While summer may sadly be drawing to a close, that doesn’t mean we intend to stop bringing the horological heat. August’s Geneva Watch Days sees participating brands large and small drop all sorts of cool new wares, from deep-diving tool watches to colorful chronographs and everything in between. And while some of these timepieces are ultra high-end creations with price tags to match, we’ve also included some more affordable wares for your shopping pleasure. Keep your eyes peeled for all sorts of cool new releases to come this fall, which is always a super busy time for the industry. We’ll see you in the horological trenches!
IWC Pilot’s Watch Automatic 41 Black Aces
Only a select few watch companies are lucky enough to produce timepieces for active military personnel. IWC, famed for its long history of pilot’s watch designs, is one such brand; its new Pilot’s Watch Automatic 41 Black Aces joins a long line of aeronautical timepieces stretching back to the early 20th century. The Black Aces, so named for the Strike Fighter Squadron 41 (VFA-41) out of Naval Air Station Lemoore in California, is the company’s first watch to feature a fully lumed dial. Housed in a 41mm black zirconium oxide ceramic case, its Lumicast face is a solid disc of Super-LumiNova that glows green in the dark. Even if you don’t pilot an F/A-18F, there’s no way you won’t be taken in by such a downright cool look.
- Diameter: 41mm
- Movement: IWC Calibre 32100 automatic
- Water Resistance: 60m
- Price: $6,800
Audemars Piguet X 1017 ALYX 9SM Royal Oak Selfwinding 37MM
AP partnered with Matthew Williams, creative director at Givenchy (and a notable designer in his own right) on a wide-ranging collection of watches in both the Royal Oak and Royal Oak Offshore lines. Marking the first time that the maison has released the same design across both R.O. and R.O.O. simultaneously, the capsule features the minimalist aesthetic of Williams’s brand 1017 ALYX 9SM, going so far as to do away with hour indices and chronograph totalizer markers. However, the star of the show may be the Royal Oak Selfwinding 37MM. Housed in an 18K yellow gold case and powered by the brand’s Calibre 5909 automatic movement, it’s almost entirely bare save the AP and ALYX wordmarks on the dial — and “Limited Edition” on the caseback.
- Diameter: 37mm
- Movement: Audemars Piguet Calibre 5909 automatic
- Water Resistance: 50m
- Price: $73,500
Grand Seiko Sport Collection Hi-Beat 36000 GMT SBGJ275
G.S, with its impressive Zaratsu polishing and groundbreaking movement technology, has emerged as one of the most innovative watchmakers of the 21st century. The new reference SBGJ275, which celebrates the 25th anniversary of the brand’s Calibre 9S automatic movement, integrates the very best of Japanese manufacturing into a large, sporty GMT watch. With a dial whose misty blue appearance references the skies over Mt. Iwate — which is visible from the Grand Seiko Studio Shizukuishi — it impresses with its utility (three time zones can be read simultaneously); good looks (a blue and white sapphire crystal plays off the dial color); and strong build quality (the hi-beat movement is accurate to +5/-3 seconds per day, while 200m of water resistance is more than one could possibly need on a daily basis).
- Diameter: 44.2mm
- Movement: Grand Seiko Calibre 9S86 automatic
- Water Resistance: 200m
- Price: $7,600
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Chronograph Monopoussoir Sylvain Pinaud x Massena LAB
Partnering with independent watchmaker Sylvain Pinaud Massena LAB has developed a truly exquisite monopusher chronograph that melds an old complication with an avant garde housing and design. Contained in a 42mm titanium case with a polished bezel and grained lugs, it sports a dial crafted by Comblémine SA — a manufacture owned by legendary watchmaker Kari Voutilainen. Featuring a fully integrated column-wheel chronograph with a horizontal clutch — a dog whistle for serious watch collectors — its unique sapphire case-side windows and exposed dial bottom allow one to view the watch’s complex inner workings. A limited edition of just 10 pieces, it’s sure to be snapped up quickly.
- Diameter: 42mm
- Movement: Silvain Pinaud chronograph movement automatic
- Water Resistance: 30m
- Price: Upon request
Zenith Defy 21 Chroma II in White
Available in both white and black, this colorful new addition to the Defy collection truly shines in its white iteration, in which brightly colored indices and accents pop against an otherwise blinding background. A sequel to a watch released at Watches & Wonders 2022, it features a ceramic case; the world’s only serially produced, 1/100th-second automatic chronograph movement; and an openworked dial. The El Primero Calibre 21, which can be viewed beneath, even has bridges finished in different metallic colors. The standout feature, however, is the rainbow of attractive hues that extend all the way to the strap’s stitching, the crown, and the dial’s Arabic indices.
- Diameter: 44mm
- Movement: Zenith El Primero Calibre 21 automatic
- Water Resistance: 100m
- Price: $15,600
Oris AquisPro 4000m
Released at the 2023 Geneva Watch Days, the AquisPro 4000m is Hölstein-based Oris’s deepest-diving timepiece yet. Though by no means compact, its 49.5mm titanium housing can withstand 4,000m of pressure — well beyond the limits of commercial diving, let alone recreational SCUBA. While a special Rotation Safety System bezel prevents accidental miscalculation of bottom or decompression time, a security folding clasp extension system allows the rubber strap to be adjusted while the watch is being worn. Powered by the Oris Calibre 400 automatic movement and featuring a handsome blue wave dial, this impressive piece comes with a 10-year warranty and a 10-year recommended service interval.
- Diameter: 49.5mm
- Movement: Oris Calibre 400 automatic
- Water Resistance: 4,000m
- Price: $6,200
Girard-Perregaux Laureato Absolute Chronograph 8Tech
Back in 1975, GP’s Laureato saw the quartz-powered writing on the wall and released the Laureato, a collection that blended Genta-esque “luxury sports watch” lines with the latest in battery-powered movement tech. Now, the highly contemporary successor to that collection, the Laureato Absolute line, is getting one of its most groundbreaking references yet in the form of the Chronograph 8Tech. Housed in a 44mm case formed from a unique carbon-titanium material, it features a sandwich dial with a sandblasted, grey gradient finish that beautifully matches the random structural pattern of the composite material. Meanwhile, a sapphire crystal caseback allows one to view the automatic Calibre GP03300-1058 ticking away inside. Of the newer crop of “luxury sports watches,” the 8Tech is certainly one of the more visually compelling.
- Diameter: 44mm
- Movement: Girard-Perregaux Calibre GP03300-1058 automatic
- Water Resistance: 100m
- Price: $27,300
Laurent Ferrier Série Atelier V Sport Auto 40
One can always count on Laurent Ferrier — who spent 30 years as technical director at Patek Philippe before opening up his own atelier — to produce some of the most stunning watches in the world. The newest edition of his Sport Auto is a decidedly more chronomatic take on his typically more restrained fare; based upon the color scheme of the Porsche 935 Turbo No. 40 — which, with Ferrier as one of the drivers, took third in the 1979 24 Hours of Le Mans — the piece features a gorgeous cerulean dial with yellow lume and eggplant-esque accents. Limited to just 40 pieces, it’s a most excellent take on the luxury sports watch category, complete with an automatic micro-rotor movement made by the master himself.
- Diameter: 41.5mm
- Movement: Laurent Ferrier Calibre LF270.01 automatic
- Water Resistance: 120m
- Price: 51,000 CHF (~$57,662)
Paulin Modul Mechanical
Now owned and operated by the folks behind anOrdain — arguably Scotland’s coolest watch brand, as well as one of the world’s coolest microbrands, full stop — Paulin makes designed-focused wares at affordable prices. Its latest model is easily one of its most notable: Dubbed the Modul, it features modular construction in which a black steel inner body houses the movement, and can be swapped out from within the brushed steel outer case; thus the Modul is available, currently, in both quartz-powered and automatic versions that feature the exact same dimensions. Colorful, funky, and fun as heck, each can be customized with your choice of bracelet. Best of all, the mechanical version comes in under 1,000 GBP, or roughly $1,080.
- Diameter: 35mm
- Movement: La Joux Perret’s D100 hand-wound
- Water Resistance: 50m
- Price: $1,080 ($491 for the quartz version)
Luminox Original Navy SEAL 3000 EVO Series
Looking for a dependable, affordable, quartz-powered watch for all your adventures? Luminox’s Original Navy SEAL 3000 EVO Series — which is based upon the brand’s original timepieces from 1992 — is always a surefire bet. Coming in at under $500, this basic, time-and-date field watch offers ultra-bright tritium tube illumination, a rotating, dive-style bezel, a dial with military time, and a rubber strap. Measuring 43mm and water resistant to 200m, they’re perfect for life in the field and feature a 50-month battery. Now available in military-inspired Sand, OD Green, and Black and White, the Original Navy SEAL 3000 EVO Series should be on your short list of best affordable outdoor watches.
- Diameter: 43mm
- Movement: Swiss quartz
- Water Resistance: 200m
- Price: $475
Breitling Navitimer B01 Chronograph 46 U.S. Limited Edition
The Navitimer, with its plethora of scales on the dial, was constructed as a true tool watch for pilots long before the advent of digital instrumentation. These days, though its utility may have been eclipsed by that of computers, the Navitimer is still a popular and attractive timepiece — though the luxury factor has certainly been turned up a smidge. In this new 300-piece LE, it’s available in a 46mm, 18K red gold and stainless steel case with an excellent anthracite dial, black chronograph totalizers, and a black leather alligator strap with a folding clasp. Inside is the Breitling Manufacture Calibre 01, a COSC-certified, automatic movement with 70 hours of power reserve.
- Diameter: 46mm
- Movement: Breitling Manufacture Calibre 01 automatic
- Water Resistance: 30m
- Price: $11,900
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