All the standout pieces from Watches and Wonders 2026 we’re in love with

The biggest season in the horology world is back. In its 2026 edition, Watches and Wonders Geneva has continued to expand in both scale and stature, further cementing its spot as the grandest watches convention cum trade show in the world. The official inauguration of the Watches and Wonders 2026 took place on Tuesday at 11:30 a.m. in the Palexpo auditorium, with 65 brands participating and nearly 300 guests in attendance.

And just like it had last year, there were timepieces that stood out for us this time that we’re pretty excited about. Scroll further to learn more about the watches at the Watches and Wonders 2026 that stole the show — and our attention.

All the highlights from Watches and Wonders 2026 you don’t want to miss:

Hermès

H08 Squelette

The presentation of the new Hermès creations was just as breathtaking as the pieces themselves. At the Geneva exhibition, designer and artist Jean-Simon Roch unveiled the timepieces within a mobile installation where watchmaking mechanics interact with theatrical machinery — as though revealing their inner workings into the open.

The Hermès H08 watch is shaped by the art of skeletonisation, and it also finds a new expression in the Squelette and takes centre stage in the Slim d’Hermès collection. The new Hermès H08 Squelette is framed within a 39 mm satin-brushed titanium case, with its intricate mechanical workings appearing both uncluttered and architectural. It also features a structured, woven-patterned rubber strap matching the respective shades to each of its models; in the blue version specifically, the blue hour-markers made of Super-LumiNova® reinforce the contrast effects, intensely highlighting the model’s graphic nature.

TUDOR

Royal

The TUDOR Royal has long been among the brand’s classics, both sporty and elegant in nature. And now, the Royal range is introducing new dial colours in three brand-new sizes: 30mm, 36mm and 40mm — a Royal for every wrist. The bezel has also been redesigned with razor-sharp polished notches that elevate the overall look and feel of the case. On the 40mm version, there’s also a Day complication. The end links and lugs have also been redesigned to prevent the links from touching the case, preventing abrasion. And to finish, the smooth and seamless five-link metal bracelet with a “T-fit” clasp stands out thanks to the quality of its feel, design, and manufacturing.

Monarch

In the new Monarch, you can see just how far TUDOR has come, informed by over a century of watchmaking. While its aesthetic of this is reminiscent of the brand’s early days, its signature finely faceted case and matching bracelet and papyrus-toned dial are marked with distinctive applied hour markers, made possible today only using the incredibly high precision production process that TUDOR has created within its Le Locle Manufacture.

Grand Seiko

Grand Seiko Heritage Collection Cherry Blossoms “Sakura Wakaba”, “Hana Ikada 32” and “Hana Ikada Blue“

The passage of time in Japan is marked by the bloom of cherry blossoms in spring. And of course, the subtle changes that follow. With that, Grand Seiko presents three new Heritage Collection creations at Watches and Wonders 2026 that capture these very moments: the Cherry Blossoms “Sakura Wakaba”, “Hana Ikada 32” and “Hana Ikada Blue” edition. Powered by the Caliber 9S85, the “Sakura Wakaba” edition depicts this with a warm green dial (which shifts according to the angle and amount of light) and a 38mm case rendered in 18k yellow gold.

When it comes to the “Hana Ikada” models, both watches are powered by a quartz movement that debuted earlier this February. Its bezel-free construction gives a crystal-clear view of the dial. The dials come in two colourways to complement their names: a pale pink patterned dial for the “Hana Ikada 32”, and on the “Hana Ikada Blue”, a dreamlike nightscape just as the hana-ikada (“flower raft”) it would appear under the moonlight with its deep blue dial.

Hublot

Big Bang Reloaded

The Big Bang Reloaded marks a structural update to Hublot’s flagship chronograph, built around a reworked version of the Unico manufacture movement. The 44mm models retain the collection’s layered case construction, but introduce a more legible skeletonised dial that brings key components — such as the column wheel and oscillating clutch — into clearer view.

The updated architecture also refines the chronograph layout, with a redesigned counter at 3 o’clock and the date repositioned between 4 and 5 o’clock. Across the collection, Hublot continues its focus on material innovation, with executions in ceramic, titanium and its proprietary Magic Gold, alongside the return of the All Black concept.

Spirit of Big Bang Impact

The Spirit of Big Bang Impact introduces a new level of material complexity this year at Watches and Wonders 2026, most notably with Hublot’s first use of diamond setting directly into sapphire. Offered in three limited editions, the watch builds on the fragmented “Impact” motif first introduced in 2016, extending it across the dial and case. The tonneau-shaped 42mm case houses the HUB1770 skeletonised automatic movement, featuring a moonphase display at 6 o’clock and a big date at 1 o’clock. The combination of sapphire machining and gem-setting reflects a technically demanding process, requiring individually adapted settings for each stone.

Bvlgari

Serpenti Aeterna

Bvlgari continues the evolution of Serpenti Aeterna with two distinct interpretations of the design. The first is a high-jewellery rose gold version, fully set with diamonds and a wide mix of coloured gemstones, turning the sculptural bangle into a vivid, gem-heavy statement. The second introduces the silhouette in yellow gold for the first time, pairing the pared-back form with a white mother-of-pearl dial and diamond accents rather than full pavé setting. 

The rose gold model uses 122 coloured stones in multiple cuts and sizes, alongside 493 brilliant-cut diamonds, emphasising Serpenti Aeterna as a piece of high jewellery as much as a watch. The yellow gold version takes a cleaner route, relying on the strength of the line itself, with diamonds concentrated at the head, tail and bracelet.

Octo Finissimo Ultra Tourbillon Platinum

With the Octo Finissimo Ultra Tourbillon Platinum, Bvlgari extends its record-breaking ultra-thin watchmaking into a more exclusive material execution. Measuring just 1.85mm in total thickness, it remains the world’s thinnest flying tourbillon, now housed in a full platinum case and bracelet. 

The watch is powered by the hand-wound BVF 900 calibre, operating at 4 Hz with a 42-hour power reserve. Despite its extreme thinness, the movement remains fully functional and wearable, with the tourbillon integrated directly into the plate architecture rather than layered above it.

Limited to 10 pieces, this edition shifts the Octo Finissimo Ultra from a technical concept into a more collectible object, combining record-setting engineering with one of watchmaking’s most demanding materials.

Van Cleef & Arpels

Midnight Jour Nuit Phase de Lune

Van Cleef & Arpels expands its Jour Nuit line with a new moon-focused complication that combines a day/night display with a moonphase indication in a single watch. Housed in a 42mm white gold Midnight case, the watch uses two overlapping discs: one for the 24-hour Jour/Nuit display, and a second, more discreet disc that tracks the Moon’s 29.5-day cycle. A button on the case allows the wearer to trigger an on-demand animation, rotating the dial for around 10 seconds to reveal the current moonphase even when the Moon is hidden behind the horizon.

Visually, the watch leans into Van Cleef & Arpels’ celestial language, pairing a black Murano aventurine glass sky with a guilloché golden sun, a white mother-of-pearl moon and a guilloché mother-of-pearl horizon painted in a gradient from black to white. The movement was developed over four years by the Maison’s watchmaking workshops in Geneva.

Lady Rencontre Céleste and Lady Retrouvailles Célestes

Van Cleef & Arpels adds two new Extraordinary Dials this year at Watches and Wonders 2026, both inspired by the legend of Vega and Altair, also known as Niulang and Zhinu. The Lady Rencontre Céleste is rendered in shades of blue and depicts the couple hand in hand beneath a star-filled sky, while the Lady Retrouvailles Célestes shifts into pink and mauve tones, showing the lovers reaching toward one another across a bridge of sculpted white gold birds. Both watches use a mix of artistic crafts including champlevé enamel, plique-à-jour enamel, miniature painting and diamonds, with manual-winding mechanical movements inside.

The distinction between the two lies in both palette and composition. Lady Rencontre Céleste uses grisaille enamel in the background and centres the couple in a moment of closeness, while Lady Retrouvailles Célestes builds more tension into the scene, with outstretched arms and a crescent of mauve sapphires. Both casebacks are engraved with the Summer Triangle asterism made up of Altair, Vega and Deneb.

Perlée

Van Cleef & Arpels brings the Perlée collection into watchmaking with a new 23mm white gold model built around the collection’s signature golden beads. The round case is framed by a double row of polished beads, while the dial is made in aventurine glass with a radiating guilloché effect that enhances its midnight-blue, starry appearance. The case edge and flange are set with diamonds, and the watch is powered by a Swiss quartz movement.

The details are handled with the same jewellery-first approach that defines the line. A hidden button on the back of the case is used to set the time, keeping the profile clean on the wrist, and the watch comes with an interchangeable alligator strap plus a second bracelet selected from the collection’s colour options. The aventurine glass dial also draws on Murano craftsmanship, with the material cut into thin layers and selected for consistency in hue and sparkle before being given its sunbeam-like striations.

Cartier 

Roadster

Cartier brings back the Roadster, first introduced in 2002, with a design that continues to draw from automotive references. The watch retains its signature elements, including the speedometer-inspired dial, conical crown and magnified date aperture shaped like a headlight, while refining proportions and ergonomics. 

The updated collection is offered in steel, gold, and bi-material versions, in both medium and large sizes. It is powered by self-winding manufacture movements — 1847 MC for the larger models and 1899 MC for the medium ones — and features a redesigned bracelet with improved ergonomics and Cartier’s QuickSwitch system for strap interchangeability. 

Tortue

Originally created in 1912, the Tortue returns with updated proportions that soften its distinctive curved form while preserving its recognisable silhouette. The new collection introduces more rounded volumes and a redesigned dial, where the traditional guilloché pattern is replaced with an embossed motif and the rail track becomes a dotted line. 

The range spans from minimalist gold models to high jewellery executions, including diamond-set versions and a platinum model with baguette-cut diamonds. The watches are powered by the manual-winding 430 MC movement, with select pieces combining watchmaking with métiers d’art techniques such as champlevé enamel.