Our Contributors’ Favorite Watches & Wonders Releases

Yesterday, Zach Weiss, Kat Shoulders, and Zach Kazan told you about their favorite watches from Watches & Wonders week. Today, our contributors have their say. Their choices reflect the incredible diversity of watches at the show (even in what most consider a somewhat slow year) and show that there are lots of great watches that we’ll all continue to discover from the event, sometimes from unexpected sources.

Tanner Tran 

By many accounts, the releases of Watches & Wonders 2024 were a relatively muted affair. We saw a lot of massaged designs and logical extensions of existing product lines. But that’s not to say there weren’t any new releases. The Cut, a new sports watch from Hermès, was one such example and a personal favorite of mine. I have a sneaking suspicion this watch will appeal to anyone looking for an uncommon 36mm integrated bracelet sports watch – that is to say, a lot of people – even though ‘The Cut’ is a little more than implicitly marketed as a ladies’ piece.

With its rounded case (almost Cartier pebble-like) and variants featuring diamond-studded bezels, ‘The Cut’ is a softer alternative to its sibling, the H08. I really dig the design and find that it neither feels overly done nor half-baked. The applied numerals carry a distinct Hermès typography, and the orange accents along both the inner dial and second hand add a nice touch of contrast. The execution of the quick-change bracelet (and strap) is also simple and elegant. On that note, there are no fewer than six different color options for the strap.

This is a refreshing watch to me. It retains a sporty appeal and 100 meters of water resistance, and it’s a piece I could see myself enjoying on virtually any dressy or casual occasion. I certainly wouldn’t have guessed a Hermès watch would be near or at the top of my list of new releases in any given year, but anything is possible in the watch game these days.

Griffin Bartsch

When you write about watches for a living, you get to see a lot of watches. It’s an absolute privilege, but it doesn’t come without tradeoffs. After a while, it can get hard to get genuinely excited. One big exception to this trend, at least for me, is Cartier.

I’d be hard-pressed to name a brand that gets me as excited as consistently as Cartier. And their Privé collection releases, which have become somewhat of an annual tradition, are one of the highlights of the year, every year. This year is no exception. Truthfully, I may be more excited about this year’s addition to the Privé collection than I have been for just about any watch in recent memory, because Cartier has resurrected one of my all-time favorite watches, and they nailed it.

The Cartier Tortue Monopoussoir is a watch that’s hard not to love. The CPCP version released in the ‘90s is a remarkably special watch, a product of not one, but three of the most influential and accomplished independent watchmakers of the last half-century — Vianney Halter, Denis Flageollet, and François-Paul Journe — and is a watch I’ve never seen anyone dismiss after seeing it in person. In fact, at a Phillip’s auction preview last summer, the only watch I saw garner more interest was Roger Smith’s Pocket Watch No. 2, which would sell a few days later for just under $5 million.

This new Privé edition of the Tortue Monopoussoir is a worthy successor to that watch. The proportions of the watch have been slightly reworked to better reflect the original Tortue from 1912, with more dial and a thinner case. The new watch also uses a new form movement that fits the case perfectly. Display casebacks don’t typically sway me one way or another, but when this much thought has been put into a movement, I am more than happy to see them show off.

This is not a watch I ever anticipate having the opportunity to own, given its high price and limited production (200 pieces each in yellow gold and platinum), but it’s a watch whose very existence makes me happy. For now, that’s enough.

Chris Antzoulis 

Even though I have yet to make my first pilgrimage to Watches & Wonders, waking up and scrolling Instagram on the first day always feels like “Watch Nerd Christmas.” It’s fun to see what all the brands release, and have conversations about them. 

Now, I’m not the type of person that will complain about all the high-end pieces that drop. Watches that cost as much as some houses are still fun to see, and this is the time of year for the brands to release them and flex. But, the brand I was most excited to see, even before the release, was Nomos. In my gut I knew they were going to make their Watches & Wonders debut into something special for their fans, and they did not disappoint. 

I love the Nomos Tangente 38 Date 175 Years Limited Editions released at Watches & Wonders. I’ve been calling it the Nomos “Baskin Robbins” because they released 31 flavors of fun! Thirty-one versions of the Tangente 38 Date, all in beautiful and unique colors — you can’t point to a single watch in the lineup and call it “boring.” Each model is limited to 175 pieces to represent 175 years of German watchmaking in Glashütte. And the kicker? These limited edition watches are CHEAPER than the standard Tangente model. You also get an exhibition caseback (with a limited edition engraving), which is usually a slightly more expensive add-on to some Nomos models. 

These watches aren’t for the faint of heart folks who get giddy over a “poP Of colOr” with some red lettering on a plain white dial. These watches are for bold individuals interested in expressing uniqueness, with stylish color combinations that would look at home on anyone’s wrist. This is my favorite release of Watches & Wonders 2024 because it was 100% a release for fans. It wasn’t a flex or a gimmick. Instead, it was a celebration of what makes the watch community so special. 

Marc Levesque 

My favorite release this year was not from Tudor, was not from Rolex, was not from Zenith, nor was it from Bulgari, it was from Grand Seiko. It likely is not the Grand Seiko you are thinking of and while I do sincerely admire the new Evolution 9 with its gorgeous (and thin) new 9SA4 movement, that is not my pick. Instead, I have chosen the Spring Drive GMT SBGE307 “Tokyo Lion”.

Tokyo Lion? Is Grand Seiko permitted to give their own watches nicknames? I thought this was a watch community thing, like Shogun, Sumo, and Samurai. I guess I can give them a pass on this one, as I love it so much, let me count the ways. I love thee to the depth and breadth and height. My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight. *ahem* sorry about that, got a little carried away. In all seriousness, this one gripped me the moment I first saw it.

From its textured silver dial, which Grand Seiko claims evokes a lion’s mane glimmering in the rays of the sun (their exact words). Bit of a stretch, but it is absolutely stunning nonetheless and with the stark irregular red GMT hand set against it, it just works so much for me. The GMT hand is not the only irregular aspect of this watch. While the case is a massive 44.5mm, its short lugs and unorthodox shape will make it easily wearable. Not to mention all those sharp angle cuts and different finishes will catch all the light.

Everyone knows that Seiko’s LumiBrite is some of the best luminant material in the business, but for some reason Grand Seiko never seems to put enough of it on their watches. However, they seem to have rectified that on this one. Not only are all the hands and hour markers filled with lume, so are all the bezel numerals, which happen to be covered by a sapphire insert. I could go on and on about this watch, but I will end it with this last detail. The entire watch and bracelet are made of high-intensity titanium! Must I go on?

Nathan Schultz

In the 2003 film Freaky Friday, a teenage daughter switches places with her mother. Antics ensue, everyone learns something, and (spoiler alert) at the end of the movie they switch back. Unexpectedly, Watches and Wonders 2024 was the Bizzaro World sequel no one saw coming. In this version, a young Bremont (just 22 years old but surprisingly mature) switches places with older brand Raymond Weil, who has never connected with the enthusiast market despite decades offering value driven Swiss timepieces. But plot twist! With rebrands in the air and credibility on the line, the film ends with everyone wondering what the young Bremont is smoking, while having gained a new admiration for the long ignored Raymond Weil.

Moving on from bad film analogies and beating the Bremont horse to death, I think its fair to say no one predicted Raymond Weil would be the Watches and Wonders winner. But in the eyes of many, including me, they were. Maybe we should have predicted the underdog brand would build off the momentum from a 2023 GPHP award and expand on the Millesime collection, which now includes a moon phase complication. A moon phase is a natural fit for these slim, classically influenced new releases, and it feels especially at home in the smaller more elegant case. With 39.5mm and 35mm case options and a handful of eye-catching dial variations, there are plenty of options for anyone looking to enjoy a moon phase from the brand that suddenly has our collective attention. The 35mm blue denim dial is the clear winner for me. Paired with diamond studded lugs, the happy smiling moon on the dial feels particularly at home in this subtle yet flashy petite case. 

But even more exciting than the expanded collection is witnessing Raymond Weil cater to both the general market and the enthusiast crowd. It’s a balancing act not all brands dare attempt, but if these new Millesimes are any indication of what is to come, I think we can look forward to future crowd pleasing releases in the sequel.

Ed Jelley

It’s not the most exciting, colorful, or even new watch released at Watches and Wonders, but wow, did Tudor get it right. My favorite release may have snuck under the radar when looking at some of the other more attention-seeking pieces, but it definitely made an impact for me. That watch is the Tudor Black Bay 41 in black. The 41mm Black Bay has seen some updates in recent years, featuring subtle updates that make it an ideal daily driver. A T-fit micro-adjustable clasp, METAS Master Chronometer Certification, a 70-hour power reserve, excellent proportions — the list goes on. 

Yes, it’s a black-dialed dive watch with a black bezel, but starting at $4225 on a rubber strap, $4425 on an oyster-style riveted steel bracelet, or $4550 for a 5-link that classes up the whole package, there’s a lot to like about the Black Bay 41 in Black. To me, it’s what the no-date Sub of the pre-hype was — a no-nonsense dive watch that’s packed with every modern spec you could want, that (most likely after Tudor can build up some inventory following launch) you can walk into your favorite AD and pick up without a significant wait or need to establish previous purchase history. I can’t wait to try this watch on, but at the same time I’m afraid to because I know that will most likely mean making some room in the budget for a new addition to my collection.