Watches & Wonders had many timepieces, but only a few were truly wonderful
Out now in The Spectator: my review of the hottest, oddest, and ugliest of Watches & Wonders
“Every year, the world’s greatest watch companies and their biggest watch fans head to Geneva for an orgy of horological spectacle: Watches & Wonders. Here, companies pull out their latest, newest, most impressive goods, showing off the main products they intend to launch that year and the fans salivate and loosen the lips of their already pummeled wallets. It’s not a cheap hobby to be a watch lover.
The whole industry is in an odd place — and this was reflected in the watches displayed. In 2020 and 2021, the crypto and stock rush birthed lots of new-money millionaires who were eager to burn it all quickly, and Rolex, Patek and Audemars were happy to do the honors. Daytonas were sold out long before they could fly off shelves and soon resold for many multiples of their MSRP, with waitlists lasting years. But then the bubble burst, inflation ramped up and overpaying by hundreds of thousands for a fancy bracelet became less viable.
Out now in The Spectator: my thoughts on the latest from this year’s Watches & Wonders. Give it a read!