watches and wonders 2024 Chopard

Fratello On Air: Watches And Wonders 2024 — Much Ado About Nothing

A few highlights at a snoozefest

Michael & Balazs

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After a three-week break, Fratello On Air returns. One of us traveled to Geneva, while the other went to Florida. Both of us saw fancy cars, but only one of us saw impressive watches. The question of who might have a surprising answer! Watches and Wonders 2024 has come and gone, and, frankly, it was a bit of a stinker.

Watches and Wonders 2024 certainly delivered on the first half of its name. The second part? Not so much in our opinion. There were several nice releases, but we’ll go on record to say there wasn’t a shocking piece that set the watch world on edge. We discuss why it was such a dull event. Of course, we mention our favorites and bring up some of the questionable releases. We hope you enjoy the show!

Handgelenkskontrolle

Before heading to our main topic of Watches and Wonders 2024, we spend some time talking about movies and television. Long flights and travel have allowed us to catch up on recent films and shows. As far as the Handgelenkskontrolle, Balazs is sporting a pre-production watch from TUUL. This is a military-style watch from a new independent watch company out of Brooklyn. Mike is wearing his L-series Rolex Explorer 1016, a watch that came on his trip to Florida.

Watches and Wonders 2024

We move on to our main topic of Watches and Wonders 2024. Balazs was on the ground in Geneva, while Mike covered some of the releases from South Florida. Overall, we felt this was one of the sleepiest years in recent memory. The color variants were more common than actual new watches. The new watches that did arrive weren’t landmark pieces. As far as our favorites, we liked the (simultaneously released) Nivada F77, L.U. Chopard sector-dial pieces, TAG Heuer Skipper in 18K rose gold, Zenith Triple Calendar Boutique Edition (though it wasn’t a W&W release), and Tudor Black Bay 58 GMT. We discuss the odd gold Rolex Deepsea, Cartier Santos-Dumont Rewind, Bremont revision, and Patek “Canadian Tuxedo” models.

What were your thoughts on Watches and Wonders 2024? Did you enjoy it? We hope you enjoy this episode, at least, and we look forward to coming back to you next week! If you have any ideas for future shows, please let us know.

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Fratello On Air: Watches And Wonders 2024 — Much Ado About Nothing

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Nicholas Franklin says:

Apr 16, 2024 at 09:55

Absolutely in one of the more boring years from pretty much every brand.

Reply
Warky says:

Apr 16, 2024 at 10:09

I didn’t find the coverage of the event very interesting- but then there are only a handful of watches that I would consider buying at retail these days so new releases don’t particularly excite me.

Pre-owned is where it’s at these days 🤷‍♂️

Reply
1. RW
  Richard says:
  
  Apr 16, 2024 at 21:55
  
  Well said, Warky. As retail prices go up, the secondary market gets more and more attractive.
  
  Reply
2. Moonwatcher says:
  
  Apr 17, 2024 at 14:29
  
  Oh well, someone’s got to buy them new if they have to become pre-owned at some point.
  
  Reply
  1. Warky says:
    
    Apr 17, 2024 at 14:42
    
    Well yes and no – they will just either get massively discounted to better reflect their market value or we will get the return of the grey market proper.
    
    Lest you don’t remember, that’s where brands and ADs bail unsold watches out the back door for cost price to dealers who when sell them for a lot less than retail but without “stamped” warranty cards.
    
    Reply
MB
MarkBu says:

Apr 16, 2024 at 10:14

Fully agree with the title of this piece. I really liked the sector-dial Chopards as well and the GS SLGW003 was a looker. Very little else interested me much and I haven’t the time to list out the ones I thought were rubbish (although one was the ugliest application of a split-second chronograph function I’ve ever seen).

Reply
MG
maciej-g says:

Apr 16, 2024 at 10:41

I would say the JLCs are true wonders. Weren’t they inspiring?

The Rolexes were wonders too… wonders from hell but still… Weren’t the Bvlgaris wonders (I don’t like them either but that’s beside the point).

Reply
1. balazs says:
  
  Apr 16, 2024 at 12:18
  
  Yes, JLC had an amazing line up. And they were not the only ones. Then again, I can hardly associate myself with 400.000€ watches 🙂
  
  Reply
  1. MG
    maciej-g says:
    
    Apr 16, 2024 at 14:07
    
    Well… neither do I… but then, I hardly associate myself with wonders in general… except for my wife and kids…
    
    Reply
2. Robert-Jan says:
  
  Apr 16, 2024 at 12:32
  
  Bvlgari was not part of Watches & Wonders.
  
  Reply
  1. MG
    maciej-g says:
    
    Apr 16, 2024 at 14:07
    
    Thank you for clarifying this, Mr R-J.
    
    Reply
3. Zer0sixty says:
  
  Apr 16, 2024 at 13:27
  
  I would put the IWC Portugieser Eternal Calendar in the Wonders box.
  
  Reply
1Gav1 says:

Apr 16, 2024 at 10:43

The new model line Thierry Stern said was coming this year not materialising, instead giving us some denim, was honking.

Reply
1. Mike Stockton says:
  
  Apr 16, 2024 at 14:34
  
  I’d just like to see a nice, reasonably sized, non-glitzy, manual wind Calatrava again…amazing that there really isn’t one anymore since the departure of the 5196
  
  Reply
  1. 1Gav1 says:
    
    Apr 16, 2024 at 15:10
    
    I would normally say I’m totally with you on that one Mike, as I’ve been hoping for/predicting a new 96 reference for the past three years to no avail. But I think it’s time to play it like Red in The Shawshank Redemption where every year he goes to his parole hearing making the best effort to persuade the board he’s a reformed man only to be denied, until one year he goes in and gives it ‘lol couldn’t care less’ and they approve it.
    
    So you go on and release your denim, Patek, because to tell you the truth…I don’t give a sh*t. ¦D
    
    Reply
  2. Rv
    Roy-65 says:
    
    Apr 18, 2024 at 11:50
    
    Amen mighty Mike!
    
    I agree and when in Amsterdam: You show me yours and I show you mine…. Calatrava.
    
    In the podcast you already mentioned the trend of smaller watches.
    And Patek is still a few years behind in “the bigger is better” period.
    
    The manually wound Calatrava 6119G is 39 mm, like the automatic Calatrava 5227.
    The watch gets credit for the large new manually wound movement 30-255 PS.
    And…. the movement is visible through the crystal cashback.
    
    It’s much bigger than the old 215 movement in the 5196 series.
    For me most of the time bigger is better but not always. I love the brave 215 and ignore the negative comment about how small it is.
    I really don’t care. Firstly you can’t even see it an secondly it works very accurate. And it’s a beauty.
    
    Reply
MG
maciej-g says:

Apr 16, 2024 at 10:44

Interestingly–I think the “panda” Carrera Glassbox is my favourite watch of the whole event–from what I saw online, I admit.

Reply
1. Mike Stockton says:
  
  Apr 16, 2024 at 14:33
  
  Definitely agree that TAG has hit upon something with this watch…very happy to see them doing nice things.
  
  Reply
  1. MG
    maciej-g says:
    
    Apr 16, 2024 at 14:35
    
    But I agree–it’s not a Wonder:-) But a very good, wearable, not-too-expensive- classic chrono–which is good enough.
    
    Reply
PS
PSmith says:

Apr 16, 2024 at 12:55

Yawn…snoozer. W&W was quite unremarkable this year. I think all the crazy hype about watches during Covid has fizzled out to zero. No one I know is interested in buying brand new watches at retail. People are looking at pre-owned neo-vintage, if they’re looking. I myself am open to buying a fairly priced watch this year but I’m not in a rush to part with my hard earned money.

Reply
CD
Christopher Dean says:

Apr 16, 2024 at 15:03

Generally speaking for me it was a year to forget from most brands. Chopard LUC continue to gain further resect.
Too many showoff pieces from Rolex and others.

Reply
AM
Veliero says:

Apr 16, 2024 at 15:25

It was enough to almost make me give up this wonderful hobby. This year most the brands were just lazy and look like they are starting to take their customers very much for granted.

Reply
1. Serious_Panther says:
  
  Apr 16, 2024 at 16:10
  
  I don’t know exactly why this year’s W&W had a bit of this effect on me, too… Maybe it emphasized too many of the things I am burnt out on in the watch space. My remedy has been to wear a 449 $ microbrand watch that was well designed, well thought out and really directed to me as a customer. Which wasn’t the case of many W&W news. And I actually own Rolex and Tudor, I even contemplated selling those for a few days.
  
  Reply
  1. AM
    Veliero says:
    
    Apr 16, 2024 at 17:05
    
    I totally get where you are coming from. In the last 12 months I have bought a mix of high end watches and then several microbrand or sub 1k watches. What brings me a smile…………….., my Vario 1945 which was sub USD 400 and my Certina DS 38mm Ti. In my view and for the forseeable future, other than two specials arriving, microbrand will be where my focus is and for me, is a happy place to play, where customer service thrives.
    
    Reply
    1. Serious_Panther says:
      
      Apr 16, 2024 at 18:46
      
      Amen to that!
      
      Reply
2. DM
  TacoPants says:
  
  Apr 16, 2024 at 16:31
  
  Personally I’m Ok with a slow down of releases. Things have been hot and heavy for a few years. It’s ok to take a collective breath and pause. Especially since the industry has been hiking prices like mad. A moment of reflection and regroup is welcome…and probably necessary to help digest the fact that the eat and potatoes of their client base isn’t infinitely large or infinitely wealthy
  
  Reply
Gerard says:

Apr 16, 2024 at 16:00

Hi, love the podcast. Great work. You (Balazs) mentioned other online media outlets painted a very different picture about W&W, loving everything it appeared. And you said next those brands payed for the trip of those media outlets. I think in this specific case you should have mentioned also that the Richemont group payed for the trip of the Fratello team as RJ said in the recent Dutch watch podcast “Mannen van de Tijd”. Not hating here but I think it’s fair when you say something like that about your competition you should be transparent about Fratello’s case.

Reply
1. Robert-Jan says:
  
  Apr 16, 2024 at 16:06
  
  Hi,
  
  Let me chime in here. Balazs’s trip wasn’t paid for by brands, he came on his own. The other Fratello staff who were there were on invitation by Richemont (hotels and flights taken care of). That said, it doesn’t buy our opinion and neither do the brands expect us to do that.
  
  Reply
  1. Gerard says:
    
    Apr 16, 2024 at 17:15
    
    I did not not say that (buying an opinion) RJ, or implied it. Or even think it. But if you make a point about other publications getting trips paid you should perhaps be transparant. And if you can’t be transparant don’t mention this about others. It’s my opinion and you can have yours. All good.
    
    Reply
    1. Robert-Jan says:
      
      Apr 16, 2024 at 22:16
      
      Hi Gerard, I think we are very transparent. That’s all I meant to say.
      
      Reply
  2. RW
    Richard says:
    
    Apr 16, 2024 at 20:24
    
    RJ – Fratello’s work speaks for itself. More than any other publication, Fratello’s writing is consistently independent and its writers routinely point out a watch’s highs and lows, both in print and in its podcasts.
    
    Reply
  3. balazs says:
    
    Apr 16, 2024 at 20:51
    
    RJ is right and so are you. And I did not necessarily mean the articles rather the social media coverage. I don’t want to sound sour or be a hater. I’m not. We’ve seen some truly incredible watches but not everything was great. That’s all. Having said that you are right, we have different opinions and that’s how it should be.
    
    Reply
Doiglas Waterbottom says:

Apr 16, 2024 at 16:33

I’m not sure if Doxa was part of Watches & Wonders because the sub 200t came out a day before the show, but think they should be praised a bit for a. Creating a thinner/smaller piece and b. Making the price extremely reasonable. I don’t think anyone would have batted an eye had it been the same price as the sub 300t. Honestly think I’m going to move a few pieces and have the 200t be my first doxa. Should be great on my 6” wrist

Reply
RW
Richard says:

Apr 16, 2024 at 20:22

Agree with you guys that W and W wasn’t very exciting. For me, it’s a bit sad to see Rolex trying to push its way into the holy trinity and leaving tool watch category behind. But I suppose that’s what Tudor is for. The Monochrome 41 is really nice, and what I would get if I wanted a Sub.

Aside from that, the Duometre was really special.

Reply
Francisco Falcao says:

Apr 17, 2024 at 12:44

Sorry, feels like the article was cut short?Where are the questionable choices?

Maybe I missed something^^

Reply
JW
wattsjr9 says:

Apr 17, 2024 at 15:50

What was the best $10k USD watch released this year at w&w?

Reply
Matt_McD says:

Apr 17, 2024 at 15:55

This is the podcast I most look forward to, among the half dozen or so watch pods that I hit frequently. The opinions are pretty unvarnished, and I appreciate that. I don’t think any other big podcasts or blogs (except one smaller pod, lol) discussed the Bremont (BreMontblanc??) relaunch, for example. Good stuff all around from “Fratello on Air” IMslightlybiasedO

Reply
Rv
Roy-65 says:

Apr 17, 2024 at 18:11

Wow, I missed you, three weeks without any Fratello on Air is toooo long.
I specially missed the weather reports and streaker content.

For me all the topics are nice. Just listening to you two chatting about first world problems gives me the “All is well” vibe.
To enjoy this podcast to the max, I stretched it out over two days.

My two cents about the (over) pricing in the watch business.
Maybee I’m too deep into conspiracy theories but I know for a fact that Supermarket A-Brands calculate their European pricing by an algorithm. Many A-Brand are cheaper in Germany than in the Netherlands. Apparently the Dutchies are richer and are able/willing to pay more for the same product. The algorithm calculates for each country the price for the highest profit they can get.

The watch companies might do the same. During Covid they all saw the sky was the limit.
Start algorithm : “What if I rise the prices 10% … 20 …. 30 %?
Answer algorithm: “You make more profit”.

It might work for some companies. But for all companies? At the same time?
I don’t thing the algorithm included that all companies would rise prices.

What’s next? Dumping watches on the boiler-room secondary market or big discounts in the shops.
Me like discounts.

Reply
RW
Richard says:

Apr 20, 2024 at 23:24

I don’t recall if you guys went in depth on this, but PP reducing its water resistance, accross the board, down to 30meters for all watches including the Aquanaut was an odd decision. Fine for dress watches, but not so fine for a watch that has the word “aqua” in its name and comes on a rubber strap!

Reply

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