The Swiss watch industry's largest trade show is drawing to a close this weekend, and Phillips in Association with Bacs & Russo was present the entire week.
Watches & Wonders Geneva 2024 was another successful iteration of the industry's most important luxury watch showcase. Countless journalists, retailers, collectors, and industry personnel were on the ground this work to explore everything the show has to offer. The Phillips team was no different. While certain members of our Geneva office were at the show everyday meeting with brands to handle and photograph the new releases, others attended the numerous other events taking place in Geneva at the same time, such as Time To Watches and the grand AHCI Exhibition.
The following are the best watches we saw all week.
Vacheron Constantin Berkley Grand Complication
Alexandre Ghotbi, Head Of Watches, Europe And EMEA
This watch is the reason I love watchmaking, it reresents human genius and the ability to translate the cosmos into mechanics. The fact that the watch has a Chinese perpetual calendar that is based on lunar and solar cycles is simply mind boggling. The watch features 63 complications, each a horological milestone and kudos to the collectir who commissioned such a piece and the watchmakers at Vacheron Constantin for having made this a reality. This watch takes us back to a golden era where patrons, lovers of mechanical ingenuity worked hand in hand to create masterpieces that would advance horology.
Vianney Halter Art Deco Metropolis
Gertrude Wong, Co-Head of Sale, Specialist, Hong Kong
The Art Deco Metropolis broke the boundaries of the Classic with a stimulating new design through and through. The clever use of the Art Deco stepped lugs and hour markers catches your attention immediately. Every detail speaks in harmony to each other; the wide faceted hands, the Art Deco typeface, the radiating gold rays and the hand engraved titanium center, each equally important in Halter’s creation. The ultimate formula that took years to perfect, the Art Deco Metropolis is simply flawless.
The Time-Only Cartier Tortue
Arthur Touchot, International Head Of Digital Strategy, Specialist
I was really looking forward to seeing Cartier's new monopusher chronograph from their Tortue collection when I walked into Watches & Wonders. However, it's another watch from the same family—the time-only model in platinum—that I can't stop thinking about since my appointment with Cartier. Don't get me wrong, the monopusher makes a welcome return to the catalogue, with very intentional changes including a new movement and a slimmer case. And maybe I've just been a little spoiled by the many models that PHILLIPS has seen, including some of the earliest monopusher chronographs, from the 1920s, and the more recent interpretations from the late 1990s.
For whatever reason, I'm a little more excited about the time-only version. The watch is quintessentially Cartier to me—it's elegant, understated, and timeless. But there's something about the design elements in this one that feels fresh and different. It comes in a beautiful and ergonomic case, at 42.4mm x 32.9mm and just 7.2mm thick, which I find really appealing. I also adore the monochromatic look of this model; the hands aren't the usual blued style you see in other models, which adds a unique touch. And just to add to its allure, the time-only Tortue in platinum is a limited edition of just 200 pieces.
A. Lange & Söhne Datograph Perpetual Tourbillon 'Lumen'
Tiffany To, Head Of Sale, Senior International Specialist
I love the lumen, love the datograph and love honey gold. So the combination of the three represents a beauitful trifecta and the perfect horological storm. The sheen of the honey gold is like no other - not quite yellow gold and not quite rose gold, and is only reserved for Lange's most exlusive models, making the Datograph Perpetual Tourbillon Honeygold Lumen one of the most impressive releases this year.
Grand Seiko Kodo Constant-Force Tourbillon
Zi Yong Ho, Co-Head of Sale, Specialist, Hong Kong
My personal favouite from this year Watch and Wonder has to be from Grand Seiko the Kodo Constant-Force Tourbillon. it completely blew me away!
First off, the design is absolutely stunning. The polished case and dial are so sleek and elegant, it's hard to take your eyes off them.The attention to detail is top-notch, and you can really see the craftsmanship that went into every aspect of the watch. The combination of technical brilliance and exquisite design is truly awe-inspiring. Grand Seiko has always strived to make watches with particular attention to detail and an eye toward perfection and practicality. All in all, the Kodo Constant-Force Tourbillon is a true masterpiece from Grand Seiko. It combines technical brilliance with gorgeous design, and it's a watch that any watch enthusiast would be thrilled to own. If you're into the beauty of precision and want a conversation starter on your wrist, this one's a winner!
The Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda PF Skeleton Platinum Blue
Clément Finet, Specialist, Phillips Perpetual, Gstaad
Picking just one… That’s probably the toughest or should I say the most heartbreaking part of this « assignment ». As a true watch lover, it’s virtually impossible to pick just one, but since that is what is asked of us, my vote, my heart goes out to Parmigiani’s Tonda PF Skeleton Platinum Blue. Just a beautiful well executed watch… Have a look for yourself!
Parmigiani is a company that has had its fair share of ups and downs over the course of its relatively short history… Yes, they’ve had a hard time finding their market. It’s not always easy when you are a young brand, but there is one thing they’ve always done right: Watches! I’ve owned one ever since 2003, the year the first Bugatti came out (unfortunately, mine is not one of those!) and I’ve been impressed from the start, like many, by the overall quality their production. King Charles would probably not disagree with me on that. In any case, I have chosen my victor: Parmigiani Tonda PF Skeleton Platinum Blue.
The Patek Philippe Golden Ellipse On Bracelet
Marcello de Marco, Specialist, Business Development Associate
When it comes to pleasing shapes in watchmaking, one could say that it is a mathematical certainty that the Golden Ellipse rules supreme. In fact its design is based on the Golden Ratio (aka Divine Proportion), a proportion studied since antiquity, often found in nature - from the Nautilus shell to the spires of the Milky Way galaxy - and considered the most aesthetically harmonic proportion.
With such a cornerstone to work on, it is unsurprising that the new iteration of the Ellipse - ref. 5738/1R - is an ineffably elegant timepiece. Chromatically speaking, the striking contrast of the sunburst black dial with the warmth of the rose gold case is an aesthetic device as simple as it is effective. The addition of the bracelet, a first in the modern Ellipse collection, further elevates the overall design and harkens back to some Ellipse iterations from the mid-20th century, combining historical appeal and timeless aesthetics. The execution of the bracelet as well is inspired by 1960s/70s bracelet models, most notably some Gay Frères examples (such as model “C” for ref. 2526), intensifying the vintage roots of the piece. Beyond the sheer attractiveness of the watch, I chose this as my favorite piece as it exemplifies Patek Philippe’s “double edged” approach to the modern market. On the one hand, they are obviously striving to reinvent their aesthetics in modern key (think of pieces such as the just launched denim-strapped 5980 and older examples like the world-time chronograph 5935 or the rainbow Aquanaut models), but at the same time they also propose watches such as this one which eschew modern trends in favor of a closer adherence to Patek Philippe’s ethos of understated elegance.
Such a dual strategy provides options for old school connoisseurs as well as the most novel and edgy collectors, while at the same time helping to bridge the “cultural gap” between the two groups with the potential result of cross-category interests: old school collectors enticed by modern-aesthetic pieces, young collectors getting close to a more vintage vibe. This strategy has the potential to cement even further the brand as the powerhouse it already is, and this new Ellipse model is the perfect exemplification of such an approach to the market.
The Parmigiani Fleurier Toric Rattrapante Chronograph
Logan Baker, Senior Editorial Manager
I've always had a soft spot for Parmigiani Fleurier. Any Swiss watch brand that embraces high-quality, in-house craftsmanship with its own idiosyncratic design langauge is worth our attention in my opinion. But Parmigiani has proved in recent years that it deserves a position far beyond the position it typically occupies in the far recesses of enthusiasts minds. Under the aegis of CEO Guido Terreni since 2021 (formerly of Bulgari), Parmigiani Fleurier has captured outsize attention thanks to its integrated-bracelet Tonda PF collection. Enthuasiasts around the world have waited with bated breath to see if Terreni would prove to be a one-hit wonder at Parmigiani – thankfully, with this year's release of the updated Toric line, Terreni has shown he's the real deal. The new, time-only Tonda Petite Seconde models are brilliant exercises in minimalist design, subtly refreshing the core Parmigiani identity for contemporary audiences. But the watch that caught my attention is the Toric Rattrapante Chronograph, which utilizes the same updated Toric design codes found in the Petite Seconde model, but incorporates a split-seconds chronograph mechanism via Parmigiani's best-in-class, high-beat (5Hz!) manual-wind caliber PF361.Parmigiani is only producing 30 examples of the new watch, each priced at a princely CHF 135,000.