FOR THOSE WHO HAVEN’T had their eye firmly trained on Geneva, Switzerland for the last week or so, it’s time to catch up. Watches & Wonders 2024 has drawn to a close and as you’d expect, the exhibition has heralded myriad releases, game-changing announcements and highly anticipated unveilings from all the top watchmaking houses.
Once an exclusive event reserved for esteemed industry experts and those rich enough to pay their way inside Geneva’s Palexpo, the event has now been opened to the public, cementing its place as the Super Bowl for watch nerds and becoming a circled in bold fixture on the calendars of horological enthusiasts.
This year, 54 exhibitors, comprising the bulk of the Swiss watchmaking industry, flaunted their wares in Geneva, each with the intention of stealing the show. There were a tonne of new releases to be beheld at this year’s event – some more endearing than others. Here, we’re breaking down our favourites.
Tudor Black Bay 58 GMT
Tudor revealed the pieces forming their 2024 release schedule at Watches & Wonders, debuting three new models from its Black Bay line, all possessing the signature heritage-inspired mystique the collection is synonymous with. Of the three, the Black Bay 58 GMT with a red/black bezel stands out to us. The model is fitted with Tudor’s new mid-size GMT Manufacture Calibre, which forms a master chronometer certified by Metas. The diving watch’s retro colourway – which utilises the brand’s iconic red and black hues – along with it being the first Black Bay piece with a GMT function, will likely strike a chord with eagle-eyed enthusiasts. It certainly did with us.
Panerai Submersible GMT Luna Rossa Titanio
Throughout its illustrious history, Panerai has harboured a deep admiration for the sea. As a result, it would be a gross understatement to call the brand’s decision to partner with the Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli sailing team apt. To celebrate that partnership, and Panerai’s ongoing infatuation with the sea, the Italian watchmaker has been releasing new watches in the lead up to the America’s Cup. With the contest’s 37th edition set to take place in Barcelona in August, Panerai is preparing its sailors with watches that are up to the task.
Four Panerai Luna Rossa watches were unveiled at Watches & Wonders, and our pick of the bunch is the Submersible GMT Luna Rossa Titanio. The dive watch is the first to feature the new Super-LumiNova X2 on the indices and hour hand, ensuring 10 per cent higher luminosity than its predecessors. The Titanio is as sturdy as they come, with a 42mm grade 5 titanium case that is simultaneously lighter and harder than stainless steel. The Titanio wouldn’t be an able sailor’s companion without capable water resistance, which it has in excess. Water resistance up to 500 metres means the watch will never falter at sea, but we’re firm in our belief that it looks just as good on land.
Tag Heuer ‘Panda’ Carrera Chronograph
The Carrera Chronograph was initially relaunched in 2023 to honour Tag Heuer’s 60th anniversary and was greeted with much fanfare. Now, Tag Heuer is back with another modernisation of a beloved model from its catalogue. The revamped watch, affectionately dubbed the panda, reinvents the 7753 SN from 1969. Like its forefather, the new watch features a silver dial and two black chronograph sub dials, giving off the appearance of a certain species of giant bear endemic to China. It also makes use of the glassbox crystal recent Carreras have experimented with, a design reminiscent of the vintage domed acrylic crystals of Tag Heuer’s earlier timepieces.
Hublot Big Bang E UEFA Euro 2024
Hublot was widely expected to be among the most prolific of new watch announcers at Watches & Wonders 2024, and it didn’t disappoint. Hublot added a number of watches to their various Big Bang lines, but there was one in particular that caught our attention – buoyed by an appearance from one of the world’s best footballers. The Big Bang E UEFA Euro 2024 – the official watch of the 2024 UEFA European Football Championship – was unveiled in Geneva, supported by Hublot brand ambassador Kylian Mbappé. As you would expect from a Hublot Big Bang watch, the model makes use of a bold, vibrant colourway, with a 44mm titanium case, scratch-resistant sapphire crystal and the kaleidoscopic colours of the Euro 2024 logo.
Grand Seiko Spring Drive Chronograph GMT SBGC275
If we had to choose a single watch that stole the show at Watches & Wonders 2024, we’d take a long while to deliberate, weigh all the options and assess every contender, but eventually, we’d likely land on Grand Seiko’s new Spring Drive Chronograph GMT, a watch that needs to be seen to be believed. Coinciding with the 20th anniversary of the first Spring Drive 9R movement, Grand Seiko has released a new Spring Drive watch. This time, it’s cased in titanium and includes a GMT function.
Sure, a titanium case and a GMT are nice, but those aren’t the qualities that make the latest Spring Drive Chronograph special – the dial is. The dial is modelled after the summer sunrise in Japan’s Shinshu province. But how can a dial truly capture the dynamic colours of a sunrise, you ask? The colour of the Spring Drive Chronograph’s dial shifts when exposed to different lighting, and when viewing it from different angles. It is able to do this through optical multilayer coating, which uses vapour deposition to create several layers of multicoloured, nanoscale film, giving the dial a different hue under varying circumstances.
It’s a phenomenon that is perhaps better understood by watching a video rather than reading some words on a screen (so we suggest you get googling), but here’s our attempt at doing this watch’s chameleonic abilities justice: the dial can change from bold red to warm orange to striking magenta in the blink of an eye, and like we said, it needs to be seen to be believed.
Zenith Defy Extreme Diver
Zenith’s Defy Extreme series is all about pushing boundaries. While the brand is renowned for its mastery of the air, Zenith is now turning its attention to the sea, debuting the first dive watch in its offering: the Defy Extreme Diver. As you would expect from a dive watch, the Defy Extreme Diver has a screw-down lock with 600 metres of water resistance. That will hold up at depths of up to 1,969 feet, a nod to the original Zenith Defy Diver, which was released in 1969. The immense practical applications of the watch do not result in a compromise on style. A 42.5mm titanium case with an angular design and vertically brushed strokes, as well as a ceramic outer bezel, maintain the watch’s sophisticated appearance.
IWC Portugieser Perpetual Calendar 44
A consequence of the ubiquity of smartphones, the ability of a watch to tell time has become less important to buyers. Instead, the exterior design and aesthetics of a watch have grown in value, while the necessity of traditional, readable dials has dwindled. Not every watchmaking house sees it that way, however. IWC, for one, are heading in the opposite direction, continuing their ever-popular Perpetual Calendar line with the new Portugieser Perpetual Calendar 44.
The new watch not only features the standard 12-hour dial, but four sub dials displaying other calendar details. The 44mm case has been revamped with a slim case ring, while front and back double box-glass sapphire crystals with 15 layers of transparent lacquer allow for exceptional visual depth and uninterrupted viewing of those four sub dials. Four versions of the timepiece were revealed at Watches & Wonders, two come in 18K white gold with what IWC calls ‘dune’ and ‘horizon blue’ dials, while the other models are set in IWC’s proprietary 18k Armor Gold, with silver-plated and obsidian dials. As you can probably tell by the corresponding image, horizon blue is our favourite.
Rado True Square Automatic Open Heart R27073712
While the entirety of Swatch Group doesn’t participate in Watches & Wonders, a new release from one of the group’s foremost houses bears mentioning regardless. By this point, it should be common knowledge that Rado are the masters of ceramics. And on no watches are Rado’s ceramic artistry better displayed than on the True Square collection, which welcomed two new additions overnight. The skeletonised, square timepieces are made of Rado’s signature high-tech ceramic material and come in either white or turquoise monobloc cases. The white case is a particular standout, with 12 different coloured gems serving as hour markers on the dial.
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