Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons

The Biggest Watch Trends of 2024

Smaller sizes, stone dials, and bolder shapes — these were the watch trends everyone talked about in 2024.

The Year of Bold Watch Designs

As the year comes to a close, it's time to look back on some of the big themes that dominated the world of watches in 2024. We've picked out three key trends — smaller sizes, stone dials and more interesting shapes — as representative of what got everyone talking this year. What's most interesting about these three topics is that they're all focused on watch design. In past years, the conversation has been dominated by topics like investment, the market and heritage; the fact that 2024 is all about actual watch design is an exciting sign of good things to come.

Smaller Sizes

One of the year's hottest trends — or at least a trend that punched well above its case size is the interest in 'mini' watches. From small dress watches to petite sports designs, it seems the pendulum of the watch world has swung from 45mm plus cases a few years ago to under 30mm today. Of course, it's an exaggeration to suggest that people wearing Royal Oak Offshores and Hublot Big Bangs are suddenly giving them up for smaller vintage options, but the fact that this year Audemars Piguet released 23mm Royal Oaks and Hublot extended their range of small Classic Fusion models to include a 29mm model suggests that plenty of people are in the mood for mini.

Stone Dials

Semi-precious, or hardstone, dials are not new in watches — but in 2024, they were perhaps the most popular they've been since the 1970s. You can see some spectacular vintage examples in our selection of Certified Pre-Owned Rolex Watches here. One of the most exciting new brands on the market, Biver Watches, is also making ample use of hardstone dials – the new Automatique is available with pietersite or obsidian stone dials. However, perhaps the biggest trend in hardstone dials in 2024 has been the increasing democratisation of the material. Brands like Louis Erard and Frederique Constant are releasing dials in malachite, tiger's eye and other exotic materials, allowing these natural and dramatic dials to be enjoyed by more people than ever before.

Asymmetrical Shapes

Another trend that's been bubbling away for a little while is our interest in asymmetric and geometric watch design. It’s a trend that’s taking over in new and vintage watches. On the vintage side, we're seeing more interest than ever before in Gilbert Albert's designs for Patek Philippe. Albert was a pioneering designer for Patek Philippe, becoming the head of the creative department at the young age of 25 under Henri Stern, and designed striking designs with evocative nicknames like the ‘Ricochet’ and the ‘Golf’. While these designs haven’t been in the catalogue for some time, who knows what the future may hold. One brand channeling vintage asymmetry in the modern era is Audemars Piguet, who releases the [RE]Master 02 earlier this year, an impressive hunk of sand gold in finely brushed facets that brought the swinging sixties into the modern era to great effect. Of course, quirky shapes aren't looking to become more popular than the classic round case, but this renewed interest in interesting shapes does indicate that perhaps we're entering an era of more conscious watch design.

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