It’s that time of year again.
Watches & Wonders is returning to Geneva, but this year looks a little different.
The person running the show, Matthieu Humair, told WatchPro he planned to offer a “truly city-wide experience” in 2026. The event will be opening up to the public, moving beyond the Salon at Palexpo and spilling into the city centre.
Plus, a partnership with the Montreux Jazz Festival will give the expo a new rhythm. There’ll also be career panels, workshops (with a focus on younger visitors), and a Wake Up! exhibition showing rare horological pieces throughout history.
Who’s exhibiting?
66 brands. 6000 international retailers. 55,000 visitors.
Here are some Watches & Wonders rumours circulating the industry. Keep in mind that everything in this article is hearsay from both watch lovers and experts who examine the industry’s every move to hypothesise about what’s to come.
Nothing has been confirmed by watchmakers. We’ll just have to wait until April 14th to quell rumours and get word from the brands themselves.
We’ve got our ticket. Have you?
General trends & predictions for Watches & Wonders 2026
Reddit, social media and industry articles can all agree on some trends at Watches & Wonders this year: More wearability, a continuation of the smaller watch trend, and more vintage-inspired pieces.
We’re also expecting to see material innovations like lightweight titanium, proprietary gold alloys and advanced ceramics, as well as useful technical upgrades such as longer power reserves and slimmer automatic calibres.
There’s a fair share of speculation over how Tudor will evolve its Black Bay line, and whether Cartier will put a spin on one of its cult designs.
The biggest Watches & Wonders predictions, though, target Rolex, Audemars Piguet and Patek Philippe. Of course.
Watches & Wonders Rolex predictions
Rolex gives little away in the lead-up to Watches & Wonders, which could partly explain why the Rolex rumour mill is always the most active.
In 2026, certain Rolex predictions are getting a lot of press.
First up is a discontinuation of the hard-to-get Pepsi. Although this is a rumour we hear year after year, 2026 could actually be the death of the red and blue GMT. This is more than just a stab in the dark; pre-owned Pepsi prices have steadily increased since late 2025—a strong indicator of an upcoming discontinuation.
In its place—perhaps the Coke? A straight swap makes sense, since the collection doesn’t need two red colour references. Plus, we’re still waiting for Rolex to commemorate the GMT-Master’s 70th anniversary from last year. Maybe we can expect belated celebrations in the form of the Coke.
The Trilogy showroom has been alive with talks about the Daytona Le Mans. The release of a 126526LN platinum Le Mans would be a sensible continuation of the line—similar in design to the white gold version, without the icy blue dial. A tri-metal Le Mans with rose, white and yellow gold is also rumoured.
We’re excited about the prospect of a return of the Yacht-Master II with a new dial. A rose gold 40mm Yacht-Master 40 with a ceramic bezel has been a long-time hope of ours, and this could come to fruition this year.
We wouldn’t be surprised if the Land-Dweller was updated with new dials and materials. In true Rolex form, the brand showed restraint last year, giving us just three materials and one colour per material. We’re hoping that was a taste before a full-depth release in 2026. Judging by forums and conversations in our showroom, fans are ready to see more.
After being discontinued at Watches & Wonders 2023, there have been talks of a return of the Rolex Milgauss (not from the brand itself, we should add). It’s been a pinnacle Rolex sports model since 1956; a comeback on its 70th anniversary seems plausible. The other clue is in the patent Rolex filed in September last year for a transparent, coloured component—a central feature of the last generation of Milgauss.
Another rumour; the gorgeous Day Date Olive dial that was released as a 60th Anniversary model - potentially expecting this to be discontinued and replaced with a new, different type of green dial on the rose gold.
As for the Explorer II, we’re not anticipating dramatic transformations. Just a touch of refinement towards a more compact and elegant iteration.
Watches & Wonders Patek Philippe predictions
2026 marks the jubilee anniversary for Patek’s most iconic reference, the Nautilus. First designed by the legendary watch designer, Gerald Genta, in 1976. Patek created two special Nautilus in 2016 to celebrate the 40th anniversary; 5976/1G (pictured above) & the 5711/1P. Only 1300 of these were produced worldwide. These also featured a stamp on the dial commemorating the date. We think that’s a good enough case for precious metal, and solid sources tell us a 50th anniversary Nautilus is definitely on the horizon.
We’re expecting white gold and platinum models, and potentially an exciting material, such as denim. This is going to be a massive talking point at this year’s Watches & Wonders.
The Cubitus feels due for a new complication, with enthusiasts wondering if Patek Philippe will push past the original time-only references to bring us an annual calendar or moon phase. In 2025, the watchmaker simply made some tweaks based on market feedback about the wearability of the original 45mm. Maybe this year, the Cubitus will make a bigger splash.
Our final prediction for Patek Philippe in 2026 involves some form of mechanical investment in the Calatrava. We’re anticipating a world time complication or a new movement generation. While the brand did release the excellent 6196P last year, we believe it’s still making up for lost time in terms of movements that didn’t quite hit the mark.
Watches & Wonders Audemars Piguet predictions
Audemars Piguet’s return to Watches & Wonders is the part we’re most excited about. By putting it last in the list, we were simply playing it cool.
AP has sat out of trade shows for a few years, instead focusing on its own private events. However, it seems like Audemars Piguet wants some company as it celebrates its 150th anniversary.
The brand’s February drop has already given us some insights into the year. At Watches & Wonders 2026, we’re looking forward to a couple of highlights: A re-sizing of the Royal Oak Offshore to reach more women and those who prefer a slimmer watch, and a new Code 11.59 variation. For now, we’re unsure whether Audemars will stick to its penchant for precious metals in the 11.59 or continue its more recent foray into steel.
Of course, a loud topic of conversation around AP is the Neo Frame Jumping Hour, which was released earlier in 2026. We’re hoping to get a closer look at this year’s Watches & Wonders.
See you there?
Trilogy’s Frankie will be attending Watches & Wonders this year, and it’d be great to see you there.
If you’d like to arrange a get-together in Geneva, give us a call on 0203 9298227.
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