Hands on with the Latest Watch Releases at Watches & Wonders 2022
A Recap of the Event In Geneva
Every year, the biggest watch enthusiasts, luxury brands and design houses descend on Geneva for a week of exciting watch launches, newness and keynote speeches. This creates a massive buzz among the watch world and gives retailers like us a glimpse of what our customers will be able to get their hands on very soon.
This year's Watches and Wonders was a special hybrid event. Those who had a pass could join the event in person or if unable to travel to Switzerland, they could experience the fun online in innovative ways.
We were lucky enough to attend in person with our buyers and get hands on access to some of the most talked about timepieces on show ourselves. Here's a look at just some of the latest additions to our brand partner's collections.
Tag Heuer add to their Carrera, Aquaracer and Monaco Collections
Fresh from an already busy year of new additions to key collections, Tag Heuer made a splash with their new Aquaracer Pro 300 Orange Diver, stunning Carrera Plasma, Monaco Gulf Special Edition and announced their first ever Solar Powered watch - The Aqauracer Pro 200 Solargraph.
We got to try some of these on and already know they'll be a massive hit with our die hard Tag Heuer clients. Some of these pieces are only limited edition but we'll certainly be expanding our Aquaracer and Monaco ranges in the coming weeks and months.
The Tudor Black Bay Pro Grabs Attention
Building on its reputation for creating emblematic models chosen by the boldest adventurers, Tudor's exhibition was of great interest to visitors this year. The brand launched the new Black Bay Pro, a Black Bay GMT in a S&G (Steel & Gold), new versions of the Black Bay Chrono S&G; and new additions to the TUDOR Royal line.
The model that had most people talking however was the new Black Bay Pro. It is dubbed as a watch for the adventurer with its fixed steel bezel and a Manufacture Calibre with a built-in GMT function. Gaining from the brands heritage with arctic explorers, this will be a tool watch that's been made with professionals in mind.
To finish this beautiful timepiece, you can choose between Tudor's traditionally made fabric straps, a black leather folding clasp or a steel riveted bracelet depending on your preference. Each look great and we're delighted to say that this model is already arriving in our stores across the UK. Contact your nearest Fraser Hart to see if they have it on hand for you to come and try it on for yourself!
ORIS Launch striking dials in their new Pilot Pro Series
Another very impressive exhibitor at the even was Oris. Oris added to their Pro Pilot range with a series of technically innovative Pro Pilot X Calibre 400 Models. Coming to the fore in the new ProPilot is a titanium-cased watch inspired by more than a century of aviation heritage and powered by their five-day automatic movement.
The brand have chosen to celebrate the fact that their watches are still 100% mechanical by going all in on the technical beauty behind the movement in these watches. One thing that really stood out to us about these however, is the striking colours of the dials. We love the drastic differences between the Blue, Grey or Salmon Dials.
Each are really beautiful in their own way and we have no doubt these will be a hit with our collector clients and Oris fans alike. Oris are calling the ProPilot X Calibre 400 their new "Mechanical Joy Machine" and when looking at the movement up close and wearing them on our wrists, it's clear why. These models will be coming to Fraser Hart in the next few weeks.
Grand Seiko
Watches and Wonders brought forward some big milestones for Grand Seiko. The brand launched its first mechanical complication watch. The watch is named Kodo, the Japanese word for heartbeat. This watch combines a force mechanism and a tourbillon making it unique.
This particular piece will be limited to just 20 units but is a big statement from the brand on where it will aim to go in the future. One collection which will be more widely available with some models coming to Fraser Hart very soon, is there Evolution 9 Collection. Based on the original Grand Seiko design from 1967, these models take legibility and comfort to the next level. We got to try some of the models in this collection on and you can really feel when wearing them how the titanium materials are 30% lighter than stainless steel bracelets.
The Spring Drive that is a feature in many of the Grand Seiko watches we already offer our clients. It makes for a unique experience when worn as there is no "Tick" present. This is to mimic the "Nature of time itself". We love what Grand Seiko have done with this new range and can't wait to share some of these with our clients in stores and online.
IWC Add Some Exciting New Pilot Watches
With arguably the most impactful installation at the event, IWC's containers were definitely packed with some precious cargo this year. We always love seeing what the team at IWC will launch and with their brand ambassador Lewis Hamilton also in attendance, there was a lot of excitement around their new Pilot launches.
They unveiled two new TOP GUN chronographs in coloured ceramic. The Pilot’s Watch Chronograph TOP GUN Edition “Lake Tahoe” featuring a white ceramic case and a black dial. The Pilot’s Watch Chronograph TOP GUN Edition “Woodland” combines a dark green ceramic case and dial with pushers, crown and a case back in matte black Ceratanium. Limited to just 1000 pieces each, it's clear that these won't stick around when they become available.
We also had the opportunity of trying on their new Big Pilot's Watch Top Gun and Chronograph Top Gun in Black. We have no doubt these will be great additions to the already sought after pieces in these collections.
Montblanc go back in Time with their 1858 Collection
Montblanc were also in touch with their history at Watches & Wonders as they debuted their 1858 ICED SEA Automatic Date sports diving watch. They've modeled the dial on the experience of looking directly into a glacier which is where the model gets its name.
These come in a number of beautiful colours including green, black and will have different strap options also. These will be joining our already popular 1858 collection across our stores and on our website very soon...
Panerai Make a Big Splash
Panerai's exhibition plunged attendees underwater in their "Shark infested" underwater theme. This was to celebrate their new Submersible Quarantaquattro Steel Blu Profondo diving watch. The watch has an automatic movement, a power reserve of up to 3 days and is water resistant to 300 metres.
We're particularly excited by this launch as we'll be adding Panerai to our brand partners later this year. This will mean that Panerai fans across the UK can pick up their favourite pieces from our stores by the end of the year.
Chopard Celebrate the Sound of Eternity
Another brand that have been busy launching some very exciting timepieces in 2022 is Chopard. They continued this trend by exhibiting some very innovative pieces at this year's event. Most notable was the 25th anniversary L.U.C Strike. One that is endowed with the brand's patented sapphire gong technology.
This means that the watch chimes at the passing of each hour on a Chopard-patented monobloc sapphire. This makes for a "unique acoustic journey" for the wearer and we loved seeing this in action in their exhibit.
These are just a few examples of the exciting launches we got to experience in Geneva this week. That's it for this year's recap of the event. We really loved mixing with our brand partners and watch enthusiasts during the week at Geneva and we're already excited for next years show. Many of the models mentioned above with be on their way to our stores across the UK and we can't wait to share them with our loyal clients.
If you're looking to keep up with the latest additions to our collections, then sign up to our mailing list. Check out some of our pictures from the event below.
