THE HOTTEST WATCHES FROM GENEVA HAVE ARRIVED AT SOUTH COAST PLAZA
BY LAURIE BROOKINS
Rolex, Patek Philippe, Chanel and others just debuted their 2024 models, each sure to be coveted by fans of status timepieces.
Each spring, editors and fans of status timepieces converge upon Geneva for seven days of non-stop appointments with the world’s most revered watch brands — known as Watches & Wonders, the annual trade fair features the latest pieces from 50 coveted watchmakers, from Rolex and Patek Philippe to Chanel, Van Cleef & Arpels, Hermès and many more.
As the luxury watch industry approaches $50 billion annually, make no mistake: the models released during Watches & Wonders quickly become coveted around the world, as timepiece aficionados clamor to be the first to view the pieces that represent the absolute best of Swiss handcraft. Perhaps that’s also why most 2024 debuts put an emphasis on the design codes of their respective brands, from the Serpenti styling at Bvlgari to exquisite marquetry crafted by the artisans at Chopard. And for many brands, new models were rooted in a “more is more” vibe, putting signature details on steroids to create pieces that quickly shot to the top of wish lists.
With that in mind, the curated selection of watch boutiques at South Coast Plaza created an ideal opportunity to highlight 18 just-released models for men and women in a range of styles, from sleek simplicity to the ne plus ultra of luxe, intricate handcraft.
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SOUTH COAST PLAZA
HIGHLIGHTS FROM 2024 WATCHES & WONDERS
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Introduced in 1999, watch aficionados love the Datograph for its combination of an artful dial, chronograph with flyback function, and oversized date at 12 o’clock. To honor the model’s 25th anniversary, A. Lange & Söhne has released this stylish design, limited to 125 pieces and featuring an elegant blue dial with silvered subdials for small seconds and jumping minutes, all within a 40-milimeter case crafted of 18-karat white gold.
Among the latest Serpenti Tubogas watches, so named for their tube-like bracelets that wrap sensuously around the wrist, is a collaboration with Japanese architect Tadao Ando, who was inspired by the seasons to conceptualize a grouping of unique dials that combine the beauty of stones with marquetry handcraft. This piece evokes spring and thoughts of cherry blossoms with its dial in pink mother of pearl, while two rows of diamonds on the rose gold bezel are meant to frame and highlight the dial design.
Since the moment Cartier introduced a panther motif on one of its watches in 1914, animals have played an integral role in the House’s DNA. A just-released grouping of animal-themed jewelry watches includes this timepiece crafted in 18-karat yellow gold and diamonds, with hand-applied lacquer that creates the effect of a tiger’s tail in a sinuous wrap around the diamond-shaped lacquered dial.
The House that Coco built leaned in on couturier inspirations for several of its 2024 timepieces — and fans of the brand loved it in Geneva, roundly naming Chanel as a favorite of the week. Among the most high-profile pieces was this Première Ribbon Couture Watch, with a printed leather strap that chicly resembles a seamstress tape and double-wraps around the wrist, all to highlight a black-lacquered dial in a Première case of 18-karat yellow gold, while a whimsical Coco charm dangles from the winder.
Mother of pearl and enamel marquetry are at the heart of the latest pieces in Chopard’s Imperiale collection, designed to put the House’s artisans in the spotlight. In a 36-millimeter case and lugs of ethical 18-karat rose gold embellished with diamonds, the dial is crafted of mother of pearl in tonal blue hues, accented with pink gold, sapphires, diamonds and delicate flowers in pink mother of pearl. The mechanical self-winding movement can be viewed via the transparent case back.
Subtle geometry meets modernity in the Hermès Cut, which blends round and modified cushion shapes on polished and satin-finished stainless steel to create a watch that’s both versatile and timeless. The 36-millimeter watch features a mechanical self-winding movement and 50-hour power reserve, while the crown is artfully placed at the 1:30 position. The Hermès Cut comes with a bracelet in satin-brushed and polished steel, while its interchangeable system enables the wearer to easily replace it with a rubber strap, seen here in the House’s iconic orange and available in seven additional colors.
The beauty and ultra-lightweight design of carbon fiber, accented with orange micro-glass fibers, create a look that’s sure to be noticed in this high-wattage Hublot debut. The fibers are woven on three planes to create an effect in which no two of the 42-millimeter cases will be exactly alike. A tourbillon at the 6 o’clock position, offset dial and impressive 115-hour power reserve are found within the manual-winding skeleton movement.
Among IWC’s most iconic pieces is the Portugieser Chronograph, prized equally for its precision and the elegant vertical placement of its two subdials — stopped minutes and small seconds — conceived in 1998 as a design meant to maximize both readability and style. This new sandy-hued dial has been dubbed Dune and is beautifully offset by a 41-millimeter steel case.
Classic styling is combined with the intricacy of one of watchmaking’s most impressive complications on Jaeger-LeCoultre’s new Master Ultra Thin Perpetual Calendar. The eggshell dial highlights the day, month and date subdials, while a moonphase window is featured at the 12 o’clock position. The 39-millimeter case in 18-karat rose gold is just 9.2 millimeters thick and is embellished with 60 diamonds totaling .85 carats on the bezel.
The sfumato green glacier pattern on the latest Montblanc 1858 is meant to evoke thoughts of emerald-hued icebergs and pays tribute to the brand’s spirit of exploration. The automatic movement is housed in a 41-millimeter steel case that is devoid of oxygen, designed to enable the watch to function in even the harshest conditions. The numerals, hands and compass points on the black ceramic bezel all feature a luminescent coating for nighttime readability.
The brand’s partnership with the prestigious America’s Cup is reflected in its latest releases, a capsule collection of four styles that honor Panerai’s status as the official timekeeper of the Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli Sailing team. This automatic mechanical timepiece features a GMT function, small seconds at 9 o’clock, a date window at 3 o’clock and a three-day power reserve, all within a 42-millimeter titanium case.
Patek Philippe
World Time with Date, Ref. 5330G-001
Level 2, Inside Tourneau / Saks Fifth Avenue Wing
714.955.4037
Celebrated for its world timers, Patek Philippe has raised the bar once again, debuting a model that maximizes the readability of its 24 time zones while imbuing the piece with a decidedly sporty style. A glass hand is tipped in red lacquer to read the date without interrupting the hour and minute hands, while the 24-hour disk is subdivided in day and night zones via a gilt sun and crescent moon; the blue-gray opaline dial highlights a carbon motif at its center, which matches beautifully with the denim-patterned calfskin strap.
The legendary jewelry House is celebrating its 150th anniversary this year, so Piaget is honoring the milestone with updated versions of some of its most iconic designs over the years. That includes the House’s bold and glamorous Cuff Watch, which debuted in 1969. This wide bracelet style is handcrafted of openwork 18-karat yellow gold, which surrounds a stunning dial that highlights the iridescent blues and greens of a single black opal stone, positioned amid the hand-twisted goldwork to create a feeling that’s equal parts hidden and organic.
Tourbillons have been integral to watch precision since 1795, and this year Roger Dubuis is releasing four models that celebrate the beauty and mechanics of this beloved detail. A pair of flying tourbillons have been placed side by side on the Excalibur Sunrise Double Tourbillon, a manual-winding timepiece that’s limited to just eight pieces. On the bezel and also within the 42-millimeter case of 18-karat pink gold, red garnets, orange spessartites and yellow sapphires and set in a sunrise-inspired ombre pattern that surrounds the double tourbillon.
The latest dive watch from Rolex’s Deepsea collection is a stunner with its combination of 18-karat yellow gold with deep blue ceramic rotatable bezel and lacquer dial. Designed for easy legibility underwater, the dial features large Chromalight hour markers and hands in a clean design and luminescent coating that emits a unique and long-lasting blue glow. The combination of 44-millimeter case and Oyster bracelet in polished and satin-finished gold, meanwhile, results in a look that quickly became among the most talked-about watches in Geneva.
Honoring its legacy with sailing regattas, TAG Heuer’s Carrera Chronograph Skipper beautifully blends splashes of green, orange and teal on a blue circular-brushed dial in a 39-millimeter case of 18-karat rose gold. Functions include a chronograph, 15-minutes count and 12-hours counter, while the Skipper’s sporty styling is finished with a blue woven strap.
Green was among the dial colors trending in Geneva, and few did it as beautifully as the sun-brushed hue seen on the dial of Vacheron Constantin’s new Overseas Dual Time. The green dial is offset nicely by the 41-millimeter case and bracelet crafted in 18-karat pink gown, while dial features include a GMT function with am/pm indicator and a subdial displaying the date at 6 o’clock.
Part of the iconic House’s Extraordinary Dials collection, the Lady Arpels Jour Enchanté indeed takes dial artistry to another level. Limited to just eight pieces, the Jour Enchanté — “Enchanted Day” — highlights a tableau of a fairy in a garden and is handcrafted of enamelwork and metalwork with gem-settings of yellow sapphires, spessartite garnets, round and rose-cut diamonds, turquoise marquetry and more, all within a 41-millimeter case of 18-karat white gold embellished with diamonds.
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