With over 50 brands officially exhibiting at the Watches & Wonders Geneva 2024 high-end timepiece industry fair, lots of new products were there to be discovered by members of the watch media as well as the general public. aBlogtoWatch’s team of editors spent several days surveying the new watches on display at the event and have selected this year’s top 10 list based on the new watches — that are not still under embargo for later times during the year – which many of the world’s most important names in luxury timekeepers hope will inspire lust and desire in consumers.
The aBlogtoWatch team agreed that Watches & Wonders Geneva 2024 was mostly dominated by strong and impressive female-first watches. What I mean by that are watches that are primarily intended to appeal to female audiences but indeed can be more than suitable for men. This doesn’t just include smaller sizes (35-39mm wide cases were typical), but also visual and artistic concepts that are more beautiful than they are macho. For probably the first time, several watches on our list of top 10 timepieces from Watches & Wonders Geneva 2024 aren’t just women’s watches, but are women’s watches that male members of the aBlogtoWatch team would gladly wear.
There is little to remark on in terms of novel trends in the watch industry this year. Colors are still very popular with consumers and we see brands experimenting with all manner of fun and interesting color combinations and materials. Watch sizes are modest, though to be honest there are a lot of new releases in both smaller and larger case sizes. With that said, 2024 saw a lot of excellent new men’s watch products in the 38-40mm wide size range. Another serious trend is inflation. Prices for models are going up vividly in some instances and many brands have publicly remarked on their interest to move even more “upmarket” at a company. That generally translates into big price increases across the board. The larger strategy here is that brands worry about selling higher volumes of watches to more middle-high-income luxury buyers (a class they see as being particularly sensitive to global economic instability), and would rather focus on even wealthier clients who they feel are less price sensitive. This strategy rarely works as planned, but it is what many brands are thinking when they focus on higher price points along with a lower volume of production. In any event, while there are still good deals to be had, the average price of a luxury watch from a major brand has shot up over the last few years. Buyers are wiser than ever to survey the market for options prior to purchasing the latest products. You can read more in our Watches and Wonders 2024 Recap, but now let’s look at the team’s choices for the top 10 new watches released at this year’s show.
Parmigiani Fleurier Toric Collection
The Toric is a Parmigiani Fleurier staple, characterized by a fluted bezel, serious face, and truckloads of horological prowess. It was about time for the brand to bring it back and do so in a proper way. While eye-watering expensive, the Toric returns in Petite Seconde and Chronograph Rattrapante forms — the latter three times more expensive than the former, thanks in no small part to a movement crafted from solid 18k rose gold. On the wrist, it is even heavier than you probably imagine it to be. Elegant, serious, beautifully made, and distinctly Parmigiani Fleurier, it’s great to have the Toric back. The Parmigiani Fleurier Toric collection is priced at $145,200 USD for the limited Rattrapante and starts at $48,400 USD for the Petite Seconde. Read the aBlogtoWatch coverage of the Parmigiani Fleurier Toric collection.
Rolex 1908 in Platinum
The Rolex 1908 Platinum quickly stepped up as the popular kid at Watches & Wonders Geneva 2024. Last night, during our aBlogtoWatch team call with most all editors and team members present, I smiled because although we do already have Mike’s amazing hands-on analysis of the Rolex 1908 in platinum, Ariel mentioned that maybe he too will write his own take with his own pictures… These were my thoughts exactly: Maybe we’ll break the mold a bit and I will follow up Mike with a second hands-on… So we might just have 3, after all. This is an extremely rare occurrence, only a handful of watches manage to navigate the varied tastes and preferences of the aBlogtoWatch team and crawl so deep under our skin that many of us wants to cover it. In essence, it is the more elaborately made, legible (at long last!) and horologically impressive watch that the Cellini always should have been. The Rolex 1908 in platinum (Ref. 52506) is priced at $30,900 USD. Read the full aBlogtoWatch hands-on review of the Rolex 1908 in platinum.
Chanel J12 White Star Couture
Unsurprisingly limited to 12 pieces, Chanel releases yet another high-end version of its popular J12 in 2024 with the J12 White Star Couture. Let’s be honest, Chanel comes out with multiple amazing and very high-end J12 and other collection watches each year. This is something they do very well. So well that men have been starting to get a bit jealous of the interesting and creative work that the industry’s most popular ceramic watch receives for women. Finally, here is one of them that is just masculine enough to be worn by the daring (and well-funded) sort of man (I personally found it amazing to wear on the wrist) that can enjoy this style. The J12 White Star begins with a 38mm base case that is colored black and actually in steel. The steel is set on the top with white ceramic. On the side of the case and the bracelet the watch is set with baguette-cut diamonds. Inside the watch is a Kenissi automatic movement. The visual result of the faceted white ceramic, clean legible dial, black and white contrast effect, and unexpected diamond play on the sides is unlike any J12 that has come before it. This is yet another example of a watch that is primarily intended for women, but that can very easily be enjoyed by a man as well. This is a beautiful power watch, and it is certainly successful in impressing both wearers and onlookers. Price is around €470,000 EUR.
Patek Philippe Aquanaut Luce “Rainbow” Minute Repeater Haute Joaillerie 5260/1455-001
This isn’t the typical type of watch people get excited about from conservative Geneva-based Patek Philippe. With a full gold bracelet and being covered with literally hundreds of precious stones, this otherwise blingy timepiece manages to celebrate both traditional watchmaking and luxurious playfulness. It also happens to be a woman’s watch that a man (one who is beguiled by its looks) can also wear given the roughly 39mm wide Aquanaut case. Inside of the watch is an in-house made automatic-winding minute repeater movement. Framing it is the popular sport-chic look of the Aquanaut Luce case with a marvelous style of decoration which uses 131 diamonds and 779 colored gems to create the sparkling rainbow effect on the case, bracelet (even the sides), dial, and even the hands. Pricing is an unsurprisingly astronomic 2,500,000 CHF.
Hermès Cut
Hermès seems to be on a tear over the past few years (I can see it as the next Cartier), with the H08, Slim Hermès, and a number of Arceau stunners. While the Hermès Duc Attelé was far more of a showstopper with its peripheral hands, minute repeater, and double-H tourbillon, it was the Cut collection that really surprised us this year. The Cut collection is youthful and contemporary, in many ways a complement to the larger, squarer Hermès H08. To be sure, the Cut watches are marketed squarely at women, from the press images to their place on the Hermès site. Much like the Bulgari Serpenti, this is a watch that is poised to look amazing on any wrist. Unlike the Serpenti, it doesn’t have even a slight feel of being a jewelry watch. With a 50-hour automatic movement, push-button quick-release straps, and a four case options, there’s good reason to think this will be a sleeper hit from this year’s show. The added twist? Hermès labels the 36mm as the “Large” model, suggesting we may soon see an even smaller model. The Cut collection is priced starting at $6,725 USD for the steel model on a rubber strap and tops out at $21,900 USD for the two-tone model with gems on a matching bracelet. Read the aBlogtoWatch coverage of the Hermès The Cut collection.
IWC Portugieser Eternal Calendar
A mechanical perpetual calendar accurate to the year 4000 combined with a moonphase indicator that will only deviate by a single day over the course of the next 45 million years — how can you not love the new IWC Portugieser Eternal Calendar? Throw in a solid 950 platinum case and a multi-layered lacquered glass dial, and you have an absolute home run of a watch and one of the true standout pieces from Watches & Wonders Geneva 2024. I think we would all be calling our retailers and saying “take my money” if this wasn’t a six-figure halo piece, and while none of us will even be alive to enjoy the benefits of the Portugieser Eternal Calendar, the simple face that IWC has pushed the perpetual calendar envelope this far makes this highly exclusive release one of the most noteworthy new watches in recent years. The IWC Portugieser Eternal Calendar (Ref. IW505701) is set at $155,000 USD. Read the aBlogtoWatch coverage of the IWC Portugieser Eternal Calendar.
Tudor Black Bay 58 GMT
While many informed pundits expected a revamp of Tudor’s chronograph offerings for Watches and Wonders Geneva 2024, the brand has surprised us once again with a genuinely stunning addition to the fan-favorite Black Bay 58 family. The specifications on the Black Bay 58 GMT read like an enthusiast buyer’s cheklist. Deep, vintage-style “Coke” colorway? Check. Gilt dial? Check. Manageable 39mm case diameter, slender 12.8mm thickness, and a METAS-certified chronometer in-house “flyer” GMT movement? You’d better believe it. The Black Bay family at large remains one of the most popular and universally praised sports watch series in the modern marketplace, and we can virtually guarantee the 58 GMT will be one of the year’s must-have releases. The Tudor Black Bay 58 GMT is priced at $4,400 USD on the rubber strap (Ref. 7939G1A0NRU-002) and $4,600 USD on the steel bracelet (ref. (Ref. M7939G1A0NRU-001). Read the full aBlogtoWatch hands-on review of the Tudor Black Bay 58 GMT.
Raymond Weil Millesime Moonphase
New versions of the Raymond Weil Millesime Moonphase stood out for the team as a collection of deeply likable watches that we would simply love to wear and forget about the rest of the world. Although a tad too small for me at 35mm, I was trying really very hard to pull off this Millesime Moonphase 2145 at 35mm wide, I found its combination of a crosshair dial, moonphase, Arabic numerals, large hands, flat bezel, and gem-set lugs so endearing. Made well-enough, legible, thin, quirky and delightful… Almost as tough to give back as a pup labrador. Larger, 39.5mm wide versions of the Millesime Moonphase in steel or gold PVD without diamonds are also available. The Raymond Weil Millesime Moonphase watches are priced between $2,325 USD and $2,575 USD for the one seen here.
Jaeger-LeCoultre Duomètre Heliotourbillon Perpetual
While JLC’s Duometre concept has been around for a number of years, the new Jaeger-LeCoultre Duometre Heliotourbillon Perpetual really feels like the ultimate expression of this innovative double gear train platform. Since the entire point of the Duometer series is to allow the brand to integrate multiple complications without compromising timekeeping accuracy, you really need a heavy-hitter timepiece to take advantage of this platform, and the new Duometre Heliotourbillon Perpetual more than delivers. Not only do you get a lusciously rounded rose gold case, but you also get a perpetual calendar, moonphase indicator, and two separate power reserves. Add to that the fact that JLC has added a third additional axis to its already impressive Gyrotoubillon (thus becoming a Heliotourbillon), and you have a model that is easily one of the star releases from Watches & Wonders Geneva 2024. Now, does anyone have a spare $400k that I can borrow? The Jaeger-LeCoultre Duomètre Heliotourbillon Perpetual watch is priced at $438,000 USD. Read the aBlogtoWatch hands-on review of the Jaeger-LeCoultre Duomètre Heliotourbillon Perpetual.
Zenith Defy Extreme Diver
With every major trade show like Watches and Wonders Geneva 2024, we can broadly separate the releases into two categories—the ones we knew about previously or strongly suspected, and the launches that come out of the blue to transfix our attention. The Zenith Defy Extreme Diver is undoubtedly one of the best of these “dark horses” to emerge from this year’s show. Although there’s no shortage of extremely capable, water resistant sports watches in Zenith’s stable, there hasn’t been anything like a conventional diver’s watch in the brand’s portfolio for ages. The Zenith Defy Extreme Diver fills this gap in the lineup in style, matching the muscular, modern outline of the Defy Extreme family to a beefy, orange-accented engraved sunburst dial and a deeply satisfying rotating bezel for the first time. The end result is punchy, ultra-modern, and ready to tackle any environment from the surface down to an impressive 600 meters of water resistance. While we see countless new divers every year, few if any give us the urge to jump in the ocean and test our limits more than this one. The Zenith Defy Extreme Diver (Ref. 95.9601.3620/51.I301 and 95.9600.3620/21.I300) are priced at $11,300 USD. Read the full aBlogtoWatch hands-on review of the Zenith Defy Extreme Diver.
Check out all of aBlogtoWatch’s coverage of Watches and Wonders 2024, including podcasts, hands-on articles, and tons of new releases!