We've officially made it to the halfway point of the year and thus far, it has been a wild ride. We've worked our way through some pretty busy periods with LVMH Watch Week, Watches and Wonders and Time to Watches all playing host to an assortment of incredible and noteworthy new watches. So, I figured given that we've just officially edged our way past the midpoint of 2024, now would be the perfect time to take a breath and look back at some best new watches of 2024.
Without further adieu, here are the best watches of 2024 (So far).
Jaeger-LeCoultre Duometre Heliotourbillon Perpetual
With the new Jaeger-LeCoultre Duometre Heliotourbillon Perpetual, the maison reminds us why it’s often referred to as the watchmakers’ watchmaker. It features a tourbillon constructed on three axes, creating a unique kinematic effect which is a first for the maison, along with a perpetual calendar and a grande date. The Duometre Heliotourbillon Perpetual really pushes the boundaries of what we can and should expect a watchmaker like Jaeger-LeCoultre to be able to make and subsequently produce. The Jaeger-LeCoultre Duometre Heliotourbillon Perpetual is as brilliant as it is captivating and is easily one of the best watches of the year so far.
A. Lange & Söhne Datograph Perpetual Tourbillon Honeygold “Lumen”
A. Lange & Söhne may have just stolen the year with the Datograph Perpetual Tourbillon Honeygold “Lumen”. Previously available in two distinct and highly sought after variations. Lange went a step above and combined two of the maison's most virtuous and most desirable techniques: Lumen and Honeygold. Endowing the DPT with both a Lumen dial and a Honeygold case has definitely propelled the new A. Lange & Söhne Datograph Perpetual Tourbillon Honeygold “Lumen” into legendary, albeit untouchable, status. One of the best watches of the year.
De Bethune DB Kind of Grande Complication
De Bethune unveiled a piece that it called a culmination of 22 years worth of work at Watches And Wonders 2024. The new DB Kind of Grande Complication is a delightfully complicated timepiece that features no less than 8 functions, not including a 30-minute titanium tourbillon. The DB Kind of Grande Complication boasts a dual front and back display of the hours and minutes, a secondes morte, a spherical moon phase, a leap-year indicator, a perpetual calendar, and end of power reserve indication and an age of the moon indicator. What surprises me is the relatively small size of the case, given the sheer amount of complications encased within its titanium exterior. Show and year stopping.
Ulysse Nardin Freak S Nomad
Ulysse Nardin brought the heat to Watches And Wonders 2024 with the new Freak S Nomad seriously taking the cake as one of the show's highlights so far. Innovative, utterly brilliant and supremely polarising, the Freak S Nomad does away with convention and instead opens the door to a complete new realm of watchmaking. With that massive carousel movement looking less like a piece of horology and more like a spaceship from your favourite sci-fi movie, the Freak S Nomad is a watch that needs to be seen in the metal to fully understand and appreciate. One of my favourite watches of the year.
IWC Portugieser Eternal Calendar
Anything that boasts the numbers that the IWC Portugieser Eternal Calendar does should and will have its placed solidified on the list of best watches of 2024, period. With a calendar accurate to 3,499, a 400-year gear for the recognition of irregular leap years, and a moon phase accurate for 45,000,000 years for both Northern and Southern hemispheres, the IWC Portugieser Eternal Calendar is by far one of the maison's most interesting and complicated timepieces this side of the turn of the decade.
Vacheron Constantin Traditionnelle Tourbillon Chronograph Excellence Platine
The Vacheron Constantin Traditionnelle Tourbillon Chronograph Collection Excellence Platine wins it for me, even over the 63-complication Berkley Grand Complication. The Collection Excellence Platine is one of my all-time favourite collections of watches from any maison, with the Traditionnelle Tourbillon Chronograph Collection Excellence Platine peaking in both material and technical departments. One of the key pieces of 2024, period.
Chopard Alpine Eagle 41 XP TT
This was something I definitely was not expecting next to come out of the Alpine Eagle lineage, but it's a piece that I absolutely adore. Here is the Chopard Alpine Eagle 41 XP TT, complete with an openworked dial in titanium. For the sake of brevity, the Chopard Alpine Eagle 41 XP TT presents as the most modern iteration of the Alpine Eagle and in, its own right, the most impressive. By far and away one of the best watches of the year and a real indication of how far Chopard is willing to push the envelope these days. Will we see a precious metal or stainless steel variant of this? I sure hope so.
Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda PF Skeleton Platinum
The Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda PF Skeleton Platinum is another superb release that perhaps didn't get the attention it deserved. Encased in platinum with a matching material bracelet, the Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda PF Skeleton Platinum boasts an openworked Blue Milano dial, complimenting the case and bracelet's high-grade shine. Absolutely lovely.
Tudor Black Bay
Tudor came into its own at Watches And Wonders 2024 with its latest iteration of the Black Bay. The new Master Chronometer certified Black Bay carries with it all of the attributes of being a staple in any collection. Priced roughly half of what its bigger brother is now priced at, the Black Bay presents tremendous value and accessibility, all the while well and truly being a genuinely comparable article. Hats off to one of the best watches of 2024 so far.
Cartier Privé Tortue Monopoussoir Chronograph
Making its mark as one of the most impressive watches of the show is the Cartier Privé Tortue Monopoussoir Chronograph. Available in either yellow gold or platinum, the newest piece from Cartier signifies the atelier's pursuit for horological brilliance, aesthetic restraint and an eye for detail. A highlight of Watches And Wonders 2024 and of the year as a whole.
MB&F Legacy Machine Sequential Flyback Platinum
MB&F's LM Chronograph is back and it's better (and more complicated) than ever. MB&F reached out to the genius movement maker Stephen McDonnell to create a flyback function for its twin-chronograph, much to the acclaim of the MB&F fanbase. The mechanism used, dubbed the 'Twinverter', makes it possible to use both chronographs independently. The flyback system allows the user to reset the chronograph without needing to stop it. Trivial, yes. But if you understood the dynamic mechanics beyond it, then it's not hard to appreciate how fundamentally difficult the task is.
Zenith Defy Extreme Diver
As fantastic as the all-rounder Zenith Defy Skyline Chronograph is and as cool as the Defy Revival A3648 is, the Zenith Defy Extreme Diver won the year for me, easily fitting into this list of the best watches of Watches And Wonders 2024 and of the year. Big, bold and brash, the Zenith Defy Extreme Diver is a unique take on some very serious tool-watch business. Built to defy the depths given its 600m water resistant rating, the Zenith Defy Extreme Diver is anything but a desk diver. Love it.
Patek Philippe 5396G Annual Calendar
The Patek Philippe 5396G Annual Calendar won my vote. From sunburst blue dial with a black gradient to the diamond indices, the simple and legible annual calendar layout and its almost overly discreet look, the Patek Philippe 5396G Annual Calendar comes in as one of the best watches of Watches And Wonders 2024 for me by far and from the maison in recent years, too.
Lederer Central Impulse Chronometer
The brilliant Lederer Central Impulse Chronometer is perhaps one of those unsung heroes of modern watchmaking. A complete and uncompromising emphasis on chronometrical performance makes for one of the most compelling concepts, irrespective of the many different guises it is available in. Originally launched in 2020, the Lederer Central Impulse Chronometer was deemed a fairly large piece, measuring 44mm across. But now, much to acclaim of the watch community collective, the Lederer Central Impulse Chronometer is available in a 39mm size in either white or rose gold (with a blue or grey dial colour, respectively). An absolute, definitive yes from me.
Renaud Tixier Monday
Dominique Renaud and Julien Tixier have teamed up to create one of this year's most interesting feats of watchmaking in the Monday, which addresses one of seven fundamental principles of watchmaking in winding efficiency. What we have with the Monday is something that can be considered completely novel in a "dancing" micro-rotor. Within a very conservative exterior, lies an answer to a problem of inefficiency from the smaller size of a traditional micro rotor, more of which you can read about on Renaud Tixier's website. But in essence, it's as novel as it is ingenious. I really can't wait to see what Tuesday will look like.
Zenith Chronomaster Original Triple Calendar
The Zenith Chronomaster Original Triple Calendar exemplifies Zenith's dedication to timeless elegance and horological precision. Encased in stainless steel, the watch pays homage to the brand's rich heritage with a classic design featuring a triple calendar complication. The day, date, and month functions are seamlessly integrated into the dial, providing both practicality and aesthetic balance. Driven by the legendary El Primero automatic movement, the Chronomaster Original ensures accurate timekeeping with a high-frequency beat. With its vintage-inspired design and sophisticated complications, this timepiece appeals to enthusiasts appreciating a blend of heritage and modern functionality within the Zenith Chronomaster collection.
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