Photo by Johnny Brayson
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If money is no object, here’s what we’re buying.
The watch industry can be absurd at times. Well, most of the time. Wrist-worn pieces of glorified jewelry relying on centuries-old technology to tell the time far less accurately than the phone in your pocket often cost five, six, hell, even seven figures. And you know what? I love it. I can’t help but drool over the wildest and most fantastical timepieces that I, in all likelihood, will never be able to afford. And I’m not alone.
The idea of a “grail watch” is one that should be familiar to anyone with even a passing interest in the hobby of watch collecting. But in case this is your first time hearing it, a grail watch is the ultimate watch you aspire to own, regardless of price and beyond your current means.
Having just returned from Watches and Wonders in Geneva, Switzerland, I saw a whole lot of grail watches at the year’s biggest luxury watch event. Below, I’ve gathered together the top grail watches released so far in 2024, all priced at $10,000 or above.
The Best Grail Watches of 2024
Patek Philippe
Patek Philippe Aquanaut Travel Time 5164G
Patek followed its own playbook after discontinuing the mega-popular Aquanaut Travel Time in stainless steel by releasing this version in white gold. Sure to be a hype monster itself, the watch combines an opaline blue-gray dial with a matching blue-gray composite strap.
Rolex
Rolex Deepsea Yellow Gold
Rolex kicked off the debut of the Deepsea as its own standalone line with this beast of watch. It features a bracelet and case made from 18-karat gold, with the caseback and helium escape valve in titanium to withstand the pressures associated with its 3,900m depth rating.
Vacheron Constantin
Vacheron Constantin Overseas Dual Time Pink Gold
The standout offering from Vacheron’s first green-dial Overseas combines its subtle yet striking shade with luxurious pink gold and its intuitive and pleasingly asymmetrical dual-time function.
Zenith
Zenith Defy Extreme Diver
Zenith’s first dive watch in 20 years is thoroughly modern and highly impressive. The watch features a quick-release bracelet system (it comes with a bracelet and two straps), a snappy bezel is crafted entirely from ceramic — no insert here — and it’s one of the only dive watches powered by a high-beat automatic movement.
Ulysse Nardin
Ulysse Nardin Freak S Nomad
Powered by the wild UN-251 movement with its starship-like carousel front and center, the Freak S Nomad ups the wow factor even more thanks to the striking diamond guilloché pattern on its metallic non-dial.
Bovet
Bovet The Récital 28 Prowess 1
A world first, this insane timepiece finally solves the chief issue with world timers in that it accounts for Daylight Saving Time. Thanks to an ingenious roller system, the wearer can switch all 24 time zones between UTC, American DST, Europe and America Summer Time and European Winter Time with a press of the crown.
TAG Heuer
TAG Heuer Monaco Rattrapante
A highly limited reimagining of the iconic chronograph, this ultra high-end version of the Steve McQueen favorite features a split-second chronograph, a Grade 5 titanium case and an openwork movement.
IWC
IWC Portugieser Eternal Calendar
If a standard perpetual calendar’s 400 years of accuracy aren’t enough for you, how about this? IWC’s Eternal Calendar accounts for the Gregorian calendar’s skipping of the leap year every 400 years, and the brand claims it to have a moonphase accuracy of 45 million years.
H. Moser & Cie.
H. Moser & Cie. Streamliner Alpine Limited Edition
For its first official watch as the timekeeping partner of the Alpine F1 team, Moser did something wild and colorful. In other words, the watch is completely on brand. The watch is a Streamliner featuring a skeletonized cylindrical tourbillon and a domed dial crafted from bright blue synthetic spinel on a matching bright blue rubber strap
Bulgari
Bulgari Octo Finissimo Ultra COSC
Absurdly thin at just 1.7mm “thick,” this watch retook the crown from Richard Mille as the world’s thinnest watch in 2024. But that’s not it’s only world record, as it’s also the world’s thinnest COSC-certified chronometer.
Piaget
Piaget Altiplano Ultimate Concept Tourbillon
While Piaget no longer owns the world record for the thinnest watch in the world (that honor belongs to rival Bulgari), it does have the world’s thinnest tourbillon with this incredible piece. Measuring a scant 2mm thick, just 0.3mm thicker than the world’s thinnest watch, it’s arguably the most impressive of the mega-thin watches out there thanks to its rotating complication.
Panerai
Panerai Submersible QuarantaQuattro Luna Rossa Ti-Ceramitech
This diver is the first watch to feature Panerai’s Ti-Ceramitech material, a combination of titanium and ceramic that achieves its blue color from a Plasma Electrolytic Oxidation process that also makes it ten times more resistant to fracturing than ceramic.
Singer Reimagined
Singer Reimagined Divetrack
A dive watch unlike any other, Singer puts a mechanical diving chronograph front and center on the dial. The chronograph minutes and seconds are centrally mounted on the dial, prioritizing your timekeeping underwater, while a smaller center disc tracks the 24 hours of elapsed time in the chronograph to keep tabs on your surface intervals and let you know when it’s safe to dive and safe to fly.
Parmigiani Fleurier
Parmigiani Fleurier Toric Petite Seconde Rose Gold
Parmigiani’s reborn Toric collection is classiness personified, with soft lines, careful detailing and a sueded leather strap. It’s also bursting with precious metal: the case, dial, hands, indices, crown, buckle and even the movement are all crafted from gold.
Hublot
Hublot Big Bang Integrated Time Only 38
Hublot likes it loud, with daring designs that jump off your wrist. This compact titanium three-hander, however, makes its own kind of statement. And we’re listening.
Grand Seiko
Grand Seiko SLGW003
Powered by the first manually wound hi-beat movement from Grand Seiko in half a century, this reinterpretation of the White Birch is crafted from Brilliant Hard Titanium and boasts an 80-hour power reserve.
Patek Philippe
Patek Philippe Nautilus Chronograph 5980/60G
A hype watch if there ever were one, this watch marks the first time the Nautilus Flyback Chronograph has been crafted in white gold. Toss in an opaline blue-gray dial and a denin-effect leather strap that looks like it was cut from a pair of blue jeans and you’ve got a recipe for a watch that’s impossible to purchase at retail.
H. Moser & Cie.
H. Moser & Cie. Pioneer Centre Seconds Concept Citrus Green
Moser’s playful personality comes through with this eccentric take on the Pioneer Centre Seconds sports watch thanks to a dégradé juicy citrus green dial surrounded by a luminous ring.
Rolex
Rolex GMT-Master II 126710GRNR
A more demure GMT-Master II, the GRNR swaps out the bright colors of its brethren for a subdued black and gray Cerachrom bezel, while its green dial text and GMT hand recall Rolex’s original all-black ceramic GMT from two decades ago.
Cartier
Cartier Santos-Dumont Rewind
Cartier quite literally plays with time on this limited-edition Santos-Dumont. Not only does its dial feature the numbers displayed in reverse but its movement is also engineered to run counterclockwise.
Chopard
Chopard Alpine Eagle XL Chrono Titanium
An extra sporty iteration of Chopard’s popular sports watch, this lightweight titanium flyback chronograph is only available on a slick rubber strap and features an “Rhône Blue” panda dial with the Alpine Eagle’s trademark iris pattern.
Jaeger-LeCoultre
Jaeger-LeCoultre Duometre Heliotourbillon
JLC shows off its mechanical prowess with a pair of firsts on this stunner. One is a new type of tourbillon that rotates on three different axes for heightened precision, the other being a patented feature that displays leap years in red on the perpetual calendar.
Patek Philippe
Patek Philippe World Time 5330G-001
The first World Time in Patek’s permanent collection to feature a date complication, the 5330G shows the date via a pointer mounted on a glass hand so as not to interrupt the symmetry of the dial. A denim-effect leather strap is the cherry on top that clues you into how unique and special this watch is.
Rolex
Rolex Sky Dweller 336935
With a slate dial and an Everose gold case and bracelet, this stunner marks the first time a Jubilee bracelet has been included with a precious metal Sky-Dweller. Of course, the watch retains its complex movement featuring a GMT, an annual calendar and Ring Command bezel control system.
Audemars Piguet
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar “John Mayer”
To bid farewell to its Calibre 5134, Audemars Piguet enlisted the help of musician (and mega watch collector) John Mayer to design the final Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar to ever house the movement. The resultant limited-edition watch is all kinds of gorgeous, with an 18K white gold case and bracelet and a striking blue dial with a shimmering “Crystal Sky” finish.
Blancpain
Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Automatique 42mm
After nearly two decades of only being available as a 45mm behemoth in Blancpain’s permanent collection, the brand released a smaller 42mm version of its flagship Fifty Fathoms Automatique in a more wearable 42mm size. Available in red gold or ultra-tough Grade 23 titanium, the more compact version of the iconic diver is still powered by the impressive in-house Cal. 1315 movement with its five-day power reserve.
Topper Jewelers
Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda PF Hijri Perpetual Calendar
Few brands know their way around a calendar complication like Parmigiani, which in addition to crafting a complete Chinese calendar Tonda PF also keeps track of the Muslim world with this beyond-impressive Hijri Perpetual Calendar featuring a stunning green dial and platinum bezel.
Audemars Piguet
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Selfwinding Flying Tourbillon Openworked “Sand Gold”
The Royal Oak is not only one of the most iconic watches ever made, but it’s also a platform for endless experimentation by Audemars Piguet. In this instance, the maison crafted a brand-new 18K gold alloy dubbed Sand Gold. The material’s appearance lies somewhere between white and rose gold, but its color dynamically shifts depending on the lighting and viewing angle.
Bulgari
Bulgari Octo Finissimo Automatic Sketch
For an avant-garde take on a skeleton watch, Bulgari watches creative director Fabrizio Buonamassa Stigliani sketched out a view of the Octo Finissimo’s movement, including the balance and micro-rotor, and transported it to the dial for a unique effect.
Glashütte Original
Glashütte Original Serenade Luna
Released to correspond with International Women’s Day in 2024, this line of ladies watches combines an elegant moonphase complication with diamond indices in a compact 32.5mm case. The German brand crafted an entirely new movement for the line, Calibre 35, which boasts 60 hours of power reserve and automatic winding via a solid red gold rotor.
Zenith
Zenith Defy Skyline Tourbillon
The Zenith Defy Skyline is one of the most compelling more affordable alternatives to the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak, but what if you want a less expensive version of the Royal Oak Tourbillon? Well, there’s a Defy Skyline for you, too. This version of Zenith’s sharp-angled sports watch features a tourbillon at six o’clock that whizzes around its axis at 36,000 VpH thanks to the high-frequency El Primero movement.
H. Moser & Cie.
H. Moser & Cie. Streamliner Perpetual Calendar Smoked Salmon
An even more minimalist take on Moser’s already absurdly minimalist perpetual calendar, the Smoked Salmon version adorns its tasty fumé dial with just five hands for the hours, minutes, center seconds, power reserve and a tiny hand in the middle to indicate the month. A date window appears adjacent to the crown at 4:30, and that’s it — not even a logo appears anywhere on the near-naked dial.
Girard-Perregaux
Girard-Perregaux Free Bridge Meteorite
One of the most modern variations of GP’s ancient Bridges platform, the Free Bridge Meteorite decorates its inverted movement “dial” with two meteorite bridges, symmetrically placed on the right and left. In between them are the mainspring barrel at 12 o’clock — with the spring facing out — and the balance wheel at six, creating a visually pleasing layout that’s also readable in the dark thanks to surprisingly good lume on the hands and indices.
Piaget
Piaget Polo 79
An ’80s icon reborn, the Polo 79 recreates Piaget’s most iconic watch with a cohesive design featuring a case, bracelet, dial, hands and indices all made of 18k yellow gold. Powering the svelte stunner is an ultrathin in-house automatic movement.
Zenith
Zenith El Primero Chronomaster Sport Titanium
Another twist on Zenith’s bestselling Chronomaster Sport platform, this version sees the sporting chronograph get a case and bracelet made from matte titanium for a low-key and lightweight style.
Urwerk
Urwerk UR-100V LightSpeed
In addition to displaying the time in unique rotating hour and minute “satellites” that rotate around the dial, this special version of Urwerk’s UR-100V features a display showing how long it takes light from the sun to reach each planet in our solar system.
Breitling
Breitling Chronomat Victoria Beckham
Designed in collaboration with Victoria Beckham, this special-edition Chronomat is limited to 1,500 examples across both yellow gold and stainless steel variants; each with a spring/summer-inspired dial chosen by the Spice Girl.
Hublot
Hublot Big Bang Integrated Tourbillon Full Purple Sapphire
There’s crazy, there’s Hublot crazy, and then there’s this. An openworked manufacture tourbillon movement and a case crafted from purple sapphire would be more than enough to make this watch a standout, but Hublot went the extra mile and made an entire bracelet out of purple sapphire. Granted, the brand released this exact watch in blue sapphire in 2023, but with purple watches being a hot trend at the moment, the 2024 version looks even better to my eye. Wearing the watch on the sapphire bracelet is a wild experience, it’s silky and smooth and feels like water on the wrist (in a good way). The whole package is very cohesive yet undeniably crazy.
Zenith
Zenith El Primero Chronomaster Original Triple Calendar
The El Primero Chronomaster Triple Calendar is back after a brief hiatus, now in the Original’s 38mm case and packing the 1/10th of a second chronograph El Primero movement. In other words, the watch is more impressive and attractive than its ever been. The triple calendar and moonphase are incorporated nicely into the three-register chronograph layout (even if some will lament the 4:30 date), and the fact that Zenith packed it all into an easy-wearing, classically-sized case is very impressive (and quite welcome). It may just be the most versatile chronograph on the market thanks to its compact size and dressy-sporty vibe.
Bulgari
Bulgari Bulgari
Bulgari’s 1970s fashion icon is back, with its release perfectly coinciding with a renewed desire in the market for retro gold watches from the ’70s and ’80s. Available in both this yellow gold/black dial version and rose gold style with a white dial, the new stunner maintains the original’s boldly-branded bezel but sees a decidedly upgraded movement in the form of Bulgari’s own BVL 191 automatic.
Daniel Roth
Daniel Roth Tourbillon Subscription
While not as recognizable of a name as Genta, the rebirth of watchmaker Daniel Roth’s brand is also exciting for watch collectors. Need proof? Over 1,000 well-connected and wealthy prospective buyers applied to buy one of the reborn brand’s first watch, but with only 20 being made, the vast majority were turned down. The Tourbillon Subscription watch is a reimagining of the first Daniel Roth watch from the ’80s, the Tourbillon Ref. 2187/C187, which is considered the first model from independent watchmaker’s brand. It features a brand-new tourbillon caliber developed in-house at La Fabrique du Temps and a solid gold guilloché dial like the one seen on the original.
Hublot
Hublot MP-10
Hublot knows it’s a polarizing brand — in fact, it embraces that identity. But however you feel about its designs, no one can question Hublot’s ingenuity. That’s especially true with its MP (Manufacture Piece) line, where the brand gets even more experimental than usual (which is saying something). For the MP-10, Hublot reimagined how an automatic watch creates energy and came up with a rotor-free system consisting of a pair of white gold blocks vertically mounted on posts and cushioned by tiny spring shock absorbers. As the blocks move up and down on the posts as you move your wrist, the movement is wound — as indicated by the cylindrical power reserve. The design has no dial or hands, and the time is read on rotating barrels for the hour and minutes with a 35-degree tourbillon acting as a seconds counter.
TAG Heuer
TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph Tourbillon
TAG Heuer Teal is quickly becoming a signature color for the brand, and I sure wouldn’t mind seeing it on more watches. But the most impressive application of the shade thus far has to be on the Carrera Chronograph Tourbillon. Seamlessly slipping a tourbillon into the beautiful Glassbox chronograph layout (though a few mm larger than usual to accomodate the complication) and topping it all off with that alluring blue-green hue, this watch is a real head-turner.
Zenith
Zenith El Primero Chronomaster Sport Gem-Set
The Chronomaster Sport is flashier than ever with this gem-set version. With a case and bracelet made from solid rose gold, a meteorite dial, diamond indices and a gem-set bezel fitted with a mix of diamonds, sapphires and spinels in blue, dark gray and light gray to match the iconic El Primero chronograph registers (clever), there certainly is a lot going on here — especially for a brand that’s not really known for making fancy, gem-set watches. But I’d be lying if I said it didn’t all come together in a cohesive and seriously gorgeous package. It really shows how the Chronomaster Sport can be a platform for a variety of unique styles, and I can’t wait to see what Zenith cooks up next.
Hublot
Hublot Big Bang Unico Green Saxem
Hublot’s Saxem material is a cousin to sapphire — it’s just as scratch-resistant and aluminum oxide-based but a bit different chemically, with rare Earth elements utilized to create brilliant colors. Each color takes around two years to develop, but green was the original and maybe still the best. Green Saxem looks especially good when used as the case for the Big Bang Unico chronograph, thanks to Hublot putting in the extra effort to perfectly match the hands and indices to the case’s dynamic color.
Bulgari
Bulgari Octo Finissimo Tuscan Copper
The Octo Finissimo is Bulgari’s daring platform, where the brand expands with crazy-thin movements and interesting case materials. But sometimes, the simplest takes on the form can be the most alluring. Take for instance this stainless steel iteration with a salmon dial. On paper, it’s among the most standard offerings of the Octo, but in the metal, it’s perhaps the most striking in the entire lineup.
Fleming
Fleming Series 1 Launch Edition
The debut watch from American watch collector Thomas Fleming’s eponymous brand, the Fleming Series 1 Launch Edition is an ambitious endeavour brought to life by some of the most skilled artisans in the industry. Available in three versions — rose gold, platinum and the pictured tantalum — the watch is powered by an original movement by Chronode and features a hand-decorated dial from Comblémine.
Breitling
Breitling Chronomat B01 42 Super Bowl LVIII
To celebrate Super Bowl LVIII between the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers, and to pay tribute to former NFL MVP and brand ambassador Boomer Esiason, Breitling made this special edition of the Chronomat, with a portion of sales going to the Boomer Esiason Foundation. The Super Bowl’s colorful Vegas logo is emblazoned on the sapphire caseback, but otherwise, this is the same Chronomat Chronograph we know and love, with a blue anthracite dial, a textured rubber strap and a solid red gold case.
Omega
Omega Speedmaster Dark Side of the Moon Apollo 8
The Speedmaster Dark Side of the Moon Apollo 8 Edition is a complete revamp of the original version that was released in 2018 for the 50th anniversary of the titular NASA mission. The 2024 iteration features a far more detailed image of the moon on both the front and back sides of the skeletonized movement, and the movement itself has been upgraded from the Calibre 1869 to the Calibre 3869. Both are manual wind chronographs, but the latter is a Co-Axial Master Chronometer, bringing the DSOTM more in line with other modern Omegas. Also, as a fun touch, the running seconds hand at 9 o’clock is now crafted from titanium in the shape of a Saturn V rocket like the one used on the Apollo missions.
H. Moser & Cie.
H. Moser & Cie. Streamliner Tourbillon Wyoming Jade
If the usual integrated bracelet sports watches leave you feeling blasé, then Moser’s Streamliner is for you. Its snake-like bracelet and sparse dial look like nothing else, and this version — executed in full 5N red gold with a piece of Wyoming jade stone for the dial with a hole carved out for the tourbillon — is even more unique than usual.