13 Best Jump Hour Watches to Buy Now
Jump Hour watches stand apart in the world of horology with their distinct blend of digital-inspired displays and mechanical innovation. Instead of traditional sweeping hands, these intriguing timepieces showcase hours that instantaneously "jump" forward, marking each passing hour with satisfying precision. This captivating complication not only provides clarity but also offers a conversation-starting design that seamlessly bridges classic watchmaking and contemporary aesthetics. And recently, we have seen numerous new jump hour watches hit the market. For that reason, we thought we would take a look at thirteen exceptional jump hour watches that every true watch enthusiast should have on their radar.
Cartier Tank À Guichets
The Cartier Tank À Guichets epitomizes minimalist sophistication, stripped down to its essentials. Originally released in the 1920s, the Tank À Guichets made waves again as one of the headline-grabbing releases at Watches & Wonders 2025. Its understated design, featuring small apertures for the hour and minute display, complements the legendary Tank silhouette. For connoisseurs seeking discretion and heritage, Cartier's Tank À Guichets represents the pinnacle of refined taste. Its revival has reignited interest among watch collectors, elevating it from an elegant curiosity to perhaps a future icon. Each glance at the watch is a subtle reminder of Cartier’s storied history in design.
Gerald Charles Maestro GC39 Jumping Hour 25th-Anniversary
The Gerald Charles Maestro GC39 25th Anniversary Edition is a modern reinterpretation of the original 2005 GC39 model designed by Gérald Genta. It features a striking dial with a lapis lazuli center, surrounded by a radiant meta-guilloché pattern—an intricate micro-engraving technique unique to the brand. Housed in a 42mm Grade 5 titanium case with the Maestro’s signature asymmetrical shape, the watch is water-resistant to 100 meters. A standout feature is the jumping hour complication, displayed through an arched window at 12 o’clock and powered by the in-house Caliber 4.0 movement. This sophisticated movement consists of 265 components, offers a 50-hour power reserve, and ensures precise, mechanical elegance. Limited to just 100 pieces, it retails for $42,300 USD.
F.P. Journe Vagabondage III
The F.P. Journe Vagabondage III stands out as a distinctive expression of mechanical ingenuity. While the jumping hour display already sets it apart, this model takes things further by incorporating jumping minutes and seconds—an exceptionally rare complication in contemporary watchmaking. Produced in very limited numbers, each piece reflects François-Paul Journe’s signature approach: a blend of precision engineering and avant-garde design.
Though its technical achievements are impressive, the Vagabondage III also captivates through its unusual case shape and aesthetic.This is one of the few pieces by F.P. Journe that features an openworked dial. This allows the wearer to better see the inner mechanics of the watch, including the jump hour, minutes and seconds.
SpaceOne Jumping Hour
SpaceOne’s Orange Carbon Jumping Hour offers a bold yet thoughtful take on independent watchmaking. With its sci-fi-inspired design and unique jumping hour complication, it stands apart from the sea of microbrands. The watch uses a reliable Swiss Soprod base movement enhanced by a custom module developed with watchmaker Theo Auffret, delivering mechanical complexity at a fraction of haute horology prices. Its carbon case keeps things lightweight and wearable, despite its sizable presence. The compact time display, sculpted sapphire, and subtle running seconds add futuristic flair without overwhelming the design. With a price tag around $2,400 USD, it’s a compelling option for collectors seeking originality and mechanical depth.
Maen X Nico Leonard Grand Tonneau Jump Hour
The MAEN x Nico Leonard Grand Tonneau Jump Hour is a bold, enthusiast-driven collaboration between the Swedish microbrand and one of YouTube’s most recognizable watch personalities. Sized at 34mm but wearing larger thanks to its tonneau case shape, the watch takes clear inspiration from early 20th-century designs while maintaining modern proportions. Available in Forest Green, Black, and Red, each with a matching integrated FKM rubber strap, it offers distinct character without veering into gimmick territory. At its heart is a modified automatic Sea-Gull ST1721 movement featuring a jump hour complication, a rarity at this sub-€1,000 price point. MAEN’s in-house modification adds mechanical intrigue, proving that creativity and affordability can coexist. Learn more at Maen’s website.
Bremont Terra Nova Jumping Hour Bronze
The Bremont Terra Nova Jumping Hours Bronze marks a bold and unexpected evolution for the brand, combining field watch aesthetics with the sophisticated jumping hours complication. Housed in a 38mm vertically brushed bronze case with polished bevels, this limited edition model echoes early 20th-century trench watches, complete with a shield-style dial and a low 9.1mm profile. Its digital-style display features a trapezium-shaped jumping hour window at 12 o’clock, a central running seconds with Bremont’s new compass logo, and a minutes display below, all framed in gold and set against white backgrounds. Powered by the calibre BC634, a modified Sellita movement with a 56-hour power reserve, the watch offers precise and instantaneous hour jumps. Despite its sturdy appearance, water resistance is limited to 30m, emphasizing form over function in this case. With just 100 pieces available on either a bronze bracelet or brown leather strap and a price tag starting at $5,200 USD, the Terra Nova Bronze is a nice edition to Bremont’s catalog.
Fears Brunswick 40.5 Jump Hour
The Fears Brunswick 40.5 Jump Hour brings the brand’s signature refinement to a more complicated platform, the result of a collaboration with Christopher Ward, who developed the JJ01 jump hour module powering the watch. Visually, the watch is clean and composed, with a split dial design that places a black sunray outer ring in elegant contrast with a detailed inner section marked by concentric graining and applied accents. A tall polished window at 12 displays the hour using Fears’ bespoke “Edwin” typeface, while a single central hand tracks the minutes. Measuring 40.5mm across with a cushion case, the watch wears with presence but remains well-proportioned and versatile—somewhere between sporty and dressy. The finishing is thoughtful, from the brushed and polished casework to hidden engravings on the optional bracelet clasp. While the $4,400 price tag raised eyebrows for some, it reflects Fears’ evolution into a serious independent British brand with luxury ambitions.
MEC Watches MEC-1
The MEC-1 Jump Hour is the debut watch from MEC, a brand founded in 2022 by three friends, Carlos Ramirez, Eric K.T. Lau, and Judd Wood, who met through their shared love of horology. Featuring a custom, manually-wound jump hour movement with a 45-hour power reserve, the MEC-1 emphasizes both technical performance and design, boasting regulation that exceeds COSC standards. Its Art Deco-inspired styling, smoked sapphire crystal, and sculpted tonneau case reflect influences from New York and Miami, where the founders now reside. Key design details include a turquoise SuperLuminova hour disk for enhanced legibility and a forward-only setting mechanism to protect the movement. With a limited run of just 50 pieces in stainless steel priced at 21,000 CHF, the watch is part of a souscription series and won’t be repeated in this configuration. Despite its avant-garde design, the MEC 1 remains wearable at 39mm by 9.5mm with 50m water resistance. Learn more about MEC here.
A. Lange & Söhne Zeitwerk
When it comes to mechanical digital displays, few watches are as technically ambitious—or as instantly recognizable, as the Zeitwerk. Lange’s take on the jump hour concept involves three discs (one for hours, two for minutes) that advance with crisp, instant precision thanks to a remontoir system housed within the in-house caliber L043.1. The horizontal layout mimics the logic of a digital clock, but the craftsmanship is unmistakably Lange: 416 finely finished components, a 36-hour power reserve, and white gold casework that weighs in at a bold 41.9mm. What’s especially unique is how wearable it is. And despite its mechanical complexity and $89,000 price tag, the Zeitwerk feels right at home with a casual sweater and jeans. It's a definitive statement piece for someone who already knows and appreciates what Lange is all about. Find out more on Lange’s website.
Amida Digitrend
The Amida Digitrend marks the return of a long-dormant brand, revived with a faithful recreation of its most iconic model from the 1970s. Known for its sideways jump hour display, the Digitrend stands out with a design that feels straight out of the retro-futurist era. This relaunch keeps the spirit of the original intact, right down to its distinctive case shape and digital-style readout. Updates are subtle but meaningful, like the use of a sapphire crystal, to ensure it holds up to modern expectations in terms of quality. For collectors and enthusiasts drawn to vintage aesthetics and offbeat time-telling, the Digitrend offers a compelling piece of horological history brought back to life. The Amida Digitrend retails for around $3,900 USD.
Urwerk UR-112
The Urwerk UR-112 is a bold and unconventional take on the jump hour watch, showcasing the brand’s signature futuristic design and mechanical innovation. Housed in a complex titanium and steel case, the UR-112 features a fully mechanical digital display that includes jumping hours and trailing minutes shown on rotating satellite prisms. A flip-up hood reveals additional functions like digital seconds and a power reserve indicator, all driven by the UR-13.01 automatic movement. Despite its high-tech appearance, the watch is entirely mechanical, with energy transmitted through a unique system of gears and shafts. Super-Luminova ensures legibility, and the case design, long, angular, and industrial, emphasizes Urwerk’s radical approach to timekeeping. Learn more at Urwerk’s website.
M.A.D. Editions M.A.D. 2
The M.A.D.2 is the latest release from M.A.D.Editions, a playful offshoot of MB&F, and it marks a significant evolution for the brand. Designed by longtime MB&F collaborator Eric Giroud, the watch draws inspiration from his 1990s DJ days in Lausanne, featuring dual discs on the dial reminiscent of turntables. These discs aren’t just decorative, they form the basis of a jumping hour and dragging minutes complication powered by a new in-house module atop a La Joux-Perret G101 movement. The 42mm stainless steel case offers a slimmer, more wearable profile compared to earlier models, while still showcasing the rotor through the dial. With its vinyl-record-inspired textures, fun lume details, and a quirky-yet-practical complication, the M.A.D.2 is a more approachable, everyday expression of the brand’s experimental spirit. Available in a green dial via public raffle (or orange for MB&F Tribe members), it’s priced at 2,900 CHF.
Ludovic Ballouard Upside Down
The Ludovic Ballouard Upside Down is a watch that conceals a highly inventive complication beneath a discreet and elegant exterior. At first glance, it fits neatly into the dress watch category, slim, refined, and quietly sophisticated. But a closer look reveals its unique trick: only the current hour appears right side up, while the others remain flipped, changing instantly at the top of each hour via a clever jump hour mechanism. The effect is subtle yet captivating, offering a quiet thrill for those who catch it in motion. Minutes are tracked by a central hand, with a small seconds subdial at 6 o’clock, all arranged in a clean, symmetrical layout. Powered by Ballouard’s in-house LB01 movement, the watch blends technical prowess with visual restraint. It’s a thoughtful, conversation-starting piece that rewards those who take the time to notice. Learn more at Ludovic Ballouard’s website.
