Watches and Wonders 2024 Highlights

Last week, from 9^th until 15^th April 2024, the watch world descended en masse to Geneva for one of the biggest events globally on the watch calendar – Watches & Wonders 2024. As the show has grown, the presence in Geneva has spawned other smaller events, too – a great thing which means this particular week truly does have something for everyone!

These smaller events include the likes of “Masters of Horology”, an event put on by the AHCI (Académie Horlogère des Créateurs Indépendants, a collective co-founded by Svend Andersen and Vincent Calabrese) which showcases the work of its members who represent some of the world’s foremost independent watch and clock makers. “Time to Watches” now in its third year includes over 50 exhibitors from brands and other watch-based companies, and includes brands such as Yema, Laco, Sinn, Carl Suchy & Söhne, and Fears.

And, of course, Geneva being home to a wealth of brand boutiques and flagship stores, there’s plenty to go and see around the city centre, as well.

Now that the dust has settled a little after the event, I decided to take a look at the novelties and highlight those which I think are the most exciting to me, and I’ve added a few other ‘honourable mentions’ as well.

I haven’t managed to make it over to Geneva yet for a Watches & Wonders exhibition, but it’s fast rising up my to do list! As such I guess I need to caveat this with the fact I haven’t yet seen any of these in person, and hopefully over the next year that might start to change.

My Watches and Wonders 2024 Highlights

Any exhibition where not one, but TWO world record technical achievements are announced, is always going to be a good starting point! And this record-breaking duo is where I’m going to start with my absolute favourite from this year, from holy trinity brand Vacheron Constantin.

Vacheron Constantin Les Cabinotiers – The Berkley Grand Complication

Simply put, this is MINDBLOWING. With an incredible 63 individual complications comprising 2877 individual components, it takes the mantle of the world’s most complicated watch (a title previously held by the Vacheron Constantin reference 57260!) Not only that, but it includes for the first time a Chinese perpetual calendar complication, which has not been done before.

This masterpiece took the team at Vacheron Constantin 11 years to develop, a whole year dedicated to assembling all the components together, and has been named after the individual who commissioned the watch (the same individual also commissioned the reference 57260 as well – a modern day Henry Graves Jr!)

The 63 complications are split into 9 groups as follows – time (9 complications), Gregorian perpetual calendar (7 complications), Chinese perpetual calendar (11 complications), Chinese agricultural perpetual calendar (2 complications), Astronomical (9 complications), split-seconds chronograph (4 complications), alarms (7 complications), grande sonnerie (8 complications – including one which allows the owner to suspend the sonnerie from chiming at night, between times they are able to choose themselves!), and then a further 6 complications beyond even that…

Of course, each of the 2877 components are immaculately hand finished, and this was done by the same watchmakers who assembled the watch.

As I said earlier, MINDBLOWING. A reminder (if ever you needed one) as to Vacheron Constantin’s horological savoir-fire and credentials as a Holy Trinity brand. For me, it is impossible to look past this for the absolute highlight of Watches & Wonders 2024. Incredible.

Next up is the other world-record breaker: Bulgari have taken back the accolade of world’s thinnest mechanical watch with the Octo Finissimo Ultra COSC.

Bulgari – Octo Finissimo Ultra COSC

A relentless battle has raged over the last decade or so between Bulgari and Piaget, and most recently Richard Mille, in the quest for producing the world’s thinnest mechanical watch. It has been fascinating to watch, and is something I wrote about specifically a while ago here. In 2022, Richard Mille came out of what seemed like nowhere, launching their RM UP-01 collaboration with Ferrari, which was just 1.75mm thick, weighed just 30 grams, cost a whopping $1.9m, and stole Bulgari’s crown by a meagre 0.05mm.

Well, what goes around comes around…!

This year Bulgari have retaken the accolade of world’s thinnest mechanical watch with the Octo Finissimo Ultra COSC, and they did it by beating Richard Mille by – you’ve guessed it – 0.05mm, with the watch measuring just 1.7mm in thickness. Of course, the micro-engineering and precision mechanics that have gone into this watch are astonishing, but one thing I particularly liked about this is that it actually looks like a watch.

It seems stupid to say, I know, but one of the biggest criticisms faced of the “world’s thinnest watches” over the past few years is that the aesthetics have suffered as a result, with brands needing to generally separate hour/minute/seconds hands such that they are non-coaxial with one another to save space. And Bulgari’s previous world’s thinnest watch, whilst no less impressive, had a massive QR code on the dial, which was to me quite the eyesore.

Limited to just 20 pieces, this watch is more than just the world’s thinnest mechanical watch: as the name suggests it is also the world’s thinnest COSC chronometer, meaning the watch is accurate to within -4 or +6 seconds per day. I am a big fan of the Octo Finissimo, and I was excited to see that Bulgari have continued in their quest for ultra-thin watchmaking, and furthermore making sure it is an attractive looking watch, too.

Moving on from world record breakers, let’s take a look at some of my other highlights, starting with one of my absolute favourites that I really I’m able to enjoy in person at some point!

Chopard – L.U.C Quattro Spirit 25

There aren’t many watches that I look at just once and immediately fall in love with, but this is one of them. I love jumping hour watches, there’s something about them that I find truly elegant, and I have always enjoyed experiencing them in person when I’m able to do so.

Rest assured this watch isn’t just a looker, there is a lot to appreciate here. The black dial is grand feu enamel, crafted by hand with the utmost care by Chopard’s own artisan – I have written previously about enamelling here, and it really is a craft that I think has to be understood to be fully appreciated.

The case is 18ct ethical white gold case the watch is powered by the hand-wound L.U.C 98-06L movement, which contains no less than four barrels and offers an incredible 8 days / 192 hours of power reserve when fully wound, alongside a power reserve indicator which is visible through the sapphire caseback.

Furthermore, the watch is certified with the Poinçon de Genève, or Geneva Seal, hallmark for quality, ensuring this piece embodies the utmost care, quality and finish. Limited to only 100 pieces, it’s one I would really love to see in person one day as I’m sure it would become an instant grail of mine! Magnificent.

Parmigiani Fleurier – Toric Collection

I have written about Parmigiani as a brand previously, and I have to say over the past couple of years I think they have done an absolutely fantastic job with their releases; I love the direction that the brand has been taking.

This year’s launch of the new Toric collection has only served to reaffirm that view, as this refreshed look of the existing collection looks right at home alongside the Tonda PF. The new-look Toric is objectively beautiful, and I’m sure it will appeal largely across the board. One of the common complaints with three-hand watches is the inclusion of a date display – and with the Toric (and incidentally the new Tonda PF), Parmigiani have listened to the community and pared the watches back such that there is no date display on the dial.

Parmigiani Fleurier have introduced just three new models for the new look Toric collection, and so I imagine it is a collection which will have more to come in future, too. There are two Petite Seconde models which are 40.6mm, in either rose gold or platinum, and then a single rattrapante chronograph reference which is 42.5mm in rose gold, limited to just 30 pieces.

With each piece, the dial is finished by hand-graining, which gives a very subtle, matte effect, and around the edges of the dial it actually dips down to follow the shape of the sapphire crystal, which I think looks beautiful as it approaches the knurled bezel. The PF780 manual-wind movement offers a decent 60 hours power reserve when fully wound. It has been completed in 18ct rose gold, and sandblasted to ensure a more refined and less flashy aesthetic which matches the dial, and is visible through the sapphire caseback.

At 40.6mm some might argue that it is a little larger than they would like for a dress watch, but for me personally this tends to be my “goldilocks” size, so no complaints here! I really am looking forward to seeing these in person and being able to try them on.

Jaeger-LeCoultre – Duometre Heliotourbillon Perpetual

My last top pick, but by no means the least, is from Jaeger-LeCoultre, who have this year reinvigorated their Duometre collection – one of these new additions really caught my eye and that was the Duometre Heliotourbillon Perpetual. A wordy name, so let’s break it down.

Duometre is the name given to Jaeger-LeCoultre watches where the movement contains two barrels and two gear-trains, with a single regulating component. One barrel and gear train is used specifically to drive the time display, and the other is used to drive whatever complications may exist on the watch. The outcome of this mechanism is that the complication does not have any impact on the power supply available to the time-keeping, and by keeping these separate the movement ensures a greater accuracy of timekeeping.

Heliotourbillon describes the regulating component in this watch – a triple axis tourbillon with a cyclical hairspring which looks more like a “tube” than a “flat disc” which resides in a more conventional balance wheel. Whilst this kind of hairspring is not new, it certainly isn’t something you see very often.

The tourbillon rotates about three axis creating what Jaeger-LeCoultre describe as a “spinning top” effect, supported by ceramic ball bearings and comprising 163 individual components in the tourbillon alone, which weigh a total of just 0.7 grams. Where the Heliotourbillon sits at 9 o’clock, the dial is open so you can see it, but the case is also constructed such that there is an aperture in the caseband through which you can also enjoy it as well – and I think it looks pretty epic.

Perpetual is somewhat less of a secret, and unsurprisingly the complication powered by the second barrel is a grande date perpetual calendar. It has quite a novel way of indicating leap years as well – the year is indicated by a four-digit display, and for any leap year the last digit is shown in red.

Whilst it’s not a limited edition, it will be limited production of only 20 pieces per year. As such it’s unlikely I will ever get to see one in person, but here’s to hoping!

Honourable Mentions from Watches & Wonders 2024 

Whittling down the entirety of Watches & Wonders 2024 into a top 5 is never going to be easy, and so I decided to give myself a cop-out option to highlight some other notable watches which could very easily have also appeared in my top 5 above.

Firstly, it would be disingenuous of me to herald ultra-thin watchmaking and new records without then talking about Piaget’s Altiplano Ultimate Concept Tourbillon, a 41.5mm case which is just 2mm thick, yet still managing to squeeze in a flyting tourbillon and looking every bit as beautiful and wearable as other Altiplano watches. What Piaget, along with Bulgari and Richard Mille have achieved in the past decade regards ultra-thin watchmaking is really quite astonishing!

In a similar vein, IWC Schaffhausen’s Portugieser Eternal Calendar has introduced for the first time a secular perpetual calendar, which can even account for the Gregorian calendar leap year exceptions (century years which would normally be leap years, but are not divisible by 400, are not leap years). Not to mention the moon phase on the watch needs adjusting only one day every 45 million years, which is pretty impressive.

Two other watches which caught my eye for very different reasons were H. Moser & Cie’s Streamliner Tourbillon Skeleton, which I think looks brilliant – I especially like the addition of the gold hands, indices and balance wheel which I think give a nice pop of colour, and also Laurent Ferrier’s Classic Moon which builds on the Classic case offering with an annual calendar and moonphase complication – I think this watch looks stunning. I don’t think I’m not 100% sold on the Roman numerals at 12, 3 and 9, but the calendar aperture is reminiscent of the date aperture on the Grand Sport, and I like that this makes more of a point about accentuating apertures such they are more of a feature incorporated into the dial aesthetic, as opposed to a small “add-on”.

Lastly, I am interested by Panerai’s new Ti-Ceramitech™ which is an innovative evolution in ceramic materials, which results in a material that is 44% lighter than steel and is 10x more fracture resistant than ceramic alone – it’s exciting to see where this might lead in time!

In Summary

Obviously, I have completely omitted a LOT of brands here, and a lot more happened in Geneva last week than I could possibly include in a single article. There were tonnes more things that I could have mentioned but unfortunately I have to draw the line at some point!

I know there is a lot more to come still this year so let’s wait and see what the brands have in store for us – if Watches & Wonders 2024 is anything to go by I think we’re in for an exciting year ahead.

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