Watches inform us in regards to the current or the previous; the long run is mostly out of attain, besides at a good just like the not too long ago concluded Watches and Wonders Geneva. You may need caught a few of our favourites and highlights during the last week, and possibly caught up on all of the information wherever you get your horological repair. So, what does all of it say in regards to the yr of watchmaking that’s to come back? In 2024, the reply is straightforward: high-value treasured steel fashions.

Gold is king at Watches and Wonders Geneva 2024 and right here we are going to threat repeating ourselves as a result of Rolex and Patek Philippe distinguished themselves with a big majority of novelties within the treasured stuff. If one provides platinum into the combo, then treasured metals dominate. The dominant market drive and probably the most distinguished status participant have however one new chrome steel mannequin between them. We might by no means have imagined typing that sentence earlier than the truthful began and it nonetheless feels unbelievable. And but it’s merely a reality. Make no mistake although, it’s nonetheless the period of sports activities magnificence however maybe we will name this sports activities magnificence elevated (SEE).

This isn’t solely in regards to the purple gold TAG Heuer Skipper, the complete gold Tudor Black Bay 58 and the Bell & Ross BR 05 Chrono Gray Metal and Gold but in addition the all-gold Parmigiani Fleurier Toric the place dials and calibres are additionally in gold. We might go on and checklist extra, and we are going to. Each of the novelties at A. Lange & Sohne are in treasured metals and so is the only real Ulysse Nardin Freak S Nomad, clearly. At IWC, all the new Portogieser Horizon Blue variant is just in white gold whereas the brand new Duometre watches at Jaeger-LeCoultre are completely in gold, besides the chrome steel Quatieme Lunaire. For sure, the Piaget Polo 79 is a giant previous gold brick, whereas the vast majority of Cartier’s 66 novelties this yr are in treasured metals, and that goes as much as 100% at Van Cleef & Arpels.   

In case your first thought in listening to all that is that issues are going to get costly, you might be after all right. It isn’t a response to growing wealth on this planet. You may need observed from current information stories on Swiss watchmaking exports that issues are hardly wanting up. Fairly the other. It might be although that demand for the most costly types of watches is extra resilient (as historical past demonstrates), so the enchantment for watchmakers is evident. As well as, margins are higher within the treasured metals recreation (although not essentially in issues however that’s one other matter) and firms corresponding to Rolex and Patek Philippe need to reward their retail companions. A number of that we spoke with agreed.

To make certain, that is one interpretation of the novelties of 2024 however we really feel assured that it’s a very apparent one. It’s also of apparent concern for collectors and lovers, who’ve been primarily fascinated by metal watches – it’s downright ominous for followers of bronze and different novelty supplies. Rolex didn’t even introduce extra fashions in titanium however perhaps it’s going to dedicate a whole yr for this, simply because it did with treasured metals in 2024.

For extra on the luxurious watch reads and the most recent in Watches and Wonders Geneva 2024, click on right here.