Trending time pieces by luxury watch designers that make a statement

If you're a collector of luxury watches or simply love to have the latest timepieces in your collection, you will be spoilt for choice this season. Leading luxe watchmakers are designing one product after another, keeping in mind the latest trends and likes of the young consumers. We bring you the most stylish and luxurious pieces out there to make your job a lot easier. 

Bright Hour

Tinted in vivid hues, these show-stopping dials are good enough to make your wrist a definitive head-turner.

Watches: G-Timeless Planetarium, Gucci (left) and Oyster Perpetual Day, Rolex (right)

A sign of the time quite literally, these timepieces have only one agenda—to make a statement. Some of the most coveted houses are embracing colours—Patek Philippe is turning their classic Calatrava into a canvas for a radiating purple hue, Rolex has opted to eliminate vital complication indicators with emojis and words of gratitude, and Oris is making friends with Kermit and splashing his hue across its 39mm dial. While every brand takes this as an opportunity to have ‘fun’ with time, it is also a clear indicator that a watch is the best way to express your inner mood, and what better than a happy one?

Little Wonders

Witness a wave of watches that are tinier than expected, each one making a strong case for petite perfection.

Watches: Serpenti Misteriosi Dragone, Bulgari and Première X- Ray, Chanel

Downsizing for all the right reasons, iconic timepieces such as Cartier Baignoire, Chopard Happy Sport, Vacheron Constantin Overseas, and Omega Aqua Terra are now available in mini versions that one can wear with the same ease as their larger counterparts. Unleashing an approach that lends well to all wrist sizes, these timepieces have been mindfully shrunk down keeping true to the ethos of their design ideology. Bulgari even developed a micro mechanical movement aptly termed 'Piccolissimo' that translates to little in Italian.

Vintage Touch

Going back in time is always special. These novelties explore the early 20th century’s greatest hits with all the right updates.

Watches: Reverso Tribute Small Seconds, Jaeger-LeCoultre and Reine de Naples 9838, Breguet

The booming sales of vintage watches at auction have led to a ripple effect when it comes to rediscovering classics. Watch brands have taken note and 2023 is about embracing pathbreaking styles of the 1930s all the way up to the ’70s with open arms, reissuing them powered with complications that are relevant for today. Panerai celebrates its Italian heritage with the Radiomir, presenting it with an annual calendar all worded in Italian, Rolex has brought back the Panda Daytona, Jaeger-LeCoultre commemorates the iconic Reverso, Tudor Royal reimagines itself in a champagne tint, and Longines claims its Pilot Majatek heritage. Each one is a piece from yesteryear, still relevant today more than ever before.

Dripping in Jewels

Concealing watches in pieces of jewellery has been the most notable horological style for women in the early days, and in 2023 it’s an art form to covet.

Watches: Haute Joaillerie Watch, Chopard and Clash [Un]limited, Cartier

The idea of concealing a watch in a piece of jewellery stemmed from the notion that looking at your watch was considered rude, especially when you are out for an occasion where high jewellery is the norm. While back in the day it was a functional necessity, today it is transcended to a hallmark of true craftsmanship. Celebrating this very art, Chanel, Van Cleef & Arpels, Piaget, and Jaeger-LeCoultre have taken the sautoir route, embedding their fine creations in necklaces that can be worn as pendants that are truly timeless. Bulgari, Cartier, and Chopard, on the other hand, opt for a more hands-on approach, gilding bracelets and cuffs with rare gems that petal around a dial.

New Yet Noble

The culmination of noble metals and watches is a long-standing one. With these timepieces, experience the magic of new materials that lend seamlessly to aesthetic and functionality.

Watches: Carrera Plasma Diamant, TAG Heuer and Freak ONE, Ulysse Nardin

Think carbon, titanium, ceramic, and more, watch brands are constantly innovating with new materials to craft timepieces that still focus on high watchmaking but with a modern outlook. Take IWC Schaffhausen, for instance, the Ingenieur, which is one of Gérald Genta’s masterpieces from the ’70s, stays true to its iconic integrated bracelet but is now encased in a light yet effective titanium body. The TAG Heuer Carrera Plasma Diamant pushes the limits with the use of lab-grown diamonds that have literally been ‘grown’ to stipulate the watch. Hermès reboots its H08 with a compressed technology taking carbon to the next level and Rado achieves a new, truly-thin version with its ceramic mastery. The true nobility lies in timekeeping, not what it’s made of.

This piece originally appeared in the June-July 2023 print edition of Harper's Bazaar India.