This story is from an installment of In the Loupe, our weekly insider newsletter about the best of the watch world. Sign up here.

Sure, we’re on the brink of seeing a ton of new watches next month in Geneva, but 2026 has already delivered an impressive run of novelties. Since LVMH Watch Week in late January, a flurry of alluring jump-hour pieces, inventive independent creations, and technically ambitious complications has given enthusiasts plenty to talk about.

We have our own favorites, of course—but we wanted to know which new releases collectors themselves admire and covet most. So we asked 10 of the industry’s sharpest commentators to cast an informal vote for their favorite watch of the year so far. Drumroll, please.

Erika Ratini, @watchmissgmt

“We’re only a couple of months into 2026, and I am already looking forward to spending time on the water. The recent release of the TAG Heuer Carrera Seafarer hooked me immediately (pun intended). This release is a gentle nod to the original ‘Heuer-made’ Seafarer for Abercrombie and Fitch. What I appreciate most about this release is that it brings back a tide indicator function that shows the changing of the tides, a very useful maritime complication that you rarely see today. TAG Heuer did a fantastic job reimagining the new Seafarer in such a way that feels authentic to the heritage. In a sea of vintage-inspired watches, this release actually brings the function back, not just a story!”

Alexander Friedman, cofounder, CollectorSphere

“The Niton Prima. Why? Jumping hour complication, impeccable execution, in-house movement with Geneva Seal, very legitimate history, revived Genevan heritage and highly collectible for the subscription release.”

Tim Green, head of commercial, Subdial

“The two-tone Piaget Polo79. I think Piaget is just brilliant. It’s kind of tastefully ostentations, if that’s not too much of an oxymoron. This one is mostly white gold and I’m so glad they’re still making these things. They were really important watches in the ’70s and ’80s, and I think they fit so well in today’s world.”

Jeff Kingston, collector and watchmaking expert

“The Blancpain Grand Double Sonnerie. It’s out of my price range but for me, it’s the most interesting watch to have debuted in many years, in every dimension: its complications, the quality of its sound, the way it was constructed. There have been grand complications we’ve seen throughout the watch world and they are almost uniformly done as sandwiches — you do the minute repeater section, then put a calendar plate on top, then the chronograph plate and so on, like sandwiches. A much harder and more interesting way to make the watch is as a fully integrated movement. Not only is it an incredibly complicated watch that plays two melodies with four hammers, it’s integrated into the same movement as a tourbillon and a perpetual calendar, no sandwich.” [Kingston is a Blancpain historian and editorial consultant for the brand.]

Charity Mhende, @pulseonthewrist

“So far, the Cape Cod Mini feels genuinely exciting. It’s charmingly small, the color range is playful while still feeling very Hermès, and the whole thing has a lightness that’s quite appealing. Brands have been miniaturizing their watches lately, and shrinking down a classic like this feels perfectly in step with the moment. The ribbon-like strap detail also adds a lovely sense of elegance, it softens the watch and gives it a slightly more whimsical, almost jewelry-like presence on the wrist.”

Darren, @diversewatchcollector

“The first piece that comes to mind is the Toledano & Chan B/1.3r. I’m a huge fan of what they do, bringing something completely fresh to the market with their Brutalist design. Their latest iteration in a slightly smaller form in titanium with the wave pattern solid gold dial is superb, never mind the joy of that stepped crystal.”

James Schaaf, cofounder, CollectorSphere

“Something that particularly captured my attention since first seeing it in November is a remarkably elegant one-hand watch: a platinum-cased piece with a tantalum caseback and a refined blue dial. Certain elements of the watch were produced by the highly respected Nicolas Delaloye, yet the broader vision behind the watch comes from a fellow enthusiast and member of the Turicum Watch Group, Seb Bey‑Haut. The watch itself is aptly called ‘La Parfait’ by Mermont.

“What makes a watch truly compelling is often difficult to articulate. Beyond the familiar pillars of materials, complications, finishing, and technical merit, there is sometimes an intangible element, a certain coherence or emotional clarity, that elevates a watch from being simply well-made to genuinely interesting to a watch-a-holic. The Mermont watch embodies this quality. It is understated yet strikingly elegant, thoughtfully designed and, at CHF 11,000, very fairly priced.”

Lex Borrero, collector

“I have to be honest: I love what LVMH and La Fabrique du Temps are doing. I got to go to LVMH Watch Week in Milan and I saw the Daniel Roth skeleton. And I loved that watch because it’s not just showing the movement. They recreated a movement in order for it to sit the way that it sits and be able to show you every intricate part. To me, that’s one of the watches where I’m like, ‘Okay, I need this. I really, really, really loved that.

“LVMH is rocking it right now. I’m a big believer in what they’re doing, and I proved it by spending money with them.”

Andrea Casalegno, @iamcasa

My favorite watch of 2026 is “my first ever perpetual calendar: a Blancpain from the late ’80s in a 33 mm yellow gold round case, with leap year indication at 12. To me, this watch is proof that there is still a way to get a beautiful watch for a fair price. In my vision, this represents the absolute best buy at the moment: craftsmanship, intrinsic value, beauty, classicism, high-end watchmaking—and all for a fraction of the price of a modern watch.”

Michael Hickcox, collector

“The piece this year that has impressed me the most is the Daniel Roth Extra Plat Skeleton. Skeletons can be a tricky proposition—sometimes you try them on and the sight of your wrist hair through the other side scares you to smithereens. This one appears to be exceptionally well done. In an age where the Pateks of the world can’t recall what an interior angle looks like, Daniel Roth has laid down the gauntlet.”