Cait Bazemore

Roger Dubuis’ latest releases at Watches and Wonders are steeped in the brand’s history. For the occasion, the maison introduces two complicated pieces – a perpetual calendar and day-date calendar – each in the brand’s patented biretrograde display.

I vividly remember when Hermes first launched the H08 five years ago. It marked yet another moment of the brand solidifying its place beyond its roots in fashion and firmly into the horological landscape. Prior to the H08, we had seen more classic, refined, and dare I say quintessentially Hermes collections from the Maison like the Kelly, inspired by the padlock from the famous handbag; the Arceau, drawing from the iconic horse motif; and the Cape Cod, a traditional rectangular design. In 2012, Hermes had a defining moment for its watches with the debut of its first in-house caliber. Still, the H08 marked a new moment of the brand doing something markedly different – decidedly modern and yet distinctly Hermes.

The Maison continues to double down on its ladies' lines with a focus on the Serpenti, launching the next evolution of its Tubogas and Aeterna.

For this year’s Watches and Wonders, Jaeger-LeCoultre is coming at us with a slew of new releases – there’s a lot to unpack, so stick with me. Here, we get two stunning new takes on the iconic Reverso highlighting the brand’s prowess in métiers d’art techniques (yes, you know I’m swooning over these). For the remaining three launches, we get a trio of complicated models: two from the Master Hybris line and a Master Grande Tradition. Altogether, the lineup showcases Jaeger-LeCoultre’s unique ability to balance both form and function throughout its catalog.

Perhaps only second to Rolex, Patek Philippe’s novelties rank among some of the most highly anticipated at each year’s Watches & Wonders. The maison (like Rolex) is one of a select few brands that notoriously keeps its models under strict lock and key until the fair. Despite receiving the press kit in our inboxes that fateful morning, we all know nothing really compares to seeing the watches in the metal.

Matteo Violet-Vianello founded Anoma back in 2024 with a crystal-clear concept that noticeably drew from the worlds of architecture and design as well as forms in nature. The brand’s debut offering set the tone for what has quickly become Anoma’s trademark: a triangular case. Those who follow the brand on Instagram well know that the brand’s cult following has become, dare I say obsessed with finding the soft, triangular form with rounded edges in the wild, citing pieces of furniture, buildings, river stones and other everyday objects that mimic the shape.

Welcome to the first installment of a new monthly column called Spotted. Here, I’ll break down the latest themes I’m seeing in the horological landscape. While trends are inherently fleeting, the observations we’ll look at in this series may stay or go away – only time will tell if these are fads or in fact historical markers of this era of watchmaking. In addition to spying and identifying the overarching patterns taking shape in watch design, I’ll help us bring them down to earth in our own collections and on our wrists.

Material innovation is increasingly becoming a core pillar within the watch industry. Whether borrowing and reconfiguring materials from different industries or composing your own from the ground up, it is clear materials matter when it comes to both technical feats and aesthetics achieved in watchmaking today. Sometimes, I like to think of these cutting-edge materials as mile markers on the highway of horology. I am always considering the world 50 or 100 years from now, when the watches of the present will become the watches of yesteryear, when what we consider modern will become vintage. I believe that the application of new materials will be a mark of this era of watchmaking that will serve as a milestone moment in the ever-unfolding history of horology.

The Swiss-based company Haelixa has created product traceability that provides forensic proof of authenticity.

Collaboration has been at the core of watchmaking since the early days with the etablissage system on which the artform was founded joining together craftspeople of all disciplines to bring a watch to life. In our modern era, collaborations have become more formalized between watchmakers as well as with other brands, artists, athletes, and even the most unexpected partners. Yes, collaborations have taken some wild twists and turns, and the work between Micromilspec’s founders Henrik Rye, Alexander Kadin, and Kim Ellefsen alongside industrial designer and materials specialist James Thompson AKA Black Badger definitely falls in that category.