Chopard reiterates its commitment to a sustainable future by increasing the amount of recycled steel in its proprietary Lucent Steel from 70 per cent to 80 per cent, and expanded its use to other watch families including the L.U.C. "By using recycled steel, we put out less new steel in the market," notes Karl-Friedrich Scheufele, co-president of Chopard. One can imagine how substantial the impact on the environment this practice could be.

First introduced in the Alpine Eagle, Lucent Steel now notably appears in, for the first time, not one but two L.U.C pieces: the L.U.C 1860 and the L.U.C 1963 Heritage Chronograph. Both are certified with Poiçon de Genève and COSC.

The former is a picture of elegance with its 36.5mm case size powered by the ultra-thin L.U.C 96.40-L movement with a 22-karat micro-rotor and two barrels. It stands out for its salmon-hued solid gold guilloched dial. A small seconds counter appears at 6 o'clock.

The 1963 Heritage Chronograph features a flyback function, which is awaiting a patent for its unusual system of three pivoting hammers with elastic arms activated by a single linear-displacement lever.

Building on its H08 collection launched in 2021, Hermès has unveiled a new chronograph model of the sporty, contemporary watch. The cushion-shaped case is made from a block of multi-layered composite high-performance material that is resistant yet lightweight, with a monopusher at 3 o’clock. Orange accents like the luminescent applied numerals and hour markers add contrast to the black dial, while the shape of the case is echoed in the two cushion-shaped chronograph counters and date window.

Hublot again showcases its agility in the Art of Fusion with the Big Bang Integrated Tourbillon Carbon, a featherlight watch with robust features. First is the carbon fibre case, extremely resistant yet so light that the watch weighs merely 42g (minus the strap, which itself weighs only 26g). For additional protection, it adds Texalium to the mix without multiplying the weight. Then there is the tourbillon movement, developed in-house and empowered with a hearty 72 hours of power reserve. 

See also: From Rolex to Cartier, how to tell if a luxury watch is worth its price tag

There's plenty of green at this year's showcase of watches, but none achieves the sort of whimsy that the Oris ProPilot X Kermit edition does so delightfully. The dial perfectly mimics the beloved Muppet character's green, complete with a date counter that reveals his amphibian profile on the first day of every month. It acts as a timely reminder that amidst all the seriousness of life, it bodes well to take heed of Kermit's own advice, "Gotta make a little time for me..."

Panerai's Radiomir Annual Calendario features signature design elements along an annual calendar, the first time this complication appears in a Panerai watch. The cushion-shaped case with a minimalist dial, large Arabic numerals at 12 o'clock and six o'clock, and luminous hands continue the design philosophy of the much coveted Radiomir. The movement powering it is a P.9010/AC calibre, which has a power reserve of three days, visible through the caseback. The 45mm case is made of polished Panerai Platinumtech housing a burgundy sun-brushed dial that complements a black alligator strap.

In 2022, Tag Heuer’s Diamant d’Avant-Garde series enabled the Swiss luxury watchmaker to use lab-grown diamonds for the first time on a chronograph case, crown, dial, and indexes. This year, the watchmaker adds lab-grown diamonds in unique shapes to the timepiece’s black aluminium case, bezel and bracelet. It features a polycrystalline diamond dial of 4.9 carats composed of 12 diamond indexes and three polycrystalline plates. 

No dial, no hands, no crown—no problem. The Freak watch defies conventions by removing everything one has come to expect in a watch; it has since become the poster boy of unconventionality for Ulysse Nardin. In the Freak, a rotating tourbillon, which makes one complete round in 60 minutes, displays the time. The bezel acts as the crown for adjusting time. 

There have been many iterations over the years—it was first introduced in 2001—and this year, it goes back to its roots but imbued with innovations that accompanied previous generations of the Freak. For instance, the notched bezel is a nod to the original Freak, while the open gear train is taken from 2013's Freak Cruiser. The striking black DLC-coated titanium case with rose gold bezel recalls last year's Freak S. With this release, Freak solidifies its status as Ulysse Nardin's flagship watch.

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