2026’s new watches with understated details have enduring appeal

Watches from Rolex, Patek Philippe and Vacheron Constantin epitomise a long-lasting classicism

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Historiques American 1921 watch with white gold case and burgundy calfskin strap, £32,400, by Vacheron Constantin. Set design throughout: Alfie di Trolio
(Image credit: Richard Round-Turner)

Long-lasting watch design strikes a harmonious balance between form and function, a delicate harmony epitomised in a recent cohort of watch releases.

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Black Bay 54 watch in with steel case, blue dial and five-link bracelet, price on request, by Tudor. Pictured in Lagoon Blue, £3,830

(Image credit: Richard Round-Turner)

From Vacheron Constantin’s Historiques American 1921 watch, which offsets a clean dial with a richly coloured strap, to Omega’s discreet platinum Constellation Observatory watch, tone is muted throughout.

For TAG Heuer, texture reigns on a Carrera chronograph with a purple sunray brushed dial. Texture, too, is interpreted in icy blue in Montblanc’s Iced Sea Automatic Date 0 Oxygen watch in stainless steel.

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Carrera chronograph with purple sunray brushed dial, steel case and black perforated leather strap, £6,200, by TAG Heuer

(Image credit: Richard Round-Turner)

Elsewhere, the Richard Mille RM 72-01 Automatic Lifestyle flyback chronograph sits at the intersection of technicality and legibility, while the tiger iron dial on the Rolex GMT-Master II watch makes for a desirable contrast.

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GMT-Master II watch with Everose gold case, tiger iron dial and Oyster bracelet, £45,900, by Rolex

(Image credit: Richard Round-Turner)

For the Tank Louis Cartier and Tudor Black Bay 54, minimalism reigns, updated in contemporary colour.

Meanwhile, subtle interplays on the dial, seen on the IWC Ingenieur Automatic 42 and the Patek Philippe Calatrava 6007G-011 watches, will appeal to those looking for a more subtle embellishment.

This article appears in the May 2026 Issue of Wallpaper*, available in print on newsstands, on the Wallpaper* app on Apple iOS, and to subscribers of Apple News +. Subscribe to Wallpaper* today

watches

RM 72-01 Automatic Lifestyle flyback chronograph with white gold baguette-set case, CHF764,000 (£733,050), by Richard Mille

(Image credit: Richard Round-Turner)

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Constellation Observatory watch with platinum case and leather strap, £48,400, by Omega

(Image credit: Richard Round-Turner)

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Iced Sea Automatic Date 0 Oxygen watch in stainless steel, £3,650, by Montblanc

(Image credit: Richard Round-Turner)

watches

Ingenieur Automatic 42 watch in ceramic, £16,800, by IWC Schaffhausen

(Image credit: Richard Round-Turner)

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Calatrava 6007G-011 watch with white gold case and ebony black dial embossed with ‘carbon’ pattern, £35,830, by Patek Philippe

(Image credit: Richard Round-Turner)

watches

Tank Louis Cartier watch with platinum case and leather strap, £17,600, by Cartier

(Image credit: Richard Round-Turner)
Hannah Silver
Hannah Silver

Hannah Silver is a writer, editor and author with over 20 years of experience in journalism, spanning national newspapers and independent magazines. Currently Art, Culture, Watches & Jewellery Editor of Wallpaper*, she has overseen offbeat art trends and conducted in-depth profiles for print and digital, as well as writing and commissioning extensively across the worlds of culture and luxury since joining in 2019.