1. Angles everywhere
Faceted bezels, octagonal cases and chiselled dials: gone are the days when a watch had to be all circles and smooth curves. Gérald Genta’s groundbreaking design approach, now almost 50 years old, remains strikingly modern. The Royal Oak by Audemars Piguet represents the pinnacle of the genre; the Vacheron Constantin Overseas looks sharper than ever, and brands as diverse as Hublot (Square Bang), Bell & Ross and even Swatch are embracing the square. 2024 looks set to be a rather angular year!
2. Collabs are key
The phenomenon of bringing different individuals, and even different brands, together was everywhere in 2023, and looks set to be similarly ubiquitous in 2024. But collabs can take a couple of different forms. The first is where a watch brand collaborates with an external designer or watchmaker, as in the case of Louis Erard with Alain Silberstein, or Bovet with Pininfarina. The second type of collab brings two different brands together. MB&F and H. Moser & Cie opened the doors to the phenomenon. And last year, Swatch Group took the bold step of juxtaposing two of its own brands, from opposite ends of the price spectrum: Swatch and Omega. The journey continues this year with Swatch and Blancpain. We can expect 2024 to offer more ‘collabs’ in a similar vein.
3. Retailers are back
The pandemic led us to believe that you could buy anything you wanted on the internet. But it wasn’t true. Clients are heading back to stores. Deloitte’s latest report on the watch industry paints this as a defining trend of 2024. Whether the shops in question are selling new watches, like Arije, Zakaa or M.A.D. Gallery, or second-hand timepieces like Chronext, customers appreciate the wide choice, the ability to talk to expert sales staff, and the opportunity to actually try the watches on. It’s the human touch!
4. Flawless finishes
Here’s some good news for the general standard of watchmaking: high-quality movement finishes are back in centre stage. Independents including Greubel Forsey, Philippe Dufour and Hervé Schlüchter have set an extremely high standard, which means that any watch brands offering products at similar price levels are under pressure to come into line. Newer brands such as Trilobe have staked their reputation on an uncompromising standard of finish from the outset, an approach also modelled by more established brands such as Ferdinand Berthoud. We will no doubt see more uncompromising attention to detail and superlative finishes in 2024. Collectors will be rubbing their hands.
5. Return of the chronograph
Could it be true? Are tourbillons falling out of favour? It would seem so. Seasoned collectors at Dubai Watch Week seemed uninterested. Was it a case of indigestion, or simply a fancy for something different? It’s probably the latter, heralded by the triumphant return of the chronograph. As well as being one of the most popular complications, the chronograph is also one of the most technical. Very few watchmakers have the ability to design, build and assemble them in-house – and those that do are deservedly prestigious. Jaeger-LeCoultre opened Watches and Wonders Geneva with a Reverso Tribute Chronograph, closely followed by A. Lange & Söhne’s Odysseus – two exquisite manufacture chronographs. Over at Cyrus, the Klepcys Dice double chrono turned heads, and we know that Greubel Forsey will have something to say on the topic very soon. 2024 will be the year of the chronograph, and it’s a safe bet that the trend will continue well into the future.
