Kicking off the year with some horological drama was the news of the sudden departure of TAG Heuer’s CEO, mere weeks before the brand would be showcasing their latest novelties at LVMH Watch Week.
Still, at this week’s affair in Milan (the first time the Italian capital has played host) business continued as usual for the group’s largest brand.
Elsewhere, Hublot explained why they were repositioning themselves away from football, no longer sponsoring the FIFA World Cup and the UK’s Premier League, while Zenith executives denied the rumours that the brand was for sale.
But ultimately, watch journalists and enthusiasts descended to the top of the boot to see the group’s new launches for the year. Find our favourites below.
Hublot Big Bang Tourbillon Novak Djokovic GOAT Edition
To celebrate the achievements of Hublot ambassador and tennis legend Novak Djokovic, the watchmakers have launched a trilogy of watches in his honor. The 101 watches come in three colourways, 72 pieces in blue, 21 in orange and 8 green pieces – a nod to the amount of wins he’s had on hard, clay, and grass courts respectively.
The Automatic Tourbillon movement has a unique three-dimensional mainplate designed to resemble tennis racquet strings, while the 44mm case is crafted from a Hublot-developed composite, using Lacoste polo shirts and Head tennis racquets. A timepiece who value themselves as tennis titans, we say.
TAG Heuer Carrera Seafarer
In 2023, TAG Heuer announced the relaunch of the Skipper, a watch first born in 1968 and inspired by the Intrepid boat that won the famed America’s Cup race in 1967. Continuing their ode to maritime timepieces of the past, TAG Heuer unveils the Carrera Seafarer which looks to iconic tide watches from 1949.
This chronograph combines vintage design with modern technology. It includes the tide time indicator that was first appeared on the Heuer Solunar, but is powered by the new in-house TH20-04 automatic movement that’s been specifically designed to do so. Similar to the 2023 Skipper, it features the famed glassbox design often found on vintage timepieces.
Tiffany Timer
For the famed jeweler’s second appearance during LVMH Watch Week, Tiffany & Co. presented timepieces that hark to their long horological history (a fact many may be unaware of). To celebrate the 160th anniversary of one of America’s first stopwatches, named the Tiffany Timing watch, the brand unveiled a more contemporary iteration.
The Tiffany Timer is a platinum-case chronograph that naturally hints to its jewelry history. The turquoise dial has indexes formed of diamond baguettes, while a miniature 18k gold version of Tiffany & Co.’s iconic Bird on a Rock is visible through its caseback, perched on the winding rotor of the customized El Primero chronograph movement.
Zenith DEFY Revival A3643
Since 2022, Zenith have been reissuing iconic DEFY Revival models from the sixties and seventies, and this year was no exception.
The A3643 model brings back the design features that made the original DEFY line iconic: its sharp geometry that elicited nicknames like the “bank vault” or the “bolt”. It has a silver-toned dial (like the original) and two-tier hour markers featuring black-lacquered recesses. Unlike the 1969 original, this iteration features a sapphire display back that reveals the automatic Elite 670 manufacture movement with its openworked Zenith star rotor.
Bvlgari Tubogas Manchette
Much like the brand’s Serpenti watches, Bvlgari’s Tubogas Manchette also wraps around the wrist, referencing an archival model from 1974. The gold bracelet is embellished with plenty of gemstones – citrines, rubellites, peridots, amethysts, topazes, and spessartites – while 12 carats of diamonds shimmer across the coils.
Related Story
It’s powered by the Lady Solotempo Automatic BVS100, which was first introduced last year as the force behind the Serpenti Seduttori and Serpenti Tubogas. It weighs a mere five grams, but offers an impressive 50-hour power reserve and a 21,600 vph frequency.
