvonne Aupicq had met Orpen, we understand, while working as a nurse during the war. He had been admitted to hospital with a suspected case of scabies which ended up being a far more serious case of blood poisoning as he recounts in his wartime memoir ‘An Onlooker in France’. Their relationship continued after 1918 when Orpen was appointed as the official artist to The Paris Peace Conference. They relocated to capital and over the following decade he painted her numerous times, often nude as in Amiens 1914, or The Rape and Nude Girl Reading (1921). Working with her as his model during these early years after the war allowed Orpen an opportunity to re-fuel his creativity.
Editor-in-Chief of IMAGE Publications, Lizzie Gore-Grimes, selects her favourite pieces from our upcoming Fine Jewellery & Watches auction
Our upcoming Fine Jewellery & Watches auction on September 13th features a prime example of Van Cleef & Arpel's renowned 'Mystery Setting'
Our June auction offers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to acquire one of the great masterpieces of Irish art and icons of Dublin’s history.
Georgia Chiesa selects some of her favourite lots in the upcoming Vintage Wine & Spirits Auction
"Beating the bounds is a tradition that can be traced back to the medieval period. At this time, land was divided into parishes and the clergy and church wardens held the responsibility for its upkeep and management. It was up to the Church to ensure that its parishioners knew the local boundary lines and, before maps became commonplace, this had to be kept as a mental record."
Adam’s in conjunction with Suzanne MacDougald are proud to host an online timed auction of artworks to aid the Irish Red Cross’s humanitarian work in delivering vital services to millions of people impacted by the conflict in Ukraine. With no buyers premium 100% of the hammer price will go directly to the Irish Red Cross.
Ros Drinkwater writes of Jack B Yeats' 'The Boat' in the Business Post:
With a consolidated result of €320,000,the At Home sale in Stephan’s Green, was a great success.
James Adam & Sons Ltd, Fine Art Auctioneers and Valuers, 26 St. Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2,
D02 X665, Ireland
