What we want to see from Rolex, Patek Philippe and Cartier at Watches & Wonders 2024

Watches & Wonders has emerged as the single dominant moment in the watch industry calendar. Sure there's individual brand roadshows, smaller (and dare we say critically acclaimed) regional events like Dubai Watch Week, and a few other outliers, but in terms of sheer numbers, the big Geneva show is the one to watch.

This year it's also bigger that ever, with 55 officially exhibiting brands, compared to 49 last year. The show is even breaking free from the constraints of its traditional home in the Palexpo exhibition centre, to make its presence felt throughout Geneva. The focus of the show is shifting from an industry-only event to a more inclusive one, with more public days and a more comprehensive schedule of public events than ever before.

Having said that, at its heart, Watches & Wonders is all about the watches, and all these changes to the show mean more watches and more ways for people to experience these watches. Of course, there are plenty of hidden gems to be discovered, but realistically, most people have their eyes set on new releases from the major players. After all, a recent Morgan Stanley overview of the Swiss watch industry in 2023 found that four brands made up just over 50% of total sales, and three of those brands, Rolex, Patek Philippe and Cartier, are showing in Geneva, with only Omega choosing to go their own way.

These brands are famously tight-lipped about their major new releases, and as the days before the big reveal count down, speculation only increases. So, adding some fuel to the fire, here are our thoughts on what we hope and expect to see from Rolex, Patek Philippe and Cartier at Watches & Wonders 2024.

Rolex

Usually, predicting what Rolex is going to release in any given year is a reasonably incremental affair, 'evolution, not revolution,' as the brand has been known to put it. A new case metal here, a new bezel there — that sort of thing. However, it must be said that the brand's 2023 collection was pretty revolutionary. Not only did we get completely revamped Daytonas and a brand new collection in the 1908, we also got some surprisingly exuberant releases in the 'emoji' Day-Date and the Celebration dialled Oyster Perpetual. I would be too much to expect the same level of excitement this year, but having said that, new additions to the classical 1908 are expected, as is a shake-up to GMT-Master II bezel options.

Patek Philippe

Another brand that plays their new releases close to their vest is Patek Philippe. The buzz here is around the possibilities of a completely new collection, something Thierry Stern has stated is going to happen in 2024. Now, there's no saying that a release this major will occur at Watches & Wonders; the brand might choose to mark the occasion on its own terms later in the year. But, if it does happen, it's going to be THE news of the fair, as the last two collections Patek Philippe debuted were the Twenty~4 in 1999 and the Aquanaut in 1997.

Cartier

Cartier has been on a roll in recent years, with strong updates to core offerings and high demand for statement pieces, along with a smart marketing strategy creating something of a perfect storm for the Maison. All eyes will be peeled for the new Privé release, an exclusive, historically faithful deep dive into their archival releases. Alongside that, we can expect some new additions to the core lines like the Santos and the Tank Louis Cartier, as well as some extravagant statement jewellery. One thing we'd be surprised to see is new iterations of the Crash, as it wouldn't be sensible for Cartier to keep fanning the flames of the already impossible-to-get model.