I can’t believe that 2022 is coming to a close. Over the last year, we’ve seen incredible releases from big and small watch brands that have made waves in the watch world. While these articles usually focus on my favourite releases in the watch industry this week, I’ve decided to take the time to select my favoruite releases of 2022. Let’s dive in.
Tudor Pelagos 39mm
This release is a no-brainer. The Tudor Pelagos 39 watch was a fantastic release this year that raised a lot of eyebrows due to its downsize from 42mm to 39mm, but also how a smaller Pelagos would affect the sales of the classic Black Bay. Once you pull back the curtain on the new Pelagos, you can see the significant difference between it and the Black Bay in style, material choices and specs. The new Pelagos 39mm deserves a spot on this list due to my unhealthy obsession with it and how much talk it sparked in the industry.
Christopher Ward C1 Bel Canto
It’s no surprise that this was one of my favourite releases of 2022. If you know me, you’ll know I love brands like MB&F, Urwerk and other high-end, high-complication brands. The C1 Bel Canto watch by Christopher Ward was unexpected and proved that you didn’t need to spend six figures to get a beautifully crafted, spaceship-looking watch. With its unique design and movement implementation, the C1 Bel Canto is reminiscent of the MB&F Legacy Machine, but for a fraction of the price, it looks just as good.
TAG Heuer x Nintendo Formula 1 Chronograph & Chronograph Tourbillon
Before you say anything, just know I love these, and there’s nothing you can do or say to change my mind. When I saw these TAG Heuer x Nintendo Formula One watches my inner kid woke up with so much enthusiasm and craved to play Mario Kart for the first time in a long time. By combining one of my favourite watch brands with my favourite form of motorsport and a part of my childhood, I was hooked right from the get-go. While the Formula 1 is a rather crucial watch for TAG Heuer, this collaboration is light-hearted and will bring out the days of playing Mario Kart with your friends when you were in school.
MB&F Legacy Machine Split Escapement EVO Sky Blue and Beverly Hills Editions
We reached the complex and high-complication portion of this list with the gorgeous Legacy Machines released at Geneva Watch Days in August last year. While the Legacy Machine line is already in high regard, the Split Escapement features a chronograph and the usual highly complicated movement implementation Mr. Max Busser is known for creating at MB&F watches. The beautiful Sky Blue and Beverly Hills Blue colours are stunning and contrast each other, making two beautiful additions to the MB&F catalogue.
Seiko 5 Sports GMT Series (SSK001,003,005)
When Seiko decided to stop producing the SKX line, it shocked the watch world. In 2019, Seiko released new 5 Sports models in the SKX style with less water resistance and in many colour variants. People had strong opinions towards the new release since it wasn’t a true SKX, but everyone grew to love them over time. Fast forward to 2021, when the cries of “make a GMT” started to echo through many watch communities, and in June of this year, we saw the GMT variants. The Seiko 5 Sports GMT SSK line features three colour variants in SKX-styled cases with jubilee bracelets, and they wear as good as they look.
