These 11 Luxury Watches Are the Hottest Timepieces of 2023

Your wrist looks lonely without them.

Last week, while Gwyneth Paltrow was clearing her name in a Utah court, the world of high horology descended on Geneva for the annual Watches and Wonders fair. For the unacquainted, it’s the largest and most important gathering of its kind in the world, where hallowed brands like Rolex, Vacheron Constantin, and Patek Philippe reveal their newest releases to the press. While last year was about dazzling innovations and flexing R&D muscles, this year was decidedly more subdued in the best possible way. The theme running through the fair was fun. There was whimsy and cheek in abundance, a reminder that watches exist, not just to keep time, but more importantly, to make us happy. Here, presented in no particular order, is a survey of 11 of our favorite novelties from the fair.

Indiana Jones made it look so easy to find the Cup of Everlasting Life, but he couldn’t get his hands on this Holy Grail. Patek Philippe’s Grandmaster Chime is arguably the most complicated (20 complications in all including chiming), beautiful (it has two reversible dials), unobtainable (Jay-Z has one, of course) watch on the planet. It now comes in chocolate brown with the choice of pink or white gold 47.7 mm case. The price tag? Well, if you have to ask...

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What’s the atomic number of Rolex? You’ll just have to count all the colorful circles on the so-called Celebration Dial to know for sure. The wild new dial on the the brand’s classic Oyster Perpetual line is a party on your wrist, one that comes in three sizes (31 mm, 36 mm, and 41 mm) depending on just how lit you’re willing to get.

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Ever been called a retrograde by an angry parent or high school principal? It stung, right? Well, at Vacheron Constantin, retrograde is a good thing, and ironically, for VC, it’s the future. Just look at the date display on this Traditionelle tourbillon with a contemporary open-face dial. This 41 mm pink-gold piece is major even for the most jaded collector.

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Peekaboo! We see you, Van Cleef & Arpels. This high-jewelry secret watch in rose gold and covered in pink sapphires is not only gorgeous but fun to play with. The guilloché mother-of-pearl dial is hidden beneath two golden brick-patterned doors that open when pressed toward each other. This is one secret worth keeping.

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The Reverso is Jaeger-LeCoultre’s most recognizable watch. Bruce Wayne wore one in both Joel Schumacher’s and Christopher Nolan’s Batman movies. Don Draper wore one on Mad Men. IRL Pierce Brosnan, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Dev Patel have been seen rocking them. In the pantheon of timeless watch design, this Art Deco–era rectangular number (originally designed for Argentinian polo players) is among the most sought-after. Now it comes with a caseback decorated with diamonds and geometric patterns in grand feu enamel. If fortune favors the bold, this 40 mm by 20 mm white-gold Reverso just made it onto the Forbes 400 list.

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In the world of haute horology, monopoussoir is one of the most fun words to say. It’s a rarely seen function on a chronograph that allows you to start, stop, and reset the timing function with one pusher. The 41 mm carbon-fiber cushion-case H08 from Hermès owes some of its sleekness and sophistication to the design choice to forego the standard three-pusher look. One pusher, in the end, is all you really need.

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From the brand that brought you the little black dress comes a watch that makes pixels look chic. The black 38 mm ceramic-and-steel watch with a black-and-white lacquered dial brings the classic J12 into the new age. It’s equal parts serious and whimsy, which is a tough combination to nail. More Info

There have been many iterations on the Tank since it was first introduced in 1917. There’s the Cintrée, the Allongée, the Française, the Américaine, and the list goes on. All of them slap in their own way, but this year’s revamped 35.2 mm by 27.8 mm Tank Normale hits all the high notes. In both the new yellow gold and platinum versions, the beauty is ineffable but immediately understood. On the wrist, it’s all peace and harmony, which is ironic given that the original design was inspired by the look of a WWI tank.More Info

The knurled bezel returns! Riffing on one of the most discussed releases from last year’s fair, Parmigiani took that spartan Grain d’Orge guilloché dial and sexy GMT flyback function to new luxurious heights with a 40 mm rose gold case. If you’re traveling to a different time zone, keeping track of the time at home and abroad couldn’t look anymore boss.

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The Odysseus collection has been the subject of controversy since the release of the first model in 2019. For A. Lange & Söhne, a German brand known primarily for dress watches as well as an acute attention to detail and craftsmanship of the highest order, introducing a sports watch was something no one saw coming. And, of course, everyone had an opinion. This year, the brand introduced a chronograph version with a striking red hand and pushers so subtle, you have to zoom into the photo to find them. It’s a masterpiece and among the best watches Lange has ever produced. How’s that for an opinion?

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Forget what you’ve been told. It is, in fact, easy bein’ green. The 39 mm titanium ProPilot was unveiled at last year’s Watches and Wonders to much fanfare, but Oris broke the internet this year with the addition of this lime green–dial version bearing the face of Kermit the Frog in the date window on the first of every month.

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Charles Curkin is ELLE Decor's Articles Editor, covering everything related to luxury watches, design, and travel, and has previously written for The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The Paris Review.

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