All posts tagged: watches and wonders

The Most Coveted Watches of 2026, According to a Retail Expert

The Most Coveted Watches of 2026, According to a Retail Expert

Published by Jenni Sidey

Patek Philippe, meanwhile, has its own obvious winner in the form of the special-edition 50th anniversary Nautilus, which features the number “50” etched on its movement. A version of the brand’s World Timer, in yellow gold with a cherry-red lacquer dial, is a close runner-up. Tudor’s latest extremely wearable releases are also hot-ticket items. According to Hurley, the brand-new Monarch model and the ice-blue Royal will both find homes quickly. “Tudor had the strongest lineup of any brand,” Hurley says. Perhaps Hurley’s most surprising answer was the re-released Cartier Roadster. The watch wasn’t received all that well by the press, but its return was apparently prompted by serious demand from American clients. Clients are making purchases as soon as the show starts: As far as the major watchmakers are concerned, Watches of Switzerland places the vast majority of its orders for the year before Watches and Wonders even begins, Hurley says, “based on the performance of the brands.” Where the show is most helpful for retailers is in discovering new or independent brands they might …

11 Major Takeaways From Watches and Wonders 2026

11 Major Takeaways From Watches and Wonders 2026

Published by Jenni Sidey

Are watches more inaccessible than ever? The strangest press appointment I had was at F.P. Journe’s manufacture in the heart of Geneva., In a back room, among tables set up for the brand’s VVIP clients to sip the wine Journe makes and eat fat chunks of Parmesan, the novelties were displayed in two vitrines. Journe has 13 novelties in total this year. They were good, interesting watches I’d love to show you! But I can’t. Not because I don’t have images, but because a small sign appended to the glass cases housing the watches cautioned something I’ve never seen at a press event for a new product: No photos. The independent maker has never been hotter than it is right now. Last year, a Journe watch made in collaboration with and owned by the director Francis Ford Coppola sold for $10.75 million at auction, and nearly every piece—both vintage and modern—is exploding in price right now. Even the Elegante, FPJ’s take on a quartz watch that starts for about $17,000, is now selling for upwards …

The 27 Best Watches From Watches and Wonders 2026

The 27 Best Watches From Watches and Wonders 2026

Published by Jenni Sidey

No one does color like Parmigiani Fleurier, which routinely swaths its watches in soothing shades of dusty green, sky blue, and soft pink. This watch appears to be another simple, successful execution made for only telling the time. That is until you activate the chronograph, which sends a secret pair of hands—hidden beneath the primary hands—flying out like a predator that’s just spotted its prey. You wouldn’t believe how many times I pushed that button at the Parmigiani booth. —CW The Crown Was Already Taken Award: Tudor Monarch I’m no royalist, but if I am to have a monarch rule over me, I want one that is quietly confident, doesn’t need to be the loudest in the room to command it, and appeals to the masses with a decent sense of humor and taste. Feels like I’m describing Tudor’s Monarch, the new king of everyone’s favorite accessible tool watch provider. Fair to say no one predicted this would lead Tudor’s lowkey 100-year festivities. Indeed, if Watches and Wonders were Glastonbury, this piece somehow wound up …

The Best (Relatively) Affordable Watches From Watches and Wonders 2026

The Best (Relatively) Affordable Watches From Watches and Wonders 2026

Published by Jenni Sidey

Amidst all the chaos of “price-upon-request” minute repeaters and “if-you-have-to-ask” grand complications, hidden behind the solid-gold perpetual calendars and platinum thingamabobs, and, beneath the piles of stone-dialed wonders, there are—believe it or not—a few (kinda-affordable) gems to be found in Geneva. You have to know where to look, of course. Watches and Wonders, the industry’s largest tradeshow, still has a distinct air of luxury and exclusivity to it. In the years since it officially became Watches and Wonders in 2019, the list of maisons has expanded drastically to include the likes of Rolex, Patek Philippe, Audemars Piguet (which disappeared for a few years and is now back), Chanel, Bulgari, and other high-end marques. But there’s still brands on the other end of the spectrum, including Tudor, NOMOS, Oris, Norqain, and—for the first time this year—German tool watch specialist Sinn. What does this mean? Namely, a handful of sleeper hits each year that are still pricey—these are luxury watches, after all—but land with a less frightening sticker price attached to them. These watches aren’t here to …

Cartier Just Dropped an All-Star Team of Its Rarest Watch Models

Cartier Just Dropped an All-Star Team of Its Rarest Watch Models

Published by Jenni Sidey

There are a few things I look forward to every year at Watches and Wonders: the bizarre murals at the hotel where all the media members stay, for instance, or the two-bite ham and cheese sandwiches at the fairgrounds. But nothing gets me more excited than the curtain-raising on Cartier’s Privé collection, which exhumes iconic vintage models in the maison’s catalog and updates them for modern times. This year, as the Privé program turns a decade old, Cartier celebrated by releasing an all-star team of the best shape-happy watches released under the banner. There are six new watches divided into two groups of three. Part of me wishes Cartier had continued to dig up more designs from its illustrious history—how about the Driver, a Basculante, the Coussin, or Cristallor?—but it’s hard to be too upset about six new vintage-inspired watches. Cartier Crash Squelette Just when you thought the Crash couldn’t get any zanier (or more hyped), Cartier is proving it can still reinvent one of the industry’s most distinctive watches. I hesitate to even call …

Tudor Just Launched a Brand New Watch Line

Tudor Just Launched a Brand New Watch Line

Published by Jenni Sidey

Few modern dive watches have earned the kind of enduring enthusiasm that surrounds the Tudor Black Bay 58. Introduced as a more compact take on the broader Black Bay formula, the 39mm model quickly became a cornerstone of the lineup at Tudor—valued for its vintage-inspired design, approachable size, and everyday versatility. For 2026, Tudor has subtly refined the formula rather than reinvent it. The biggest upgrade is technical: the watch is now Master Chronometer certified by METAS, meaning the in-house movement meets stricter standards for precision, magnetic resistance, water resistance, and power reserve. Accuracy is rated at 0/+5 seconds per day, placing it among the most tightly regulated watches in its class. Beyond the movement, the changes focus on wearability and detail. The stainless-steel case remains 39mm wide but has been slimmed slightly to 11.7mm thick, helping the watch sit even flatter on the wrist. The bezel and crown have been redesigned, the dial now features a subtly domed matte finish, and the text has been pared back to a cleaner two-line layout. Even the …

TAG Heuer Is Finally Making Its Most Famous Watch the Right Way Again

TAG Heuer Is Finally Making Its Most Famous Watch the Right Way Again

Published by Jenni Sidey

The Heuer Monaco is a far-out design. That was especially true when the watch debuted in 1969—and very much the point. After Heuer helped pioneer one of the world’s first automatic chronograph movements, the brand wanted a radical look to match the model’s extraordinary innards. But the squared-off Monaco struggled to find an audience upon release, despite a few famous fans: Sammy Davis Jr. and Stanley Kubrick both owned the timepiece, and Steve McQueen famously chose to wear it in 1971’s Le Mans. Despite its placement on McQueen’s wrist, the Monaco was a commercial flop and Heuer discontinued it in 1975. It would be two decades before TAG Heuer decided to resurrect the model with a redesign that dramatically softened its iconoclastic qualities. The resulting watch, which has remained in the collection until today, felt like a Facetuned version of the original: the matte dial was swapped out for a shinier one; the sporty red hour markers were turned plain silver and bent into a less quirky position on the dial; and a seconds indicator …

The Nautilus Watch Collectors Have Been Waiting for Is Back

The Nautilus Watch Collectors Have Been Waiting for Is Back

Published by Jenni Sidey

Few watches have rewritten the rules of modern watchmaking quite like the Patek Philippe Nautilus. When it debuted in 1976, the design was borderline scandalous: a luxury timepiece made of steel, shaped like a ship’s porthole, and priced like a dress watch from a brand better known for perpetual calendars more than sporty swagger. Nearly 50 years later, the Gérald Genta-designed model has gone from controversial oddball to perhaps the single most recognizable luxury sports watch on the planet—and arguably the most difficult one to buy at retail without either a longstanding relationship or a monk’s patience. To mark the model’s 50th anniversary, Patek Philippe is unveiling four limited-edition Nautilus models at Watches and Wonders 2026. Instead of radically reinventing the watch—an approach that would likely trigger a small crisis among collectors—the Genevan manufacture is leaning into what made it famous in the first place: slim cases, clean dials, and that unmistakable porthole-inspired silhouette. The Return of the ‘Medium’ Nautilus The star of the anniversary lineup is the new Reference 5610/1P-001, a platinum Nautilus measuring …

The Watch World’s Most Elegant Secret Just Got a Little Louder

The Watch World’s Most Elegant Secret Just Got a Little Louder

Published by Jenni Sidey

In 1996, Chopard unveiled the result of its efforts: The caliber 1.96. For gearheads, it’s got everything. It’s accurate, COSC certified, and has a Geneva Seal (attesting to where and how it’s made). It’s a thin, beautifully-made microrotor movement. Chopard put it in the L.U.C 1860, the first in a new collection of watches powered by Chopard’s own movements from its Swiss manufacture. Chopard makes lots of watches—Happy Diamonds, Alpine Eagle, and the Mille Miglia. But the L.U.C collection is like a watchmaking skunkworks inside that larger operation. It’s focused on fine craftsmanship and makes a few thousand watches a year, to a quality more on par with A. Lange & Söhne and Patek Philippe. The nerds love L.U.C, but Chopard hasn’t necessarily had a “moment” over the past few years. It’s been a slow burn. The house does the type of watchmaking that takes time to appreciate, but to me, the best Chopard watches combine first-rate technical watchmaking in an elegant package better than any other watchmaker. Thirty years later, the L.U.C 96.01 is …

This Instant-Classic Watch Is Back With Two Luxurious Sequels

This Instant-Classic Watch Is Back With Two Luxurious Sequels

Published by Jenni Sidey

It normally requires decades for a watch to be considered a true classic. Great timepieces typically come with great stories—like a beloved actor wearing one for years, a historical technical breakthrough, or adventurers sporting them at Everest’s peak or even on the moon. Even when the big boys of the Swiss watch industry put out brand-new models, it usually takes a couple of release cycles for them to fully break through. But when Zenith debuted its G.F.J. model last April, something different happened: Everyone seemed to take one look at it and go, “Yeah, that’s a freaking sick watch.” I said it myself the moment I held the model, with its cool-toned lapis lazuli dial, in my hands at last year’s Watches and Wonders. In the months since, the G.F.J. has racked up impressive industry awards and a sizable waiting list. Now, Zenith is unveiling two glamorous sequels. In March, I got to spend a few precious hours with the most mysterious G.F.J. yet: a new variant with a tantalum case and smoky onyx dial. …