The 16 Coolest New Watches That Dropped in October
Many of us have started winding down for the year, but not the world’s top watchmakers. Quite the contrary, they wound up presenting well over 25 timepieces this month. (More if you count small aesthetic upgrades.) October had so many new watch releases, in fact, that we had to cut some of the less important ones from this list for the sake of brevity.
Some brands entered into bold new horological territory. Richard Mille dropped a world timer with an ingenious time-zone setting mechanism. Urwerk revealed a watch that measures the distances our planet travels across the time-space continuum. Audemars Piguet rolled out the first Royal Oak with a flyback chronograph and a flying tourbillon. Last but certainly not least, Hublot and Daniel Arsham released a titanium sculpture for the wrist with a splash-shaped sapphire dial.
Other brands gave existing models a twist with new techniques and materials. Ulysse Nardin decked out the Freak S in blue and red enamel, Panerai presented the Luminor in sandblasted black ceramic, and Cartier finally delivered the titanium Santos that collectors have been waiting for. In a similar vein, Louis Vuitton revived its first wristwatch with a fresh design and new movement, Vacheron Constantin reimagined the Grand Lady Kalla with colored stones, and TAG Heuer gave the Carrera Chronograph Extreme Sports an upgrade with rose gold and a GMT complication. And that’s just scratching the surface.
Below are the best watch releases of the month.
Hublot MP-17 MECA-10 Arsham Splash Titanium Sapphire
Daniel Arsham is at it again. The American artist, who is known for collaborating with luxuryLuxuryA lifestyle defined by exceptional quality, craftsmanship, exclusivity, and sophistication, encompassing the finest products, services, and experiences that represent the highest standards of refinement and excellence.Go to Luxury Glossary brands such as Porsche, Dior, Tiffany & Co., and Rimowa, has unveiled another watch with Hublot. As with the previous MP-16 Arsham Droplet pocket watch, the new MP-17 Meca-10 Arsham Splash Titanium Sapphire—it’s a mouthful, we know—was inspired by organic, fluid forms found in nature. At the center of a round 42 mm titanium case lies a splash-shaped sapphire dial that spotlights various components of the in-house Meca-10 manual movement. The iconic “Arsham Green” can be found on the hands, markers, and numerals, adding another arty element to the piece. “This collaboration with Hublot explores the fluidity of time through a case inspired by the perfect geometry of a water droplet, crafted using Hublot’s Meca-10 movement,” Arsham said in a statement. “The watch’s transparent structure captures the clarity and motion of water, suspended, precise, and always in flux.” The watch is limited to only 99 pieces, with price upon request.
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak “Jumbo” Extra-Thin Selfwinding Flying Tourbillon Chronograph RD#5
Audemars Piguet’s Research and Development department debuted another watch at the bleeding edge of horology this month. Five years in the making, the newcomer—we’ll just call it RD#5 to keep things easy—is the first Royal Oak to combine a flyback chronograph with a flying tourbillon. It also features a new movement (Caliber 8100) with a reimagined reset mechanism and chrono pushers that are as easy to press as the buttons on an iPhone. AP has managed to squeeze all that innovation into a titanium “Jumbo” case that is actually a relatively small 38 mm. The integrated bracelet, crown, and caseback are also titanium and incorporate high-tech bulk metallic glass (BMG) for lightness, durability, and brilliance. The RD#5 also has the AP signature in cursive, as well as a Petite Tapisserie dial, “bathtub” hands and hour markers, dual chronograph registers at 3 o’clock and 9 o’clock, and that spectacular flying tourbillon at 6 o’clock. The watch retails for 260,000 Swiss francs, or about $325,000.
Cartier Santos de Cartier Titanium
Cartier decided to reimagine an icon of 20th-century horology in the metal of 21st-century watchmaking, unveiling the classic Santos de Cartier in hardwearing titanium. Created for pilot Alberto Santos-Dumont in 1904, the original Santos was designed to be both practical in flight and stylish on the wrist. The newest iteration also balances form and function, retaining the elegant, square-shaped design while incorporating a material that is both lighter and stronger than steel. Both the 39.8 mm case and interchangeable bracelet are made of matte, bead-blasted titanium and contrasted by a white dial and black spinel crown. The movement remains unchanged, with the in-house automatic 1847 MC caliber providing a 40-hour power reserve and a date function. The sports watch will be available starting November 1 for $11,500.
Breitling x Wempe Navitimer B02 Chronograph 41 Cosmonaute
Another month, another Wempe collab. The German luxuryLuxuryA lifestyle defined by exceptional quality, craftsmanship, exclusivity, and sophistication, encompassing the finest products, services, and experiences that represent the highest standards of refinement and excellence.Go to Luxury Glossary watch retailer, known for working with the likes of Chopard, Parmigiani Fleurier, Girard-Perregaux, and Ulysse Nardin, has teamed up with Breitling to create a limited-edition reimagined Navitimer B02 Chronograph 41 Cosmonaute featuring a 41 mm steel case, a striking green dial with a 24-hour scale in Super-LumiNova “Old Radium,” gold-plated hands, and a brown alligator strap. It is also engraved with “Wempe Signature Collection” and “One of 50” on the caseback. Beyond aesthetics, the in-house, hand-wound 02 caliber offers an impressive 70-hour power reserve, a chronograph, date display, and logarithmic slide rule. It’ll cost you $10,100.
Hermès Arceau On Air!
How do you celebrate the opening of a new boutique? Drop a new watch—that’s what Hermès did, anyway. The French maison unveiled a limited edition this month to celebrate its first location in Nashville, Tennessee. Part of the storied Arceau line, the new On Air! pays homage to Music City with a miniature painting of four guitars on the dial. Designed by artist Carine Brancowitz, the incredibly detailed, brightly colored quartet stands in front of a sapphire background that looks like a vinyl record. The in-house H1912 movement drives the hands over the guitars and the grooves of the record, adding movement to the music-themed tableau. The On Air! is presented in two colorways—blue and red—with only two numbered pieces available of each for $69,800 a pop.
H. Moser Streamliner Tourbillon Pierre Gasly
Pierre Gasly may currently be 18th in the Formula 1 standings, but he is front and center at H. Moser. The Swiss watchmaker has designed two limited-edition Streamliner tourbillons with the Alpine driver to commemorate his career on the track. Gasly is said to have “shaped every detail,” selecting textures, colors, and materials. The chocolate fumé dial, for example, reflects his preference for understated tones. Both 40 mm pieces are crafted in 5N red gold and feature the HMC 805 automatic caliber with a flying tourbillon at 6 o’clock. The sport-chic edition ($98,500) is presented on a chocolate rubber strap, while the collector’s edition ($148,500) has a gold bracelet and a ruby at 10 o’clock in a nod to Pierre’s racing number. The latter is limited to, you guessed it, 10 examples.
Louis Vuitton Monterey
Louis Vuitton gave collectors a blast from the past in October, taking its first wristwatch from the 1980s into the present day with a new model called the Monterey. The limited edition takes design cues from the LV I and LV II that the French fashion house debuted in 1988. Created by Italian designer and architect Gae Aulenti, these references—nicknamed Monterey as a nod to the English pronunciation of montre (French for “watch”)—were reminiscent of vintage pocketwatches, but they offered world time, G.M.T., and date display (LV I) or date and time plus an alarm function (LV II). The newcomer showcases the same pebble-like, lugless case and 12 o’clock crown as its predecessors, as well as a classic white grand feu enamel dial with red and blue railroad minute tracks, black Arabic indices, and the signature skeletonized-syringe hands in red lacquer. The insides are dramatically different, though: The two originals were powered by quartz movements, while the modern successor is equipped with an automatic calibre (LFTMA01.02) produced in-house at La Fabrique du Temps. The Monterey is also only offered in yellow gold, whereas the LV I and LV II also came in white gold and black or green ceramic. Limited to 188 pieces, the Monterey retails for $53,000.
Omega Speedmaster Dark Side of the Moon
It’s one small announcement from Omega, one giant win for Speedmaster lovers. The Swiss watchmaker revealed no less than seven new versions of the Speedmaster Dark Side of the Moon this month. The latest iterations of the ceramic Speedy showcase slimmer profiles, improved Co-Axial calibers, and fresh dial designs. Our pick is the “Grey Side of the Moon.” Inspired by the observation Jim Lovell made during the Apollo 8 mission in 1968 that the Moon’s surface is “essentially gray,” the piece features a laser-ablated lunar surface that is visible through the open-worked gray dial, the skeletonized Calibre 3869 movement, and the sapphire caseback. It is a slightly lighter take on the otherwise very dark Speedy. Even lighter is the new Speedmaster Milano Cortina ($6,800) that Omega just released in honor of the Winter Olympics.
Panerai Luminor GMT Ceramica
The Panerai Luminor has, ironically, gone very dark. The iconic sports watch, originally developed for the Italian Navy to ensure telling the time was possible in the dark, has been released in sandblasted black ceramic for the first time. The new Luminor GMT Ceramica (PAM01460) is also smaller than other models in the line, with a cushion case that measures 40 mm rather than the standard 44 or 47 mm. The dial is in the signature sandwich-style, with a black sunburst finish over a white Super-LumiNova X2 plate. Super-LumiNova is also used on the markers and hands, so no need to worry about legibility even with all that black. You can clearly see the hours, minutes, seconds, date, and, of course, the second time zone. Flip it over, and the smoked sapphire caseback gives a view of the Caliber P.900/GMT automatic movement. The black beauty is priced at $15,800.
Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda PF Sport Chronograph Longhorn
Parmigiani Fleurier’s latest release is the watchmaking equivalent of a touchdown. Created in collaboration with the Forty First Foundation, the limited edition pays homage to the University of Texas and its beloved Longhorn team. The watch is a riff on the Tonda PF Sport Chronograph that debuted in 2023, with a few special touches in honor of the ‘Horns. The silver dial is accented with UT Austin’s iconic orange, while the 42 mm caseback is engraved with the Longhorn logo. It is limited to just 50 examples, with 40 pieces in stainless steel and 10 in rose gold. This marks the first time the Tonda PF Sport has been offered in both metals with an integrated bracelet. (Each watch also comes with two rubber straps in cream and orange.) Proceeds from the sale of the limited edition will help the aforementioned non-profit support the university. To reserve your piece, contact [email protected].
Richard Mille RM 63-02 Automatic Worldtimer
Richard Mille’s latest release is quite literally a fresh spin on the world timer. Unlike traditional versions that require a crown or pushers to adjust the time, the new RM 63-02 Automatic Worldtimer uses a rotating bezel. The wearer can select a city with a simple twist to instantly enter the desired time zone. The ingenious mechanism simultaneously adjusts the local time to that of the destination at 12 o’clock and updates the time for the 23 other cities on the bezel. That means the wearer can instantly determine the local time at any desired spot. The RM 63-02 is hefty at a round 47 mm case in 5N red gold, and also comes with a titanium caseband, a red gold bezel, and a white elastomer strap. It also features a sapphire dial that offers glimpses of the in-house automatic Caliber CRMA4. The piece is limited to 100 pieces, with price available upon request.
TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph Extreme Sport
TAG Heuer dropped not one but three Carreras this month. The trio is part of the Extreme Sport series that the Swiss watchmaker unveiled in 2024. These models put an extreme spin on the classic 1960s race watch, incorporating skeletonised dials, hefty cases, and dizzying mechanics. The latest additions include a rose-gold chronograph ($22,650), a limited-edition tourbillon celebrating the 75th anniversary of Formula 1 ($46,00), and a Twin-Time chronograph ($9,300) with an additional GMT complication and a TAG-first, dual-color ceramic bezel. At least one reference comes racer-approved, too: Max Verstappen wore the F1-themed Extreme Sport while celebrating his win at the United States Grand Prix.
Urwerk UR-10 SpaceMeter
Urwerk’s newest release may look rather simple—at least by Urwerk standards—but don’t let that fool you. The aptly named UR-10 SpaceMeter measures the distances our planet travels across the time-space continuum. The counter at 2 o’clock shows every 10 km the Earth covers in its daily rotation, the subdial at 4 o’clock indicates every 1,000 km the Earth travels on its solar orbit, and the register at 9 o’clock combines both trajectories to display every 1,000 km of rotation and 64,000 km of solar orbit on two synchronized scales. On the back of the case, a peripheral hand traces the hours on a 24-hour scale to reflect the full rotation of the Earth. Nothing simple about that. The 45 mm titanium timepiece is offered with a black or gray PVD dial, with only 25 of each available for $94,000 a pop.
Vacheron Constantin Grand Lady Kalla
Vacheron Constantin brought the frost in October, adding three new gem-set beauties to the Kallista series of high jewelry watches. VC unveiled the original Kallista in 1979, with the $5 million one-off taking the title of the most expensive watch at that time. It presented several Kalla variations over the subsequent years, before releasing the Grand Lady Kalla as a watch and necklace combo in 2024. The three newest iterations of the Grand Lady Kalla introduce colored stones: the two white-gold models are adorned with 49.72 carats of sapphires or 49.85 carats of rubies, respectively, while the platinum option is dripping with 35.72 carats of emeralds. Each model also showcases 39.4 carats of diamonds across a fully gem-set watch, a jewel piece, a three-row rivière-style bracelet, and a sautoir necklace. All pieces can be interchanged, adding extra versatility. Price upon request, naturally.
Ulysse Nardin Freak S Enamel
Ulysse Nardin is on an enameling hot streak: The Swiss watchmaker recently showcased the centuries-old technique on a Freak X, and now it’s doing the same on a Freak S. The two new limited editions feature enamel discs in either vibrant turquoise blue or deep ruby red, adding even more pizzazz to the already striking 45 mm behemoth. As with all Freaks, the S has no hands, no dial, and no crown, but rather the signature flying carousel complication that displays the time via the rotating movement. The S also houses myriad innovations, including a double oscillator and the world’s smallest mechanical differential. Each new edition is limited to 50 examples and has a retail price of 153,000 Swiss francs, or about $192,000.
Glashütte Original Senator Meissen
Glashütte Original went patriotic and pretty in October, releasing a trio of limited-edition watches created in collaboration with fellow German brand and noted porcelain maker Meissen. The three Senator Meissen timepieces feature, you guessed it, hand-painted porcelain dials in various shades and designs. The first two variants showcase Meissen’s ornamental “Mystic Maison” pattern on white and green, respectively. The third (pictured) features a collage with flower and animal motifs from the house’s iconic “Dekorwelten” crater vase. All three references have 40 mm red-gold cases, solid gold hands, alligator straps, and the in-house Caliber 36. The Mystic Maison White and Green models are each limited to 150 pieces worldwide ($30,300), while the Collage edition is limited to just eight pieces globally ($36,400).
This article originally appeared in Robb Report US.