Watches to Watch in 2023

Art collaborations have become big business in the watch world, as creators of timepieces seek out exciting talents to bring a fresh, collectible edge to designs. One of the latest collabs of note is between Swiss watchmaker Roger Dubuis and Beijing-based artist Liu Wei.

Wei is known for creating artistic narratives around urban environments and architecture, and he brings this energy to his reimagining of Roger Dubuis’ signature skeletonised Excalibur model. The dial becomes a scene of neon wonder that is reminiscent of big-city lights. To create this effect, lines were engraved and then manually filled with either UV paint or glow-in-the-dark Super-LumiNova.

Like all great artworks, the Roger Dubuis Excalibur Lie Wei is limited. Only eight collectors will get their hands on this impressive art-inspired timepiece.

Available at Roger Dubuis (Shop 330, Level L3)

This year is the 75th anniversary of BVLGARI’s iconic Serpenti motif, the coiling jewelled snake that’s wound its way around many a famous wrist. If you have yet to add this instantly recognisable design to your watch collection, consider this a perfect excuse.

This Serpenti Tubogas watch is a brilliant example of two classic hallmarks of the famous Italian jeweller. The influence of Serpenti, which shot to fame when Elizabeth Taylor wore one while filming Cleopatra in the 1960s, can be seen in the snake head-shaped dial and the wraparound bracelet.

The second element of note is the use of tubogas for the 18-karat gold and stainless steel bracelet. Tubogas is the name of a special technique in which craftspeople create flexible, tubular bands of metal. Bulgari first started working with it in the 1940s but it wasn’t until the 1970s that it really took off, and this year it will once again be a major focus of new collections.

Available at BVLGARI (Shop 325A, Level L3)

One of the most exciting watch launches to emerge from the workshops of Cartier last year was the Coussin de Cartier. What makes it so thrilling? The whorl of melee diamonds that makes up the bezel of the watch is flexible, allowing you to squash it down and watch it spring back into shape.

This playful timepiece is also a serious dress watch, set with 166 diamonds totalling more than three carats. This small edition of the Coussin, which is powered by a quartz movement, has an elegant blue calfskin strap and an 18-carat white gold case.

The square dial is classic Cartier, with a sunray silvered surface, Roman numerals and blued steel sword-shaped hands. It’s likely to be a watch style with some serious staying power.

Available at Cartier (Shop 357, Level L3)

Should there ever be a horology hall of fame, you can guarantee that the Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso would have a place in it. First released in 1931, this timepiece, with its iconic case that swivels to reveal a second look, has long been a collector’s must-have.

This rose gold Reverso Tribute Duoface Calendar has a day-to-night theme. Both dials feature white appliqued hour markers and dauphine hands, while the silvered grey Recto dial incorporates a moonphase complication that also indicates the date. The alternative charcoal grey Verso dial uses its six o’clock window to showcase a day/night disc that indicates a.m. and p.m.

This is a wonderful investment that will appeal across the generations, as shown by Jaeger-LeCoultre’s new global ambassador, actor and singer Jackson Yee (Yi Yang Qian Xi). In his first shoot with the watch brand, he chose to wear exactly this model.

Available at Jaeger-LeCoultre (Shop 326, Level L3)

It’s been 60 years since James Bond first blasted onto our screens, and to celebrate this movie milestone Omega has released a special version of its Seamaster Diver 300m.

This stainless steel 42mm watch takes inspiration from Omega watches worn in Bond films. The blue oxalic anodised aluminium dial with laser-engraved waves is a nod to the style worn by Pierce Brosnan in 1995’s GoldenEye, while the stainless steel mesh bracelet mimics a titanium watch worn by Daniel Craig in 2021’s No Time To Die.

Other odes to the movie franchise include replacing Omega’s trademark triangle at 12 o’clock on the bezel in favour of a commemorative 60. And on the reverse, you’ll find a decorative caseback that pays homage to the films’ opening scenes with a gun-toting silhouette. A must for all Bond fans.

Available at Omega (Shop 242, Level L2)