Anniversary releases from Rolex and Patek Philippe, skeleton watches galore and timepieces built for space travel at the world’s biggest watch show.
There was a great sense of wonder at this year’s Watches And Wonders Geneva—the most important trade show for luxury timepieces—and much of it involved space. But it wasn’t just Artemis II fever. After all, the night sky reliably kept time for several millennia before the invention of the mechanical clock and the world of haute horology has always sought new ways to track heavenly bodies or incorporate their beauty. And as human ambition aimed ever higher, some 2,000 watches have gone on space missions since the 1960s—from the Seiko Pogue to the Rolex GMT Master to the signature Apollo-era watch, the Omega Speedmaster Professional.
In addition to the celestial watch complications among this year’s Watches and Wonders novelties—most notably moon phase dials—there were several timepieces built for actual space travel, including the IWC Pilot’s Venturer Vertical Drive and Bremont’s Supernova.
Back on Earth, several watch brands were also celebrating big anniversaries with out-of-this-world releases—Rolex launched a new Oyster Perpetual in honor its centennial, Patek Philippe debuted 50th anniversary Nautilus watches (and a limited-edition clock), and Vacheron Constantin’s Overseas collection marked 30 years.
Here are some of the most beautiful, innovative, and buzziest new watches that will stand the test of time.
Rolex Cosmograph Daytona
Having launched the Land-Dweller collection at last year’s Watches and Wonders, Rolex looked to its archives this year to celebrate the centennial of its Oyster case, the patented waterproof technology it developed in 1926, which makes its sports watches possible.
To mark the occasion, the Crown debuted a new Oyster Perpetual 41 in stainless steel and yellow Rolesor gold with “100 years” stamped on the dial at six o’clock. Rolex also kept the celebration going with a new Oyster Perpetual with a Jubilee dial (with the brand’s name spelled out in brightly colored letters).
But the watch that serious collectors will covet—and mortals will never actually see—is the new Rolex Cosmograph Daytona in Rolesium (a proprietary combination of stainless steel and platinum.) This Daytona also features a grand feu enamel dial with a Cerachrom bezel.
It’s almost enough to make Rolex fans forget that, after years of rumors, the brand officially discontinued the beloved red-and-blue “Pepsi” bezel on its GMT-Master II collection, a move that will surely give a boost to the secondary market.
VITALS
Case: Rolesium (Oystersteel and platinum)
Diameter: 40 mm
Power Reserve: 72 hours
Price: $57,800
Cartier Santos-Dumont
The more elegant version of the original pilot’s watch—created in 1904 for the dashing Brazilian aviator Alberto Santos-Dumont—the Cartier Santos-Dumont reached new heights this year with the release of a yellow gold model with an obsidian dial on a slim, 15-link yellow gold bracelet. The result is a more comfortable fit on the wrist that elevates a classic sports watch into a dress watch.
VITALS
Case: Yellow Gold
Size: 43.5 mm x 31.4 mm
Power Reserve: 43 hours
Price: $62,000 (limited edition)
Vacheron Constantin Overseas Dual Time Cardinal Points
To commemorate the 30th anniversary of its popular Overseas collection, Vacheron Constantin introduced the Overseas Dual Time Cardinal Points in titanium, inspired by the titanium prototype used by explorer Cory Richards during his 2019 ascent of Everest. The Cardinal Points collection comes in four colors, each representing a different compass direction: North (white), South (brown), East (blue) and West (green). The hour markers and local time hands are 18k white gold with Super LumiNova, while the second time zone and day/night function uses orange accents for higher legibility.
VITALS
Case: Titanium
Diameter: 41 mm
Power Reserve: 60 hours
Price: $41,000
A. Lange & Söhne Lange 1 Tourbillion Perpetual Calender ‘Lumen’
A. Lange & Söhne has long balanced its passion for complications with incredibly legible dials. Two years after releasing a “Lumen” version of its Datograph Perpetual Tourbillon, the German luxury watch brand is giving the same glow up to its signature Lange 1 model. The dial displays the month, date, and time, as well as the moon phase, power reserve, and leap-year cycle. The luminous material on the display discs, hands, and date window are even more visible in darkness, while at the same time allowing the movement to be seen through the dial. And the night sky on the moonphase disc lights up—just like the real one.
VITALS
Case: Platinum
Diameter: 41.9 mm
Power Reserve: 50 hours
Price: Upon Request (Limited to 50)
Patek Philippe Ref. 5610/1P
In 1976, during the height of the Quartz Crisis, Patek Philippe introduced a watch that forever changed the face of the brand—and the industry itself. The Gerald Genta-designed Nautilus was Patek’s first luxury sports watch, a stainless steel timepiece with a dial based on a ship’s porthole and an integrated steel bracelet. A half-century later, Patek is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Nautilus with three new models—a platinum 5610 (above), limited to 2,000 pieces, a white gold 5810 available on a bracelet (also limited to 2,000) or fabric-patterned composite strap (limited to 1,ooo)—and one very special Nautilus desk clock in white gold, limited to 100 pieces. Each of these 50th anniversary models has an engraving on the 22k gold microrotor that reads: “50 1976-2026.”
VITALS
Case: Platinum
Width: 38 mm
Power Reserve: 48 hours
Price: $112,529
Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda PF Chronographe Mystérieux
Most wristwatches have hands—but few provide an actual trick up your sleeve. The Parmigiani Tonda PF Chronographe Mystérieux builds on the innovation of the Tonda PF GMT Rattrapante, introduced at Watches And Wonders in 2022. On that timepiece, pressing the pusher between 7 o’clock and 8 moved the white gold hour hand up an hour, only to reveal a previously hidden second hour hand in rose gold. With the Chronographe Mystérieux, the magic is further elevated. At rest, the watch appears to be three-handed. With the first press of the pusher, the seconds hand returns to 12 and the chronograph hands are revealed. (Now it’s a five-handed chrono.) With a second push, the measurement stops and on the third push, the hands return to their original position and disappear. Want to see it again? You will.
VITALS
Case: Stainless steel and platinum
Diameter: 40 mm
Power Reserve: 60 hours
Price: $44,6000
Bulgari Octo Finissimo 37
For the first time in several years, Bulgari did not try to set a record for the world’s thinnest watch. Instead, the Italian luxury brand shrank the dial of its signature Octo Finissimo model to a civilized 37 mm and gave it a new push-button butterfly clasp. The result is a unisex watch that’s even uni-sexier.
VITALS
Case: Yellow gold
Diameter: 37 mm
Power Reserve: 72 hours
Price: $48,300
Grand Seiko SBGZ011 ‘Mystic Waterfall’
Nature-inspired dials have long been a hallmark of Grand Seiko and this year that exceptional craftsmanship extends to the platinum case. The limited-edition Grand Seiko SBGZ011 is inspired by the Tateshina Waterfall in Shinsu with hand-engraved lines in multiple directions that evoke endlessly flowing water. What’s powering the Mystic Waterfall watch is also impressive—Grand Seiko’s manual-winding Calibre 9R02, its thinnest Spring Drive movement to date.
VITALS
Case: Platinum
Diameter: 40 mm
Power Reserve: 84 hours
Price: $84,000 (Limited to 50)
Hermès H08 Squelette
To make no bones about it, there were a lot of skeletonized releases in Geneva this year—perhaps none more surprising than the first skeleton sports watch from Hermès. The H08 Squelette maintains the basic design of the H08, which debuted in 2021—a time-and-date dial in a black DLC-coated titanium cushion case. But it’s the new in-house movement—or is it the dial?—with its X-shaped bridges that’s really something to see here. And if the Bleu Zanzibar version is too bold, there’s also a gray dial for a stealthier look.
VITALS
Case: Titanium
Width: 39 mm
Power Reserve: 60 hours
Price: $21,600
Chopard L’Heure du Diamant
Chopard’s L’Heure du Diamant collection debuted in 2012 as a tribute to its jewelry watches of the 1960s and ’70s. This year’s cushion-shaped model features an onyx dial in an 18k white gold case surrounded by 4.4 carats of brilliant cut diamonds. The hour markers at 12, 3, 6 and 9 o’clock also have diamond markers and to add to the dazzle the hour and minute hands are also set with brilliant-cut diamonds. All that’s missing is a red carpet to walk down.
VITALS
Case: White gold
Diameter: 31.5 mm
Power Reserve: 42 hours
Price: $76,200
Chanel J12 Superleggera Caliber 12.1
Coco Chanel may have created her fashion brand to empower women, but it has always understood men—particularly when it comes to timepieces. In 2005, Chanel introduced the Superleggera model to its celebrated J12 collection, inspired by the prestigious Milanese sports car coachbuilder Carrozzeria Touring, which built superleggera (Italian for “super-light”) models for racing. This year, Chanel is back with a new Superleggera in new materials (the 2026 version is ceramic and steel, the original was aluminum and ceramic) with a new caliber (it’s now powered by Chanel’s Kenissi-manufactured Caliber 12.1)
VITALS
Case: Ceramic
Diameter: 42 mm
Power Reserve: ~70 hours
Price: $13,750
Ulysse Nardin Super Freak
In 2001, Ulysse Nardin introduced a shocking timepiece at Baselworld that broke some of the most basic rules of watchmaking—there was no crown, no dial and no hands. The Freak, as it was known, was also the first timepiece to use ultra-light silicon components in its movement. Twenty-five years later, Ulysse Nardin is celebrating its iconoclastic icon with the release of—what else?—the Super Freak. The brand calls the watch, which took four years to develop, “the most complicated time-only watch ever created.” And its easy to see why. The Super Freak has 511 components and all but 13 are in motion. The watch is powered by a double tourbillon and it is the first Freak to display the seconds. But is that really why anyone would wear it, to tell time?
VITALS
Case: White gold
Diameter: 44 mm
Power Reserve: 72 hours
Price: $393,600
IWC Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar Ceralume
Two years ago, IWC introduced Ceralume, a proprietary ceramic that glows in the dark. (In simple terms, Super-LumiNova pigment is mixed with the ceramic powder.) With the release of the Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar, IWC is off to a bright start with this new material. In daylight, the dial looks a little like the Beatles’ White Album. But in darkness, it all comes to light—the perpetual calendar dials and hour indicators are brought into high relief in the blue-green luminescence. Oh, and the white strap also glows.
VITALS
Case: Ceralume
Width: 46.5 mm
Power Reserve: 7 days
Price: $76,300 (limited to 250)
Van Cleef & Arpels Midnight Jour Nuit Phase de Lune
Van Cleef & Arpels’ Poetic Complications combine fine watchmaking, métiers d’art and plenty of celestial storytelling. Among the standouts this year was a timepiece that recounts the classic story of two lovers who are truly star-crossed—Altair and Vega. And while Midnight Jour Nuit Phase de Lune may not involve any romance, it’s no less romantic. The watch features a disc that rotates once every 24 hours and functions as a day/night indicator. Within the night sky is a second indicator, which reveals the phases of the moon. The moonphase function can also be made visible by pressing the pusher on the side of the case.
VITALS
Case: White gold
Diameter: 42 mm
Power Reserve: 72 hours
Price: $153,000
Tag Heuer Monaco Evergraph
Even if Tag Heuer weren’t the official timekeeper of Formula 1, it is indelibly connected to the sport. It was the first luxury brand to have its logo on a car and the first to sponsor a team. Among Tag Heuer’s most famous models is named for the most legendary Grand Prix race, Monaco. Somewhat ironically, the watch became famous because of another iconic race—Steve McQueen wore a Monaco in the 1971 film, Le Mans. (And one of those Heuer Monaco watches worn by McQueen in the movie is up for auction at Sotheby’s in June with a presale estimate of $500,000 to $1 million.)
This year, Tag Heuer introduced three new Monaco models—with a black dial, green and the signature blue—but it was the debut of the Monaco Evergraph that had collectors’ hearts racing. It features the new TH80-00 movement (which is, fittingly, square) and replaces the traditional levers and springs that power a chronograph with innovative “bistable” components. And most of it is visible through the dial.
VITALS
Case: Titanium
Diameter: 40 mm
Power Reserve: 70 hours
Price: $28,500
Oris Star Edition
For several decades, the 1934 Swiss Watch Statute prevented the country’s independent watch brands from using advanced technology in their movements. In 1965, Oris (led by attorney Dr. Rolf Portmann) successfully fought to overturn the statute, allowing the company and its competitors to develop higher-grade movements. The following year, the brand introduced the Oris Star, its first watch with a lever escapement. To commemorate the 60th anniversary of this landmark watch, Oris has released a new Star that is a faithful recreation of the original—down to the 35-mm case and the plexi-crystal glass.
VITALS
Case: Stainless steel
Diameter: 40 mm
Power Reserve: 41 hours
Price: $2,300
Panerai Luminor 31 Giorni
Imagine only to have to wind a watch once a month. That’s the idea behind Panerai’s Luminor 31 Giorni, which has a power reserve (as its name indicates in Italian) of 31 days. It’s a massive leap for the brand, which began by making watches for the Italian Navy, and had previously released an 8 Giorni model. All of that power, of course, requires a big movement—but Panerai’s supersized 44-mm brushed Goldtech case can handle it.
VITALS
Case: Brushed Goldtech
Diameter: 44 mm
Power Reserve: 31 days
Price: $107,000 (Limited to 200)
H. Moser & Cie. x Reebox Streamliner Pump
H. Moser & Cie understands that just because a watch has some wit behind it, perhaps a little whimsy, doesn’t make it any less serious as a timepiece. Moser’s new limited-edition Streamliner is a collaboration with Reebook, which is bringing back the Pump in 2026, the revolutionary 1989 sneaker with an orange orb on the tongue that would inflate the shoe to give it a snug fit with a few pumps. Moser’s Streamliner Pump (which, like the sneaker, is available in black or white) is a sleek two-hand watch in a forged quartz case. The dial features an orange power reserve indicator, which connects with the orange pusher at 8 o’clock—with each pump the watch gets an extra hour of power. While the wearer will no doubt get a (pumped-up) kick from pressing the button, it does have its limits—74 pumps fully powers the watch.
VITALS
Case: Forged quartz
Width: 30 mm
Power Reserve: 74 hours
Price: $39,900 (Limited to 250)
Bremont Supernova
Bremont, the luxury British watch brand founded in 2002 by brothers Nick and Giles English, was built on military-inspired timepieces. Now owned by Bill Ackman, the billionaire founder and CEO of Pershing Square Capital Management, and run by CEO Davide Cerrato, the brand has set its sights higher—much higher. Having already conquered watches for land, sea and air, Bremont is heading to space. And not just as a tourist—the Bremont Supernova aims to be the first British watch on the moon. The stainless steel chronograph, which features an integrated bracelet, is a partnership with AstroLab, the California-based startup that builds lunar rovers and is expected to hitch a ride there on a future SpaceX mission. Keeping time on AstroLab’s FLIP rover? The Bremont Supernova.
VITALS
Case: Stainless Steel
Diameter: 41 mm
Power Reserve: 62 hours
Price: $8,250
Hublot Big Bang Reloaded Blue Ceramic
Hublot’s Big Bang established the design DNA for the brand—oversized and bold, with an emphasis on rugged, futuristic materials. Having celebrated its 20th anniversary last year, Hublot reimagined the collection this year with Big Bang Reloaded, five new releases built around its flyback chronograph movement. In addition to the Blue Ceramic model, the watch also comes is dark green ceramic, titanium ceramic, Magic Gold and an All Black version. There are also two limited-edition Reloaded models—one for legendary sprinter Usain Bolt and the other for Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappé.
VITALS
Case: Ceramic
Diameter: 44 mm
Power Reserve: 72 hours
Price: $25,200
Tudor Monarch
In honor of the brand’s 100th anniversary, Tudor brought back its Monarch collection and gave it a regal redesign. With an angular steel case and bracelet, the new Monarch features a champagne-colored “California” dial (featuring Arabic and Roman numerals) and a new caliber that’s both COSC and METAS certified. As with an actual royal family, this Monarch feels like the beginning of a new line for Tudor—one that’s firmly connected to its past.
VITALS
Case: Stainless steel
Diameter: 39 mm
Power Reserve: 65 hours
Price: $5,875
Zenith G.F.J.
Last year, to honor its founder, Georges Favre-Jacot, Zenith debuted the new G.F.J. timepiece with its celebrated Caliber 135, which was meant to be the beginning of a new dress watch collection. Now the brand has expanded the collection with two models—a yellow gold version with a green bloodstone dial and a limited edition in tantalum with an onyx dial and baguette-cut diamond hour markers.
VITALS
Case: Platinum
Diameter: 39.15 mm
Power Reserve: 72 hours
Price: $83,400 (Limited to 20)
Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Control Chronometre Perpetual Calendar
There has always been more to Jaeger-LeCoultre than the Reverso, but until the release of the new Master Control Chronometre series, the brand had never had a proper sports watch with an integrated bracelet. (Which is somewhat ironic since JLC’s Caliber 920 famously powered the original Audemars Piguet Royal Oak in 1972 and the first Patek Philippe Nautilus in 1976.) The new Master Control Chronometre line features three new references, but it’s the Perpetual Calendar (available in stainless steel and pink gold, above) that’s the standout. And since it doesn’t have to be manually adjusted until the year 2100, that makes it pretty timeless.
VITALS
Case: Pink gold
Diameter: 39 mm
Power Reserve: 70 hours
Price: $83,500
