Watches and Wonders means it’s time for new watches. Zenith, TAG Heuer, and Hublot did not disappoint, using this opportunity to unveil a whole range of new models. Let’s take a look at the most interesting releases from these three traditional brands.
Zenith – Professional Diving Watches with Retro Designs
The traditional Swiss brand Zenith presented two new diving watches at Watches and Wonders 2024: the Defy Extreme Diver and the Defy Revival A3648. While the latter is a faithful reproduction of the first Defy model from 1969, the Extreme Diver combines retro charm with modern design elements to create a professional tool watch for underwater use.
The Defy Extreme Diver features an angular case with an integrated bracelet that is typical for Defy watches. Zenith crafts this 42.5-mm watch from lightweight and durable titanium. A special feature is the unique bezel construction: the fixed, twelve-sided bezel made of titanium is surrounded by a round, unidirectional rotating bezel made of ceramic. The engraved 60-minute scale is filled with Super-LumiNova, which glows orange in the dark. The hands and indices are also luminous. The hours and minutes shine blue and green, respectively, allowing for easy distinction between functions and thus enhanced legibility.
Other features of the Defy Extreme Diver include the El Primero caliber 3620 SC, a helium escape valve, sapphire crystal on the front and back, and a water resistance of 600 meters (60 bar, 1,968 ft). The watch is available in black or blue, each with a matching rubber and Nato strap, as well as a titanium bracelet. Zenith’s official list price for the model is $11,300.
TAG Heuer – Monaco Split-Seconds chronograph
Among the new releases presented by TAG Heuer at Watches and Wonders 2024 are the Carrera Date with the textured “Plasma” dial and domed “glassbox” crystal, the Carrera Skipper in rose gold, as well as the Carrera Chronograph with a panda dial. For this last model, TAG Heuer once again teamed up with Hollywood star Ryan Gosling to produce a large-scale marketing campaign.
A new addition to the popular Monaco collection will no doubt delight TAG Heuer fans: the Monaco Split-Seconds Chronograph, which was initially designed as a unique piece for the Only Watch auction in 2023 and is now available as a regular model in two versions.
At the heart of the watches beats the automatic TH81-00 caliber, developed in collaboration with movement manufacturer Vaucher, which has a split-seconds or rattrapante function that allows you to record split times. In addition to the pushers for start/stop and reset, located on the right-hand side of the case, the watch has a third pusher on the left-hand side of the case. This is skeletonized and activates the split-seconds function.
The sapphire crystal dial and case back allow you to observe the intricate movement from the front and back. The 41 mm-wide case of the Monaco Split Seconds Chronograph is crafted from either brushed grade-5 titanium or matte black DLC-coated titanium. TAG Heuer has named the first version Original Blue, as it features blue accents on the hands and bridges, and the second version Racing Red for its red hands and black bridges. Blue or red straps with a textile look complete the timepiece.
These watches will be available exclusively on request, and have a list price of $138,000.
Hublot – New Colors, New Sizes, New Materials
Hublot presented a whole range of new versions of its most popular watches at Watches and Wonders 2024. The Big Bang Unico is now available in three new colors: an orange ceramic model ($29,600), a dark green ceramic model ($24,100), as well as a pink sapphire crystal model ($121,000).
The futuristic Big Bang MP-11 with its seven barrels and the multifaceted Spirit of Big Bang Sang Bleu are now also available in light blue and transparent sapphire versions. The list prices are $171,000 and $143,000, respectively.
The Square Bang Unico collection is also growing. The rectangular watches are now also available in two versions made from Hublot’s extremely hard-wearing Magic Gold alloy. The watchmaker sets the list prices at $31,800 for the ceramic and Magic Gold model, and $42,700 for watches with a complete Magic Gold case.
Other new additions to the Hublot catalog include the Big Bang Integrated Time Only, which is now available in six versions with a diameter of 38 mm, the 29-mm Classic Fusion in titanium or yellow gold, and the new Big Bang e for the UEFA EURO 2024.
