Watches & Wonders Is Here And These Are The New Watches From Rolex, Tudor, Cartier, Grand Seiko, Zenith, Tag Heuer, Nomos And With Many More To Come

In this issue:

• Rolex Reveals A Black And Grey GMT, A Solid Gold Deepsea, New Sky Dwellers And Day-Dates, Along with MOP Dial Daytonas And A Wonderful Platinum 1908

• A Monochrome Black Bay, Full Gold BB58 And Black Bay 58 GMT Are The Major Novelties From Tudor

• Cartier Shows Off New Santos de Cartier Dual Time, Santos-Dumont, Privé Tortue Monopoussoir And Incredible Santos-Dumont Rewind

• Grand Seiko Is At The Top Of Their Game With New GMTs, White Birch, Kodo, Night Sky And Many More Models

• Zenith Introduces Long Awaited Chrono To Defy Skyline Line And Revives A Very Funky Watch From The 1960s

• TAG Heuer Will Sell You A Production “Only Watch” Split-Second Monaco, And Has Two New Stunning Glassbox Carreras

• Nomos Celebrates 175 Years Of Glashütte Watchmaking With 31 New Colorful Versions Of The Tangente 38 Date

Today’s reading time: 14 minutes and 2 seconds

👂What’s new

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Rolex Reveals A Black And Grey GMT, A Solid Gold Deepsea, New Sky Dwellers And Day-Dates, Along with MOP Dial Daytonas And A Wonderful Platinum 1908

A huge amount of digital ink has been spilled over what Rolex will introduce at Watches and Wonders. There were guesses all around, but one thing was certain - Rolex was going to introduce a Coke bezel GMT. This was a big deal as it was incredibly difficult to make a ceramic bezel that has a black and red side, but Rolex recently filed a patent that would allow them to do exactly that. So, everything was set for the big reveal. The reveal came, and no Coke GMT. Nevertheless, there are a couple of interesting watches.

• The first watch we’re getting is the stainless steel 126710GRNR with a black and grey bezel. If this looks very familiar, it’s because it is. Last year at Watches & Wonders, Rolex introduced the two-tone steel and yellow gold 126713GRNR, with the same color layout on the bezel. You know everything else about the watch, and you can have it with either an oyster or a jubilee bracelet. Available now for CHF 10,200.

• Next up might be the most extravagant of all the watches they introduced this year, a solid yellow gold Deepsea. Very few people will say that Rolex has a sense of humor, but when everybody else is chasing lightness with new titanium alloys for their largest watches, you do have to find it very funny that Rolex gave their 44mm wide watch a gold treatment. And not just the watch, but it also comes on a hefty gold bracelet. Offsetting the gold is a very nice blue dial and bezel. Available now for, dare I say it (considering the amount of gold that had to go into it), a reasonable CHF 49,900.

• There’s not a lot much new with the two new Sky-Dweller models other than two slight changes that are guaranteed to find their places on the richest of wrists very soon. The Sky-Dweller is their most complicated model with an annual calendar and it now comes in Everose gold and 18K yellow gold with Jubilee bracelets. Yours for CHF 49,700 in Everose and CHF 47,000 in yellow gold.

• The Oyster Perpetual Day-Date 40 just got a bit bigger, and this is the first time that an ombré dial, slate in color here paired with an Everose case, comes to the Day-Date 40mm collection after being reserved for the smaller 36 one. That same size gets a yellow gold case with a mother-of-pearl dial, also a first for the Day Date, along with baguette diamond indices. The Everrose carries the reference 228235 and a price tag of CHF 39,800, while the yellow gold has the reference 228239 and retails for CHF45,100.

• There’s also a new 36mm Day-Date, now with a crisp white dial, with deconstructed and facetted Roman numerals. Price is set at CHF 33,600.

• Two new very special versions of the Oyster Perpetual Cosmograph Daytona in 18 carat white gold. One gets a white mother-of-pearl with Oysterflex bracelet and one black mother-of-pearl dial with Oyster bracelet. They both have contrasting MOP sub-dials and a bezel set with 36 brilliant-cut diamonds. Inside is the familiar caliber 4131 with a 72 hour power reserve. Priced at CHF 58,800.

• The reaction to the introduction of the Perpetual 1908 collection last year might not have been as enthusiastic as it should have been, but it was clear that this was going to become a platform for many editions of the watch which will make it only more desirable. The new release is exactly that. It comes in a 39mm wide and 9.5mm thick platinum case that comes with an icy-blue guilloché dial with what Rolex calls a "rice-grain" motif. Priced at CHF 29,600.

• Last year Rolex released the Le Mans Daytona in honor of the 100th year of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Now, they discontinued it, creating a modern legend that will just explode in price.

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A Monochrome Black Bay, Full Gold BB58 And Black Bay 58 GMT Are The Major Novelties From Tudor

Nothing too revolutionary from Tudor this year, but this is exactly what we expect from them: a solid update to already solid watches.

• The Black Bay has become a staple of Tudor and completely revived the brand with its introduction. The three new versions come in the familiar 41mm wide and 13.6mm thick stainless steel case, but now with a black dial with white markings. This is the watch the masses wanted and they got it. I’m predicting it will sell very well. The watch comes on three strap options - a riveted bracelet, a five-link bracelet or a rubber strap, all of them with T-Fit clasp. The watch is priced at CHF 3,950 on rubber and 4,250 on the bracelets.

• The Black Bay GMT has been making the rounds recently, with people wanting to see an update to the watch with new colors following the new opaline dial from last year. We’re not getting that, but we are getting a BB 58 GMT. In the familiar stainless steel case it measures 39mm wide and 12.8mm thick and isnide is the well known Kenissi-made MT5450-U movement that has METAS certification. Get it on either the riveted bracelet or a rubber strap, with a regular folding clasp. Why? Why use that clasp when you have the adjustable T-fit? Priced at CHF 4,100 on rubber and 4,300 on the bracelet.

• The solid 18k yellow gold Black Bay 58 wasn’t a massive hit when it came out, but it sure had its place. It was a niche option for people who could buy a solid gold Rolex, but wanted something for people who are a bit more in the know. Now, Tudor is making it better by ditching the leather strap and giving it a full gold bracelet with a regular folding clasp. You still get the same interesting, almost olive, green, dial and bezel. Price is set at CHF 30,000.

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Cartier Shows Off New Santos de Cartier Dual Time, Santos-Dumont, Privé Tortue Monopoussoir And Incredible Santos-Dumont Rewind

Secretly, Watches And Wonders is a favorite among so many people because it’s the one show in which we get a BUNCH of new Cartier watches. They do release watches here and there, but it’s the W&W release that’s always the most exciting of the year. And this year is no different. Also, their website is a bit of a mess at the moment, with all the new releases in one, unlikable page, so head on over there to see all the details.

• Pictured above is the Santos de Cartier Dual Time, a perfectly logical extension of the sporty Santos de Cartier line. With a second time zone indicator at 6 o’clock, as well as a day/night indicator, this just could become a go-to for well-off world travelers. The watch measures 40.2mm wide, 10.1mm thick and has a 47.5mm lug-to-lug and comas on a stainless steel bracelet with 100 meters of water resistance. The dial is rendered in a sunray brushed anthracite dial, with a slightly lighter second time zone dial. Priced at $9,150

• There’s an update to the lacquered models of the Santos-Dumont as well, with two non limited editions and a limited edition one. The two non limited editions come in 18k yellow and rose gold, one with a blue and one with a grey lacquered dial, and the 200 piece limited edition comes in platinum case and with a green dial. All three measure 31.5mm wide, 7.3mm thick and have a 43.5mm lug-to-lug. In side is the manually wound ultra-thin 430 MC movement that’s based on the Piaget 430P and with a 38 hour power reserve. All three come on dial-matching alligator leather straps. Price for the platinum is $21,900 while the gold ones are $15,600.

• More updates to the Santos de Cartier line, this time in the three hand configuration. The two Large models measure in at 39.8mm wide, 9.4mm thick with a 47.5mm lug-to-lug, and come in either a steel/gold case with a grey dial or an all steel case with a luscious chocolate brown dial. The same chocolate brown can be found on the new Medium sized that measures 35.1mm wide, 8.8mm thick and 41.9mm lug-to-lug. Inside is the familiar 1847 MC with a 42 hour power reserve.

• Last of the Santos-Dumont updates is this stunning Rewind model. Not only is it beautiful with a deep red dial and brown leather strap, measuring in at a svelte 31.5mm wide and 7.3mm thick, it also has a pretty wild configuration for such a tame brand. As you might have noticed, the numerals are going the wrong way around, and time is told counterclockwise. Limited to 200 pieces.

• Inspired by the 1912 model, the Cartier Privé gets three new models. The case can be had in either platinum, gold or platinum set with diamonds, and measures 32.9mm wide, 7.2mm thick and has a 41.4mm lug-to-lug. The dials come in either silvered opaline or grained gold, with Breguet hands and Roman numerals. The gem set version is limited to 50 pieces and priced at $59,000, while the platinum and gold versions are limited to 200 pieces and priced at $35,600 and $31,000, respectively.

• This one is for the hard core Cartier fans. The brand is reviving their legendary Tortue Monopoussoir model from the late ’90s that featured the famous Journe-Flageollet-Halter movement. The watch comes in either platinum or yellow gold, measures 34.8mm wide, 10.2mm thick and 43.7mm lug-to-lug. Inside is the in-house 1928 MC manually wound chronograph movement with a monopusher. Limited to 200 pieces in each material and priced at $59,000 in platinum and $51,000 in yellow gold.

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Grand Seiko Is At The Top Of Their Game With New GMTs, White Birch, Kodo, Night Sky And Many More Models

Very often Grand Seiko releases come in all at once, day after day during a one week period. And when they release watches like this, it often can look like Grand Seiko lack a bit in the creative department, often releasing just slight dial updates, with very little to differentiate them. Well, at Watches and Wonders they showed of nine watches and looking at them as a whole we can actually see how wide their range is. Nice.

• Starting off with a duo of very interesting watches pictured above - the SLGW002 and the SLGW003. These are interesting pieces not just for their size (38.6mm wide and 9.95mm thick), the case material (18k rose gold on the LE SLGW002 and Brilliant Hard Titanium on the SLGW003) or the dials (the familiar silver birch). What might be most interesting is the brand new movement - the 9SA4 is the first movement in 50 years that is a high-beat manually-wound calibre. It beats at 36,000 vph, has an 80 hour power reserve and is accurate to +5 to -3 seconds per day. Best of all, the power reserve indicator is on the movement side. The titanium is unlimited and priced at $10,700 and the red gold is limited to 80 pieces and priced at $45,000.

• The SBGW314 is a reinterpretation of the original Grand Seiko “First” from 1960 and comes in a 38mm wide, 10.4mm thick (with a 45.7mm lug-to-lug) rose gold case. The dial is a stunning deep blue with a sunburst finish and solid gold hands and indices. Inside is the 9S64 movement with a 72 hour power reserve. Limited to 50 pieces, it will set you back $26,500.

• There are two firsts with the Grand Seiko SLGH021 “Genbi Valley” Limited Edition. It’s the first Evolution 9 model to come in their Ever-Brilliant Steel case (measuring 40mm x 11.7mm x 47mm) and it’s the first mint green dial with a stunning texture that looks like overlapping pebbles. Seriously, go look at more photos close up. The watch will be in stores in June, limited to 1,000 pieces and priced at $10,400

• Two new GMT models, similar and nature inspired, but also a bit different. First is the SBGJ277, inspired by snow valleys which are high elevation valleys that have snow in them even during the summer. The stainless steel case measures 44.2mm wide, 14.8mm thick and has a 51mm lug-to-lug and inside is the 9S86 calibre with 55 hours. Priced at $6,800. The other is the SBGE307 which uses the “lion’s paw case”, which is angular and retro-futuristic, made out of titanium and measuring 44.5mm wide, 14.9mm thick and with a 50mm lug-to-lug. Price is set at $10,700.

• The Grand Seiko SBGC275 comes in the same lion’s paw angular case made out of Hi-intensity titanium and measuring 44.5mm wide and 16.8mm thick. The dial continues the lion theme with a beautiful red color and a lion’s mane pattern. Limited to 700 pieces, available in July and priced at $13,400.

• And now, something different. Grand Seiko is brining back the Kodo, their GPHG-winning masterpiece from 2022. It comes in a Platinum and Brilliant Hard Titanium combination case that measures 43.8mm wide and 12.9mm thick. There’s no traditional dial to speak of as it7s almost completely skeletonised so you can see the in-house manually winding 9ST1 that has a 72 hour power reserve and a constant force tourbillon that gives you 50 hours of constant force. The watch is limited to 20 pieces, comes out in December and is priced at $365,000.

• And finally, something very flashy from GS. The SBGD215 is an incredibly crafted piece from the Masterpiece collection made in only 8 pieces. The angular lion’s mane case and dial are set with 293 sapphires and diamonds. It’s driven by the manually wound 8-day 9R01 Spring Drive Micro Artist Studio movement. Price is $300,000.

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Zenith Introduces Long Awaited Chrono To Defy Skyline Line And Revives A Very Funky Watch From The 1960s

Slow and steady wins the race. That’s what half of Zenith builds their business strategy on. They are very purposeful in their development and expanding of lines and it was only a matter of time when the Defy Skyline got a chronograph function. The other half of Zenith is more interested the “let’s just go crazy” approach to business as that revived Plongeur Diver is just bonkers. In the best possible way.

• The Defy Skyline is becoming the bread and butter of Zenith’s entire lineup. The sporty line has seen many iterations, but none with a chronograph. That got fixed today. The 42mm wide stainless steel case can be had with one of three colored dials - black, blue or silver. Inside is familiar el Primero 3600, an automatic chronograph movement that operates at 36,000 VPH and offers an indicated resolution of 1/10th of a second. The watches come with both a steel bracelet and a rubber strap that is color matched on the blue and black and a green strap on the silver dial. Price is $12,300.

• Zenith is reviving another early, but perhaps lesser-known example of the Defy with the new Defy Revival A3648. Back in 1969, they released the A3648, the earliest example of a Defy dive watch, earning it the nickname Defy Plongeur. It had striking orange features, the signature angular Defy case design, a 4:30 crown, and a staggering 600m of water resistance. The recreation is very much similar to the original with a chunky case, brushed an highly polished surfaces on the very angular case and orange details. Inside is the manufacture caliber Elite 670 with 50 hours of power reserve. The new Zenith Defy Revival A3648 is available now and will cost $7,700.

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TAG Heuer Will Sell You A Production “Only Watch” Split-Second Monaco, And Has Two New Stunning Glassbox Carreras

2023 was the year of Tag Heuer. After years of struggling with their brand for years, they got their affairs in order and in a series of a couple of months released some of the best looking watches they have done in years. And now they’re just continuing with this trend.

• First up is the Monaco Split-Seconds Chronograph with a full titanium movement. If this watch looks familiar, it’s because it’s the exact same watch they entered into the controversial Only Watch 2023 which had to be postponed due to dubious financial flows, but is now, somehow, back on. It comes with an either red or blue DLC coated titanium dial, or what could be interpreted as a dial, inside a DLC coated titanium case that measures 41mm wide, 15.2mm thick and 47.9mm lug-to-lug. The movement is called the TH81-00, made in partnership with Vaucher, beats at 5Hz, has a 65 hour power reserve and a split chronograph function. The caseback is made completely out of sapphire crystal for best views of the titanium movement. Available starting in June and priced at CHF 135,000.

• Next up is a stunning rendition of their already beautiful Carrera Glassbox. Inspired by the legendary 7753 SN, the first-generation Carrera from the late 1960s, the new Panda Glassbox looks equally as modern as it does retro. A beautiful silver base gets black su-dials and a black outer tachymeter scale. Priced at CHF 6,500.

• One of the best Glassbox releases last year was the recreation of the Skipper, with its 12 minute regatta countdown timer on a deep blue dial. You know what goes perfectly with deep blue dials? 18k 5N rose gold cases. So that’s what TAG gave it, and it’s wonderful. Price is set at CHF 21,000

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Nomos Celebrates 175 Years Of Glashütte Watchmaking With 31 New Colorful Versions Of The Tangente 38 Date 

Today was a big day for Nomos Glashütte. Early in the morning, at 6 o’clock, while everybody was still sleeping in Geneva, they released their novelty for the Watches & Wonders show, the first one they would ever be attending. Only, they didn’t release a watch. Or two. Or ten. They released 31 new watches, by far the most of any brand at W&W. That’s one way to make a statement. All 31 are, in fact versions of the Tangente 38 Datum, only with different colors.

This is a great thing for Nomos. Some of their watches have had fantastic colors, but they are often poked fun of for being a bit boring. Well, not any more, as you can really taste the '(pastel) rainbow here. Since it’s the Tangente 38 Datum, you know what you are getting - a 37.5mm wide stainless steel case that’s just 6.8mm thick. But don’t worry, before you get too excited, they still have the very long and spindly lugs that so many people don’t like, with a lug-to-lug of 47.7mm. Other than the colors, with each combination getting its own name, it’s a fairly simple watch with a small seconds register, and a large date window at 6 o’clock.

Inside is the DUW 4101 hand-wound movement which beats at 21,600 vph and has a 42 hour power reserve. In this series the movement has been regulated to be within chronometer standards, or -4 / +6 seconds a day, but it doesn’t come with a certificate. The watches come on either a dark or light grey textile strap.

These new Nomos Tangente 38 Datum variants are limited to 175 per colorway, for a total of 5,425 watches, and are priced at €1,925. See more on the Nomos website.

⏲️Wait a minute

A bunch of links that might or might not have something to do with watches. One thing’s for sure - they’re interesting

• I think I already mentioned that this year Carrie, Stephen King’s seminal novel, is turning 50. King has been one of the most prolific writers of our generation and has told the story of Carrie - how his wife accidentally found the manuscript in the garbage, read it and urged him to finish it as it was pretty much his one good piece of writing - many times. However, it never hurts to repeat it one more time. This is a group interview of many people who were vital for Carrie for Boston Globe that paints King’s career beginnings in a very vivid light.

• Boeing is in a load of trouble. What was supposed to be their flagship product, the Dreamliner, was a complete mess. It wasn’t just a bad product, it was actively killing people. And as the investigations into what happened went on, it became clearer with every day that this was the result of complete negligence and cost cutting by Boeing leadership. And a lot of that information was unocovered by Boeing’s whistleblower, John Barnett. On March 9 of this year, Barnett was supposed to show up for the third day of his deposition against Boeing. Instead, he was found dead in his truck with a suicide note beside him. There were two glaring problems with his suicide. He was ecstatic about testifying against Boeing, always talking about how he can’t wait for his day in court. And, his friend quoted him as saying: “If something happens to me, it wasn’t suicide.” What incredible breeding ground for conspiracy theories. On a more serious note, Fortune magazine has an incredible portrayal of Barnett’s last days.

• When weed came sweeping down the plains, Oklahoma became an unregulated gold rush for cannabis entrepreneurs. Then came the mass murder.

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