We’ve got some big anniversaries coming up in the watch world in 2024. Here are five watches we might see this year from Tudor, Seiko, TAG Heuer, and Omega, and one release that we definitely will see.
Omega
Let’s kick things off with Omega. The Olympics are heading to Paris this year, so we could be seeing not one, but perhaps two Olympic-themed watches in 2024. The more likely release will be coming from the official timekeeper of the games, Omega. The Tokyo Olympic Speedmasters were well received by fans and served as a quirky time capsule for the 2020 games (which actually took place in 2021). For 2024, we’ll be seeing at least one Olympic watch from Omega.
Seiko
The less likely (and perhaps more interesting) release could come from Seiko. Back in 1964, when Seiko was the official timekeeper of the Olympics, they released their first chronograph, the Seiko Crown Chronograph. This monopusher timpiece with a rotating bezel came in two references: the 5717 and the 5719, and they’re a cool, affordable piece of Seiko’s history.
We’re coming up on the 60th anniversary of this watch, but here’s the catch: Seiko already released an homage to this watch in 2019, with its limited run of the SRQ029. Then they made another homage in 2020 with three SARX watches, limited to 1,964 pieces each. So they’ve already revived this watch, not once, but twice, and pretty recently for that matter. Those watches however aren’t available from Seiko anymore, so why not go for another edition?
Here’s an anniversary watch from Seiko that has already been announced. Starting in January 2024, the new Seiko Presage collection will honor the first watch to bear the Seiko name on its dial, way back in 1924. The 35-mm watch will be available in a limited release of 1,000 pieces, and features an enamel dial, a 24-hour subdial, a 72-hour power reserve, and articulating lugs connecting it to a Bund-style strap. It’s dotted throughout with Seiko branding elements from 100 years ago.
Tudor
70 years ago, in 1954, Tudor unveiled their first dive watch: the Tudor Oyster Prince Submariner ref. 7922. The Tudor Submariner has been a hotly collected watch for ages now, and a Tudor Submariner revival would definitely be an instant hit, bringing even more commercial success for Tudor and making enthusiasts around the globe happy. This begs the question, will we be getting a Tudor Submariner this year? Well, no…
Tudor already has a popular dive watch. Many of them, to put it more accurately, most notably the Black Bay and Pelagos lines. This means that a Tudor Submariner would maybe feel a bit redundant in their lineup. It also feels unlikely in this modern watch world that we would have both a Tudor and a Rolex Submariner.
Furthermore, Tudor already did a revival of the 7922: Last year’s Black Bay 54 is a 37-mm diver sans crown guards. The “54” in BB54 also references the 1954 launch year for the Tudor Sub. Now, if you ask whether we’ll be getting a new Black Bay 54 this year, then you might be onto something…
TAG Heuer
TAG Heuer has been scoring big in the enthusiast community for their recent revivals of the Skipper and the “Glassbox” Carrera. This year, they have the opportunity to bring back two watches from the archives, even though these may be a little divisive.
50 years ago in 1974, Heuer released the Silverstone chronograph. This watch came five years after the release of the Monaco; the Silverstone was designed to be a cleaner, more subdued take on it. Heuer produced three dial variations of this watch in the 70s, and a later model in the 1980s.
This is the one TAG Heuer brought back in 2010 for the 150th anniversary of the brand, with the blue dial CAM2110 and the brown dial CAM2111. If they decide to bring it back again, will they do a limited release, or standard production? And, would a 50th anniversary revival of this cushion-shaped chrono accelerate or slow down the positive momentum that TAG has been building?
We’re saving the best for last. One of the most handsome and affordable neo-vintage buys on the market today is the 1996 TAG Heuer Carrera Re-Edition. This 36-mm chronograph honors the 1964 Carrera and features a Lemania-powered chronograph caliber. You have the CS3110 in silver and the CS3111 in black. These watches feature the old-style Heuer logo, and have tritium hands and hour markers, which age beautifully and only add to the vintage vibes.
These came out 30 years ago, and we’re coming up on the 60th anniversary of the watch. So if you’re TAG Heuer, this has got to feel like a good time to release an anniversary edition. Still riding high on the release of the amazing “Glassbox” Carrera, this ironically might be where some hesitation comes into play. We’ve seen a growing trend towards smaller watches in recent years, but how small is too small? In other words, is 36 mm just right, or taking it a bit too far? I have my opinion on this, but honestly, I’d rather hear yours.
Drop a comment below if you hope to see these watches make a comeback. Which ones do you think will be the most successful if they’re released?