01: Rolex Datejust 41
Dressy without being fussy, the Rolex Datejust 41 is a prime example of an all-occasion workhorse. Released for the first time in steel last year (although the model shown here features a white-gold fluted bezel), the Datejust 41 is powered by Rolex’s trusty and e cient automatic calibre 3235. The 41mm watch is also available with a smooth steel bezel.
02: Breitling Navitimer 8 Day & Date
Breitling’s new Navitimer 8 collection includes versatile timepieces like the Day & Date. Aside from familiar (albeit tweaked) Navitimer features such as a notched bezel and bevelled lugs, the Navitimer 8 Day & Date also features accents inspired by Breitling’s history – for example, the design of its numerals is inspired by the brand’s first pilot’s watches. The 41mm steel timepiece comes with either a blue (shown) or black dial.
03: Bulgari Octo Roma
Having introduced the Bulgari Octo Roma in 2017 in a few dial colours and case finishes, Bulgari now expands the family with models featuring blue (shown) or grey dials. Featuring a cleaner, simpler-looking “circle within an octagon†case as a result of its 58 facets instead of the Octo’s standard 110 facets, the Octo Roma automatic watch is housed in a 41mm steel case with an exhibition caseback.
04: Longines Master Automatic
A sunray dial in vibrant blue takes centre stage in this Longines Master automatic timepiece with date. Smart enough to be worn for formal events but also simple enough to be an everyday timepiece, this 40mm steel watch is accented with slim hour markers and leaf-shaped hands. Available with a steel bracelet or blue alligator strap.
05: Big Bang Meca-10
Since it was introduced in 2016, the Hublot Big Bang Meca-10 has charmed us with its striking, quirky aesthetics – its skeletonised, manually wound movement is inspired by old-school Meccano building blocks. (If that doesn’t impress you, its 10-day power reserve should.) Following versions in materials like black ceramic and titanium, the Meca-10’s latest incarnation features a 45mm case crafted from deep blue ceramic.
06: Franck Muller Crazy Hours (Asian limited edition collection)
Even after 15 years, the Franck Muller Crazy Hours randomly jumping hours complication continues to hold its own as a fun and unique feature. The model shown here comes from the Asian limited-edition collection, and measures 39.6mm (width) by 55.4mm (length). Choose from blue (shown) or grey dials, as well as different coloured dial accents and straps.
07: Andemars Piguet Royal Oak “Jumbo” Extra-Thin
Audemars Piguet’s latest Royal Oak “Jumbo†Extra-Thin is the perfect example of how seemingly small updates can make watch fans go gaga. While this new 39mm automatic timepiece resembles the all-steel Jumbo at a glance, it actually features a titanium case topped by a gleaming platinum bezel. This dual-metal theme carries over into its bracelet, which is titanium with platinum links.
08: Jaquet Droz Grande Seconde Tribute (280th-anniversary piece)
You don’t need flashy complications to make an impact on an anniversary. Just look at Jaquet Droz’s 280th-anniversary piece, the Grande Seconde Tribute. It retains the exact same design as the first one launched in 2002 (and the pocket watch that inspired it), and the overlapping figure-eight subdials and creamy enamel face prove that it’s a formula that still works remarkably well. The major difference here is the case material – it’s the first time Jaquet Droz has released a watch in yellow gold. The self-winding 43mm watch is limited to 88 pieces.
09: A. Lange & Sohne Saxonia Thin Blue
The standard Saxonia Thin’s austerity helped accentuate its slimness when it was first released in 2016, but it’s lightened up with a dazzling new dial. The svelte baton indexes, and hour and minute hands – made from rhodiumed gold – of the Saxonia Thin Blue now stand out crisply against a face resembling a starry sky. This dial was achieved by coating a solid-silver dial with a layer of shimmering goldstone, which is created using a technique that originated in 17th-century Venice – whereby tiny copper oxide crystals are incorporated into glass.
10: IWC Portugieser Yacht Club Chronograph (Summer Edition)
Summer is (always) here, so it’s time to give some of your accessories a sporty overhaul. You can start with IWC and its “Summer Edition†of the Portugieser Yacht Club Chronograph. Like the “Laureus Sport for Good Foundation†edition, this Portugieser features a blue dial with a rubber strap, but changes it up with white subdials and a blue rubber strap, instead of a black one. Prefer the seasonal makeover on a different IWC? Then pick out a new fabric strap in variations of pale blue and light grey, now available for the Pilot’s Watch Mark XVIII, Pilot’s Watch Chronograph, Portofino Automatic, Portofino Chronograph and the Portugieser Chronograph.
