Style

The Best Watch of 2024, According to the Watch Illuminati

StyleForty dealers, editors, auction specialists, and passionate collectors name the very best new release of the year.By Cam WolfNovember 21, 2024Save this storySaveSave this storySaveThis is an edition of the newsletter Box + Papers, Cam Wolf’s weekly deep dive into the world of watches. Sign up here.Welcome to the third annual edition of the Great GQ Watch Survey, in which we asked 40 watch experts to rank the year’s best releases, brands, and much more. Today, we’re releasing part one of the survey—headlined by our panel’s choice for the best new watch of 2024—with the second part still to come on Monday.This was a weird one, friends. For the first time, I heard back from respondents about how difficult it was to complete this year’s survey. “Your survey is HARD,” one respondent wrote back. “Where is the box for ‘no one had a good year, everyone is bricking themselves’?” There was consensus around which watches and brands dominated 2024 overall, but many of our participants agreed on the state of the industry. Tony Traina, watch editor extraordinaire and founder of “Unpolished,” simply refused to nominate a first-place watch. “There is no best watch,” he wrote instead. “Creativity in the watch world is at an all-time low.”This doom-and-gloom best explains the watches that did stand out to our panel. The watch that came in first place boasts a peculiar shape and comes courtesy of an independent maker’s passion project that was funded by savings he socked away over 15 years.Let’s get to the final results, in which the Watch Illuminati also named the most desirable timepiece in the world and waxed poetic about the pieces they’d buy with $500, $50,000, and $500,000.The 2024 Watch of the YearThe final rankings are*:In a landslide, the Illuminati’s 2024 Watch of the Year is the curvaceous Mirage from newcomer Berneron—the brand launched in 2023 by Sylvain Berneron, who also serves as Breitling’s chief product officer. The original Mirage debuted in October 2023, but the new 2024 version is a marked improvement over the original, with shrunken-down 34-mm proportions and show-stealing stone dials in either tiger’s eye or lapis lazuli.It makes sense to me that the Mirage managed to separate itself from the pack during a year when so many folks felt that some of the industry’s biggest players weren’t bringing their best cards to the table. If you’re a watch enthusiast looking for audaciousness and creativity, the Mirage is—rather ironically—like a cool, refreshing drink of water in a desert.Our survey results generally reflect this yearning for creativity. While Cartier released a trove of new pieces this year—some of which, like the Tortue and Mini Tank, received votes in this category—the one that stood out most to the panel was the Santos-Dumont Rewind, which tells the time backward (the hands move counterclockwise around the dial). That’s weird! That’s a winner!Elsewhere, a rejection of sport watches and a return to opulence also showed up in the results. The only other watch that received a respectable amount of votes outside of the Mirage was Piaget’s revived Polo 79, a $73,000 hunk of gold that epitomizes ’80s garishness in the best way possible. Okay, enough from me. Let’s hear from the experts on their first-place picks.Carlotta Parmegiani, ladies’ watch specialist, Monaco Legends Auction: The Patek Philippe Nautilus Ladies (7118/1300R-001) Rose Gold. It is a feminine version of the Nautilus at its finest.Mark Cho, cofounder of the Armoury: Naoya Hida x JN Shapiro x the Armoury East-West. I want one, and I'm on my own wait list for one :(.Brynn Wallner, @Dimepiece: the Hermès Cut. It’s exciting to see a mechanical (!) watch intentionally designed for women without any of the unnecessary overly femme frills. We need more sports watches designed for women.Adam Golden, founder, Menta Watches: Patek Philippe Cubitus. Like it or not, it caused a stir, and they are selling a f**k-ton of them.Most PopularGQ Recommends15 Pairs of Weird and Unusual Jeans for Weird and Unusual MenBy Louis CheslawStyleThe Gladiator II Premiere Was a Menswear MeleeBy Eileen CartterGQ RecommendsThe Best Jewelry Under $150 Is an Ice-Cold StealBy Michael NolledoTrang Trinh, @_girlsoclock: Audemars Piguet Frosted Mini Royal Oak. The combo of heavy hitters (mini, frosted, Royal Oak) might not be revolutionary, but it really works.Eric Peng Cheng, GQ’s Watch Collector of the Year, 2023, owner of Bait and Undefeated: F.P. Journe Tokyo 20th anniversary. Last limited edition for FPJ, and a great one.Nick Ferrell, founder, DC Vintage Watches: Yema Yachtingraf Croisière. A faithful throwback to the brand's 1970s heritage at an extremely approachable price point—under $400!*A quick explanation of the methodology: I asked all voters to vote for their first, second, and third favorite watches of the year. I then weighted those votes to come up with the final point tally. This is exactly how they decide the NBA awards, so it’s super legit.Which wa

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Nov 22, 2024 - 08:25

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The Best Watch of 2024, According to the Watch Illuminati

Style

Forty dealers, editors, auction specialists, and passionate collectors name the very best new release of the year.

By Cam Wolf

November 21, 2024

Image may contain Wristwatch Arm Body Part Person Gold and Symbol

This is an edition of the newsletter Box + Papers, Cam Wolf’s weekly deep dive into the world of watches. Sign up here.

Welcome to the third annual edition of the Great GQ Watch Survey, in which we asked 40 watch experts to rank the year’s best releases, brands, and much more. Today, we’re releasing part one of the survey—headlined by our panel’s choice for the best new watch of 2024—with the second part still to come on Monday.

This was a weird one, friends. For the first time, I heard back from respondents about how difficult it was to complete this year’s survey. “Your survey is HARD,” one respondent wrote back. “Where is the box for ‘no one had a good year, everyone is bricking themselves’?” There was consensus around which watches and brands dominated 2024 overall, but many of our participants agreed on the state of the industry. Tony Traina, watch editor extraordinaire and founder of “Unpolished,” simply refused to nominate a first-place watch. “There is no best watch,” he wrote instead. “Creativity in the watch world is at an all-time low.”

This doom-and-gloom best explains the watches that did stand out to our panel. The watch that came in first place boasts a peculiar shape and comes courtesy of an independent maker’s passion project that was funded by savings he socked away over 15 years.

Let’s get to the final results, in which the Watch Illuminati also named the most desirable timepiece in the world and waxed poetic about the pieces they’d buy with $500, $50,000, and $500,000.

The 2024 Watch of the Year

The final rankings are*:

Image may contain Page Text Number and Symbol

In a landslide, the Illuminati’s 2024 Watch of the Year is the curvaceous Mirage from newcomer Berneron—the brand launched in 2023 by Sylvain Berneron, who also serves as Breitling’s chief product officer. The original Mirage debuted in October 2023, but the new 2024 version is a marked improvement over the original, with shrunken-down 34-mm proportions and show-stealing stone dials in either tiger’s eye or lapis lazuli.

It makes sense to me that the Mirage managed to separate itself from the pack during a year when so many folks felt that some of the industry’s biggest players weren’t bringing their best cards to the table. If you’re a watch enthusiast looking for audaciousness and creativity, the Mirage is—rather ironically—like a cool, refreshing drink of water in a desert.

Our survey results generally reflect this yearning for creativity. While Cartier released a trove of new pieces this year—some of which, like the Tortue and Mini Tank, received votes in this category—the one that stood out most to the panel was the Santos-Dumont Rewind, which tells the time backward (the hands move counterclockwise around the dial). That’s weird! That’s a winner!

Elsewhere, a rejection of sport watches and a return to opulence also showed up in the results. The only other watch that received a respectable amount of votes outside of the Mirage was Piaget’s revived Polo 79, a $73,000 hunk of gold that epitomizes ’80s garishness in the best way possible. Okay, enough from me. Let’s hear from the experts on their first-place picks.

Carlotta Parmegiani, ladies’ watch specialist, Monaco Legends Auction: The Patek Philippe Nautilus Ladies (7118/1300R-001) Rose Gold. It is a feminine version of the Nautilus at its finest.

Mark Cho, cofounder of the Armoury: Naoya Hida x JN Shapiro x the Armoury East-West. I want one, and I'm on my own wait list for one :(.

Brynn Wallner, @Dimepiece: the Hermès Cut. It’s exciting to see a mechanical (!) watch intentionally designed for women without any of the unnecessary overly femme frills. We need more sports watches designed for women.

Adam Golden, founder, Menta Watches: Patek Philippe Cubitus. Like it or not, it caused a stir, and they are selling a f**k-ton of them.

Trang Trinh, @_girlsoclock: Audemars Piguet Frosted Mini Royal Oak. The combo of heavy hitters (mini, frosted, Royal Oak) might not be revolutionary, but it really works.

Image may contain Wristwatch Arm Body Part and Person

Eric Peng Cheng, GQ’s Watch Collector of the Year, 2023, owner of Bait and Undefeated: F.P. Journe Tokyo 20th anniversary. Last limited edition for FPJ, and a great one.

Nick Ferrell, founder, DC Vintage Watches: Yema Yachtingraf Croisière. A faithful throwback to the brand's 1970s heritage at an extremely approachable price point—under $400!

*A quick explanation of the methodology: I asked all voters to vote for their first, second, and third favorite watches of the year. I then weighted those votes to come up with the final point tally. This is exactly how they decide the NBA awards, so it’s super legit.

Which watch are you buying if you have $500,000, $10,000, and $500?

One of my favorite questions to ask the Watch Illuminati which watch they would personally buy at a variety of price levels. Throw out the importance to the industry, the trends, and the significance of a certain piece—this is all about deeply personal taste. This year I even upped the high-end price so that very few pieces would be off limits.

At $500,000:

Sacha Davidoff, cofounder, Roy & Sacha Davidoff S.A.: A Patek Philippe 3979 150th Anniversary Minute Repeater from 1989. It sounds like a dream and its automatic micro-rotor and enamel dial make it one of the best ever for me. So that, and a Rolex Daytona “Le Mans.” Still had a few bucks left over, so I’ll try to squeeze both in.

@Bazamu, GQ’s Watch Collector of the Year, 2022: A. Lange & Sohne Pour le Merite Tourbillon with Blue Dial. [Editor’s note: Incredibly, $500,000 wouldn’t have been enough to buy this piece, which hammered for $531,467 at Phillips’s Reloaded auction!] Endgame grail shit for a Lange sicko like me.

Stephen Pulvirent, founder, Rime & Reason: Rexhep Rexhepi Chronomètre Contemporain II. Rexhep Rexhepi is an incredible person, and this watch is a true modern masterpiece.

Paul Boutros, head of watches for the Americas, Phillips: Patek Philippe ref. 5372P. Fitted with Patek’s finest and most prestigious split seconds chronograph, the size, complications, and finesse make it one of the best watches in their product line.

Charity Mhende, @pulseonthewrist: Piaget Swinging Sautoir. Gold. Just stunning. There are some absolute gems in the high jewelry category, and this is one of them.

James Lamdin, owner, Analog:Shift: Lange Datograph Handwerkskunst LE. Classic Datograph layout, Lange's expert hand-finishing across the dial, and a yellow gold case. Need I say more?

Jessica Owens, supercollector: I would pull an Anant Ambani and purchase gold Royal Oaks for me and all my friends—and I’d definitely get them engraved with something like “JJ's Inner Circle.”

Geoff Hess, head of watches for the Americas, Sotheby's: I'm still buying a Paul Newman Panda Daytona ref. 6263. Don't overlook the fact that Paul Newman Daytonas remain highly sought-after regardless of any softening in the overall watch market.

Golden: Xhevdet Rexhepi Minute Inerte. A legendary new watch, filled with Easter eggs and high-end watchmaking. And impossible to get.

Tony Traina, editor and founder, “Unpolished”: Berneron Mirage 34 Tiger's Eye. It's only about $50,000. I'd use the rest to fly you to Chicago and treat you like a king for the weekend, Cam. [Thanks, Tony.]

At $10,000:

Max Abbott, cofounder, The Keystone: A Patek Philippe 96. A terrific vintage Patek reference at a great price.

Danny Milton, vice president of content, Teddy Baldassarre: At $10,000 I’m getting weird but staying on brand. I’m picking what I still believe is the most misunderstood Rolex in the catalog: the Air-King.

Zach Blass, editor, Time and Tide: Grand Seiko SLGW005. Such a timeless watch with an incredible hand-wound movement.

Cameron Ross Steiner, founder and host, Collectors Gene Radio: Cartier Baignoire, in yellow or white gold. For me, this watch represents a lot of what I love about Cartier, and you can still get them at amazing prices.

Jasper Lijfering, owner and CEO, Amsterdam Vintage Watches: A vintage Rolex Explorer 14270. Great and solid beater with perfect proportions.

Chris Hall, founder, “The Fourth Wheel”: Speedmaster “First Omega in Space” and a trusty field watch of some kind.

At $500:

Yoni Ben-Yehuda, head of watches, Material Good: Hodinkee x G-Shock, Clymer Edition!

Traina: I'd go on the forums and buy a Seiko SKX013 diver. Still a classic, and one of the first real enthusiast watches I bought that sent me into this crazy world.

Andrea Casalegno, @IAmCasa: A vintage Longines. Bang for the buck.

Nic James, @CartierWatchNerd: Tissot PRX.

Jaclyn Li, consultant, Phillips: Omega MoonSwatch Snoopy

Bazamu: Furlan Marri Castagna. Sure, it's meca-quartz and not fully mechanical, but you won't find better aesthetics and execution of a dress chronograph for the price point.

Pulvirent: Unimatic U4. If you've only got $500 and are looking for something you can wear everywhere, this is the pick. The watch is built like a tank but still has a distinctive look that goes with anything.

Mhende: Buci x seconde/seconde. This is a young independent brand that's doing something special by mixing watches and poetry.

Blass: Citizen Tsuyosa. It has a Rolex feel without feeling like a rip-off and is offered at a great price.

Milton: I’m buying two MoonSwatches, baby! The Lava edition and the Earthphase. The former is a fun Ultraman throwback, and the latter is Swatch at its best.

Abbott: Tag Formula 1. I love the variety of color and the fit. My mom recently gave me her old yellow Formula 1 that I remembered from childhood, and I love it.

Hess: With $500 I'm buying a watch from Brew. Who wouldn’t say that creator John Ferrer is the nicest guy in the industry?

The Most Desirable Watch in the World

Last year, many of the experts swerved dramatically in the direction of the Cartier Crash on this question. There’s been some course correction in 2024, with the Illuminati veering back toward the meat-and-potatoes of the industry. Unsurprisingly, many people cited Paul Newman’s Rolex Daytona or another version of the famed chronograph. However, there were still some Crash holdouts.

James Dowling, author: Obviously, Paul Newman’s Paul Newman.

Robert-Jan Broer, founder, Fratello magazine: Any Rolex, but the Daytona "Paul Newman" from Paul Newman tops them all.

Hall: In the dull sense of “What would have the longest queue of people lining up to buy it,” probably something like the Le Mans Daytona. In the vintage world, provenance still rules, so it's impossible to say. A unique F.P. Journe made for someone stratospherically famous.

Adam Craniotes, founder, RedBar: Based on hype? The discontinued Patek Philippe Nautilus in steel. Based on actual watchmaking? IWC and their Eternal Perpetual Calendar.

Hess: Sean Connery's Rolex Big Crown Submariner used in Dr. No and Goldfinger. I'll be bold and say that James Bond wearing a Submariner did more for future collectability than even a Patek worn by John Lennon!

Pulvirent: I think the Cartier Crash is still probably the hype watch or "it" watch of the moment. It feels like maybe that should have passed by now, but I don't think it has. That doesn't mean it should be the most desirable watch in the world, but if we're talking about that perfect storm of high visibility and collectability with low availability, the Crash probably still wears the crown.

Boutros: Rolex Daytona Le Mans ref. 126528LN. Virtually impossible to obtain, it's one of the best-looking modern Daytonas ever made, IMHO.

Ross Steiner: Modern, I would say the general person, whether they care about watches or not, usually wants some sort of Rolex, especially if it's their first (Submariner or Daytona). Vintage, depending on tastes, right now I would say vintage Cartier (Crash and other odd-shaped models) or vintage Journe.

Kristian Haagen, supercollector and author: It is probably still the steel Rolex Daytona.