More Surprising Releases Of 2024 — Unexpected Wristwear From Rolex, Omega, Credor, And More

Let’s face it: 2024 didn’t come loaded with optimism from brands, so we weren’t expecting big changes. Watches and Wonders was filled with evolutionary timepieces and studied tweaks, and the most surprising releases of 2024 so far caught us napping. It might have taken less to surprise me this fairly quiet year, but I’ve still been impressed, and more surprising releases keep appearing.

I love a good wrist surprise, and there have been plenty for me to get enthusiastic about. Consider this story a part deux of my learned colleague Jorg’s good read from June. So far, I’ll happily give kudos to brands for sticking their necks out and making us notice. And I’ve seen some bangers, including a guilloché surprise from Rolex that turned my brand perceptions around 180 degrees.

Credor Locomotive

The Credor Locomotive is a grail release up there with the Piaget Polo ’79 and coincidentally based on a same-year original. Credor is still a niche brand in Europe and the big US market. Most associations are focused on razor-thin dress watches, often infused with the allure of hand-painted porcelain dials. With the unusually named Locomotive, Seiko has taken its small luxury brand in a refreshing direction. Its hexagonal case screams 1979, while the bracelet is connected in a Cartier Pasha-like fashion (though the Pasha didn’t come out until 1985). The bracelet links closely resemble the venerable Royal Oak, and there’s a big clue to its origins.

Is this Credor’s genuine Europe-conquering watch, or is it too divisive? After all, it is a pure take on its ’79 forebear without holding back a millimeter on its quirky charms. I knew at first glance that I was in love, and it seemed familiar. This is because it is a design from the magical pen of Gérald Genta, the wizard of ’70s chic that we adore. It has been tweaked for today with a 38.8mm case in high-intensity titanium, an arguably sportier choice than the original steel, polished as only the best Seiko artisans know how.

The 41.7mm length and lack of traditional lugs will make it feel compact, and the dial with its radial pattern is enigmatic. It also keeps up the sports vibe with rounded, blocky indices and a faceted set of hands with a whiff of Nautilus. I was jealous of Jorg’s hands-on experience and look forward to seeing this watch in real life. At €14,000, it’s not reasonably priced per se, or is it? Considering the Credor Locomotive in the context of its 300-piece limitation and the mighty power of Gérald Genta’s signature, the watch offers quite good value compared to his more ubiquitous designs. For me, the combo of Credor’s quality, comfortable size, and IYKYK value makes the Locomotive a winner.

Anoma A1

Aren’t new small brands always supposed to come up with unexpected designs? I think so, but even the smallest players have played it safe this year. Anoma is different in a curve-tastic way and riffs off the interest in stranger designs like the Cartier Pebble. Asymmetry often makes for confusion and unreadability. However, in rare cases (pun not intended), such as the Anoma A1’s, it works perfectly. It’s a smooth triangular form reminiscent of the 1950s, and it works better than the Hamilton Ventura, also of triangular fame. The concept and orientation of the triangular case are opposite to the Elvis-linked Hammie, and the Anoma A1 is very different overall.

Are lugless watches a new trend? I mean, look at the circular-smooth Disco Volante from Furlan Marri. The British Anoma is a mid-century-inspired piece with modern clarity. Two offset triangular shapes make a strong first impression, and the 39mm case has no bezel per se. There is a smooth transition to a dial opening that could echo the case edge. Instead, it is off by a cheeky three or four degrees. It says a lot about the design effort of the Anoma team when the overall effect is still balanced through the strong dial design.

The dial is a strong crosshair design with long quadrant markers working to draw your eyes to the center. There, a domed pair of leaf hands reside. The five-minute indices are asymmetrical in size and positioning, which could have complicated a quick readout of the time. Still, the quadrants and crosshairs create a brilliant illusion of perfect symmetry, tying it all together. The slim 9.45mm thickness will make the A1 a comfortable wrist buddy, and that blue dial has hooked me. We can expect more surprising releases from this British brand soon.

Zenith Defy Skyline Ceramic

Ceramic case and bracelet designs tend to fall into two camps. Most people think about the tech-based world of ’80s instigator Rado or the full-color magic of Hublot. Zenith is not the first brand that comes to mind, though the brand has dabbled in ceramic in the past. This year, the brand surprised us with its first dive watch in years and a crisp white version of the Skyline. I’ll nickname it the “Stormtrooper.”

The Skyline is Zenith’s contemporary everyday sports watch. It’s got the signature angular style and comfortable presence we recognize the Defy series for, and I’m a fan. The star-studded standard version feels special. Launching the skeletonized version, the brand upped the ante while still keeping it elegant, but I didn’t expect a ceramic version.

I’m not too fond of pure white watches, but I still felt a strong attraction to this one. Sure, it is an expensive-to-produce version of the successful Defy Skyline Skeleton, but it offers more. There’s not much choice if you enjoy the feel of scratchproof ceramic, its cool embrace, and its polarizing aesthetic. The Defy Skyline Skeleton in pure white with its deep blue open-worked dial is no daily driver either, but I’m a big fan of its comfortable case shape. And who knows? Maybe we’ll see a blacked-out version next; that would be pretty cool. For now, I love the clean contrast between Arctic white and deep blue.

Omega Specialities Paris 2024 Bronze Gold Edition

Surprising releases can come in many forms without being asymmetric, tech-tastic, or groundbreaking. The two last watches in this story are perfectly classic in their design but surprisingly fresh and unexpected nonetheless. That says something about our obsession with sports and diver’s watches more than anything, and Omega does them exceedingly well. I was drawn to this polar opposite, resplendent in rich Bronze Gold with a resolutely modern movement.

Omega embraced precious metals this year with Olympic gusto. I was a fan of the slightly too-big (for me) Speedmaster Chronoscope in a heavy Moonshine Gold suit, but this new “BG 859” got to me. Its 39mm case is a tad big for its early mid-century vibe. After all, it is inspired by the 1939 reference CK 859. However, the proportions work exceedingly well in warm Bronze Gold, a proprietary Omega alloy that contains 37.5% gold.

The guilloché is stamped rather than engine turned, but the Clous de Paris has French roots, as the name suggests. How appropriate for the Paris Games. As Lex cheekily suggested in his story, Omega might have been cheating with a stamped dial. But its circular-brushed silver perimeter perfectly contrasts the PVD Bronze Gold spear hands and warm-tinged case. The choice of a 39mm size will also be due to the modern Co-Axial Master Chronometer caliber 8926, a hand-wound tribute to the famous original 30T2.

Rolex Perpetual 1908

I’ll hold my hand up and admit that I’d never been a proper Rolex fan until the fun frenzy a few years back that included emojis and OP-colored balloons on dials. I’m all for off-brand fun, and the madness of a full-gold Deepsea blew many fans out of the water. I’d add it here if my good friend Jorg hadn’t included it in his June story. Honestly, though, my heart was aflutter due to the unexpected appearance of icy blue guilloche.

I already had the Perpetual 1908 as one of my favorite Rolex models, especially the understated white gold version. But the deep rice-grain guilloché was unexpected on a Rolex Cellini Prince (Google it) level. In a world filled with Submariner desire, I think this watch is a big win for the brand. Rolex does not often embrace classicism, but it should.

The smooth black and white dials of the first 1908 models were balanced pieces of art. But the choice of ice blue set in platinum ups the game. A rice-grain pattern radiates from the sub-seconds register at 6 o’clock, and fluted guilloché frames the minute track. The striking combination of color and vivid patterns changes the Perpetual 1908 for the better. Not to mention, this watch is powered by the 1908-exclusive caliber 7140, which is visible through the rare-for-Rolex exhibition case back. Add immaculate case finishing in platinum, and this 1908 is simply my favorite Rolex in years.

What are your favorite surprises of 2024? Do let me know in the comments, especially if you’ve noticed more surprising releases. And if you feel my choices are wildly subjective and personal, they are.