As is the case most years, 2024 wrapped up with a tidal wave of High 10, Greatest Of, and Most Worn roundups across the watch world. Learn on to catch a couple of of our favorites from the aBlogtoWatch editorial staff, Teddy Baldassarre, and a recap of Seiko’s completely satisfactory yr. Elsewhere, Ariel appears forward to what 2025 would possibly maintain for the watch biz, be it new colour sensibilities, permitting the hoi polloi into trade occasions, or tariff troubles. We additionally look again on the GPHG awards and mirror on what wholesome amassing appears like. It’s all right here in our December wrap-up. Cheers to the brand new yr!
Staff aBlogtoWatch’s Picks: The Watches We Wore Most in 2024
We will’t let Teddy have all of the enjoyable! Right here at aBlogtoWatch, our staff has been doing an annual wrist-time roundup for at the least as lengthy, and this yr’s bunch options some surprising items. Ripley kicked issues off, getting factors for sheer honesty along with his Garmin, displaying he’s adopted the watch-geek path all the best way again round to smartwatches — one thing solely a real watch nut can do. David’s Vulcain Cricket is historical past, enjoyable, and a neo-vintage aesthetic all rolled into one, and Ed’s JLC Polaris has the passport stamps to match its worldtimer title.
Supply: aBlogtoWatch
Video: Most Worn Watches Of The 12 months for 2024
On the content material calendar, the times between Christmas and the New 12 months aren’t precisely identified for earth-shaking originality. However there’s one thing a few Greatest Of record that’s like catnip for watch collectors. As he’s finished for the previous couple of years, Teddy Baldassarre gathered a gaggle of watch content material creators from throughout the net and requested them to current — in below 60 seconds — their most-worn look ahead to 2024. This yr, 40+ voices chimed in with the whole lot from a Casio AE1400 to a Royal Oak chronograph. What makes this roundup completely different? It reveals what the individuals who stay and breathe watches really select to put on outdoors of the critiques and sponsorships. Shoutout to @youreterrific for packing in a assessment, a message, and a few blue humor in below a minute.
Supply: YouTube
A Condensed Information to Seiko Releases from 2024
Okay, only one extra roundup — I swear. Monitoring the particular releases a watch model makes in a yr could be a bit like an archeological dig. Sifting by way of articles, podcasts, and press releases, an image begins to emerge of the exact order every bit was introduced. With Seiko, no such retrospective is required because the model places out a handy-dandy catalog (that’s not too arduous to find) outlining the discharge date, reference quantity, and full-color photographs summarizing what’s new. The oldsters at Fratello helpfully put collectively a stroll by way of Seiko’s 2024 and it was… nice. The model had a couple of watches that generated buzz, however total, it looks like Japan’s greatest watchmaker misplaced floor to rival Citizen whose Tsuyosa lineup is rapidly discovering its method into collector’s watch packing containers. One notable second for Seiko that flew below the radar was the addition of the caliber 5X83 motion to the Prospex line. Beforehand solely present in chunky Astron watches, this GPS-enabled photo voltaic chronograph appears like one million bucks within the slick Speedtimer instances. Right here’s to extra of that in 2025.
Supply: Fratello Watches
In accordance with Ariel: 5 Predictions for the Watch Business in 2025
You heard it right here first: the looming risk of tariffs on luxurious watches means slashed costs. Get your wallets prepared. Ariel’s daring predictions for 2025 are (largely) enjoyable to think about however the 800-pound query mark within the room is what protectionist financial insurance policies would possibly imply for watch manufacturers’ pricing methods. Defying Newton’s regulation of common gravitation, in terms of luxe watch pricing, what goes up doesn’t ever appear to come back down. Will the added burden of tariffs wipe out a number of the value will increase we’ve seen lately? Time will inform.
Supply: aBlogtoWatch
Sincere Observations In regards to the GPHG And What Wants To Change
It looks like every year for the previous a number of years, the GPHG Awards (AKAt the “Watch Oscars”) have develop into more and more related. Whether or not that’s a results of higher advertising, extra cultural consideration towards watches, or another mixture of things is anybody’s guess. And whereas this yr’s awards have been a becoming celebration of the most effective watchmaking has to supply, there’s room for enchancment. Roberta Naas at A Well timed Perspective obtained into the Festivus spirit with the Airing of Grievances, however hers are factors well-taken. The place are the massive manufacturers? Why don’t they take part? Is it a real “trade occasion” with out them? Additionally, is 21 awards too many?
Supply: A Well timed Perspective
Grinding Gears: How Lengthy Ought to Watch Manufacturers Milk Historic Achievements?
Waking as much as “I Obtained You Babe” by Sonny & Cher as soon as? High-quality. Waking as much as it for all eternity like Phil Connors in Groundhog Day? Maddening. Equally, grizzled watch collectors should have an appreciation for, say, Omega’s declare because the maker of THE moon watch however they’re not precisely thrilled to be always reminded of it at each flip. David Bredan asks, “When is sufficient sufficient?” Whereas a mentality of “what have you ever finished for me currently?” is fairly cynical, collectors spending their hard-earned shekels need to demand greater than misty nostalgia from the world’s luxurious watch manufacturers.
Supply: aBlogtoWatch
Meet the Parmigiani L’Armoriale Répétition Mystérieuse
It actually wasn’t the one watch launched in November nevertheless it was positively essentially the most distinctive: meet Parmigiani’s audio-only watch, the L’Armoriale Répétition Mystérieuse. Counting on a chiming mechanism to point the time, it has all of the hallmarks of a haute horlogerie timepiece — white gold, intricate guilloché, and a 392-component handbook wind chiming motion — with out all the trouble of foolish little issues like fingers and dials. Whereas the Ulysse Nardin Freak has spent over 20 years boasting no fingers and no dial, this one really has none in any respect (at the least on the entrance aspect.)
Supply: A Well timed Perspective
Unplugging: Combatting Enthusiasm Fatigue
Nathan Schultz speaks for a lot of collectors who got here to the pastime post-COVID when he describes the self-awareness that got here with the belief his enthusiasm for watches continued rising “even after these big ‘stand 6 ft aside’ stickers have been peeled off of grocery retailer flooring.” Reflecting on a torrid affair with watch amassing that actually began in 2020, he lays out a thesis of “selective enthusiasm” for getting essentially the most out of this horological hustle.
Supply: Worn and Wound
