The most exciting watch event of the year, Watches and Wonders 2024 is coming up next week. This year’s event features 54 exhibiting Maisons showing off their latest timepieces and novelties, including the likes of Rolex, Tudor, Montblanc, Grand Seiko, TAG Heuer, Zenith, and many more.
As Watches and Wonders is a week away, we don’t know what best watches are going to be announced just yet. But if (like me) you’re eager for some insights, I spoke to Rolex expert, Danny Shahid from Diamond Watches London who gave his predictions on what Rolex, Tudor and Patek Philippe could have in store for Watches and Wonders 2024.
Rolex Yacht-Master II overhaul
During last year’s Watches and Wonders, Rolex released many new novelties spread across its Daytona, Yacht-Master, GMT-Master, Explorer, and Oyster Perpetual collections, including an emoji-themed watch. This year, Shahid is expected to see a complete overhaul of the Yacht-Master II, one of Rolex’s most ‘love it or hate it watches’.
With its large 44mm case, busy dial and complicated bezel, the Yacht-Master II is a polarising model, and while Shahid says he wouldn’t be surprised if it was to be discontinued, he thinks all is not lost. “We may see a new reference join the collection that boasts overhauled aesthetics and a new movement, if a new patent filed in late 2023 is anything to go by,” says Shahid. “This new calibre will feature pusher-operated functions that should be much easier to figure out, but we’ll have to wait and see how that will impact the design.”
Goodbye Pepsi, hello Coke
The Rolex GMT-Master with the red and blue ‘Pepsi’ bezel has been exceedingly popular with watch collectors. But Shahid thinks Pepsi could be on the way out to make room for its rival, Coca Cola. “There are question marks over the future of the Pepsi and Batman/girl models… the fact that the Pepsi is said to have a 90% failure rate in manufacturing because the blue and red in the bezel bleed together at the border has naturally resulted in rumours about the variant’s discontinuation,” explains Shahid.
With this in mind, “the majority of collectors believe that Rolex will replace it with the black and red bezel Coke variant that was initially launched 40 years ago as the ‘Fat Lady’. Further adding fuel to this fire, Rolex filed a patent in February on a red and black ceramic bezel ring.”
Could the Rolex Milgauss make a comeback?
Despite Rolex discontinuing the last Milgauss watch variant in 2023, Shahid thinks it might find its way back into Rolex’s catalogue this year. “There are hopes that Rolex will take inspiration from the original Milgauss, the ref. 6541, and give the new model a rotating all-black ceramic bezel and waffle dial. In fact, if the Hans Wilsdorf Foundation were to introduce such a watch, it would likely be launched by Tudor, Rolex's sister brand.”
Tudor Black Bay redesigns
Speaking of Tudor, the brand revealed a new set of Black Bay watches at last year’s Watches and Wonders, and updates to the collection are hotly anticipated from this year’s event. Shahid says that “predicted changes include a thinner case, the removal of the crown tube that gives the Black Bay its prominent winding crown, and the inclusion of Tudor’s new T-Fit clasp. Several models don’t feature the clasp, such as the BB58 and the Black Bay GMT, both relatively unchanged since first introduced.”
Patek Philippe novelties
As mentioned by Shahid, it’s hard to predict the look and feel of Patek Philippe’s new models as the brand is known for its rather eclectic methodologies. However, “it’s common knowledge though that Patek is producing a new collection, confirmed by President Thierry Stern to be past the prototyping stage and ready for early 2024. On these minimal details, the rumour mill is spinning fast. Could it be a new sports watch, or a new complication? I foresee the latter.”
Watches and Wonders 2024 will be taking place next week, and we’ll be reporting and getting hands-on at the event to bring you all the latest news and behind the scenes looks. For the month of April, T3 is also running Luxury Watches Month to celebrate all things watches, so stay tuned!
