The 10 Coolest Watches That Dropped in July

The watch releases in July ran the gamut of aesthetics from complicated and funky to sporty or gem-set.

Some watchmakers, such as Vacheron Constantin and Chopard, dropped métiers d’art timepieces. The 12 new watches in VC’s Métiers d’Art Tribute to The Celestial series, for example, pay homage to the zodiac with incredible hand-guilloché techniques to render the constellations, as well as gem-setting on the dial and bezel. Similarly, Chopard’s latest diamond-set Imperiale is a colorful ode to the four seasons with a rotating disc decorated in marquetry that showcases a mini landscape that changes over time.

Other watchmakers, unveiled technical and bold watches. Designed in collaboration with Tom Brady, Jacob & Co. dropped a custom Twin Turbo Furious—the watchmaker’s most complicated model to date. It’s certainly not for small wrists or wallflowers. On the other end of this spectrum, Ulysse Nardin’s newest Blast offers avant-garde design in a more subtle format, displaying watch works on the dial side in sandblasted German silver.

Below are the best watch releases of the month.

Vacheron Constantin Métiers d’Art Tribute to the Celestial

Vacheron Constantin’s newest series is a glittering homage to the stars above. The Métiers d’Art Tribute to the Celestial includes 12 references inspired by the zodiac. Each piece features a 39 mm white gold case set with 112 baguette-cut blue sapphires and complementary blue dials with a hand-guilloché illustration of one of the zodiac signs and a diamond configuration of its associated constellation. To top it off, a Maltese Cross-shaped tourbillonTourbillonA watch complication invented around 1801 by Abraham-Louis Breguet that rotates the escapement in a cage to counter the effects of gravity on accuracy. Tourbillons are mesmerizing and very difficultGo to Tourbillon Glossary cage sits at 6 o’clock, offering glimpses of the ultra-thin self-winding caliber 2160. The dozen limited editions are available exclusively in Vacheron Constantin boutiques with prices on request.

Breitling Erling Haaland Signature Chronomat

Erling Haaland is the latest athlete to get his own Breitling watch collaboration. The Manchester City star has teamed up with watchmaker on three limited-edition pieces with dazzling meteorite dials. “Erling plays like he’s from another planet, so when we talked about materials, a meteorite dial was the perfect fit,” Breitling CEO Georges Kern said in a statement. “It’s a watch as powerful and singular as he is.” Limited to 500 and priced from $10,000, the Chronomat Automatic GMT 40 showcases a stainless-steel case, a platinum bezel, an asteroid-derived dial, and engravings of Haaland and his initials. Limited to 250 and starting at $26,600, the more premium Chronomat B01 42 features an 18-karat red-gold case that makes the dial pop. Breitling made an even more exclusive “One of 5” model is also made from 18-karat red gold with the same striking meteorite dial but it’s reserved excluisvely for Haaland and his pals.

Chopard Imperiale Four Seasons

Chopard’s new Imperiale Four Seasons delivers in terms of both aesthetics and mechanics. The watch, an extension of the Imperiale line that launched in 1994, artfully reflects the journey through spring, summer, fall, and winter, with a clever function that captures the rhythm of nature. The centerpiece is a rotating disc that completes a full revolution over the course of 365 days, echoing the cycle of the seasons. The striking watch also showcases mother-of-pearl marquetry, white gold lace, and some diamonds for good measure. Limited to 25 pieces, the Imperiale Four Seasons is available exclusively in Chopard boutiques and costs $101,000.

Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Tech 5029

The most famous Blancpain model of all time got another modern successor in July. The Swiss watchmaker released a new Fifty Fathoms Tech (ref. 5029) this month, with a nifty interchangeable strap system. First launched in 2023, the Fifty Fathoms Tech line puts a contemporary spin on the original 1950s diver. The newest Tech variant features a 45 mm titanium case, a black dial that absorbs up to 97 percent of light, and a unidirectional 120-click ceramic bezel. It is also equipped with an automatic movement (caliber 1315A) that offers a robust 120-hour power reserve. The highlight is the new quick-release strap system, though, which allows the wearer to change the look of the watch in seconds. The rubber strap comes in classic black, white, and vivid orange, with two options included with the purchase. The newcomer is priced at $22,700.

Greubel Forsey Balancier Contemporain Watch

Greubel Forsey is bidding adieu to the Balancier Contemporain in a suitably extravagant fashion. First unveiled in 2019, the original was the Swiss watchmaker’s smallest model, but it was equipped with a large balance wheel that improved timekeeping. The final edition will be the last watch to be powered by the 256-component Balancier Contemporain caliber. Limited to 33 examples, this last Balancier Contemporain comes in a 39.6 mm stainless steel case, a high-domed sapphire crystal, and a gold dial with contrasting blue accents. The sizeable 12.6 mm balance wheel is suspended above a gold plate, ensuring it gets all the focus it deserves. The limited edition retails for CHF 220,000 (approximately $278,000).

IWC Portugieser TourbillonTourbillonA watch complication invented around 1801 by Abraham-Louis Breguet that rotates the escapement in a cage to counter the effects of gravity on accuracy. Tourbillons are mesmerizing and very difficultGo to Tourbillon Glossary Rétrograde Chronograph

IWC’s latest Portugieser is a true triple threat, combining a flying minute tourbillonTourbillonA watch complication invented around 1801 by Abraham-Louis Breguet that rotates the escapement in a cage to counter the effects of gravity on accuracy. Tourbillons are mesmerizing and very difficultGo to Tourbillon Glossary, a retrograde date display, and a flyback chronograph in one 43.5 mm case. Crafted from 18-karat Armor Gold, the newcomer features an obsidian-hued dial with a spectacular 56-part tourbillon at 6 o’clock, a retrograde date display at 9 o’clock, and a chronograph totalizer at 12 o’clock. On the reverse side, the in-house 89900 caliber can be appreciated via the sapphire glass caseback. The movement comprises no less than 375 elaborately decorated parts, including a solid gold oscillating mass. Limited to 100 pieces, the three-complication stunner retails for $145,000.

Jacob & Co. Twin Turbo Furious Tom Brady Edition

Jacob & Co. and NFL GOAT Tom Brady achieved the watch world equivalent of a touchdown this month, unveiling a new riff on the Twin Turbo Furious that ranks as the American watchmaker’s most technically complicated timepiece to date. As with the original Twin Turbo Furious that launched at Baselworld in 2018, the Tom Brady Edition combines two triple-axis flying tourbillons, a decimal minute repeater, and a monopusher chronograph. The one-off showcases even more advanced mechanics than its predecessor, though, with the monopusher chronograph featuring a pitboard time differential calculator that allows you to compare up to five consecutive lap times and measure every gain or loss to the second. In addition, the Decimal Minute Repeater strikes time using cathedral gongs nearly twice the length of standard rods to deliver a deeper, more intense sound. The custom creation cost a hefty $650,000.

Richard Mille RM 33-03

Richard Mille broke out of tonneau-shaped constraints in July, unveiling a model with one of its round models in a 41.7 mm case. The new RM 33-03 Automatic takes design cues from the discontinued RM 33-02, but is equipped with a fresh movement. The new automatic RMXP3 calibre is skeletonized and visible via both sapphire crystals in classic Richard Mille fashion. The numerals are mounted on titanium rails above the movement, creating a 3-D-like effect. “The idea is to accentuate the volumes within the calibre,” RM’s creation and development director Cécile Guenat said in a statement. “Meanwhile, the empty and full spaces created by the movement’s high degree of skeletonization also contribute to a shadow and light mood.” The watch is available in titanium (roughly $143,000) or the brand’s signature carbon TPT (about $180,000).

Ulysse Nardin Blast Free Wheel Maillechort

Ulysse Nardin gave us a blast from the (relatively recent) past in July. The Swiss watchmaker unveiled a new iteration of the Blast model that was originally introduced in 2020. The Blast Free Wheel Maillechort has all the mechanics simply and strikingly arranged on the dial side, with each component made of textured maillechort (also known as German Silver) and engineered to “fly.” The intermediate wheel, power reserve differential, and reduction gear all seem to float on the left side of the dial, while the flying tourbillon is suspended at 6 o’clock and the double barrel hovers at 12 o’clock. On the right is a fully exposed view of the winding system and an unconventional power reserve indicator. Inside the 45 mm white gold case lies the award-winning, manual-wound caliber UN-176. Limited to 50 pieces, the Blast is priced at $126,600.

A. Lange & Söhne Zeitwerk Date

It’s been six years, but A. Lange & Söhne has finally given the Zeitwerk Date the rose-gold treatment. The game-changing mechanical digital watch, which debuted in white gold in 2019, has been reimagined in the popular (and pretty) gold alloy. The newcomer (Ref. 148.033) features a 44.2 mm rose gold case and a gray dial, creating a striking contrast on the wrist. The face is fitted with instantaneously jumping discs for the minutes and hours, a light grey date wheel with the current date highlighted in red, an AB/AUF power reserve indicator at 12 o’clock, and a subsidiary seconds dial at 6 o’clock. Equipped with the in-house Calibre L043.8, the manually-winding watch offers a power reserve of 72 hours. Price is on request. (The white gold variant, however, is priced at $132,000.)

This article originally appeared in Robb Report US.