This story is part of the GP100, our list of the 100 best new products of the year.
What a year it's been for watch lovers. The industry had recently felt as if stuck in a rut of vintage regurgitation and corporate driven strategy, but watchmakers seem to have finally come out the other side in 2022.
The shocking MoonSwatch brought horological history and awareness to ever wider audiences, and a handsome, sub-$500 automatic GMT from Seiko is nothing short of a game-changer. Even notoriously conservative Rolex released a quirky left-handed GMT and its first titanium watch. Risk-taking and creativity show a confident industry high on its unexpectedly strong performance through the pandemic, and full of surprises.
Swatch x Omega Bioceramic MoonSwatch
Why It's Notable: Quite possibly the most dramatic event in products this year, a collaboration between sister brands Swatch and Omega broke the watch industry's unwritten rules and became an unprecedented sensation.
The Big Picture: There are hyped collab products, and then there's the MoonSwatch. The lines and mobbed stores at its launch might seem reminiscent of some sneaker or Apple or Supreme drop, but the Swatch x Omega collaboration is different for a number of reasons. It was controversial, to say the least, to make a quartz copy (of sorts) of the iconic Omega Speedmaster watch rendered in plastic (of sorts), marketed with official Omega approval and branding and sold for $260. It's the kind of thing that simply doesn't occur in the watch industry.
Fans were excited, of course, but the reception was far beyond anything seen before in watches. Though not a limited edition, limited stock and hyper demand fed into a loop of desire and unavailability, leading to the kind of inflated market usually reserved for the likes of sought-after prestige watches from Rolex and Patek Philippe. The MoonSwatch also stood out from other hyped collabs for offering a downmarket version of a familiar luxury product — just the opposite of the established formula.
Aside from its audacious concept, the MoonSwatch isn't merely an exercise in branding: it serves to highlight Swatch's hybrid plastic-and-ceramic material called Bioceramic. Watch brands from Chanel to Blancpain and Omega (not to mention Apple) charge a significant premium for the traditional ceramic as a luxury material, and Bioceramic offers similar properties of lightness and scratch resistance. Its soft texture forms the same 42mm dimensions and basic design as the mechanical chronograph NASA astronauts famously took to the moon.
The MoonSwatch remains distinguishable at a glance from the Speedmaster by the layout of its subdials, as well as some wildly colorful iterations among the available 11 models inspired by various celestial bodies in the solar system. Each is packed with subtle details that only hardcore watch collectors are bound to notice, but which also make for fun discoveries for the uninitiated.
Perhaps the most stunning feat? The MoonSwatch captured the attention and hearts of watch collectors just as much as it did the wider populace.
Diameter: 42mm
Case Material: Bioceramic
Movement: Swatch quartz chronograph
IWC Pilot's Watch Mark XX
Why It's Notable: An evolution of the classic Mark XI military watch, the Mark XX adds subtle tweaks that die-hard IWC aficionados have been clamoring for — most notably the inclusion of an in-house movement.
The Big Picture: IWC’s Mark series has long been the golden standard of the traditional pilot’s watch. Sure, the Big Pilot may be more emblematic of the brand at this point, but the Mark XI — a watch designed for the British military in the late 1940s — and its contemporary successors have the historical cachet. The new Mark XX’s use of an IWC-manufactured movement makes for several welcome updates: notably, a more aesthetically pleasing date window and a slightly thinner case than on the Mark XVIII predecessor watch. Plus, upgrades in the form of 100m of water resistance and 120 hours of power reserve mean you’re getting a serious tool and not just another pretty, military-inspired face.
Diameter: 40mm
Case Material: Stainless steel
Movement: IWC 32111 automatic
Vacheron Constantin Historiques 222
Why It's Notable: Vacheron Constantin’s Les Historiques 222 makes a wildly scarce watch available once more in a nearly note-for-note remake — but adds an in-house movement.
The Big Picture: Vintage reissues are all over the place these days, but Vacheron Constantin’s approach is anything but scattershot: In seeking to reimagine the vaunted 222 luxury sports watch from 1977, the brand opted to change very little, upgrading the original Calibre 1121 (a Jaeger-LeCoultre Calibre 920) to an in-house Calibre 2455/2 and adding a sapphire exhibition caseback. But the 37mm diameter of the original “Jumbo” model? Still there. And Vacheron’s Maltese cross at 5 o’clock on the bezel? Present and accounted for. In a sea of remakes and sequels whose purpose often feels contrived, the 222 stands out for sheer beauty, build quality and history.
Diameter: 37mm
Case Material: Yellow gold
Movement: Vacheron Constantin 2455/2 automatic
Seiko 5 Sports SKX Sports Style GMT
Why It's Notable: Seiko shattered the price barrier to one of the most desirable features in watches: the GMT. And it did so with style.
The Big Picture: The hottest complication in watches this year? The second-time-zone-displaying GMT. It seems every watch brand big and small is offering their take, but Seiko's is different. The Japanese maker introduced automatic GMT watches in its entry-level collection, Seiko 5 Sports, at under $500. Until now, most automatic GMT watches have used Swiss movements and started around double or triple that price.
This brings a sought-after and genuinely useful complication to an entirely new audience, but it'll also have ripple effects on the rest of the industry. Seiko's GMT is built upon its basic but proven-robust automatic movement. Just as those movements have powered third-party microbrand watches and higher-tier Seiko watches, we can expect the 4R34 movement to give us more cool GMT watches in the future.
It'll also spur competition. We've already seen Citizen answer with its own affordable GMT through its subsidiary brand Bulova, and the Miyota 9075 that powers it is already found in some third-party watches. Finally, there's a good chance it'll force Swiss brands to lower their entry point to automatic GMTs as well. So it's all good news for us consumers.
The kicker, though, is that the Seiko 5 Sports GMT isn't just exciting because of the value-for-tech factor: it's also an absolutely great-looking design built on a solid foundation — we can totally vouch for the quality of the Seiko 5 Sports collection. Without looking like a Rolex wannabe, Seiko offers a shockingly refined design and premium feel for the price. Only drawback is the watches are, unsurprisingly, hard to keep in stock.
Diameter: 42.5mm
Case Material: Stainless steel
Movement: Seiko 4R34 automatic
Tudor Ranger
Why It's Notable: Tudor’s latest Ranger hearkens back to the 1960s and ’70s editions, making for a fiercely competitive field watch at a size — and price — that’s tough to argue with.
The Big Picture: After Tudor pulled the Heritage Ranger field watch from its catalog in 2020 after six years in production, fans of the brand were left guessing what Rolex’s sister company had up its sleeves. A vintage reissue, perhaps? Indeed, in July of this year, Tudor launched the new Ranger — a slightly upsized, 39mm version of the reference 7995 with an in-house chronometer movement, an optional steel bracelet with a “T-fit” clasp, 100m of water resistance, and a price that simply couldn’t be argued with, coming as it does from such a reputable brand. Beautiful and utilitarian, it could be the basis of a one-watch collection.
Diameter: 38mm
Case Material: Stainless steel
Movement: Tudor Calibre MT5402 automatic
Tudor Pelagos 39
Why It's Notable: The titanium Pelagos was long a dive watch geared toward professionals. Now, however, there’s a slimmed-down version that’s perfect for everyday wear.
The Big Picture: Tudor’s contemporary dive watch catalog has long been split between the vintage-inspired Black Bay series and the thoroughly modern Pelagos — a small collection that featured things like helium escape valves, titanium housings, special, automatically adjustable dive bracelets, and more. Large and thick, the Pelagos was perfect for serious SCUBA, but perhaps a bit of overkill for day-to-day wear.
Not so the new Pelagos 39: You still get a titanium case, but it’s been cut down to 39mm wide by 11.8mm thick. And while some might decry the absence of an HEV and bemoan less water resistance (200m instead of 500m), the truth is, only specialist divers need these features. For the rest of us, the Pelagos 39 wears like a dream.
Diameter: 39mm
Case Material: Titanium
Movement: Tudor MT5400 automatic
Rolex GMT Master II 126720VTNR
Why It's Notable: The world’s most famous travel watch not only comes in a new colorway but also in a brand new “destro” configuration with the crown on the left side.
The Big Picture: At this point, someone looking to smack down over 10 Gs on a brand-new GMT watch is fairly spoiled for choice. Sure, there’s the OG — the Rolex GMT-Master II — in various configurations, but there are also great affordable options from microbrands, more direct competition from fellow Swiss watchmakers like Omega, and others. What there aren’t too many of are “lefty” GMTs — so-called “destro” models with the crown on the left-hand side of the case.
Why did Rolex design such a model — especially when less than 10 percent of the global population is left-handed? The truth is fairly simple: The watch isn’t necessarily meant for southpaws. If you’re a righty, you may have noticed that a traditional right-hand watch crown tends to dig into your left hand when worn on that wrist. Not so the crown on the new reference 126720VTNR. It may be slightly counterintuitive to set such a watch with your left hand, but you’ll get the hang. Meanwhile, if you are a lefty, you finally have a production Rollie made especially for you!
But that’s not all that’s new: The cool bi-color black and green Cerachrom bezel — green for daylight hours, black for nighttime — further expands the GMT colorway universe, offering a new aesthetic that pulls from previous Crown favorites such as the “Kermit” and “Hulk” Submariners. And best of all, it’s available on both Oyster and Jubilee bracelets right from the drop. The only caveat? Everybody wants one, so good luck with the hunt.
Diameter: 40mm
Case Material: Stainless steel
Movement: Rolex 3285 automatic
Baltic Aquascaphe Titanium
Why It's Notable: Titanium watches are getting more affordable, and that's a good thing — especially when in dive watch form and looking as good as the Baltic Aquascaphe does.
The Big Picture: French watchmaker Baltic has charmed us with just about every model in its Aquascaphe collection. A new version for 2022 in titanium offers the basic appeal of the brand's classic dive watch but with two major differences: the case material, of course, and the diameter. Baltic is known, in part, for its smaller diameters, but the Aquascaphe titanium is the brand's biggest watch yet, measuring 41mm and with water resistance boosted to 300m — giving it the feel of a serious diver, and yet one that'll remain light on the wrist. Best of all, brands like Baltic are leading the way for premium materials like titanium in the affordable range.
Diameter: 41mm
Case Material: Titanium
Movement: Miyota 9039 automatic
Ressence Type 8
Why It's Notable: Ressence has a unique take on watchmaking. Its latest collection is its most minimal and most affordable yet.
The Big Picture: Ressence watches have a striking, Bauhaus-like design, but you should really see them in person and try setting the time. Upon doing so (via the caseback instead of a traditional crown), you'll find that the entire dial moves in an unexpected and mesmerizing way. The Type 8 continues this approach, but pares it down to essentials offering only the hours and minutes. It proves once again that minimal design almost always looks good — but it also feels minimal thanks to a lightweight titanium case. Though still easily falling within the high-end range, the Type 8 is the most affordable variant of the brand's concept yet, and it's always good to see brands moving in that direction.
Diameter: 42.9mm
Case Material: Titanium
Movement: Highly modified ETA 2892-2 automatic
Richard Mille RM UP-01 Ferrari
Why It's Notable: Richard Mille's 1.75mm-thick watch is the thinnest in the world, taking the brand to new places both technically and aesthetically.
The Big Picture: Imagine for a moment that you’re on top of the world. You’re sitting pretty because you’ve just released the world’s thinnest timepiece, and it’s breathtaking: The crown jewel in Bulgari's innovative Octo Finissimo line, the Ultra clocks in at just 1.8mm thick and looks like a million bucks. (And costs roughly half a million bucks.) Then, just a few months later, Richard Mille drops the RM UP-01 Ferrari, upstaging you by a unit of measure that’s barely visible to the human eye.
But that's how these record-breaking achievements go. For now, RM — along with partner Ferrari — holds a record that's nothing if not quantifiably astounding: Turn the 1.75mm-thick watch on its side, and it almost disappears. Furthermore, its construction is fairly (and impressively) traditional in one sense: Rather than incorporating the movement’s mainplate into the caseback, as Bulgari and Piaget have done in their ultrathin watches, RM used the conventional caseback-and-bezel approach (with both made of titanium).
Sandwiched between the two is a movement, the Calibre RMUP-01, just 1.18mm thick. This serious feat of engineering separates the watch’s functions — hours, minutes, seconds and a function selector — across the timepiece’s face, making for a futuristic layout measuring 51mm wide and 39mm long. At $1,888,000 and limited to 150 pieces, the RM UP-01 Ferrari is much more of a statement than a conventional timepiece, but that’s perfectly fine: It says that Richard Mille is a serious player in an often stuffy industry, and one that’s looking forward.
Diameter: 51mm
Case Material: Titanium
Movement: Richard Mille RMUP-01
Casio G-Shock GMB2100 Full Metal "CasiOak"
Why It's Notable: G-Shock's so-called "CasiOak" is a full-blown hype phenomenon, but a fully stainless steel version takes it to another level.
The Big Picture: The G-Shock "CasiOak" gets its nickname from an octagonal bezel that reminds watch fans of the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak. That iconic timepiece was famous for pioneering (in the 1970s) the brilliant concept of a sporty stainless steel watch costing as much as a precious metal watch. Trading its plastic case construction for metal ups the irony and brings the G-Shock 2100 series even closer to the Royal Oak. It's no surprise that the hyped CasiOak got the "Full Metal" treatment, as only the brand's most popular products previously have, but it's a winner nonetheless. We look forward to even more variants with strong legibility.
Diameter: 44.4mm
Case Material: Stainless steel
Movement: Casio quartz (Tough Solar)
Breitling Superocean
Why It's Notable: A complete departure for Breitling's dive watch collection, the redesigned Superocean was a bold move that paid off.
The Big Picture: Though an old collection, the Breitling Superocean was completely redesigned this year based on an obscure vintage chronograph. That might sound like what a lot of brands are doing, but the result is one of the most striking dive watches on the modern market — where it ain't easy to stand out. The new Superocean manages to be quirky and distinctive but simultaneously maintain the appeal of a traditional dive watch. There's a multitude of colors and sizes, but room for the collection to grow in the future with the possibility of more variants or an in-house movement. We can't wait.
Diameter: 36mm, 42mm, 44mm and 46mm
Case Material: Stainless steel
Movement: ETA 2824-2 automatic
