Watches & Wonders Geneva LIVE!
Sit tight as we cover the latest launches from the brands exhibiting in Watches & Wonders Geneva, one day at …
This is it folks, Watches & Wonders 2026 officially begins! And after all the uncertainty in getting here, we are happy to be able to walk into the Palexpo as the chaotic whirlwind of this fair unfolds. There are a bunch of brands to get through over the course of the next four days, and of course we will try to update this space as often as we can with whatever we see so bookmark this page if you want to follow our journey or visit our Instagram account @watchwowmy. Without further ado, let’s get this show on the road! And you already know it, our first stop on this journey will undoubtedly be…
This year is a big one for Rolex as they celebrate the centenary of the Oyster, the case design that basically represents the bedrock on which the brand is built upon. There are a couple of watches made to celebrate this milestone, the most obvious of which is a special Oyster Perpetual watch offered in a unique configuration. Like on the dial where “Swiss Made” is usually inscribed at 6 o’clock, now says 100 years and on the crown, there is also the number 100 in relief. There is, also a colourful new Oyster Perpetual 36 with a multi-coloured lacquer dial with the Jubilee motif. Then there is the comeback of the Oyster Perpetual Yacht-Master II and a new gold alloy on their Oyster Perpetual Day-Date 40 and a new version of the Oyster Perpetual Cosmograph Daytona. There is too much to cover in this short space so stay tuned as we unpack the Rolex launches over the course of the coming weeks.
There are absolutely two standout models from Parmigiani this year. The first, is the Tonda PF Chronographe Mysterieux. This is the third complication to follow in the footsteps of their fantastic GMT Rattrapante and Minute Rattrapante which cleverly hides the functions with double, superimposed hands. For this watch, they are tackling the chronograph, cleverly hiding a function that normally requires plenty of subdials with the now signature Parmigiani purity. We’ll cover in a little more detail exactly how this works, and why it is a world premiere but for now, just enjoy the marvel of how this thing functions. And next, they celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Toric with a fantastic new hammered metal technique on the dial and the best part is the double-guilloche treatment on the bridges of the movement.
While the entire watch industry has been downsizing their watches, Panerai on the other hand has maintained a steadfast attitude with their massively sized watches. But this is done with good reason and it all stems back to the fact that Panerai got their start making tool watches and with the watches made to be used in these kinds of hardcore situations, a larger watch is absolutely pivotal for legibility and reliability. One of the standouts for this year is a Luminor Destro which was inspired by the Ref. 6152, a case that helped define the Panerai of today. The Destro is the first watch meant to be worn on the right within their contemporary collection. In the past, it was not uncommon for tools to be worn on both wrists of the frogmen and so the inspiration for the Destro was absolutely rooted in this. There is also a forged titanium case and a 31 day power reserve watch which we will require far more words to explain so we will leave it at this for now, and do stay tuned.
