You won’t have to keep resetting the time if you have a watch with an ultra-long power reserve.
A watch’s power reserve — the length of time the watch runs without needing to be wound — can be an overlooked function when buying a watch. However, it’s an important factor if you wear multiple watches. When a watch’s power reserve runs out, the watch stops keeping time, and then you need to wind and reset it. If it’s a simple time-only watch, it’s not much of a hassle. However, if you have a complicated watch, like a perpetual calendar or a moon phase, resetting the different functions can be time-consuming, so having a watch with an ultra-long power reserve is beneficial. In addition, when a watch is toward the end of its power reserve, it is less precise.
Of course, watch brands love to test their limits and compete with one another — and themselves — to achieve new technical feats and, sometimes, world records. With an astonishing 65 days of power, Vacheron Constantin currently holds the record for the watch with the longest power reserve in the world. But there are many fantastic watches with power reserves longer than one week that deserve consideration — and you can more easily purchase them. Many ultra-long-power-reserve watches are produced in very limited quantities and have six-figure prices.
This article focuses on mechanical watches, so it does not include the incredible Elégante from F.P. Journe. (It has an electromagnetic movement, essentially combining a mechanical movement and a battery, that allows it to enter standby mode and keep time for up to 18 years.) Discover the watches with the longest power reserves in the world here.
In This Article
- What Is a Power Reserve?
- Vacheron Constantin Traditionnelle Twin Beat Perpetual Calendar: 65 Days
- Rebellion T2m Zenvo: 58 Days
- Hublot MP-05 LaFerrari: 50 Days
- Haute-Rive Honoris I: 41 Days
- A. Lange & Söhne Lange 31: 31 Days
- Bovet Braveheart: 22 Days
- Hublot Big Bang MP-11 Sapphire: 14 Days
- Blancpain Villeret Tourbillon Volant Une Minute: 12 Days
- Oris Big Crown ProPilot x Calibre 115: 10 Days
- Panerai Luminor GMT: 10 Days
The Watches With the Longest Power Reserves
What Is a Power Reserve?
Mechanical watches don’t have batteries; their power comes from stored energy inside the movement’s barrel. The barrel is a large gear that contains a coiled mainspring and a flat steel spring. The full name is the mainspring barrel. When you wind a watch, this motion tightly coils the mainspring, thus storing energy inside the barrel. As time elapses, the mainspring uncoils and powers the rest of the movement.
The amount of stored power is measured in hours or days and is called the watch’s power reserve. Most watches have one barrel, but some watchmakers use multiple barrels to increase the length of the power reserve, independently power a complication, or increase the watch’s accuracy (technically called chronometry).
A good rule of thumb for how long a power reserve should be is the so-called weekend test. If a watch has a power reserve longer than 62 hours, you can take it off on Friday night after work and put it on again on Monday morning and it will still be running. At a minimum, a watch should have a 40-hour power reserve, so you can put it down for a day and it will still be running the following morning.
It’s common for watches with ultra-long power reserves to include a power-reserve indicator. The main types of power-reserve indicators are small subdials or scales with an arrow that moves toward 0 or empty as the watch runs. This way, you know when to wind the watch.
Vacheron Constantin Traditionnelle Twin Beat Perpetual Calendar: 65 Days
The mechanical watch with the longest power reserve in the world is Vacheron Constantin’s groundbreaking Traditionnelle Twin Beat Perpetual Calendar. It has an astonishing power reserve of 65 days! When it debuted in 2019, it made a huge splash for its innovative approach to timekeeping and mechanics.
Vacheron Constantin’s watchmakers took an unusual approach to achieving this long power reserve. Instead of increasing the number of barrels that could store more power, it created a patent-pending system for the movement to transition between two frequencies without losing time. (In timekeeping, the higher the frequency, the more precise the movement is.) When the watch is being worn, it operates at 5Hz, a high frequency. If you aren’t wearing the watch, you can switch it to standby mode, which runs at a low frequency of 1.2Hz. In standby mode, the watch keeps time for at least 65 days. When in active mode (5Hz), it has a power reserve of four days. Each frequency uses a different balance, activated by the pusher at 8 o’clock. This system of switching frequencies gives the watch its “Twin Beat” moniker.
What makes this even more impressive is that it doesn’t just tell the time; it’s a perpetual calendar watch, as well. The ability to put a perpetual calendar watch in a safe for two months and have it remain accurate is pretty incredible. Despite its impressive mechanics and ultra-long power reserve, the watch is tastefully sized. It measures 42mm in diameter and is 12.3mm thick. While that’s not breaking any records for the thinnest watch in the world, it’s noticeably slight for a watch with such a complex movement.
Vacheron Constantin won the Innovation prize at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie, the watch version of the Academy Awards, for its unique design. When it was released, this watch sold for 520,000 euros.
Rebellion T2m Zenvo: 58 Days
In 2019, independent watchmaker Rebellion partnered with Zenvo, a hypercar manufacturer, to create the T2m Zenvo, which has a 1,400-hour power reserve. This racing-inspired watch has plenty of automotive details, including a gear system that mimics a race-car engine. The case is made from a single block of titanium DLC- 5N and has an angular shape reminiscent of a hypercar. Instead of a traditional dial, the openworked watch shows the V8-inspired movement, which has eight barrels to store power. It’s quite a large watch, measuring 58.75mm in length, 53.10mm in width, and 22.32mm in height. Rebellion released just five of this watch in 2019, and the price was available on request.
Hublot MP-05 LaFerrari: 50 Days
Until Vacheron Constantin eclipsed it in 2019, Hublot held the record for the watch with the longest power reserve. In 2013, Hublot unveiled the MP-05 LaFerrari, which had a groundbreaking 1,200 hours, or 50 days, of power reserve. (It’s a testament to the innovative spirit of the watch industry that two brands have eclipsed its achievement in less than six years, although it still holds the record for the longest power reserve watch with a tourbillon.) At the time, it was the most complex watch Hublot had ever made, containing a whopping 637 components.
The watch pays homage to LaFerrari, the most advanced production car Ferrari had made at the time. The MP-05 LaFerrari achieves its power reserve thanks to 11 barrels, which are stacked in the middle of the movement. Instead of traditional hour and minute hands, the watch uses cylinders that echo the barrels to display the hours and minutes at the top left and right corners of the watch. The watch is shaped like a car, and the sapphire crystal and open caseback showcase its inner workings. The oversize tourbillon isn’t visible from the top of the watch but in profile. It has a large cage measuring 14.50mm, so you can fully appreciate it. Hublot released 50 of this limited-edition watch, each priced at 300,000 CHF ($340,000).
Haute Rive Honoris I: 41 Days
It’s difficult for a new, independent watch brand to make an instant splash with its first watch. But watchmaker Stéphane von Gunten honed his craft at the best companies in the world, including Patek Philippe, Girard-Perregaux, and Ulysse Nardin, before launching his own company, Haute Rive, in 2023. He’s also a third-generation watchmaker, and he builds off of his family’s legacy with his innovations.
Von Gunten did more than just create a splash with its first release: Honoris I broke the world record for the watch with the longest power reserve in a single barrel and a flying tourbillon. It has a 1,000-hour power reserve, which is just over 41 days. The mainspring is three meters long, which is exponentially longer than most mainsprings. It’s so large, in fact, that it takes up the full diameter of the case. If you look at the open caseback, you’ll see the power-reserve scale in a slim ring around the edge of the case, and the rest of the exposed movement is the oversize barrel.
The dial design is elegant but unusual. At 12 o’clock, part of the movement is visible dialside. A large wheel, nicknamed the wheel of time, dominates the top half of the dial. Underneath it, you can see other elements of the movement. Despite this ultra-long power reserve, the watch measures just 42.5mm in diameter and 11.95mm in height. Honoris I has a grand feu enamel dial, available in black or white, and a fluted 18K gold bezel. Haute Rive will produce 10 pieces a year, each priced at $164,000.
A. Lange & Söhne Lange 31: 31 Days
A. Lange & Söhne used an ultra-long mainspring measuring 1,850mm long to transform its classic Lange 1 dress watch into a powerhouse with 744 hours, or 31 days, of power reserve. According to the brand, this one is 10 times as long as an average mainspring. Its watchmakers developed a new, patented constant-force escapement that releases the power consistently and slowly in the Lange 31. Winding a mainspring this long would take a very long time using a traditional crown — a watch with a 40-hour power reserve can take more than 20 turns — so for this watch, A. Lange & Söhne uses a key, which has more leverage than a crown.
While many watches with ultra-long power reserves have avant-garde designs, Lange 31 has the classic stylings of the Lange 1 men’s dress watch but with a twist. Instead of using an off-center subdial to display the hours and minutes, this subdial indicates the 31-day power reserve, and central hands tell the time. A small seconds subdial appears at 6 o’clock. This 45.9mm watch comes in 18K white gold with a gray dial crafted from solid silver. It’s limited to 100 pieces and is price on request.
Bovet Braveheart: 22 Days
Bovet offers more than three weeks of power reserve in the Braveheart watch. This timepiece has six patents and several unusual elements, including a cylindrical hairspring and a patented three-prong balance wheel called a felly. It comes in the brand’s signature Amedeo case, which converts from a wristwatch to a pocket watch and a clock. There are also dials on both sides, so it’s reversible. Braveheart has a small dial at 12 o’clock for hours and minutes using traditional hands, while the reverse has a small dial with an hour hand and a retrograde minute scale above it.
The rest of the movement is skeletonized, so you can see all of the components, including the flying tourbillon, which is visible from the front and back of the watch. It has a power-reserve scale below 6 o’clock. This limited-edition watch was released in 2015 in 18K red gold, white gold, and platinum. When it was released, it was priced from approximately $500,000 to over $1 million. Bovet no longer produces the Braveheart, but it has several other watches with ultra-long power reserves.
Hublot Big Bang MP-11 Sapphire: 14 Days
This wild watch from Hublot has a case fully crafted from polished sapphire crystal, which gives it a unique transparent look. The in-house MP-11 movement has 14 days of power reserve, thanks to a series of seven in-line barrels that you can see on the bottom half of the watch. It’s boldly emblazoned with “14 Days Power Reserve” over the barrels. This watch retails for $121,000 and is limited to 200 pieces. If the transparent look isn’t for you, you can also find it in the brand’s proprietary King Gold or black carbon.
Blancpain Villeret Tourbillon Volant Une Minute: 12 Days
Villeret is a beautiful dress-watch collection from Blancpain. It has classic stylings and exceptional craftsmanship. This watch combines a one-minute flying tourbillon with a 12-day power reserve (288 hours). Tourbillons require a lot of power, so achieving this ultra-long power reserve in a tourbillon watch is a technical feat. To tout this achievement, it discreetly says “12 Jours,” or 12 days in French, just below the Blancpain logo. The power-reserve indicator is hidden on the back of the watch, so it doesn’t distract from the beauty of the white grand feu enamel dial. The 42mm platinum watch retails for $166,800.
Oris Big Crown ProPilot X Calibre 115: 10 Days
While most watches with long power reserves cost six figures, Oris created a watch with 10 days of power reserve for under $10,000. The Big Crown ProPilot x Calibre 115 retails for a relatively affordable $8,900. This 44mm titanium watch has a skeletonized movement. At 3 o’clock, there’s a power-reserve indicator, and at 8 o’clock, a small seconds subdial. The power-reserve indicator has a nonlinear scale. It has short intervals between days 7 and 10, and the intervals increase in length as the power reserve dwindles. Between 0 and 1, it’s shaded, so you can see you’re close to the end.
Panerai Luminor GMT: 10 Days
Another more affordable watch with a long power reserve is the Luminor GMT from Panerai. The limited-edition watch sells for $14,700. It has the brand’s signature Luminor case crafted from polished steel and a vintage-inspired dial. It has 10 days of power reserve, stored in three barrels. In addition to the ultra-long power reserve, this watch has a GMT function. The primary hour and minute hands tell the local time. There’s a discreet black hand with a luminous coating at the tip that serves as the GMT hand. You can set this hand to tell the time in a second time zone. At 9 o’clock, there’s a day/night indicator for the GMT time zone, and at 3 o’clock, there’s a date window. The linear power-reserve indicator appears above 6 o’clock. This watch has an automatic movement.
