Picking your favourite child is far easier than your favourite watch – especially when, like me, you only have the one – and with a release slate that puts Marvel’s cinematic universe to shame, thinking back to last month, let alone the beginning of the year, is no mean feat.
There have been ultra-accessible, value-driven microbrand propositions, high-end, haute horology flexes and everything in-between. The world of watchmaking just does not stop.
So, when I say that these are my favourite watches, understand that it’s a malleable list. Ask me at the pub next week and I’ll probably have a very different selection. That’s why, despite us being more done with the year than not, these are my favourite watches of 2026… so far
1. Norqain Freedom GMT Enjoy Life “Holiday”
Norqain’s self-imposed mandate to bring joy to the (watch) world started with their fun ice cream-flavoured chronograph back in June of 2025. They followed it up earlier this year with some sprinkles, but the biggest leap is this, the Norqain Freedom GMT Enjoy Life “Holiday”.
Atlas dials can be a bit serios, but here in splashes of turquoise, pink and peachy orange, it’s anything but. Fresh, fun and a little bit flamboyant, it’s a serious, chronometer-certified watch with a very unserious outlook.
2. Grand Seiko Evolution 9 Spring Drive U.F.A Ushio 300 Diver
This one was overdue. One of the biggest downsides to Grand Seiko’s divers was their water resistance capping at 200m. That’s fine for swimming, not for scuba. But not only did the new Ushio diver rectify that travesty, but it did so with both the latest generation U.F.A (Ultra Fine Accuracy) Spring Drive movement and a dial that puts both Omega and TAG Heuer’s efforts to shame.
Released at Watches and Wonders, it’s not exactly a beater, coasting as it is above US$12,000 / £10,000, but it’s arguably the best diver of the year. And that’s saying something.
3. Mr Jones Beano x MJW
This is an impulse buy for anyone in their nostalgia-riddled mid-30s: a collaboration between eccentrically idiosyncratic watch designer Mr Jones and… the Beano. More importantly, it’s a Dennis the Menace watch.
Dennis himself tracks the minutes while Gnasher (I still don’t know what type of dog he’s meant to be) follows the hours via a sausage.
The comic strip in the background explains why there’s banana peels slipping and sausage chasing, while the leather strap is in Dennis’ own black-and-red livery. For under US$295 / £250, what’s not to love?
4. Tudor Black Bay 58 GMT
This year, everybody’s favourite Rolex, the GMT-Master II Coke, with it’s red and black 24-hour bezel, was officially canned. It’s fortunate then that sister brand Tudor has picked up the slack with a version that’s honestly better-looking.
A mix of black and burgundy with a gilt (gold-trimmed black) dial, it’s 39mm of jet-set wrist perfection. It’s comfortable, versatile and with METAS-certification upping the prosaic COSC tests, houses a seriously impressive movement.
Here’s hoping they tackle the blue-and-black Batman next.
5. Christopher Ward C63 Sealander Automatic
In the debate between the Tudor Ranger and the Rolex Explorer, Christopher Ward entered the chat with the original Sealander – and now, with a bit of refinement, they’ve made it even better.
It’s a case of evolution over revolution with tapered indexes, a framed date window and a cleaner seconds hand that all add up to a much more sophisticated watch.
The stark white dial has been toned down to a warmer colour and perhaps most importantly, it houses Sellita’s next-gen movement with an upgraded 65-hour power reserve. And it still costs far, far less than a Tudor or a Rolex.
6. Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Control Chronometre Power Reserve Date
One of the unsung heroes of Watches & Wonders 2026 was Jaeger-LeCoultre’s entry into integrated bracelet sports watch canon. Yes, it was overdue, but it was worth the wait.
The Master Control Chronometre collection consists of three watches, with an automatic at one end and a perpetual calendar at the other.
My favourite though is the odd middle child, which actually riffs on the famous Futurematic from the 1950s with it’s twin power reserve and date subdials. Paired with the collection’s pitch-perfect bracelet in steel (no rose gold for this model, for some reason), it’s a low-key knockout.
7. Lange & Sohne Saxonia Annual Calendar
It’s rare I fall in love with Lange watches; that’s likely blasphemy from a watch journalist but there you have it. The new 36mm Saxonia however is a grail for me.
The size is absolutely perfect for a dress watch, and the combination of rose gold and anthracite is Saxon watchmaking at its finest. I even like that it’s an annual calendar over a perpetual simply because you don’t need to work out the three-body problem to set it.
And despite its classic subdial layout, it’s oversized, framed date at 12 o’clock leaves no doubt this is a Lange. I’d best start saving up.
8. Beaucroft Arc
British watchmaking tends to be founded on value for money above all else, but the latest from Cambridge-based Beaucroft offers more bang for your buck than a stag strapped with dynamite. Landing firmly between sports and dress watch, this US$585 / £525 watch is a proper GADA (go anywhere, do anything) staple.
Not only does it have solid specs with 100m water resistance and a workhorse Japanese Miyota movement, but it’s a looker, too. The modern gradient dial slides from burnt orange, teal, mid-blue or green at the centre into black around the edge, emphasised by white, lumed indexes. This is a daily wearer that looks anything but everyday.
9. Straum Frozen Metal Titanium
Norwegian brand Straum’s been quietly creating some of the most eye-catching dials around with their colourful Jan Mayen collection. The Frozen Metal however ups the drama with a dial like a cracking sheet of ice in crisp white.
Yes, it similar in concept to Montblanc’s Iced Sea line, but so much better-done. Blue PVD around the hands and indexes lends a pop of cool colour, while the titanium construction of both case and bracelet ensures that the Frozen Metal remains a lightweight sports watch. This is a watch that I really didn’t want to take off.
10. Bulgari Octo Finissimo 37mm
This is probably my most unexpected favourite of the year, not necessarily because I didn’t like the original Octo Finissimo models – I did – but because of just how much I preferred this smaller size.
Don’t get me wrong, with the square shape and sharp facets, it doesn’t feel small, but the 37mm sits much more comfortably on my 17cm wrists, more like an actual watch than a cuff.
It helps that the monochromatic gold has the kind of glamorous, Italian riviera vibe that only a brand like Bulgari can manage.
Liked this? I swapped my Apple Watch for a mechanical watch 10 years ago, and I’ve never looked back
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