Editors' Picks: Our Favorite Watch Of The Year

The editorial team here at Teddy has gone through quite an exhaustive look back at 2024 and our favorite watches from this year that’s now drawing to a close. Of course, it wouldn’t be an Editors’ Picks series without choosing our favorite overall watch of the year. That isn’t to say that we are done with our lists, as there are stories about our personal watches we wore the most this year as well as a really fun piece that we won’t spoil quite yet. But getting back to the year that was, our picks really go all over the place in the best kind of way. So, here are our favorite watches from 2024 and, of course, make sure to share yours as well.

Bilal Khan: Cartier Santos-Dumont Rewind

The Santos-Dumont Rewind is one of the most creative watches of the last decade (and beyond). At first glance this is a typical Santos-Dumont, albeit with a stunning carnelian dial, but a closer look reveals the reversed Roman-numeral hour markers. While not the first watchmaker to have a counterclockwise dial (the Beuchat “Envers” from 1987 and Raketa Russian Code 0216 from 2016 come to mind), Cartier has certainly done it with the most style and thoughtfulness. Society agreed to tell the time clockwise because that direction mimics the movement of sundials from east to west, and even that only holds true for the Northern hemisphere. Rewiring our brains to read the time counterclockwise is odd at first, but it also forces us to confront just how many things are done because, well, that’s just how they’ve always been done. This watch was a stroke of brilliance from Cartier and also happens to prove that creativity and subtlety are not mutually exclusive. The use of a red stone dial was a design choice, but the ruby-red cabochon crown is Cartier’s designation for a platinum case. Only 200 lucky people will be able to get their hands on this watch, which is well worth the price of $38,400.

Mark Bernardo: Patek Philippe Cubitus Ref. 5822P-001

Choosing a Watch of the Year is a daunting task, mostly because there are so many different criteria one could use to make the decision: Which was the best seller, which was the most complicated, which was the most expensive or exclusive? All of these criteria (and whatever esoterica the GPHG employs for its annual awards) are perfectly valid, but as a journalist covering the watch world, my inclination is always to award the designation to the timepiece that was the most newsworthy. This year, there was only one instance I can recall when the entire watch-industry news cycle came to a halt and all of us in the horological media dropped what we were reporting on to give it some timely ink (virtual or actual) — and that was the September launch of the Patek Philippe Cubitus, specifically the high-horology headliner of that new family, the Cubitus Instantaneous Grande Date, Day and Moon Phases Ref. 5822P-001.

Now, I am sure that everyone reading this has by now formed their own opinion about the Cubitus — ranging from “Right on, Mark! Preach!” to “Maybe you need to give this watch thing a rest and go back to editing comic books” — but objectively, you must admit that it ticks many boxes for consideration. First major collection launch in years from a top brand? Check. Connection to the lineage of another iconic watch model, the Nautilus? Check. Controversy among the enthusiast community? Check, check, and double check. After several years of building out its core Calatrava and Aquanaut families in impressive but not entirely unpredictable fashion, it was time for Patek to shake things up — much like it had done way back in 1976 with the first Nautilus, the watch-industry game-changer from which the Cubitus unmistakably evolved.

Of course, Patek Philippe doesn’t do anything just to get attention. The unveiling of the maison’s first new men’s collection in decades also called for one of its now-legendary innovations in horological complication. As its lengthy moniker indicates, the Ref. 5822P-001 carries inside its 45mm platinum case an all-new, in-house movement (based on Patek’s venerable and acclaimed Caliber 240), with six patent applications, which powers the nearly unprecedented combination of an instantaneously changing large date with a moon-phase and day-of-the-week display that also change at the same time. It’s a user-friendly and deceptively “quiet” complication that nevertheless required a great deal of technical savoir faire: The new Caliber 240 PS CI J LU adds 104 total parts to the base caliber but adds only 0.77mm to the overall thickness, which is aided by the presence of a 22K gold micro-rotor. Every night at midnight, all the displays — the two coplanar date disks, the moon-phase disk, and the analog weekday — jump instantly within 18 milliseconds, using the energy accumulated during the day by the movement. The stage for all of this is a sunburst blue dial with white-gold baton hands and markers, framed by that oh-so-buzzed-about rectangular case with elegantly rounded edges and a thinness that belies its functionality, just 9.6mm. So far, this reference is only available in platinum — and certainly those looking to acquire their first Cubitus may lean more toward the more accessibly priced three-hand models — but if Patek’s tradition holds, we may see this quietly revolutionary calendar function in other models before long.

Danny Milton: Omega Speedmaster "First Omega in Space"

Omega has surprised almost countlessly since the Summer ended. And while we are wrapping our heads around everything from the secret Bond Seamaster to something called the Speedmaster Pilot, I continue to be smitten by the relaunch of the First Omega in Space. When the brand unveiled this watch, I wasn’t sure what to make of it. I hadn’t previously been the biggest fan of the older FOIS, and often felt it best for any prospective buyer to buy a regular Speedy. But something about this new version got me. Alright, I know exactly what got me: basically every design choice. There’s the blue dial, the patinated numerals, the flat-link bracelet, the vintage typography and the simple closed caseback. It’s basically a modern "Ed White" (the 321 version), in look and feel except for the 3861 movement and dial color. It’s perfect for a vintage-watch lover who wants a modern watch — which means it’s perfect for me.

Erin Wilborn: TAG Heuer x Kith Formula 1 

Watch of the year? More like watches of the year, am I right?! I’m already anticipating that this is a bit of a controversial pick, but I’m going to dig my heels in and double down that the colorful KITH Heuer revival of the 1980s Formula 1 was among the most fun and memorable releases of the year. 

My teeny vintage Heuer Professional is among the most worn and most loved pieces in my collection (more on that in a future episode of Editors’ Picks), and various vintage models of the original ‘86 Formula 1 series have been haunting my eBay cart for a long, long time now. So I was thoroughly primed to bow under the hype of a collab revival of an old fav. I am a sucker for a pick-your-own-color adventure (which is also probably why I like the vintage models so much). I love the funky shape of the bezel, and the faithful adherence to the original design. The true-to-vintage sizing is also right up my alley. Did I find it compelling enough to spend $1,500 of my own hard-earned cash? No, I did not. But the inflated prices on the secondary market tell me that other people did, and still do. 

Jonathan McWhorter: Albishorn Maxigraph

Watch of the Year is a hefty title, and while it wasn’t the most exciting year across the industry, there were still many standouts, and the crown is just as heavy as it would be any other year. Yet, there can be only one; so why the Albishorn Maxigraph?

Watches are inherently irrational objects: we don’t need them; they can be very expensive to make and very expensive to buy; and on the whole, they really aren’t that great at their intended purpose. Still, there’s an entire industry built around these things because they do so much more than tell the time. You know this; it’s why you’re here. This is also why the Maxigraph is my WotY. This was a watch I did not know existed until shortly before my meeting with the Albishorn team at Geneva Watch Days, yet I have not stopped thinking about it since I got up from the table in August. This is a watch that ignited a dormant sense of whimsy that can be very hard to unearth in an industry that takes itself quite seriously.

The Maxigraph takes an original premise (watches from a slightly alternate reality) and gives a thoughtful treatment and execution at a high level with a reasonable price, all with a sense of occasion (being a limited edition). These are all tenets I think we all can agree upon and value highly. When I had my hands on the watch at that meeting I was inspired and had a sense of excitement that I hadn’t found in a new watch release, I think, ever. 

I could go on and on about the proprietary retrograde display, the counterintuitive-yet-ergonomic design, the impressive level of finishing, etc. But I’m purposefully leaving out discussion of specs and numbers and other marketing talk because, while those things went a long way to make the watch what it is (and there is a lot of value in this piece) that’s not what makes this my Watch of the Year for 2024. The Maxigraph reminded me what makes watches fun in a real, visceral, arguably irrational way. To me, that’s what watches are all about.

Blake Buettner: Zenith Chronomaster Original Triple Calendar

Picking a watch of the year is tricky business, and always subject to change. There were many great watches released this year, and one that I keep coming back to is the Zenith Chronomaster Original Triple Calendar. The design recalls a concept from 1969 that never saw commercial production, and it happens to work surprisingly well in 2024. This is a lot of information to balance in the design of a dial, but Zenith pulls it off beautifully here thanks to the re-proportioning of the subdials, and clever use of apertures revealing the day and the month. It still feels like a Chronomaster, but has a distinct personality all its own. What’s more, Zenith doesn’t compromise the case dimensions with the added functionality, so, at 38mm in diameter and 13mm in thickness, it’s still just as easy to wear. Every iteration of this watch works for me, and it’s a pairing we don’t often see, so Zenith gets my nod for watch of the year for having the will to bring this one back, and to do it properly.

D.C. Hannay: Hermès Cut

I know I’ll probably get lit up in the comments like the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree, but go ahead, take your best shot. The Watch Of The Year 2024 for me is one that I feel took a big swing, and tattooed it right over the wall. That watch is the Hermès Cut, and now is the time when I back up my argument. The arguments against: the Cut is explicitly marketed as a woman’s watch. The Cut is from a high- fashion brand known for pricey handbags and scarves. And finally, the Cut doesn’t look anything remotely like a "watch guy watch." So now, as my man Jules Winnfield said in Pulp Fiction, “Well, allow me to retort.”

To the first point, yes, the case is 36mm, but this 36mm has presence. Yes, the Cut can be specified with diamonds, in two-tone, and on a brightly-colored rubber strap, but the basic all-steel model on the matched bracelet is a statement that works for any sex. To me, this is as much a design classic as anything from Cartier, which happens to make watches that can be worn effortlessly by almost anyone.

Secondly, Hermès is most renowned for its leather goods, but it has been rather serious about watchmaking for some time. One need only to look at the brand's catalog to see the incontrovertible evidence, which includes the squared-off H08, another bold design in a daringly different sport watch, and made from interesting materials like carbon fiber composite and ceramic. And with imaginative models like the Arceau, Hermès shows that it's serious about high horology, too. As for the Cut, it not only has 100 meters of water resistance (to ward off impromptu dunks in the Trevi Fountain, or errant splashes of Cristal), but a legit movement in the no-date H1912 automatic from Vaucher Manufacture Fleurier, with a 50-hour power reserve and H-branded detailing visible through the display caseback. So forgive me if I take offense at the notion that Hermès is, like some fashion brands, trading in cheaply-made, branded quartz watches. Perish the thought.

And to my final point, I am most definitely a “watch guy,” and if your tastes extend even slightly past the realm of the boring and predictable, you’ll be rewarded with a highly original design. This case wins by not adding on, but by removing excess. The Cut moniker alludes to the sheared-off sections of that circular case that give the watch its distinct profile, but it could very well stand for the way it cuts through the noise of yet another me-too design, because in most years, my Watch Of The Year would likely be a dive watch, a chrono, or some other offshoot of the tool-watch branch of watchmaking. The Cut is all about the details that remain, including the stylized font and signature orange dial touches, the crown at 1:30, the softly contoured H-link bracelet, and the overall fit and finish. The Hermès design language is present, as cool and effortless as ever, and I wouldn’t be surprised if the Cut lineup expands into more sizes down the road. And given its winning, original design, I foresee it becoming a classic in its own right.