Just over a month into the eagerly awaited 2024, we can’t say we’ve been left wanting for novelties from the world of watchmaking. However, it’s too soon to draw conclusions, especially with the much-anticipated Watches and Wonders fair set for April 2024, a time when all the hottest and most desired watch novelties are sure to be unveiled.
What we can do in this early part of the year, looking back at the last and following the evolving tastes of collectors, is to try and “predict” the trends from different maisons.
So, let’s dive into this article to discover how the world of timepieces might evolve, especially in terms of design.
What We Expect
Whenever a new watch is released, we’re all ready to comment and “criticize” to express how we wished the new model had turned out. Certainly, over time, after “digesting” the novelty, many of us change our minds and start to appreciate it.
Most of the time, criticisms are definitely directed at a sudden change in design or size between a previous version and the next.
What we’ve come to understand, though, is that maisons, when creating a model, often don’t present a timepiece in line with those in production during a specific period but try to look beyond.
This is done by anticipating possible market trends in terms of design and, especially, diameter and thickness of the case. Just think that, not too long ago, the trend was towards large-sized timepieces. At the same time, many maisons deviated from this trend by producing watches with contained diameters and reduced case thickness.
Take Tudor, for example, with the introduction of the Black Bay 54 in 2023, which for a diver, features very contained dimensions compared to modern standards. Standards that I dare say were widely anticipated by the Geneva maison but are slowly starting to manifest in other maisons on watches of the same type.
The first that comes to mind is the new Longines Legend Diver presented at the end of 2023. It is indeed the re-edition of a historic model of the house, first introduced in 1959, which, in its latest version, sees a return to more contained forms.
Indeed, contrary to common belief, in the past, even sports watches had small dimensions compared to the standards of most sports watches on the market today. I must admit that, precisely by taking inspiration from the past, more and more maisons are starting to “resize” their iconic watches, which today are sought after by enthusiasts with more contained forms.
And it is precisely from the world of collectors that the voice for smaller diameters but, above all, thinner cases is becoming increasingly strong.
Could 2024 finally be the year we see a reversal in watch case sizes, returning to timepieces that are easier to wear and less bulky?
To answer this question, which we pose to you as food for thought, I really think so. Talking to collectors and observing the presentations to date, the trend among watchmaking maisons seems to be to repropose models with a more classic and refined design, characterized by more contained measures.
And it is precisely by drawing inspiration from the past (always a winning choice in the world of watches) that one can create a timepiece increasingly appreciated by all enthusiasts.
Just think of Zenith, which a few days ago presented in Miami a fantastic and faithful re-edition of the famous past Chronomaster Triple Calendar.
Historical models that more and more young people approaching the world of watchmaking appreciate, and it is precisely on them that maisons are likely focusing their attention today. After all, it is thanks to young enthusiasts that the history of watchmaking can continue forever. After all this seemingly tangled reasoning, we can now draw our conclusions.
Certainly, what we also expect (and hope for) would be the reinterpretation of great iconic models that have made history but have been forgotten for a while.
In this regard, I want to applaud Piaget, which has just presented a fantastic re-edition of the famous Polo 79 with a nod to the design of the past, except for a slightly larger case, but still a well-contained size of 38 mm.
Indeed, this is precisely what we might expect from other maisons whose vintage models are widely appreciated by the public. In terms of dial colors, another very hot topic in watchmaking, we have a feeling that traditional colors could make a comeback after years in which dials with bright and unusual colors have dominated.
I hope that more and more brands will focus on the reissue of iconic models, updated in terms of mechanics and design, but without distorting their essence, especially remaining faithful to past dimensions.
At this point, it’s worth noting that if we delve into the world of independent maisons, all these discussions will probably be less relevant, as these are skilled watchmakers who, regardless of the current watchmaking trend, have always proposed creations that stand out and are widely appreciated.
Final thoughts
After outlining what we would like to see as novelties for 2024, all we can do is hope that our “wishes” will be fulfilled. Certainly, this is not an easy topic as we are fully aware that creating a new model is anything but a walk in the park for every maison.
So, we just have to wait for the various novelties of the year but, above all, see you in Geneva at Watches and Wonders, the moment when most of the year’s hottest novelties will be presented, to understand what will be the real trend of each maison.
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