Watches and Wonders 2026: the highlights
Key new releases and innovations from the Geneva watch fair
The watch world’s biggest event of the year, Watches and Wonders, just held its 2026 iteration, and with 65 brands unveiling their new launches, there was much to celebrate.
We were on the ground to take in all the news.
Watches and Wonders took place 14-20 April 2026, watchesandwonders.com
Piaget’s 1960s-inspired pebble watches swing into action
In 1969, Piaget rethought the parameters of watch-wearing, introducing the ‘21st Century Collection’, where watches swung gracefully from long gold chains. Worn looped around the neck, the watches, with their ornamental stone dials, were first and foremost vivid pieces of jewellery, encapsulating Yves Piaget’s philosophy that blended both disciplines.
Now, at Watches and Wonders 2026, these swinging sautoirs are making a comeback as the Swinging Pebbles collection, with three pieces crafted in three stones, tiger’s eye, verdite and pietersite.
Vacheron Constantin and the Louvre unveil new watches inspired by ancient civilisations
Since announcing a partnership with the Louvre in 2019, Vacheron Constantin has released a limited-edition series of exquisitely produced watches inspired by the museum’s treasures. Now, the maison has unveiled the second of the Great Civilisations series, created in conjunction with the Louvre, with four models limited to 15 pieces each translating cultural symbols into horological form.
Van Cleef & Arpels’ new watches are inspired by the sun and the moon
Van Cleef & Arpels looks to poetic inspirations at Watches and Wonders 2026, blurring the lines between watches and jewellery in a host of new releases. Watches, in aventurine glass and embossed enamel, in moonlight and retrograde minutes, bring a romantic spin to traditional time-telling.
How TAG Heuer’s Watches and Wonders 2026 releases shape up
TAG Heuer’s Watches and Wonders 2026 offering is all about Monaco, with two distinct takes on the most recognisable square chronograph. While the Monaco Chronograph is ‘rearchitected’ in titanium for wider reach, the Monaco Evergraph is built around TAG Heuer’s thirst for innovation and features a chronograph mechanism with a long list of innovative tech to unpack.
Take a closer look at the 2026 Bulgari Octo Finissimo
Shrinking an horological icon isn’t as simple as it sounds, but Bulgari makes it look easy with the new Octo Finissimo 37mm, a smaller take on the Octo that rethinks the model from the inside out.
Patek Philippe unveils 20 new models
The Manufacture brings its most ambitious lineup in years to Watches and Wonders 2026: 20 new creations, four limited-edition Nautilus anniversary pieces, and a debut automaton wristwatch that marks a first in Patek’s modern history.
Cartier puts the focus on shapes and materials in exciting new watch releases
Cartier’s 2026 collection recalibrates loved watches, offering a series of returns to canonical shapes. All are recognisable, but reconsidered with new materials, finer mechanics, or a more considered surfaces, some more unexpected than others.
From the jewellery workbench to the movement lab, the breadth of Cartier’s new releases cannot be understated. It underlines the brand’s standing in collector circles, having had a massive rise on the auction scene as well as climbing the list in terms of turnover. Even to an untrained eye, it is clear that creativity is the strongest factor of Cartier’s resurgence, and at Watches and Wonders this year, it shows.
Hermès presents its first skeleton H08 watch and playful scenography
Hermès Horloger has traditionally taken a thoughtful approach to Watches and Wonders, bypassing the neutrality of Geneva’s Palexpo with epic set designs from which to showcase the year’s new watch releases.
This year is no different, with Hermès presenting a creative scenography in tribute to the new Hermès H08 Squelette watch. The Hermès H08, originally launched in 2021, now releases its first skeleton watch, presented in two versions, and crafted in black PVD-treated titanium to ensure a wearable lightness. ‘This type of development is particularly well suited to the Hermès H08 line, which emphasises lightness through the openwork architecture of the movement and the use of technical materials that affirm its urban and all-terrain character,’ says Philippe Delhotal, creative director of Hermès Horloger.
Rolex celebrates a century of the Oyster
Rolex’s headline piece at Watches and Wonders is a dedicated centenary tribute. This yellow Rolesor version – Oystersteel case and bracelet with a yellow gold bezel and crown – echoes the case details of early Oyster watches. The slate dial features the inscription ‘100 years’ at six o'clock, while the Rolex name and minute track squares are rendered in signature green. The winding crown is also engraved with the number 100.
