The Geneva Watch Days show has become one of the watch industry’s most-loved events thanks to its timing just after the summer vacation, when the weather is still warm and spirits are high. This year marked the 5th edition of the fair with a host of brands releasing exciting new timepieces to celebrate the occasion. Here are 10 models that we got to admire up close.
Armin Strom Dual Time GMT Resonance
This new 25-piece limited edition marries the brand’s ground-breaking resonance complication with a dual time zone display. This isn’t the first time that Armin Strom has made a watch with these two complications, but it is the first time it has managed to fit it into a 39mm case size thanks to a brand-new ARF22 calibre, which took three years to create. The new model is a sight for sore eyes with its two balance wheels, two sky-blue subdials, and mirror-polished components that will have you staring at the watch in total admiration.
Konstantin Chaykin
The Russian independent watchmaker Konstantin Chaykin was the talk of the fair this year as he presented his ThinKing Prototype, the thinnest watch ever made at 1.65mm (as a reminder, the current record holder is Bulgari with its Octo Finissimo Ultra COSC at 1.7mm). The ThinKing comes in a 40mm steel case, weighs 13.3 grams, and has three patents for the winding barrel, the double balance wheel, and the strap. The front of the watch follows Chaykin’s fun “face” design with two eyes for the hours and minutes and the logo for the smile. It is not yet commercialized, but it is surely only a question of time.
De Bethune DB28xs Météorite
The new DB28xs Météorite is everything you would expect from De Bethune and more. All the cool patented mechanical innovations are there: titanium balance wheel with white gold inserts optimized for changes in temperature; the De Bethune hairspring with flat terminal curve; and triple shock-absorbing system, to name a few. What first catches our attention, however, is the meteorite dial that has been decorated with a guilloché motif, blued, and adorned with gold pins. Just one glance and you are instantly transported into the Milky Way!
Doxa SUB 600T Sea Emerald
Green was definitely a stand-out colour during this year’s Geneva Watch Days. One of our favourites is this new Doxa SUB 600T Sea Emerald with a dial that has been inspired by the colour of the sea, which is a fitting hue for a dive watch that can descend 600 metres under the water! This marks the 8th official colour for the brand and it appears in five key collections – SUB 200, SUB 300T, SUB 300, SUB 600T, and SUB 300 Carbon, so there are plenty to choose from.
Favre Leuba
What a pleasure to see Favre Leuba back in the game with new investors, an expert team, and cool new timepieces. This historic Swiss brand has always held a special place in the hearts of Swiss watch lovers. The new pieces are inspired by the brand’s horological past but offer a modern take on timekeeping which is both pleasing to the eye and comfortable on the wrist. We particularly took a shine to the Deep Blue Renaissance pieces and the Chief Date. Stay tuned for more on this exciting new relaunch.
HYT T1 Séries Millésime
New designs also stood out at HYT with the brand’s latest T1 Series Millésime Edition that comes in purple, green, and beige. These new models continue to showcase HYT’s unique liquid module but present it in a more traditional, compact, and wearable way. What’s interesting about these pieces is that they are limited for a specific time period only and not by numbers. So, if you like the look of them, you have until April 2025. Watch our video with the brand’s CEO Vahé Vartzbed to find out more.
Laurent Ferrier Classic Auto Sandstone
Elegance is the word at Laurent Ferrier with a new piece from its Série Atelier collection. This is the 6th year in a row that the brand has created a limited-edition series that is immediately available for its community of watch enthusiasts. This year’s edition comes in a round, stainless steel, pebble-shaped case with a sandstone-coloured dial that catches the light with a mix of vertical and circular satin-brushed finishes. Check out the sloped date window, which is rather lovely.
MB&F M.A.D.1S
The fifth edition of the M.A.D.Editions has now been released with a considerable upgrade. Named the 1S, it features three new modifications. The first is a new Swiss movement by La Joux-Perret (previous editions were equipped with the Japanese Miyota calibre), it is 20 percent slimmer than in previous editions at 15mm, and it now has one cylinder instead of two. All of this feels so much better on the wrist in terms of comfort and ergonomics. There are also two new colours – a purple version for “Friends” (suppliers) and “Tribe Members” (MB&F collectors), and an ice-blue version for the public.
H. Moser X Studio Underd0g
This is by far the funkiest collaboration of the fair with one H. Moser Endeavour Perpetual Calendar Passion Fruit and a Studio Underd0g 03SERIES Passi0n Fruit. Both timepieces are available as a set and are inspired by the colour scheme of the passion fruit with its purple and yellow colourway. Visiting H. Moser & Cie. during the fair, you could tell that they had had a huge amount of fun on this project, which makes you love it even more. Studio Underd0g was also in attendance, giving away free passion fruit ice cream by the lake. Seeing as the temperatures were hovering around the 30-degree Centigrade mark, the British design studio made lots of new friends!
Phillips First Rolex Daytona “Rainbow” Daytona
We took a little detour among all the new releases to enjoy some vintage timepieces at Phillips, which was presenting some of the highlights from its upcoming auction entitled “Reloaded: The Rebirth of Mechanical Watchmaking, 1980-1999” which will take place in Geneva on November 8th 2024. This first-ever Rolex “Rainbow” Daytona Ref. 16599 was a hit with the whole WorldTempus team. It is expected to sell for over CHF 3,000,000 so it should be a very exciting sale.
We will be reporting on more highlights from the fair over the coming month, so stay tuned for more.
