My Favorite Watch Releases from the Last Six Months
It’s been six months since I last shared my thoughts on new watch releases after this year’s Watches and Wonders. Since then, many new watches have come out, especially in the past two weeks, so I decided it’s time to look back at these six months and write about the pieces that I liked or that stood out to me.
I’ll start with a watch that was released during Watches and Wonders, but at that time it wasn’t really interesting to me, mainly because it has only one pusher, which makes the watch face asymmetrical, and I usually dislike that. But after learning about its functions and seeing it a couple more times, I changed my mind. I’m talking about the Nomos Club Sport Neomatik Worldtimer. The case is 40mm in diameter, so it’s still within what I consider a solid size, and its 9.9mm thickness makes it even more wearable. It’s definitely a watch I want to check out in person. This week they released three new colorways as part of the Night Navigation series.
Nomos Club Sport neomatik Worldtimer “Dune”
Serica released their 5303 Diver in Abyssal Blue, a limited edition specially designed for French naval divers. They described this new shade of dark blue ceramic as being nuanced with hints of gray and green - the color of France in its most elegant shade. The watch was released on a new Serica PLD strap that was inspired by the design, materials, and historic color of handmade straps used by French divers in the ’70s. I think this watch looks great with the new strap, which is now also available to buy separately (in other colors as well), but the watch was limited to 200 pieces and is now sold out.
Then there’s a new colorway of one of my absolute favorite modern watches - the Tudor Black Bay 54, now in “Lagoon Blue.” I’m not really a fan of bright blue dials, but for this watch they also decided to go with a mirror-polished bezel. A black bezel would definitely make it more wearable, but it seems like they wanted to create a bright, shiny version that could also appeal to women. I’m not sure what I think about a diver on a five-link bracelet, but I’m sure it could work with a cleaner, more classic face. It’s definitely one of the most disappointing releases this year, and I hope the next BB54 released will be something more classic and timeless. The original BB54 is still extremely high on my wishlist.
I usually don’t care about quartz watches, but here and there I’m willing to make an exception if I see something special. And the Time+Tide x Dennison DateNight is definitely one of those special watches that are impossible to ignore. What makes this watch so special is the shiny mother of pearl dial, but it’s also clear that every element of this watch was very carefully thought out, and the final product is just stunning. The size is great too - a rounded square shape that measures 37mm by 33.5mm, with a case that’s only 6.05mm thick. It’s a really beautiful and wearable watch.
Baltic released the new Aquascaphe MK2 in two sizes — 37mm and 39.5mm. I think it’s a very solid update for the Aquascaphe line. I like the warm silver version and would be interested to see what the size difference means for how the watch wears, considering the thickness of the case is the same in both sizes (12.9mm).
The Tudor 1926 Luna is a very unexpected but interesting watch that was released last week. I think it’s a very cool and well-executed idea, and the watch also seems like amazing value for the price. Even though I really like the idea of this watch, I think they missed it with the size - 39mm is too big for a dress watch like that, it would be perfect in 36mm.
Even though I’m not really a fan of the Royal Oak design, this is one of the most impressive watch releases, and I really appreciate it considering what it represents in terms of technological advancements in watchmaking. It’s amazing to see the innovation Audemars Piguet demonstrated with the release of the Royal Oak “Jumbo” Extra-Thin Selfwinding Flying Tourbillon Chronograph RD#5. It’s incredible how many complications they were able to pack into a case that is only 8.1mm thick. The price of this watch is around €250,000, and even if you can afford it, you probably won’t be able to get one, as it’s limited to 150 pieces. But this doesn’t change the fact that AP showed us what is possible today, so I’m excited to see what they come up with next.
Last week, Longines released the new Spirit Pilot in 39mm, and I really like it. The first thing you notice is the removal of the date window and the five stars on the dial, which makes the watch a lot cleaner and, in my opinion, more authentic. With a 39mm diameter, it’s clear they considered what watch enthusiasts prefer, and I think they really nailed it with this release. This is now, without a doubt, one of the best pilot watches on the market!
These are the new watches that stood out to me. Let me know your thoughts on the new releases, and I’ll get back to this topic at the end of the year when I choose my favorites.
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