The 20 Best Watches from Watches & Wonders 2023
Watches & Wonders Geneva at Palexpo is the biggest event of the year. Dozens of brands participate (48 to be exact this year) and coordinate their biggest releases for the first Monday of the event. Even brands not participating in the event will their releases around the event. Well the 2023 iteration of watches was bigger than ever. Visitors from all over the world descend on Geneva for this one event. We had an overhaul of the Rolex Daytona line, a Rolex watch that displays emojis instead of dates (yes that’s a real Rolex Watch), a fun Muppet-inspired collaboration from Oris, and the reintroduction of a Genta-inspired classic from IWC (among many other releases). So what were our favorite releases from Watches & Wonders 2023? We go through our top 20 Watches & Wonders releases, which includes some really exquisite timepieces, in no particular order of course.
Oris ProPilot X Kermit Edition
The new Oris ProPilot X Kermit Edition may not have been something we expected from Oris, but we are definitely here for it. We are already big fans of the ProPilot X collection. It is a no-frills pilot watch with a unique and comfortable bracelet and great wrist presence (and of course the cool buckle that mimics and airplane seat buckle). With the Oris ProPilot X Kermit Edition, the brand is collaborating with The Muppets (owned by Disney) to create a fun, yet still serious watch. For every day of the month except one, the watch resembles a standard ProPilot X, besides the Kermit bright green dial. But on the first of the month, Kermit’s face graces the date wheel instead of the date. We are very big fans that Oris decided to incorporate Kermit into the watch in a way that doesn’t smack you in the face. Price for the Oris ProPilot X Kermit Edition is 4,600 USD. You can read more about the release here or purchase it directly from Oris’ website.
Rolex Yacht-Master 42 Titanium
We’ve been wondering when we were getting a titanium Yacht-master ever since Rolex teased it a year and half ago by letting Olympic Sailor Ben Ainslie wear one while out on the ocean. Well, we finally got one at Watches & Wonders this year, making it the second titanium Rolex to hit the market with this case material, and in reality the first wearable titanium Rolex (the titanium Rolex DeepSea Challenge released at the end of the 2022 is too large for most wrists). Unlike the titanium Yacht-Master prototype, the Ref. 226627 features a date window and a full RLX titanium oyster bracelet (RLX Titanium is just Rolex’s fancy term for titanium). Overall, it might not be a new design but its a good looking watch, and at 42mm it is pretty wearable. The Rolex Yacht-Master 42 RLX Titanium sport watch is water resistant to 100m and retails for $14,050 USD. I’m sure this will be one of the most popular releases with the general public. Read our release coverage of the Yacht-Master here.
IWC Ingenieur Automatic 40
It’s not always the most simple task to tackle a Gerald Genta design. In fact, it could really be one of the more daunting tasks in all of watchmaking. The Royal Oak and Nautilus designer was tapped in the late 1970’s to commission a steel sport watch for IWC Schaffhausen. What came was the Ingenieur SL ‘Jumbo’. This year, the brand has decided to revisit that collection, which has sat largely untouched for the last bit of time. IWC released the Ingenieur 40 with some upgrades to improve on the original 1976 model Genta designed. The case took on some ergonomic changes including a modern movement allowing for more efficient lugs and a slight curvature for a more steady fit. The dial gets a “Grid” update to compliment the textures of the case quite well, and the brand even provides a titanium case model for a small price increase. Overall, we find the watch to be a fair revamp of a Gerald Genta design, and it’s respectable and impressive to see IWC take on that challenge so boldly and come out with a watch worthy of the Genta stamp of approval. The watch comes in at a price of $11,700 USD for the stainless steel models, and $14,600 USD for the titanium model. For more check out our in-depth discussion of this Ingenieur 40. You can also see more on IWC’s website.
Jacob & Co. Billionaire Timeless Treasure
While not technically a Watches & Wonders release, we tend to group releases from notable brands at Geneva Watch Week under the same heading. And perhaps no release is bigger (at least price-wise) than the Jacob & Co. Billionaire Timeless Treasure. A one of one new take on the Billionaire collection, this $20 million dollar watch features 425 yellow diamonds with an unbelievable 216.89 in carat weight. On top of that, the watch is housed in a yellow gold case and bracelet and features a gold-plated skeleton movement with green Tsavorites around perimeter of the dial. We aren’t sure yet who will be buying this piece, but it is surely a museum quality watch from a brand that is not afraid of being flashy. Learn more here.
Roger Dubuis Monovortex Split-Seconds Chronograph
Being one of the more cutting-edge brands on the market, Roger Dubuis unveiled a high horological machine in the Monovortex Split-Seconds Chronograph. Featuring a 360-degree Tourbillon and an oscillating weight at 12 o’clock, the watch is designed to harness gravity rather than be affected by it. The movement inside of the Monovortex is truly a site to behold. It helps that it uses an atypical display for the minute module. The watch is housed in a 47mm Mineral Composite Fibre case with rose gold accents. The Monovortex is truly a horological force and we’re excited to see what Roger Dubuis does next. More information is available in our Watches & Wonders coverage.
Rolex Daytona Platinum Ref. 126506
A Rolex sport model with a display caseback? Rolex decided to do something they’ve never done before on a watch with an Oyster bracelet. The new Daytona Ref. 126506-0001 (and 126506-0001 with baguette diamond hour markers) features the traditional ice blue dial, brown ceramic bezel and platinum case and bracelet. However, unlike any Daytona before it, it has a display caseback showcasing its movement. And it kind of makes sense. Rolex introduced an all new chronograph movement for the Daytona this year, the Caliber 4131 in-house movement and what better way to showcase its beauty and engineering prowess than to have a sapphire display caseback? While all new Daytonas will be powered by the Calibre 4131, only the platinum variations will have a display caseback. The Rolex 126506 is priced upon request, but it is likely to be around the same price as the previous iteration, $80,000 USD. Check out our write-up of the full new Rolex Daytona collection.
Tudor Black Bay 54
If there’s one thing that you can’t fault Tudor with it’s not listening to its audience. Tudor enthusiasts have wanted something as close to the brand’s inaugural release for as long as I can remember. Tudor would always release something similar, but sized up. This year, the brand has given people what they want. The Black Bay 54 is a 37mm in diameter steel diver pays homage to the one the brand released in 1954. While there are plenty of iterations of the Black Bay sports watch (we’d argue way too many), this one is as true to the original as it could be. Gone are the minute tracks on the bezel, no date, and a riveted stainless steel bracelet. Even the handset pinches in a little bit at the pinion like the old watches. This is why we think the Black Bay 54 is the perfect addition to the Black Bay collection. As always, you can expect some very nice and bright vintage super-luminova on the Black Bay (a necessity for a true dive watch). Water resistant to 200m, the price for the Tudor Black Bay 54 is $3,850 USD.
Chopard Alpine Eagle 41 XPS
When the Alpine Eagle was launched in 2019, Chopard put forward a worthy stainless steel sport watch that could compete with the likes of the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak and Patek Philippe Nautilus. And in 2023 with the release of the Alpine Eagle 41 XPS, Chopard can now compete in the ultra-thin steel sport category (with the likes of the Royal Oak Jumbo Ultra-Thin). The Alpine Eagle features a microrotor and and a super-thin Chopard manufacture movement that makes the watch only 8 mm thick (actually slightly thinner than the Royal Oak Jumbo Ultra Thin). On top of all of this, we are huge fans of the Alpine Eagle 41 XPS’s salmon dial. At $22,500 USD, the price is comparable to other pieces in its category. Check out our full write-up here.
A. Lange & Sohne Odysseus Chronograph
Probably among our absolute favorite watches of Watches and Wonders 2023 is the A. Lange & Sohne Odysseus Chronograph. The brand has largely been known for it’s dressier precious metal pieces, so when the Odysseus was released in 2020, it was quite a surprise to see Lange dip their toes into the luxury sport watch market. And to be fair, if anyone was going to do it well, it was going to be them. The Chronograph is probably the most natural next step for the Odysseus line. When you think of steel sport watches that aren’t divers, you think of Chronograph. And A. Lange & Sohne use something called a “Central Minute Counter” on their movement to count the minutes instead of adding a second sub dial. It keeps the dial uniform, and still with the same Odysseus profile. In our opinion, it’s an absolute slam dunk for the brand. If you want to learn more, head over to our release article.
Tag Heuer Carrera Glassbox
With the attempt to keep up with the Daytona in the mix during the 60’s, Tag Heuer needed something to unique, but still functional in the industry. The chronograph was becoming a much more desirable wristwatch for many, and therefore it was a race to get something unique out. Tag Heuer created the Carrera that was aptly nicknamed the “Glassbox” with the crystal extending to the edge of the stainless steel case instead of a bezel. It was a unique design that allowed the the dial to be visible at just about any angle. The domed crystal feels like a magnification of the dial and it simply looks great. The brand has sized down the Carrera a little at 39mm in stainless steel and a modest price tag of $6,450 USD (in addition to the blue dial, the model is available with a black dial). Find out more about this vintage-inspired Tag Heuer here.
Rolex Perpetual 1908 Collection
There’s no doubt that there’s a lack of dress options in the Rolex catalog. Realistically, there’s the Day-Date, and some might consider the Oyster Perpetual on a leather strap, but other than that, the only other option is a Cellini. This year, Rolex unveiled the Prepetual 1908 Collection - A precious metal dress watch collection that comes on a leather strap. It’s not unlike a Cellini in that it’s an open dial, no lume, and a sub-seconds dial, but the revamp of the fluted bezel and larger oversized crown dress the watch up quite a bit. The 39mm case comes in white gold or yellow gold, and features a rarity for Rolex in that the caseback is open and displays the lovely Calibre 7140 automatic movement (you might expect these to be hand-wound but they are not). Overall, it’s something that’s been missing from the sport watch giant’s roladex, and we love to see an all new collection from Rolex. Price for the Perpetual 1908 is $22,000 USD. Find out all the details in our release article.
Cartier Santos Dumont Microrotor Collection
Cartier had quite a few noteworthy releases, including the Prive Tank Normale (which you can read about here). But arugably one of the coolest releases out of Watches & Wonders is the Cartier Santos Dumont Microrotor. The Collection features 3 different watches. One in steel, one in pink gold, and one in yellow gold with Cartier’s lovely lacquered case features in Navy. It was an obvious standout favorite that really showcases Cartier’s attention to detail, especially in case finishing while giving a nod to Mr. Dumont’s designed aircraft on the rotor. The automatic movement is truly a sight to behold. Price for the steel version is $30,100 USD. Price for the Rose Gold case model is $39,250 USD. And price for the Yellow Gold with Navy Lacquer is 40,450 USD. All the details of the Santos Dumont Microrotor collection are available in our Watches & Wonders Coverage.
Cartier Santos Green
Everyone loves a green dial. And while the addition of a dial color may not normally be enough to pique our interest, when it’s the Santos and a green sunray dial we’ll make an exception (I mean who doesn’t love the signature Cartier roman numerals). We already love pretty much everything about the Santos, and adding a deep green dial to the watch gives Cartier fans another great option. The green dial is available on both the dateless medium model (35.1 mm x 8.8 mm) and the large model (39.8 mm x 9.4 mm). The medium Santos de Cartier Ref. WSSA0061 retails for $6,800 USD and the large Ref. WSSA0062 retails for $7,450 USD.
U-Boat Darkmoon Vintage BR Curve Brown
When the Capsoil with its oil-filled dials were first released in 2018, U-Boat took the brand in a new direction as they have previously been known for Italian Navy style watches, similar to Panerai. Besides the oil-filled dial of the Darkmoon, the brand released the watch in both 40mm and 44mm, both smaller than the typical U-Boat. And with U-Boat releasing the Darkmoon BR Curve Brown at Watches & Wonders, the brand hit another home run. The IP bronze-treated steel case gives the watch that perfect vintage look and the brown dial matches well. Additionally, U-Boat’s rubber straps are extremely comfortable. The Darkmoon Vintage BR Curve Brown is offered at 40mm and 44mm, we can’t wait to get a look at these in the flesh. Learn more here.
Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda PF Minute Rattrapante
The Tonda has been one of our favorite new releases of recent years from one of our favorite maisons, Parmigiani Fleurier. The simplicity of the dial creates an elegant steel sport watch that hits all the marks. Parmigiani Fleurier has spent the last few years focusing on the Tonda line, introducing new models with innovative complications. One of these watches with a brand new, never seen complication, is the Tonda PF Minute Rattrapante (it is somewhat similar to the GMT Rattrapante the brand release a year ago). The watch features a two minute hands, one rhodium plated which indicates the actual time, while the rose gold hand calculates the minutes on demand. The 8 o’clock pusher advances the hand in 5 minutes increments while the 10 o’clock pusher advances the hand in one minute increments. The rose gold minute hand can also be hidden under the real time minutes by pressing the pusher in the crown. It is an elegant solution to keep the dial simple when the rattrapante hand is not in use. The Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda PF Minute Rattrapante retails for CHF 28,000 and will be available for sale in September of this year. For more technical information on the Tonda PF Minute Rattrapante, head over to our release coverage.
Patek Philippe Aquanaut Luce Annual Calendar 5261R-001
Our favorite Patek Philippe release this year was actual in the Aquanaut Luce ladies collection. The rose gold watch features an annual calendar complication, that includes day, date and month and requires only one manual correction per year, at the end of February. The blue-grey dial is soft and makes us wonder if we will see more pieces in this tone. We really love that Patek Philippe produced a ladies watch that includes serious complications, something we unfortunately do not see enough of on the market. The watch also does not include any gems, and with the annual calendar complication, we don’t think any are needed (and prefer it without any diamonds or gems). With a case size of 39.9mm, this watch is definitely wearable by men as well. The blue rubber strap pairs perfectly with the watch’s matching dial. It retails for $61,510 USD.
Zenith Pilot Big Date Flyback Chronograph
Zenith well-known for their pilot’s watches, released a new line of aviation watches with the Pilot Automatic and Pilot Big Date Flyback Chronograph. Going for a more modern look than their previous pilot watch collection, the whole lineup is extremely legible and well-executed. Our favorite of the new pilot watches is the Big Date Flyback Chronograph in steel. While it is also offered in a matte black ceramic, the stainless steel variation features features a little pop of color that we come to expect from Zenith (especially in their El Primero collection). And we can’t forget the big date displays at 6 o’clock, adding a little uniqueness to the watch. The stainless steel Zenith Big Pilot Date Flyback retails for $11,500 USD. We provide more information in our release article.
Montblanc 1858 The Unveiled Secret Minerva Monopusher Chronograph LE 88
Ever since Montblanc bought Minerva, their watch game has substantially stepped up. Obviously, the longtime movement manufacture makes some of the finest movements on the market already, and when paired with the luxury atelier at Montblanc, the timepieces and craftmanship are just stunning. Unveiled this year at Watches & Wonder's was the Minerva Monopusher Chronograph LE 88 - An ultra-complicated skeletonized chronograph with a unique “aged” steel case. Montblanc accomplishes this by giving the case a watch in limestone from the white mountain across from their Le Locle manufacturer - Adding a little home-grown spark to an already pretty cool watch. The watch will be limited to 88 pieces and come with a price tag of $36,500 USD. Learn more about this Montblanc and other new releases here.
Bulgari Octo Roma Chronograph
Bulgari is another brand that didn’t actually participate in this year’s Watches & Wonders but timed their release for the event. For that reason we feel that it is appropriate to include their big release on this list. Three refreshed Octo Romas and the new Octo Roma Chronograph were released the day before the start of Watches & Wonders and represent a worthy addition to the much beloved Octo collection. While the Octo Roma has similar design cues as the Octo Finissimo in both case and bracelet, it is a little more understated and includes larger case compared to dial (so it appears a little less blocky). The three-handed version of the Octo Roma comes in at $7,200 USD, almost half the price of the Octo Finissimo, while the new Octo Roma Chronograph is $9,150 USD (still around $4,000 cheaper than the least expensive Octo Finissimo). This makes both models a pretty good deal for those that want an Octo watch but don’t want to spend over $13,000 USD.
Grand Seiko Masterpiece Collection Hand-engraved Limited Edition SBGZ009
Grand Seiko released a couple of really exciting pieces. One of their releases, the Evolution 9 Collection Tentegraph SLGC001, is the brand’s first ever mechanical chronograph. And while we love that watch, it is another release from the brand that really caught our attention. The Grand Seiko Masterpiece Collection Ref. SBGZ009 is a hand-engraved platinum timepiece inspired by the white birch forests in the Yachiho Plateau of the Kita-Yatsugatake Mountains on the island of Honshū in Japan. The movement, the Spring Drive Caliber 9R02, was crafted by Grand Seiko’s Micro Artist Studio and features an impressive 84 hours of power reserve. It’s a beautiful and completely unique piece. Something that we definitely have never seen before. The SBGZ009 is a limited edition of 50 pieces and retails for $79,000 USD.
