12 Noteworthy Timepieces Spotted At Watches & Wonders 2026
There is a lot to unpack at Watches & Wonders 2026 so here's a preview of what we've seen so far.
As usual, we’re on the ground in Geneva for Watches & Wonders 2026, the horological community’s biggest and most notable show of the year, which runs until 20 April. It’s still in the early days, but here are just a few of the releases that have caught our eye so far.
Vacheron Constantin
It took seven years of development for Vacheron Constantin to create its latest ultra-thin movement, which it debuts in the new Overseas Self-Winding Ultra-Thin, limited to 255 pieces. Calibre 1120 is only 2.4mm thick, but still provides 80 hours of power reserve thanks to a suspended double barrel, compact single-level geartrain, and micro-rotor architecture. It is housed in a platinum case 39.5mm in diameter and 7.35mm thick, and paired with a salmon-coloured lacquer dial.
Roger Dubuis
Roger Dubuis continues to embrace its early aesthetic even as it showcases a new, upgraded movement with the Excalibur Biretrograde Perpetual Calendar. Calibre RD850 is self-winding and has a 60-hour power reserve, alongside improvements such as the inclusion of a month corrector, which makes it much easier to adjust. The openwork dial features multiple blue mother-of-pearl elements, a moonphase disc in aventurine with a laser-engraved pink gold moon, as well as exhibiting a movement that was itself subject to 19 different finishing techniques. The Poinçon de Genève hallmark is just icing on the cake.
Chopard
To celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Chopard manufacture, the maison has opted for throwback simplicity with a new version of the L.U.C 1860. A consummate exemplar of classical watchmaking, it is an elegant 36.5mm in diameter and only 8.2mm thick. The white gold dial has a hand-guilloché sunburst pattern created using a vintage lathe, and is coloured a deep blue. Dauphine hands, chevron-shaped hour markers, and a small seconds subdial complete it. It is powered by the L.U.C Calibre 96.40-L, which is equipped with a gold micro-rotor and 65-hour power reserve thanks to two stacked barrels, and is COSC- and Poinçon de Genève-certified as well.
IWC Schaffhausen
You’ve probably had spaceflight on the mind recently, and IWC Schaffhausen has just the thing: the Pilot’s Venturer Vertical Drive, a watch engineered for that specific purpose. A patent-pending rotating bezel allows all functions, including winding and setting of two time zones (one for local time, one for 24-hour ‘mission reference’ time); the function of the bezel is selected by a rocker switch on the side of the case. The spare aesthetic is meant to enhance legibility; the black dial, for example, avoids light reflections. Built also to withstand the acceleration of take-offs, and exposure to extreme temperature fluctuations as found in space, this watch has been tested and certified by IWC’s collaborator Vast, which is building Haven-1–the world’s first commercial space station.
Panerai
Panerai has a storied history of long power reserves, contributing to its legacy of toughness and reliability. The new Luminor 31 Giorni takes this to greater extremes with the new P.2031/S, a skeleton movement equipped with a 31-day power reserve. It took seven years to develop, and despite the 3.3m of mainspring within its four barrels, it only takes 128 turns to wind fully—no tools needed here. A patent-pending Torque Limiter system ensures optimal performance throughout. Housed in a 44mm Goldtech case, this watch is limited to 200 pieces.
A. Lange & Söhne
There are a lot of things coming together in the A. Lange & Söhne Lange 1 Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar “Lumen”, which is limited to 50 pieces and cased in platinum. Tourbillon and perpetual calendar need no introduction; the Lange 1 is, of course, the German manufacture’s most famous calling card, a perfectly proportioned and laid-out triumvarate of off-centre dial, outsize date, and small seconds; and “Lumen” is its unique take on bombastic luminosity, combining a transparent dial with great legibility and a consistent light show, thanks to the dial still allowing UV light to pass through and hence keep the luminous elements charged. The tourbillon, by the way, is only visible through the display caseback—but that’s not a problem, because it’s where one traditionally spends a lot of time looking at a watch from A. Lange & Söhne.
Cartier
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For the first time, Cartier highlights multiple collections with its exclusive, historically minded Privé collection, giving rise to an unmatched comparison of shapes. The Tank Normale is as classic as it comes, based on a 1934 model and equipped with a seven-link platinum bracelet. The Tortue Chonographe Monopoussoir is outfitted with the maison’s thinnest chronograph movement. And the Crash Squelette, limited to 150 pieces, boasts of a new skeletonised movement that follows its unique shape, with bridges in the shape of off-kilter Roman numerals. All three watches have platinum cases.
Chanel
It’s a dark display of horological might with the new Chanel Monsieur Lion Tourbillon Black Edition. Calibre 5.1 is a flying tourbillon movement made entirely in-house, and in this execution has a cage on which sits a lion’s head sculpture crafted out of a laser-engraved block of titanium. The case consists largely of matte black ceramic, while the dial features selective openworking to tease the mechanics beneath. This watch is limited to 55 pieces.
Jaeger-LeCoultre
Jaeger-LeCoultre unveils the first entry of the new Master Hybris Inventiva collection, which is devoted to showcasing a single complication implemented with unparalleled innovation. The Gyrotoubillon À Stratosphère if focused on its triple-axis tourbillon, which weighs only 0.78 grams even as it has a positional coverage of 98 per cent, something no other 4Hz tourbillon can claim. The tourbillon alone consists of 189 components, and it is housed in a 42mm platinum case. This watch is limited to 20 pieces.
Ulysse Nardin
The Ulysse Nardin [Super] Freak is here, claiming the crown of the world’s most complicated time-only watch—as well as the world’s first automatic double tourbillon. Four years in the making, it is built on 25 years of the Freak and its unique carousel movement, and 35 patented inventions in that time. It also boasts of the world’s smallest differential, which is connected to the world’s smallest gimbal. Over 97 per cent of the movement is in motion while it is running. Limited to 50 pieces, it is the Freak like you’ve never seen it before.
Van Cleef & Arpels
Van Cleef & Arpels expands its Jour Nuit collection by expanding on the complication itself. Within the rotating disc that animates the day/night cycle across the entire dial of the 42mm watch, the maison has integrated a new moonphase indicator—a complication within a complication that ensures the night scene correctly reflects the skies overhead. And should it be daytime, when the guilloche golden Sun is shown, the state of the moon can be checked on demand—at the push of a button, the dial makes a full rotation over about 10 seconds.
Grand Seiko
The Spring Drive U.F.A. Ushio 300 Diver is Grand Seiko’s smallest diver’s watch, measuring 40.8mm in diameter and 12.9mm thick, resulting in a watch that is surprisingly easy to wear while retaining the chiselled facets that define the brand’s modern style. The lightness of its titanium materials also helps with the wearability. The dial, blue or green, is textured and has plenty of signature depth, inspired by tidal waters. It is equipped with Calibre 96B1, a new version of the ultra-accurate U.F.A. movement introduced last year, precise to within +/- 20 seconds per year.
This is an evolving list of updates from Watches & Wonders 2026.
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