From updates of iconic models to exciting new releases, the 2024 edition of Watches & Wonders did not disappoint. Taking place at Geneva’s sprawling Palexpo convention center starting on April 9th, this year’s event saw 54 brands participate, offering a first look at their novelties to watch collectors and enthusiasts. We marveled at hundreds of fine timepieces that excel in technique, innovation, and design. From sports watches to high jewelry editions, discover ELLE Egypt’s favorite timepieces showcased at Watches & Wonders 2024.
PANERAI’S NEW SUBMERSIBLE LUNA ROSSA COLLECTIONS
Among our favorites is the Submersible Luna Rossa, model PAM01565, the e-commerce Special Edition, exclusively available in a limited edition of 300 pieces. Housed in a 42mm brushed steel case, this watch features a black matt ceramic disk on its unidirectional rotating steel bezel, chosen for its scratch resistance. The bezel rotates counterclockwise, aiding in calculating immersion time, crucial for underwater use.
Water resistant up to 30 bar (approximately 300 meters), it exceeds Panerai’s standards after rigorous testing. With its robust bezel and steel case, the Submersible Luna Rossa is ready for any challenge, whether on a racing yacht or underwater.
Another standout is the Submersible GMT Luna Rossa Titanio, model PAM01507, showcasing the new Super-LumiNova X2 on indices and hour hand. This improved grade guarantees a luminosity 10% higher than its predecessor after 180 minutes in darkness. Embodying the innovative spirit of the Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli team, titanium is also one of the materials used to build the Luna Rossa boat, merging resilience with cutting-edge technology, thanks to continuous innovation by Laboratorio di Idee at the Panerai Manufacture in Neuchâtel.
CHOPARD PRESENTS ALPINE EAGLE AND MORE
With Alpine Eagle, Chopard has created a contemporary sporty-chic collection featuring pure design and sophisticated mechanics. Welcoming a new model to the collection, the Alpine Eagle 41 XP Frozen Summit combines the maison’s watchmaking and jewelry expertise. Its exceptional refinement has been saluted by the Poinçon de Genève. The 41 mm-diameter case, along with the entire dial, bezel, crown, and integrated bracelet in ethical 18-carat white gold, are set with meticulously cut diamonds. This represents a significant challenge, taking the collection to a new jewelry peak and evoking the celestial beauty of stars reflected on glaciers. Making no compromises in terms of technical expertise, this true collector’s timepiece benefits from the watchmaking savoir-faire of Chopard Manufacture embodied in the ultra-thin L.U.C 96.41-L movement, with automatic winding via a micro-rotor ensuring a 65-hour power reserve.
With the Alpine Eagle XL Chrono, Chopard interprets its flyback chronograph in a 44 mm-diameter model entirely crafted in ethical 18-carat rose gold, as well as in a case featuring the extreme lightness of grade-5 titanium, a metal known for its tried and tested sturdiness. Like the entire collection, this Alpine Eagle XL Chrono model with its 44 mm-diameter case now framing a new Rhône Blue dial color remains strongly inspired by the power of the eagle and the beauty of the Alps. The three patents for its Chopard 03.05-C chronometer-certified movement with flyback function testify to innovations enhancing its accuracy as well as its smooth handling. In line with the maison’s commitment to preserving the Alpine environment and its biodiversity, part of the proceeds from sales of this model will be donated to the Alpine Eagle Foundation.
Another Chopard favorite is the L.U.C FULL STRIKE. Following limited editions in ethical gold, hardened steel, platinum, and sapphire, Chopard has preserved the purity of sound of L.U.C Calibre 08.01-L by integrating this patented minute repeater mechanism with monobloc sapphire gongs into a 42.50 mm-diameter case made of anthracite ceramicized titanium. Combining technical innovation with bold styling, this certified chronometer issued in an exclusive 20-piece edition is the first in the Full Strike family to feature a dial whose verdigris shade has been subtly enhanced by meticulous finishing. It is honored by the prestigious Poinçon de Genève quality hallmark.
VAN CLEEF & ARPELS PAYS TRIBUTE TO MÉTIERS D’ART
True to its unique Poetry of Time, Van Cleef & Arpels instills a dimension of dream and emotion into the art of watchmaking. Each creation emphasizes the savoir-faire, artistic craftsmanship, and technical expertise that reflect the Maison’s commitment to pushing the boundaries of watchmaking.
With the Poetic Complications collection, the watchmaking mastery developed by Van Cleef & Arpels combines precious materials and traditional savoir-faire to bring to life a tender story that enlivens every dial. Two new watches enrich the collection: Lady Jour Nuit and Lady Arpels Jour Nuit. Awestruck by the spectacle of the stars, the Maison reinvents the Lady Arpels Jour Nuit watch, with two new models 33 and 38 mm in diameter.
Paying tribute to nature, a source of inspiration for the Maison since its creation, the Lady Arpels Brise d’Été watch celebrates the freshness of a summer morning. This new creation brings corollas into bloom within the Van Cleef & Arpels garden. White and yellow gold butterflies rendered in plique-à-jour enamel not only tell the time but flutter off thanks to an on-demand animation module that also breathes life into the flowers and their stems.
THE COMEBACK AT PARMIGIANI FLEURIER
Still vivid in the memory of high-end horology collectors and enthusiasts, Toric makes an exciting comeback in 2024. Whether the Petite Seconde or the Chronograph Rattrapante, the new generation of Toric is no mere remake of the collection first presented in 1996. Parmigiani Fleurier has chosen to redefine the codes of elegance without compromise, by breaking with all established conventions.
A sculptural object created through the artistic interlacing of open-worked platinum, the Tonda PF Skeleton 2024 is an open-air mechanism. Born of a saga that began two years ago, the Tonda PF Skeleton conquered the watchmaking world with its steel and pink gold versions. Now, the new all-platinum version with a Milano Blue movement brings an extra touch of nobility to an already prestigious heritage. The Tonda PF Micro-Rotor No Date perpetuates the collection’s ethos of purity in the same clean, minimalist aesthetic and reflects the house’s functional and chromatic style, combining high-end finishes with exceptional watchmaking. To meet the expectations of true purists of watchmaking design, Parmigiani Fleurier has chosen to give the Golden Siena dial time indications but no date window.
HUBLOT’S BIG BANG UNICO
Hublot’s Big Bang Unico, launched in 2010 as the first movement designed by the manufacturer, stands as a technical and aesthetic pioneer. The Unico calibre has further solidified Hublot’s reputation for cutting-edge watch design. It boasts a distinctive appearance with its visible column wheel on the dial side, along with a chronograph featuring a flyback function, stylish anthracite grey lines, and unparalleled performance. This year, Hublot introduces five new references featuring the Unico movement in various materials: ceramic, sapphire, and Magic Gold.
The return of the Big Bang Integrated Time Only signifies a revival of the original DNA of the Big Bang line. With its solid dial and integrated bracelet, this smaller version embodies the foundation of Hublot’s success. Iconic yet adventurous, with 38mm of elegance, it incorporates materials at the heart of the Art of Fusion. The exceptional Big Bang has played a pivotal role in building Hublot’s reputation, and today, we witness a new evolution for the watchmaker with the striking transformation of a classic.
After eight years of collaboration between Hublot and Maxime Plescia-Buchi, the watchmaker finally unveils a new piece in sapphire: The Big Bang Sang Bleu Sapphire. This timepiece embodies the three-dimensional geometry and indelible features of Sang Bleu, etched into Hublot’s high-tech material of choice. A geometric marvel meant to adorn your wrist like a tattoo, it blends intensity and softness, strength and subtlety. Once again, Hublot demonstrates its mastery in combining craftsmanship and technology with this hyper-complex timepiece.
NEW TOURBILLONS AT ROGER DUBUIS
At Roger Dubuis‘ showcase at Watches & Wonders, the Maison’s extraordinary savoir-faire is preserved and perpetuated through a tourbillon journey filled with expressivity, a testament to Hyper Horology. Led by remarkable complications, skeletonization, and Poinçon de Genève certification, all produced in rare and limited numbers, Roger Dubuis presents four new tourbillons: The Orbis In Machina, the Excalibur Sunrise Double Tourbillon, the Excalibur Titanium Monotourbillon, and the Excalibur Dragon Monotourbillon.
The Excalibur Sunrise Double Tourbillon stands out with its powerful colors and blazing light, unmistakable hallmarks of Roger Dubuis design. This energizing creation draws inspiration from the intense illumination of breaking dawn, embodying the vision of a radiant sunrise alongside the iconic spark of passionate tourbillon watchmaking. Embellished with a vivid gradient of gemstones, this visibly assertive timepiece showcases how vibrant aesthetics can be perfectly matched by the strength of double tourbillon mechanics.
BVLGARI REIMAGINES
While Tadao Ando and Bulgari have collaborated in the past, this is the first time around Serpenti. In 2020 and 2021, the simple designs of the Octo Finissimo captured the essence of time through the pure lines of a spiral and the Mikazuki concept, symbolizing the waxing crescent moon. Here, the artistic and conceptual journey shared by the architect and the Roman Maison around the theme of time enters a new realm, expressed in four limited editions within the hallmark Serpenti collection.
Just as a snake goes through its transformation, Tadao Ando’s works change with the seasons and the light. The celebrated architect has molded his design language around the apparent simplicity of forms and the purity of materials, maintaining a direct harmony with nature.
Consequently, Serpenti now more profoundly reflects the realms of fauna, flora, and aesthetics than before, mirroring the forest and adapting with the seasons’ cycles. The reptile coils around the wrist, adorned with fragments of gemstones or mother-of-pearl that echo Tadao Ando’s architectural vision with their harmonious, straight, and raw lines.
The inaugural Octo Finissimo Automatic Sketch series will be available in two limited editions – 280 pieces in steel and 70 in rose gold. Here, the ‘dial’ uniquely showcases the watch’s micro-rotor, escapement, bridges, rubies, and intricate finishing details (such as Côtes de Genève, circular graining). In other words, the intimate mechanics sketched by Fabrizio Buonamassa Stigliani. With lively, natural, and spontaneous strokes, it emphasizes the key features of the Finissimo icon, blending technical mastery with artistic expression.
