The J12 was the star of Chanel’s show at Watches & Wonders earlier this month, appearing in a range of guises, from dinky 28mm white or black ceramic through to a welcome reprise of the Superlegerra. The design, by Chanel’s artistic director at the time, Jacques Helleu, caused a sensation when it debuted in 2000 as a glamorous, feminine-leaning watch. Technically advanced, it was just as sporty as all but the more extreme offerings from the likes of Omega, Rolex and TAG Heuer.

Rather than being dismissed as just another ‘fashion watch’, the J12 was a game-changer within the industry, reminding makers that sports watches didn’t have to ooze testosterone. It laid the ground for the revival of the Gérald Genta sports-luxe designs from the Seventies, which followed. Out in the real world, it sold particularly well to the women who were not content with the mother-of-pearl dialled dress watch designs that were most brands’ idea of a ‘ladies' watch.'

A quarter of a century later, and Chanel has its own manufacture, a share in the movement maker Kenissi (where Tudor is its partner) and close ties with high-end movement suppliers such as Romain Gauthier – yet the real proof of the J12’s design quality is in how little it’s changed. Even when the director of the Chanel Watchmaking Creation Studio, Arnaud Chastaingt, did redesign the watch in 2019, primarily to accommodate a new movement, he ended up changing almost nothing – the crown was changed, the bezel is flatter and the dial typography is a little sharper – even though 70% of the components were new.

While the J12 easily accommodates changes in size and format – from the new 28mm to the 42mm Golden Black and Superleggera to the fully set treatment given to the Tourbillon model – the most attention at Watches & Wonders rightly went to the Midnight Blue 33mm and 38mm designs. A little less shiny than the white and black designs, the new colour seems to fit the J12 perfectly.

chanel.com

Van Cleef & Arpels looks to poetic inspirations at Watches and Wonders 2026, blurring the lines between watches and jewellery in a host of new releases. Watches, in aventurine glass and embossed enamel, in moonlight and retrograde minutes, bring a romantic spin to traditional time-telling.

Midnight Jour Nuit Phase de Lune

The moon has been a reference point for Van Cleef & Arpels since 1929, when the maison first fitted a pocket watch with a moonphase complication. Nearly a century on, the Midnight Jour Nuit Phase de Lune brings that fascination to a 42mm white gold case, where two complications operate in layered concert. There is an evocative 24-hour Jour/Nuit, with a disc animating the passage of sun and moon, and a second disc completing one rotation every 29 hours, 16 minutes and 27 seconds. For the non-astronomers out there, this tracks the moon’s actual 29.5-day cycle with the precision of a true astronomical complication.

The sky itself is rendered in black Murano aventurine glass, a departure from its usual navy blue lustre. It has been developed by Van Cleef & Arpels’ Innovation Department to achieve a depth of colour and a bronze-toned shimmer that captures the quality of a clear night. A guilloché golden sun and a white mother-of-pearl moon take turns emerging from, and retreating behind, a guilloché mother-of-pearl horizon, painted in a gradient from black to white. When the moon is hidden below that horizon, a button on the case rim triggers an on-demand animation: the dial rotates 360 degrees over approximately ten seconds, revealing the lunar phase in its current state against a field of acrylic-traced stars.

The movement took four years of development at Van Cleef & Arpels’ Watchmaking Workshops in Geneva, and required a particular engineering solution, as Rainer Bernard, watchmaking research and development director, explains: ‘The key challenge lay in developing the on-demand animation. To avoid any inaccuracy in the moon phase, we had to take account of the changes that must occur during the course of the animation, since the discs are performing an additional full rotation.’ The caseback continues the narrative: an engraving evokes the moon’s topography in white gold, while the sapphire crystal over the oscillating weight features a miniature enamel rendering of the Earth, surrounded by miniature painted planets on a guilloché ground.

Midnight Heure d’ici & Heure d’ailleurs

Where the Jour Nuit Phase de Lune looks upward, the Midnight Heure d’ici & Heure d’ailleurs turns its attention to the horizontal plane of the globe. The 38mm rose gold Midnight case houses a fully redeveloped automatic movement with a 65-hour power reserve, displaying jumping hours alongside retrograde minutes for two simultaneous time zones. The Heure d’ici appears in the upper window; the Heure d’ailleurs in the lower. Two sector gears synchronise both discs and the retrograde minute hand, so that at the moment the hand sweeps back from 60 to zero, both hour displays jump forward together in deceptive simplicity.

The dial was created by Van Cleef & Arpels’ enamel workshop in Geneva, after artisans spent months arriving at a colour that captures a particular optical phenomenon: the dichroism of precious stones such as rubies, which appear warm or cool depending on the light that falls on them. The result is an amber-brown enamel whose nuances shift between warm and cold accents across the day, applied over a mirror-polished gold ground that amplifies reflections within the material. Stunning, evocative and setting a high bar for VC&A watchmaking in 2026 and beyond.

vancleefarpels.com

TAG Heuer’s Watches and Wonders 2026 offering is all about Monaco, with two distinct takes on the most recognisable square chronograph. While the Monaco Chronograph is ‘rearchitected’ in titanium for wider reach, the Monaco Evergraph is built around TAG Heuer’s thirst for innovation and features a chronograph mechanism with a long list of innovative tech to unpack.

Talking to TAG Heuer’s heritage director Nicolas Biebuyck, the brand's goals are made clear, as is the importance of these two parallel Monaco ranges. 'They're both in titanium,' Biebuyck says of the new Monacos, 'but when you look further at the details, the movement is the standout factor.' He presents both watches as a major development for the brand, especially the skeletonised Evergraph version. 'This joint development with [Swiss manufacture] Vaucher is, for me, the most important chronograph movement in the history of watchmaking. It's the first time that anyone has completely rethought what the chronograph mechanism should be, much like Rolex achieved with Dinapulse last year for an industrial escapement.'

Monaco Chronograph

The mainstay Monaco gets its most thorough redesign since the 1997 relaunch, returning to the geometry of the original 1969 ‘reference 1133’ for proportions and detail language. But its vintage-infused looks, complete with motorsport connotations, are housed in a new 39mm grade-five titanium case. It has reinforced the model’s angular edges, featuring a more genuinely square sapphire crystal, and a caseback with a smaller domed centre section that echoes the ergonomic logic of the original.

The new in-house Calibre TH20-11 is a bi-compax layout with counters at 3 and 9, a date at 6, and takes its name directly from the Calibre 11 it descends from. The new calibre delivers an 80-hour power reserve with a five-year warranty, coming in three versions: McQueen blue, British Racing Green, and a black dial in a titanium and 18ct rose gold two-tone case.

Monaco Evergraph

The Evergraph is TAG Heuer’s most technically ambitious watch in years. At its core is the Calibre TH80-00, developed with Vaucher Manufacture Fleurier and built around a chronograph mechanism that meets the requirements. Echoing Biebuyck’s words on its importance, it took five years to develop at the TAG Heuer LAB. The main talking point is replacing the traditional levers and springs of start, stop, and reset with two flexible bistable components produced via LIGA technology.

The result is a chronograph with a distinct skeletonised visage, whose actuation degrades neither in feel nor accuracy over time: the ten-thousandth press delivers the same response as the first. An inverted movement construction puts the barrel, gear train, and TH-Carbonspring escapement on show through the transparent dial, with subsidiary dials at 3 and 9 creating a strict bilateral symmetry within the 40mm titanium square case. There are two versions: natural grade-five titanium with blue accents referencing the 1133B, and black DLC-coated titanium with red accents drawn from TAG Heuer’s motorsport palette.

tagheuer.com

Since announcing a partnership with the Louvre in 2019, Vacheron Constantin has released a limited-edition series of exquisitely produced watches inspired by the museum’s treasures. Now, the maison has unveiled the second of the Great Civilisations series, created in conjunction with the Louvre, with four models limited to 15 pieces each translating cultural symbols into horological form.

Vacheron Constantin looked to the Louvre’s Ancient Egypt, Assyrian Empire, Ancient Greece, and Imperial Rome collections to create these new watches. Explains Sandrine Donguy, product and innovation director at Vacheron Constantin: ‘These periods experienced extraordinary territorial expansion and significant cultural and artistic influence, aligning with the maison's spirit of exploration, innovation and creativity. The collaboration with the Louvre also reflects a shared commitment to conserving, preserving, and transmitting arts and traditional craftsmanship, celebrating the splendours of the past.’

The watches, three years in the making, pay tribute to four ancient sculptures – the Buste d’Akhénaton, the Lamassu de Sargon II, Athéna de Velletri, and Le Tibre from the Iseum Campense temple. The watches are miniature works of art, intertwining traditional techniques with precious materials and accomplished artistry. Throughout, the complexity of the dials unites nine decorative crafts.

‘A significant artistic challenge was the glyptic work on natural stone, using limestone, sandstone and marble of the same types and origins as the original works, a first for the maison,’ Donguy adds. ‘Additionally, combining various decorative crafts and juxtaposing components produced with distinct techniques on the dial demanded micron-level precision to avoid errors and ensure perfect calibration on a single complex dial composed of three to four layers.’

For Olivier Gabet, general curator of heritage and director of the Département des Objets d'art at the Louvre, the ongoing collaboration speaks to the cultural status of both the museum and the maison. ‘As a reflection of the quest for beauty which echoes humanity, the Louvre is the best place to celebrate invention and creativity, art, design and craft. The Louvre and Vacheron Constantin have nurtured a very special relationship of mutual respect, with the Louvre showing once again that the museum is not a mere repository of splendid artefacts but a place for contemporary inspiration. Inspiration is vibrant at the Louvre.’

vacheron-constantin.com

Shrinking an horological icon isn’t as simple as it sounds, but Bulgari makes it look easy with the new Octo Finissimo 37mm, a smaller take on the Octo that rethinks the model from the inside out.

At Watches and Wonders 2026, Bulgari marks its second outing to the Geneva trade fair, arriving with a confident line-up of grail-worthy timepieces – the new Octo Finissimo 37mm among them.

'This has been something the market has long been asking for,' says Fabrizio Buonamassa Stigliani, the Roman maison’s product creation executive director, of the new model. 'I remember we first started talking about it three or four years ago. Today, the Octo Finissimo is very well known among watch collectors, but we quite often receive comments like, “I love the watch, but it’s too big for my wrist.”’

Reducing the case size was anything but straightforward, however. 'If we want to make a smaller one, we are obliged to develop a brand-new movement, because there is no chance to use the existing Octo movement in a smaller size,' Stigliani explains. The result is the new calibre BVF 100, an ultra-thin automatic movement measuring just 2.35mm in height and delivering a hefty 72-hour power reserve. 'Today, we understand that it is more difficult to make a small watch than a big one. It is more difficult to make a smaller movement, and even more difficult to make one with greater power reserve.'

Only two components of the original movement – the platinum rotor and balance wheel – have been carried over, while the rest have been entirely re-engineered. 'If the original Octo Finissimo was the best watch we could imagine 15 years ago, the 37mm is the best watch we can produce today in our facilities,' says Stigliani.

Visually, the design remains largely unchanged. 'The watch must remain immediately recognisable,' says Stigliani. Instead, the focus falls on reworked proportions and wearability, with the new 37mm case featuring a slightly thicker profile and a reworked bracelet, now composed of two components with a new push-button clasp.

The 37mm is not positioned as a women’s-only timepiece. 'It was important to avoid positioning it as a “smaller” or “female” version. That would have been a mistake,' says Stigliani. Instead, it’s intended to run as a parallel line alongside the 40mm range, one that opens the door to new materials and configurations.

'The goal was not simply to make another version of the Octo Finissimo,' adds Stigliani, 'but to create a completely new watch.'

bulgari.com

In 1969, Piaget rethought the parameters of watch-wearing, introducing the ‘21st Century Collection’, where watches swung gracefully from long gold chains. Worn looped around the neck, the watches, with their ornamental stone dials, were first and foremost vivid pieces of jewellery, encapsulating Yves Piaget’s philosophy that blended both disciplines.

Now, at Watches and Wonders 2026, these swinging sautoirs are making a comeback as the Swinging Pebbles collection, with three pieces crafted in three stones, tiger’s eye, verdite and pietersite.

For Piaget, now feels like the right time to revisit the bold and fluid spirit of the original. ‘At Piaget, ornamental stones are at the heart of what we do, sometimes literally, with creations such as the Swinging Pebble, made entirely from tiger’s eye, verdite or pietersite,’ says Piaget creative director Stéphanie Sivrière. ‘I actually found the inspiration while going through our archives; in the early 1970s, our artisans made a so-called kimono pocket watch, especially designed for the Japanese market. It was sculpted from malachite; it was bold, flamboyant and singular – very Piaget.’

Each of these new pendant watches is sculpted from a single stone, before being hollowed out for the insertion of the movement, and then smoothed over with the portion of stone that is left. ‘This year, it is all about the art of colour for us; this is why I chose three ornamental stones with distinct colour,’ Sivrière adds. ‘The main challenge was to find a way to make it look seamless.’

piaget.com

The Manufacture brings its most ambitious lineup in years to Watches and Wonders 2026: 20 new creations, four limited-edition Nautilus anniversary pieces, and a debut automaton wristwatch that marks a first in Patek’s modern history. Here's a breakdown of every new model.

Celestial Sunrise/Sunset (ref. 6105G-001)

Patek’s headliner of 2026 is a technical first: a wristwatch that displays the times of sunrise and sunset, housed in a 47mm white-gold case with a dial charting the Geneva night sky. The movement features a patented system that simultaneously corrects the time and sunrise/sunset indications whenever the clocks change.

‘The Crow and the Fox’ Automaton (ref. 5249R-001)

This wristwatch automaton is inspired by a pocket watch from 1958, currently held in the Patek Philippe Museum. Drawing on La Fontaine's fable ‘The Crow and the Fox’, it displays hours and minutes on demand, animating the scene beneath a rich brown opaline dial set in a rose-gold case. It is the first automaton wristwatch in Patek’s modern history.

Cubitus Perpetual Calendar (ref. 5840P-001)

The Cubitus collection gets its first grand complication: a perpetual calendar in a large platinum case. The open-worked blue dial, with its characteristic horizontal pierced strips, reveals the skeletonised movement beneath – making the mechanics themselves part of the design.

24-Hour Alarm with Date (ref. 5322G-001)

Patek Philippe brings the alarm complication back to the forefront with a 41mm white-gold piece combining a hobnail-guilloché caseband with a textured lacquer dial. The movement allows users to set an alarm for any time in a 24-hour cycle, sounding via a hammer on a classic gong.

Minute Repeater Calatrava (ref. 7047G-001)

This is a minute repeater in a modern Calatrava guise, pairing a white-gold case with a navy-blue dial and an embossed carbon motif. The self-winding movement keeps the profile remarkably slim – making it one of Patek's thinnest-ever minute repeaters.

Gem-set Perpetual Calendar Minute Repeater (ref. 5374/400P-001)

This is the most rarefied piece in Patek’s 2026 collection, limited to just eight examples. Its platinum case frames a Balinese mother-of-pearl dial set with Paraiba tourmalines – among the rarest gems on earth, and the very reason production cannot exceed eight pieces.

Flyback Chronograph with Perpetual Calendar (ref. 5204G-010)

A new version of an iconic reference, the Flyback Chronograph Perpetual Calendar gets a navy-blue sunburst dial, white-gold case and a navy composite strap with red contrast stitching – a deliberately sporty finish for a complex watch.

In-Line Perpetual Calendar (ref. 5236P-011)

This is a platinum grand complication built around Patek’s patented in-line perpetual calendar: day, date and month united in a single aperture at 12 o'clock. The ultra-thin movement keeps the profile elegantly slim, while the vertically satin-finished dial gives the watch a refined, modern character.

Perpetual Calendar Chronograph Trilogy (refs. 5270P-015, 5270P-016 and 5270P-017)

Three new platinum versions of one of Patek’s most celebrated references arrive simultaneously: a charcoal-grey lacquer dial, a blue lacquer dial and a striking red lacquer dial, each with a dark gradient rim. Same architecture, three very different personalities.

Annual Calendar (refs. 5396R-016 and 4946G-001)

The Manufacture presents two new takes on its Annual Calendar complication. The rose-gold version pairs warm tones with a sand-beige sunburst dial, while the white-gold version takes a more contemporary approach, with a textured blue-grey dial and a denim-motif strap.

World Time (ref. 7129J-001)

One of Patek Philippe's most practical complications, the World Time allows simultaneous reading of all time zones at a glance. This version makes a bold statement with a yellow-gold case and carmine-red lacquer dial, while a single push of a button updates every city display at once.

Calatrava (refs. 5227G-015, 7200/50G-001 and 7200/50G-012)

Three new Calatravas affirm the collection's values of pure design, proportion and refinement. The men's model features an opaline dial and the signature Officer-style case, while two women's models offer a choice of sand-beige or ice-blue sunburst dials, each powered by an ultra-thin movement that keeps the case super slender.

Golden Ellipse (refs. 5738G-001 and 3738G/100G-014)

The Golden Ellipse – whose distinctive oval case is proportioned according to the golden ratio – returns in two versions: the large Jumbo size and a medium size. Both feature olive-green sunburst dials with shimmering depth, and ultra-thin movements that make them among the thinnest watches in the current collection.

Nautilus 50th Anniversary (refs. 5810/1G-001, 5810G-001, 5610/1P-001 and 958G-001)

Four limited-edition pieces celebrate the Nautilus – Patek’s iconic luxury sports watch, launched in 1976 – turning 50. Two large-format models in white gold – one on a metal bracelet, one on a fabric-style strap – are joined by a slightly smaller platinum version on a platinum bracelet. All three use an ultra-thin movement that itself dates back to 1977. Rounding out the quartet is a Nautilus desk clock in white gold – a playful, unexpected nod to the collection's origins.

One hundred years ago, Rolex changed watchmaking forever with the Oyster – the world's first waterproof wristwatch. At Watches and Wonders 2026, returning to Geneva from 14-20 April, the brand marks that milestone not with nostalgia but with a forward-looking collection. Read on to discover all of Rolex's new releases.

Oyster Perpetual 41

Rolex’s headline piece at Watches and Wonders is a dedicated centenary tribute. This yellow Rolesor version – Oystersteel case and bracelet with a yellow gold bezel and crown – echoes the case details of early Oyster watches. The slate dial features the inscription ‘100 years’ at six o'clock, while the Rolex name and minute track squares are rendered in signature green. The winding crown is also engraved with the number 100.

Oyster Perpetual 36

Where the Oyster Perpetual 41 looks back, the 36 takes a bold new direction with a burst of colour. Its multicoloured lacquer dial features the Jubilee motif, in which letters spelling ‘Rolex’ form a playful composition across the face. Ten individual colours are applied one by one via pad printing – an extremely technically demanding process. The result is a dial unlike anything else in the current collection – joyful and sophisticated.

Oyster Perpetual 28 and 34

Two new additions to the smaller Oyster Perpetual references come in solid 18-carat gold. The 28mm is crafted in yellow gold with a green stone lacquer dial, while the 34mm is made from Everose gold with a blue stone lacquer dial. Both have satin-finished bracelets that add textural warmth to the metal. Notably, the hour markers at three, six and nine o'clock are fashioned from natural stone.

Datejust 41

The Datejust 41 appears this year in white Rolesor with a lacquered green ombré dial that deepens in tone towards the edges. The gradient brings an element of drama to one of Rolex's most enduring designs, while the fluted bezel and date window remain hallmarks of its identity. The contrast between the ombré rim and the date aperture gives the display added clarity – a subtle upgrade on a watch that has been in continuous production since 1945.

Yacht-Master II

The most mechanically significant release of the year is the new-generation Yacht-Master II, which has undergone a complete redesign. The regatta chronograph has been reimagined around the new calibre 4162, which powers a counterclockwise-running countdown. The pared-back dial, winch-inspired pusher geometry and Cerachrom bezel in blue are available in Oystersteel or yellow gold.

Day-Date 40

Rolex introduces an entirely new proprietary alloy with this 18-carat Jubilee Gold model, whose interwoven tones of yellow, grey and pink immediately set it apart from standard yellow or Everose gold. Paired with a light green aventurine dial, the result is a watch that feels fresh rather than merely revised.

Cosmograph Daytona

Finally, Rolex presents a new Daytona in Rolesium, its combination of Oystersteel and platinum. A white enamelled dial sits against an anthracite Cerachrom ceramic bezel enriched with tungsten carbide, with a platinum edging band around the circumference. The tachymetric numerals are horizontally set in a contemporary typeface, referencing the first Cosmograph Daytona. A sapphire crystal case back, secured by a platinum ring, reveals the movement.

Cartier’s 2026 collection recalibrates loved watches, offering a series of returns to canonical shapes. All are recognisable, but reconsidered with new materials, finer mechanics, or a more considered surfaces, some more unexpected than others.

From the jewellery workbench to the movement lab, the breadth of Cartier’s new releases cannot be understated. It underlines the brand’s standing in collector circles, having had a massive rise on the auction scene as well as climbing the list in terms of turnover. Even to an untrained eye, it is clear that creativity is the strongest factor of Cartier’s resurgence, and at Watches and Wonders this year, it shows.

Baignoire

The Baignoire has stole the limelight on many an Instagrammed wrist lately, and now gets a new surface treatment at Watches and Wonders 2026. The bangle-bracelet version, introduced in 2023, now features the Clou de Paris motif throughout its length. Appearing as glittering armour, its bracelet, case, and dial has been rendered in monochrome, tactile yellow gold. The hobnail pattern, a Cartier staple since the 1920s, is pressed into the gold through a craft process that preserves volume and evenness, then hand-polished to amplify each point’s definition. An almost otherworldy diamond version adds 171 brilliant-cut stones fitted across case and bangle, with a snow-set dial. The result is a jewellery watch where texture transforms the sleek Baignoire, opening a new chapter for the petite charmer.

Cartier Privé

Heralding the tenth edition of Cartier Privé, Les Opus marks a decade of collector-focused releases by bringing back three shapes from previous chapters: the Tank Normale, the Tortue Chronographe Monopoussoir, and the enigmatic Crash Squelette. All three are rendered in platinum with a burgundy accent running through straps, dial details, and the rare ruby cabochon crown. The Crash has been the brand’s heavy-hitting auction star for years and will undoubtedly get the most attention with a new skeleton configuration featuring the Manufacture 1967 MC movement. Hand-hammered bridges are shaped as Roman numerals, and 142 components are packed into the distorted case. Limited to 150 pieces, it is the Privé series’ most technically involved piece to date, and a new Cartier Privé La Collection sub-line launches alongside, in yellow gold.

Myst de Cartier

The Myst de Cartier is a clasp-free jewellery watch, a discreet nod to time keeping. It is structured like a strand of talismans threaded onto a flexible bracelet, and worn by sliding it over the wrist. The square case sits at the centre, flanked by alternating pavé and lacquered modules underlining the strong tradition of metiers d’art within the manufacture. On the yellow gold version, 634 brilliant-cut diamonds are paired with hand-painted black lacquer lines, applied one by one at the Maison des Métiers d’Art in Switzerland; 30 hours of gem-setting create the bead-set bracelet’s depth and perspective. A white gold version dispenses with the lacquer entirely, covering the same structure in 986 diamonds for a monochrome, shape-shifting effect.

Roadster

The Roadster has long been a hidden gem from the Maison. This year it returns to the Cartier line-up 23 years after its original 2002 debut. The bold, rounded design language is intact, featuring a trapezoidal case, a large tactile conical crown and a speedometer-inspired striated dial. It is still framed by a bezel with corner rivets, but proportions, finishes, and ergonomics have been reworked by a team of over 100 artisans. New versions will be available in steel, yellow gold, and two-tone gold and steel, in medium and large sizes. Movements are the Manufacture 1847 MC (large) and 1899 MC (medium), both self-winding. The redesigned bracelet uses a QuickSwitch system for strap interchangeability, with polished and brushed surface contrasts sharpening the overall form.

Santos-Dumont

The Santos-Dumont takes its most substantial update in years, centred on a new large model in yellow gold, fitted with what appears to be a soft-feeling 15-row mesh bracelet with 394 links. Each link is 1.15 mm thick and is a construction that references the Maison’s flexible gold bracelets of the 1920s. The standout dial is a gilt version in polished obsidian, a volcanic stone from Mexico sliced to 0.3 mm. Tiny trapped air bubbles give each piece a unique iridescent quality, and the gold-and-black combination is timeless. The movement is the hand-wound Manufacture 430 MC, and two further LM versions offer silvered satin-finish dials in yellow gold and platinum, with two new models in yellow gold and two-tone rounding out the range.

Tortue

The Tortue can perhaps be classed as the connoisseur’s choice, and its shape has been in continuous production since 1912. This time, it arrives at Watches & Wonders in a substantially reworked form, with the Manufacture’s design studio having softened and enlarged the proportions. The traditional guilloché dial has been replaced with an embossed relief motif, and the traditional rail track has been simplified into a row of dots, a detail drawn from an archive piece from 1922. Five versions in yellow gold, white gold, and rose gold, with and without diamonds, span small and mini sizes. A platinum LM model takes the baguette-cut diamond treatment, with 46 stones on the bezel and a guilloché dial. An evocative Tortue Panthère Métiers d’Art creation is also offered: a champlevé enamel piece extending the panther motif from dial to case middle, limited to 100 pieces each in white and yellow gold.

Santos Chronograph

The Santos de Cartier Chronograph is a revision of the 2020 model, scaled up to a large 47.5 x 39.8 mm case and fitted with a reworked dial featuring alternating satin and sunray finishes. Three sub-dials carry seconds at 6, minutes at 3, and hours at 9, with gold or rhodium rings framing each counter. The automatic 1904-CH MC movement offers 47 hours of power reserve and water resistance to 100 metres. Available in steel, two-tone, and yellow gold, each version ships with a second strap and uses both the SmartLink and QuickSwitch systems for quick adjustment and interchangeability.

cartier.com

The watch world’s biggest event of the year, Watches and Wonders, just held its 2026 iteration, and with 65 brands unveiling their new launches, there was much to celebrate.

We were on the ground to take in all the news.

Watches and Wonders took place 14-20 April 2026, watchesandwonders.com

Piaget’s 1960s-inspired pebble watches swing into action

In 1969, Piaget rethought the parameters of watch-wearing, introducing the ‘21st Century Collection’, where watches swung gracefully from long gold chains. Worn looped around the neck, the watches, with their ornamental stone dials, were first and foremost vivid pieces of jewellery, encapsulating Yves Piaget’s philosophy that blended both disciplines.

Now, at Watches and Wonders 2026, these swinging sautoirs are making a comeback as the Swinging Pebbles collection, with three pieces crafted in three stones, tiger’s eye, verdite and pietersite.

Read more

Vacheron Constantin and the Louvre unveil new watches inspired by ancient civilisations

Since announcing a partnership with the Louvre in 2019, Vacheron Constantin has released a limited-edition series of exquisitely produced watches inspired by the museum’s treasures. Now, the maison has unveiled the second of the Great Civilisations series, created in conjunction with the Louvre, with four models limited to 15 pieces each translating cultural symbols into horological form.

Read more

Van Cleef & Arpels’ new watches are inspired by the sun and the moon

Van Cleef & Arpels looks to poetic inspirations at Watches and Wonders 2026, blurring the lines between watches and jewellery in a host of new releases. Watches, in aventurine glass and embossed enamel, in moonlight and retrograde minutes, bring a romantic spin to traditional time-telling.

Read more

How TAG Heuer’s Watches and Wonders 2026 releases shape up

TAG Heuer’s Watches and Wonders 2026 offering is all about Monaco, with two distinct takes on the most recognisable square chronograph. While the Monaco Chronograph is ‘rearchitected’ in titanium for wider reach, the Monaco Evergraph is built around TAG Heuer’s thirst for innovation and features a chronograph mechanism with a long list of innovative tech to unpack.

Read more

Take a closer look at the 2026 Bulgari Octo Finissimo

Shrinking an horological icon isn’t as simple as it sounds, but Bulgari makes it look easy with the new Octo Finissimo 37mm, a smaller take on the Octo that rethinks the model from the inside out.

Read more

Patek Philippe unveils 20 new models

The Manufacture brings its most ambitious lineup in years to Watches and Wonders 2026: 20 new creations, four limited-edition Nautilus anniversary pieces, and a debut automaton wristwatch that marks a first in Patek’s modern history.

Read more

Cartier puts the focus on shapes and materials in exciting new watch releases

Cartier’s 2026 collection recalibrates loved watches, offering a series of returns to canonical shapes. All are recognisable, but reconsidered with new materials, finer mechanics, or a more considered surfaces, some more unexpected than others.

From the jewellery workbench to the movement lab, the breadth of Cartier’s new releases cannot be understated. It underlines the brand’s standing in collector circles, having had a massive rise on the auction scene as well as climbing the list in terms of turnover. Even to an untrained eye, it is clear that creativity is the strongest factor of Cartier’s resurgence, and at Watches and Wonders this year, it shows.

Read more here

Hermès presents its first skeleton H08 watch and playful scenography

Hermès Horloger has traditionally taken a thoughtful approach to Watches and Wonders, bypassing the neutrality of Geneva’s Palexpo with epic set designs from which to showcase the year’s new watch releases.

This year is no different, with Hermès presenting a creative scenography in tribute to the new Hermès H08 Squelette watch. The Hermès H08, originally launched in 2021, now releases its first skeleton watch, presented in two versions, and crafted in black PVD-treated titanium to ensure a wearable lightness. ‘This type of development is particularly well suited to the Hermès H08 line, which emphasises lightness through the openwork architecture of the movement and the use of technical materials that affirm its urban and all-terrain character,’ says Philippe Delhotal, creative director of Hermès Horloger.

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Rolex celebrates a century of the Oyster

Rolex’s headline piece at Watches and Wonders is a dedicated centenary tribute. This yellow Rolesor version – Oystersteel case and bracelet with a yellow gold bezel and crown – echoes the case details of early Oyster watches. The slate dial features the inscription ‘100 years’ at six o'clock, while the Rolex name and minute track squares are rendered in signature green. The winding crown is also engraved with the number 100.

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Tudor showed studied restraint with its new releases at Watches and Wonders 2025 – discover the brand's full collection here.

Tudor Black Bay 58

With its slim 39mm case, the Black Bay 58 is easily Tudor's best seller, and has been for a couple of years. This time, we are treated to a brand new burgundy dial, perhaps in a nod to the OG Black Bay with its much-loved 2014 burgundy bezel. But this is somehow tangier, fresher even. The new dial-and-bezel colour match provides a colourful contrast to the brushed steel of the case and bracelet, making the 58 a dressier proposition with its comfortable size. With a new offer of a soft five-link bracelet for the first time, the deep cherry red will no doubt be a tempting proposition for many.

Tudor Black Bay Chrono

There are a few quietly evolved details here, including the introduction of a new five-link bracelet, and the easy comfort of the Tudor T-clasp. Both are welcome tweaks to this COSC (Official Swiss Chronometer Testing Institute)-certified chronograph, which it has to be said, remains a solid alternative to the chrono icons, like the Omega Speedmaster and Rolex cousin the Daytona. With two monochrome panda dial options, the Tudor Black Bay Chrono offers a monochrome everyday toolwatch with an accurate heart and a rather comfortable bracelet.

Tudor Black Bay 68

We all know the allure of small watches and their rise in popularity, but there is also a growing wish for a return to bigger tool watches. Tudor has chosen to address this with the new Black Bay 68, featuring a METAS (Swiss Federal Institute of Metrology)-certified chronometer movement, the MT 5601-U with a 70-hour power reserve. With the choice of a deep indigo blue or crisp silver dial, this is the first Black Bay to come with a return to a clean-cut three-link bracelet and a more muscular design that still manages to offer ergonomics for smaller wrists. Its bracelet also comes with Tudor’s T-fit easily adjustable clasp, and 68 is a nod to the year Tudor debuted its trademark snowflake hour hand.

Tudor Black Bay Pro

With the new opaline crispness of a white dial, the Black Bay Pro will undoubtedly be a success, as proven by its matt black stablemate. The 39mm case is easy on the ergonomics, and it keeps the retro vibing faux-rivet bracelet we know from the series, though here representing a tougher demeanour. With its distinct snowflake handset and domed opaline dial, the yellow 24-hour GMT hand looks fresh, and it comes on three different strap options including a new hybrid leather.

Tudor Pelagos Ultra

If the Black Bay range is a studied blend of retro-elegance and modernity, the Pelagos Ultra offers the pure intent of a tool watch. Thanks to the use of titanium for its brushed case and bracelet, it is lighter than its smaller 41mm chronograph cousin, and the most technically capable Pelagos ever made, suitable for saturation diving. It boasts a 1,000m depth rating, and a proprietary bracelet adjustment system, representing a big stride in technical advancements, with a Master Chronometer certification from METAS as well. Two different luminescent colours aid legibility in the deep, while a Helium escape valve tops the spec list.

tudorwatch.com

The most enjoyable development at the recent Watches and Wonders 2025 in Geneva, to my eyes at least, has been the mini-boom in ‘jump hour’ watches (where the hours and, sometimes, minutes, are shown as numbers that ‘jump’ into place). Presaged, as it turns out, by Louis Vuitton’s Tambour Convergence shown in January 2025, there are watches from Bremont, Cartier, Gerald Charles, Hautlence, Sven Andersen and others that feature what is a curious watch sub-species.

The form first turned up in the wave of wristwatches that appeared in the 1920s as montres à guichets (window watches) – offering both protection for the dial (before crystal replaced glass) and the perfect canvas for that art deco concern with shape and surface – but never quite took off, partly for reasons of reliability (the discs that carry the numbers being far heavier than hands) and partly, I suspect, because it offered less scope for makers to distinguish their watches from others.

Nevertheless, it’s the jump hour is a form that pops up at regular intervals – Alessandro Michele’s first watch collection for Gucci included the nicely period Grip watch (in 2019), a cushion-shaped window watch that the brand claimed to be a product of surf culture.

Leading the way at Geneva’s Watches and Wonders show is Cartier’s new Tank à Guichet, a design that also cleaves closely to the 1920s template, though beautifully finessed in terms of surface texture and colour (and, in one of the four executions, the off-setting of the time windows). Bolder and likely more polarising, Bremont’s round case Terra Nova Jumping Hour was as unexpected at Gucci’s design, but has a kind of logic to it and should look quite striking once the bronze alloy case develops a patina.

Gerald Charles’ version follows the more usual pattern of keeping the minutes indicated by hand on a conventional, fully designed dial. It’s an approach that lends itself to more fully realised designs, whether it’s Gerald Charles’ balance of lapis lazuli and guillochage type treatment on the outer band or Svend Andersen’s ultra-restrained mother-of-pearl.

Jump hours have long featured in more complex watches, whether designers are looking to highlight the hour, as in Hautlence’s new HLXX, or just be a little more creative, as with Harry Winston’s 2002 Opus 3.

With a focus now, in the new jump hour watches, on a clean minimalism that invites the complication to take centre stage, a century-old design is given a welcome contemporary spin.

See more new watches shown at Watches and Wonders 2025

Piaget is paying tribute to a glorious decade with a new women’s watch line named after a significant era for the maison, Sixtie, revealed this week at Watches and Wonders 2025.

In 1969, Piaget unveiled a new collection of jewellery watches, blurring the lines of horology and accoutrements in an avant-garde melting pot of design. During the 1960s and 1970s, designer Jean-Claude Gueit eschewed the traditional language of watchmaking, choosing instead to embed dials in thickly drawn cuffs, or swing them from sensuous sautoirs. In his hands, the timepiece became deliciously hard to define.

It is a moment that Piaget’s CEO Benjamin Comar and design director for Jewellery, High Jewellery and Watchmaking, Stéphanie Sivrière, nod to now in the silhouette of this new watch. Its distinctive trapeze shape and chiselled detailing on the bezel recall the Piaget watch that belonged to Andy Warhol, while the interplay of textures and gold pays homage to a jewellery tradition

The Piaget Sixtie is available worn on the wrist, in a satin-finished or brightly coloured dial, or as an option that stays faithful to its history, worn looped around the neck.

piaget.com

If measured by the length of the queue of journalists, the Cartier booth stood out when the doors of the Palexpo centre in Geneva opened for Watches and Wonders 2025. Booking a meeting with the brand, now also possible for private clients, is trickier than threading a proverbial needle, but it's worth it. Cartier has experienced an inexorable rise in popularity, and this week, it revamps four of its ranges in a move that only underscores the brand’s upward trajectory.

New Cartier watches

Cartier Privé Tank A Guichet

We are surely not the only ones to have been wishing for a rebirth of Cartier’s 1928 icon, and here it is. Within the top-tier Privé portfolio, The Tank A Guichets is reissued in three models, encapsulating the minimalist art deco chic of the original design, available in yellow gold, rose gold, or platinum.

And surprisingly, a fourth model sees Cartier offer a complete redesign, charmingly asymmetric in platinum. Its skewed numerals are rendered in a fresh tone of red seen through elegant windows in the brushed precious metal front of the watch. This is a bold move for the brand, with the red text echoing the use of a red cabochon for the platinum Tank Louis Cartier models.

Tank Louis Cartier

The Tank continues to grow in stature despite its svelte demeanour, and the precious metal Tank Louis Cartier embodies the brand’s evolution. At Watches and Wonders 2025, Cartier presents two new versions of the slim dress watch, available in rose or yellow gold.

What’s new is the contemporary choice of semi-matte finishes for the timeless alligator straps, with both watches measuring 38.1 x 27.8mm and featuring a slim profile of under 9mm. Both come with a light-catching silver-white sunray-pattern flinqué dial, blue sword hands and a prominent cabochon-set crown.

Panthère de Cartier

Remaining a staple of many curated wardrobes, the various guises of the Panthère de Cartier make it a versatile timepiece. This year, Cartier ups the sparkle factor with four semi-pavé versions in yellow and rose gold, all of which are in danger of being eclipsed by an artisanal, multi-coloured version. With a 36.5mm rose gold case, the new reference is crafted by the Maison des Métiers d'Art, featuring a dynamic pattern that frames a pavé and enamel dial. The bracelet is adorned with 314 brilliant-cut diamonds and 86 spessartites, unfolding its links with diagonal patterns of sunny yellows and reds.

Panthère de Cartier Bangle

In the two versions of the Panthère de Cartier Bangle, a polished, physical dynamic brings the panther to life, as it appears to run with feline grace, chasing around the wrist to face the small face of a quartz watch. It is a sweepingly modern manifestation of Cartier’s jewellery tradition.

The feline bangle is available in two versions: polished yellow gold or a gem-packed white gold version. The yellow gold version has green tsavorites for the panther’s eyes, while pentagonal black lacquer spots match a gloss black dial surrounded by 23 brilliant-cut diamonds. The white gold panther is immaculately clad with diamonds, spilling over onto the smooth watch end, which it appears to be chasing, totalling 1,103 with a combined weight of 11.9 carats.

Tressage

The sculptural quality of the Tressage series initially appears as if two gem-set bangles are enveloping a minimalist Cartier Tank, yet it emerges as a singular, cohesive design. As we have seen in the Panthère bangle, there is an understanding between Cartier’s watch designers and artisanal jewellers. This expertise in precious metal comes across as particularly strong in the three gem-set versions, as well as in the purity of the yellow gold version, featuring soft tresses that frame a black lacquer dial and a smooth black calfskin strap.

cartier.com

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Patek Phillippe has unveiled a blockbuster collection at Watches and Wonders in Geneva, with three new movements leading the pack: a self-winding Quadruple Complication, a Calatrava, and a desk clock.

The 15 releases also include practical complications, some simpler designs offering timeless elegance, and new additions to the Ladies' Nautilus collection. Additionally, 78 'Rare Handcrafts' are being showcased.

Read on for a selection of timepieces from Patek’s 2025 collection, all of which espouse the innovation and craftsmanship associated with the brand.

5308 Minute Repeater

The new Quadruple Complication features a minute repeater, a split-seconds chronograph, and an instantaneous perpetual calendar which displays the day, date and month in 30 milliseconds. This white gold watch comes after a limited-edition version showcased at the Watch Art Grand Exhibition in 2023 and represents the evolution of the Triple Complication Reference 5208.

The 5308 Minute Repeater is powered by a self-winding movement with 799 components. It features a nice-blue dial with blue metallised hour markers and Dauphine hands and a 42mm case with skeletonized lugs and interchangeable crystal case backs. It also comes with a navy alligator strap and a fold-over clasp in white gold.

5370R Split-Seconds Chronograph

The Split-Seconds Chronograph is the first rose gold version of the Grand Complication, featuring a brown enamel dial with a tachymeter scale in beige to create a two-tone appearance. The dial also features rose gold Breguet numerals and leaf-shaped hands with luminescent coating which ensures legibility.

Powered by the CHR 29-535 PS caliber, this watch boasts six patented innovations, and one patent for the split-seconds mechanism. The case features a concave bezel and recessed flanks. It comes with a dark brown alligator leather strap and a new, patented clasp.

6159 Retrograde Perpetual Calendar

This is a modern take on a coveted Grand Complication, balancing mechanical intricacy with a contemporary look. The model features a metallised crystal dial with a black rim, offering a partial view of the components inside, including the self-winding 26-330 S QR caliber. The perpetual calendar displays the day, leap year, month, and moon phases, with the retrograde date hand instantly resetting to the first of the next month.

The dial consists of baton-style hour markers and Dauphine hands, while the 39.5mm case features a classic Patek detail: a guilloché hobnail pattern on the bezel and the back. The black composite strap is secured by a patented triple-blade clasp in white gold.

7340/1R Perpetual Calendar

The new Reference 7340/1R is the first round Twenty-4 (Patek’s series of mechanical ladies watches) with a non-gemset bezel. It is powered by the self-winding, 3.88mm-thick 240 Q caliber, which is made up of 275 components and are visible through the transparent caseback.

Calendar displays are shown by hands in subdials – the day and 24-hour indication at nine o'clock, the date at six o'clock, and the month and leap-year cycle at three o'clock. The dial itself features a silk-like finish. Both the case and bracelet are polished rose gold; the bracelet stands out for its design, with delicately cambered central links framed by slim two-tier outer links.

5328 8-Day Power Reserve

A new Calatrava model brings instantaneous day and date displays at six o'clock, as well as an eight-day power reserve indicator at 12 o'clock (with a ninth ‘reserve’ day indicated in red). The 8-Day Power Reserve also features a new movement – the 31-505 8J PS IRM CI J caliber – which can be viewed through the transparent sapphire case back.

The textured dial is a breezy blue with a black-gradient rim, white gold numerals and syringe-shaped hands. The caseband also displays Patek’s signature guilloched hobnail pattern, and the strap comes in either navy calfskin or a grained taupe calfskin. The both are fitted with a triple-blade fold-over clasp, allowing the wearer to interchange straps.

5524 Calatrava Pilot Travel Time

The Calatrava Pilot Travel Time is a take on Patek’s travel watch and as such features a ‘Travel Time system’ whereby pushers on the left side of the case allow the local time to be adjusted forward or backward without affecting the home time, each demarcated by separate hands.

The model, which is powered by the self-winding 26-330 S C FUS caliber, has an ivory lacquered dial with blackened white gold numerals and sword-type hands. It comes with a khaki green strap and a clevis prong buckle which is inspired by aviator harnesses.

4946R Annual Calendar Moon Phases

The new Annual Calendar has a rose gold 38mm case; a chestnut dial embellished with a ‘shantung’ pattern; rose gold numerals; and leaf-shaped hands with a luminescent coating for legibility. The timepiece displays the day and month via subdials, with a date aperture and moon-phase display at six o'clock.

The complications are powered by the 26-330 S QA LU caliber, visible through the case back. The Annual Calendar mechanism was invented and patented by Patek in 1996, and is quite ingenious, requiring only one manual correction per year.

6196P Calatrava

This 38mm manually-wound model boasts a vintage-inspired opaline dial with faceted anthracite hour markers and Dauphine-style hands. The small seconds are placed at six o'clock, where a brilliant-cut diamond also adorns the caseband (this is the case with all Patek platinum models). The case has a beveled bezel, satin-finished flanks and slender lugs.

The 6196P Calatrava is powered by the 30-255 PS caliber which, first introduced in 2021, offers a 65-hour power reserve. The movement's architecture is once again visible through the case back. Finally, a chocolatey alligator strap and platinum buckle completes the picture of elegance.

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In partnership with Richemont

As Watches and Wonders 2025 opens in Geneva (1-7 April), here are headline new watches to look out for from brands of luxury group Richemont: A. Lange & Söhne, Baume & Mercier, IWC, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Montblanc, Panerai, Piaget and Vacheron Constantin.

‘This year’s releases are characterised by a clean design, a sharp technical nous and a celebration of craftsmanship, paying tribute to historical codes while encapsulating a very modern mood,’ says Wallpaper* watches & jewellery editor Hannah Silver.

See the watches below, and for those at the fair, when you’ve exhausted the stands, dip into our Geneva guide to help you enjoy some downtime in the city.

A. Lange & Söhne

With every new watch developed by A. Lange & Söhne, the focus is on harmonising technology and aesthetics, finding the balance between tradition and modernity. ‘During the process, we question everything and take great care to ensure that every aspect of a watch, every design feature and every function, fulfils its intended purpose,’ explains director of product development Anthony de Haas. For 2025, optimal readability is a high priority for the brand; from case shape to arched lugs, distinctive hands and typography, new designs nod back to A. Lange & Söhne’s distinctive geometric and aesthetic codes.

alange-soehne.com

Baume & Mercier

The sport-chic spirit of Baume & Mercier’s Riviera collection is inspired by the French Riviera itself, the timepieces’ distinctive 12-sided case and bezel referencing the sculptural relief of the Côte d’Azur landscape. This new iteration of the Riviera Chronograph, the M0A10827, is engineered for the horological aficionado, its 1950s-style, black-and-white dial representing balance, harmony, and beauty.

baume-et-mercier.com

IWC

For the manufacture of its new Ingenieur, IWC Schaffhausen’s material choice allowed no compromise. Rendered in tough zirconium oxide ceramic, Gérald Genta’s design classic is now updated for its Watches and Wonders 2025 debut with sleeker indices and a more lucid dial architecture.

iwc.com

Jaeger-LeCoultre

The Reverso Tribute Geographic, powered by Jaeger-LeCoultre’s newly developed in-house Calibre 834 movement, is a fresh interpretation of the classic and quintessential travel time complication. Displaying world time indication on the reverse dial and presented in a steel case, this new timepiece underlines the innovative and catalytic role that the Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso has played in the nine decades since its unique, swivelling case was invented back in 1931.

jaeger-lecoultre.com

Montblanc

Paying homage to Reinhold Messner’s record-breaking 1986 ascent of Mount Vinson, Antarctica (which saw him become the first climber to ascend the seven highest peaks in seven continents without the use of supplementary oxygen), the new Montblanc 1858 Geosphere 0 Oxygen Mount Vinson Limited Edition is available in a run of 986 pieces. A 43.5mm titanium case, inspired by the Mount Vinson landscape, holds a composite middle case crafted from quartz fibres, aluminised basalt fibres, calcium carbonates and light blue resin – the colours and patterns a nod to Antarctica ice crystals. Both the northern and southern hemispheres are represented, through two three-dimensional globes that turn anti-clockwise, with dots marking the seven peaks of Messner’s challenge, as well as the Mont Blanc summit.

montblanc.com

Panerai

The name Luminor originates from a luminous compound created by Panerai, an innovative material that shaped the creation of the first models in the series in the early 1960s, invented to meet the demanding standards of the Italian Navy. Panerai had long been supplying robust and precise instruments to the Marina Militare, but it was the Luminor that brought together a collection of distinctive features in the 1990s. Every element served a purpose, balancing form and function, maximising reliability, readability and resilience in a way that would come to define Panerai’s timepieces as ‘tool’ watches. These characteristics were consolidated into a design that, with its safety lock system along with the sandwich dial and enhanced luminescence, set the Luminor apart and became synonymous with the maison. Now, for the first time in Panerai’s core collection, Luminor Marina sets a new benchmark with enhanced water resistance up to 500m.

panerai.com

Piaget

1969 was the year that Piaget redrew the boundaries between watchmaking and jewellery; in the hands of Jean-Claude Gueit, who led the company’s design team, the wristwatch was transformed from a simple timepiece into an avant-garde design object. Almost 60 years later, new models from Piaget’s ateliers combine the maison’s heritage with the present; the marque’s distinctive trapezoidal shape showcases a graceful balance between geometry and delicacy, refinement and allure.

piaget.com

Vacheron Constantin

Complications continue to push the boundaries of previously accepted limits, amply demonstrated by Vacheron Constantin’s beautifully rendered and technically impressive Traditionnelle Perpetual Calendar. There’s a moon phase with a starry sky in ‘950 platinum’ (with 95 per cent platinum in the alloy) and two three-dimensional moons. The tachymeter scale painted on the dial makes it possible to determine an average speed thanks to the central hand of the chronograph. The perpetual calendar requires no adjustment until the year 2100.

vacheron-constantin.com

Watches and Wonders 2025 has kicked off, and Wallpaper* is on the ground in the watchmaking capital of Geneva to bring you all the latest announcements from the world of horology.

On day one, all eyes are on Rolex: the brand has released five new models, plus sophisticated revisions of three existing models. Followers of Rolex watches will be most excited by news of the new Land-Dweller, detailed below.

Here is everything you need to know about the new Rolex watches revealed at Watches and Wonders.

The Land-Dweller

Introducing the Oyster Perpetual Land-Dweller, a watch characterised by bold aesthetics and industry-leading technology. Notable features include the ‘Flat Jubilee’ metal bracelet, with its flat links and polished centre links (which are raised above the outer links) and technical satin finish. The attachment system ensures a fluid integration with the Oyster case, which has been developed with modifications to the waterproofness system and a restyled fluted bezel.

The Land-Dweller boasts a new movement that beats at a frequency of 5 Hz, calibre 7135. This self-winding mechanical movement is thinner than most Rolex movements, featuring a revolutionary escapement called the Dynapulse. Calibre 7135, which has a power reserve of approximately 66 hours and features Rolex Côtes de Genève decoration and a yellow gold oscillating weight, allows the Land-Dweller to measure time to one-tenth of a second.

The watch comes in three versions: one 36mm model and two 40mm models. The former is made of 18ct Everose gold with a white dial set with ten baguette-cut diamond hour markers and a bezel with 44 trapeze-cut diamonds. The first of the larger models is cast in white Rolesor with a fluted bezel and a honeycomb motif dial. The second is presented in 950 platinum with a fluted bezel and a blue dial, also featuring the honeycomb motif – a painstaking detail created with traditional craftsmanship.

Further details include the six and nine numerals being open at their centre, which takes cues from previous Explorer and Air-King models. The Land-Dweller’s index hour markers are luminescent and the hands are rectilinear, and the seconds hand has a counterweight shaped like honeycomb cells.

The GMT-Master II

Rolex has unveiled an iteration of the iconic Oyster Perpetual GMT-Master II, bringing in a never-before-seen dial crafted from high-tech ceramic in vivid green Cerachrom. This eye-catching feature is presented on an 18ct white gold version of the model, distinguishable for its left-side winding crown and a date aperture positioned at 9 o’clock.

The GMT-Master II was originally conceived as a navigational tool for those crossing time zones; it’s a true traveller’s watch. This model has the ability to display two time zones simultaneously, with the date function synchronised with the local time. The design includes a rotatable bezel and a 24-hour graduated insert, which is presented in a two-toned colour scheme signifying day and night.

The watch is powered by the calibre 3285, a self-winding mechanical movement originally introduced in 2018 which offers exceptional precision and a power reserve of approximately 70 hours. The GMT-Master II is fitted with an Oyster bracelet in 18ct white gold, secured with an Oysterlock clasp and equipped with an extension link for adjustments.

The 40mm Oyster case is robust, created from a solid block of 18ct white gold and guaranteed waterproof to a depth of 100m.

The Oyster Perpetual

Rolex has expanded its much-loved Oyster Perpetual range with watches in an array of muted pastel shades: a soft lavender, a warm beige and a fresh green, each with a matt finish.

These new dial colours correlate with different model sizes: the Oyster Perpetual 28 has the lavender dial, while the larger Oyster Perpetual 36 is cast in sandy beige. The largest of the releases, the Oyster Perpetual 41, features the pistachio dial. This model has also been the subject of a subtle redesign: the Oyster case has been refined and the Oysterclasp is slimmer.

These new faces are turning heads, but behind them lie the technological intricacies that Rolex is known for. The Oyster Perpetual 28 is powered by calibre 2232, while the Oyster Perpetual 36 and 41 are driven by calibre 3230. Both movements provide hours, minutes, and seconds with precision, reliability and enhanced resistance. The power reserve for calibre 2232 is approximately 55 hours, while calibre 3230 is around 70 hours.

Oyster Perpetual watches are descendants of Rolex’s original 1926 Oyster, the world's first waterproof watch. They represent chronometer wristwatches in their purest form, with their chronometric precision, waterproof Oyster cases and self-winding function.

As with the GMT-Master II, the Oyster Perpetual’s hermetically-sealed Oyster case – available in 28mm, 36mm, and 41mm diameters – is guaranteed waterproof to 100m, and all models are secured with an Oysterlock clasp and an extension link.

The 1908

Designed for the Perpetual 1908 watch, Rolex’s new seven-piece link Settimo bracelet is crafted from 18ct yellow gold. Inspired by vintage jewelry bracelets, it feels super-light on the wrist and has a fully polished appearance, while a concealed Crownclasp makes for a seamless finish.

The Perpetual 1908 is part of the 2023 Perpetual collection, which aimed to put a modern spin on traditional horological style. The new model features a bold white dial, Breguet-style hour hands and a minute hand shaped like a two-edged sword, as well as Arabic numerals at the three, nine, and 12 o'clock positions. The 39 mm case has a transparent back, allowing the intricate movement to be viewed, and is waterproof to 50m.

The watch is powered by the calibre 7140, a self-winding, high-precision and resistant mechanical movement that offers hours, minutes and small seconds functions and boasts a power reserve of around 66 hours. It’s decorated with Rolex Côtes de Genève and features a cut-out yellow gold oscillating weight.

The Datejust

The Rolex Oyster Perpetual Datejust 31 immediately packs a punch with its vibrant red ombré dial, which graduates to a dark edge, creating a ‘chiaroscuro’ appearance. Ombré dials were only reintroduced by Rolex in 2019, so this ‘fire’ effect is a first for the Datejust 31; here, it is enhanced with ten diamond-set hour markers.

Presented in 18ct yellow gold and featuring a bezel set with 46 brilliant-cut diamonds, this luxurious-feeling watch comes with a President bracelet, a three-piece link bracelet and a concealed Crownclasp.

The Datejust is powered by calibre 2236, a movement first released by Rolex in 2014 and that has been used in the Datejust 31 since 2018. This self-winding mechanical movement boasts precision and reliability, offering a 55-hour power reserve and displaying the date, hours, minutes and seconds.

The 31mm Oyster case is waterproof to 100m and features a sealed case back, a Twinlock winding crown, and a scratchproof sapphire crystal with a Cyclops lens for the date.

New dials: Cosmograph Daytona, GMT-Master II and Sky-Dweller

Three of Rolex’s iconic models – the Cosmograph Daytona, GMT-Master II and Sky-Dweller – are presented with new dial configurations. The Cosmograph Daytona now boasts a turquoise blue lacquer dial with black counters; the GMT-Master II is presented with a distinctive tiger iron dial – a natural stone with a blend of tiger's eye, red jasper and hematite; and the Sky-Dweller in 18 ct yellow gold features a green sunray-finish dial.

Each watch features sophisticated ceramic components, with the bezels offering both scratch resistance and colour intensity. The Cosmograph Daytona has a black Cerachrom bezel; the GMT-Master II boasts a two-tone brown and black Cerachrom insert; and the Sky-Dweller’s fluted bezel – a hallmark of classic Rolexes – is made from 18ct yellow gold.

Each features an Oyster case made from solid blocks of 18ct gold that are waterproof to 100m. All three are powered by self-winding mechanical movements with power reserves ranging from 70 to 72 hours – calibre 4131 in the case of the Daytona; calibre 3285 for the GMT-Master II; and calibre 9002 for the Sky-Dweller. In terms of bracelet options (each with a unique clasp and extension systems), it’s Oysterflex for the Daytona, Oyster for the GMT-Master II, and Jubilee for the Sky-Dweller

Follow along with more news from the Wallpaper* team at Watches & Wonders

It’s a significant year for Tag Heuer, who this year became the title partner of the Grand Prix de Monaco, the first in its almost century-long history. The brand nods to its new racing associations, as well as a considered design history, in this year’s new releases.

TAG Heuer Formula 1 Solargraph

Nine new watches in the TAG Heuer Formula 1 family embody bold, brilliant design. Sizing in at a wearable 38mm, the racing-inspired designs offer a spin on 1980s-style, in a nod to the decade which saw the debut of both the Formula 1 collection and of the newly-named TAG Heuer itself.

Three of these new watches – in a classic black and white dial or blue, with a steel or bold red bracelet – will join the core collection. Six extra models, in black and red, black and yellow, blue and black, white and green, white and red, and green and red, are also available on rubber racing straps or sleek steel bracelets.

TAG Heuer Carrera Day-Date

Long acknowledged as an elegant cornerstone of Tag Heuer’s watch portfolio, the six new TAG Heuer Carrera Day-Date releases embody the clean lines and uncluttered aesthetic the collection is loved for. The focus here is on unexpected detailing, with the wearer richly rewarded upon a second look, from the sunray-brushed finish on the blue model, to a deep red opaline and warm, brushed rose gold.

TAG Heuer Monaco Split-Seconds Chronograph

Formula 1 details run throughout the TAG Heuer Monaco Split-Seconds Chronograph collection. Key here is an emphasis on strong, light materials, seen in the case itself which is composed of half ceramic and half sapphire. Details such as the looping white ceramic arches are directly inspired by the use of ceramic in F1 cars, while playful texts - ‘Lights Out’ and ‘Away We Go’ are inscribed on the sub-dials - make for a sporty tribute.

tagheuer.com

Hermès Horloger has set the scene at this year’s Watches and Wonders with a collaboration with artist Sarah-Anaïs Desbenoit, who has created an immersive backdrop for the watch releases.

This year’s new watches include a deep blue Arceau Petite lune watch, which sees diamonds sink into a gem-set steel case, three new versions of the Arceau L’heure de la lune watch first unveiled in 2019 and an artistic interpretation of a horse sweeping across the dial of the Slim d’Hermès Cheval brossé watch.

Desbenoit draws on these references for an artistic exploration of time for her scenography, which encourages visitors to pause, and take in their surroundings more mindfully. ‘I have always been fascinated by mechanisms—whether engines, electrical circuits, railway systems, or aviation,’ she says, on what inspired her design here. ‘Their repetitive motion, rhythms, and aesthetics captivate me; they are meditative and hypnotic objects. The watch mechanism shares this same beauty and precision, but it also carries a universal language: that of time. In the world of Hermès, time is not a simple linear measure; it frees itself from usual constraints and opens up to fantasy. Every moment becomes an invitation to recreation, to escape, where the suspended moment becomes a precious parenthesis.’

Desbenoit has interpreted the images synonymous with the watches, such as the horse itself, which comes to represent a break in the ordinary in her design. ‘The space itself becomes a clock at the scale of the body,’ she adds. ‘Every stop in the movement reveals a watch from the Hermès collection, suspending the moment. The spectator is immersed in a continuous loop, a steady pulse where time imprints itself into the architecture. The watches are not merely displayed objects; they serve as anchors, structuring the perception of time. Sound also plays a crucial role: a composition created with musician Julien Perez punctuates these pauses, transforming the ticking of a watch into a meditative breath, far from its usual urgency. The longer the spectator lingers in the space, the more details emerge, prolonging this sensation of suspended time.’

hermes.com

Vacheron Constantin is pushing the technical limits at this year’s Watches and Wonders, by unveiling its most complex wristwatch. The Les Cabinotiers Solaria Ultra Grand Complication watch weighs in with an impressive 41 complications, including five with astronomical functions, requiring a total of 13 patents.

This new watch in the Grand Complications series speaks to Vacheron Constnatin’s history of mastering technical complexities, which can be traced back to the end of the eighteenth century, when the brand introduced the first watch with a date display.

Since then, Vacheron Constantin has explored an eclectic array of complications, paying particular attention to astronomically-themed mechanisms. In this new watch, five rare complications are presented in a previously unseen combination, informing wearers of the position, the height, the culmination and declination of the sun, as well as the temporal identification of celestial objects.

As well as tracking this information on the dial, three readings offer varying conceptual ways of telling the time. Civil time, shown on the front dial with hour and minute hands, tracks the 24 hour day. Sidereal time, displayed on the reverse of the watch, takes 23 hours, 56 minutes and 4 seconds to complete, the time it takes for Earth to complete a full 360° rotation when focusing on a fixed star as a reference point. It takes four minutes less than a normal day as the Earth rotates on its axis while also revolving around the sun, giving a speedier return to its point of origin. The final reading, solar time, tracks the approximately fifteen minute difference between the solar and civil day.

The watch is the result of eight years of development. ‘It is the most complicated wristwatch in the history of horology,’ says Christian Selmoni, director of Style and Patrimony. ‘Because it combines an unrivalled 41 functions with a tourbillon regulator, the mechanism had to be arranged in the most logical and compact way possible. The first solution was to bring together all the primary complications, timekeeping, calendar, chronograph and chiming, on a single base plate and to concentrate the astronomical functions on an additional module.'

vacheron-constantin.com

In partnership with Richemont

The Watches and Wonders visitor experience at Geneva’s Palexpo exhibition hall is organised with the kind of clockwork expedience that only the Swiss can deliver. Around 50,000 guests are expected during the 2025 show’s seven-day run (1-7 April), and those who arrive via Geneva airport get to stroll the delightful concourse of RSHP’s polychromatic Aile Est terminal, clear customs and immigration and then amble just 800m across a concrete bridge to the lobby of the vast Watches and Wonders show space. No taxis, no shuttle, no excess baggage required.

When all 60 watchmaking marques – among them A. Lange & Söhne, Baume & Mercier, IWC Schaffhausen, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Montblanc, Panerai, Piaget and Vacheron Constantin – have been explored, exceptional novelties perused and brand ambassadors encountered, guests simply walk back to the airport and catch an evening plane home.

As for Wallpaper* watches and jewellery editors? We prefer to make the annual pilgrimage to Geneva more of a 48-hour thing, taking time to immerse ourselves in both show and city. During a two-night stay at the old-school Hôtel Longmalle or Hôtel de la Cigogne, we’ll take time to meander the streets, visiting the galleries, museums and creative landmarks that add to the cultural cachet of the city, which is known as the cradle of horology. And we’ll eat some fine Swiss chocolate along the way.

48 hours in Geneva: what to see and do

Take in an art gallery

Just by the Cirque tram stop, in the city’s banking district, is a good place to start. A cornerstone of both Swiss and international contemporary art worlds, Wilde gallery, established by curatorial partners Barth Pralong and Sébastien Mare, is a 1,000 sq m space whose white and airy storeys incorporate La Petite Librairie, dedicated to rare books and first editions, and the chic Anouch restaurant with a kitchen helmed by Tamara Hussain, formerly of the three-Michelin-starred Clos des Sens in Annecy.
Wilde Gallery Bd Georges-Favon 19, 1204 Genève, wildegallery.ch

Buy Swiss chocolates

Every Geneva local has their favourite chocolatier but when sweet-toothed Wallpaper* is in town for wristwatch business, we head straight to Auer, on the super-smart Rue De Rive, for a box of Pavés Glacés – cubes of fine, fondant chocolate dusted with cocoa powder, inspired by Geneva’s cobblestones and first produced back in 1940, soon after the business was established. Auer, now run by the founding family’s fifth generation, remains the high-cacao-content-seekers’ destination for chocolate-covered almonds, truffles, and other delights – all specialties homemade following original recipes. The packaging is beautiful.
Auer chocolatier, Rue de Rive 4, 1204 Genève, chocolat-auer.ch

Lunch at a traditional Italian

Lunchtime in Switzerland’s first city calls for a traditional Italian. Roberto, an institution since 1945, is Geneva’s best and buzziest Italian restaurant. In the bustling, central Rive district, a crew of bow-tied waiters serves loyal regulars and savvy visitors with platters of ravioli, osso bucco and mouthwatering saltimbocca. Since founding chef Roberto Carugati, five generations of the same family have had a hand in the restaurant’s day-to-day running. Accordingly, amid the delightfully distressed mirrors and patinated, wood-panelled walls, a distinctly familial atmosphere prevails.
Roberto, 10 Rue Pierre Fatio, 1204 Genève, restaurantroberto.ch

Brush up on Le Corbusier

Some nice clean, modernist lines to admire while you are munching on pralines? The Immeuble Clarté apartment block in the Eaux Vives parklands of Geneva is one of Swiss architect Le Corbusier’s early explorations of the residential idiom. It’s also a bona fide survivor. The design and proto-modernist disciplines at play here would later go on to inform Le Corbusier’s five-point, Unité d’Habitation (‘machine for living in’) housing principle, but the 1931 modernist apartment block had to stand firm against its detractors – escaping demolition in both the 1960s and the early 1980s, before being listed as a historic monument and, eventually, inscribed as a Unesco World Heritage Site in 2016. Grab a coffee, find a bench and look up in wonder at Immeuble Clarté’s roof gardens, open-plan living spaces, pilotis, long windows and expansive façades, and decide which storey you’d like to live on.
Le Corbusier Immeuble Clarté apartment building, Rue Saint-Laurent 2-4, Geneva, sites-le-corbusier.org, fondationlecorbusier.fr

Have supper at a cosy diner

Inspired by Edward Hopper’s iconic Nighthawks painting, Geneva’s Nomos Architects converted a drab pizzeria on a modern, urban apartment-block corner, into a fashionable bar-bistro, Bombar. The Genevoise interpretation of American diner design is more tactile, spare and much happier than Hopper’s. The interior features roughly cast concrete columns, op-art floor tiles and exposed, load-bearing walls, while the bar is all corrugated iron and stainless steel countertops. Head chef Victor Freiburghaus, formerly of the three Michelin-starred Épicure at Paris’ Le Bristol hotel, recommends the 12 hours-cooked, shredded pork shoulder and the roasted butternut squash with tahini, zaatar and lightly toasted pine nuts on the side – and a call ahead to book a table for dinner. Unlike the lonely scene in Hopper’s painting, Bombar is often packed.
Bombar, Place des Augustins 3, 1205 Genève, bombar.ch

Enjoy a post-dip fondue at Bains des Pâquis

Could Bains des Pâquis, just a few metres from the magnificent Jet d’Eau fountain, be any more Geneva? The city’s ‘beach’ – actually, the Quai du Mont-Blanc jetty on Lake Geneva – is perfect for a morning plunge off the art deco board, a quiet night swim, a yoga session, or a full-moon sauna. While you towel off, order Geneva’s most delicious fondue au crémant (fondue made with sparkling wine) from the cute little refreshment stall; best consumed with bare feet dipped in the lake.
Bains des Pâquis, Quai du Mont-Blanc 30, 1201 Geneva, aubp.ch

Also recommended…

More of the best dining and drinking, plus yoga, flea market shopping and book browsing in Geneva.

Leopard Bar at Hotel d’Angleterre, https://dangleterrehotel.com/dining-and-drinks/the-leopard-bar.

Le Bologne Bistro, lebologne.com

Le Dorian brasserie, ledorian.ch

Sauvage bar and restaurant, sauvage.bar

Nagomi Japanese restaurant, nagomi-restaurant.ch

La Clémence terrace café, laclemence.ch

Kā Studio wellness and yoga, kastudio.ch

Plaine de Plainpalais flea market, geneve.com/en/companies/plaine-de-plainpalais

Librairie du Boulevard bookshop librairieduboulevard.ch and, a few doors down, second-hand bookstore/café Les Recyclables

Also read: Watches & Wonders 2025: preview Richemont’s latest innovations, on show at the Geneva watch fair

After a post-pandemic high, last year was a quieter one for the watch industry, with drops in exports and sales signalling an end to the record-breaking highs of the last few years. What to expect, then, from this year’s Watches and Wonders? With 60 brands preparing to unveil their watch releases, many assume the biggest event in the horological calendar will be a quieter one this year, with less of an emphasis on brand new collections, and more of a focus on reworked classics.

Amongst the doom of falling sales and, consequently, prices, there are signs the market could go in interesting new directions. Advancements in women’s watches are responding to a new generation of female consumers who expect larger dimensions and mechanical movements in their watches, while plays on colour and material elsewhere show that innovation and a pushing of the technical boundaries is still key for many.

The focus is firmly on a younger audience this year at the salon itself. Last year, a quarter of attendees were under 35, something the salon has built on this year with a programme dedicated to a horological education. The LAB space, a hub of new technologies, will also include members from schools, start-ups and apprentices. In Geneva itself, there will be an emphasis on watchmaking training courses, workshops and activities for children. ‘The Lab will bring new initiatives and I’m very much looking forward to discovering the student projects,’ says CEO Matthieu Humair, Watches and Wonders Geneva. ‘I’m also looking forward to the Longitude 0 exhibition, with its aesthetic staging, that will take visitors for a journey along the famous Greenwich meridian.’

Visitor experience, too, will be tweaked, with both the press and now the public able to register for product presentations and tours in advance. ‘Watches and Wonders Geneva allows the visitors to experience the world of watchmaking in many different ways, whatever your level of knowledge,’ Humair adds. ‘This year, we have designed an exciting and tailor-made program to make each visit unique while offering the same level of services that made the success of the Salon. Watches and Wonders Geneva is an immersive watchmaking experience.’

Watches and Wonders runs from 1 - 7 April 2025 at Palexpo Geneva, and is open to the public from 5 - 7 April

watchesandwonders.com

This year, independent watch brands have adapted and moved with the times, releasing strong designs both independently, and as part of, Watches and Wonders. Here are the best independents to look out for in 2025.

Independent watch brands to know

If the appeal of the yellow gold watch to some has long been limited by its association with bling, might matters now be on the turn? From the Stealth Wealth feeling of heavy white gold, to the reinvigorating glow of yellow or 18K rose on a cold autumn day, precious metal is back and on trend this year.

Browse gold watches

This year, hi-tech materials and technical innovations meet a tribute to past design codes. Discover all the Rolex watches at Watches and Wonders 2024.

Rolex Oyster Perpetual GMT‑Master II

Rolex nods to its technically accomplished history of creating virtually scratchproof ceramics with the new Oyster Perpetual GMT‑Master II, which features a bezel, which rotates both ways, in graduated grey and black ceramic. Available on an Oyster or Jubilee bracelet, it also holds its guaranteed waterproof status, to a depth of 100 metres.

Rolex Oyster Perpetual Day-Date 

Design detailing is carefully considered on the new Oyster Perpetual Day-Date watch models, which for the first time see the introduction of ombré dials. The completely new slate ombré is particularly appealing in its subtle graduation to a deep black, an elegant foil for the faceted Roman numerals and faceted index hour markers in pink gold - the first time the watch has eschewed diamond hour markers. This dial design originally appeared in the 1980s, relaunching in 2019, and now welcomes new colours throughout the range, including the blue-green dial of the Day-Date 36, a hue first seen on last year’s Sky Dweller.

Rolex Perpetual 1908 

Launched last year, the elegant Perpetual 1908 is this year given a rethink, crafted in platinum and featuring an icy blue dial with a hypnotising, crimped guilloche rice-grain motif. Named after the year Hans Wilsdorf devised the name ‘Rolex’ and registered the brand in Switzerland, this watch abounds with heritage codes.

Rolex Oyster Perpetual Rolex Deepsea

For the first time presented in 18ct yellow gold, the Perpetual Rolex Deepsea nods to its roots with a focus on underwater tech. A cerachrom insert in deep blue ceramic allows divers to monitor their time underwater, while a compression ring is crafted in ceramic ensures ultra waterproofing. 

Rolex Oyster Perpetual Cosmograph Daytona

There are two new versions of the Oyster Perpetual Cosmograph Daytona, both crafted in white gold and featuring a bezel set with 36 brilliant-cut white diamonds. The first version contrasts a white mother-of-pearl dial with a dark chronograph; in the second, the colours are reversed, a timely update for the watch first launched in 1963 for professional racing drivers.

Rolex Oyster Perpetual Sky‑Dweller

Two new 18 ct gold versions of the Oyster Perpetual Sky-Dweller, both with a Jubilee bracelet in precious metal for the first time, faithfully display two time zones simultaneously as well as the annual calendar. A reference time in 24-hour format alongside the local time told with traditional hands still makes this watch the ultimate travelling companion. 

rolex.com

At Watches and Wonders 2024, alongside classic designs from a multitude of major and independent watch brands, there is a leaning towards the thoroughly modern. Occasionally wildly outré wristwatches that don’t look like mid-1960s talismans are back with a vengeance – and we’re here for it.

Futuristic watches at Watches and Wonders 2024

Ulysse Nardin Freak S Nomad

As a concept, the Freak S is over 20 years old. That doesn’t stop it from being a revolution compared to every other watch out there. The spacecraft vibes are strong in the new Nomad, its warm tones inspired by desert travels, and their carousel movement-as-minute hand is still baffling. But this time there is a deeper meaning, with a guilloché hour disc as the ‘dial’, forging a bond to the distant past. The beige CVD-gold-finished disc takes one craftsman 240 continuous movements and over three hours to cut. And the interwoven diamond shapes, a pattern that goes back to 19th-century pocket watches, serves as a thought-provoking background to the UN-251 movement, as always resembling an alien ship born in another galaxy.

Ulysse Nardin.com

De Bethune DB Kind of Grande Complication

Rocking the brand’s familiar yet still inspiringly mad case design, any De Bethune has a 10ft visibility if you’re in the know. And with its crown recessed at six o’clock and centre-pivoting lugs, it might just be what watches should look like in the future. Yet it displays a rich traditional flourish when it comes to every hand-finished titanium part, and you will surely become lost in some time-lapse loop-gazing into the jaw-dropping intense blue dial. With its appliqué gold stars and spherical moon phase, it competes for attention with the ultra-complex DB2529 calibre, which constitutes no fewer than 751 pieces including a 30in titanium tourbillon.

Debethune.ch

Hautlence Retrovision ’47

This one had me torn – is it futurism, or retro-futurism, or a kind of colourful steam-punk creation? Who cares when it looks as fresh as this, with a charming back story to boot. At first glance, it looks like a watch from Thunderbirds, complete with a communicator speaker grille. Hautlence is a progenitor of mechanical futurism and will never release a round watch with three hands, trust us. The Retrovision ’47 was designed with the premise of Hautlence being established in the 1940s. A charmingly bonkers concept explaining the TV-like design, and it looks refreshingly like nothing else on the planet. The hand-painted cuboid case has an apple-green tinge and a Bakelite vibe, with a small off-set dial in brass and 2N red gold. It comes on a scintillatingly red strap, and if we told you there was a flying tourbillon under the speaker grille you might not be surprised.

Hautlence.com

Cartier Reflection de Cartier

Cartier just dropped one of the most enigmatic pieces of Watches and Wonders 2024, a square-profiled bangle of sorts. But in fact, it is also a watch, ensconced in the bangle end, reflected in the opposed polished god part. Inspiring, quirky and precious, with a quartz heart. This airy creation, standing out among a number of future-facing watch bracelets at the fair, is available in rose, yellow or white gold, with a few tempting gem-set versions that are rather breathtaking in their multi-coloured splendour.

Cartier.com

Hublot Big Bang MP-11 Water Blue Sapphire 

Hublot never disappoints, taking sapphire craftsmanship to unseen levels with the new MP-11. Casting and machining man-made sapphire is one of the most difficult operations in the watch industry, but the brand doesn’t shy away from material challenges. The deceptively sweet tone of radiant blue suffuses the new MP-11 with light, while clear-framing the complexities within. It is a new and brand-exclusive sapphire tone, while the 14-day calibre is a mechanical piece of art. The manufacture movement has a skeleton aesthetic, with the massive power reserve powered by the engine-like seven spring barrels giving the case its characteristic hump.

Hublot.com

Urwerk SpaceTime Blades

This is not a watch per se, rather an horological sculpture (also explored in our pick of offerings from independent watch brands ). The 1.7m human-height sculpture boasts 20kg of artisanal glow in the form of a vertical digital display. A glass dome – featuring the same thickness from base to rounded top – protects the SpaceTime Blade indications, eight vertically aligned and individually flame-shaped handmade Nixie bulbs. The metal base and top are solid bronze. The base represents an Urwerk crown, and the brass itself has been patinated and polished by hand. What do the eight Nixie bulb modules display? With a capacity of changing up to 500 times per second, they offers anything from mundane hours and minutes to a calendar, the Earth’s rotation in km, and its revolution around the sun. Quite.

Urwerk.com

The smartphone once signalled the end of the wristwatch but, as Watches and Wonders 2024 proves, the seriously smart wristwatch has entered an era of its own. So much so that this once-exclusive salon will open its doors to the general public for the first time over three days this weekend (from April 13 to 15). Aficionados, curious tech bros and girls, and unsuspecting types who didn’t even know how much they could love a watch design so much will delight at the chance to see new designs up close from Rolex, Patek Philippe, Tag Heuer and scores of other leading luxury watch houses. Here’s where to get tickets, and our guide to what to see and do:

The Architecture

If you’re a spatial designer of any sort, it’s worth making the trip to Geneva just to see the full Watches and Wonders 2024 exhibition streetscape. It’s literally a luxury village, the pathways lined not with houses or shops but with futuristic architectural capsules. For here, the pavilion designs by Rolex, Chanel, Cartier et all are not simply shopfronts. Rather, they are brand mission statements in architectural form.

The Expert Tour

The Watches and Wonders exhibition is vast, and it’s hard to know what you are looking for, or at, unless you understand a little of how to navigate it. Guided tours of around 10-15 people, hosted by watchmaking industry experts are on offer on a ticketed basis. Escorted tours may not be sound appealing, but here you’ll be glad you signed up as you become quickly acquainted with the labyrinthine layout. That allows dedicated time to get a first look at new designs from brands you know (which don't usually appear in boutiques until September) and some names that you've never even heard but will start to wonder about, quite a lot, later.

The LAB

What will the watchmakers of tomorrow create? Will we even be using smartphones or tech linked to them? Will AI have turned us all into robots? It’s no joke - the history of watchmaking includes seriously spooky automatons that could write letters and play instruments. So, if you’re worried about this kind of thing, the LAB area serves to allay your fears, illuminating new thinking around centuries-old micro-technology.

The ECAL school – the École cantonale d'art de Lausanne – famed for its supremo designer-engineers, hosts a show of 15 students' works, some of who will be on site to chat you through their ideas.

There’s also an area dedicated to watch bracelet design, which is a brilliant topic to dive into, whether you’re a jeweller, engineer or watch collector. A start-ups and brands area includes 12 new horological ideas to ponder, while the ‘Agora’ section hosts casual discussions. Swiss chef Dany Khezaar is also on hand to rustle up Swiss-cheese treats and more. Yes, chef!

The Science Bit

Designed to host an up-to-the minute programme in a style that befits a luxury subject, the newly created auditorium offers a roster of panel talks with leading brands, speakers and watch geeks on specific subjects. This year, they include: What does AI mean for the watchmaking industry? How to start a watch collection? Craftsmanship and the human value in watchmaking To be honest, the programme needs a shake-up. Let's hope they get a few more style-savvy subjects in next year beyond a focus on just 'trends'. Where are the social media names who are doing so much to stir up interest in watch design and style? Why did Bad Bunny kickstart an appetite for vintage jewelled watches? Why is Chanel creating a crazy Victorian-curio style clock with dressmakers' dummies inside? Watches and Wonders can still feel a bit too biz-focused and academic but its new look is ever evolving. And, for those who want to see exquisite craftsmanship up close, this is the place to be.

The Must-see Photography Exhibition

By choosing to approach his subject as objects ‘frozen in time’ Luc Debraine has created an intriguing photographic essay of everyday architecture we’d otherwise likely ignore. This Watches and Wonders 2024 exhibition opens the pages of his book Les Garde-Temps. Through photography and text, Luc Debraine composes a fresco of these silent witnesses of history. These timepieces are clocks that keep ‘the time of memory, stopped dead in their tracks by natural or human disasters, from the Titanic to Hiroshima, from Buchenwald to the World Trade Center towers. They still display fateful moments. Some were stopped voluntarily to mark a revolution, a liberation, a singular event.’ The fact that Debraine is a former director of the Swiss Camera Museum in Vevey brings a compelling point of view to what might otherwise have been a highly niche subject.

Beyond the walls of the fair, Geneva is a full-on watch fest, with a city-wide programme of watch-focused cultural and educational activities. From Watches and Wonders' new Watchmaking Village on the Pont de la Machine to brand boutiques staging their own in-store exhibitions, there’s plenty to see downtown. Here are our highlights:

The Satellite Events

Time To Watches, now in its 3rd year, is the biggest draw outside the main event. Located in Geneva’s HEAD art and design school, Time to Watches is halfway from the airport to the lakeside hotels, and hosts a selection of niche brands, from Antoine Preziuso to Sinn and British Bristol-based Fears watches, debuting on the international watch scene.

The early modernist designs of the school buildings make it an architectural destination worth the visit alone. The main building was built in the industrial Les Charmilles area in the 1910s and reworked in 1944 by architect Jean Erb. It once housed the Tavaro factory assembly line for Elna sewing machines, and was renovated in 2006.

Masters of Horology, organised by the AHCI (Académie Horlogers des Créateurs Indépendants) is showing at Ice Bergues, just off the lakefront. Here you'll find a stellar list of makers that includes Philippe Dufour, Svend Andersen, Vianney Halter and Louis Vuitton prize winner, Raúl Pagès. Other small-scale exhibitions include Swiss Pavillion and Watchmakers United, while a number of brand showrooms are mounting exhibitions, including FP Journe, Jacob & Co, MB&F and Urwerk.

Don’t forget that the not-to-be-missed Patek Philippe museum near the Pleinpalais is open as usual – it’s worth a trip to Geneva in itself but offers a welcome respite from too much ‘novelty’ at the main fair.

Tickets for Watches and Wonders 2024 Public Days (13-15 April) are on sale now

Could the fact that Sotheby's Geneva sold a totally outré vintage cuff watch for eight times its estimate, at 393,700 CHF, in its flash 'Rough Diamonds' sale in Geneva last night mark a turning point in the watch design business? Timed to co-incide with Watches and Wonders 2024, when Geneva is swarming with serious international collectors, it was part of flash sale of 24 avant-garde vintage watches. It took just one hour for every piece to sell – online, on the phone and in the room.

Sotheby’s Rough Diamonds vintage watch sale, Geneva

It goes to show that, for the first time since the 1980s, outré watch design is fashionable again. In fact you could say it's having something of a Schiaparelli moment, as surreal, ornate and, frankly psychedelic designs become highly covetable. There's no doubt that the influence of stars such as Bad Bunny and ASAP Rocky, who are partial to wearing vintage jewelled watches, typically designed for women in the 60s, 70s and 80s, are inspiring global interest.

The ‘underground’ auction of weird and wonderful vintage watches spanning the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, was a Sotheby's Geneva collaboration with secretive watch collective Heist-Out. The vintage watches were ‘carefully extracted from horological history’ by specialists and the Heist-Out team. The sale also brought to light lesser-known design greats including Charles de Temple, Gilbert Albert, Jacqueline Dimier and Daryoush Shafa, among others.

'In an industry where each new release often melds into the next, it is invigorating to pay homage to the trailblazers of yesteryear and affirm that audacity has always been pivotal in shaping watch design,' say Maxime Couturier and Lorenzo Maillard, co-founders of Heist-Out, of their curatorial approach.

The best selling lots in Sotheby's Geneva's Rough Diamonds vintage watch sale:

Patek Philippe by Gilbert Albert
A unique Patek Philippe set designed by Gilbert Albert in 1962, featuring a bracelet watch, a ring and a necklace. Achieved 393,700 CHF (435,727 USD) from an initial estimate of 30,000 - 50,000 CHF

Audemars Piguet
A possibly unique white-gold bracelet watch with day and date, Cobra ‘Royal Khanjar’, by Audemars Piguet dated 1985. Achieved 165,100 CHF (182,724 USD) from an initial estimate of 50,000 - 100,000 CHF

Audemars Piguet by Jacqueline Dimier
A unique car-shaped white gold, diamond and emerald-set quartz wristwatch, designed by Jacqueline Dimier for Audemars Piguet, circa 1995. Achieved 107,950 CHF (119,474 USD) from an initial estimate of 40,000 - 80,000 CHF

Men in particular, such as Dune: Part Two star Timothée Chalamet, who often wears gem-set watches, seem to be broadening their tastes beyond ubiquitous heavy gold, sports timepieces to avant-gard vintage and jewelled ones. Josh Pullan, global head of Sotheby’s Luxury Division, agrees: ‘Collectors are increasingly seeking out uniquely expressive pieces, and our Rough Diamonds vintage-watch auction concept is set to capture the imagination of watch aficionados and budding collectors alike.

While it has a subversive touch, is the Rough Diamonds title something of a misnomer? I'd say that gold is the unifying precious material in this showstopping curation of 24 jewelled vintage timepieces. Unless you’ve seen them, however, it would be hard to explain the sheer inventiveness of the thinking behind them.

You might see them, as I do, in terms of the musical influences that abounded in the years they were launched: 1960s John Coltrane (Patek Philippe), 1980s New Order (Boucheron), 1975 Pink Floyd (Piaget), and 1985 Audemars Piguet (The Jesus and Mary Chain). Have a look and make up your own mind about the creative origin of these jewelled delights, because they are so brilliantly outré, you’ll want to keep looking and looking...

Sotheby's Geneva

Watch headlines this week will be dominated by news of the latest watches by Rolex, Cartier, Patek Philippe, Hermès, et al, but there is lots of life beyond the major brands, with Watches and Wonders 2024 organisers keen to open their platform to a more diverse array of makers. Add to that the 150 or so brands exhibiting outside the event’s Palexpo showcase, and there’s a wealth of creativity on offer in a bewildering array of styles and at prices ranging from the hundreds to the hundreds of thousands.

Watches and Wonders 2024: best independent watch brands

Nomos Glashütte

Nomos Glashütte makes its debut at Watches and Wonders with a series of watches that perfectly encapsulate the brand’s ethos and style – take a dash of 1980s-inflected post-modernism, some de Stijl and Bauhaus references and an almost messianic approach to quality and value and you have Tangente 38 Colours. The beautifully simple case and hand-wound movement will be familiar, but this year, the watches appear in 31 colour variations, each made in small runs of 175, using swatches that emphasise different elements of the dial design and give a new energy to the brand’s most classic design.

£1,925, nomos-glashuette.com

Urwerk

Urwerk’s reputation is based on wildly complex watches that feature planetary-geared hands and discs to show the time, futuristic materials and precision enhancements, all housed in retro-sci-fi cases, so the SpaceTime Blade is unexpected to say the least. A 1.7m high, 20kg glass and bronze blade that houses a stack of 8 ‘Nixie’ units, it’s designed to resemble a gnomon (the shadow blade on a sundial) and is set up to show time in terms of our planet’s velocity around the sun (it’ll do vanilla time as well if you want). Thirty-three will be made at CHF55,000 plus tax each.

urwerk.com

Gerald Charles

Gerald Charles’ new Masterlink catches the eye both for its lines and the intent behind it. The brand was created by watchmaking’s most celebrated designer, Gerald Genta, and has kept closely to the legacy of his designs, until now. The Masterlink is Gerald Charles creative director Octavio Garcia’s development of an original Genta design, which may not sound so significant unless you’re familiar with the watch world’s almost manic reverence for the man. Keeping the asymmetry that the Maestro design is known for, Garcia has sharpened the lines and opened the dial to allow for an integrated bracelet.

geraldcharles.com

Jacob & Co

Jacob & Co has made one of the stranger transformations over its 20-plus year history. Starting out as purveyor of maximum-ice timepieces to Manhattan’s HipHop glitterati, the brand has morphed into a high concept, haute horlogerie maker that’s more rue du Rhône than Washington Heights, as shown by the new Astronomia Régulateur. All floating discs, planetary gears and flying tourbillon, it’s still bright and brash enough to stay in touch with the brand’s roots.

jacobandco.com

As this year’s Watches and Wonders is in full swing, with visitors descending from over 125 countries to discover all that is brand new in the watch world, our gaze is fixed further ahead. An intriguing new space at this year’s show, the LAB, is to be found at the heart of Geneva’s Palexpo, asking the question – what is tomorrow’s watchmaking going to look like?

A team of engineers, start-ups and schools are celebrating innovation and new technologies, offering an immersive and temptingly tactile experience to all. Particularly intriguing is the ‘ECAL’ area (The École Cantonale d'Art de Lausanne), where 15 students will present their designs for the watch bracelets of the future. Here, we speak to Nicolas Le Moigne, head of MAS in Design for Luxury & Craftsmanship at ECAL, about what we can soon expect to be sporting. 

The watch bracelets of the future

Wallpaper* Can you tell us a bit about the watch straps designs we can expect to see here?

Nicolas Le Moigne: For the Watches and Wonders Geneva 2024 trade show, ECAL/University of Art and Design Lausanne has teamed up with Alloyed, a company that specialises in metal printing technologies, to present an original collection of watch straps. Designed by students in the Master of Advanced Studies in Design for Luxury and Craftsmanship programme, these wristbands have been developed using 3D modelling software, resulting in unique pieces that go beyond the limits of traditional techniques.           

Five of the 15 concepts designed by the students were selected and 3D printed from a fine powder of TI6AI4V titanium—an alloy composed of titanium, aluminium, and vanadium—whose melting point of around 1,600° Celsius is obtained using a laser beam. Regularly used in the aerospace, and medical industries, this printing technique, known as Laser Powder Bed Fusion (L-PBF), can be used to create objects with ultra-high-performance mechanical properties.

Each project, presented in the form of a prototype or animation, finds its inspiration in the beauty of nature, through organic structures, as much as in complex systems, closer to engineering. This collaboration brings together technology, craftsmanship, and design—with links to the world of fine watchmaking—by combining the expertise of engineers specialising in the science of materials, the know-how of artisan jewellers and their finishing skills, and the creativity and innovative spirit of up-and-coming designers.

W: What is the biggest change you can foresee in watch strap designs of the future?

NLM: With the L-PBF process, complex geometries can be realised close to the net-shape design, enabling complex features such as hollow organic structures to be realised and articulating links to be directly printed “assembled”.

W: What advances in materials can we look forward to?

NLM: The titanium alloy offers a compelling combination of properties with excellent bio-compatibility and corrosion resistance with a high strength-to-weight ratio that provides durability and makes objects highly wearable. In its natural state, the alloy offers a unique grey hue, with the possibility to also develop a wide-ranging colour palette through surface modification by anodization, temperature alterations or coating technologies.

Besides the design freedom unlocked, the LB-PBF process represents a sustainable approach with efficient use of raw input powder material and less wastage found in typical CNC machining or casting approaches.

W: How are people’s expectations of their watch straps changing?

NLM: The development and possibilities offered today by metal 3D printing technologies, previously used only in the development process for a bracelet or a watch case, now makes it possible to produce parts that are an integral part of the finished product. Thanks to 3D modelling softwares, it would be then possible to offer customers the chance to go even further in personalising their watch.

Watches and Wonders 2024 runs from 9 April - 15 April 2024

watchesandwonders.com

In Geneva, the doors have opened to the year's biggest watch event, Watches and Wonders 2024. With 54 brands revealing their watch releases for the year ahead, there's plenty to see. Keep an eye on the most exciting news here, in our frequently updated guide.

Independent watch brands

Beyond the headlines, there's lots to see with the smaller watch brands at Watches & Wonders 2024. With over 150 brands exhibiting outside the event’s Palexpo showcase, there’s a wealth of creativity on offer in a bewildering array of styles and at prices ranging from the hundreds to the hundreds of thousands.

Read more

Watch bracelets of the future

A team of engineers, start-ups and schools are celebrating innovation and new technologies as part of the new LAB area at Watches and Wonders, offering an immersive and temptingly tactile experience to all. Particularly intriguing is the ‘ECAL’ area (The École Cantonale d'Art de Lausanne), where 15 students will present their designs for the watch bracelets of the future.

Read more

Vacheron Constantin

Are fragranced watches the future? Vacheron Constantin has partnered with fashion designer Yiqing Yin on fragranced concept watch ‘Égérie – The Pleats of Time’, giving us a sweet-smelling hint at what is to come.

Read more here

SpaceOne

SpaceOne have been working with the car designer Olivier Gamiette, and their Tellurium watch is a sun, earth and moon model in a pleasingly spacey design. The brainchild of 38-year-old watch entrepreneur Guillaume Laidet, the design was conceived with French independent watchmaker Thèo Auffret alongside Olivier Gamiette.

Read more here

Rolex

One of the most anticipated launches, this year Rolex combines technical details with historical designs for elegant new collections from the Oyster Perpetual GMT‑Master II, to the Perpetual 1908 and Oyster Perpetual Sky-Dweller.

Read more about the new Rolex launches

Hermès

The geometrical Hermès Cut watches marry a round silhouette with the simple perfection of the circle. Watches are clean, simple and joyful - we particularly love the celebration of textures and colours, from the satin-brushed and polished case to the luminescent Arabic numerals and rubber straps in rainbow hues.

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Concept watches are a fascinating thing, allowing brands to flex their technically accomplished muscles, and have a little fun free from the normal restraints of wearability and mass appeal. They also invite a spirit of collaboration, something seen most clearly here in Vacheron Constantin’s partnership with fashion designer Yiqing Yin.

In concept watch ‘Égérie – The Pleats of Time’, haute couture, horology and perfumery unite for one-of-a-kind creation, unveiled at Watches and Wonders 2024. A fragrance created with master perfumer Dominique Ropion, featuring notes of lavender and orange blossom, tuberose and ylang-ylang, infuses the strap, released randomly as the strap rubs against the skin, in line with the movement of the wrist.

Here, they tell us how they united the worlds of haute horlogerie and haute couture.

Vacheron Constantin's fragranced concept watch, 'Égérie – The Pleats of Time’ 

Wallpaper*: Can you tell us why Yiqing Yin felt like a natural partner for this collaboration?

Vacheron Constantin: The collaboration with Yiqing Yin was a very enriching experience that came about quite naturally – not only because the collection has been inspired by the world of Haute Couture since its creation in 2020, but also because Yiqing Yin has brilliantly personified it right from the outset. Yiqing Yin has strong links with artisanship, and she also has a contemporary and innovative approach to her metier, which is aligned with Vacheron Constantin’s values and identity. 

W*: Pairing the notion of time with the nostalgic sense of smell makes for an interesting juxtaposition. How does celebrating this sense with the watch build on Vacheron Constantin’s philosophy?

VC: Pairing the intricate world of Haute Horlogerie with the nuanced artistry of Haute Couture and the evocative realm of Haute Parfumerie is a testament to the profound connection between time, emotion, and craftsmanship. This collaboration speaks to the shared pursuit of innovation, preservation, and storytelling across these disciplines.

By joining forces with perfumer Dominique Ropion and myself, Vacheron Constantin embarks on a multidimensional exploration of time's essence. Through a blend of olfactory and sculptural dimensions, we craft a sensory experience that transcends the boundaries of traditional craftsmanship, inviting reflection on the interplay between memory, imagination, and the eternal passage of time.

W*: Can you tell us a bit about the design - the dial has been purposefully kept quite clean?

VC: The design ethos behind the dial was to capture the boundless essence of time by opting for a clean and uncluttered aesthetic. Rather than filling it with traditional measuring markers, elements like pleating, embroidery, and natural undulations were incorporated. These create a visual narrative that reflects the fluidity of the creative process, where the ephemeral converges with the eternal.

The simplicity of the dial allows for a focus on essentials, with the 'pleats' pattern serving as a recurring motif both on the watch and the accompanying dress. This motif not only adds visual interest but also symbolises freedom and expressiveness. It transforms the initially flat surface into a dynamic space that breathes and evolves, mirroring the emotional and sensory nuances of time itself.

W*: What were the main challenges with this project?

VC: The main challenge of this project lay in harmonising the worlds of haute couture and haute horlogerie, two domains with vastly different technical demands and processes. As a couturier, my expertise lies in intuitive expressivity, a fluid artistic process rooted in visual storytelling and flexible forms. However, entering the realm of watchmaking introduced me to unprecedented technical constraints, requiring a convergence of imperious rigor with my intuitive approach. My collaboration with Vacheron Constantin was a voyage through contrasting worlds. Together, we explored new frontiers, defied conventions, and crafted an emblem of our joint pursuit of excellence and innovation, a testament to the power of collaboration.

See our guide to the highlights of Watches and Wonders 2024

vacheron-constantin.com

To launch the new Hermès Cut watches in style, Hermès has called on the talents of New York-based visual artist and architect Erin O’Keefe. The sculptural, colourful world O’Keefe has created for Hermès at this year’s Watches and Wonders by the sharp profile of the new watch collection, its clean lines translated by the artist into an immersive set.

  ‘As an artist I’m drawn to clear form, so the profile and geometry of the Hermès Cut is very exciting to me,’ O’Keefe tells us. ‘In the project, I wanted to take the sculptural objects that I use in my work and explore their impact at a large scale. It was interesting to think about creating a line, a connection between the form of the watch, and this immersive environment of form that unfolds as one moves through the space. They may operate at two very different scales, but they are absolutely part of the same vocabulary.’

It makes a sensual foil for the geometrical play of the watch design, which marries a round silhouette with the simple perfection of the circle. A celebration of textures and colours, from the satin-brushed and polished case to the luminscient Arabic numerals and rubber straps in rainbow hues, bring an easy breezy wearability O’Keefe nods to in her design. 

    ‘When I began working on the project, I was interested in creating an experience that takes us out of time, if that’s possible - a moment to bathe in pure form and colour,’ adds O’Keefe. ‘The installation is a kind of fantasy - a forest of these very diverse forms, and the ribbons of colour that weave through the space. The process was a pleasure. There were certainly many decisions to make along the way, but there was a natural flow to the evolution of the project. Using a series of scale models to develop and refine the installation was something I haven’t had the opportunity to do in my work, so that was a revelation.’

hermes.com

Tonight’s solar eclipse shines a light on our current fascination with the Moon, just a week after the order to NASA from the US Office of Science and Technology Policy to develop a lunar standard time by 2026. Not only does it illuminate a new Space Race for precision-timekeeping on the Moon, it shows just how strange time is at every level.

Even Stanley Kubrick couldn’t account for just how weird time is in space

Even arch perfectionist Stanley Kubrick couldn’t account for just how weird time is in space when, in 1967, he presented American watchmaker Hamilton with the task of designing Heywood’s watch to wear on his Pan-Am shuttle to the Moon station in 2001: A Space Odyssey. The all-round cosmic thinking didn’t go as far as to wonder what good a standard dial and GMT hour window would do for anyone in orbit around the Moon.

Cut to 2024 and NASA has been tasked to work with international agencies to create a lunar standard time, known as Coordinated Lunar Time (abbreviated to ‘LTC’). Even more intriguing, neo-futurist watchmakers SpaceOne have been working on a solution with the car designer Olivier Gamiette, and their Tellurium watch will launch at Watches and Wonders 2024 in Geneva this week. More of which later because, in order to get to grips with this very modern Space Race, it helps to get a basic insight into the science behind it.

The physics involved in creating unified lunar time are serious and strange

The physics involved in creating LTC are serious and strange, with so many variables to take into account. For instance, at the precision atomic clocks currently run at, it is said you can only know the time of an event that’s passed, with current time an estimate open to revision. Timing on the Moon adds a further layer of complication, including the oddity that time runs faster on the moon (variably 58.7 microseconds per day) thanks to the difference in gravity. Last week, NASA’s Kevin Coggins told the New York Post, not entirely helpfully, that ‘It makes sense that when you go to another body, like the Moon or Mars, that each one gets its own heartbeat.’ A computational nightmare, certainly, but of no major relevance to your choice of wrist wear for a trip to the moon (you have booked already?).

The earth is no use as a time reference, so the sun is the only answer

Lunar time is almost as strange when you zoom out to the macro level. The moon is tidally locked so that the earth is no use as a time reference, leaving the sun as the only answer. This is fine, save that the ‘synodic’ lunar day is 29 days, 12 hours, 44 minutes and 3 seconds (on average – terms and conditions do apply) giving mañana a whole new meaning. So what’s the solution?

You can cheat by using an earth longitude meridian which will be in line every 24 hours (plus 50 minutes because this is the moon). This is the sort of difference you could quite easily accommodate in a wristwatch movement. So, I suggested this to a number of watchmakers in the industry: two replied that it was ‘a very interesting question’ (Swiss for ‘I’ll call you’). Speaking, on condition of anonymity, to a watch-movement designer with deep connections in the industry, it seems that the consensus is that a separate hours and minute train running off the main movement would be the easy way forward (the difference in time speeds being too small to worry about).

This was backed up by Jean-Marc Wiederecht the founder of Swiss movement design specialists, Agenhor, which has worked on complicated technical briefs for Hermès, Fabergé and H.Moser, among other leading watch names. ‘In such a case an interesting function could be to display two different times, LTC and GMT on Earth, but I don’t think you would find the clients for this!’ Wiederecht offers.

My anonymous source came back later and suggested that ‘if you wanted to track the true lunar day on a wristwatch, you’d need something similar to the ‘Equation of Time’ complication that tracks sunset and sunrise times through the year.’ He refused to confirm that anyone was working on such a watch.

The other approach is to physically model the earth and moon within the wristwatch as in Ulysse Nardin’s fabulous Tellurium watch. One of a trio of astronomical watches designed by watchmaker-inventor Ludwig Oeschlin in the late 80s, the Tellurium shows the relative positions of the Sun, Moon, and Earth with respect to each other. It’s designed to be earth-centric in its display but as they’re made to order, I’m sure Ulysse Nardin could be persuaded to change that – the Tellurium already shows how much of the true moon day has elapsed on the outer ring of the dial.

Bizarrely, while LTC looks complicated, the simplest solution so far launches this week with SpaceOne’s Tellurium, which includes a sun, earth and moon model in a pleasingly spacey design. The brainchild of 38-year-old watch entrepreneur Guillaume Laidet, the design was conceived with French independent watchmaker Thèo Auffret and car designer Olivier Gamiette. Even better, the SpaceOne Tellurium lands at the stellar price of just under €3,000. It launches at Watches & Wonders this week.

Complications meet design in this year’s new watches from Patek Philippe, just unveiled at Watches and Wonders 2023. 

Intricate watches get a rethink, with the brand’s most complicated watch in the current collection – encompassing 20 complications – produced for the first time in white and rose gold. The striking mechanism on the Patek Philippe 6300GR Grandmaster Chime is fitted with three gongs, with five chiming modes sounding out noises from an alarm with time strike to a grande sonnerie.

Complications are also carefully considered in the Patek Philippe 5316/50P, with a triple grand complication combining a minute repeater, a tourbillon and a perpetual calendar with retrograde date hand. In the Patek Philippe 5178G, the focus shifts to artistry, with a hand-guilloched dial casting a hypnotising swirl, an intricate foil for the alligator strap in either peacock blue or shiny orange.

Artistry meets world time in the Patek Philippe 5531G, with the centre of the dial faithfully depicting a steamboat cruising on Lake Geneva. A striking mechanism, with the minute repeater marking local time for the time zone showing at 12 o’clock, completes the sensory experience. Time, too, is the focus of the Patek Philippe 5224R, which draws its 24-hour display in elegant gold numerals and a local time hand in rose gold, elegant hues also reflected in the 5905R.

Watches strike a colourful tone – the 5268/200R is an elegant taupe, the 4997/200R a deep purple. Sporty codes reign in the 5924G, with two new models of the Calatrava Pilot equipped with a flyback chronograph and Travel Time function, with the first chronograph model in the line cutting a distinctive silhouette. It is a legibility carried through to the new Calatrava model, the 6007G, characterised by an ebony black dial embossed with a textured motif.  

patek.com

The year's biggest horological event, Watches and Wonders 2023, has opened its doors in Geneva. Here, discover the watches set to make a splash this year, in our frequently updated guide.

Oris’ watch partnership with Kermit has us green with envy

Oris imbues watchmaking with mischievous humour in a new collaboration with Disney’s The Muppets, putting the world’s most famous frog front and centre. The ProPilot X Kermit Edition, now rethought in a distinctive green hue, gives a subtle nod to Kermit the Frog in the date window.

Read more here

Tag Heuer introduces coloured lab-grown diamonds into watch design

The use of lab-grown diamonds in watch design was a natural choice for Tag Heuer, which has long championed the use of modern and innovative technologies in watchmaking.  

Read more here

Panerai pays tribute to its military history with new Radiomir watches

Panerai is returning to its roots this year with the launch of new Radiomir collections, in a modern rethink of the military watch originally presented in 1935. 

Read more here

Vacheron Constantin champions retrograde display in new watches unveiled at Watches and Wonders

Vacheron Constantin rethinks classic watch design codes in its new collections. Both the new Patrimony Retrograde Day-Date and the Traditionnelle Tourbillon Retrograde Date Openface nod to the retrograde displays that first appeared in Vacheron Constantin timepieces in the 1920s, before briefly disappearing in the decades after. 

Read more here

Patek Philippe’s Watches and Wonders 2023 releases embody a sharp technicality

Complications meet design in this year’s new watches from Patek Philippe. Intricate watches get a rethink, with the brand’s most complicated watch in the current collection – encompassing 20 complications – produced for the first time in white and rose gold. The striking mechanism on the Patek Philippe 6300GR Grandmaster Chime is fitted with three gongs, with five chiming modes sounding out noises from an alarm with time strike to a grande sonnerie.

Read more here

Discover all the Rolex watches released at Watches and Wonders 2023

New Rolex watches nod to the sporty, the classic and the fun – discover the range, from the lightness and strength of the new Yacht-Master 42 to the emphasised legibility of a new addition to the Explorer family.

Read more here

Cartier rethinks classic watch design in Watches and Wonders 2023 releases

Classic watch design codes are given a spin by Cartier this year, as the company intertwines historical references throughout the new Cartier watch collections unveiled at Watches and Wonders 2023.

Read more here

Hermès Watches and Wonders pavilion inspired by new H08 watches

Artist Clément Vieille conducts an intricate play with materials in its scenography for the Hermès Watches and Wonders 2023 pavilion, which pays tribute to the complexity of time encapsulated in this year’s Hermès H08 collection.

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Watches and Wonders behind the scenes: building the world’s biggest watch fair

As Watches and Wonders 2023 gets ready to open in Geneva, we talk to CEO of the Watches and Wonders Geneva Foundation, Matthieu Humair, on what has inspired this year’s design.

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watchesandwonders.com

As Watches and Wonders 2023, the latest iteration of the annual watchmaking extravaganza, prepares to open its doors in Geneva, we talk to CEO of the Watches and Wonders Geneva Foundation, Matthieu Humair, on what has inspired this year’s design.

‘We wanted to create an atmosphere which really enables visitors to dive into the world of watchmaking,’ Humair tells us. ‘But we also need to let all the participants in the zone express themselves, so our platform has to have this homogeneous atmosphere, and let each maison shine. That's really our intention. We see the different universes of each maison when they enter the different specific spaces of each brand, and we need to give each one the same visibility. So this is very important in the design and the concept, letting visitors go on a circular journey where there's not one brand hidden by another.’

Watches and Wonders behind the scenes

The event at the Palexpo, uniting almost 50 brands, is this year also accompanied by a programme taking place throughout the city of Geneva, the culmination of the close relationship cultivated with the partaking brands. ‘We work closely with them all year long,’ Humair adds, ‘once they are ready to present their concept to us; the first meeting is usually in summer for the next edition in spring. So it's a lot of anticipation and close collaboration: there's the design concept, but also technical aspects to take into account.’

As well as the brands’ own booths, the space encompasses communal areas. ‘We have more than 20,000 visitors joining in the five first days that are b2b; we need to provide a space that allows them to work in the best possible way,’ Humair says. ‘They all need to have meeting rooms, for the press and the retailers, with large and common exhibition areas also welcoming the end clients during the weekend. 

‘And, each year there are a lot of new wonders to discover inside the booths of each maison, so our concept has also evolved through time; although there may be some slight adaptations, the basics and the style remain the same.’

Watches and Wonders 2023 will take place 27 March – 2 April

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Hermès is celebrating the art of travel at this year’s Watches & Wonders in Geneva, with an installation by Canadian artist Sabrina Ratté. Ratté was inspired by the new Hermès Arceau Le Temps Voyageur watch in her exploration into escapism.

The watch, a new interpretation of the original Arceau designed by Henri d’Origny in 1978, puts travel at its heart, with a disc display of 24 time zones juxtaposed against a fantasy map, first created by Jérôme Colliard for the ‘Planisphère d’un monde équestre’ silk scarf.

The installation, Time Travels the World, plays into this fantastical vision, with 12 interactive landscapes situated in different time zones. Ratté is inspired by science fiction for her almost otherworldly pieces, which criss-cross through the past and the future in a nonlinear celebration of technology and the art of time.

Here, we talk to both Sabrina Ratté and creative director of Hermès Horloger, Philippe Delhotal, on the inspirations behind the installation and the watch design.

Wallpaper*: Sabrina, can you tell us about the universe you have created for this exhibition?

Sabrina Ratté: For this project, I use an application that allows me to import satellite image data of the Earth to make 3D models. I work with landscapes from the world we know and transform them into places that are both fantastic and strangely familiar. Twelve videos, representing 12 different time zones, will be shown in the outer windows. These videos are interactive; visitors can turn a knob reminiscent of a watch, which changes the temporality of the video as well as the speed of rotation of the watch displayed in front of the video, which seems to float above the landscape.

W*: The universe you have created reflects the all-encompassing nature of the watch. Where did you begin in translating this technical vision into tangible form?

SR: The watch is an integral part of the scenography. It is the satellite that revolves around the Earth. It gives the video landscapes their temporality. It is at the heart of the whole set design. The concept around the new watch quickly inspired me and allowed me to propose a project to the Hermès teams combining several techniques, some of which I usually work with and others more occasionally: sculptures, installations, interactive devices, video mapping. After discussing the creative intentions with the Hermès team, I devoted last summer to artistic and technological research. For example, how would we distribute the videos and how could we implement interactivity? How would we create the images I had in mind, what form would the sculptures take?

W*: What were the main challenges you encountered?

SR: I've put a lot of thought into optimising my creative process for the videos. One of them lasts about 20 minutes and therefore requires a lot of computer power. That's why I decided to work with a computer that could deliver renderings 24 hours a day. I could then continue to work in parallel on another computer. I also had to pay attention to the back-up system to avoid any bad surprises.

W*: Philippe, this watch interprets an extreme technicality into a clean and uncluttered design. What were the challenges in presenting all the information in concise form?

Philippe Delhotal: Our biggest challenge on Arceau Le Temps Voyageur was to reinvent the hours of the world the Hermès way. We developed a high technicity timepiece, and it was important to us to propose a ‘user-friendly’ watch that would be easy to wear, easy to set and easy to read. With Arceau Le Temps Voyageur the wearer can quickly appropriate the watch and find in it a true companion for its journeys. We decided to create the dial in four different parts to ease the reading of all information on the watch. The home time is located at 12 o’clock, all cities are well readable on an outside ring. We decided to have a floating satellite displaying the local time that enables us to keep some clarity and lightness on the centre part with the continents.

W*: Hermès’ history celebrating the art of travel is nodded to here, what else has inspired this design?

PD: Arceau Le Temps Voyageur is a micro-cosmos; in this sense it is a symbolic and functional representation of travel according to Hermès. It is an invitation to travel, a central and fundamental concept in the world of the house. The first objects made by Hermès were harnesses for horse-drawn carriages, a means of travelling in style.

Today, Hermès sells objects that men and women will wear on their wrists with pleasure in order to continue travelling from one time zone to another. Because it incorporates this multi-faceted concept, the Arceau Le Temps Voyageur is a symbolic and functional representation of travel according to Hermès.

W*: There is an elegance to both the curving forms and the typeface – can you tell us a bit about this?

PD: In 1978, Henri d’Origny freed the round watch from established aesthetic codes by imagining a classic and singular curve: the Arceau watch was born. Its case with asymmetrical stirrup-shaped attachments and sloping Arabic numerals evoking a galloping horse reveal a discreet and enduring elegance that lends itself to every possible expression of Hermès’ creativity and know-how.

W*: The map is a work of art – what were the challenges in illustrating this without compromising the readability?

PD: For the launch of Arceau Le Temps Voyageur, we needed a different world map, reflecting the promise of a journey to dreamlike horizons, where borders become blurred. At the same time, we wanted to find the idea conveyed by the watch of being able to discover the world while letting ourselves be carried away by the imagination.

With this in mind, I was lucky enough to meet the graphic designer Jérôme Colliard, who told me the story of the ‘Planisphère d’un monde équestre’ motif he designed for Hermès in 2016. Like a fresco adorning the Grand Palais, it presented an imaginary world in the way that Hermès interpreted it, nourished by its equestrian universe: the material, the gaits or the figures give whimsical names to the continents, bays and other places. In that sense we didn’t have to compromise on a continent or another, we could keep the reading and imaginary accessible for everyone.

From a technical perspective, we spent a lot of time developing the dial, which is composed of four parts featuring different materials and treatments. There are many details on the planisphere motif, and it was essential to make the continents stand out, to give them depth through a play on relief. This was possible thanks to the work we were able to do with the Ateliers d’Hermès Horloger in Le Noirmont.

INFORMATION

hermes.com

Due to begin today, Watches & Wonders (formerly SIHH) was sensibly postponed as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. Now, the prestigious watch fair is set to mark its 30th anniversary online with the creation of a new digital watch community. A highlight of the horological calendar, we can still look forward to their unveiling of the annual releases of new watches from brands including Hermès, Cartier, Piaget and Montblanc, as well as a host of independents.

The Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie – the private foundation that organises Watches & Wonders – is behind the launch. The format of the site – with each brand hosting its own dedicated page featuring video content, social media snippets and expert knowledge – encourages communication and a closer relationship with global clients.

The new digital platform will unite its 30 brands under the umbrella of watchesandwonders.com, as well as connecting specialist retailers, the media and loyal watch enthusiasts who will swiftly be able to access information on new watch releases. The site, which the Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie terms a ‘global ecosystem’, will be rich in content, as they work with their Cultural Council to add trend forecasts, product analysis and ongoing talks from the design and business teams. To mark the opening day, executives from the 30 brands will be introducing their new watches with ten minute streaming videos, set to permanently remain on the site.

Long term, watchesandwonders.com will continue to be updated with new content: in the future, too, we can also expect e-commerce, making this a savvy and permanent companion to the physical event on course to return in April next year.

INFORMATION

watchesandwonders.com