Keeping track of time in our fast-moving, ever-changing world is no easy task, so why not treat yourself to a special timepiece and do it in style? From the latest releases to the coolest collabs, we round up the newest and hottest from the world of watches.
Over at Jaeger-LeCoultre, it’s Anya Taylor-Joy who is making waves as the brand’s newest ambassador. As CEO of Jaeger-LeCoultre Catherine Rénier says: “With her ethereal beauty, her sensitivity, her talent and hardworking ethics, [Taylor-Joy] embodies the values and style of our Maison.”
If this watch doesn’t put a smile on your face, we don’t know what will. Released in a limited edition of 50 pieces, Richard Mille’s RM 88 Automatic Tourbillon Smiley watch houses a new in-house skeleton movement, the CRMT7 automatic tourbillon calibre, which took three years to develop. No detail has been spared in the decorative elements as well. Engraved by Oliver Kuhn, each of the watch’s gold micro-sculptures have been designed to weigh less than a gram and be shock resistant. The cocktail glass, for example, is an assembly of four gold parts—the umbrella, the olive, the 0.4 mm-diameter grooved straw and the glass—that weighs just 0.4g.
To celebrate the 50th anniversary of Cortina Watch, Franck Muller has released five unique editions of its Vanguard Revolution 3 Skeleton—a timepiece famed for being the world’s first to have with a tourbillon that rotates on three axes (it also has an impressive 10-day power reserve). The new exclusive watches mark the occasion with a new coat of colours with baguette-cut diamonds, rubies, and emeralds upping the glam quotient in true Franck Muller spirit.
Longines has a new fleet of Longines Master Collection watches to entice women to its shores. Released in a comfortable 34mm size, the timepieces offer a plethora of style options that run from classic Arabic numerals to dial hour markers; “barleycorn” textured dials to sunray brushed or mother-of- pearl ones; watch hands that come in either polished rhodium-plated or blued-steel versions; and a choice of steel bracelet or coloured strap. Powered by an automatic movement with 72-hour power reserve, this is a classic watch that will do you proud.
Panerai has just introduced a moon phase into its Luminor Due family of watches, offering women a poetic complication in what was previously a time-only collection. Located at the three o’clock position, the complication bears a rotating disc that’s graced with a textured gold moon against a midnight blue sky across all four reiterations: Three in steel and one in Panerai’s brand-exclusive platinum and copper Goldtech alloy. Of course, with the collection’s quick release system allowing for an easy change of straps, the Luminor Due Luna looks set to be one of Panerai’s more popular models yet.
Louis Vuitton’s new Tambour Twenty, which commemorates the watch family’s 20th anniversary. Limited to 200 pieces, this 41.5mm automatic high-frequency chronograph pays tribute to the design codes of its originator with a “Louis Vuitton” emblazoned dial and touches of yellow set against a rich chocolate hue that looks good enough to eat. Even better: This watch comes with a miniature trunk in Monogram canvas that any LV fan will appreciate.
The artisans at Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Métiers Rares atelier have done it again. The new Reverso Tribute Enamel Hokusai ‘Amida Falls’ pays homage to 19th-century Japanese artist Katsushika Hokusai’s woodblock print The Amida Falls in the Far Reaches of the Kisokaidō Road (circa 1832) and completes a Hokusai trilogy that previously featured Kirifuri Waterfall at Kurokami Mountain in Shimotsuke (circa 1832) in 2021 and his most famous work, The Great Wave off Kanagawa (circa 1830) in 2018. It’s a faithful recreation through miniature enamel painting on a surface no bigger than three square centimetres.
Since 2017, Panerai has launched several limited-edition watches to celebrate its partnership with Team Luna Rossa (which won the Prada Cup during the last contest for America’s Cup in March 2021). For the next America’s Cup that will take place in Barcelona in 2024, Panerai has debuted a new Luminor Luna Rossa: The limited-edition Panerai Luminor Luna Rossa PAM01342, of which there are just 1,500 and which now comes in a surprising white, grey and red palette in contrast to the darker-hued models that came before it. Powered by the P.6000 movement and water resistant to 10 bar, this watch comes with an additional black rubber strap for added versatility.
Ever the purveyors of desirability, Chanel has launched a new capsule collection of monochrome watches that places its six-letter logo at the centre of their designs. Aptly named Chanel Wanted, the capsule contains watches taken from across the Chanel Horlogerie universe for creations that span the fun-loving charm bracelet watches of Première to the pixel-patterned dial of Boy.Friend, to the steel and leather bangle of Code Coco. For those looking for something even more elevated, the J12 Highly Wanted de Chanel presents a black-lacquer wood box containing six 38mm tone-on-tone J12 watches discreetly set with 35 diamonds (on the rotor and crown). Just five sets are available.
Zenith has found itself a comfortable bedfellow in fashion. At the beginning of the year, the Swiss watch brand teamed up with Nona Source—an online resale platform that re-values excess fabrics and textiles from high-luxury fashion Maisons under the LVMH group—on a range of straps for its DEFY Midnight women’s watch line. Now, it’s the Chronomaster that has its turn. There are three colours available: a water-repellent “Deep Dive” strap; a cotton linen blend “Rifle Green” strap and a slightly shimmery gold cotton-blend “Pale Marigold” strap for more hypebeast occasions.
A rich aubergine-tone gradient dial completely transforms the emblematic 39mm watch’s sporty looks, while hands with white Super-LumiNova and two black opaline sub-counters complete the picture. Just 500 pieces of this automatic chronograph are available and it’s sold exclusively at the brand’s boutiques.
Sometimes it’s the most unlikely pairing that results in magic. And that’s precisely what happened when Longines (known for its timeless, elegant watches) teamed up with edgy Zurich-based fashion leather brand YVY for a fresh take on its Longines DolceVita. Presenting the best of both worlds, the new watches now come with an interchangeable double strap in brown, black and beige that’s secured and adorned with metal details. Overall, the look recalls the equestrian world that’s so a part of the Longines universe, while making them utterly right at home on any city street.
What do you get when you cross a radical watch visionary with a world-renowned jeweller beloved for its joie de vivre designs? A timepiece that looks out of this world and with the gems to match. The Legacy Machine FlyingT Allegra timepiece sees MB&F’s FlyingT (first introduced in 2019) completely transformed through Bvlgari’s masterful gemsetting for an unapologetically opulent design. Available in white gold and red gold, with tsavorites, amethysts, tourmalines, rubellites and diamonds thrown into the mix, this domed sapphire crystal flying tourbillon creation (limited to just 20 pieces each) will astound and mesmerise in equal measure.
Vivienne, Louis Vuitton’s kawaii mascot, has three brand new watches to her name and, in keeping with her whimsical nature, the watches present a playful take on time telling. The Tambour Slim Vivienne Jumping Hours sees the mascot take on three roles with gusto: A fortune teller in the rose gold and aventurine dial edition, a croupier in the yellow gold and skarn dial version, and lastly a ringmaster amidst white gold and mother-of-pearl. With the hour numerals appearing alternatively between the two dial apertures at the start of each hour, what you essentially get is a timepiece that makes keeping track of the time a chic and fun game.
Watchmaker Bamford London and retailer Dover Street Market have launched a 100-piece Snoopy-inspired GMT. Opting for a monochrome palette, the design mirrors the Dover Street Market logo on the dial, caseback and packaging. The adorable Snoopy is front and centre in a classic pose on the white dial, framed by a black and white rotating bezel. His arms moving around as the hour and minute hands, while his faithful friend, Woodstock, is playful pop of yellow as the 24-hour GMT hand. Powered by a Swiss-made Sellita SW330-2 movement and paired with a black cordura strap with white stitching, the watch—presented in a black version of Snoopy’s famous doghouse—is durable and made for everyday wear.
Hermès’s Arceau watch has played canvas to many artistic crafts through the years, with micro mosaics, wood and leather marquetry, and enamelling (among many others) making an appearance on its dial. With this 41mm automatic edition, it’s miniature painting and gold-thread welding that take centre stage. The Arceau Wild Singapore watch—which depicts a lion peering out of its lush tropical setting in tribute to the biodiversity of this country—reinterprets a spring/summer 2021 silk scarf designed by Alice Shirley and is limited to just 24 numbered pieces.
Watch customisation company MAD Paris has tapped designers Matthew Williams—co-founder of 1017 ALYX 9SM and creative director of Givenchy—and Charaf Tajer—2020 LVMH prize finalist and founder of Casablanca—for a unique Audemars Piguet Royal Oak collaboration as part of their designer series. With a limited run of just five pieces of each design (20 in total), the collab sees the iconic timepiece reworked with a creative, fashion-forward twist. Offering completely different versions, Williams’ iterations of the 38mm channels his industrial aesthetic with the brushed metal finish, no time-identifier, and his signature Cobra buckle-inspired clasp; while Tajer’s bright pastels and quirky dial designs on the 36mm, inspired by the Memphis Milano movement, reflect the playfulness of Casablanca.
Jaeger-LeCoultre invites you on a journey across the starry night sky with its Rendez-Vous Dazzling Moon Lazura timepiece. Melding the rich blue of lapis lazuli with the gleaming purity of mother-of-pearl and sparkling diamonds (of which there are 190, totalling 3.53 carats), this timepiece retells the tale of celestial romance with a large moon-phase display at the 6 o’clock position. Also gracing its star chart dial is the collection’s signature emblem, a discreet hand-polished star that can be adjusted to mark a special rendezvous by turning a second crown found on the caseband.
TAG Heuer has partnered up with Nintendo and to commemorate the occasion, the Swiss watchmaker has released a limited-edition smartwatch that is sure to boost your street swag—if not re-energise your exercise regime. As its name implies, the TAG Heuer Connected × Super Mario features Nintendo’s most beloved character as well as animations that are based on a gaming rewards system: Unlock rewards at each stage of your daily target for different Mushroom Kingdom animations to play. Though the watch, limited to 2,000 pieces worldwide, has already sold out, the TAG-Nintendo collaboration is for the long term, meaning there’s more to come.
A new model to the Richard Mille stable, the 50-piece limited-edition RM 21-01 Tourbillon Aerodyne features a new case design that brings together red gold and Carbon TPT, and a PVD-treated royal blue honeycomb baseplate made of Haynes 214—a first for the brand. It’s an alloy commonly used in combustion chambers for its ability to withstand temperatures of 995°C, and imparts exceptional rigidity and torsion resistance to the watch. This statement maker is equipped with a manual-winding tourbillon movement with hours, minutes, function selector, power reserve and torque indicators.
We’re in love with Van Cleef & Arpels’s newest timepiece additions to its Alhambra collection. Lending a sophisticated touch to the range with guilloché, diamonds and other ornamental stones such as carnelian, turquoise and lapis lazuli are four secret pendant watches—a first for the collection—along with two new Sweet Alhambra wristwatches.
Fun, chic and inspired by the vibrancy of the tropics, Breitling’s South Sea capsule collection presents a trio of Chronomat Automatic watches designed to be the vivacious younger sisters of the brand’s popular model. Available in three colours that evoke the beauty of summer, the ocean and lush greenery, the watches sport lacquered dials in beige, midnight blue and mint green, complemented by matching straps in alligator skin. Sapphires and rubies dress the bezels in a spectrum of warm hues.
Depicting a scene of Place Vendôme at night, the sophisticated multi-layered dial of Chaumet’s limited-series Infiniment 12 – Rêverie Nocturne timepiece is achieved through guilloché, grand feu enamelling and miniature hand-engraved elements dressed with diamonds. For heightened romance, Chaumet has even adorned each watch with a tiny stone from its flagship boutique at 12 Vendôme, so its wearer can literally have a piece of Chaumet with her wherever she goes. Seventy-six diamonds on the bezel complete the pretty picture.
In a collaborative effort with globally-renowned DJ Steve Aoki, Bvlgari launches a special edition watch that celebrates both music and craftsmanship. The Bvlgari Aluminium Steve Aoki Special Edition watch—with its 40mm aluminium case (with a diamond-like carbon), titanium case back and rubber bezel engraved with the Steve Aoki logo—is dedicated to lovers of life, optimism and movement. Case in point: Its 42-hour power reserve allows users to seize the day without worrying about the battery. Other features include a superluminova white dial and 100m water-resistance.
“I wanted a watch that I could wear all day long: At the gym, in the office or for a dinner in town,” said Artistic Director and Co-President of Chopard, Caroline Scheufele, when the Happy Sport watch first launched in 1993. Twenty-eight years later and the watch that introduced the steel-and-diamonds combo is back in the spotlight as the Happy Sport The First. Paying homage to the original watch, this new 33mm is available in the brand’s ethical Lucent Steel A223 (which is also more scratch-resistant than regular steel) and comes with an in-house automatic movement.
This article was originally published in Harper’s Bazaar.