Fratello Favorites: The Best Watches Of 2024 — Jorg’s Picks From Rexhep Rexhepi, Zenith, Tudor, And More

Lists — don’t you love ‘em? Well, I do. Unlike Lex, our resident Grinch, I love a good list. That should come as no surprise, though, as I am Fratello’s in-house list fanatic. It was interesting to read that Lex likes to look forward to what’s to come rather than looking back at what has been. If there is one thing I’ve learned this year, it’s not to live in the future but to enjoy the present and nurture a love for the past. So I am always happy to share a best-of list. Here is the list of my favorite watches of 2024.

Before I get into it, though, I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed the past 12 months in the horological world. It has been an absolute joy to see the many great releases from small and big brands at all the different price points. I can’t remember being as excited about a specific year in watches as I have been about 2024. A big part of that is because I was able to see a lot of watches and wear them this year. The latter is a crucial element in appreciating a watch. It can turn an initial rejection into a great appreciation or change a liking into a love. That’s why it was easy to populate a list like this, but choosing my top five watches for it turned out to be difficult! Without further ado, here is the list of my favorite five watches of 2024.

Jorg’s favorite watches of 2024: Zenith Chronomaster Sport Titanium

While writing this article, I am looking at a printout of the picture above. It was an attentive year-end gift from friend and former Fratello photographer Morgan Saignes, who sent pictures to all of the Fratello team members. Most people received a picture of a watch that they own. But Morgan sent a picture of me wearing the Zenith Chronomaster Sport Titanium, and he is a gem for doing so. He remembered how much I loved wearing that watch when I had a chance to go hands-on with it earlier this year. From the tennis-related backstory to the materials and the design, this watch is special to me for several reasons, which I explained in my lengthy review.

The watch immediately played tricks on me straight out of the box. It weighs only 105 grams compared to the 148 grams of its stainless steel counterparts. On top of that, titanium has a distinct sound that is completely different from stainless steel. Zenith bracelets also have a 1970s charm to them that not everyone likes, but I love it, and I also adore how comfortable they are on the wrist. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t worried that the rattly titanium bracelet and lightness would dampen my initial impression of the watch based on looks alone. But I loved the darker hue of the Grade 5 titanium case and bracelet and found that the monochromatic aesthetic truly shines in natural daylight. That’s where you see the hint of yellow that makes titanium seem rather majestic.

On the wrist is where the Chronomaster Sport Titanium shines bright

Enhancing the monochrome look is a nickel-tone sunburst dial with anthracite, light gray, and silver sub-dials. It gives the watch a distinct, warm presence that I adore. Add the subtle hints of red, and we have what I feel is the best of all the Chronomaster Sport models. The 41mm Grade 5 titanium case is 13.6mm thick and 46.8mm from lug to lug, and it houses the El Primero 3600 column-wheel chronograph caliber. When the chronograph is running, the uppermost central hand makes a full lap of the dial in 10 seconds. It’s a joy to see in action, especially on the wrist. That’s also where my reservations about the weight and bracelet rattle transformed into a love for the watch. It just sits so well on the wrist and wears like a charm. The lightness and incredible comfort make it so easy to wear.

That comfort is combined with a presence that deeply impressed me. The warmth and elegance of the material and various gray and silver shades had me constantly returning to the watch. On top of that, the finishing is fantastic. From the contrast of the brushed exterior and the sunburst dial to the brilliance of the faceted rhodium-plated hands and the indexes with a black lacquer filling, there is simply so much to enjoy. It is more proof that Zenith knows how to create a great-looking watch. I fell in love with the Chronomaster Sport Titanium (€12,300), and it was one of my favorite hands-on experiences of the year. It was a great reminder of how much I love Zenith.

Image: The Hour Glass

Jorg’s favorite watches of 2024: Rexhep Rexhepi Chronomètre Contemporain II Rubis

Love at first sight doesn’t happen often for me in the world of watches. But I fell head-over-heels in love when I saw images of the Rexhep Rexhepi Chronomètre Contemporain II Rubis. The Chronomètre Contemporain II is not a new watch from Rexhep Rexhepi. It was first announced two years ago in two beautiful versions. But with this special Rubis edition, the watchmaker again surprised us with a stroke of brilliance. Let it be known that I am not the biggest fan of gemstones on watch dials. But when you do it the subtle and functional way Rexhepi did, I can throw any reservations I might have overboard.

Image: The Hour Glass

For the RRCC II Rubis, Rexhepi replaced the standard Roman numerals on the dial with gemstones. In November 2023, he also introduced a stunningly beautiful platinum version with diamond hour markers. But it was the rose gold version with the Grand Feu enamel dial and ruby markers that we saw in April 2024 that stole my heart. The watch has a 38mm rose gold case with a stunning concave bezel and measures 8.75mm thick. It houses a brilliant ivory-colored dial that provides a stunning backdrop for the rubies to provide colorful elegance and class. It’s the opposite of what you’d expect from a gem-set watch, which can often look tacky or over the top.

A limited edition of 10 pieces

The five stunning ruby markers accompany the beautiful sub-seconds register at 6 o’clock. Seeing the small hand tick once every second hints at the beautiful movement visible through the case back. The RRCC 02 caliber features an asymmetrical barrel bridge to secure two mainsprings. They power different gear trains for distinct functions. The first is for keeping time, and it does that to chronometer standards. The second one powers the deadbeat jumping-seconds mechanism, which features a hacking zero-reset function. As you would expect from Rexhepi and Akrivia, the level of finishing is stunning. But the dial is something we hadn’t seen before, and this 10-piece limited edition is one of my favorite watches of all time, not just this year.

Jorg’s favorite watches of 2024: Toledano & Chan B/1

I love that 2024 saw a wide variety of releases exploring different case shapes than the traditional and ultra-common round ones. One of the great examples is the Toledano & Chan B/1. It is the brainchild of visual artist and watch collector Phil Toledano and Chinese watch designer Alfred Chan. Thor explained that the B/1 might be the Midas that Rolex should have made. But in all honesty, that does not do the watch justice. We all know that vintage rectangular bracelet-style watches had a moment in 2024. While the B/1 certainly expands on that trend, there is a bigger idea behind the watch.

Toledano and Chan initially bonded over brutalist architecture. It set the two men on a quest to use that shared passion for the brand’s inaugural model. They took inspiration from an asymmetrical window of the former Met Breuer building in New York City, and this made the remarkable design of the watch stand out immediately. The 904L steel watch features a case measuring 33.5mm wide and 31.5mm long. It has an integrated bracelet, and the brushed and matte-blasted finishes further enhance the distinctly sculpted look of the watch.

The beauty of the sculpted case

As you can see in the pictures, the magic of the case is in its asymmetrical presence. It measures 10.4mm at its thickest point and tapers to 9.1mm at its thinnest, thus recreating the visual effect of the window that inspired the design. The right side of the case draws your eyes to the massive bezel, which provides more architectural drama to the overall presence. The beautifully crisp lapis lazuli dial also pairs well with the brutalist case and bracelet. It’s a nod to the stone dials of the 1970s that graced famous watches from Piaget and Rolex. The beautiful contrast between the case and the dial makes for a stunningly designed watch that is powered by the trusted Sellita SW200-1.

All 175 pieces sold out quickly for US$4,000, leaving many people wondering what’s coming next from Toledano & Chan. Indeed, there is a much larger group of fans than there were available watches. Seeing what Phil Toledano and Alfred Chan came up with, I trust that the two will introduce more greatly designed timepieces in the upcoming years. For now, this Toledano & Chan B/1 was easily one of my favorite watches of 2024. It brought back a style and uniqueness that I didn’t know I wanted and maybe even needed in my watch adventures.

Jorg’s favorite watches of 2024: Tudor Black Bay Master Chronometer “Monochrome”

Like so many of us, I love a vintage Sub. Over time, that love has expanded from Rolex Submariners to their Tudor counterparts. While prices for vintage Tudor Subs have often shot up to bizarre levels, the modern Tudor design signature proves to be the perfect nod to both brands’ past. As I explained in one of our Sunday Morning Showdown articles, I would not pay the current €9,500 retail price for a Submariner ref. 124060. I especially wouldn’t pay a premium, which you must do if you want one immediately. I love the current Submariner, but my heart lies with older Rolex references, so I would spend my money on one of the many great vintage options.

But if you want a modern watch with the retro charm of the great Rolex and Tudor Subs of the past, the current Black Bay Master Chronometer “Monochrome” is the perfect option. It was introduced during Watches and Wonders this year. It wasn’t shocking, of course, as we had seen the burgundy version last year. But I had a certain full-circle moment when I put this new version on my wrist. The burgundy version was nice, but it also left me a bit cold in the end. I feel this new black version is a perfect modern daily wearer that doesn’t break the bank at €4,510. It’s simply the full package.

The perfect modern daily wearer

I adore the absence of vintage-inspired gold details and beige lume. It results in a clean, crisp aesthetic that immediately pulls me in. Heritage-based hints come in the form of the aluminum bezel insert and the Oyster-style bracelet with its faux rivets. The latter is an option I much prefer over the Jubilee-style bracelet. By removing the vintage-mimicking elements, the Black Bay transforms into a clean, modern dive watch with just subtle vintage hints. The perfectly proportioned measures 41mm wide, 13.6mm thick (including the crystal), and 50mm from tip to tip. It also has a 21mm lug spacing and a 200m depth rating.

Inside, you will find Tudor’s caliber MT5602-U, which carries a METAS Master Chronometer certification. It is the perfect modern movement for this watch. While this might not have been the most surprising release of the year, for me, it is the best Tudor model currently out there. It’s the one Tudor I would buy until a slimmer Black Bay Pro arrives on the scene. That is ultimately what I look for in a watch for this list: would I buy it? And for the Tudor Black Bay Master Chronometer “Monochrome,” the answer is a whole-hearted “yes!”

Jorg’s favorite watches of 2024: Echo/Neutra Rivanera

I’ll close out my top five with a watch that you probably saw coming. Like several of my fellow Fratello writers, I adore the new Echo/Neutra Rivanera. I explained it multiple times in different articles on Fratello, starting with the hands-on review that I had the pleasure of writing. As I said, this is the future of dress watches, and it has been brilliantly executed by a small Italian brand that took its first crack at developing a dress watch. How about that for impressive?

I won’t go over all the details again because you can read them in the review or one of the many other articles featuring this watch. But I will say that quite a few surprises made the two versions of the Rivanera so brilliant. Of course, it all starts with the beautiful and sharp-looking titanium case, which is lightweight and, therefore, super easy to wear. The visual brilliance of the fine-grain sandblasted finish and the polished edges will draw you in time after time, and that is what I want from a watch. On top of that, the chamfered sapphire crystal is the perfect companion for the case to enhance the visual drama.

Striking the perfect balance

The Art Deco-inspired dial has a nice contrast with the almost industrial case. This dial provides the elegance and softness that the overall design needs. Furthermore, the level of detail on the dial is wonderful. From the applied indexes to the style of the hands and the nicely executed sub-seconds register, it just works! On the wrist is where the watch surprised me most. Usually, I do not gravitate toward dress watches because my daily clothing style is often too casual for them. But the way the watch is executed gives it a rough edge that feels perfectly at home with a less formal outfit. For €1,490, Echo/Neutra includes two premium straps that slightly alter the presence of the Rivanera to suit any outfit and make it as versatile as a dress watch can be.

I could go on for hours about all the little details that stand out when you have the watch on your wrist or how the manual-winding ETA/Peseux 7001 is the perfect caliber to keep the watch just 5.9mm thick. But that could not tell you the story of how much fun I had wearing the two watches. Nothing replaces the feeling of a watch being perfectly at home on your wrist, and I don’t feel that often. But with the Rivanera, I knew that this was the dress watch for me. That’s why it won’t be long before it sits on my wrist as a new addition to my collection.

Honorable mentions for 2024

Some watches didn’t make it into my top five, but that doesn’t mean they don’t deserve some recognition. This year, the list of honorable mentions became rather long simply because there were so many great watches to enjoy. I want to start these honorable mentions with the Credor Locomotive. This reissue of a 1970s Genta design didn’t blow me away when I first saw it in pictures. But the hands-on review changed that completely.

I knew we could trust Credor to do a great job bringing this model back in style. I was deeply impressed by how good it was and surprised by how much I liked it. Then again, I should have suspected that because Genta certainly knew how to design a watch or two.

Another one of the most surprising reissues was the Piaget Polo 79. What a brilliant time to bring back the iconic Polo and add a mechanical movement! We have covered this watch multiple times on Fratello, but it’s such a striking piece that it still easily stands out in a swarm of watches with a similar style.

The same can be said of the Audemars Piguet [RE]Master02 Selfwinding. Lex came back from visiting AP in Switzerland and was super excited about the piece, and I completely understand why. A brutalist approach to watches works, and the [RE]Master02 Selfwinding shows why. It’s the modern remake of one of the brand’s obscure classics, and I was super impressed and a little jealous that Lex got to try it out.

More honorable mentions

I want to close this list of honorable mentions with two special watches. These were not just among the best I could see up close, but more importantly, I also got to know the people behind the brands and connect with them in a way that goes far beyond watches. The first is the Lorca Model No.2 Chronograph, the second release from the New York-based microbrand founded by Jesse Marchant.

It’s a wonderfully designed watch that is full of little details that Marchant had a chance to explain in person. It showed his incredible eye for detail and his passion for watches. That sparked a meaningful and wonderful conversation about our shared passions that make life interesting. That’s why the Model No.2 Chronograph is much more than just a great new release to me.

The last watch I want to mention is the RZE Fortitude GMT Nighthawk that I reviewed this year. During a busy stint of hands-on reviews with great watches, this was the watch I constantly went back to. It’s a wonderful lightweight titanium flyer-style GMT that offers everything you could want from a modern travel watch.

At US$699, this is one of the best affordable watches out there. Furthermore, the team at RZE is a super nice group of passionate guys, and we loved working with them on the limited-edition Resolute Pro “Contour” we unveiled this year. This makes eventually pulling the trigger on a Fortitude GMT a no-brainer.

There you have it — a quintet of honorable mentions to round out the list of my favorite watches of 2024. It has been a highly enjoyable year of watches for me, and I hope to have as much fun in 2025. Enjoy the holidays, dear Fratelli, and all the best for next year! I hope you will wear your watches in great health.