: Microrotors seem to be the exclusive realm of Patek Philippe and
: Universal Geneva nowadays. Even recently launched chrono
: manufacture auto movements from Ebel and Breitling use the
: standard size rotor. An interesting development is the new
: Bucherer calibre with a "peripheric" rotor, which
: allows an unobstructed view of the movement, but there is no a
: chrono version available yet.

Yep, that Bucherer movement is interesting:

You can watch it in action here too:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cw8CK2oewSs

I recommend skipping the first minute and a half, though, it's pretty naff!

The movement won the "Goldene Unruh" award from the German Uhren-Magazin this year, but like you say, is a timepiece only movement at the moment - the Bucherer chronos use ETAs. I prefer chrono movements (or at least movements with additional complications), there is much more to look at! I think manual-wind movements, and chronos in particular, have the upper hand in terms of looks as there's no need to obscure everything with a large winding rotor. Seems the market at large likes the convenience of automatics though - I'd have to confess I do too, but then I also like the ritual of winding a manual.

It seems an odd trend to me that display backs are becoming more common as movements are getting less interesting to look at...

I do find movements interesting, even though I'm by no means an expert - I know the names of some, but not all the pieces, and my knowledge of what each actually does ranges from faint to non-existant :) In the same way that a modern car engine hides a lot of its innards away and I don't get how each component exactly performs its role, though, I still find it interesting and movements are just the same.

I have derided the addition of new complication after complication nowadays as an "arms race", but I do have an admiration for those watchmakers who are doing it for what I consider to be the "right" reasons - striving for more accuracy, performance, simplicity or even good old-fashioned elegance rather than those who treat it as a willy-waving competition in the Geneva showers!!