With Watches and Wonders 2026 just around the corner, the time has arrived to start understanding some of the signals we might be seeing during the big fair week using very recently released watches and one ear to the rumor mill.
Here are some trends I think we can look forward to during the upcoming Watches & Wonders week.
Rebooted classics continue to rule the roost
As this is the 50th anniversary of the Nautilus, there is no doubt that Patek Philippe will be rebooting some form of its iconic Nautilus models. On the occasion of the 40th anniversary of Patek Philippe ten years ago in 2016, Patek Philippe released two new strictly limited versions. One was Reference 5711/1P 40th Anniversary, a modified 40-millimeter version of the classic Jumbo limited to 700 pieces in platinum with a fun new dial featuring a gradient blue on an 18-karat yellow gold base with the typical striped finish and 12 baguette-cut diamonds as hour markers. The other was Nautilus Chronograph Reference 5976/1G, limited to 1,300 pieces in white gold, with the same dial treatment.
There are, of course, many rumors about what could be coming in terms of this 2026’s anniversary models. One involves titanium cases, which would make sense since Patek Philippe has been introducing the odd limited titanium piece over the last few years and there has only ever been a one-off titanium Nautilus for Only Watch 2007 until now. Whatever special watches are coming, if they don’t appear during Watches & Wonders, they will certainly arrive some time in 2026.
As I wrote in February 2026, the Audemars Piguet watch releases included a handful of new watches, only one of which was fully new – the rest were new editions of their classic Royal Oak, Royal Oak Offshore, and Code 11.59 models. I expect Audemars Piguet to introduce a few more watches from these collections – and perhaps even another version of the Neo Frame Jumping Hour it dropped at the same time – at its return to Watches & Wonders in April 2026. Audemars Piguet has not exhibited at the world’s biggest fair for luxury watches since 2019.
Breitling introduced the Navitimer B01 Perpetual Calendar Chronograph in March 2026, a rather classic take on perhaps this brand’s most classic timepiece. Even though Breitling is not exhibiting inside Watches & Wonders, I do think we can expect to see more from this collection during the week.
Oris has many classics to choose from, but recently this Swiss brand introduced the Big Crown Pointer Date Bullseye featuring a dial design that Oris first brought out in the 1910s and most recently used in 1998. “This iteration taps into the zeitgeist and shows again why the Big Crown is a design for the ages,” said Oris chairman Ulrich W. Herzog in the press release.
In the final week of March, Omega announced nine new references in a Constellation Observatory Collection that also happens to be the first two-hand watch able to receive Omega’s Master Chronometer Certification. These watches are clothed in mid-century dress style with notable gold variations and even a gold model on a gold bracelet – perhaps heralding a big return to dress watches? Time will tell on that one.
Black and colorful watches are here to stay
Historically, watches have not been very colorful. But once the dam broke, there has been no going back. Black and other colored cases, dials, and straps are definitely here to stay.
Audemars Piguet made this obvious in its aforementioned February drop with a veritable rainbow of color on cases, straps, and dials. Oris has also demonstrated this beautifully for the last couple of years with so many of its creations. And among the previously mentioned nine new Omega Constellation Observatory Collection watches, we find blue and green dials.
In terms of a brand-new sporty black watch, just before the fair Montblanc introduced the Iced Sea Automatic Date 0 Oxygen in distressed steel with black ceramic inserts. This watch is a perfect illustration of the modern feel for black – and, to show it’s right on trend, it even comes on a distressed steel bracelet.
Two-tone style is still bubbling under the surface
Two-tone style, something we associate strongly with the 1980s and 1990s, seems to be still percolating under the surface of contemporary watch companies’ feel for design. Recent examples begin with the previously mentioned February 2026 Audemars Piguet watch releases where the brand introduced a Code 11.59 Selfwinding Flying Tourbillon 41 in white gold with an ivory-colored dial that – at least in the photos – looks rather golden. This dial’s hands and applied indexes are however in rose gold, making for a modern two-tone look.
One of the new Omega Constellation Observatory Collection watches sports a similar feel with its white metal case and rose gold hands and indexes.
And at the Inhorgenta, Germany’s premier trade fair for watches and jewelry, Glashütte brand Tutima showed a new version of the Tutima Sky in 34 mm in two tone – including the bracelet metal.
Strong complications
At the high end, complications are still coming strong and making huge splashes – including new tourbillons among other elite functions like minute repeaters and more.
As mentioned in this recent Watches & Wonders predictions blog story and according to the rumor mill, Patek Philippe is likely to introduce three new platinum versions of the 5270 Perpetual Calendar on straps as well as a new platinum version of the 5236 In-Line Perpetual Calendar.
Certainly a harbinger of things to come, Audemars Piguet dropped both the Royal Oak Selfwinding Perpetual Calendar and the Code 11.59 Selfwinding Flying Tourbillon 41 in February.
And I will be sure to keep an eye on Vacheron Constantin and Jaeger-LeCoultre during Watches & Wonders, two brands from which I expect to see some delightful new complications.
Metal bracelets on sporty watches aren’t going away any time soon
A great example of this is Vacheron Constantin’s new titanium Overseas Tourbillon in red, which comes on a titanium bracelet or a sporty red strap that are easily interchangeable, a magnificent feature of the modern Overseas collection.
The Longines HydroConquest, which was introduced at the end of March, is a colorful new diver’s watch in five variations of ceramic bezel and dial hues on a steel bracelet or a steel mesh bracelet. It is available in 39 or 42 mm.
Tissot rebooted its Visodate in March 2026, one of the first watches to include a date display, in an attractive revisioning of the 1954 watch of the same name on a steel bracelet. This new 39 mm watch is outfitted with Tissot’s ultra-modern Powermatic 80 movement, an automatic caliber with an 80-hour power reserve.
And of course, Rolex and Tudor will continue to show new watches and variations on metal bracelets, though to learn what exactly those timepieces will be we must wait until they are unveiled on April 14, 2026.
