We’re well into 2023, a year we have been anticipating since the beginning of the previous one. The trauma of COVID-19 is moving further behind us, AI is advancing at quicker speeds, and most importantly, summer is almost here. Time is the vehicle that drives everything forward. Without permission, it operates omnisciently undetectable to the eye, yet is bigger than us all. But somehow we’ve managed to capture it through centuries of evolving technologies, from the sun’s rays to minuscule motored gears.
Related: Seiko announces new Prospex GMT luxury watches 2023
This year’s new men’s watch releases take inspiration from the unwavering beauty of permanence. Though the passing of time will never change, time changes everything as it passes. It’s this very dichotomy that amplifies the craftsmanship of each launch.
The natural colors of the earth inspired Omega’s new Aqua Terra Shades collection. And the new Audemars Piguet Code 11.59 is meant to travel through time until 2044. If there’s one lesson to be learned from the inevitability of time, it’s that it always circles back. These five new releases encapsulate the past, present, and future within every detail at every tick of the hand.
New men’s watches: Bremont Broadsword Recon Limited Edition
During the Second World War, the British Ministry of Defense deemed civilian watches unsuitable for battle and sent official UK examiners to Switzerland to find higher-quality manufacturers. They chose 12 maisons to produce the British Military watches, which earned them the moniker of “The Dirty Dozen”. Bremont’s newest Broadsword Recon pays homage to the legendary Dirty Dozen field watches by releasing these limited 200 pieces.
Told in the same language as the popular Broadsword design of their Armed Forces collection, the Broadsword Recon Limited Edition features a new sandwich dial. Bremont’s strong partnership with the Ministry of Defence roots this modernized watch into its military history with a new take on the three-handed field watch design. On the inside beats a chronometer-rated BE-952AV movement with a 38-hour power reserve, rated to 100 meters of water resistance. Yet on the outside presents an heirloom stamped with the badges of all three services and the Queen’s insignia, ‘Approved by Her Majesty’s Armed Forces’.
New men’s watches: Omega Aqua Terra Shades
Omega’s Aqua Terra collection brings together the Earth’s ultimate opposing forces, water and land, together. Their latest line, Aqua Terra Shades, takes ‘earth tones’ to new lengths and depths. The nine new dial colors were inspired by the natural color palette of our planet and are crafted from brass, then sun-brushed outwards from the center. Each one is also given a layer of lacquer for extra depth.
Two different sizes are available, with entirely polished stainless steel cases either in 38 mm or 34 mm. As well, all are presented with a Co-Axial Master Chronometer movement. The 38mm comes in Atlantic Blue, Bay Green, Sandstone, Saffron, and Terracotta while the 34mm comes in Sea Blue, Lagoon Green, Sandstone, Shell Pink, and Lavender.
The collection also includes two 18K gold models, the Aqua Terra 150 M. The 38mm has been created in 18K Sedna™ Gold – OMEGA’s own red gold alloy, known for its warm tones and high resistance to fading. The bezel paved in 46 diamonds and a sun-brushed and lacquered Sandstone dial is CVD-treated. The 34mm is made in 18K Moonshine™ Gold – OMEGA’s own yellow gold alloy. That’s known for its pale tones and high resistance to fading. It sits on a lush pine green leather strap and is powered by OMEGA’s Co-Axial Master Chronometer calibre 8801.
Hublot Rainbow Editions
According to Hublot, it’s not what’s on the inside that counts. Nor is it what’s on the outside. It’s both. To the human eye, the two new Big Bang Rainbow Editions are facsimiles of each other. Both pieces feature a ROY-G-BIV gradation of colors made of translucent gemstones fully-paved across the entire watch.
Ruby, amethyst, blue topaz, tsavorite, and a spectrum of sapphires shimmer upon the case, bezel, and bracelet picked and paired by their master stone setter. Hublot’s beloved King Alloy casts a warmth unlike traditional 18K 5N gold. And with the same completely black dial, the perfect monochrome backdrop contrasts the full radiance of the rainbow setting.
Encased in these twinset timepieces are their own different movements. The first is a chronograph powered by the Unico Manufacture self-winding movement, the original movement from the Hublot Manufacture. A skeleton calibre fuels a power reserve of three full days and beats within a large 42mm diameter case.
The second piece is the first Big Bang with a 40mm case since it was unveiled in 2022. The movement, three hands, and date on this “Time Only” are the perfect fit for the case which fills the whole space. Hublot’s latest gem-setting feat and prestige movements have welded Haute Horologie and Haute Joaillerie together.
Audemars Piguet Code 11.59 2023
Audemars Piguet’s Code 11.59 proves history repeats itself. Its two predecessors, the Royal Oak and Royal Oak Offshore left a 44mm dent in history, and the Code 11.59 was their attempt at a third strike. They didn’t miss. The 2023 version was released in stainless steel for the first time and comes in dark green, dark blue, and smoke beige variations. Its guilloche dials feature a circular ripple pattern that captures light with hundreds of tiny holes.
The inside is exactly what’d you expect from the luxury watchmaker. The three-handers are powered by their in-house Calibre 4302 automatic movement. The chronographs use Calibre 4401 with a flyback function.
Though this release is somewhat unorthodox for the brand, it’s not unlike AP to do something radical. And in accordance with their MO to being controversial, Audemars Piguet proves yet again that they come out triumphant with an unexpected design.
Tag Heuer Carrera Chronograph 60th Anniversary Edition
Things of quality can’t get old, and this rings true with Tag Heuer’s Carrera. They’ve released their most collectible version of the original yet, the Carrera Chronograph 60th Anniversary Edition. Tag Heuer has returned to one of its vintage models of the late 60s as a full-circle commemoration to celebrate the 60th Anniversary of Jack Heuer’s classic, the Carrera. With 600 pieces, the watch features a panda-dial, beige lume, and silver sunray brushed dial, this Carrera exudes both elegance and sport.
Building on the success of its predecessors, this model elevates its retro roots with black stripes lined down the central hands and hour markers. Also there are the double stops at 12, and black counters with high-contrast white markings. Behind the sapphire crystal case back beats Heuer 02, TAG Heuer’s 80-hour in-house automatic chronograph calibre.
Also revealed are the movement’s Geneva Stripes decoration, the column wheel, which makes the activation of a chronograph precise and satisfying. Exclusive to the Carrera 60th Anniversary rotor, this detail is what makes Tag Heuer a legend then, now, and tomorrow.
Top image: Tudor
Margo Vartanian is a bicoastal freelance writer between Toronto and Los Angeles, always in journalistic pursuit. She studied English Literature, Rhetoric, and Media at the University of Toronto while holding congruent internships at Narcity and StyleDemocracy. Post-grad, she worked as the social media manager of multiple companies before fully freelancing. She now develops written content strategies for various luxury and corporate brands and directs website copy. Her admiration for fashion stems from her interest in fusing the creative with the functional and mimics the concept of utilitarian frivolity through her written approach.
