At this time of year we all tend to get a little nostalgic, keen not only to look forward at what the future of the horological industry holds for us all in 2025, but also to cast our minds back fondly to the moments that have brought us joy over the past twelve months.
In the spirit of nostalgia, I asked our guest authors for the answer to a very simple question; “what was your favourite mainstream watch release of 2024?”. Though they were initially horrified at the task of narrowing down dozens of, in some cases, already iconic releases, I made clear that they each could select only one worthy winner and eventually, they complied.
Below you’ll find eight submissions from eight different authors and each has painstakingly chosen a single watch to champion above all others. So, without further ado, the WatchGecko Authors proudly present their candidates for the best big brand watch of 2024…
Although my mind went to a hundred different places when I first posed this question to myself, there was one watch I just couldn’t shake and my thoughts kept circling back with a kind of inevitability. It was almost as if, though I could recall and shout out the names of plenty of releases I’ve loved this year, the Berneron Mirage is the only watch whose image came sharply into focus in my mind and stayed there.
Following in the footsteps of the Mirage 38, which was released in 2023, the trimmer Berneron Mirage Tiger Eye 34 features a handmade stone dial housed in a distinctive 18k yellow gold asymmetrical shaped case. The colour palette is rich and elegant, landing somewhere between the buttery tones of caramelised sugar and golden honey with undertones of warm amber. And no, I’m not being over the top here, it really is just that gorgeous.
This submission, in particular the idea that I’d class Berneron as a ‘big brand’, might be met with some resistance thanks to their relatively new and upcoming position in the industry. But, whilst they’ve undoubtedly got far less skin in the game than the likes of historic brands like Tudor or Patek who, *spoiler alert*, also feature on this list, with the brand having been founded by Sylvain Berneron (Breitling’s ex-Chief Product Officer) and prices starting from approx. £45k, there’s nothing micro about this luxury endeavour whatsoever.
I don't know why, but I've always loved a world timer. It's one of those complications that has a reasonable use case if you want to know the time in different countries across the world. Even if I'm not someone who has travelled all too much, I can at least appreciate the utility.
It's partially for this reason that the Patek Phillipe 5330G World Time gets the nod for me as the best big brand watch of 2024. In classic Patek circumstances, this is a classy piece of unobtanium for most folks, and looks gorgeous with a white gold case that's 40mm in diameter and 11.5mm in thickness. The blue-gray opaline dial has a wonderful texture with the carbon-patterned centre, with major cities adorning the outer rings.
Combine this with the clever innovation of a date display indexed to the local time selected, which is a world's first for a world timer, and the 5330G World Time becomes even more appealing. It's rounded off beautifully with a matching denim-style strap that proves high-class dress watches can come on other patterned leather options than the tried-and-tested alligator leather.
The 5330G World Time is powered by Patek's calibre 240 HUC movement, a self-winding movement with 24-hour and day/night indication for all 24 time zones. It's as equally sublime to look at as the world time dial itself, complete with a 22K gold guilloched micro-rotor and 306 total moving parts.
The $76,594 MSRP makes this quite the expensive option, but as always with Patek, you get what you pay for.
Corbin
Favourite Watch - Speedmaster Moonwatch Professional (White Dial)
When it comes to 2024 releases, my favourite big-brand watch is the white dial Omega Speedmaster.
As a long-time fan of the Speedmaster, I’ve always admired its iconic association with space exploration and the Moon landing. This new iteration manages to retain that classic heritage while offering a fresh, modern twist that feels exciting and new.
The white lacquered dial is what truly sets this version apart. It has a crisp, glossy finish that contrasts beautifully with the black applied indices and the red accents on the “Speedmaster” text and the chronograph seconds hand. The design feels bold yet balanced, and it draws attention without being too flashy. It’s a refreshing take on the Speedmaster that still honors its storied legacy.
Beyond its looks, this Speedmaster boasts the same excellent build quality and technical specs as the classic model. The manually wound Co-Axial Master Chronometer cal. 3861 ensures precision, and the polished stainless steel case makes it feel as durable as it is refined. While it shares most of its DNA with the traditional black-dial Moonwatch, the white version feels like an entirely different watch on the wrist—lighter, cleaner, and arguably more versatile.
For me, this release represents the perfect marriage of timeless design and contemporary flair, and it’s a reminder of why the Speedmaster remains one of the most beloved chronographs in the world.
If I were to make one big purchase this year, it would undoubtedly be this watch … it’s even made the lack of a white dial watch in my own current collection feel somewhat glaring.
2024 has been an exceptional year for watches, delivering a wide range of styles, colours, and innovative designs. The independent and microbrand scene has been more active than ever, with new releases almost weekly. But among the big names, Tudor has truly shined this year with a series of impressive releases that have kept enthusiasts on their toes.
In March, Tudor kicked things off with the Black Bay Chrono Pink, a bold choice that immediately became a talking point in the community. Funnily enough, it's also the release that I'd snap up in a heartbeat.
April was one of Tudor’s busiest months, unveiling no less than four new models. They released the Monochrome 41mm Black Bay, featuring a sleek, all-black finish that caught the eye of minimalists and purists alike. This was joined by the Black Bay 58 GMT with a black and burgundy bezel paired with gilt indices—a nod to vintage styling. Adding to the mix, Tudor also launched the Black Bay 58 in 18kt gold with a green dial, bringing a touch of luxury to their lineup, and finally, two new blue-dialled Clair de Rose models.
May kept up the momentum with the introduction of the Pelagos FXD Chrono Cycling Edition, a model designed with athletes in mind. July then brought us the Black Bay Ceramic, now with a striking blue dial that added a fresh twist to this modern classic.
By August, Tudor delighted fans with the Black Bay Chrono ‘Blue’ Boutique Edition, and in October, they wrapped up the year with the highly anticipated Pelagos FXD GMT.
Who knows what they will finish the year with, but overall, I believe Tudor has been the brand to beat in 2024.
So my choice isn’t just one watch… it’s actually 31. But it’s technically one collection, so surely that counts, right? During this year’s Watches & Wonders 2024 event, Nomos Glashütte unveiled a series of 31 Tangente watches, each with a completely new, funky dial colourway. I will always and forever love a bright dial, and thankfully they’re nothing new in today’s world. But what I didn’t expect from someone this year was a collection painted in undeniably bold and never-seen-before dial colours. It was a brave move from Nomos, but a brilliant one in my opinion.
Nomos are already known to be masters of the modern, minimalist watch, but these new Tangente 38 Limited Editions are something else. For me, the use of bold, fresh colours was exactly what the Tangente needed. It’s a watch traditionally seen in white, black or navy, but the best-seller is now used as a canvas for fun and creative colour combinations. I wish more watch brands would take their flagship model and do something playful like this. It’s a reminder that watchmaking and watch wearing should be fun, first and foremost.
And let’s be honest, the Tangente watch in general is just a stellar timepiece. Whether it’s one of these 31 colourful models or another model in the lineup, they offer so much value for everyday wear. They have incredibly slim and compact cases, suiting nearly any wrist size, and they’re powered by an in-house manual-winding movement—something rarely seen in a watch that looks this modern.
I hate to say it (because I hate most of the releases I’m about to mention), but of the bigger brands this year, it’s hard for me to look past the activity of Tudor when picking a stand-out. A swarm of new releases, countless column inches, and a continued march towards total domination in its price bracket (a bracket conveniently vacated by Omega and Breitling) make Tudor 2024’s most successful established brand.
The most recent release of the Pelagos FXD GMT is actually my favourite (and I despise the FXD line in general). What I like about this particular model, however, is the creamy colourway that recalls my all-time favourite Tudor model, the Pelagos LHD. Also, the super cool Marine Nationale webbing strap couldn’t look more at home on this rugged and surprisingly refined ride-or-die watch.
In addition to that half-decent release, we had some brash blue models (the boutique exclusive Black Bay Chrono Blue and Black Bay Ceramic “Blue”), but when it came to colour, the one that got tongues wagging was the Black Bay Chrono “Pink”.
I know many people who went wild for this model. I thought it was a bit half-baked. If you’re a big fan of the Pink Panther and you missed out on the far superior Nezumi Voiture LE from a couple of years back, I get it: this model’s dial is almost exactly the same shade as the famous feline’s fur, but otherwise, I don’t know why of all the awesome pink or pink-adjacent watches on the market, you’d go for this one.
There was a pretty rad cycling-inspired chronograph (I actually liked that one despite having less than zero desire to spend any hard-earned cash on it, let alone the almost 5K they’re asking for it), the all-gold Black Bay 58 (ridiculous but somehow kind of cool), the Coke GMT nobody asked for but some impatient Rolex yearners probably sprung for, a clean and crisp black edition of the Heritage Black Bay, and a vaguely vanilla Clair de Rose for fans of more elegant watches.
Even though very few of these releases piqued my interest personally, I can’t fault the brand’s direction and apparent sensitivity to market desires. Tudor is on the rise, and, by now, I’ve lost count of how many consecutive years we’ve been saying that.
In 12 months of incredible releases, it becomes harder than ever to choose your personal ‘brand of the year’. However, there’s one company that stood out from the very start and it’s gratifying that no less an organization than the grand jury of the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Geneve (GPHG) agrees.
From the moment I saw IWC’s perpetual calendar at Watches and Wonders in Geneva (and got the chance to wear it too) my jaw hit the floor. It wasn’t the sheer hubristic engineering of this year’s recently-announced GPHG Aiguille d’Or prize-winner that struck me most, although you have to marvel at any watch that automatically adjusts itself every 400 years to take into account the extra leap year – or has a one-day margin of moonphase error every 45 million years.
Instead, it was the exquisite beauty of the whole experience: it somehow carries its price tag of £135,000 or so sufficiently effortlessly that you could wear it every day.
But you don’t choose your brand of the year based on just one watch, and that very same marriage between sophistication and practicality has always been a hallmark of IWC, from the Top Gun to the Ingenieur, which I also loved in its latest guises this year.
As a Formula 1 fan, IWC will always be associated with Mercedes. The pop-event that IWC staged at Battersea Power Station in London this year, attended by Hamilton himself, was truly memorable, showcasing all the watches that have been created with the seven-time world champion, before Hamilton moves to Ferrari (and away from IWC) next season.
I’ve admired IWC for a very long time, but the sheer versatility that it showcased in 2024 is what makes it my brand of the year.
How do you choose one model as the best mainstream watch of 2024 out of an ocean of horological delights? And how do you define best, or favourite? - there are simply too many. But for me, the one that not only dropped as a surprise, and with little fanfare, was the head-turning, “oh wow” moment of a recently re-launched classic, 1970’s design: the Tissot PR516.
This isn’t the first re-iteration of the PR series, and nor will it be the last, for sure, but for me it’s the fact that Tissot have developed an almost direct homage to the little-known ‘James Bond watch’ worn by Roger Moore in his first outing as 007 in ‘Live & Let Die ‘(1973). There have been numerous articles written about Moore being seen wearing this (what seems to be his own Tissot) in some of the scenes, despite being provided, at the start of the film, with his Rolex Submariner (having been returned from Q branch’s servicing lab to include some extra-powerful magnetism properties and a buzz-saw). Continuity errors aside, it’s certainly a mystery but a cool conversation starter.
The latest PR516 is available in four dial colours, all in a classic 38mm case at just over 11mm high that utilises the modern, Powermatic movement with up to 80 hours power reserve and at the modest introductory price of just over £600 on a leather strap. To my eyes, the black dial with red accents (a la the 007 one) is the one I’d chose.
Unfortunately for our authors, in any race, there must be a winner. The comments under this article are now open. All we need you to do is cast your eyes over our selection and let us know which of these eight watches deserves the title of ‘Best Big Brand Watch of 2024’.
Next week, I’ll follow-up with our picks for the Best Microbrand Watch of 2024 and, again, the comments will be open for your votes. The winners for ‘Best Watch of 2024’ will be revealed here on Saturday 11th January.
