2023 in review: the 24 biggest moments in watchmaking – from Rihanna’s blinged-out Jacob & Co. choker to Cristiano Ronaldo’s stake in Chrono24 and Michelle Yeoh’s Oscars moment in Richard Mille

Dec 31 , 2023

From left to right: Rolex buys Bucherer; Louis Vuitton releases the steel Tambour; GPHG celebrates the best in watchmaking this year; Blancpain collaborates with Swatch on the bioceramic Scuba Fifty Fathoms; Rihanna stuns at LV with a Jacob & Co watch choker. Photos: Handout

From auction records and anniversaries to huge corporate moves from high horology’s biggest names, 2023 had more than its share of noteworthy watchmaking moments

Change was afoot at all the big houses – from Rolex’s buyout of Bucherer to Audemars Piguet’s new CEO and the 75th birthday of the Omega Seamaster – our resident timepiece buff rolls back the clock and picks out XXIV highlights …

It’s been a monumental year for watches – from celebrating key anniversaries for seminal collections to record-breaking pieces at auction, the year has seen enthusiasm for watches bounce back in full force.

Collaborations abounded, independents and established brands alike released bold statement pieces and brands made business moves that could shape the watch landscape for years to come. As we call time on 2023, here are our highlights for the year in high horology.

1. Blancpain Fifty Fathoms’ 70th anniversary

Blancpain Fifty Fathoms 70th Anniversary Act 1

One of the first modern dive watches, the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms celebrated its 70th anniversary this year with a few choice and extremely collectible models. Separating the releases into three “acts”, the first was an update of the traditional silhouette with a heavily lumed bezel and dial indices. Acts two and three kicked things up a notch with the titanium Tech Gombessa and bronze-gold “military spec” models respectively. Arguably the brand’s biggest headline of all though, coinciding with the anniversary year, is the collaboration found further down this timeline …

2. Seiko, Grand Seiko celebrate anniversaries

Seiko 5 Sports Bruce Lee limited edition

Seiko kicked off its 110th anniversary celebrations this year with the Seiko Presage Laurel Re-edition, a nod to the Japanese brand’s first wristwatch, still fresh on shelves. Since then, Seiko has dropped hit after hit, including the 5 Sports 55th Anniversary Bruce Lee Limited Edition in honour of the martial arts icon who died in 1973. Though striking out on its own these days, Grand Seiko joined the celebrations in January with a beautiful black and gold urushi and maki-e lacquered dial for its own 60th anniversary, also this year.

3. The return of LVMH Watch Week

Tag Heuer Monza Flyback Chronometer as seen at LVMH Watch Week 2023

Luxury conglomerate LVMH hit the ground running this year by hosting its fourth watch week in January, showcasing novelties from Bulgari, Hublot, Tag Heuer and Zenith. Bulgari gave us new Serpentis like the rose gold, coiled Tubogas Infinity, while Hublot took it all the way back with comparatively minimalist Classic Fusion pieces that evoke the brand’s earlier days with Jean-Claude Biver at the helm. Zenith introduced a new design for its Defy Skyline Skeleton, and Tag Heuer brought out the big guns by updating its Monza flyback chronograph in forged carbon.