Watches and Wonders 2024

Watches and Wonders 2024, Held for seven days from April 9 to 15, Showed significant quantitative growth. A total of 54 watch companies participated, Up six from last year's 48, And the number of visitors during the exhibition reached about 49, 000.

2024 Watches and Wonders On-site   ©Hodinkee

In addition to programs for watch company representatives and the press, The number of public days, When general visitors could freely explore, Increased to three days, Leading to greater participation and interest from the public and watch enthusiasts. Online, The number of related posts surged explosively during the exhibition period. It is encouraging to see the event evolving from a single watch exhibition into a global event held in Geneva. In this edition, We will discuss new products from brands that were not covered in the previous magazine.

Patek Philippe
Patek Philippe

2024 Patek Philippe New Products ©Patek Philippe

Patek Philippe introduced new releases mainly focused on variations. Since variations are products that change the color, Material, Or details of existing models, It is difficult to say they are completely new. Therefore, It seems there are no "truly new" models this time. However, This does not mean there is a lack of theme. Several GMT functions such as dual time and world time, Which allow you to check the time worldwide, Have appeared, Taking the theme of the traveler's watch.

Patek Philippe Grand Complication 5520G
©Patek Philippe

Patek Philippe Aquanaut 5164G ©Patek Philippe

For the dual time models, The Grand Complication Ref. 5520RG and Aquanaut Ref. 5164G display both local time and home time. Even with dual time, The function can be implemented in various ways, And Patek Philippe uses a hand identical to the hour hand to indicate the time in another region. When not using the dual time function, The hands can be overlapped, Making the watch look simple as if it does not have a dual time feature. The Grand Complication Ref. 5520RG, Equipped with as many as four crowns, Adds an alarm to the dual time, Making it a true traveler's watch.

Patek Philippe World Timer 5330G-001 ©Patek Philippe

The model closest to a "truly new" release is the World Time Ref. 5330G. This is the standard version of the World Time Ref. 5330G-010, Which was unveiled at the Patek Philippe Watch Art Grand Exhibition held in Tokyo last year. Ref. 5330G, Which now forms a new branch in the extensive Patek Philippe World Timer lineage, Adds a date function to the Cottier mechanism, Which allows for quick local time changes via a button on the side of the case. While it may seem like a simple addition, Adding a date function to a world timer is not easy. The wearer must adjust the date according to changing time zones while traveling, And sometimes cross the International Date Line or switch between day and night. Therefore, The date function must be able to move freely forward and backward. Ref. 5330G presents a solution to this challenge.

Patek Philippe World Timer 5330G-001 ©Patek Philippe

The detail of displaying the date with a transparent pointer instead of a date window is also quite stylish. (Perhaps it was difficult to find a place for a date window due to the design of the world timer.) The Ref. 5330G in white gold features a denim blue dial with damier guilloché and a denim blue strap, Targeting young luxury buyers. Although it is a delicate complication, It is a new release that is useful for overseas travel and business trips.

Vacheron Constantin Overseas Green

The integrated bracelet trend of the 1970s has become a defining feature of the 2020s. The origin of this trend lies in high-end sports watches such as the Patek Philippe Nautilus, Audemars Piguet Royal Oak, And IWC Ingenieur, Which considered both high-end sports watch aesthetics and ergonomics. Vacheron Constantin, Influenced by this trend, Released the 222 in 1977 to mark its 222nd anniversary.

Vacheron Constantin 222 ‘Jumbo’ 1980 (Yellow Gold, Steel)
©PHILLIPS AUCTION 

The case design that embraced the 1970s trend was once rumored to be the work of Gerald Genta, Who designed the Nautilus and Royal Oak, But was actually created by young designer Jörg Hysek. The 222 evolved into the Overseas in 1996. Compared to Patek Philippe and Audemars Piguet, Vacheron Constantin was a latecomer in the sports watch segment, But quickly adapted to the demands of the times and underwent several generational changes. Now in its third generation, The Overseas comes standard with leather and rubber straps and features a quick-change system. The rapid adoption of anti-magnetic performance and larger case diameters demonstrates the Overseas' flexibility in adapting to the times.

Vacheron Constantin Overseas 41mm Steel
©Vacheron Constantin

Among the Overseas models introduced in black, Silver, And blue dials, The blue dial received the most attention. The dial, Featuring a sunray pattern on a translucent lacquer base, Made the blue stand out more than other colors. Perhaps this is because blue best suits the name Overseas and its ever-changing appearance, Sometimes like a mirror and sometimes like the deep sea. It pairs well with steel cases and even better with pink gold cases.

Vacheron Constantin Overseas Green Dial  ©Vacheron Constantin

Vacheron Constantin Overseas Green Chronograph 42.5mm Pink Gold

©Vacheron Constantin

The new green dial, Now applied to pink gold cases, Uses the same techniques as previous dials but offers a different impression. The sunray pattern is even clearer and pairs beautifully with pink gold. Since many other watch companies have already released green dials, It would have been difficult to appeal to customers with just a new color. Perhaps with this in mind, The new green dial shares the complex texture and grain of the blue dial while expressing a unique green character. Vacheron Constantin, Confident in its high level of completion, Applied the green dial to date, Chronograph, Dual time, And women's 35mm models all at once, Further highlighting the charm of the pink gold case.

Panerai Panerai

Submersible QuarantaQuattro Luna Rossa Ti-Ceramitech PAM01466
© The Ceo Magazine.

The America's Cup yacht race is the oldest and most prestigious race in the world. Since 2019, Panerai has partnered with the Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli sailing team to participate in the America's Cup. At Watches and Wonders 2024, Panerai unveiled a full collection for Luna Rossa.

Panerai Luna Rossa Collection © Panerai

The collection, Based on Panerai's professional Submersible line, Is best suited for professional sailors. The Submersible features a diver's bezel and high water resistance of over 300 meters. Excluding the tourbillon, The flagship of the new collection is the Submersible QuarantaQuattro Luna Rossa Ti-Ceramitech. As racing yachts have become faster, Ceramic coatings are used on moving parts such as pulleys to reduce friction, Inspiring the development of the new Ti-Ceramitech material. Ti-Ceramitech, Which is titanium coated with ceramic, Is 44% lighter than steel and about ten times stronger than pure ceramic. The dark blue color matches well with Luna Rossa. The new model using this material, Paired with a blue dial, Evokes the deep sea where the America's Cup is held.

Panerai Submersible GMT Luna Rossa Titanio
© Panerai

In addition to the new models, Submersible models with date and GMT functions for Luna Rossa were also unveiled.