The world's most exclusive watchmakers have lightened up for fall and holiday 2023—embracing fun and even frivolity in their latest product launches. See below for proof that new attitudes are afoot.
Jaeger-LeCoultre's Swing Time
High jewelry meets high watchmaking in the new diamond-decked Reverso Secret Necklace by Jaeger-LeCoultre, a throwback to an era when women wore their timepieces disguised as jewelry. Requiring more than 300 hours of gem-setting, the 18k gold deco-inspired sautoir, capped by two black onyx charms, conceals a manually wound mechanical movement tucked inside the famously swiveling case of the Reverso, the brand’s defining model. Like the time, price is on request.
Oris' Green Machine
With its trendy lime-colored dial and lightweight titanium casing, the new $4,600 ProPilot X Kermit (the Frog) edition from the cult Swiss watchmaker Oris takes the beloved Muppet’s timeless wisdom—“Never take yourself too seriously”—and applies it to the dial of a wristwatch. On the first of every month, simply look to the date window at 6 o’clock to find Kermit’s cheerful mug, denoting the start of “Kermit Day.” Explained co-CEO Rolf Studer: “At Oris, we want to make people smile.” Mission accomplished.
Rolex's Party Piece
A sure sign that the traditional—some might even say staid—Swiss watch industry is taking itself a little less seriously came in March, when Rolex, known for its reliably predictable designs, introduced three new Oyster Perpetual models with a surprisingly festive vibe. Available in diameters of 31 mm ($5,650), 36 mm ($6,100) and 41 mm ($6,400), the steel watches bear turquoise-colored dials decorated with bubbles in enameled shades of yellow, turquoise, pink, red, and green. Known as the “Celebration” motif, the new style caught plenty of Rolex lovers off guard—in a good way. Said William Massena, founder of the independent brand Massena LAB: “It was kind of like grandpa getting on the dance floor and we were all cheering for him.”
TAG Heuer's Diamond Dream
In 2022, TAG Heuer, whose initials stand for Techniques d’Avant Garde, lived up to the promise built into its name when it introduced the Carrera Plasma, an experimental chronograph featuring 10 carats of colorless lab-grown diamonds.
This year, the Swiss watchmaker upped the ante with the Carrera Plasma Diamant d’Avant-Garde, a $520,000 wristwatch set with 15.5 carats of lab-grown diamonds in custom cuts meant to showcase the brand’s groundbreaking approach to design—just in time to honor the Carrera’s 60th anniversary. In addition to a disco-like dial made from a polycrystalline diamond totaling 4.9 carats, a 44 mm black aluminum case set with 4.3 carats of diamonds, and a crown made from a single 2.5-carat diamond, the bezel and bracelet feature 60 lab-grown diamonds fashioned in a range of unique shapes, from baguettes to trapezoids, that lend the piece a luxe space-age sensibility.
But the ode to carbon doesn’t end there. Inside the model’s Calibre Heuer 02 Tourbillon Nanograph mechanical movement, a state-of-the-art carbon nanotube hairspring keeps the time ticking. This is one carbon emission we can get behind.
