Watches and Wonders 2026 in Geneva spotlighted a powerful blend of nostalgia and innovation, as brands revisited heritage designs while pushing technical boundaries. From Rolex’s colourful Oyster Perpetual and Tudor’s centenary Monarch to Cartier’s revived Crash and Roadster, the fair celebrated retro aesthetics, intricate complications, skeletonised movements and futuristic chronographs that redefine contemporary luxury watchmaking.
Can watches transport you to another era?
One was compelled to ask this question time and again at Watches and Wonders this year. Everywhere you looked, there were watchmaking tributes and timepieces inspired by heritage and celebrating the past.
From revived classics to beautifully executed monopusher complications, Geneva felt obsessed with the romance of old-school watchmaking once again. But beneath the retro charm sat invisible chronographs, skeletonised movements, celestial complications and engineering feats that pushed modern watchmaking forward. Here are some of the headline pieces.
The Oyster Perpetual 36 displays a multicoloured lacquer dial decorated with the Rolex Jubilee motif introduced at the end of the 1970s. The sophisticated and vibrant rendering of the Rolex name gives the watch a different feel. Crafted in Oystersteel, the Oyster case is guaranteed waterproof to a depth of 100 metres (330 feet), with a domed bezel framing the design. Thinking of taking a punt on a Rolex that stands out from the crowd? In fairness, the colourful dial and 36 mm size do grow on you.
A bold approach from Audemars Piguet (AP), the Neo Frame Jumping Hour is the right mix of elegance and minimalism. The Art Deco-inspired case blends in beautifully with a two-tone finish and offers something different to a watch wearer, both in terms of function and form factor. This 34 mm watch feels effortless on the wrist and revives a historic complication dating back to 1650, where numbers leap every 60 minutes in place of traditional hands. Powered by the Calibre 7122, this timepiece also introduces AP’s first self-winding jumping hour movement, combining precision, shock resistance and a 52-hour power reserve.
As the name suggests, this limited-edition line of 50 pieces features intricate hand-engraving across the dial and case to evoke the flow of water. Created with the elite craftspeople of the Micro Artist Studio in central Japan, the hour and minute hands, including the hand-applied, diamond-cut markers, are made of 14k white gold, which deliver a sharp appearance to this Spring Drive masterpiece.
The watch’s case has a slim profile of just 9.6 mm, the same thickness as the original 44GS from 1967, which set the tone for Grand Seiko’s signature design language.
It’s the watch that got everyone talking in Geneva. With the TONDA PF Chronographe Mystérieux, Parmigiani Fleurier introduces a new chronograph architecture. There are no sub dials or extra hands visible when the watch is at rest. At first this looks like a clean, time-only three-hand watch, but the monopusher orchestrates three perfectly synchronised phases: the first push reveals the chronograph hands and starts the timing, the second stops it, and the third resets the mechanism. An invisible chronograph system? Rightly so.
Designed for a champion, this 200-piece bespoke edition of the Big Bang Reloaded is crafted in 44 mm black ceramic and carbon. A unique design touch sees the numerals between 6 and 8 o’clock read 6-5-8, which, when viewed upside down, become 9.58 —Usain Bolt’s 100m world record. The skeletonised dial features a lightning bolt-shaped chronograph hand, while the case back encloses soil from Usain Bolt’s childhood training ground beneath the sapphire crystal. The watch is paired with two interchangeable wristbands, adding a touch of versatility to this commemorative piece.
The recent auction of a 1987 Cartier Crash London at Sotheby’s tells you everything you need to know about just how coveted the Crash has become. The Cartier Crash Squelette gives the iconic 1967 design a new skeletonised look. It’s hard not to marvel at the watchmaking on display, be it the bridges shaped like Roman numerals or the construction of the movement that is composed of 142 components. The Crash Squelette watch, part of the new Cartier Privé collection, is available in 150 numbered limited-edition pieces.
Looking back to its glimmering past, Favre Leuba has reinvented the original Harpoon design here from 1966. The watch stays true to its roots with a 36.8 mm polished steel case and a slender 10 mm profile. The sun-ray brushed finished dial and the horizontal rhodium-plated markers at 12, 6 and 9 o’clock complete the retro look on the Harpoon Revival.
Celebrating a century of existence for Tudor, the Monarch stood out from the brand’s other novelties in Geneva for good reason. You cannot take your eyes off the dial, which is buzzing with beautiful details. It incorporates two different styles of numerals: Roman from 10 to 2 and Arabic from 4 to 8. There’s also a small-seconds function at 6 o’clock. The hue and texture of the dial is akin to papyrus, giving the watch a classical look and feel. The faceted 39 mm stainless steel case is waterproof up to 100m (330 feet).
Looking for a watch with a futuristic edge? This celestial model features a white gold case inspired by space modules. The twinkling dial depicts the sky as seen from Geneva. More than five years in the making, the calibre is equipped with mechanisms that display sunrise and sunset times as well as summertime-to-wintertime correction. The complications on display here cover everything from moon phases to hours and minutes of mean solar time. An absolute spectacle from Patek Philippe.
At the heart of the new TAG Heuer Monaco Evergraph is the TH80-00 calibre, which reimagines both the functionality of the choronograph and the tactile response of its pushers.
The new movement also features a carbon-spring oscillator, designed to improve magnetic resistance and precision. The transparent acrylic glass dial, with sporty red and white markings, also offers a glimpse into the gorgeous workings of the Evergraph, housed within a 40 mm fine-brushed and polished titanium case. A new benchmark for chronographs? Quite possibly.
Part of a new collection from Jaeger-LeCoultre, the Master Control Chronometre Date is all about sleek aesthetics and simple expressions. The watch, with a 38 mm diameter and a thickness of just 7.9 mm, comes in steel (with a blue-grey gradient dial) and pink gold (with a warmer bronze-coloured dial). It is powered by the latest version of the automatic Manufacture Calibre 899 and offers a 70-hour power reserve. Ideal for leaner wrists, the beautiful integrated bracelet completes this overall spectacular package.
The frosted dial texture on the 34 mm Streamliner Two Hands takes your breath away the moment it rests on your wrist. Stare at it for too long and the dial feels almost alive, thanks to the frosted finish that is the result of a long, manual engraving process. Devoid of conventional indexes, the dial constantly changes depending on the angle from which you view it, like sparkling snow under the sun. This H. Moser & Cie. masterpiece may be compact, but it still carries plenty of heft, arriving in vibrant shades of silver and burgundy.
The new Yacht-Master is sleek, modernised and designed to withstand the tough rigours of the sailing world. Available in Oystersteel or 18-carat yellow gold, the nautical watch has been entirely redesigned to assist sailors more effectively during the critical start sequence of races, with its standout feature being the countdown function.
Bremont really made a watch that will go to the moon (as part of a commercial mission with space logistics company Astrolab) and never come back. Almost every element in the Supernova Chronograph reminds you of space – be it the spacecraft solar array-inspired dial or the geometric case architecture. This is a tough, durable watch with a 62-hour power reserve and one of the most beautiful fully lumed dials we’ve seen to date.
Inspired by a design from the 1920s, this is a classic with a twist. There’s a lot to love here: the 45-degree offset dial, Arabic numerals, the characteristic crown on one edge, grained silver dial and the dark-blue patinated calfskin leather strap. The two dial sizes—40 mm and 36.5 mm—offer versatility for every wrist size.
It’s like Chanel designed a racecar for your wrist. The J12 Superleggera was presented for the first time in 2005. Now, more than two decades later, this latest iteration of the watch is sportier and sleeker. The matte black ceramic and steel, combined with the pop of red on the dial, give the timepiece a tough, sporty look. You cannot miss the date indicated by a red arrow in a window at 4 o’clock.
The signature Piaget godrons meet the sporty and chic elegance of the Polo Signature Date. From 1979 till now, the godrons have been a hallmark of the Piaget Polo 79. But on the Piaget Polo Signature Date’s 42 mm dial, seen here in blue, the godrons find a new home. The interchangeable rubber straps offer some visual versatility as well. Overall, an elegant mix of shapes and style inspired by a classic.
Watches are not only going smaller, but also becoming lighter. This Norqain concept watch is limited to just 200 pieces and features a multi-material construction designed for extreme performance and rugged use. The complex case architecture, composed of more than 30 components, integrates a highly shock-absorbing X-Lite casing ring and a high-performance mix of NORTEQ (a carbon-fibre composite material), titanium and aluminum. The watch weighs just 45 g when paired with an ultra-light double-layered rubber strap. Comes with an incredible power reserve of 65 hours.
Cartier brought the classics back big time in Geneva. Right near the top of everyone’s wish list was the new Roadster. While keeping the soul of the original Roadster watch from 2002, this new iteration sees an interplay of the crystal and metal that enhances the overall shape and unifies the crown, the magnifier and the dial. The four rivets on the bezel give the design a powerful lift. The watch's iconic dial retains the circular striated pattern, the rail track and the Roman numerals. Like a true dashboard, the dial on the steel versions features blue or anthracite sword-shaped hands coated with Super-LumiNova. Let’s be honest: you can’t keep a Roadster away from wrists for too long.
The Luminor 31 Giorni retains so much of Panerai’s essence. But the one thing you can’t miss is the incredible engineering and development that went into designing a watch capable of running for an entire month (31 days to be exact) on a single wind. The 44 mm case size might seem daunting on the wrist, but the skeletonised movement gives the watch an airy feel. This is an exquisite watch limited to just 200 pieces