Independent Standouts and Microbrand Innovations
Among the most talked-about releases is the Brew Metric Chrono Taxi, which updates the brand’s flagship chronograph with the distinctive yellow-and-checkerboard palette of New York City cabs. Priced at $495, the quartz-driven piece launches on October 19. Meanwhile, Donut—a new public-facing offshoot from independent darling MING—introduced the Jelly, featuring a radiant pink-and-red center dial that steps away from its parent brand’s typical understated aesthetic. The Jelly carries a $649 price tag and debuted at the WindUp Watch Fair.
Collaborations also took center stage, highlighted by the MING × Massena LAB 57.09 Secret Honey. Developed by Malaysian microbrand MING and William Massena’s Massena LAB, the 40mm Grade 5 titanium watch features three rotating colored sapphire discs that create an intricate “dynamic guilloché” effect with orange and white lume. In parallel, The Armoury expanded its in-house Temporal Works collection with the Series A: Romanesque, designed by London-based typography expert Lee Yuen-Rapati. Housed in a 37mm stainless steel monobloc case, it utilizes an automatic Sellita movement and features a two-piece sandwich dial inspired by ancient columns.
High Horology and Complex Engineering
At the ultra-luxury end of the spectrum, Urwerk unveiled the UR-300 Time Quantum, arguably the most mechanically ambitious creation of the week. The watch reinterprets the brand’s signature wandering hours complication, utilizing a T-frame moving across a 72-degree axis with dual hour modules and rotating prisms that execute a complex mechanical dance across a fixed minute scale.
Ulysse Nardin expanded its boundary-pushing Freak lineage with the FREAK [S] Howlite, a North American exclusive limited to just 15 pieces. Placing 95 percent of its movement components in motion, the timepiece features a cool grey-black veined howlite dial and commands a price exceeding that of a new sports car. Similarly, Chopard showcased its artisanal craftsmanship with the L.U.C. Full Strike Día de Los Muertos, an ethical rose gold minute repeater featuring a stylized calavera skull crafted through 160 hours of specialized straw and eggshell marquetry.
Major Sports and Tool Watch Additions
Established luxury houses also brought strong contender pieces to the New York showcase. TAG Heuer expanded the commercial success of its revitalized Formula 1 line with a special edition created for the Oracle Red Bull Racing team, featuring a blue dial, red minute track, and stainless steel bracelet for $2,250. Oris targeted daily wearability with the ProPilot Calibre 111, blending a rugged steel pilot case with a brushed dial layout. Finally, Hermès added two variations—Bleu de Malte in a glass-fiber composite and Blanc Chantilly in white ceramic—to its sporty H08 collection, cementing the fashion house’s serious watchmaking ambitions.