Four Surprising Releases from Watches & Wonders

The sun has set on Watches & wonders 2024, and now that the rush of the fair is over, it's time to take a slightly more objective look at the fair overall. What was interesting about Watches & Wonders this year was that there was no clear 'it' watch that everyone was talking about. Last year, for example, you couldn't walk three steps in the Palexpo without someone mentioning the Rolex 'Emoji' watch; a few years ago, it was Audemars Piguet's Code 11.59. This year, not so much. But while there was no single standout watch, there were plenty of surprising moments.

Rolex opts for formalwear

First up, Rolex. While the Crown's collection was quite sedate, offering new dials, case materials and bezels of classic models, there was one release that stood out from the Oyster cases as something quite special: the 1908 reference 5206 — an impressive follow-up to last year's debut of the dressy 1908 collection. The 39mm chronometre now comes with a platinum case paired with the brand's traditional icy blue dial, but the dial here is something quite special. The dial shows some quite fine industrial guilloché, in what Rolex calls a 'rice grain' pattern. It's a lovely, elegant dress watch, and a real stand out from Rolex's typically sporty fare.

Czapek takes a stroll on the promenade 

Another surprise release was from indie darlings Czapek & Cie — most famous for their sporty and integrated Antarctique line. While we got new additions to this sporty collection, the real focus for Czapek this year was their entirely new collection: the Promenade. This round, relaxed evolution of the Quai des Bergues design language is a slender, sub-10mm 38mm model, with dials by Donze Cadrans and Metalem, and the impressive micro-rotor SXH5 behind the scenes. Not only does this add another, more traditional (and accessible) string to Czapek's offerings.

Vacheron Constantin's status update: It's complicated

Vacheron Constantin. Another watch that no one saw coming (yet is impossible to miss) is the Vacheron Constantin Les Cabinotiers 'The Berkeley Grand Complication. Impressive as this name is, the watch is even more so. Weighing in at almost a kilogram, this plus-sized pocket watch is packed full with 63 complications, making it the most complicated watch in the world. Its plethora of functionality includes the world's first-ever Chinese perpetual calendar. This watch trumps the 57 complications of Vacheron Constantin's 2015 reference 57260 but was apparently commissioned by the same American collector, so it's not really a game of thrilling one-upmanship but rather a brand challenging itself.

Piaget keeps a low profile

Over in the realm of ultra-thin watches the spirit of one-upmanship is still going strong. Keeping it to brands formally in the Palexpo, Piaget's ultra-thin mastery saw them claim the record for the thinnest tourbillon, with the Piaget Altiplano Concept Tourbillon shaving 1.95mm off the previous record holder, coming in at a total case height of only 2.00mm. On its own, a watch thinner than most watch straps is wild, but one regulated by a constantly whirling tourbillon is a hallmark of truly incredible engineering.

So, while Watches & Wonders 2024 may not have had a single timepiece anointed by the collective as 'The Watch', there were plenty of unexpected releases to surprise and delight.