As summer winds down, the nights grow colder, the days shorter, but that’s no reason for watch lovers to shrug their shoulders – on the contrary! Late summer means that one of the most important events in the watch world is just around the corner: Geneva Watch Days. And, of course, we’ll be there again this year when brands like Bvlgari, Breitling, Doxa, Glashütte, Frederique Constant, and many more present their new products. From August 29 to September 1, our editorial team will be on location to share their first impressions.
Whether it’s highlights from the event itself, sneak peeks, fresh photos, breaking news about your favorite brands and new releases, or keen insights into the world of luxury watches, we’ll keep you up to date as the long weekend unfolds. Are you as excited as we are? Then let’s get started – join us for Geneva Watch Days 2024!
- Maurice Lacroix: Featherweight All-Rounder With Proven Design
- Girard-Perregaux and the Play of Light
- Bvlgari: The Sound of Haute Horlogerie
- Less Is More: Ressence Presents the New Type 3 BB2
- Alpina Expands Heritage Collection and Gives Alpiner Extreme a New Look
- Frederique Constant Presents: The Classics Carrée Small Seconds Collection
- Arnold & Son Perpetual Moon 38 Red Gold: Elegance Between Heaven and Earth
- Angelus Chronodate Titanium: Technical Brilliance in Silver Gray
- Czapek Steals the Stars From the Sky
- De Bethune: New Dimensions and the Merging of Two Worlds
- Laurent Ferrier: Classic Auto Sandstone Combines Tradition and Modernity
- DOXA: Classics Turned Inside Out
- MB&F Releases Updated M.A.D.1
- Armin Strom: Dual Time GMT Resonance
Saturday, August 31
Maurice Lacroix: Featherweight All-Rounder With Proven Design
The Aikon Automatic 42 mm and Aikon Automatic Chronograph 44 mm in stainless steel have proven to be real crowd favorites, combining the finest Swiss quality with a cool, urban look. In response to requests from the watch community, Maurice Lacroix now offers both models in titanium, making them lighter and even more resistant. The brand uses a combination of grade 5 titanium and grade 2 titanium to create the familiar contrast between the metals in the case and bracelet. Each model is available in two color variants: The Aikon Automatic features a “Clous De Paris” dial in elegant gray or vibrant purple, while the Aikon Chronograph is available with either a gold-tone dial with black subdials or a purple dial with silver subdials. Both watches are water-resistant to 200 meters (20 bar, 656 feet) and feature Maurice Lacroix’s proven “Easy Strap Exchange” system.
Girard-Perregaux and the Play of Light
“All good things come in threes” could be the motto of this new Girard-Perregaux creation. With a revised version of the Tourbillon With Three Flying Bridges launched in 2021, the brand is once again demonstrating its watchmaking expertise and attention to detail. The skeletonized dial is adorned with three golden bridges, a design that dates back to the early years of the Girard-Perregaux brand in the 1860s. The bridges not only give the timepiece its name, but also serve as the movement plate. This way, they contribute to the stability of the movement while allowing light to enter the case, giving the watch a particularly airy appearance. This design concept also pays homage to the company’s headquarters in La Chaux-de-Fonds, as the manufacturing facility is also specially designed to optimize the incidence of light.
So what’s new about the new version? The overall design of the watch appears softer and more symmetrical. For example, the domed sapphire crystals on the front and back of the watch are more domed and the crown is rounder and slightly larger, making it easier to operate. Shortened lugs and a rounder mid-case also improve wearing comfort, especially on narrower wrists. The indices and the hour and minute hands have also undergone minor design updates.
The automatic movement with white gold oscillating weight ensures a 60-hour power reserve. The watch comes with a black rubber strap and a black alligator leather strap.
Friday, August 30
Bvlgari: The Sound of Haute Horlogerie
Under the motto “The Sound of Bvlgari”, the luxury watch brand with Italian roots is launching a handful of new timepieces that bridge the gap between watchmaking and musical virtuosity. First and foremost is the Octo Roma Grande Sonnerie, the most complex timepiece in the brand’s repertoire, which offers the pinnacle of complication: a minute repeater with a total of four hammers that reproduce a sound specially composed by Swiss conductor Lorenzo Viotti. The Octo Roma Carillon Tourbillon and the Octo Finissimo Minute Repeater in carbon – the latter holding the record for the thinnest minute repeater wristwatch, with a thickness of just 3.12 mm – are also new to the line.
If you prefer guitar riffs to grande sonnerie, you might like the new Bvlgari Aluminium GMT x Fender Limited Edition. The design of this watch is based on the legendary Fender Stratocaster, which is celebrating its 70th anniversary this year. To commemorate the occasion, 1,200 Bvlgari aluminum GMT watches in the original color scheme of the first Stratocaster, 140 exclusive anniversary sets and 70 custom guitars will be available.
Last but not least, lovers of the Bvlgari Serpenti will be delighted to learn that three new variants of the Serpenti Pallini have been released. As intriguing as ever, the snake winds around the wrist in a choice of white, yellow, or rose gold, set with diamonds and, for the first time, equipped with Bvlgari’s Piccolissimo movement.
Less Is More: Ressence Presents the New Type 3 BB2
What’s 3.57 ml of oil? As Ressence proves once again, the smallest details make all the difference, especially in the art of watchmaking. The brand, known for its roots in industrial design, presents another model in its TYPE 3 collection: the TYPE 3 BB2. The new Black Black 2 edition also impresses with its hyper-minimal design and the seemingly invisible separation of dial plates, achieved by means of an oil filling. This technology eliminates refraction on the dial and ensures exceptional readability from any angle.
With its matte black DLC-coated titanium case and double-domed sapphire crystal, the watch resembles a dark, elegant pebble. The engraved displays are filled with Super-LumiNova® for optimum legibility in low light conditions.
The watch is powered by the brand’s patented ROCS 3.5 module, supported by a self-regulating bellows system that compensates for temperature changes affecting the oil inside the watch. It’s a sophisticated system, wrapped in an attractive timepiece, born of the principle that form follows function. It was with good reason that the TYPE 3 BB2 was awarded the Red Dot Design Award 2024. For those watch lovers who are already getting antsy, you should know that this model will be available for purchase immediately upon release. The price is 38,200 CHF (approx. 45,200 USD plus tax).
Alpina Expands Heritage Collection and Gives Alpiner Extreme a New Look
Alpina is celebrating this year’s Geneva Watch Days with another homage to its watchmaking past: the new Heritage Automatic, presented with two dial variants, authentically echoes design features of the 1920s and 30s. Based on a vintage model from the brand’s archives, this timepiece boasts an understated dial with Arabic numerals and a railroad minute track, blue Dauphine hands, and a polished 38-mm case on a stylish leather strap. Even the typography of the Alpina lettering on the dial is based on the vintage model. The AL-520 caliber offers a 38-hour power reserve and differs from the original only in its automatic winding system. Lovers of faithful vintage recreations will definitely get their money’s worth here.
Watch lovers looking for an edgier design will love the skeletonized version of the Alpiner Extreme. This timepiece proves that sports watches and intricate, complex details are by no means mutually exclusive. The slightly reduced 39 x 40.5-mm cushion-shaped case becomes the stage for the skeletonized caliber. The chapter ring and railroad minute track are kept in a muted gray or navy blue to blend into the background. One version of the new watch is made entirely of steel, while a second is a combination of steel and navy-blue rubber.
Frederique Constant Presents: The Classics Carrée Small Seconds Collection
Anyone who has been waiting for an affordable alternative to Art Deco icons like the Cartier Santos or Tank should perk up their ears, because Frederique Constant is presenting exactly that with their Classics Carrée Small Seconds. The collection consists of three models – in addition to a quartz movement, they share a classic rectangular case (36 x 35.2 mm), striking Roman numerals, a railroad minute track, and a small seconds dial at 6 o’clock.
The most extravagant model among them features a polished stainless steel case set with 158 diamonds (totaling 1.185 carats). The silver-colored dial with a matte finish is complemented by a black calfskin strap with crocodile embossing. The second model is made entirely of polished stainless steel, offering a robust yet stylish design. The 7-piece link stainless steel bracelet affords a modern, urban look. Variant three combines a polished stainless steel case with a black calfskin strap.
All models are equipped with the FC-235 quartz movement, which offers a battery life of 25 months and water resistance up to 3 bar. Depending on the variant, expect an invesment of $1,000–4,000.
Other new products from Frederique Constant are much more exclusive: Firstly, there is the Classic Tourbillon Manufacture in a limited edition of just 36 pieces. The star of this 39-mm watch is the aventurine dial, and yet it doesn’t steal the show from the exposed tourbillon at 6 o’clock. Each piece is handmade and unique – a real collector’s item.
The same applies to the new Classic Moonphase Date Manufacture. This new edition comes to the market with a number of compelling attributes: a revised design, malachite dial, and double the power reserve. The timepiece, which is also limited to 36 pieces, is definitely worth a closer look.
Arnold & Son Perpetual Moon 38 Red Gold: Elegance Between Heaven and Earth
Arnold & Son presents two limited editions of the Perpetual Moon 38 Red Gold. With a case made of 18-carat rose gold (5N) and a diameter of 38 mm, the new models shine in a warm gray inspired by the color of cliffs and – what else could it possibly be this year? – blue aventurine crystal. The dials are equipped with a precise astronomical moon phase display with an accuracy of 122 years and feature a hand-painted mother-of-pearl moon disk covered with Super-LumiNova.
The hand-crafted A&S1612 caliber, the brand’s smallest, ensures an impressive power reserve of 90 hours. The aventurine edition is limited to 88 pieces, while the gray edition is limited to just 28 pieces. Both models come with a hand-stitched alligator strap in ink blue or warm gray and demand an investment of 38,200 EUR (approx. 42,600 USD) for the aventurine version and 33,700 EUR (approx. 37,500 USD) for the gray model.
Angelus Chronodate Titanium: Technical Brilliance in Silver Gray
Extending its range of automatic chronographs, Angelus presents the new Chronodate Titanium, a watch with a titanium case and “Magnetic Silver” sunburst dial. Measuring 42.5 mm in diameter, the new timepiece combines lightweight titanium with carbon composite elements and is water-resistant to 30 meters (98 feet). The color combination of predominantly gray with dynamic accents in black and red gives the watch a sporty charm. Inside is the A-500 caliber, a mechanical self-winding movement with a power reserve of 60 hours and a frequency of 4 Hz (28,800 vph). The applied indices and rhodanized hands are coated with Super-LumiNova for excellent readability in low light conditions.
The Chronodate Titanium comes with an interchangeable satin-brushed titanium bracelet or black rubber strap for style and comfort.In terms of MSRP, the rubber strap version is priced at 24,000 EUR (approx. 26,700 USD), while the titanium bracelet version costs 26,200 EUR (approx. 29,000 USD).
Thursday, August 29
Czapek Steals the Stars From the Sky
The Geneva-based brand Czapek proves that its Antarctique model line can also be glamorous and elegant with two new variations: the Antarctique Polar Sky and Antarctique Flying Diamonds. As with Frederique Constant, the central design feature of both models is an aventurine dial, which gives each watch a unique sparkle, similar to that of a starry sky. “At Czapek, we like to dream with our feet on the ground and our heads in the stars, and the sparkle of these new dials expresses this idea in a wonderful and surprising way,” explains CEO Xavier Roquemaurel. Furthermore, the Flying Diamonds shines with a total of 14 diamonds in a 2023 cut developed exclusively for the Antarctique that captures and reflects light better than a standard baguette cut. Like previous Antarctique models, the new additions to the line are also available in a 38.5-mm “S” version and a 40.5-mm “normal” version. Both timepieces feature highly efficient micro-rotor technology and are powered by the in-house SXH5 caliber with a 60-hour power reserve.
De Bethune: New Dimensions and the Merging of Two Worlds
First off: De Bethune is presenting an old acquaintance in a new size in Geneva, the DB28 Steel Wheels, launched in 2018. The DB28xs Steel Wheels is now available with a reduced case diameter of 39 mm, while retaining all the technical and design features of its predecessor. Lovers of De Bethune’s characteristic design, with the movement exposed in the dial, the delta-shaped bridge, and typical spherical lines, will also enjoy this timepiece. The new model is powered by the in-house caliber DB2115V13, which offers a 6-day power reserve – so no compromises were made here, either. All in all, the De Bethune 28xs Steel Wheels is a compact piece of horological excellence.
This design principle is also reflected in the brand’s second new release, the DE28xs Aérolite. Visually, the watch is a fusion of two previous models, combined to create a stunning new piece: while the guilloché dial is borrowed from the DB28xs Starry Seas (released in 2023), the Aérolite inherits the Muonionalusta meteorite and its unique color scheme from the DB28XP Météorite (released in 2021). The result is an almost mesmerizingly beautiful dial that adorns an altogether more compact timepiece, perfect for narrower wrists.
Laurent Ferrier: Classic Auto Sandstone Combines Tradition and Modernity
Laurent Ferrier is also presenting a new limited edition in the heart of Geneva: the Classic Auto Sandstone, a harmonious fusion of sportiness and timeless elegance. This new model is part of the exclusive Série Atelier and will be available from August 29, 2024 for all fast-moving watch enthusiasts – after all, it’s limited to just 20 pieces.
The most striking feature of this timepiece is undoubtedly its sandstone-colored dial, which shimmers with earthy copper tones thanks to its artistic finish. Fine details, such as the white gold indices, underscore the exquisite craftsmanship. The 40ßmm stainless steel case houses the robust automatic microrotor movement LF 270.01 with a 72-hour power reserve.
The sapphire crystal case-back reveals the elaborate finishing of the movement, which is manufactured in the LAURENT FERRIER workshops. This watch is a true collector’s item that perfectly blends tradition and modernity – at a price of 52,000 EUR (approximately 57,800 USD).
DOXA: Classics Turned Inside Out
First introduced in 1968, the SUB 300T is known for its bright orange dial, distinctive case, and technical innovations. The new SUB 300T Aristera continues this tradition with one difference: the Aristera (Greek for “left”) is the brand’s first automatic diving watch for left-handers, with a crown on the left-hand side of the case. The technical specifications, however, remain the same: the Swiss automatic movement inside is rotated 180 degrees, beats at 28,800 vph, and offers wearers a power reserve of approximately 38 hours. Like the right-handed model, , this watch is water-resistant up to 1,200 meters (120 bar, 3,930 ft).
The SUB300T Aristera comes with a “Beads of Rice” stainless steel bracelet and a NATO strap. Beginning in October 2024, a limited edition of just 300 pieces will be available at authorized DOXA dealers around the world and on the brand’s official website. The official MSRP is €2,490 (approx. $2,780).
But this is by no means the only update that the Doxa SUB 300T, along with other classics in the SUB series, is about to undergo: DOXA is expanding its renowned SUB collection with a new, fascinating color called “Sea Emerald,” inspired by the depths of the oceans. This striking shade of green will be available on the SUB 200, SUB 300T, SUB 300, SUB 600T, and SUB 300 Carbon models.
The new models feature a dial with a distinctive sunburst finish that creates elegant reflections. Some models, such as the SUB 300T and SUB 300, also feature stylish gold accents.
MB&F Releases Updated M.A.D.1
New movement, design, and size – for the same old price. Maximilian Büsser and the MB&F team did not let themselves get carried away with the fifth edition in their M.A.D. Editions. The luxury watch brand recently made headlines with the addition of prestigious new investor Chanel, and now follows up with a new horological achievement.
Three years after the launch of the M.A.D.1 and with its successor, the M.A.D.2, already in the starting blocks, the slimmer M.A.D.1S makes its debut at Geneva Watch Days, adding to MB&F’s eccentric repertoire. The reduced height of 15 mm, which gives the model its name, was achieved by reducing the number of cylinders from two to one (for the hours and minutes). Admittedly, this makes it a little more difficult to tell the time to the minute, but perhaps that’s of secondary importance with a timepiece like this. As a result of the slimmer case, the lugs have been redesigned and the movement equipped with a modified rotor.
For the first time, a Swiss heart beats inside: the in-house caliber G101 from La Joux-Perret. This unidirectional automatic caliber replaces its Japanese predecessor from Miyota and offers a power reserve of 68 hours. For “friends” and collectors of the brand, the new model will be available in a limited edition with purple accents, while the general public will be able to purchase a version with accents in ice blue. As for the price, everything remains the same: 2,900 CHF (approx. 3,450 USD) before tax.
Armin Strom: Dual Time GMT Resonance
As befits a Swiss indie brand, Armin Strom is celebrating its 15th anniversary with the highly exclusive Dual Time GMT Resonance First Edition, limited to 25 pieces. This watch is part of the existing Resonance collection, which uses Armin Strom’s patented resonance technology to achieve high accuracy and rate stability.
With a long-awaited diameter of 39 mm, the timepiece is made of 18-karat white gold and powered by the new ARF22 caliber, a manual winding resonance movement with a 42-hour power reserve. The watch features two independent time zones, displayed on symmetrical sky-blue dials with a grenage finish. A patented clutch spring inside ensures maximum precision and resistance to external influences, while two crowns allow the time zones to be set independently.
Hand-polished details such as the double steel balance bridge and two gray alligator leather straps with color-coordinated stitching underscore the exclusivity of this watch and make it a true collector’s item.
