Before diving into the details of new interesting timepieces, let’s first take a look at what else happened in the watch world recently. Piaget has teamed up with a well-known artist’s name for their latest release, the luxury Swiss watchmaker, Vacheron Constantin, has jumped on the Certified Pre-Owned bandwagon and the Omega x Swatch collab has delivered perhaps their best-looking timepiece yet. Meanwhile, the fashion industry seems to tap more and more into ‘watchmaking’ by bringing out a lot of collaborations.
While this crossover isn’t something new (we’ve seen collabs here and there), lately, it seems there’s been more than is really needed. Don’t get us wrong, it’s great to see ‘fashionistas’ discovering the beauty of a timepiece on the wrist (and so hopefully leaving their Apple Watch at home for an evening), but many of these collaborations feel unfinished and uninspired. Slapping a logo on an existing design doesn’t do the trick every single time…
Casio’s G-Shock, in general, is such a class and OG tool watch and when it comes to entry-level watches, it’s unbeatable. Literally… You might have had one as a kid and felt like a million dollars and you can still do that now. That said, even though I love to see “tags” everywhere (blame my graffiti past), the collaboration with Marni feels a little bit like an accident that happened during a Photoshop class…
A.P.C.’s take on another model from Casio isn’t much better either. Just a simple logo added to a familiar design… At least it doesn’t ruin the watch.
MM6 Maison Margiela teamed up with Timex instead, but yet again with the same formula. Logo here, watch here – done. Let’s just leave it there and move on.
Something maybe slightly more creative is the collaboration between Seiko and Amsterdam-based denim label Denham. A watch under the name ‘The Jeanmaker’s Watch’ features Denham’s scissor logo ‘hidden’ on the 12 o’clock index and incorporates various indigo hues onto its dial, bezel and strap. That’s a nice touch at least!
Piaget Andy Warhol Clou de Paris
If you are either a big watch nerd or an admirer of Andy Warhol’s art, you might have overheard somewhere that the artist himself had a soft spot for Piaget. To close a chapter of the whole year’s celebration of 150 years of history of the Maison, Piaget released a watch under the artist’s name that reimagines one of Warhol’s favourite timepieces from the brand, The Black Tie. The watch comes in a 45mm cushion-shaped case and a blue meteorite dial with a glimmering ‘Clou de Paris’ case finish. There is a made-to-order service available for this model, offering clients the opportunity to create a unique timepiece from a selection of ten different ornamental stone dials, leather straps, hands and case materials. And no, it doesn’t hold any of Warhol’s prints hidden somewhere. This timepiece is about a connection and bond between the artist and the brand. And that’s what we like. More info on the Piaget’s website.
Omega x Swatch Mission To EarthPhase MoonSwatch
Yes, another playful variation of this watch under this collaboration that at the beginning shook up the watch world. While we already featured some of them, this one is worth mentioning too. Swatch keeps it on ‘our planet’ again and along with a Moon-phase Chronograph adds a new ‘Earth-phase Indicator’, showing 29.5 different phases that the Earth goes through as viewed from the moon. It’s a bit of a weird function, but think of it this way; same as the moon looks different from the Earth depending on the day, so does the Earth from the moon… It’s a quirky feature that plays well with the purpose of this watch. It’s a fun watch and time with it should be enjoyed. Need more? Here you go.
Girard-Perregaux Casquette 2.0
A watch straight from the past’s ‘back to the future’… Looking at the current portfolio of Girard-Perregaux, you might not guess the brand played a big role in the early ’70s by defining what a Quartz movement should be. In 1976, they introduced a watch with a ‘soft cap with a visor’ design that became an instant hit by being completely different. Today, it can evoke mixed feelings; entertaining and silly on one hand, but a true celebration of ’70s design on the other. With that in mind, it has captured the attention of many watch collectors and so the brand reintroduced the model in 2022, offering it in black ceramic, followed by a Saint Laurent collaboration in 2023. Now the brand comes with a titanium option with golden details. It’s released in limited edition and to be honest, we don’t think that even a hardcore ‘retro sci-fi fan’ would wear the watch daily. But we bet, it would bring a smile to many enthusiasts out there every time they look at their own. For more details, head to Girard-Perregaux’s website.
Nomos Club Sport Neomatik 34
German Glashütte-based watchmaker introduced the Nomos Clube Sport line in 2019, a lineup of sports watches that transforms the brand’s entry-level Club line into sports models with proper dive water resistance. While it originally came in a case diameter of 42mm and then in 39 and 37mm, Nomos lately introduced a scaled-down version in a pretty versatile package of 34mm that comes in 3 different dial colours; rosé, gold, and purple. Same as the other bigger options, it comes with an automatic movement with a power reserve of 42 hours, 200m water resistance and with the option of either a solid screw-down stainless steel caseback or a display-style caseback with a sapphire window that reveals what’s inside. We had a great time with its bigger siblings here and we think that we would enjoy this smaller size even more! You can get more details and check all colour options on the brand’s site.
Longines Mini DolceVita in Gold
The Longines’ Mini DolceVita line, introduced in 2023, takes its essence from the tank-shaped model from 1927, showcasing the brand’s rich heritage in jewellery-adjacent watches. The rectangular case measures 21.5mm by 29mm and now comes in four new variations; yellow and rose gold, each with the option of a diamond-encrusted case and a matching brick-link bracelet or an unset case with a black leather strap. It is a beautiful timepiece, but let’s be blunt here: can it, on its own, compete with what Cartier watches (Panthère) offer? Well, yes it can. It’s a well-designed watch, with a great history, that shares similarities in its shape and Art Deco design. These days it’s all about preferences when deciding on a watch. And maybe, sometimes it’s better to be original and wear something different. In this case, another brand… One is certain, 2024 is an interesting year full of non-rounded watches. Want to learn more? Click here.
Becoming a watch nerd?
- Certified Pre-Owned – A service that allows you to buy a second-hand watch from a brand or a watch group that is serviced, repaired and tested under laboratory conditions and then certified as having passed those tests within certain ranges of accuracy and precision. It comes with a warranty, and papers to ensure its authenticity and its past records.
- G-Shock – a watch created by Kikuo Ibe, who accidentally dropped and broke a watch given to him by his father. That inspired him to create an unbreakable timepiece, leading to the development of the iconic G-Shock. A watch that had to follow a triple ten concept; can survive a 10-meter drop, withstand 10 bars of water pressure, and last for 10 years on a single battery. It eventually exceeded some of these targets… The shock-resistant design was inspired by how a rubber ball absorbs impacts. The first G-Shock watch saw a light in 1983.
- Chronograph – is a traditional timepiece fitted with an extra complication to act as a stopwatch, allowing it to record time. Most chronographs have subdials on the watch face that display seconds, minutes, and hours elapsed. To use the chronograph function, there are typically pushers on the side of the watch case that allow to return of stopwatch hands to zero.
- Moonswatch – a fun watch that came from a playful collaboration between Swatch & Omega. This crossover between entry-level plastic watches and high-end Swiss watchmaking has shaken up the watch industry, especially on the watch nerd’s side, but it reflects the trend we have seen happening a lot in the fashion world recently.
- Movement – can be automatic/self-winding, manual winding or quartz and is what keeps the watch going.
- Quartz movement – Uses a battery as its primary power source. To create power, a battery sends an electrical current through a small quartz crystal, electrifying the crystal to create vibrations. These vibrations keep the movement oscillating and drive the motor to move the watch’s hands.
