The three watches to actually buy coming out of this year’s edition of the show. Mister Wrist(er) approved.

Now that the dust has settled on the whirlwind showcase that was Watches and Wonders, we can finally take a step back and focus in on what watches were the truly home-runs from the show. There was a critical mass of content from watch journalists, brands, influencers and celebrities this year, proving that we are all very ready to put the cancellations and virtual meetings of the Covid era firmly behind us. The major brands were all present and came to play with a bevy of releases for every consumer and price point. From what we have gathered from feedback from the attendees, Tudor and IWC stole the show with very key releases for their brand’s futures, whilst Rolex made headlines both positively (RLX Yachtmaster) and negatively (Emoji/Puzzle). We will go through the three watches that we feel were the true “hits” from the show, covering three price points and three different styles.

Tudor Black Bay 54

Image Credit : “Tudor”

New colours of the Tudor BB58? Nope. A smaller, more stealthy version with the T-Fit clasp? OH YES. The new Tudor Black Bay 54 clocks in at 37mm, a full 2mm smaller than the smash hit that was the BB58. The new bezel sports greyed digits and loses the red tint of the triangle marker at 12. We think this a welcome improvement and takes an already accomplished tool watch that much further.

Tag Heuer Carrera Chronograph “Glassbox”

Image Credit: “Tag Heuer”

Tag Heuer brought out a stunning version of the automatic Carrera chronograph that harkens back to the heydey of vintage Heuer. New for this version is the tachymeter scale’s unique design that slopes down to match the curve of the crystal. The effect of this is akin to being at the edge of a swimming pool, and that rich blue dial only further adds to this vibe. This is hands down our favourite chronograph release of the show.

JLC Reverso Tribute Small Seconds

Image Credit: “JLC”

This watch is the definition of “class”, with the spirit of the 1930’s oozing from this newly designed ultra slim case. Although three other more colourful dials accompany the above steel and opaline dial version, this is the one that will stand the test of time in your collection. The small seconds complication and monoface make this a faithful tribute to the original polo-designed icon, as well as adding some complexity to the dial face.

These three watches form a perfect collection amongst themselves, but also mark the best of the best of this year’s show. There is so much still to unpack and it is anyone’s guess which of all of the dozens of releases will stand the test of time, but our money is on these.

-Mister Wrist(er)