Watches and Wonders 2023 has once again flooded the internet and social media with the newest assemblage of exciting releases from the biggest names in luxury watchmaking. While Rolex, TAG Heuer, and Cartier have certainly made their presence known, we’d like to draw your attention to some of the truly remarkable watches that may have flown under the radar. Here are our top picks for hidden gems and innovative designs at the year’s biggest horological event.
Hermès
First up, Hermès has caught our eye with its new version of the H08 watch, featuring a burst of vibrant colours, including yellow, green, blue, and orange. The lightweight cushion-shaped case is durable and comfortable, with a natural pigment giving the watch face a subtle silver reflection. The H08 Chronograph comes equipped with two sub-registers at 9 o’clock and 3 o’clock, powered by the Hermes H1837 mechanical self-winding movement. The watch is paired with a striking orange rubber strap that’ll elevate your wrist game.
Rolex
Next, Rolex has introduced three new variants of its Oyster Perpetual Day-Date 36 in 18 ct yellow, white, or Everose gold at the Watches and Wonders 2023. These watches are brimming with positivity and energy, featuring an original face that displays an inspirational keyword in English at 12 o’clock. The arc-shaped aperture reveals words such as ‘Happy’, ‘Eternity’, ‘Gratitude’, ‘Peace’, ‘Faith’, ‘Love’ and ‘Hope’, while the window at 3 o’clock replaces the date with one of 31 exclusive emojis. Elsewhere, the intricate champlevé enamelling takes inspiration from a jigsaw puzzle. Turquoise blue, red, fuchsia, orange, green, and yellow pieces come together on a single-colour background to represent key moments in life. In addition, ten baguette-cut sapphires in six different hues mark the hours, set according to the main colour of the dial.
Panerai
Moving on to Panerai, the Radiomir Annual Calendar is a 45mm cushion-shaped timepiece that displays the date elegantly at 3 o’clock, with the day and date visible through two dial openings. The current month is indicated on an external moving disc that is instantaneously turned, thanks to a cam in the movement. It also features the Maison’s signature codes, including the months, days, and the name of the complication, Calendario Annuale, written in beautiful Italian script.
TAG Heuer
Two years since its reincarnation, the TAG Heuer’s Aquaracer Professional 200 is a stunning timepiece with every detail fine-tuned for maximum comfort and elegance. Available in 40mm case sizes, this high-performance watch comes in a solid 18-karat 5N rose gold case and bezel, while the other will have a solid 18-karat 3N yellow gold case and bezel. Despite the precious metals used, both references are modern sports watches designed for an adventurous life spent in the great outdoors. Both have a high-contrast black DLC-coated steel screw-down crown and a lightweight, black DLC-coated Grade 2 titanium caseback into which TAG Heuer’s engineers have inserted a sapphire crystal caseback, allowing a view into the new movement. Both watches are water resistant to a depth of 200 meters.
Hubot
Hublot and renowned artist Takashi Murakami teamed up to create 12 unique timepieces inspired by the petals of the Classic Fusion Takashi Murakami Black Ceramic Rainbow. Each watch takes on one of the colours of the 13th watch, which is a masterpiece in itself. The 13th watch also features the iconic smiling flower emblem of Takashi Murakami, with petals forming a perfect gradient of rubies, sapphires, amethysts, tsavorites, and topaz. In addition, the petals rotate on an axis, creating a stunning kinetic effect. The watch’s 45mm black ceramic case serves as the perfect backdrop, with the centre of the smiling flower placed on top of the sapphire glass to create a mesmerizing 3D effect.
Cartier
Last but not least, Cartier continues to redefine time with the Tank Américaine and the Santos-Dumont. The Tank Américaine features a slimmer case design with a pure form through the style of the dial and the flawless integration of the brancards into the strap. It is also available in various designs, including all-gold and steel with a leather strap, rose gold and diamonds with a leather strap, or diamond-paved white and rose gold with a metal bracelet. Meanwhile, the Santos-Dumont pays tribute to an iconic aviator and inventor with a slim and understated shape elevated with a specially developed 9629 MC automatic skeleton calibre. The watch also comes in a gold or steel case, with visible screws, a beaded crown, and a blue cabochon.
