The Dispatch: Our Favourite Releases From Watches & Wonders 2026

What we think: “Whether a reflection of the predictability of my taste or a testament to the enduring design prowess of the watchmaker of shapes (let’s go with the latter…), there’s really never a time when I’m not coveting a Cartier of some description. In past years, my preferences have veered towards the French watchmaker’s shaped watches, which tend to fall into the dress watch category. However, the revival of the Roadster has me shifting gears (sorry), with the maison proving its singular aesthetic works just as well for the sports watch category. There’s a certain robust charm to the chunky barrel-shaped case paired with the exhaust pipe-style integrated crown flowing through the side of the case and into the date aperture. The full stainless steel is my pick of the bunch.”  — John Deckard, publisher

What we think: “One of my favourite collections spotlighted at Watches & Wonders this year has to be from independent French watch brand Trilobe. Released at the tail end of last year, the Trente-Deux is the brand’s first collection equipped with an in-house manufacture calibre, the X-Nihilo; an automatic movement with a rather superhero-esque name. The Trente-Deux dispenses with the conventional method of displaying the time, opting for a trip of discs that display the time in motion. I love how the off-centre design shows that visual harmony isn’t necessarily synonymous with symmetry, while the largely closed dial taps into recent trends without incorporating a jumping hour function — which is edging towards saturation. Trilobe introduced a series of rose gold variations at Watches & Wonders, though I’m still partial to the debut stainless steel with a sunray silver dial (pictured here) from last year.” — Theo Rosen, journalist

What we think: “Many of Tudor’s models are often compared to big brother Rolex — something it cops flack and gains customers for in equal measure. When it comes to the Black Bay, Ranger, and previous incarnations of the Royal (i.e. the now-defunct Oyster Prince and Oyster Princess) lines, it’s a fair comparison. But the manufacture has proven it has a solid design language in its own right. Released to celebrate Tudor’s 100th anniversary, the Monarch arrives with a faceted case reminiscent of that of Zenith’s Chronomaster Revival but more sharp and angular. The aged champagne-toned dial is an unexpected complement to the California dial layout (half Arabic and half Roman numerals), fusing elements of past and present to create something that looks simultaneously ancient and modern.” — Tanisha Angel, editor

What we think: “The new sized-down Bulgari Octo Finissimo 37 is a big deal. Rather than one-up itself in its endless pursuit of thinness, Bulgari has focused on refining proportions this year, introducing its Bulgari Octo Finissimo in a 37mm size. As someone who always thought the 40mm variant was just a fraction too large, this is huge. Or more rather, it isn’t.” — Theo Rosen, journalist

What we think: “I’ve always had a soft spot for IWC’s coloured ceramic outings, particularly within the Colours of Top Gun line. Here, IWC applies its material mastery to the Gérald Genta-designed timepiece, with the Ingenieur Automatic 42 arriving in dark green ceramic. Ceramic can sometimes look one-note, but the combination of satin, sand-blasted, and polished finishings coupled with the rose gold screws on the bezel keeps things interesting.” — John Deckard, publisher

What we think: “Grand Seiko is no stranger to drawing from nature for inspiration, with many of its dress watches featuring dials inspired by the natural beauty of its home country of Japan. The Grand Seiko SBGZ011 extends this design language further, with the hand-engraved details—inspired by the flow of the Tateshina Waterfall in the Nagano Prefecture of central Japan—extending off the dial and onto the slimline 44GS case itself.” — Theo Rosen, journalist

What we think: “Vacheron Constantin spent most of last year releasing increasingly more complicated watches—like the Solaria Ultra Grande Complication, the most complicated wristwatch ever made—and timepieces like the wild La Quête du Temps. It was a fitting way to celebrate 270 years of continuous operation, but this year, the manufacture seems to be focusing on wearability over mechanical mastery. That’s not a dig at the brand — after all, wristwatches are made to be worn. And, the new Overseas Self-Winding Ultra-Thin is no slouch when it comes to mechanics, with the new ultra-thin calibre 2550 measuring just 2.4mm thick (or more rather thin), allowing the manufacture’s flagship chunky integrated bracelet sports watch to take on a svelte appearance. The new calibre makes its debut in a 39.5mm platinum case with an elegant salmon dial. It doesn’t win any ‘skinniest watch ever’ awards (Bulgari already has that covered), but it proves you don’t need to go wafer-thin to improve proportions and feel on the wrist.” — Tanisha Angel, editor

What we think: “A tidy follow up to the platinum and lapis lazuli G.F.J. released at last year’s fair, for Watches & Wonders 2026 Zenith has mated the hand-wound calibre 135 (the contemporary version of the most-awarded observatory chronometer movement in watchmaking history) with an equally impressive metal. Known for being highly dense, corrosion resistant, and extremely difficult to work with, tantalum is a material not touched by too many watchmakers. The effort pays off here though, with its metallic blue-grey tones playing nicely with a black onyx dial topped with trapeze-cut diamond hour markers. There’s also a yellow gold version with green bloodstone, but the tantalum and onyx iteration has a certain quiet weight to it.” — Henry Blake, journalist

What we think: Ulysse Nardin doesn’t always release watches I necessarily want to wear, but I do consistently enjoy looking at them. A quarter-century after the release of its Freak watch—the seminal timepiece that eliminated the dial, hands, and crown in favour of using the main bridge of the movement itself to indicate the minutes and a separate disc for the hours—the brand has upped the Freak quotient with the Super Freak. Employing an exaggerated version of the established design language, the Super Freak is powered by the calibre UN-252, with the automatic movement comprising 511 components, including a double tourbillon and a patented gimbal system. While Ulysse Nardin’s contemporaries are in a continual quest to make the thinnest movement, the calibre UN-252 takes on a three-dimensional form. It sits within a platinum case atop a blue dial and is what Ulysse Nardin calls “the most complicated time-only watch ever made”.” — Theo Rosen, journalist