The Unusual Suspects

With reality setting in for hype watches, we present our annual look at potential trendsetters of the (near) future. These also represent some of our forgotten favourites of 2023

- ASHOK SOMAN

In the last iteration of this story, we congratulated you on finding yourselves in the one of the best times to be a watch enthusiast. The last 12 months have convinced us to revise that statement, which was rather too optimistic; a critically minded reader might even say we were being slightly ridiculous and we accept that criticism. Now, our premise was that we are in a time when there are so many interesting watches from intriguing makers that you almost cannot go wrong. We stand by this one, but concede that it requires some fleshing out. To begin with, if you are a pure enthusiast then you must be having the time of your life, even if only vicariously. Then again, few of us are just pure enthusiasts, or pure anything when it comes down to it.

In the final reckoning for this story, it came down to who this list is curated for; who would benefit from thinking of alternatives. If you are working your way up the value chain at Patek Philippe or Rolex, this list might not be for you, unless you are in search of entertainment value. On the other hand, if you are the sort who wants a solid sports watch, a beautiful dress watch and just one statement watch, you are the ideal reader. For example, if your plan was to go with Rolex, Patek Philippe and Richard Mille (in that order to fit the abovementioned categories), then you are probably out of luck. This is not to say that there are no watches available…