For watch lovers around the world, 2022 has been a great year. Patek Philippe put Australia on a dial and retired the ref. 5711 for something new, Omega and Swatch collaborated on the much-hyped Moonswatch, Grand Seiko dropped its first Aussie limited edition and its most complicated watch ever, Rolex released one of the best regular production Day-Dates in history and much more. But what were the best watches of 2022?
In picking his list, the editorial team thought long and hard about exactly what respective watchmakers were offering their customers, how each watch fit into the broader market and what they reflected about the history of each watchmaker. As a result, this list tries to capture a snapshot of the watchmaking business in 2022, celebrating either the most innovative, wearable, historically important or value-focused timepieces that have been launched this year.
Without further ado, let’s get into Boss Hunting’s best watches of 2022 (arranged alphabetically).
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A. Lange & Söhne Odysseus In Titanium
As a pinnacle for traditional German watchmaking, the A. Lange & Söhne Odysseus was something of a surprise to collectors when it was first released back in 2019, as the brand’s first steel sports watch with an integrated bracelet. This year, the collection expands with this reference in titanium, featuring a lightweight and wearable 40.5mm case that stands 11.1mm thick and has a water resistance of 120m.
While not an entirely new model from A. Lange & Söhne, this titanium Odysseus is a further step towards the ideal sports watch, the case and bracelet of which have been meticulously executed with a sandblasted finish, mirror-polished bevels and a cleverly hidden micro-adjustment mechanism in the clasp. Powered by the 312-part L155.1 movement that delivers 50 hours of power reserve, it’s a limited edition of just 250 pieces worldwide.
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak “Jumbo” Extra-thin “50th Anniversary”
This year is an extremely important one for the folks at Audemars Piguet, as it’s the 50th anniversary of the iconic Gerald Genta-designed Royal Oak, which was the first true sports watch. To mark the half-century that has passed since its Baselworld debut, Audemars Piguet released a number of new watches including the stainless steel ref. 16202 (replacing the ref. 15202), however, it was the example in yellow gold that takes the prize thanks to its unreserved opulence and eye-catching smoked gold dial (as well as forming a part of the collection of Erling Haaland).
Featuring a 39mm yellow gold case that remains compellingly svelte at just 8.1mm thick, the main update to this generation of Royal Oak when compared to the previous is the new 7121 movement inside. The new movement is the result of five years of development and commemorates the 50th anniversary with a special winding rotor, now ticking away at 28,800vph and has an improved power reserve of 55 hours (15 hours more than the old). Happy birthday, Royal Oak.
Baltic MR01 Salmon
A common misconception about watch collecting is you need tens of thousands of dollars to get in the game, but Etienne Malec, the founder of Baltic Watches, wanted to do his bit to change that. He launched the brand back in 2017 with a focus to create well-made and thoughtfully designed timepieces that didn’t cost a fortune, and the Baltic MR01 Salmon might be the best example of this mission to date.
Featuring a 36mm steel case that’s just 9.9mm thick, the star of the show is the stunning salmon-tone dial with an off-centre seconds subdial and applied Breguet numerals that have been polished to catch the light. Flipping the watch over, you’re able to see the micro-rotor movement through the sapphire crystal caseback, which has been nicely finished and serves up 42 hours of power reserve. A remarkable watch that represents incredible value.
Breitling Chronomat Automatic GMT 40
Breitling has had a massive year in 2022, signing NBA Championship winner Giannis Antetokounmpo as an ambassador, and releasing a refreshed Navitimer collection, as well as an all-new SuperOcean collection. But in what might be one of the sleeper hits of the year, the Breitling Chronomat GMT 40 collection is as good-looking as it is practical.
While Breitling is known for its large timepieces, the Chronomat GMT 40 hits the 40mm sweet spot for most wrists with a complex case design that looks a treat, with both brushed and polished finishings that nicely compliment their rouleaux-style bracelets. The dial is balanced with the date window at 6 o’clock, the GMT hand offers a pop of contrasting colour and the Breitling Caliber 32 inside delivers 42 hours of power reserve. It’s a slam dunk of a watch.
Cartier Santos-Dumont “Lacquered” Limited Edition
Cartier has been killing it over the last few years, with great new releases combined alongside a superheated vintage market for the French-founded watchmaker and jeweller. Our favourite release from the brand this year is the Cartier Santos-Dumont “Lacquered” Limited Edition, which takes the classic Santos design and infuses it with the kind of craftsmanship and artistry that has made the brand so desirable.
Arriving with Cartier’s “large size” case in rose gold, the case has received a lacquer treatment to its surfaces, where the rose gold has been recessed to allow for an application of creamy beige lacquer that matches the soft tone of the dial. Powered by the manual winding calibre 430 MC, it features a dark green alligator leather strap and is a quintessential example of what Cartier is capable of when they decide to go all gas, no breaks.
Chopard L.U.C XPS 1860 Officer
In the world of fine watchmaking today, Chopard remains criminally underrated by the average enthusiast. An example of this is the Chopard L.U.C XPS 1860 Officer, which appears to be a simple time-only watch from a quick glance, but reveals itself to you the closer you look.
Boasting an officer-style hinged caseback at the rear of the ethically sourced 18K yellow gold case, it both protects the movement within and provides a canvas for some very special honeycomb engraving that is mirrored on the dial. Created to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the L.U.C collection (named in honour of the brand’s founder, Louis-Ulysse Chopard), this classic dress watch is a limited edition of just 50 pieces worldwide.
Grand Seiko Evolution 9 Sport Spring Drive GMT SBGE285
Grand Seiko stepped up to the plate in a big way this year, launching the most complicated (and most expensive) timepiece in its six-decade history with the Kodo Constant Force Tourbillon. However, it was in Grand Seiko’s more everyday offerings that we spotted the SBGE285 gem, a titanium sports watch that’s as good at ocean diving as it is at travelling the world.
Featuring a 41mm high-intensity titanium case that’s 13.9mm thick, its shape is a reflection of the budding Evolution 9 collection design language that seeks to improve wearability and legibility, while the subtly textured dial was inspired by the morning mist of the mountains of Nagano, Japan. Powered by the 9R66 Spring Drive movement, it not only tells the time and date but also allows its wearer to track a second timezone, making it a great companion for any journey overseas.
H. Moser & Cie Pioneer Cylindrical Tourbillon Skeleton
The team at H. Moser & Cie weren’t playing around when they dreamed up the Pioneer Cylindrical Tourbillon Skeleton, which isn’t just a technical feat of watchmaking but also offers one of the most three-dimensional views inside a timepiece we’ve seen in a while. With the dial located near 12 o’clock on the dial to leave space for the spinning one-minute tourbillon at 6 o’clock, its design can’t help but remind of Grand Seiko’s complicated marvel from this year.
Featuring a 42.8mm stainless steel case, which is 11.7 mm thick to offer an unobstructed view of the movement within, the domed Funky Blue fumé dial is quintessential Moser and is highly legible thanks to the luminescent Globolight hour markers and hands. Beneath the similarly domed dial is the skeletonised manufacture calibre HMC 811, which ticks away at 12,600vph and delivers an impressive 72 hours of power reserve. The art of watchmaking personified.
IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 Top Gun Ceratanium
This year at IWC was all about material innovation and Pilot’s watches, a vision that is best seen in the stealthy dark grey IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 Top Gun Ceratanium. While the Schaffhausen-based brand also released white, green and khaki ceramic watches, this murdered-out piece is constructed from proprietary Ceratanium, which combines the best elements of titanium and ceramic.
The Ceratanium case measures 41mm in diameter, with a darkly tinted sapphire crystal caseback and even the crown and pushers constructed from the notoriously challenging to work with Ceratanium. Beneath the equally dark dial is IWC’s column-wheel actuated 69385 chronograph movement, serving up the time, chronograph function, date and date, with 46 hour of power reserve.
Longines Ultra-Chron
If it’s one thing that Longines is known for, it’s creating some of the best heritage reissues in the game. Sure, it helps when you’ve got the depth of Longines archives that reach back all the way to 1832, but the attention to detail and historical faithfulness with which these reissues are created is second to none, a fact that can be seen immediately in the Longines Ultra-Chron.
Inspired by the high-beat movement Ultra-Chron from 1968, this modern reissue features a cushion-shaped 43mm stainless steel case that is closed with a solid caseback, guaranteeing the watch 300m of water resistance. True to its ancestor, this reissue is also powered by a high-beat movement in the L836.6 calibre that ticks no less than 10 times per second or 36,000vph.
Piaget Polo Date S
When James first saw the Piaget Polo Date S at Watches & Wonders earlier this year, he described it as his “unexpected hit” of the entire event. In a world where sports watches are unendingly popular, it’s difficult to create a watch that delivers any kind of surprise, but the softly contoured lugs of the Polo Date S and the remarkably comfortable rubber strap combine for a real treat on the wrist.
Executed in 42mm of everyday stainless steel, its horizontal dial pattern and matching brushed bezel reference the original Polo from 1979, but it still offers a thoroughly contemporary take thanks to the angular hour markers and a sporty pop of red on the seconds hand. Powered by the wonderfully finished slimline automatic 1110P movement, you’ll get 50 hours of power reserve out of it before you need to give it a wind.
Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda PF GMT Rattrapante
Parmigiani Fleurier has had something of a renaissance in 2022, releasing a number of new references in the Tonda collection that have been almost universally loved by collectors and enthusiasts. First announced back in April, the Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda PF GMT Rattrapante is one of the sleekest GMT watches released in years, bringing gracefulness to an otherwise aggressively sporty category.
The stainless steel case measures 40mm in diameter, but despite the patented GMT mechanism within, still stands just 10.7mm tall off the wrist, allowing the Milano Blue dial to slip under a cuff with ease. The PF051 micro-rotor GMT movement is able to display both home and local time by adjusting it with a click of the button at 8 o’clock, while the pusher in the crown at 3 o’clock returns all hands to home time when you eventually return from your travels. A shockingly underrated watchmaker.
TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional 200 Solargraph
Most folks don’t know it, but the TAG in TAG Heuer actually stands for Techniques d’Avant Garde, a statement of innovative boundary-pushing that is on full display with the TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional 200 Solargraph. With a carbon-weave-like bezel, a dial that doubles as a solar panel to charge the watch and a stealthy black case, there’s a lot to love.
The 40mm black DLC-coated steel case boasts the same shape as the rest of the refreshed Aquaracer collection, guaranteeing 200m of water resistance thanks to the screw-down crown, while the bezel is carbon fused with luminous material for a great look in low light. The dial is the real show, however, serving as a solar module that gathered energy to power the battery of the quartz Calibre TH50-00, meaning the battery should almost never need to be changed.
Tudor Pelagos 39
Without a doubt, the Tudor Pelagos 39 is up there as one of the top three watches of 2022, showing why in many ways, the little sibling of Rolex is unencumbered to deliver watch collectors exactly what they want. This year, the Tudor Pelagos got the same treatment as the Black Bay a few years back, shrinking down the case from 42mm to 39mm (also nearly 1mm thinner at just 11.8mm), removing the asymmetry of a date window and reducing the price just enough to make it justifiable without a moment’s thought.
The case and bracelet are made from lightweight and easy-to-wear titanium (it also arrives with a complimentary rubber strap), the dial is easy to read and perfectly proportioned and it’s powered by a COSC-certified movement that delivers 70 hours of power reserve. It’s honestly difficult to fault, no matter which angle you look at it from.
Vacheron Constantin Les Historiques 222
Vacheron Constantin is one of the oldest watchmaking brands in Switzerland, which means it has a lot to draw on when it comes to finding inspiration to create beautiful watches today. An incredible example of this is the Vacheron Constantin Les Historiques 222, drawing inspiration from the Jorg Hysek-designed 222 model from 1977, which was developed to compete with the Nautilus and Royal Oak from Patek Philippe and Audemars Piguet respectively.
As an almost identical reissue to the original, the solid yellow gold 222 from 2022 weighs a hefty 205g on the wrist, despite its case only measuring 37mm in diameter and a svelte 7.95mm thick. Powered by the ultra-thin calibre 2455/2 (just 3.6mm thick) with 40 hours of power reserve, this fantastic reissue is a statement piece for the considered collector.
