Jeweller - March 2024

AUDEMARS PIGUET
TED BAKER
TOMMY HILFIGER
complication and more practical usable watches for daily
wear. Ultra-thin is also a trend that is strong.”
Geelen also noted the increasing importance of colour in
design, even for traditionally conservative manufacturers.
Over the past 12 months, designers increasingly
incorporated exotic materials for dials to offer a
point of difference to competitors.
Put another way; there was a notable shift in the use of
colour in dials as brands searched for new ways to stand
out in a crowded market.
“The trend of more colourful dials, something that used
to be reserved for niche brands, has now found its way to
mainstream major brands,” Geelen continues.
“I liked seeing more luxury and elegant sports watches,
such as the Louis Vuitton Tambour, various AP Royal Oak
models, Laurent Ferrier Sport Auto, and also the very
affordable Tissot PRX.”
He continues: “One particular piece that has my full
attention is the first Rolex in titanium, the Yachtmaster
in RLX titanium. The other one is the Chopard LUC
1860 with the salmon dial – that’s timeless elegance!”
The Louis Vuitton Tambour was also a release of great
interest to Nick Hall of Man of Many, who suggests that
it may have signalled a serious change in strategy.
The brand’s iconic watch was reinvented with aunisex
design featuring a slim case, a ‘first-of-its-kind’ integrated
bracelet and an exclusive automatic movement.
“I think the release of Louis Vuitton's Tambour last year was
an interesting moment for the watch world,” Hall explains.
“The luxury brand's flagship collection marked a renewed
focus on traditional watchmaking that made a lot of purists
stand up and take note.
"It didn't so much signal a changing of the guard, but it did
show that brands outside of the known watchmaking sphere
could measure up to the Swiss masters. That may be an
unpopular opinion, however.”
Hold your horses
With consumer confidence and discretionary spending at low
levels, many analysts expect industry leaders to ‘play it safe’
Frank Geelen
Monochrome Watches
“We’ll see fewer complications for
the sake of complication and more
practical usable watches for daily
wear. Ultra-thin is also a trend that
is strong.”
Nick Hall
Man of Many
“I predict that most brands will stick
to their ‘greatest hits’ and look to roll
out anniversary models whenever
possible.”
Ariel Adams
A Blog To Watch
“Since we are in economically
uncertain times, we will have large
companies being very conservative
and trying to make the watches they
think the market currently wants.”
in terms of design.
This may lead to an emphasis on vintage pieces embodying
‘classic’ designs that are proven performers with watch
collectors.
“Admittedly, the boom in luxury watches is starting to slow
down, the result of economic constraints and a rising cost of
living, so it's unlikely that we'll see watchmakers try anything
too ambitious this year,” explains Hall.
“I predict that most brands will stick to their 'greatest hits'
and look to roll out anniversary models whenever possible.
For established players, the ability to dip into the archives
and revamp historical pieces will continue to be an important
point of distinction.”
Hall pointed to recent releases from Longines and Rado
as examples of this principle in action, with iconic brands
revisiting classic collections and revitalising them with new
materials and movements.
He suggests that this has increased the popularity of vintageinspired
designs, characterised by smaller case sizes, simple
dial layouts and GMT functionality.
With that said, this may also open the door for emerging
watch brands to capture new market share by offering
innovative new products to consumers who don’t want to
see ‘more of the same’ from major players.
“Over the past three to five years, we've seen a significant
uptick in interest across the watch market, predominantly
within the luxury category,” Hall continues.
“Brands such as Rolex and Omega will always be popular
with consumers; however, watch fans are slowly broadening
their horizons, actively working to educate themselves on
microbrands and mid-tier luxury maisons. I expect this to
continue in 2024.
Ariel Adams of A Blog To Watch agrees with Hall and thinks
that major brands will avoid taking significant risks.
“Since we are in economically uncertain times, we will have
large companies being very conservative and trying to make
the watches they think the market currently wants,” Adams
explains.
“Very little inventiveness and risk from the major watch
brands in 2024 is most likely. Smaller brands will again
have to be risky and provocative to get attention after a few
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