2024’s most promising trends, creations, and collectibles in watches

There are many things that go into making the perfect piece of time tell, and we aren't talking the basics of machinery, look, and alloy. Here we take a deep dive into the art of crafting the perfect, and more, watches ever year with the best in the industry. 

Innovation is key

 

The beauty of the world of horology is how, even after more than 300 years of consistent innovation, there is so much more to achieve and marvel over, year after year. I am constantly amazed by how labels find nooks and crannies to develop further, look at howVacheron Constantin has reinvented their Égérie with perfume infused in the strap crafted in collaboration with haute couture artist Yiqing Yin. She explains, “I wanted purity and nature to define time and nothing else,” referring to the only indicators left on the pleated dial being the hands and moonphase. But reinvention takes a new form with Piaget, and Bulgari—both of who have broken records in their own right—crafting the slimmest watches for your wrist.And if you’re looking for a watch for keeps, think no further than the IWC eternal calendar crafted in platinum which ensures you don’t have to adjust it for 45 million years. Panerai has been known to be the master of materials, this time they reimagine their Submersible line with a very sturdy ‘Ti-cermitech’ which combines titanium and ceramic to result in a lustrous matte blue finish that hugs the dial and matches perfectly with the Prada Luna Rossa strap.

Little wonders

 

True artistry lies in creating magic despite the canvas, and this year’s offerings are a testament to it. From Hublot to Chopard reimagining their classic lines in miniature versions that go down to 26mm, to Cartier adorning the Crocodile watch with precious gems to craft an image of perfection, the mini dial trend is on the rise. Deloitte said in its 2023 Swiss watch report that the female audience is an untapped resource for most watch brands, and they have listened this year. Look at Hermès crafting a whole new watch with Cut, embodying their playful take on time with a round meets circle dial.While Tudor,Vacheron Constantin, and Patek Philippe have stuck to the classics with delicate little dials, Bulgari has taken the idea of circular production with the Tadao Ando Serpenti that takes a mosaic form on the dial to promote beauty with a zero waste agenda.

Sautoir swing

 

What a joy it is when brands go back in time to celebrate their heritage, it evokes pieces that not only transcend the beauty of time but also craft a narrative that is so true to their ethos. Chanel, this year, was a true delight, going back to their roots of haute couture and mademoiselle Coco Chanel’s workshop itself for inspiration, which has led to a slew of creations that commemorate her tools as an armour of brilliance. Vacheron Constantin looks into its archive of early 1980s where it revives its historic roots of pendant watches and brings to life the transformative Grand Lady Kalla, which can be interchanged with a bracelet much like Piaget, who has also done so with coloured gemstones.

Inside out

 

While crafting a fine timepiece is an artform in itself, aficionados would argue that the beauty of a watch lies within,which is why skeleton creations are a boon. A front row seat to their intricacy comes to life via an open case front, and if you’re lucky, a sapphire case, much like Chanel, Gucci, and Hublot have embraced this year. Whilst Louis Vuitton, Rado, and Speake Marin heighten their beauty with colour and form, Montblanc and Jaeger-LeCoultre play on the historic experience of crafting precision and finery in a single breath. Bulgari, on the other hand, takes this idea to a whole new level by quite literally immortalising the idea of design by emblazoning the dial with a sketch of the calibre itself.

Black out

 

Playing the perfect backdrop to uplift the senses of a timepiece to its optimum, a black dial has been off the market for a few years, but this year it makes a comeback and is adorning the most celebrated watches in the market. Note how Chopard lifts its Happy Sport series with its opaque beauty, much like the Chanel Premiere Cuff who in any other shade wouldn’t do the watch justice. Rolex and Hublot, on the other hand, take classics for an update with its consuming shade, and Zenith highlights its monotonality with a gush of orange. But my favourite has to be Cartier’s Animal Jewellery watch, which reinterprets a zebra-meets- panther dial that coils around the deep well, i.e. the dial hued black.

 

Lead image: Première Sautoir-Belt Watch, Chanel

Also read: What is the role of women in the evolution of the modern watch?

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