Watches and Wonders Geneva 2026 saw no shortage of ingenuity and technical finesse from four very different brands. Grand Seiko impressed with the most accurate mainspring-driven dive watch in the industry, NORQAIN debuted the Wild ONE Skeleton X-Lite, a sports watch lighter than a tennis ball, while TAG Heuer drew the crowd with an entirely new chronograph mechanism that does away with traditional levers and springs, and ZENITH showcased its award-winning G.F.J., now dressed in yellow gold with a bloodstone dial. These are just the highlights – each brand presented more to explore. Read on for the full roundup below.
Grand Seiko Spring Drive U.F.A. Ushio 300 Diver SLGB023 and SLGB025
Grand Seiko welcomes the Spring Drive U.F.A. Ushio 300 Diver SLGB023 and SLGB025 to the Evolution 9 Collection, its first dive watch powered by the brand’s most precise Spring Drive movement. At its heart is the Caliber 9RB1, a Spring Drive U.F.A. (Ultra Fine Accuracy) movement delivering an annual accuracy of ±20 seconds, or about ±3 seconds a month. That makes it the most accurate mainspring-powered wristwatch movement currently available. Its precision comes from a vacuum-sealed crystal oscillator, stabilised over three months and programmed with temperature-compensation data measured across multiple conditions.
Its 40.8mm case size makes it the Japanese manufacture’s smallest diver to date. Built from High-Intensity Titanium, it is about 30% lighter than regular stainless steel and is distinguished by its bright, lustrous tone. The matching bracelet features a newly developed locking extension clasp with micro-adjustment capabilities, offering three steps of fine-tuning up to 6mm, with an additional 18mm extension for use over a dive suit. This brings the total adjustment to 24mm. The GS emblem on the clasp doubles as a locking mechanism to prevent accidental release. The ceramic bezel insert provides 120-click precision and scratch resistance, while water resistance reaches 300 metres.
Two poetic Ushio dials (Japanese for “tide”) anchor the aesthetic for this timepiece. The SLGB023 features a deep blue dial inspired by light filtering through the open ocean, while the SLGB025 flaunts a green dial that evokes the calmer tones of shallow coastal waters. Both carry a textured pattern with a gradient finish that shifts with the light.
Grand Seiko Sakura-Wakaba SBGH376
In Japan, the end of cherry blossom season is marked not by bare branches, but the arrival of young green leaves pushing through the fading pink. It is this precise moment – ‘Sakura-Wakaba’ – that the SBGH376 encapsulates.
A new addition to the Heritage Collection, the timepiece is housed in a 38mm yellow gold case, marking the first time a non-limited 62GS design is executed in this precious metal. Originally introduced in 1967 to accommodate Grand Seiko’s first automatic movement, the 62GS is defined by its bezel-free construction, which allows for a clear view of the dial and gives the watch its distinctive openness.
The dial itself shifts with the light, its pale green pattern changing in tone and texture depending on the angle. A framed date window at 3 o’clock is integrated without disruption. Powering the watch is the high-beat Caliber 9S85, which operates at 36,000 vibrations per hour – a higher frequency that makes it more resistant to shock and positional variation. It is also rated to +5/-3 seconds per day with a 55-hour power reserve, while a transparent screwed caseback helps the watch achieve a water resistance to 100 metres. Presented on a warm brown leather strap, the timepiece is rooted in season, history and craft in equal measure.
Grand Seiko Hana-Ikada 32 SBGX363 and Hana-Ikada Blue SBGX365
Around the spring equinox in Japan, cherry blossoms fall from their branches and drift onto then streams and rivers below. Floating petals blanket the water’s surface in what is poetically called hana-ikada, or flower rafts. Capturing this beautiful, fleeting moment are the two latest additions to the Grand Seiko Heritage Collection, the Hana-Ikada 32 SBGX363 and Hana-Ikada Blue SBGX365.
Like the Sakura Wakaba SBGH376, both are built on the iconic bezel-free 62GS case. First introduced in 1967, its flowing contours and open crystal give the dial full presence on the wrist. Thanks to its compact size, the Caliber 9F51 allows for these two stainless steel 62GS models to be housed in a refined, wrist-friendly 32.3mm case – a proportion once impossible for 9F-powered quartz watches.
The two references tell the same story at different hours of the day. The Hana-Ikada 32 SBGX363 flaunts a delicate, pale pink patterned dial that evokes the petals as they appear in daylight. The Hana-Ikada Blue SBGX365 shifts the scene to night with a deep blue dial that depicts the petals floating under moonlight.
NORQAIN Wild ONE Skeleton Chrono
NORQAIN has always positioned itself at the intersection of sports and watchmaking, and the Wild ONE Skeleton Chrono is its most complete expression of that idea to date. The 42mm case is built around NORQAIN’s signature NORTEQ® construction, an ultra-light carbon fibre cage. A case architecture designed to withstand impact while maintaining its aesthetic appeal, it is paired with a rubber shock-absorbing core and finished with a sandblasted titanium container and flat sapphire crystals on the front and back.
The standout here is the dial. Traditional subdials and hands have been replaced with wafer-thin transparent floating discs that open up the view to the skeletonised movement and mountain motif beneath. A pulsometer scale around the dial edge completes the athletic credentials. The timepiece is driven by the NORQAIN 8K Manufacture Calibre, an automatic flyback column-wheel chronograph that is chronometer-certified and delivers a power reserve of 62 hours. It resets and restarts with a single press at 4 o’clock, with twin counters at 12 and 6 o’clock tracking running seconds and chronograph minutes.
Three iterations are offered: black NORTEQ® with turquoise detailing; burgundy NORTEQ® with white detailing, limited to 400 pieces; and a 75-piece special edition with a top plate in PX IMPACT® red gold, a responsibly sourced gold supplied by NORQAIN’s Swiss partner PX Group.
NORQAIN Wild ONE Skeleton X-Lite Limited Edition
NORQAIN takes its pursuit of lightness to the extreme with the Wild ONE Skeleton X-Lite Limited Edition, its lightest watch to date at just 45 grams fully assembled (that’s lighter than a tennis ball or two AA batteries). Built from more than 30 ultra-light components, the 41mm case combines NORTEQ® carbon fibre, titanium, aluminium and a new proprietary composite known as X-Lite, developed to further enhance shock absorption and reduce weight.
The result is a watch engineered for performance. Despite its minimal weight, it is robust enough to withstand shocks of over 5,000G, while maintaining a slim 11.95mm profile and 100-metre water resistance. Driving the 200-piece limited edition is the new NORQAIN 4K Manufacture Calibre, a skeletonised automatic movement. Chronometer-certified and offering a 65-hour power reserve (24 hours more than previous NORQAIN skeletonised models), its bridges and rotor are sculpted in the shape of the brand’s signature mountain peak motif.
The focus on lightness extends to every detail, including the straps. The first option is a black and yellow rubber strap with a perforated upper layer, giving the watch a bold, athletic look. The second pairs a perforated rubber upper with an interchangeable ultra-light stretch band underneath, which allows the fit to be adjusted while naturally adapting to the wrist.
NORQAIN Freedom Chrono Enjoy Life “Sprinkles”
Last year’s Enjoy Life “Ice Cream” edition was one of NORQAIN’s most talked-about watches. This colourful follow-up edition builds further on the same concept. The Freedom Chrono Enjoy Life “Sprinkles” takes the Freedom 60 Chrono as its base, a 40mm stainless steel automatic chronograph, and covers its dial in colourful Super-LumiNova sprinkles that glow blue in the dark. Beyond a playful design element, the sprinkles symbolise the importance of finding joy even in challenging times.
Two dial colours are available: a light pink dial named Strawberry and a baby blue one aptly called Blue Raspberry. Both feature the tri-compax layout of the Freedom Chrono, with counters at 3, 6 and 9 o’clock, a sweeping central chronograph seconds hand and tachymeter scale around the outer edge. The movement is NORQAIN Calibre N19, an automatic chronograph with a 62-hour power reserve.
The whimsical details are where the watch’s personality really comes through. Once every seven days, the date window between 4 and 5 o’clock reveals a soft-serve ice cream cone covered in sprinkles – a weekly reminder that it’s the little things that make life sweeter. The caseback bears the words “Enjoy Life”, reinforcing the sentiment. The timepiece is offered on a steel bracelet option or white rubber strap, the latter featuring sprinkles that glow in the dark.
TAG Heuer Monaco Evergraph
The TAG Heuer Monaco Evergraph rethinks the chronograph at its core. It’s powered by the new Calibre TH80-00 that was developed over five years in collaboration with Vaucher Manufacture Fleurier. Its most significant innovation is the compliant chronograph mechanism – a construction that replaces all the traditional levers and springs governing start, stop and reset with two flexible bistable blades in a nickel-phosphorus alloy that govern the three functions. Developed using high-precision LIGA technology, these components deliver the same crisp, consistent action on the 10,000th press as on the first because there is no friction to cause wear and time over time.
he COSC-certified movement runs at 5Hz, has a 70-hour power reserve and magnetic resistance via its TH-Carbonspring oscillator. Its inverted construction places the barrel, gear train and escapement fully visible on the dial side. A transparent acrylic dial keeps the view entirely open, the movement suspended within the 40mm Grade 5 titanium case like a piece of mechanical sculpture.
The watch is available in two executions. The titanium version with blue accents and blue opaline counters references the original 1133B made famous by Steve McQueen, while the black DLC-coated version with red accents draws from TAG Heuer’s racing heritage. Both come with rubber straps with textile embossing and contrasting stitching.
TAG Heuer Monaco Chronograph
TAG Heuer refines its square icon with the new Monaco Chronograph. It takes inspiration from the original reference 1133 from 1969 and uses it as the starting point for a ground-up rethink of the case, dial and movement.
Its 39mm grade 5 titanium case is sharper and more architectural than its predecessor, with reinforced angular edges, a near-square sapphire crystal caseback and gently curved sides that improve comfort on the wrist. The crown remains on the left. A Monaco signature since 1969, it was originally born of necessity with the Calibre 11 and is now a defining feature of the model.
The watch is equipped with the new in-house Calibre TH20-11, an evolution of the TH20-00 with an 80-hour power reserve, five-year warranty and a bi-compax layout comprising counters at 3 and 9 o’clock as well as the date at 6 o’clock.
Three colourways are offered: A TAG Heuer Monaco blue version that directly references the watch worn by Steve McQueen in his 1971 film Le Mans; a refined sunray-brushed and lacquered dark green model that draws from classic British Racing Green; and an elegant black iteration housed in a dual-tone titanium and rose gold case. Each is paired with a racing-inspired, black perforated leather strap featuring a newly designed titanium folding clasp.
ZENITH G.F.J.
Last year’s G.F.J. won the Chronometry Prize at the 25th Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG). This year, ZENITH returns with a new reference boasting the same movement, different precious metal and a striking dial that immediately draws attention.
The G.F.J. takes its initials from Georges Favre-Jacot, the visionary who founded ZENITH in 1865. The Calibre 135 at its heart is the movement that built the brand’s chronometric reputation, winning 235 prizes including five consecutive firsts at the Neuchâtel Observatory from 1950 to 1954, a record that still stands today. Re-engineered for the 21st century, it retains its 13-ligne diameter (29.326mm to be exact) and oversized balance wheel, while gaining a 72-hour power reserve, Breguet overcoil, stop-seconds mechanism and COSC certification. Each movement is regulated to ±2 seconds per day.
This latest edition, limited to 161 pieces, houses the calibre in a radiant 39mm yellow gold case. The three-part dial is the standout: a central disc in bloodstone – a form of jasper, whose natural veining means no two stones are alike – is complemented by a mother-of-pearl small seconds counter at 6 o’clock and encircled by a peripheral guilloché ring inspired by the brick façade of ZENITH’s manufacture in Le Locle. The movement, visible via the sapphire caseback, wears a dark ruthenium finish with yellow gold-coloured engravings.
ZENITH Chronomaster Sport Skeleton
ZENITH’s Chronomaster Sport stands as one of the most recognisable chronographs on the market. This skeletonised version reinforces that status, stripping away the dial to let the formidable El Primero movement speak for itself.
The sapphire dial, tinted from black at the periphery to transparent at the centre, reveals the openworked El Primero 3600SK with a 60-hour power reserve. ZENITH’s hallmark tri-colour overlapping counters in grey, anthracite and blue remain a direct reference to the original 1969 movement. The column wheel is finished in blue and visible through the dial and caseback. A silicon escape wheel and stop-seconds mechanism round out the technical specification, while the 5Hz frequency enables measurement to 1/10th of a second, with the central chronograph hand completing one rotation every 10 seconds.
The 41mm timepiece launches alongside the newly patented ZENCLASP™ folding clasp. The result of three years’ development, it is a 41-component mechanism, with 10 ceramic balls for locking and positioning functions, that allows for tool-free micro-adjustment in 2.5mm increments across a 10mm range. The durability of each function has even been validated through extensive real-life testing equivalent to more than 10 years of use, or over 600,000 cumulative opening and closing cycles. The ZENCLASP™ will be progressively introduced across additional models and references. Fully compatible, it can be adapted to all Chronomaster Sport bracelets that were not originally equipped with it.
The new timepiece is offered in four versions: two in stainless steel with a black or green ceramic bezel; a rose gold model with a black ceramic bezel on a rubber strap; and a 10-piece limited edition in rose gold with a matching gold bracelet and bezel set with 52 baguette-cut diamonds.
ZENITH Chronomaster Sport
ZENITH introduces a more versatile take on its flagship chronograph with the Chronomaster Sport in a contemporary yet luxurious dual-tone execution. The 41mm steel case retains its sharp, architectural profile, which is contrasted against a rose gold bezel, crown and pushers that add warmth to the watch without it losing its sporty edge.
The dial shifts the tone further. Executed in mother-of-pearl, it plays with light in a more nuanced way, while retaining the signature overlapping counters at 3, 6 and 9 o’clock that trace directly back to the original El Primero. Legibility remains a priority, with faceted hands and applied markers ensuring clarity against the dial’s surface.
At the core of the watch beats the El Primero 3600, which runs at 5 Hz and is capable of measuring 1/10th of a second as a natural extension of its architecture. The central chronograph hand completes a full rotation every 10 seconds, translating high-frequency precision into something immediately visible.
Fitted on a matching steel and rose gold bracelet and supplied with an additional rubber strap, this 50-piece limited edition offers a more refined take on the Chronomaster Sport – one that transitions effortlessly from everyday wear to more formal settings.
From refined craftsmanship to inventive mechanics and thoughtful wearability, this year’s novelties from these four manufactures highlight the breadth of creative expression at the fair, where traditional watchmaking is continually reinterpreted through distinct design language and technical vision. Explore more brands online, visit our boutiques, or book an appointment to learn more.