The Finest Watches of 2024

When the editor of this magazine asked me to compile my favourite 10 watches of 2024, I approached the task with an equal measure of excitement and fear — not unlike that feeling you used to get at school when it was time for your exam results. That is because it has been a busy year in the watch industry, despite the return to normal pricing conditions following a few pandemic years of unsustainable frenzy. The rise of micro brands, shaped watches, and a ferocious battle for the world’s thinnest timepiece between Bulgari, Piaget and Konstantin Chaykin has also seen previous limits shattered.

Some will say 'fashion brand' of the Hermès Cut, others 'ladies’ watch' — both would be wrong. Very wrong. 

First up is the Rolex Deepsea. Before we linger on the Deepsea, an honourable mention must go to the Daytona Le Mans, a watch that stunned us all in 2023 when Rolex unveiled the white-gold iteration to commemorate the centennial of the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Then, in an unprecedented move, Rolex discontinued it after barely a year — perhaps the briefest production run in the brand’s modern history. And so, while it is a special watch, it isn’t one that many of us will have the chance to own, so instead, the watch I felt should be included in this list was the solid-gold Deepsea. As horophiles we have a soft spot for the idea of a gold watch, and what could be more rakish than an 18ct yellow-gold timepiece in the form of the ultimate dive watch? Dive watches are not supposed to come in gold, and that’s why I love this one so much. The 44mm Deepsea has a Cerachrom bezel insert in blue ceramic, a blue dial, and an Oyster bracelet. It is all Rolex, and unapologetic. That has to be celebrated. 

Next, the Hermès Cut. Some will say “fashion brand”, others “ladies’ watch” — and both would be wrong. Very wrong. When I handled the Hermès Cut at the annual Watches & Wonders trade show earlier this year, it was the watch none of us in the media expected but all loved. Hermès may not be the first watchmakers that come to mind, but in truth they have been quietly going about their business with great success. This model is the definition of sporty chic. It comes in four 36mm unisex stainless steel or steel- and-gold models, all with sporty interchangeable bracelets and straps. While initially it might seem like a circular stainless steel case with a thick round bezel, looking at the watch again reveals the hand of the designer. While the bezel is most definitely round and circular-brushed to emphasise its shape, the case middle is closer to a tonneau shape, albeit with rounded corners that dissimulate any suggestion of a straight line. Another curiosity is the position of the crown, nestled into the case middle at 1:30, which is no doubt an aesthetic decision to maintain the fluid, rounded silhouette of the case. The Hermès Cut is powered by the H1912 calibre made by Vaucher Manufacture Fleurier (also used in the Arceau and the Carré H) — and I’m telling you now, this is a future classic! 

Third on my list is a special small-scale watch (possibly around 10 will be made each year) by a gentleman called Xhevdet Rexhepi. This is Xhevdet’s first watch (having trained at Patek) and is called the Minute Inerte. The Minute Inerte perfectly bridges modern and classical watchmaking, boasting a complication that is incredibly simple (visually) and highly addictive to view. The second hand rotates around its sub-dial in 58 seconds before pausing for two seconds at the top. Then, at the turn of each minute, the minute hand jumps instantaneously to the next minute and the second hand starts ticking again. While he launched the watch with a pastel blue dial last year (Rexhepi says he produced 50 pieces in platinum), the real winner for me is the new green pastel. Yes, it’s only a new dial for 2024, but it has it all — technical innovation, superlative finishing, and proportions of yesteryear at 38mm. Keep an eye out for this man, for he is going to be a star. 

Next, a watch launched by one of my heroes, the physicist and filmmaker Dr. Brian Cox. It is the IWC Portugieser Perpetual ‘Eternal’ Calendar. While it may look similar to the perpetuals you know from the Schaffhausen-based manufacture, this one is altogether a different beast. A ground-up redesign of the case and crystal allows you a side view into the domed crystal. IWC Schaffhausen’s first secular perpetual calendar automatically takes into account the Gregorian calendar’s leap year exception rules by skipping three leap years over 400 years. It also features a moonphase display with an accuracy of 45 million years. Bonkers, right? 

Laurent Ferrier are among the most elegant watchmakers in the world, a brand that seemingly can’t put a foot wrong at the moment. Again, they are small-scale makers, producing fewer than 100 watches, or thereabouts, every year. The Laurent Ferrier Classic Moon is an annual calendar with moonphase complication, a first for the brand. It is housed in their classic pebble-shaped case, a signature, and the dial features assegai- shaped hour and minute hands and a lumed moon disk in solid gold with hand-finished stars set against a deep blue or black night sky. Does it get any better? The movement is the manually wound calibre LF126.01, which features exceptional finishing, including hand- polished bridges, Côtes de Genève decoration, and anglage work of a quality that we have come to expect from the brand. This is for somebody looking to whisper, not scream. 

The Berneron Mirage may be the definitive watch of 2024. It encompasses creative design, technical innovation and the independent spirit so rife in the watch world at the moment. Founded by a gentleman who has worked at a couple of great brands (namely, IWC and Breitling), this first model from the brand ticks all the boxes. Its asymmetric design flows from its movement architecture rather than an arbitrary external form. The calibre’s distinctive components — an oversized barrel, direct-drive small seconds, and vintage pocket-watch-style balance wheel — dictate its unconventional silhouette. Moving beyond the conventional circular form, its asymmetric design imparts a distinctive personality that commands attention while maintaining a refined presence on the wrist. The result is a statement of quiet confidence rather than an ostentatious display. 

The Berneron Mirage may be the year’s definitive watch. It has creativity, innovation and independent spirit. 

Piaget have been on fire in the secondary market in the past few years. Dealers can’t get enough of the brand’s stone- dial models from the sixties/ seventies/eighties. They have all the allure of traditional elegance and are surprisingly good value. The Piaget Polo 79 was a reissue for this year during a notable 150th anniversary for the brand. While I love the design, with its yellow-gold case and gadroons, it’s the ergonomics I feel need to be celebrated. A major redesign has effectively made it a watch that Piaget would be making now had it continued from the 1980s with modern executions. It is wonderfully done. We understand that sequels are never better than the original — but not in this case. 

This year also marked the 20th anniversary for Vacheron Constantin’s quintessential dress watch, the Patrimony. In line with current trends, Vacheron have reduced the case diameter from 40mm to 39mm, and have come at us with two executions: 18k white- and pink-gold cases, both with old silver dials. The signature convex dial in the new old-silver-toned colour features slim pink-gold indices and hands, while 48 applied-gold pearls mark the minutes. Below deck is the ultra-slim 2.6mm manual- winding calibre 1440 movement with a frequency of 4Hz and a power reserve of 42 hours. New straps in azure blue and olive green complement the watches, adding a refreshing dose of colour. We all need a dress watch, and the white-gold version with rose markers would be my standout for 2024. 

Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet has hit a remarkable milestone — five years in production. While its debut was met with mixed reactions (to put it diplomatically), the collection has evolved into something compelling. The turning point came last year, with the introduction of 38mm models and refined aesthetics, featuring enhanced dial textures and indices that delivered on the collection’s promise. This year brings strategic changes to the line-up. Most notably, Audemars Piguet are discontinuing white- gold variants for both chronograph and time-only models. While complications may still feature white gold, the brand found that steel and white-gold models were competing too closely in the market. Moving forwards, pink gold will reign supreme as the sole precious metal option in the standard Code 11.59 collection. I’m converted — are you? 

The Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet collection has evolved into something compelling. I’m converted — are you? 

Last but by no means least, the Chopard L.U.C 1860 Flying Tourbillon. Chopard have been gaining momentum in the collector market in recent years, predominantly due to their modest case sizes and the fact they cut no corners when it comes to movements. Their work is top-notch. The latest L.U.C 1860 Flying Tourbillon embodies discreet elegance in an exquisite 36.5mm case. This masterpiece traces its lineage to 1996, when Karl-Friedrich Scheufele realised his vision of watchmaking autonomy with Chopard’s inaugural in-house movement, the calibre 1.96. Crafted in the brand’s Fleurier manufacture, this movement powered the first L.U.C 1860, marking a pivotal moment in Chopard’s haute horlogerie journey. The calibre 1.96, renowned as one of Switzerland’s finest ultra- thin micro-rotor automatic movements, laid the foundation for more sophisticated mechanisms, including the flying tourbillon introduced in 2019. Today’s iteration, driven by the L.U.C 96.24- L calibre, represents the quintessential dress watch. Its perfectly proportioned case houses a meticulous hand-guilloché dial, while a hinged hunter-style caseback reveals the exceptional in-house movement beneath. Limited to 10 pieces, the L.U.C 1860 Flying Tourbillon exemplifies understated excellence — a timepiece that commands attention not through ostentation but through its refined presence and technical mastery. 

Read the full story in Issue 97, available now.