To me, it looks fresher than ever, particularly when so few modern brands have anything even close to this case shape. The watch is often seen on a leather strap, and if I owned it that's how I'd prefer it, but there's also an undulating bracelet that amps up the glamour. It's a watch that you could wear (if you are an elegant woman) to a cocktail party or (if you are Bad Bunny) to sit courtside at a Lakers game. Not bad, versatility-wise. And it cracks me up how dominant Cartier is in the business of shaped watches even with products dating back more than a century, these guys are still somehow ahead of the pack.
It's the watch I've been asking for: a reintroduction of the original L.U.C. 1860 from the mid-1990s. I wrote about that original 1860 just a few weeks ago (to be clear, I had no idea this was coming out). And Chopard absolutely nailed the new L.U.C. 1860. The dimensions are the same as the original:replica orologi 36.5mm and just 8.2mm thick. The dial is guilloche gold. For the first time, it's in a steel case the lugs are slightly thicker and the midcase is brushed, making the new version feel just a bit more casual. And they did it with no date! The original caliber 1.96 1860 is basically a perfect dress watch, but some loved to complain about the (in my opinion) well-executed 6 o'clock date. Now, it's gone. With this beautifully-crafted movement, dial, and case, Chopard says it'll only be able to make about 100 of these a year. I'd love to be one of the lucky few to get my hands on one.
I don't think it's possible for me to "manifest" a watch and then not pick it as my favorite. That means I'm going with the preciously heavy yellow-gold Rolex GMT-Master II with its black and grey Cerachrom bezel. What makes this watch particularly exciting is that it comes on a solid gold Jubilee bracelet something we haven't seen in years (years!) I don't know how much more I can say about this watch that I haven't already said. But the main driving force behind this selection is rooted in how I felt when I saw it for the first time replica ray-ban and stupidly put it on my wrist. I say stupidly because now I know what it's like to wear it to (sort of) have it and then to not have it. I own the Batman on an oyster bracelet so I have steel covered. This was an entirely different thing. It's solid gold baby. Watches & Wonders won't be my only experience with the YG GMT. I'm hooked. - Surprise, surprise it's Danny Milton.
I know, I KNOW. Another rose gold watch. But man if this one isn't a heavy hitter. It's a 5hz, manual wind split-seconds chronograph that has enough wrist presence to give you the kind of delusional confidence that makes people run for mayor but is as beautiful and well crafted as any of the high-jewelry pieces I saw at the show (ok, maybe the Van Cleef & Arpels Emerald Ludo watch was in a class unto itself, and almost my favorite). The fluted bezel, the clean dial, the applied indices, and even the finishing on the orologi replica panerai movement have that trademark Parmigiani touch. I don't know if this watch counts as stealth wealth, it is a big rose gold watch after all, but something about Parmigiani still feels slightly under the radar a brand that makes an incredible product but has yet to earn household name recognition. I have a feeling that's all about to change.
Are you surprised? It's another Black Bay from Tudor and I like it. But in this case, I like it differently from a Fifty-Eight (a watch I only didn't buy because of the Pelago 39). With the new 54, I really appreciate that Tudor has made a smaller dive watch it's 37mm that still follows the form of the other Black Bays. So you get 200 meters of water resistance, a screw-down crown, a great bezel, and the general good looks of the original Fifty-Eight but with a nod to the vintage 7922 of Tudor's past. While I don't at all regret my pick of the titanium P39, the Black Bay 54 is a solid product straight out of Tudor's next-generation manufacture and it's a watch that I think will appeal to a wide range of folks that aren't commonly catered to by the dive watch world.
Truthfully I'm finding it hard to play favorites this year, there was no standalone trophy piece that I would have made biblical sacrifices for. My biggest takeaway was the spike in gem-set novelties. Seeing one of my favorite categories being pushed in a very serious way felt like personal validation. Number one wearable piece for me had to be the Rolex Day-Date with carnelian dial. Staring at the shade of orange on this particular stone dial feels like a tiny slice of the warm glow you experience when you time the perfect sunset swim on vacation. Sounds cheesy but I don't know a single human who wouldn't enjoy their own version of vacation serenity-made material on their wrist. The lustrous yellow gold case and presidential bracelet, the rich burnt orange hue of the carnelian,replica orologi rolex and the gentle sparkle from diamonds on the bezel and indices all line up to make the perfect Day-Date. Jewelry keeps my serotonin levels up, but beyond the diamond high I experienced this week, a wider appreciation for the craft and expertise that goes into gem setting and stone cutting is something I will keep pushing for all year round.