- Smartwatches with Style: Smartwatches continue to evolve beyond just tech gadgets, integrating seamlessly into fashion-forward lifestyles. Look for sleek designs with advanced features like health tracking, messaging notifications, and customizable watch faces. Brands are focusing on blending functionality with style to appeal to a wider audience.
- Vintage Revival: Nostalgia is in, and vintage-inspired timepieces are making a comeback. From classic dress watches to retro dive watches, brands are drawing inspiration from their archives to create timeless designs with a modern twist. Vintage aesthetics, such as domed crystals, faded dials, and distressed leather straps, are all the rage.
- Sustainable Timekeeping: With a growing emphasis on sustainability, eco-friendly watches are gaining popularity. Brands are prioritizing ethical sourcing, recyclable materials, and energy-efficient movements to reduce their environmental impact. Look for timepieces made from recycled metals, sustainable woods, and ocean plastics.
- Bold Colors and Materials: Vibrant hues and unconventional materials are adding a pop of personality to watch designs. From colorful dials and straps to innovative materials like ceramic, titanium, and carbon fiber, watchmakers are embracing boldness and creativity. Statement watches are becoming must-have accessories for those looking to make a style statement.
- Hybrid Innovation: Bridging the gap between traditional watches and smartwatches, hybrid timepieces offer the best of both worlds. These watches combine classic analog dials with smart features like activity tracking, sleep monitoring, and smartphone connectivity. With their timeless aesthetics and modern functionality, hybrid watches appeal to tech-savvy consumers seeking versatility.
- Artisanal Craftsmanship: Handcrafted watches are experiencing a resurgence, with a renewed appreciation for artisanal craftsmanship. Independent watchmakers and luxury brands alike are showcasing intricate detailing, haute horlogerie techniques, and limited-edition releases. Collectors are drawn to the exclusivity and craftsmanship of these finely crafted timepieces.
Whether you’re a tech enthusiast, a vintage aficionado, or a style-conscious trendsetter, there’s a watch trend for every taste and preference in 2023. Keep an eye out for these exciting developments as you explore the world of horology.
In 2022, it finally felt as though lockdowns were behind us, presenting a chance to savour one small, positive side-effect of the pandemic, which paradoxically has ushered in a golden age for luxury watchmaking. Enthusiasts had time on their hands to look beyond mainstream brands, while novices began researching their first purchases – all of which saw the world of watches flourish.
The future is looking bright for 2023: here are five watch trends set to define the new year.
Gender-neutral watches are becoming increasingly prevalent in the world of horology, marking a departure from traditional gender norms in watch design. Instead of offering separate men’s and women’s versions of the same model, brands are embracing inclusivity by introducing watches that appeal to all genders.
One notable example is Patek Philippe’s Aquanaut Luce Rainbow chronograph, which boasts vibrant colors and interchangeable straps, challenging conventional notions of femininity in watchmaking. Despite being marketed as a ladies’ chronograph, this timepiece has garnered admiration from male celebrities like Mark Wahlberg and Cristiano Ronaldo, highlighting the blurring of gender boundaries in watch preferences.
Omega’s De Ville Prestige has also embraced a more inclusive approach with its latest release, offering a diverse range of colors and sizes to cater to a broader audience. Additionally, non-traditional watch shapes like the cushion-shape Bell & Ross BR-X5 and Gucci’s 25H are gaining traction for their rule-breaking and androgynous appeal, appealing to those who seek uniqueness and individuality in their timepieces.
Overall, the emergence of gender-neutral watches reflects a progressive shift in the watch industry towards greater diversity and inclusivity, allowing consumers to choose timepieces based on personal style rather than gender stereotypes.
The technology around sustainable materials and processes finally seems to be catching up with consumers’ expectations, and several pioneering watch brands are taking note. Breitling recently unveiled its first fully traceable gold and diamond watch, the gold hailing from Colombia’s artisanal Touchstone mine, which is accredited by a Swiss non-profit, while the diamonds around the bezel are lab grown by a certified New York City-based supplier.
Elsewhere, Ulysse Nardin watches are becoming more genuinely green; its latest Arctic Night diver is a collaboration with the Norwegian outwear company Norrøna and features the likes of carbonium, a special material taken from offcuts of airplane parts, straps made from recycled fishing nets and steel from recycled automotive materials. Maurice Lacroix is doing its bit for our oceans – its zingy Aikon #tide models are crafted from a special composite material that combines upcycled plastic with glass fibre – 17 bottles to be exact – in a super robust finish that’s twice as hard as standard plastic, five times as resistant, and promises a carbon footprint six times lower than PET.
Finally, “modern luxury” was the key buzzword when Bamford London and Land Rover unveiled a new partnership last month, with pared-back, thoughtfully designed titanium watches featuring non-leather straps made from corn and canvas. Greenwashing and virtue signalling suddenly feel oh so 2022…