【F】 Thomas’s Watches and Wonders 2026 Favorites

As Fratello writers, my colleagues and I always have this article in the back of our minds as we work our way through the Watches and Wonders peak workload. We all know that sooner rather than later, Head of Content Nacho will schedule a Watches and Wonders 2026 favorites article for each of us, so we all take notes as we write one release article after another. Slowly but surely, we may see a theme emerge. In my case — and to my surprise — that theme is conservative classics.

Don’t get me wrong; I am all for innovation and daring new designs. Somehow, though, none of those really caught my attention this time around. It was, in many ways, an odd show this year. We could see brands wrestling with the changing tides in the industry. For whatever reason, this caused me to appreciate the subtler updates to familiar recipes over the more radically new. Maybe I am reading too much into it, and these are just my Watches and Wonders 2026 favorites because they suit my taste. Let’s not waste any more time on analysis and just dive in. Of all the watches presented, these are the ones I would consider buying.

My Watches and Wonders 2026 favorites — Pick #1: Cartier Tortue Monopoussoir

You know what? Let me rank my Watches and Wonders 2026 favorites for a change. My absolute number one — and you probably saw this coming — is the Cartier Privé Tortue Monopoussoir. When Cartier reintroduced the Tortue Monopoussoir in 2024, it was instant grail material for me. Crazily enough, Cartier managed to improve that watch for 2026.

The 2024 Tortue

This new iteration nods to the 1998 CPCP (Collection Privée Cartier Paris) version. It features a cleaner dial with a single Roman numeral at 12 o’clock. The 34.8mm-wide platinum case, however, still has a 43.7mm length and 10.2mm thickness, and inside still ticks the hand-wound monopusher chronograph caliber 1928 MC.

The differences are aesthetic. The opaline dial now features a cleaner layout with its printing in burgundy rather than black. It comes with beaded, applied hour markers and a lot more negative space than before. Although I certainly would not kick the 2024 version out of my watch box if it magically landed there, I prefer this updated version.

Pick #2: Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Control Chronometre Perpetual Calendar

Second place among my Watches and Wonders 2026 favorites goes to Jaeger-LeCoultre. Maybe this is unfair, as it was the release that delighted me the most, and it could take the number 1 spot as a result. I have a major soft spot for JLC, and I want the maison to do well. For a long time, though, it seemed the watchmaker’s watchmaker struggled to develop something that could rival its iconic Reverso or, at least, sit proudly beside it. As soon as I saw the press image of the new Master Control Chronometre, my heart jumped. Yes, Jaeger! Now we’re talking!

I absolutely love the way JLC integrated the case and bracelet. Even within a completely oversaturated market for integrated-bracelet, blue-dial watches, this feels fresh and original. The design is complex enough to grab your attention yet clean enough not to appear contrived. The proportions are spot on, as is the overall design. Crucially, it exudes that restrained, confident Jaeger-LeCoultre DNA. This is the integrated-bracelet watch you wear if you know your stuff, not if you want to signal your wealth.

My favorite in the lineup is the steel perpetual calendar. As a self-proclaimed advocate for base models, I surprised myself here. For some reason, the busy yet structured dial contrasts that beautiful exterior perfectly. The caliber 868 inside offers all the horological street cred you could desire. I, for one, hope that this is the birth of a new hit model for Jaeger-LeCoultre, and I cannot wait to see more iterations in the future.

Watches and Wonders 2026 favorites — Pick #3: A. Lange & Sohne Saxonia Annual Calendar

Okay, on to number three of my Watches and Wonders 2026 favorites. This is far from a show-stopping, awe-inspiring new drop. Instead, it shows control and restraint. It demonstrates that there is still room for the subtler, more refined things in life. Call me dull, but I like that a lot.

The A. Lange & Söhne Saxonia Annual Calendar wasn’t completely new. Lange made annual calendar watches before. What is new, though, is the ultra-compact 36 × 9.8mm case, a new caliber, and a refined design. And, boy, is it refined. I love small, complicated watches. I particularly like how they demand closer inspection. Closer inspection, in this case, reveals tons of lovely details. If I can highlight just one, look at those hobnail ends to the applied indexes.

I also appreciate the counterintuitive nature of this watch within Lange’s lineup. A. Lange & Söhne isn’t typically too bothered with subtlety and smaller dimensions. Its movements are expansive and deep, and the resulting watches tend to be big and impressive. The Saxonia Annual Calendar might well be overlooked in the boutique, lost in the shock-and-awe violence of its brethren. Still, I reckon any lucky owner will develop an intimate connection with it while discreetly wearing it for decades.

Overall impressions

There you have it — my three Watches and Wonders 2026 favorites, ranked in order of how intensely they stoked the fire of my desires. Actually, these three would make a pretty impressive three-watch collection, don’t you think? Interestingly, I did not feature any true sports watches this year. I would usually look to Rolex and Tudor for that, but I found their drops to be deeply disappointing and uninspired. I considered the Vacheron Constantin Overseas Dual Time Cardinal Points, but I fear it would leave me longing for an Everest.

Other honorable mentions go to the Overseas Self-Winding Ultra-Thin in platinum and the super-slim Patek Philippe Nautilus, also in platinum. I also admire the new Patek Ellipse in green, but the contrast stitching on the strap absolutely ruins it for me. I know, I know; you can swap straps. But to earn a spot among my Watches and Wonders 2026 favorites, a watch needs to come on the right strap straight out of the boutique.

All in all, without meaning to, I picked a bunch of conservative classics. Oh well, there’s nothing wrong with playing it safe during uncertain times, is there?

What are your Watches and Wonders 2026 favorites? Share them in the comments section below!