Watch Rewind: The Best Timepieces Of 2024

By Adrienne Faurote December 30, 2024

As I sit down to write this article, the annual cliché of ‘I cannot believe another year has gone by‘ has washed over me. However, rather than reflecting on the rapid passage of time, I’m looking back in awe at some of the best timepieces of 2024 that broke industry standards, the internet, and the rules. In fact, the year 2024 symbolizes a break in the watch industry; whether it was seeing a minor come down of the 2021 hype or the actual breaking of the mold most of the novelties achieved, I think a resounding theme is the multi-definitions of the term break.

From industry giants like Audemars Piguet and Rolex to high jewelry watchmaking from Van Cleef & Arpels, ahead, we’ve hit rewind on the year to share some of the best timepieces of 2024.

Bvlgari Octo Finissimo Ultra COSC

During Watches & Wonders 2024 in April, Bvlgari set the tone with a record-breaking release: the new Octo Finissimo Ultra COSC. With an astonishing total thickness of just 1.7mm, it edges out Richard Mille’s previous record for the world’s thinnest watch by a mere 0.05mm.

Audemars Piguet [RE]Master02 Selfwinding

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Audemars Piguet

Then, in May, Audemars Piguet kicked off summer with the release of 13 novelties, including the [RE]Master02 Selfwinding—a limited edition of 250 pieces featuring a 41 mm asymmetrical case in 18-carat sand gold, inspired by a 1960 model, with a “Bleu Nuit, Nuage 50” parted dial and powered by the Calibre 7129, blending vintage aesthetics with modern performance to establish [RE]Master as its own collection.

Cartier Tortue

At Watches & Wonders, Cartier introduced its eighth installment of the Cartier Privé collection. Originally introduced in 1912, the Tortue masterfully balances curves and taut lines, resulting in a graceful tonneau design reminiscent of a tortoise’s curved shell, which inspired its name. For 2024, the Tortue received a modern update with a sleeker profile and elongated lugs that integrate seamlessly with the strap. The collection includes three refined hours-and-minutes models and two elegant monopusher chronograph versions, blending heritage with contemporary sophistication.

CHANEL Monsieur Superleggera Intense Black Edition

The CHANEL Monsieur Superleggera Intense Black Edition channels the dynamic energy of automobile racing with its matte black ceramic and black-coated stainless steel exterior, a monochromatic guilloche-type dial, and technical finesse powered by Caliber 1, featuring a jump hour and retrograde minute display on a nylon strap with black calfskin trim.

Daniel Roth Rose Gold Tourbillon

Fast forward to August, during Geneva Watch Days, Jean Arnault—Louis Vuitton’s Watch Director—declared the new Daniel Roth Rose Gold Tourbillon the standout of this year’s Geneva Watch Days, debuting in 5N rose gold with a striking guillochage en ligne dial. Inspired by the original Tourbillon C187, this modern homage pairs a 5N rose gold case with a matching guilloché dial in the celebrated “pink on pink” palette, blending tradition with innovation.

Grand Seiko SBGC275

A personal favorite from Watches & Wonders, the Grand Seiko SBGC275 definitely broke the watch industry’s boundaries. Marking 20 years of the revolutionary 9R Spring Drive movement, Grand Seiko unveils a new Spring Drive Chronograph GMT inspired by summer mountain vistas, featuring an innovative dial technique that reflects Japanese culture’s reverence for the subtle flow of time and the hues of summer dawns.

Hermès Arceau Duc Attelé

The Arceau Duc Attelé, a modern reinterpretation of Henri d’Origny’s 1978 classic, combines grade 5 titanium with the Hermès H1926 manual winding movement, featuring a tourbillon, minute repeater, and a precision-crafted dial, limited to just 24 individually numbered pieces.

Hublot MP-15 Takashi Murakami Tourbillon Sapphire Rainbow

In true Hublot fashion, the brand debuted the MP-15 Takashi Murakami Tourbillon Sapphire Rainbow in October—a limited edition of 20 pieces featuring the artist’s iconic smiling flower reimagined as a sapphire sculpture adorned with colorful gemstones and powered by HUBLOT’s first central tourbillon movement.

Jaeger-LeCoultre Duometre Heliotourbillon Perpetual

While Jaeger-LeCoultr had quite an impressive showing in Geneva, the highlight of this year’s Duomètre lineup was the Heliotourbillon Perpetual. It debuted as Jaeger-LeCoultre’s first triple-axis tourbillon featuring the innovative cal. 388 and a rare spherical hairspring, placing JLC among the elite few capable of such horological mastery.

Louis Vuitton

This summer was an exciting time for watchmaking: case in point: the new Louis Vuitton Escale that launched in June. Deemed the next chapter in Louis Vuitton Watchmaking by Jean Arnault, the Escale followed the immense success of the Tambour while also aesthetically following in its footsteps as a dress watch. After three years of meticulous crafting, Louis Vuitton released four new models that redefine the Escale: one with a platinum case and meteorite dial, another platinum model with an onyx dial, and two designed with a rose gold case with a silver dial, and the other with a blue dial.

H.Moser & Cie Streamliner Tourbillon Skeleton

At Watches & Wonders, H.Moser & Cie released the Streamliner Tourbillon Skeleton. The new 40mm steel timepiece showcases a suspended one-minute flying tourbillon with an integrated double hairspring at 6 o’clock, gold-plated indices and hands with luminous ceramic-based Globolight inserts, a skeletonized HMC 814 self-winding movement with 72-hour power reserve visible through the transparent caseback, and 12 ATM water resistance.

OMEGA Speedmaster

In October, one of Omega’s most iconic and historically significant timepieces made a triumphant return—this time with a modern twist. The newly re-released ‘The First Omega in Space’ is a perfect blend of the brand’s celebrated legacy in space exploration and cutting-edge technology, now equipped with the Co-Axial Master Chronometer update. This relaunch paid homage to its original 1960s design while embodying the precision and performance that defines Omega today.

Patek Philippe World Time With Date, Ref. 5330G-001

Initially launched as a limited edition at the 2023 Patek Philippe “Watch Art” Tokyo exhibition, Reference 5330 joined the regular collection during Watches & Wonders, featuring a patented world-first date display synchronized with the local time indicated by the city disk at 12 o’clock.

Piaget Polo 79

Arguably the most popular watch of the year, Piaget revived the Piaget Polo 79 at the top of 2024 to mark the significant impact this timepiece has made in horological history and the Maison’s 150th anniversary.

Rolex 1908

The new Rolex 1908 features a 39mm case crafted from radiant 950 platinum, celebrated for its silvery white glow and corrosion resistance, with a transparent back showcasing the movement’s refined aesthetics and oscillating weight.

Roger Dubuis Orbis in Machina Central Monotourbillon

The highlight of Roger Dubuis’s latest collection is the Orbis in Machina, a rare central tourbillon watch, distinguished not only by the prominent placement of its large tourbillon at the dial’s center but also by its sleek, elegant, and futuristic design that balances Roger Dubuis’s signature boldness with refined sophistication.

Ulysse Nardin

The Freak evolution continued this year for Ulysse Nardin with the release of the Freak S Nomad—limited to just 99 pieces, this new iteration of the Freak family encapsulates the spirit of adventure and exploration that has always defined the brand.

Vacheron Constantin Traditionnelle Tourbillon Chronograph Collection Excellence Platine

Limited to only 50 pieces, the 2024 Traditionnelle Tourbillon Chronograph Excellence Platine from Vacheron Constantin is a creation tailored for discerning collectors.

Van Cleef & Arpels

Once again blending high jewelry with high watchmaking, Van Cleef & Arpels reinvented the Lady Arpels Jour Nuit watch, first introduced in 2008, with two stunning new models in 33mm and 38mm, developed over three years. Featuring a diamond-paved moon and stars chasing a sun adorned with snow-set yellow sapphires or guilloché yellow gold, the design captures the vastness of the cosmos and the enchantment of a starry night through the depth effect of Murano aventurine glass.

TAG Heuer Carrera Date Plasma Diamant d’Avant-Garde

During the 2024 LVMH Watch Week, which kicks off the year in January, TAG Heuer released the Carrera Date Plasma Diamant d’Avant-Garde, now featuring 4.8 carats of lab-grown diamonds including 1.4 carats of yellow Diamant d’Avant-Garde, featuring TAG Heuer’s revolutionary Plasma technology with a 36mm white gold case, diamond crown, polycrystalline dial, and dazzling accents like a 1.3-carat yellow diamond and baguette-cut white diamonds, pushing the boundaries of innovative watch design.