Steady evolution touches the heart. Watch journalist Tetsuo Shinoda's top 5 new watches for 2024

In this project, prominent journalists from Japan and around the world are asked to choose their top five watches released in 2024. This time, the selection was made by watch journalist Tetsuo Shinoda. He has picked out new watches that are solidly put together, but have also been updated in terms of their mechanisms and details, making them even more appealing.

Patek Philippe "Golden Ellipse"

The gold bracelet is extremely delicate, beautiful, and functional. It has a heavy feel, yet feels comfortable against the skin, and has a unique aura that makes it a great accessory.

IWC Portuguese Chronograph

Four color codes were created, but the favorite is "Dune," which is inspired by the twilight sky and shining sun. The Portugieser is popular for its refined design, but this adds just the right amount of sexiness.

Grand Seiko "Evolution 9 Collection" SLGW003

The proportions of the case and the expression of the dial are beautiful, but this is also a maniacal model that has been particular about the feel transmitted to the hand when manually wound. The movement is fun, and the Kohaze is shaped like a Wagtail, making it a watch with fun details.

Jaeger-LeCoultre "Duomètre Quantième Lunaire"

The symmetrical layout of the dial is beautiful, and the dome-shaped dial and crystal when viewed from the side are also a highlight. The mechanism itself is a moon phase and calendar, but it is full of romantic charm.

Cartier "Panthère de Cartier"

The Panther is a lovely design that is extremely popular among women. Not only has the Panther become larger, but the gold bracelet is also soft and beautiful. The slim case makes the size unnoticeable, so it may become a new favorite among share watches.

General comment

　As we enter an uncertain economic climate, the growth of the Swiss watch industry has plateaued. Exports are also declining, and the time of truth may be upon us. Perhaps due to these circumstances, the new watches seem relatively solid and well-rounded. Most of them are updates to existing models. However, as a brand participating in W&W, the quality is impeccable. The mechanisms and details have been updated, making the watches even more appealing.

　The most striking watch was Patek Philippe's Golden Ellipse. It now comes with a mesh bracelet, and everyone who tried it on expressed admiration at how smooth it felt against the skin. The IWC Portugieser has also undergone a normal evolution, but the key point is the dial color. It expresses delicate nuances of color, and the color known as "Dune" in particular, with the same color as the hand indexes, gives the familiar model a new kind of sexiness. Grand Seiko, which continues to thrive this year, is noteworthy for its new manual-winding movement model. The birch-patterned dial is also very beautiful. In terms of mechanical innovation, the Jaeger-LeCoultre Duomètre's design philosophy of pursuing high precision remains as innovative as ever, and I was also captivated by the glamorous sexiness of the Cartier Panthère de Cartier.

　These are all solid strategies, but as someone who tends to be conservative when it comes to watches, this kind of steady evolution resonates with me.

Selector Profile

Tetsuo Shinoda

Born in 1975, he worked in the editorial department of Kodansha's Hot Dog Press before going independent. He writes a wide range of watch articles, from serious to casual, for a variety of publications, including watch magazines, fashion magazines, business magazines, newspapers, and the web. In addition to his work, he is also attending the Watch Course (Career School Watchmaker Course) at Hiko Mizuno Jewelry College, a watchmaking school, where he is learning about watch theory, structure, and disassembly and assembly techniques. He is a regular judge for the Top 10 Rankings published by Chronos Japan. In 2020, he published "Choosing a Watch as a Cultural Education" (Kobunsha Shinsho).