We are over halfway through the year, and while many - including the rest of the editorial team - were somewhat underwhelmed by the recent Watches & Wonders, it doesn't mean that there weren't some good watches released this year. The following is our favorite watches of 2026, which includes new releases, new additions to our collection, or in some cases, watches we don't even have in our possession... yet.

For a few years now, I have had the privilege of meeting the owners of different brands, thanks to my job working for a Japanese microbrand. I have also had a hand in creating several different watches - whether it was a contribution to the design, the concept, the media push, or even the choice of strap. So, I have intimate knowledge of all the trials and tribulations that go into making even a single watch, but because I don't own the company, I am fortunate not to bear all

So when Tommaso took the leap of faith to launch his own brand, it was to bring a complicated watch to the wrists of consumers without costing over a hundred thousand euros (at minimum). After a year of research, he learned, unfortunately, that releasing a debut watch at under a thousand euros with a grand complication like a perpetual calendar or minute repeater was literally impossible, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t do the next best thing: A watch with a lot of great com

There are two types of military watches in the world. The first are “military” in name only. Created with faux patina, pretend ruggedness, and a price tag that can make eyes water. The second are the real deal: built for purpose, unpretentious, and about as glamorous as a spade. The Vertex M36 sits firmly in the latter camp. It’s not here to dazzle the office accountants or win Instagram likes. It’s here to tell the time. It’s unapologetically simple. It’s designed with pu

Doxa was founded in the famed Le Locle region of Switzerland by twenty-one-year old Georges Ducommun in 1889. I guess that’s impressive. When he was 21, he was a true watchmaker, and created a brand that would outlive him by almost an entire century. When I was 21, I was pushing a car up a mountain during a blizzard, but hey, it’s fine. Maybe in the next life, Georges can reach my level. Doxa initially distinguished itself through alarm watches, anti-magnetic watches

Imagine the “friend zone.” We’ve all been there. It’s that awkward place where you adore someone’s vibe, you laugh at their jokes, you even gush about them to your friends, and yet you know, deep down, they’re never making it past “platonic brunch buddy.” Watches have their own friend zone, too. These are the brands and models we admire from a safe distance.