The 24 Luxury Watches That Defined 2024

With top luxury watchmakers releasing new models with ever-increasing frequency, it can be easy to take all of the incremental advancements in the watch world for granted. But if we stop and reflect, we can see that there has been a pretty impressive flurry of developments in the watch space in 2024 alone. It wasn’t easy to pick the best 24 watches of the year, but ultimately I think these are the watches that influenced the luxury watch industry the most in 2024.

Konstantin Chaykin ThinKing

When you’re talking about the thinnest watches in the world, two brands tend to dominate the conversation: Piaget and Bulgari. I don’t think anybody expected Konstantin Chaykin to take the title of “world’s thinnest mechanical watch” in August of 2024, but that’s exactly what they accomplished with the 1.65mm-thick ThinKing.

Note that the ThinKing is a one-of-one prototype, so Bulgari still holds the title of thinnest mechanical production watch thanks to an earlier 2024 release:

Bulgari Octo Finissimo Ultra COSC

In April 2024, Bulgari retook the title of “world’s thinnest mechanical watch” from Richard Mille’s Ferrari UP-01 (1.75mm thick) with the Octo Finissimo Ultra COSC (1.70mm thick). Richard Mille had taken the title from the original Octo Finissimo Ultra (1.80mm thick) in 2022, which had in turn dethroned the 2mm Piaget Altiplano Ultimate Concept (more on that in a minute).

Mark Zuckerberg, for whom the $400,000+ price tag isn’t an issue, has been spotted wearing the new Bulgari Octo Finissimo Ultra COSC. As the name implies, it’s a certified chronometer–quite a feat for a watch under 2mm. I expect Bulgari to hold the “world’s thinnest chronometer” record for a while, but we’ll see. Regardless, the Ultra COSC is definitely one of the best watches of 2024 in terms of technical innovation.

Piaget Altiplano Ultimate Concept Tourbillon

Not so long ago (2018), when Piaget released the Altiplano Ultimate Concept with a case height of only 2.00mm, it was the thinnest mechanical watch in the world. And in 2024 they added a tourbillon without increasing the thickness at all. So although Piaget no longer makes the world’s thinnest mechanical watch, the Altiplano Ultimate Concept Tourbillon is certainly the world’s thinnest tourbillon watch.

Most ultra-thin watches are titanium or platinum, but Piaget chose a blue PVD-treated cobalt alloy for this watch. Piaget is generally an underrated watch brand, but even with a price tag over $600,000, I imagine they’ll find homes for all of the (few) Altiplano Ultimate Concept Tourbillons that they will produce.

Vacheron Constantin Les Cabinotiers Berkley Grand Complication

The Vacheron Constantin Les Cabinotiers Berkley Grand Complication, the most complicated watch ever created, was completed in April 2024 after 11 years of development and one year of assembly. This extraordinary pocket watch features 63 complications, surpassing the previous record held by Vacheron’s own ref. 57260 (57 complications). Among its groundbreaking features is the world’s first Chinese perpetual calendar, a technical marvel programmed until the year 2200. Other highlights include a triple-axis tourbillon, astronomical displays, a Westminster carillon chiming mechanism, and split-seconds chronograph functions.

Commissioned by American businessman William R. Berkley, who also owns the Reference 57260, this absolute monster is easily one of the best watches of 2024.

IWC Portugieser Eternal Calendar

Possibly the most technically impressive new wristwatch of the year, however, came from IWC. Most perpetual calendars “assume” that every fourth year is a leap year, but they don’t take into account leap year exceptions (i.e. there’s usually no leap year every 100 years, except there is a leap year every 400 years). The IWC Portugieser Eternal Calendar even has a 400-year gear so it theoretically won’t need date adjustment until at least the year 4000 (when a 4,000-year exception may or may not take effect).

Perhaps even more impressive is the precision of the Portugieser Eternal Calendar’s moonphase indicator. The accepted mean length of a synodic month (one lunar cycle) is 29.5305888531 days, but for the sake of simplicity, the gearing of most moonphase watches treats a lunar cycle as 29.5 days. That means it takes less than three years for a typical moonphase display to be off by a day. But for the IWC, it would take 45 million years. And you’ll only need to pay $157,000 for that convenience.

Parmigiani Fleurier Toric

Parmigiani Fleurier is a significant supplier of high-end components to the luxury watch industry, owning several specialized subsidiaries like Les Artisans Boîtiers (cases), Quadrance et Habillage (dials), Vaucher Manufacture Fleurier (movements), Atokalpa (hairsprings etc.) and Elwin (micro-components). But when it comes to their own watch brand, they often get ignored by the watch collecting world at large, and admittedly they had lost their way by the 2010’s. They always made nice dials, but their overall designs were uninspiring, their reputation for reliability was subpar, and their discounts were notoriously enormous. Under the leadership of Guido Terreni, the attractive Tonda PF line was unveiled in 2021, and the brand has been on a better track ever since.

It was starting to feel like Parmigiani Fleurier didn’t have very much excitement to offer outside of the Tonda line, though, until they revived the Toric collection in April 2024. The collection includes models like the Toric Petite Seconde and the Toric Chronographe Rattrapante, showcasing a modern reinterpretation of Michael Parmigiani’s inaugural watch series from 1996. A rattrapante (split-seconds) chronograph is a serious complication. The new Torics look clean and correct, too, and while you should be able to find them for under list price, I think Parmigiani Fleurier’s days of gargantuan discounts are largely behind them.

Daniel Roth Tourbillon Rose Gold

The Daniel Roth watch brand, which was purchased by Bulgari in 2000 and had been on hiatus since about 2015, was revived by LVMH (in particular their La Fabriques du Temps division) in 2023. The reborn brand made a gorgeous yellow tourbillon watch that year, limited to 20 examples. And one of the best watches of 2024 was the Daniel Roth Tourbillon Rose Gold, which will be made in only 50 pieces per year. List price is CHF 155,000, and we were told that US-based retail partners are “free to set their own conversion to USD based on this recommended sales price.”

What other watches are in the Daniel Roth catalog? Nothing. That’s it. Daniel Roth was always a high-end brand that focused on tourbillons, but this new iteration of the brand seems more exclusive than ever.

Patek Philippe Cubitus

Whether you think it’s one of the best watches of 2024 or one of the worst, the Patek Philippe Cubitus is almost certainly the year’s most polarizing luxury watch release. It is, basically, a Patek Philippe Nautilus with a more square-ish shape.

I think it looks pretty nice, and Michael Jordan apparently agrees, but this watch has plenty of haters. A time-and-date version is available in either stainless steel ($41,240) or two-tone ($61,280), while a moonphase full-calendar big-date model is offered in platinum ($88,380).

H. Moser & Cie x Studio Underd0g Passion Fruit

Collaborations were one of the biggest luxury watch trends of 2024, and one of the most interesting releases of Geneva Watch Days 2024 was the H. Moser & Cie X Studio Underd0g “Passion Fruit.” Moser is known for beautiful, minimalist five-figure (and sometimes even six-figure) watches, while Studio Underd0g is an enthusiast favorite in the under-$2,000 realm.

Moser’s Passion Fruit was sold only as part of a $65,000 duo including its “inverse” equivalent, a relatively affordable Studio Underd0g x H. Moser watch. Only 100 sets were made.

Audemars Piguet Royal Oak John Mayer

Another luxury watch collaboration that made a lot of waves in 2024 was the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar “John Mayer.” John Mayer has a famously baller watch collection, having collected numerous heavy-hitting pieces from brands like Rolex, Patek Philippe, and IWC. But he’s gotten deep into a Royal Oak phase, and he officially collaborated with AP to come up with ref. 26574BC.OO.1220BC.02.

The stunning “crystal sky” dial is what really sets this reference apart from other Royal Oak perpetual calendar watches. The AP John Mayer sells secondhand well above list price, with a market value north of $350,000.

Audemars Piguet x KAWS “Companion”

Amazingly, the John Mayer Royal Oak might not even be the most hyped AP collab of the year. The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Concept Tourbillon “Companion,” created in collaboration with popular contemporary artist KAWS, was released on November 19, 2024 as a limited edition of 250 pieces. It has a 43mm titanium case and incorporates the iconic KAWS “Companion” character into the dial design, with its chest cleverly serving as the tourbillon.

Powered by the hand-wound Calibre 2979, it offers an annular (peripheral) time display and an impressive 72-hour power reserve. KAWS’ signature “X” motifs on the screws are a nice touch. This Royal Oak Concept will only be sold at AP boutiques, with a list price of CHF 200,000.

Rolex GMT-Master II “Bruce Wayne”

The only new steel Rolex released in 2024 was a GMT-Master II with a grey/black ceramic bezel insert, ref. 126710 GRNR–or “Bruce Wayne” if you’re into Rolex nicknames. Unsurprisingly, it was an immediate hit and you can expect to spend a long time on the Rolex waiting list for one. Still, it’s not as unobtainable as a Rolex Pepsi (which has rumored production issues).

Yellow Gold Rolex Le Mans Daytona

In 2024, the off-catalog yellow gold Rolex Le Mans Daytona replaced the previous year’s white gold Le Mans Daytona. Selling for well over $300,000 secondhand, it’s arguably the hottest 2024 Rolex release of all, even above the 2024 Rainbow Daytona.

Tudor Black Bay “Monochrome”

Tudor released a GMT “Coke” version of its popular Black Bay 58 at Watches & Wonders 2024, which at the time seemed likely to be their biggest crowd-pleaser of the year. But Tudor also updated the black-bezel-insert version of its standard Black Bay model, giving it the master chronometer movement and quick-adjust T-Fit clasp that the burgundy version got the previous year.

Ref. 7941A1A0NU, more often simply called the “Black Bay Monochrome,” became a sleeper hit among enthusiasts. For much of 2024 it resold for above its list price of $4,550.

Best Watches Under $4,000 of 2024: Ikepod Horopod

Ikepod watches, with their unmistakable pebble-shaped cases and sleekly shaped hands, are continuing to make a bit of a comeback. Ikepod, which first arrived on the scene in 1994 as the brainchild of renowned Australian industrial designer Marc Newson and Swiss entrepreneur Oliver Ike, is now in its third “generation” as a company. They released their most accessible automatic model yet in 2024: the Horopod.

Available in a variety of colors, the Ikepod Horopod is a simple three-hand model with a titanium case and integrated bracelet. Powered by a humble but reliable ETA 2824 movement, these watches are more about design than horology–and Ikepod is perfectly forthcoming about that. The $3,490 list price seems about right to me, though you can find them from grey market dealers for a little bit less.

Several brands released integrated bracelet watches this year, but this is definitely one of the most distinctive. Note that although you may have seen similar hands on watches from Ming or F.P. Journe, Ikepod did them first.

Omega 2024 FOIS

There were quite a few notable 2024 Omega releases that trickled out throughout the year, and my favorite was a new Speedmaster FOIS model. The aesthetics of FOIS (“First Omega in Space”) models, including their alpha hands and 39.7mm cases, pay homage to the original CK2998 worn by astronaut Wally Schirra during the Mercury-Atlas 8 mission in 1962. Ref. 311.32.40.30.01.001 was a popular special edition released in 2012, with a no-nonsense black dial. The 2024 Omega FOIS features a subtly greyish-blue PVD-coated dial, along with “fauxtina” and an upgraded Master Chronometer movement.

Omega Speedmaster Pilot

Some enthusiasts think the best 2024 Omega watch release came at the end of the year. The Omega Speedmaster Pilot Flight Qualified, released on December 10, 2024, is a civilian version of a watch initially created exclusively for U.S. military pilots. This aviation-inspired model draws design cues from the 1969 Flightmaster and early Speedmasters from 1957. It features a 40.85mm stainless steel case, a matte black dial with colorful accents, and an aluminum tachymeter bezel with heritage-inspired details like the “Dot Over Ninety.”

The subdials include a chronograph counter resembling an aircraft “burn rate” indicator and a small seconds display styled like a cockpit artificial horizon. Powered by the METAS-certified Calibre 9900, this automatic movement offers a 60-hour power reserve, co-axial escapement, and resistance to magnetic fields up to 15,000 gauss. The watch is water-resistant to 100 meters and comes with both a stainless steel bracelet featuring Omega’s comfort adjustment system and an additional grey NATO strap reinforced with Kevlar threads. Priced at $9,500, the Speedmaster Pilot is a good representation of Omega’s best modern features.

Breitling Perpetual Calendar Chronograph

To celebrate their 140th anniversary, three Breitling Perpetual Calendar Chronographs were unveiled in 2024, each with a rose gold case and a list price of $59,000: a Premier, a Chronomat, and a Navitimer. This complication is a first for Breitling, and I think the classy Premier model (ref. RB19401A1B1P1) best represents their current direction.

Universal Genève Polerouter Tribute

Speaking of Breitling, we’ve been wondering what Breitling’s owners would do with the revived Universal Genève brand, and we’re starting to get the answer. The Universal Genève Polerouter Tribute, unveiled in late 2024, celebrates the 70th anniversary of the iconic Polerouter, originally designed by a young Gérald Genta in 1954 for Scandinavian Airlines’ transpolar flights. This tribute collection unfortunately doesn’t include any serially produced models; this is more like a “preview” lineup consisting of three unique pieces: one in white gold with a blue dial and handcrafted bracelet by Laurent Jolliet (set for auction in May 2025), a red gold model with a black dial and a steel one with a silver dial.

Each watch features a 35mm case with twisted lugs, a guillochéd rehaut, satin-finished dials bearing both modern and historic SAS logos, and cambered sapphire crystals. The movements are refurbished Microtor Caliber 1-69 movements from the 1960’s. And although the brand probably won’t be fully up to speed until at least 2026, Universal Genève’s service department is open and happily accepting vintage watches for restoration work already.

Green Vacheron Constantin Overseas

This list of the best watches of 2024 has so far included some mindblowing horological achievements as well as some notable brand revivals, so it may seem odd that I’m about to mention a simple “new dial color” release. But the green dial option for the Vacheron Constantin Overseas unveiled in 2024 was an absolute home run. It’s a great color, and although some people thought the “green dial fad” would fade, on the contrary green seems to be solidifying itself alongside blue as an increasingly standard dial option.

Four references received green dials, all with rose gold cases: 5520V/210R-B966 (Chronograph, 42.5mm), 7920V/210R-B965 (Dual Time, 41mm), 4520V/210R-B967 (time and date, 41mm), and 4605V/200R-B969 (time and date, 35mm with diamond bezel). I’m partial to the Dual Time shown above, but they’re all pretty sweet.

Cartier Santos-Dumont Rewind

Cartier’s 2024 releases didn’t include a lot of watches with high-volume sales appeal, but they released several interesting high-end pieces. The most memorable one, in my opinion, is the polarizing Cartier Santos-Dumont Rewind, with a beautiful burgundy dial, platinum case, and hands that move counterclockwise.

Whether you think it’s the best of the 2024 Cartier watches or the most infuriating, the Santos-Dumont Rewind is definitely a striking watch. Limited to 200 pieces with a list price of $38,400, it has already disappeared from Cartier’s US website.

Greubel Forsey Nano Foudroyante EWT

The half-million-dollar Greubel Forsey Nano Foudroyante EWT, launched in 2024 to celebrate the brand’s 20th anniversary, represents their 10th “Fundamental Invention.” Limited to just 11 pieces, this groundbreaking timepiece features a 37.9mm white gold case with a tantalum bezel and introduces the world’s first perpetual Nano Foudroyante mechanism.

The “Nano” part refers to incredibly small-scale precision that allows for drastically reduced energy consumption and component size. “Foudroyante” refers to a seconds hand that fully rotates every second–a complication that is typically very energy-intensive and is also known as a “lightning seconds” display. The watch also includes Greubel Forsey’s first flying tourbillon, along with flyback chronograph functionality.

Greubel Forsey incredibly managed to reduce the energy required for each “jump” of the seconds hand to only 16 nanojoules (the second hand jumps six times per second as it makes each rotation) which allows for a full 24-hour power reserve even with the chronograph running. There’s a reason they’re one of the most expensive watch brands in the world, and you can read more about them in our Greubel Forsey Collector’s Guide.

F.P. Journe Chronographe FB

The final F.P. Journe limited edition watch that will ever be made is the Chronographe FB, released in 2024 to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the brand’s Tokyo boutique. Limited to 200 pieces, it features a 40mm polished titanium case with 18K gold accents, a ruthenium-coated guilloché silver dial, and a manual-wind Calibre 1518.2 movement with an innovative flyback chronograph function.

This watch marks the end of F.P. Journe’s tradition of producing numbered limited editions, making it a significant collector’s piece, but obviously all Journe watches are inherently “limited” in terms of production volume.

F.P. Journe Tourbillon Souverain à Remontoire d’Egalité

That pretty much covers (in my opinion) the most notable 2024 luxury watch releases, but there’s one more watch that defined the year’s luxury watch landscape–and it was made in the 1990’s. In November 2024, the F.P. Journe Tourbillon Souverain à Remontoire d’Egalité set a record as the most expensive timepiece by an independent watchmaker, selling for CHF 7.32 million (approximately $8.3 million) at the Phillips “Reloaded: The Rebirth of Mechanical Watchmaking, 1980-1999” auction in Geneva.

This historically significant watch, created in 1993, was the second wristwatch ever made by François-Paul Journe and the first one he sold. Crafted in a 38mm platinum case with an 18k gold manual-winding movement, it features a remontoire—a constant force mechanism that ensures precision by delivering consistent energy to the escapement.

Overall, the luxury watch market trends of 2024 included thin watches, avant-garde designs, and an increasing variety of six-figure horological marvels. If you have another choice for “best” luxury watch of 2024, let us know in the comments!