Another Watch & Wonders is over. Graham is happy because, after an intensive week with thousands of emails in his mailbox, he can finally calm down and enjoy a cup of well-deserved Earl Grey. Michael is cancelling our wine this week through fear of hearing only about watches all the time… And me? I am super excited to share all the new info with you (and, basically, with any stranger I might randomly run into). No, don’t worry. I can moderate my passion for watches.
Watch & Wonders is the biggest, most prestigious event of the year for luxury swiss watchmaking, where more than forty watchmakers gather together and showcase their novelties. (The Editors’ note: It’s something like fashion week, but for watch enthusiasts.)
This year showed a change in brands’ approach to their customers with many leaning more towards education, in the hope of attracting Gen Z customers and becoming authentic to them.
Brands seem more and more to be revisiting their established classics and latest favourites, whilst also releasing watches in what they call “medium-sizes” (with diameters from 37-39mm) – finally! I welcome this change, especially for sports watches, which usually look so huge and heavy on most people’s wrists.
But let’s dive into my selection of the best watches released during the fair. I narrowed it down and selected those which not only enthusiasts and collectors will love!
IWC Ingenieur Automatic 40
This year’s re-introduction to the brand’s Ingenieur line made lots of watch enthusiasts excited. And for good reason! For some time, I’ve personally been eyeing the whole range of these models from the 70s to the early 90s (The Editors’ note for watchnerds: the designer Gerald Genta did such a great job here, didn’t he?), although I secretly wished for a new model which would keep its design but with some tweaks and a more modern touch.
The reason that always held me back from these models was their proportions – they fit rather small on a wrist – but the newest Ingenieur’s version has nailed the size and revisited the design perfectly.
The new line comes in four colours, from the standard black and white to a stunning aqua and a grey (for the titanium timepiece), with a distinct grid pattern on the dial for each colour. It features 120 hours power reserve, with a case diameter of 40mm and water resistance of 100m.
Oris Pro Pilot X Kermit Edition
This new piece from Oris brings joy into the sometimes too serious world of luxury watchmaking. Introduced last year in three different colour options – blue, pink (which I own and love) and grey – the vibrant green is a new edition to this line. But on top of this beautiful dial, you’ll see Kermit as an emoji on the first of every month in its day window. And what’s not to like about that? The brand did a really good job here, making a watch that is fun and joyful without being gimmicky.
It features a five-day power reserve packed in a 39mm titanium case, water resistance of 100 meters and high magnetism resistance.
Tudor’s Black Bay 54
Tudor proves once again that they can listen to their crowd. In 2018 the brand came with a smaller version of their diver watch, and introduced the Black Bay 58 in 39mm. It was that moment, when I knew I needed one! It’s a great size and fit for my wrist and I still love it and it’s still getting most of my wrist time.
This year, Tudor has, once again, given us what we asked for: the Black Bay 54, paying homage to the one released in 1954. It’s a smaller version with a slightly different aesthetic to its siblings and if you compare them more closely, you will notice primarily missing minute tracks on the bezel. Both the bracelet or the rubber strap have T-Fit claps, a tool-less micro-adjust system which, believe it or not, can be really handy even if you are not a diver.
It offers 70 hours of power reserve packed in a steel case of 37mm diameter, water resistant to 200m, a non-magnetic silicon hairspring and COSC chronometer timekeeping of -2 to +4 seconds a day.
Chopard Alpine Eagle XPS 41
In 2019, Chopard launched the Alpine Eagle, the brand’s take on sport watches with integrated bracelets, designed with a nod to the Chopard watch from the 80s (St. Moritz). Originally introduced in blue, then in green and this year in a salmon colour (officially called “Monte Rosa Pink”), they still have a unique pattern of an eagle’s iris on their dial. But that’s not all, the new Alpine Eagle features a super-thin Chopard manufacture movement that makes the watch only 8mm thick.
Just like the rest of the Alpine Eagle line, it’s crafted from 85 percent recycled materials. It has a power reserve of 65 hours placed in a case diameter of – as its name suggests – 41mm.
Baume & Mercier Riviera
When the Riviera launched back in 2021, I was very excited. Well… until the moment I realised it was 42mm wide in the case diameter. Another great watch inspired by the design of its predecessor from the 70s (The Editors’ note to watchnerds: Thank god for this period and watch designs back then). Luckily, this year to celebrate the 50th anniversary of this model, the brand is adding a 39mm-wide size to its 5th generation Riviera line.
The movement has a five days power reserve, water resistance up to 100 meters and a relatively high level of magnetic resistance. It features the date which is visible through a slightly-skeletonized dial, as well as through its case back on the reverse of the watch.
Santos de Cartier
Cartier introduced several novelties this year, but new Santos models with a smoky green dial are those which caught my eye (joining finally other sport watches which came with green dials years ago). Previously revamped completely in 2018, you can now find Santos Cartier with dials of white, silver, blue and black. It comes in two sizes, medium and large. However, I would recommend going for the medium one – it’s a nice mix of a watch looking classy and yet sporty at the same time (large is just so bulky).
The medium Santos comes in measures of 42mm x 35mm, with a 40 hours power reserve and you don’t need to be afraid to jump into the water with it as it comes with a water resistance of 100m. Its steel bracelet features Cartier’s SmartLink system, which allows you to adjust the size of the bracelet without any tools.
Santos de Cartier might be the model from Cartier I want on my wrist. For Graham, it will still be a vintage Cartier Tank.
Vacheron Constantin Overseas
There are not too many things that could beat last year’s release of Historiques 222 for the brand, but there are still some good things to talk about.
Vacheron finally includes their signature complications into the Overseas line while boosting it into a sporty look. The movement inside this watch includes the brand’s retrograde date (moving clockwise before jumping back to the first day) and a hyper-accurate moon phase (with an accuracy of 122 years before needing a one-day correction).
It features a case of 41mm, is only 10.48mm thick and has 50 meters of water resistance.
I love Overseas and damn, what a great time I had with one a couple of years ago… but sometimes it just felt too big for my wrist. Luckily, this year among other sizes, Vacheron Constantin introduces four downsized self-winding models which display the time, date and centre-seconds in a case of 35mm diameter.
Patek Philippe Chronograph 5924G
Patek Philippe went full-on and introduced seventeen new releases this year. While there could be more watches to talk about, there are two new standouts in their Complications collection. And that is two Chronograph watches in white gold. It’s impossible to find a pilot’s watch that offers what Patek’s does, both chronograph and GMT functionality in a 42 mm case. It features a flyback chronograph with 60 minute counter, a date subdial, and two time zones. Altogether it creates a useful tool that’s pretty rare in watchmaking.
“And where’s a Rolex watch in this list?”, you might be asking yourself now. Well, let’s be honest here. For the past couple of years, all novelties from Rolex were “okay” … but nothing which would surprise or even lift me up from a chair. There are new Daytona models, diamond Day-Dates, a new Explorer in 40mm (40mm – what? why?!)… Probably the new Perpetual Collection is closest to my liking. Rolex introduced a dress watch called 1908 which shares several aesthetic similarities with its Cellini predecessor. It’s a nice watch, but why the hell does it have a case diameter of 39 mm? It’s unnecessarily too big for a dress watch unless you are The Rock. Let’s hope that Rolex will soon introduce at least a 36mm version to this new line…
