The Best Watches of February 2024

It’s been nearly a decade since TAG Heuer, maker of beloved mechanical racing chronographs, entered the smartwatch scene. Its Connected Calibre E4 Golf Edition, launched in 2022, built off the back of its Connected watch technology and catered to golf lovers around the world with dedicated functionality. Now, the Swiss marque is teaming up with Malbon Golf, designers of high-end golf apparel, on a special version of its 45mm smartwatch. The TAG Heuer Connected Calibre E4 x Malbon Golf Edition (45mm), which boasts Malbon’s turquoise and green colorway, can track shots down to the tiniest of details, even offering club recommendations. Beyond the golf-specific functionality, it boasts a day of battery life and 50m of water resistance. Handsome and highly useful, it’s a digital caddie on the wrist.

Diameter: 45mm

Movement: TAG Heuer Calibre E4 45mm digital 

Water Resistance: 50m

Remember those sticky, glow-in-the-dark stars you used to plaster your bedroom walls with when you were a kid? This watch captures the same effect — but in wrist-worn form. A collaboration between British watchmaker extraordinaire Bremont and the Bamford Watch Department, a British watch customizer, the Aurora takes the former’s Supermarine GMT and gives it a look inspired by the Aurora Borealis. Done up in black DLC-treated stainless steel, it features a polished sapphire bezel insert with a glowing green Super-LumiNova 24-hour scale, plus a genuine “sandwich” dial in which a lower plate of luminous material glows through numerical cutouts on the upper plate. The result is a unique timepiece with a Rolex-like “California” dial, done in the Panerai sandwich mode, with Bremont’s own tough-as-nails Trip-Tick case construction and handy GMT functionality. (These two brands should keep these collabs up!)

Diameter: 43mm

Movement: Bremont BV-93-2AV automatic

Water Resistance: 500m

Since 1867, Girard-Perregaux has placed the bridge — an important component of any watch movement — at the center of its designs, elevating a pedestrian piece of metal into horological art. The new Free Bridge Meteorite takes this concept a step further, incorporating pieces of the Gibeon meteorite, with their mesmerizing Widmanstätten pattern, either side of a uniquely arranged movement. Housed in a 44m stainless steel case, the watch has a vertically arranged gear train visible via the dial and powered by an automatic, in-house calibr with 54 hours of power reserve. With its black-and-nickel color scheme (including a matching rubber strap with a fabric effect) and luminescent hands and indices, it’s a unique and eye-catching timepiece that puts its clockwork front and center for the wearer to appreciate whenever checking the time.

Diameter: 44mm

Movement: Girard-Perregaux GP01800-2085 automatic

Water Resistance: 30m

The “panda” and “reverse panda” chronograph types — a white dial with black subdials and a black dial with white subdials, respectively — have become watchmaking tropes. Beloved by many collectors, these color schemes adorn inexpensive pieces and some of the world’s most coveted watches alike. Swiss watchmaker Mondaine’s newest wares see these colorways applied to its Chronograph Collection: Taking the form of a 41mm chrono, each model is quartz-powered and features a triple-register display as well as a date display at 4:30. Available in panda, reverse panda, and white-on-white, they’re handsome, highly legible, and, at less than $500 each, eminently affordable. Paired to vegan leather straps, they look great and offer beloved looks at a price that should make any watch collector smile.

Diameter: 41mm

Movement: Ronda 5030 quartz 

Water Resistance: 50m

Powered by Seiko’s Kinetic movement technology — which combines automatic winding with quartz accuracy — the new Forest Service Collection sees microbrand Vero applying its typically colorful aesthetics to a range of four time-and-date watches on cool fabric straps. Measuring 39mm, each is made from stainless steel with a Cerakote coating and features protective, rubberized roll bars situated on the external bezel. An internal 60-minute bezel is controlled by a 9 o’clock crown, while a button at 2 o’clock switches the central seconds hand into a power reserve indicator. Water resistant to 120m, the Forest Service runs for six months on a full “charge,” which is stored by a capacitor and is wound as one moves one’s wrist. With its unique looks and functionality, this is a ton of watch for $475.

Diameter: 39mm

Movement: Seiko PX28A Kinetic

Water Resistance: 120m

Until recently, the vintage Tissot PR516 chronograph slipped under the radar of most collectors, with examples trading hands on eBay for well under $2,000. That may change now with the brand’s reintroduction of this funky model: Reintroduced in three quartz and one hand-wound iteration, the new PR516 updates this multifaceted watch with a host of new features: Three 40mm versions feature battery-powered movements, while a 41mm version has a new Tissot A05.291 movement — a derivation of the famed Valjoux 7753. Slightly larger than the vintage original, it nevertheless features that watch’s cool multi-scale bezel and colorful dial, with pops of orange in the chronograph handset and a blue demarcation for the first five minutes of the 30-minute totalizer. The quartz models, available in blue, black, or two-tone, are also excellent buys for under $500.

Diameter: 40mm/41mm

Movement: Renata 394; Tissot A05.291 hand-wound

Water Resistance: 100m

The 62GS, Grand Seiko’s first automatic caliber from 1967, is an incredibly important piece of the Japanese brand’s history. Consistently iterated upon, it’s the subject of numerous special editions with beautiful dials. One of the newest versions, the SBGH343, sees the brand pair a 38mm titanium case with a light green dial that evokes “Sakura-Wakaba,” or cherry blossoms and young leaves. Measuring 12.9mm thick and powered by the Caliber 9S85 hi-beat automatic movement, it features GS’s typical high-end touches: Zaratsu polishing, excellent accuracy of +5 to -3 seconds per day, and captivating aesthetics that beg a closer look. Paired to a matching titanium bracelet with a three-fold clasp, the SBGH343 — and its pink-dialed sister watch, the SBGH341, is tough to ignore.

Diameter: 38mm 

Movement: Grand Seiko Caliber 9S85 automatic 

Water Resistance: 100m

In addition to being supremely knowledgeable watch journalists, our friends at Worn & Wound also design beautiful, limited-edition watches with some of our favorite brands. Their latest, a collaboration with Formex Watches, is dubbed the Essence Sector 39 Chronometer. Inspired by sci-fi films, it takes the form of a round, stainless steel watch head paired to a matching bracelet, with a chronometer-certified version of the Sellita SW200-1 as its power plant. With its four bezel screws and colorful sector dial, the Essence Sector pulls ideas from various watchmaking tropes and famed models and manages to synthesize them into something unique. Available in white, blue, or gray, it’s a funky, standout release from a company with serious design chops and a watchmaker that knows how to craft a seriously robust piece of kit.

Diameter: 39mm

Movement: Sellita SW200-1 automatic 

Water Resistance: 100m

While Vulcain may be most well known to horological connoisseurs as the maker of the Cricket alarm watch, the Swiss marque has a sizable back catalog that encompasses a wide range of interesting models. Recently revived is the Grand Prix, a dressy, time-only piece that’s been upsized to 39mm to suit modern tastes. Available in Champagne, Light Grey or Black with a sunray finish, it’s a distinctly handsome, minimalist design that will wear well on an everyday basis or dressed up with a suit and tie. Powered by an automatic caliber from Landeron — maker of several notable vintage chronograph movements — it comes on one of several leather straps with tone-on-tone stitching and, while certainly not ultra-thin by any means, measures a respectable 12.7mm tall.

Diameter: 39mm

Movement: Landeron L24 automatic 

Water Resistance: 50m

Until recently, Italian microbrand Unimatic’s wares were all housed in 41mm cases. The new Modello Cinque has changed all that, shrinking the brand’s smooth bezel model down to 36mm for better fit on more wrists. Water resistant to 300m and featuring an oversized crown, this is a serious tool watch whose looks nevertheless betray the brand’s hip, Brutalist-inspired design instincts. Powered by an automatic Sellita movement and measuring just 11.01mm thick, it features a grey “Grigio Milano” outline dial with white printing and skeletonized sword hands, and both a tapered, back 22mm quick-release TPU rubber strap as well as a black calf leather 22mm two-piece strap. Whether you plan to take it hiking or wear it to the office, the U5S-A, limited to 300 numbered pieces, is a functional looker and an incredible value.

Diameter: 36mm

Movement: Sellita SW200-1 automatic

Water Resistance: 300m