Watches & Wonders 5 Top Trends of 2026
Geneva was once again buzzing as watch lovers from around the world came to the Watches & Wonders show to get a first glimpse of what the top horological houses have in store for 2026. This year, we saw many trends, but rich colors and luxury materials really popped. From soft shades of blue to rich burgundy, there was a wide range of beautiful colors to complement any palette.
Some excellent work was also done with precious metals. Rolex created a new gold alloy by combining yellow, white and everose to obtain Jubilee Gold, a tone that appears to change colors depending on the light. The dial is made of green aventurine with diamond hour markers. Vacheron Constantin introduces the new self-winding ultra-thin movement Caliber 2550 in platinum. And speaking of super slim, Bulgari introduced the Octo Finissimo 37, a new, slightly smaller Proportion that features an ultra-thin in-house movement that offers a 72-hour power reserve.
True to its DNA, Cartier brought high jewelery craftsmanship to its already iconic range of watches. The Grain de Café jewelry watch is an extension of the house’s jewelry line, which bears the name “Coffee Bean.” This watch is inspired by vintage brooches from the 1920s with a small clock in the centre. The bracelet of this watch is made of small yellow gold leaves with diamond tips, while the dial in the center features ice-set diamonds.
Take a look below for the biggest trends we saw in Geneva.
Platinum as the new luxury metal
With the price of gold continuing to rise, platinum was the precious metal of choice for many brands including Piaget, Vacheron Constantin and Cartier.
rolex
piaget
vacheron constantin
cartier
shades of green
The color was everywhere, from the jade aventurine dial on the latest iteration of Rolex’s Day Date to the sage dials and straps of Hublot’s Big Bang. Zenith’s GFJ features a central disc made of bloodstone – a variety of green jasper whose natural red veins ensure each piece is unique.
rolex
Patek Philippe
vertex
frederick constant
chopard
sky blue
The light shade provided an attractive and neutral base for the dials and straps. Complemented by tons of gold, these light, milky colors really stood out. Hublot’s Big Bang Original in coal blue is a classic shape in a soothing color. The Tudor Royal has been updated with several colors, but the light blue dial really caught my attention.
tudor
Patek Philippe
Hublot
piaget
frederick constant
warm burgundy
Taking cues from the world of luxury goods, rich shades of burgundy and cranberry were always present. Bulgari updated its Serpenti watch with a warmer hue, set in yellow gold and surrounded by diamonds. Piaget used aventurine for the dial, which was also set with diamonds, on a textured matte leather strap. Hermès’ Cape Cod in Cranberry felt delicate and cool.
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Patek Philippe
Bulgari
gucci
Hermes
diamond studded
This year’s diamond watch creations were nothing short of spectacular. Chanel’s Premier Ribbon Diamonds watch features 108 diamonds set in white gold for a modern and luxurious feel. Meanwhile, Cartier introduced the Panthère, completely set with ice-cut diamonds, including the dial, as well as the Mist de Cartier, a high jewelery watch set entirely with diamonds. The sculpture bracelet has no clasp, but rather a bead-like elastic structure that allows the wearer to pull it over the arm. Each piece requires 112 hours of gem-setting work.
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cartier
piaget
cartier
Chopard
