We’re once again at the end of another whirlwind year. In 2024, aBlogtoWatch published over 1,300 articles, including more than 400 reviews, more than 600 new releases, almost 100 episodes of our two podcasts. and just over 50 editions of our editorial columns. Our guesses at what will be a hit with readers, though, are often about as accurate as a weather forecaster. We have a good grasp of what our readers like, but the community and the internet act in mysterious ways, and sometimes an unexpected post gets all the attention. This year, the list once again reminds us that ABTW is valued for its breadth of coverage, especially on the affordable end. Readers want to know about all the big brand’s releases, but they also love the wild watches, the cheap bulletproof watches, and a dash of industry gossip.
The Rolex GMT-Master II 126710GRNR Gets Dubbed the “Bruce Wayne”
There’s always a Rolex. I imagine if we only covered three Rolex watches this year, one would still find its way onto the Most Read list. Call it the power (or plague) of the Crown. Certainly not the most popular or talked about release from Rolex this year, the Bruce Wayne seemed to ably lure readers’ attention. The Bruce Wayne moniker seems like a bit of a stretch and certainly makes one wonder if every Rolex GMT needs a nickname based on its colors or whether we’d all be just fine and dandy calling it The Gray One. Or maybe even — and go with me here — the GRNR, like the brand does.
Going Full Metal with the Casio G-Shock GMWB5000D-2
And there’s always a Casio. Curiously, this one isn’t really that new; it just adds a deep blue frame to the screen of a six-year-old model. And it’s objectively not the coolest full-metal G-Shock. But if the Rolex above is any indication, being the coolest or most popular version of a model isn’t a requirement to get people interested.
Citizen’s New Zenshin Chronographs
And there’s always a Citizen. ABTW readers seem to love the high-design, high-value, and often high-tech watches offered by the Japanese powerhouse. This year, Citizen released a new collection of watches originally called Forza and then hastily changed to Zenshin. Colorful textured dials, Eco-Drive movements, and modern titanium cases made this a clear hit. The collection also includes a three-hand day-date model and an automatic small seconds model, but we liked the chronographs so much that we reviewed them twice.
A Jacob & Co. with a Working V-16 Engine Inside
Jacob & Co. is perhaps best known for doing outrageous, totally unnecessary things with its watches that could fairly be considered stunts. Putting a working miniature v-16 engine in a watch may be the biggest and best example we saw of that this year. The latest in from the watchmaker’s continued partnership with the storied carmaker, the Jacob & Co. Bugatti Tourbillon features an engine block carved out of transparent sapphire crystal with 16 pistons machined from tiny blocks of titanium, all driven by a single-axis crankshaft. While it doesn’t have any tiny explosions like a real engine, it does have a tourbillon and a $340,000 price tag.
Thierry Stern Becomes the Face of Horological Snobbery
The photo above says it all: Thierry Stern doesn’t care about you or what you think. He doesn’t need to. He owns Patek Philippe, and if you don’t own one of his watches, why should he care about you? Maybe he shouldn’t, but that doesn’t mean it’s smart for him to explicitly say so, which is exactly what he did in the aftermath of the Patek Philippe Cubitus launch. If there had been any doubt as to whether the man behind Patek Philippe was as smug as the brand itself, his response to criticism of the Cubitus cleared things up.
The Oil-Filled Sinn U50 Hydro
Want absolutely perfect legibility in almost any environment, at any angle, no matter what? Do what Sinn did and fill a diver with oil! Sinn is known best of all for practicality and utility and while getting it serviced may be a chore, there’s no doubt that the quartz-powered Sinn U50 Hydro delivers on both of those things.
Literally a List of Watches Rolex Discontinued in 2024
This was a list of the watches discontinued by Rolex in 2024. That’s all it was.
Omega Quietly Announces New Seamaster Planet Ocean Boutique Editions
There was nothing particularly special about this Omega release, except that the brand didn’t make a fuss about it. That means very few outlets bothered covering it. These boutique editions were easily eclipsed by far bigger Omega releases like the no-date Seamasters and the white dial Speedy. But for a single day in early February, these six models were the bee’s knees.
Casio’s Funky Pro Trek PRJB001B-2 Outdoor Watch
A squircle bezel? Some weird hybrid string strap? An ana-digi display? Sure, why not. Leave it to Casio to use its Pro Trek line for this truly funky outdoor adventure watch. While this doesn’t contain quite as many sensors or functions as some of the more capable (and bulkier) Pro Treks, it may well outdo them for the fun factor.
Casio’s Other Funky Pro Trek, the PRW6900BF-1 Bonfire
No need to do a double-take. The top two most-read articles of 2024 are reviews of two different but almost identical Casio Pro Treks. A bit moodier and broodier, the Bonfire version seems like it has been left in the fire a bit too long, but perhaps that’s part of its charm. It’s a fitting capstone to a year of coverage that shows what our readers are most attracted to: practicality and value with a dose of personality.
What were your favorite articles, and what did you expect to make the list that didn’t? Let us know in the comments below!