As we prepare for the Swiss watchmaking world’s traditional holidays this August, we take the opportunity to revisit Watches & Wonders Geneva, which was held from April 14 to 20. Once again held in the Palexpo, the fair saw a number of new brands joining this year, and a notable return from Audemars Piguet, which had not been present in Geneva since 2019. The importance of this annual gathering for the industry, both for the professionals and the enthusiasts, is undeniable, and it’s set to continue growing in the years to come.

We mentioned the cohesive aspect of the fair that was the focus from last year, integrating further the brands that had previously exhibited in Basel with the Geneva stalwarts. While this cohesiveness is very welcome, the ever-increasing number of exhibitors cranks up the difficulty level in dedicating an appropriate amount of time to each visiting each booth. This seems to be an aspect the W&W Foundation is well aware of, as the dates for 2027 have already been announced, and we will find ourselves starting on a Monday again (the past few years saw Tuesday starts, a minor challenge for the professional attendees). But as the saying goes, we will cross that bridge when we get to it.

The atmosphere was very positive overall, certainly also a welcome change from last year, where the tariff situation for the US market was not yet stabilised. The markets are taking world events in their stride now, and the exhibitors were not only showing off some grand new booth concepts, there were certainly a lot of new watches to immediately appeal to their clients. Here are some of the highlights, many of which are already available in boutiques.

A. Lange & Söhne Saxonia Annual Calendar

From A. Lange & Söhne, we found this Saxonia Annual Calendar intriguing because the maison has deliberately omitted mentioning one of its defining characteristics: a 36mm case size. The trend has certainly been trending towards smaller watches in recent years, with the challenge of implementing the high complications that are favoured by the collectors while maintaining a proper sense of aesthetic balance. This is perhaps what’s most surprising with this Saxonia; on paper alone, at 36mm, some might shy away from this model, but it must be said that it wears extremely well, even for those who may be used to 38mm and above watches. Lange’s signature large date is present, but it’s clear that the sense of proportion between it and the subdials for the other calendar indications was very carefully studied and executed.

Cartier Roadster

Cartier’s long history in shapes and design is unquestionable, and the maison often seeks inspiration from its archives to new watch launches. This year marks the return of the Roadster collection, which is of a more recent vintage, having originally been presented in 2002, in the early days of watchmaking exploring larger case sizes and designs. The name originated from the speedometer-inspired dial, again a nod to the sportiness that was the norm at the turn of the millennium. The tonneau case design is maintained albeit with more refined dimensions and details to accommodate for modern tastes, with either steel, gold or steel and gold models on offer, and in two different sizes, 47.2 x 38.8mm, or 42.5 x 34.9mm. Also brought to current standards is the finishing on the dials, and the movements which are now in-house, using the 1847MC for the larger models and the 1899MC for the medium. Interestingly, the original Roadster was a precursor to the easily interchangeable bracelet feature; it’s carried over to the new collection, now with the more developed Quickswitch system that Cartier has already applied to a number of other collections.

Chanel Coco Chess

Chanel’s high horology theme has evolved this year around the Coco Game, with the masterpiece being the Coco Chess set. Though the actual product had already been sold to a particularly eager collector prior to Watches & Wonders, leaving only the prototype on display, the creativity remains deeply impressive. Black and white, the house’s signature colours, lend themselves naturally to the chessboard as the game. In this striking set, Gabrielle Chanel becomes the central Queen figure, the only piece that can move freely without constraints in the chess game. Each piece has been crafted with extreme details, combining gold, ceramic and diamonds. The Place Vendôme column as rooks, mannequins as bishops and the lion as king, these elements all refer to Chanel’s universe. The nod to the watchmaking aspect is given through the Queen piece, with a concealed a timepiece beneath her iconic slingback heels; either Queen can be worn as a pendant on a white gold, diamond and onyx chain.

Hublot Big Bang Reloaded

Just a few weeks prior to Watches & Wonders, Hublot paid tribute to its Big Bang collection with a series of “Original” models, revisiting its first designs with up-to-date dimensions and calibres. In Geneva, the brand brought it all back to the present with the Big Bang Reloaded, an up-to-date collection of what the name represents today and for its near future. Slightly larger than the Original at 44mm rather than 43mm, the Reloaded collection refreshes the skeletonised details to highlight four of the five patents associated with its in-house Unico movement that address power delivery, friction and chronometric precision. The brand also emphasised its quiet confidence in its technical developments by unveiling a 5+5 year warranty that applies to all watches delivered since the beginning of this year.

IWC Schaffhausen Pilot Venturer Vertical Drive

Inspired by the renewed focus in recent years towards space exploration, IWC has partnered with Vast, an aerospace start‑up developing next‑generation space stations, to produce a timepiece designed for crewed missions: the Pilot’s Venturer Vertical Drive. Crafted from lightweight white zirconium oxide ceramic and Ceratanium, the Pilot’s Venturer Vertical Drive offers high durability and resistance to temperature fluctuations. In order to accommodate the ergonomics for astronauts wearing bulky space suits and gloves, all functions are controlled via a rotating bezel system, eliminating the need for a conventional crown. A rocker switch on the side of the case allows the wearer to toggle between functions, including winding the movement and setting home or mission times. The matte black dial is reduced to the absolute essentials, avoiding light reflections while ensuring high legibility. It displays two different times: the mission reference time is indicated by the central hour and minute hand, and also in 24‑hour format by a dedicated hand on the outer dial scale running from 00:00 to 24:00, a necessity to establish a base time during extended space missions. The central hour and minute hands are normally synchronised with this reference time. If required, however, the hour hand can be adjusted in one‑hour increments to display a second time zone, allowing an astronaut in space to show, for example, the home time of any location on Earth.

Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Control Perpetual Calendar

It may have taken some time for Jaeger-LeCoultre to accommodate the demand for an integrated bracelet timepiece, it is now a fait accompli with the introduction of the new Master Control collection. With three different complications on offer, the watches are resolutely modern interpretations of a very classical aesthetic. The dimensions, at either 38mm or 39mm, hit a very sweet spot, neither too large nor too small for most wrist sizes. They are all very elegant though, with a thickness of either 9.2mm for the perpetual calendar and the power reserve, or 8.4mm for the time and date model. The bracelets incorporate a discreet micro-adjustment, also a very welcome feature, particularly for warmer climates. The steel models are presented with blue-gray sunray dials, while the gold models get a bronze sunray dial treatment. The perpetual calendar in particular stands out with its highly legible full calendar display, including years in digits, and a gold or platinum moonphase. The collection also marks the introduction of Jaeger-LeCoultre’s new “High Precision Guarantee”, or HPG, hallmark. Beyond a standard certification, HPG seeks to replicate real-world scenarios with tests based on altitude up to 1,004m (which happens to be the same as the manufacture’s), impacts from different directions, multiple positions and temperatures. It should be noted that this is in addition to COSC certification for chronometric precision.

H. Moser & Cie. Streamliner  28 & 34mm / Pump

Acknowledging the collector’s requests for smaller case sizes, H. Moser & Cie. presented two new sizes for their signature Streamliner collection: 34mm and 28mm, powered by the calibre HMC 400 and calibre HMC 410 respectively. Despite the smaller dimensions, the proportions have been carefully maintained for the two new sizes, from the hands to the crown, the case, and the integrated bracelet, all complemented by a frosted fumé dial.

Continuing on their penchant for quirky iterations, the Streamliner collection also got an interesting collaboration, teaming up with sportswear brand Reebok for a Pump-inspired timepiece. Drawing from the inflation system of the sports shoe, an aluminium orange pusher at 8 o’clock can be used to wind the watch. With one hundred “pumps”, each press on the pusher adds one hour of power reserve, which is indicated on the dial. Incidentally, the traditional method of using the crown to wind the movement still works. The Streamliner Pump is available in white or black forged quartz fibre.

Panerai Luminor Forged Titanium

Panerai never ceases to stretch the boundaries with materials that we’re familiar with but that are presented with a twist. For the Luminor Forged Titanium reference PAM1629, the maison took two different grades of titanium and bonded them together, which produces this wave-like pattern on the surface, similar to Damascus steel, but with the light weight associated with titanium – it’s also known as “timascus”. It’s an interesting treatment that is also somewhat reminiscent of their carbotech material. Going somewhat against the grain while paying heed to their longstanding clients who prefer larger watches, the PAM1629 is in 47mm, and is limited to 100 pieces only.

Parmigiani Tonda PF Chronographe Mystérieux

Parmigiani Fleurier made a lot of waves with this third iteration of a rattrapante within the Tonda family. Following the launch of the GMT Rattrapante and the Minute Rattrapante, the maison has now introduced the Chronographe Mystérieux, a new interpretation of the chronograph that further illustrates its philosophy of representing time. At first glance, the watch appears to be a time only, three hands classical watch, until you notice the pusher at 7:30. When activated, the chronograph unfolds across the entire dial. Upon the first press, the chronograph hands emerge from their alignment and begin to move, with the seconds and minutes expanding across the full dial – five hands all anchored at the same central axis. With the second press, the measurement stops, held in perfect legibility and read directly on the main time scale. Upon the third press, the hands return to their initial position (hence the “rattrapante”), realigning seamlessly with the time display before disappearing. The calibre PF053 runs at 4Hz and features a column wheel chronograph design with 362 components, a 60‑hour power reserve, and – somewhat surprisingly – an automatic winding system.

Rolex Cosmograph Daytona Ref. 126502

One of the most talked about pieces at Watches & Wonders was this Rolex Daytona reference 126502, perhaps because it is off-catalogue, joining the list of mythical watches that are mentioned in hushed tones at collector’s gatherings. The white dial is of note because it’s in enamel, a treatment usually associated with the métiers d’art haute horology pieces. It’s matched with an anthracite grey cerachrom bezel with a Rolesium case, a combination of steel and platinum. It’s also blessed with a sapphire caseback, which Rolex reserves for its most special pieces only. Perhaps its appeal is that it takes a keen eye to notice that it is something quite different and rare compared to an already popular “standard” Daytona, and the chances of seeing one in public are, accordingly, quite low.

Tag Heuer Monaco Evergraph

Tag Heuer flexes its technical know-how with the introduction of the Monaco Evergraph. It features the new TH80-00 calibre, developed in-house in the Tag Heuer Lab, led by none other than Carole Forestier-Kasapi. Once again, she took an ingenious approach to address the fundamental functionality of a complication, namely the chronograph, by using new “bistable” components that are flexible and compliant, and using those aspects to improve how the chronograph engages and also reducing the potential long term wear and tear, leading the better chronometric functionality and durability. It’s also equipped with a TH-Carbospring oscillator, again using non-traditional materials that are lighter weight and anti-magnetic, beating at 5Hz for 1/10^thprecision on the chronographic scale. A very impressive technical tour-de-force that is initially presented in Tag Heuer’s iconic Monaco design.

Tudor Monarch

Tudor has captured much attention this year with the Monarch, a new launch that blends retro aesthetics with a refreshingly modern execution. Housed in a 39mm stainless steel case with a finely faceted bracelet and T-fit clasp, the watch features a vertical‑brushed dial in a papyrus‑like hue, a rather unique execution. The “error- proofed dial”, generally referred to as a “California”, has applied hour markers combining Roman numerals from 10 to 2 with Arabic numerals from 4 to 8, which was originally patented by Rolex for combat divers to prevent misreading the time. It is also new for Tudor to have placed the small second at 6, giving a more subtle detail depart from its usual design to complete the vintage look. At its heart lies the calibre MT5662‑2U, a METAS‑certified Master Chronometer running within 0/+5 seconds per day. The movement is also anti‑magnetic up to 15,000 gauss and offers a 65‑hour power reserve, described as “weekend‑proof” that the wearer can leave the watch for the weekend without rewinding on Monday.

Vacheron Constantin Métiers d’Art Tribute to Great Civilisations

Vacheron Constantin unveiled the next chapter in the maison’s collaboration with the historic Louvre Museum, where it gains inspiration from classic works of art and applies them to a watchmaking theme. For this collection, it’s the Great Civilisations of the ancient world that are put to the fore, with four timepieces that were inspired by the Greek, Egyptian, Neo-Assyrian, and Roman empires, through representations of, respectively, Athena of Velletri, the Bust of Akhenaten, the Lamassu of Sargon II, and Tiber from the Ilseum Campense. What’s particularly impressive is how Vacheron Constantin collaborates with the Louvre to incorporate historical elements and aesthetic details to create an artistic background surrounding the element taken from each statue, leading to a cohesive work of art on each timepiece.

Van Cleef & Arpels Midnight Heure d’Ici et Heure d’Ailleurs

Van Cleef & Arpels revisited one of their classical timepieces, the Midnight Heure d’Ici et Heure d’Ailleurs (or “the time here and the time elsewhere”). Housed in a new 38mm Midnight rose gold case, this new version features a brown enamel dial with guilloché and piqué motifs, encased with a solid back illustrating an engraved Moon basking in the glow of a guilloché Sun. As the previous version was in a 42mm case, the decision to reduce the case to 38mm also meant that the movement had to be redesigned to fit within it. The functionality remains, with two jumping hours windows, the Heure d’Ici, or local time, in the upper aperture, while the Heure d’Ailleurs, or secondary sits in the lower window, with retrograde minutes displayed between them. Once the hand reaches 60 minutes on the graduated scale, it returns to its initial position as the two hour displays jump forward. Beyond the technical aspect, it’s the craftsmanship and depth of colour on the dial that really stand out.