Fresh From The Fair: Nacho’s Favorite Watches And Wonders 2026 Releases

The sun has officially set on Watches and Wonders 2026. The Fratello team is back home, and after a couple of days of R&R, we’re back to it. Heated discussions have been taking place at HQ, with the team debating the show’s most significant releases, unexpected charmers, notable omissions, and personal favorites. As we begin to digest everything we saw, we’ll bring you a series of our personal standouts, and it’s on me to kick it off. In hindsight, with the fog of war now gone, this year was a real treat in terms of great releases appealing to my taste. And though some of the brands that usually deliver ended up disappointing (sorry, Tudor), others made up for it with some truly excellent new watches.

If you’ve been doing some digital detox or have just skimmed the surface of Watches and Wonders, I’d recommend you check out our page dedicated to all the novelties. This will give you a more complete overview of the watches unveiled last week. But now, on to what I consider the best of the best, starting with a pair of titanium dual-time integrated-bracelet sports watches that will haunt my dreams for the foreseeable future.

Vacheron Constantin Overseas Dual Time Cardinal Points

They say you should never meet your heroes. And I almost did just that. Having decided to prioritize others this year, I didn’t book a session with Vacheron Constantin. That nearly cost me seeing what is unlikely to be dethroned as my favorite watch released in 2026 (and, for that matter, in all my years at Watches and Wonders). It’s the new VC Overseas Dual Time Cardinal Points. This new titanium Overseas is based on the OG “Everest” model introduced in 2021 as a limited edition of 150 pieces. The original was based on a prototype worn by Cory Richards on a bid to climb its namesake peak. Now, it joins Vacheron’s catalog as a production model in four distinctive colorways inspired by the cardinal points. Notably, these models now come on a full-titanium bracelet, of which only a pre-production mockup previously existed.

I fell in love with the silvery-white dial from the moment I laid eyes on the press images. It takes one of my all-time favorite watches — the closest thing that comes to a true “grail” in my book — and gives it a perfect spin. The 41mm size is perfect on my wrist, and with a 12mm thickness, it’s as light and slim as you could ever hope. In fact, what I love the most about this watch is that the luxuriousness usually associated with the Overseas just melts away. In this spec, it gives way to what feels like an incredibly capable tool watch made to be put through its paces off the beaten path. The only things that make you realize this is a €40k+ watch are the quality of the finishing and movement inside.

I’ll formally apologize in advance for how often I’ll be mentioning this one in the coming months.

Laurent Ferrier Sport Traveller

Another remarkable watch introduced this year is the Laurent Ferrier Sport Traveller. This slightly upscaled version of the brand’s most recognizable model adds a dual-time complication. Following up on last year’s dressier implementation of this feature, this is a welcome change. I love the subtle combination of a matte gray dial with the minty/teal lume on its hands and markers. Surpassing the Vacheron Constantin in horological terms, the newly improved LF275.01 caliber inside is a real showstopper. To me, though, it’s the integration of the home time zone and the pushers used to set the local time that I love. Combined with the onion crown and organic shapes of the Sport case, it’s all a little bit odd and asymmetrical. But it brings it all together in a way that makes the watch incredibly charming. This watch was never going to be a crowd-pleaser, but I’m all here for it.

Grand Seiko Evolution 9 Spring Drive U.F.A. Ushio 300 Diver

Up next is Grand Seiko’s latest addition to its range of dive watches. The brand does this in style, with a pair of Spring Drive U.F.A. Ushio 300 divers with an expertly reproportioned case. With a 40.8mm diameter, 12.9mm thickness, and titanium construction, they’re a dream to wear. But it doesn’t stop at the case. The bracelet now tapers slightly and features both a dive extension and a toolless micro-adjustment system. Inside, the caliber 9RB2 boasts a seriously impressive accuracy of ±20 seconds per year. And for those who know my opinion on power reserve indicators on dials, I stand by the fact that these watches (like many before it) would be better without one. Still, something about its execution on these particular models doesn’t make my skin crawl, so I’m okay with giving it a pass on account of all the other things the SLGB023 and SLBG025 excel at.

Sinn 544 and 544 RS

Up next was a pleasant surprise from Sinn. The Frankfurt am Main-based brand joined the fair for the first time this year, and though nothing quite beat last year’s releases, the new 544 and 544 RS models make the cut. With a downsized 38.5mm diameter and mere 10mm thickness, they hit a sweet spot in terms of size and wearability. Though I normally prefer Sinn’s more complicated or purpose-oriented options, the simplicity here is a delight. And it comes at no compromise of Sinn’s signature build quality, legibility, and specs. At €1,740 on the steel bracelet, it’s a perfect daily wearer that will almost certainly never let you down. You’ll just have to decide if you want a red seconds hand or the fully monochromatic alternative.

Panerai Luminor PAM01731

My final pick results from the aforementioned post-Watches and Wonders synthesis of everything I saw. The new Panerai Luminor PAM01731 was not a watch I saw at the fair; I saw it a few weeks earlier. Somehow, it then didn’t really factor in my mind when thinking about the show’s releases. However, when memories of its matte “tobacco” brown dial and perfectly sized 44mm Luminor case came flooding back, I couldn’t help but place it in my top five. Having owned a 44mm Luminor with a brown dial (my beloved PAM00055), it should not come as a surprise that I enjoyed this one. The sandwich dial and gold accents give this watch a distinctly elevated look compared to my more basic version, which I very much appreciate. At €8,900, it’s a strong move that I would love to make again someday.

Nacho’s favorite Watches and Wonders 2026 releases

Other highlights from the fair include the Patek 6105 Celestial Sunrise and Sunset and 5396 Annual Calendar Moonphase, one for being a bold (and slightly out-there) offering, and the other for its classy looks done right. I also want to mention the Alpina Startimer Pilot Automatic, now in a very wearable 40mm case with oversized lume numerals. For the price (€1,295), it’s a great alternative to something like a Vertex M100. Finally, I’ll also mention the Nomos Club Sport Neomatik Worldtimer in its new matte-white-dial iteration (ref. 792). This is undoubtedly the best standard-production version of the watch to date.

There you have it, folks! Those are the watches that caught my eye at Watches and Wonders 2026. I didn’t get into what I saw outside the walls of the Palexpo building, where there were plenty of remarkable watches as well. Perhaps I’ll get to those another time. For now, let me know your top-five novelties from this year’s fair in the comments below. And stay tuned for those from my colleagues, coming your way soon.