JeanRichard premiered their revival of a 1990’s watch, ‘the Highlands’ now called the Highlands Sand, at SIHH 2011 last week. In the mid-1990s, the ‘Highlands’ by JeanRichard celebrated what, in typical Swiss watch hyperbole, they described as ‘the quintessence of nature’.

Well known photographer Peter Beard’s superb photographs, used in the brand’s advertising at the time, illustrated the fantastic and richly evocative panorama of the African landscape. JeanRichard has revisited this timepiece, which retains the character of its predecessor and does indeed make you want to climb onto a BMW F650 and go exploring.

JeanRichard is part of the SOWIND group, now privately owned by the Macaluso family following the recent death of Luigi Macaluso, and is one of the last independent Swiss watch manufactures. Founded in the 1990´s, JeanRichard was and probably still is overseen by Massimo Macaluso, who, like his father, is a former rally driver. The watch targets what it describes as ‘a clientele seeking original and exclusive watches, based on a great watchmaking tradition, taking fashion into account without being dominated by it.’ The brand today supplies more than 300 points of sale in 20 markets.

The new case is much cleaner and classier than the original. The case reprises the use of a round bezel on a tonneau middle but it’s a lot cleaner and better looking, reflecting the current trend for large size watches with a generously proportioned 44.5mm x 40mm.

The case is water-resistant to 100m and the screw-down crown gives optimal protection, presumably from sand as well. Its notched rotating bezel lends it a technical feel and allows a second time zone to be displayed. The ecru dial is directly inspired by the original. The hours are marked by large Arabic numerals and dynamic hands with a luminescent coating, offering excellent readability in even the murkiest conditions. The Highlands Sand comes on fabric strap featuring a folding safety buckle.

The use of the JR1000 movement, developed and manufactured in the JeanRichard workshops, has a 48 hour power reserve. This reliable automatic movement can be seen through the watch’s sapphire case-back. The new Highlands series is also available with a khaki dial on the Highlands Baobab or a black dial on the Highlands Ebony. No prices have been announced as yet.