Geneva Watch Days is in some regards the antithesis of Watches and Wonders. No being cooped up in the Palexpo for days on end here; there’s fresh air, sunshine and a relaxed atmosphere that even saw me taking a dip in Lake Geneva. Geneva lives and breathes horology, from the flower clock in the Jardin Anglais to the old sundial on the wall of the L’Ancien Arsenal, right up to the digital adverts from the biggest luxury brands that welcome you on arrival at the airport. While Watches & Wonders is still bigger overall, there are an increasing number of new releases at Geneva Watch Days each year and 2026 is no different. However, that makes whittling my favourites down to just five ever harder. Still, that is exactly what I am here to do. Without further ado, here are my top five releases from Geneva Watch Days 2026.
Ming 57.05 Comet, £7,310 (approx. $9,930)
Ming has to be one of the most interesting watchmakers out there right now. This is the brand behind the LW.01, which at 10.6 grams is credited as the lightest mechanical watch in the world. They’re also known for their 3D-printed titanium Polymesh bracelet with its 1,693 articulating links, and guilloché dials engine-turned by J.N. Shapiro then blowtorched by Ming Thein himself in Malaysia. The 57.05 Comet is a great mix of vintage inspiration and modern innovation. It solves the summer-time adjustment issue on worldtimers with the click of a bezel, shifting the daylight saving cities by an hour while the rest stay put. Then there is the trippy Comet Tail dial, a moiré pattern that animates as its discs rotate. You might never keep it on the right time with so much to play with.
More details at Ming.
Gallet Classics, £5,300 (approx. $7,160)
I will admit that I saw a preview of the Gallet Classics before arriving in Geneva rather than in the Swiss watchmaking capital itself, but that doesn’t stop it being one of the best launches at Geneva Watch Days. They are everything a vintage Gallet fan would want. Two hundred years after its founding, the brand is back under Breitling’s wing as the third pillar of the house alongside Universal Genève. The Classics lead four new collections, with vintage proportions at 38mm and housing Breitling’s hand-wound B09 chronograph movement, badged here as the G09. They are quirky, wearable and just a great hit. My favourite is the Tribute to Multichron 45, which revives the waterproof Clamshell case of the 1940s, with the Tribute to Multichron Yachting Big Eye a close second.
More details at Gallet.
Doxa SUB 300 Ti5 Red Coral, £2,750 (approx. $3,710)
Burgundy might just be the colour of 2026, or at least of Geneva Watch Days, and nobody killed it quite like Doxa. The SUB 300 Ti5 is great in any colour thanks to its flat, wide case and notched bezel giving it an unmistakable profile. All the better for being in Grade 5 titanium at roughly 40% lighter than steel. But the rich burgundy is a vibe. Doxa calls it Red Coral to keep things on theme, though we all know coral runs a lot lighter than this. The bezel still carries the US Navy no-decompression scale that made the SUB a diving legend, and it’s fitted with a chronometer certified Sellita movement.
More details at Doxa.
Daniel Roth Extra Plat Rose Gold Gilt, CHF 55,500 (approx. £50,472 / $68,190)
Daniel Roth is simply stunning, rarefied elegance at its best. The Extra Plat is not a new collection, but the dial is where the news lives. As a true gilt dial, the numerals are neither applied nor printed. Instead, parts of the solid rose gold dial plate are left exposed while the rest is coated in pure black electroplating. The same technique picks out the logo at 12 o’clock and the individual production number at 6, all sitting over hand-engraved pinstripe guilloché. In the double-ellipse case, it is very wearable indeed. In rose gold the lustre really shines in contrast to the dial.
More details at Daniel Roth.
Frederique Constant Classics Moneta Handwinding, £1,795 (approx. $2,425)
Frederique Constant don’t always make their way into my top brands because they’re often stick to the straight and narrow in their designs, but the Moneta Handwinding has a bit more going for it. Firstly, it does what collectors have been asking for since the Moneta was launched a few years ago by upgrading the quartz movement to a mechanical one: the FC-435 manual winding based on the La Joux-Perret G100. I also like the new gradient dial, which is also a first for the collection, which pairs well with the coin-edge inner bezel to create an architectural, well-structured appearance. At £1,795 in a limited edition of 999 pieces, it’s a solid entry-level steel dress watch that retains an element of exclusivity.
More details at Frederique Constant.
Runners Up
There are two watches that I saw in the metal for the first time in Geneva that I would include among my favourites, but which were launched earlier this year so don’t qualify as new releases. They are the Fleming Series 1 Mark II and the Naoya Hida NH Type 3B-3.
Fleming Series 1 Mark II Redwood, CHF 53’500 (approx. £48,870 / $66,000)
Discovering a new brand is always fun, and better still when it happens by chance. Thomas Fleming is the sort of founder you buy into. Precise and selective in his choices, he curates rather than watchmakes. The Series 1 Mark II has a movement developed alongside Jean-François Mojon of Chronode and an architectural case built by Swiss artisans. The result feels like a modern dress watch with a sports watch’s confidence. Sculpted, openworked lugs make it incredibly comfortable and deceptively wearable. Subtle contrast defines the dial, polished markers sitting against brushed surfaces for a fresh take on the sector layout. The Redwood’s warm tones take their cue from the forests of the brand’s Californian home, though I can just as easily picture the golden sand of Malibu at sunrise. Best of all, the hand-wound calibre inside runs for a full seven days on twin barrels.
More details at Fleming.
Naoya Hida NH Type 3B-3, ¥11,000,000 JPY (approx. £52,140 / $70,455)
Getting hands on with a Naoya Hida is a rare occasion, and the engraving is something to see up close. A personal favourite is the NH Type 3B-3 moonphase with its quirky hand-engraved gold moon face rising over a lapis lazuli disc and lacquer-filled numerals on a German silver dial. Only around two pieces will be made across 2026 and 2027, each built on a Valjoux 7751 base. It looks absolutely stunning. It’s small wonder that they are highly sought after and very difficult to get hold of.
More details at Naoya Hida.
Five watches, one week and a lake swim later, that is Geneva Watch Days 2026. If the show proves anything, it is that the independents and the revivalists are setting the pace. For more from the show, head to the rest of our Geneva Watch Days 2026 coverage and sign up to the newsletter so you never miss the next one.
