BRAND OF THE YEAR
WATCH OF THE YEAR
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
CEO OF THE YEAR
REVOLUTIONARY OF THE YEAR
TECHNICAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
RISING STAR
BEST DESIGN
BEST CONCEPT
BEST COLLABORATION
BEST REINVENTION
BEST WORLD TIMER
BEST MEN’S WATCH
BEST WOMEN’S WATCH
BEST JEWELRY WATCH
BEST SPORTS CHIC WATCH
BEST SPORTS WATCH
BEST TOURBILLON
BEST CHRONOGRAPH
BEST DIVE WATCH
BEST ASTRONOMICAL COMPLICATION
BEST GRAND COMPLICATION
BRAND OF THE YEAR
ROLEX
No matter if you love artisanal independent watchmaking, or you’re a fan of the loftiest high complications, you have to agree with the following irrefutable truth: The entire Swiss watch industry owes its existence to Rolex. Bold statement? Perhaps. But one that rings with the clear and distinct peal of unwavering truth. Because without Rolex to connect the world’s population with a passion for luxury watches, there would be no Swiss watch industry at all. Most certainly, there would not be the critical mass to make it an actual industry worth 25 billion Swiss francs each year. In 2023, Rolex demonstrates that not only is it the most important watch brand on the planet, but it is also the most brilliantly led. First, there is the acquisition of Bucherer, the Lucerne-based retailer with shops in Europe and the United States that is estimated to represent six to nine percent of Rolex’s turnover in retail sales. Sure, on one level Rolex buying Bucherer would protect it from falling into the hands of venture capitalists or private equity firms, which have been expressing increasing interest in the watch sector. Magnanimously, Rolex’s purchase gives this halcyon retailer an assurance of a proper and secure future. But on another level, Rolex’s first entry into retail also opens up so many new and exciting worlds for the mighty juggernaut. For one, there is now the first proper interface with the end customer. Rolex will also use Bucherer as a platform to grow its own Certified Pre-Owned program to take greater control of its own secondary market, which, importantly, gives Rolex the ability to take control over its own full narrative. Because while Rolex makes the best and most desired watches on the planet, in the past few hype-driven years where Rolex watches became the object of vast speculation, there was one gap in Rolex’s narrative: Customers would walk into their AD’s only to be told there was nothing they could buy. But they would turn around and find every single new Rolex model available on secondary platforms. By entering into the retail space, Rolex is now also putting all other retailers on notice.
Second, Rolex has clearly articulated that while its roots are in sports and tool watches, it has evolved to become the most important brand in the pure luxury sector. A decade ago, Rolex occupied a special niche in between a high-end tool watch and a luxury timepiece. Without losing its core identity, Rolex has shifted away from the first category and decidedly into the second. Part of this has been manifested in an increased focus on precious metal and gem-set watches. But to me the best articulation of this is the new Rolex Daytona, a watch of remarkable refinement expressed by sharper lines for the case, thinner, more elegant markers and, in the case of the platinum version, the Daytona’s very first sapphire caseback showcasing exemplary movement finish. Meanwhile, the Day-Date 36 “Jigsaw” transformed the renowned pragmatism of Rolex’s legendary Day-Date into a watch that is a shimmering beacon of optimism and joy articulated by emojis in place of the date, and words such as “Peace,”, “Love,” “Faith” and “Hope” — a watch that in the turbulent times today is incredibly poignant and relevant.
Third, not content to simply relinquish the luxury tool watch market, Rolex has perfectly transitioned its sister brand Tudor to occupy this niche. If you are looking for a high-end, extraordinarily well-executed, high performance watch using all of the contemporary materials of today, including steel, titanium, ceramic and carbon fiber, and presented with an unbeatable value proposition — a watch that you can actually dive, hike, surf and ride your bike with — you need look no further than Tudor. For all these brilliantly interconnected achievements, for the creation of the world’s best sports watches, and for supporting the watch industry in a way no other brand can, Rolex is our 2023 Brand of the Year.
WATCH OF THE YEAR
REXHEP REXHEPI CHRONOMÈTRE ANTIMAGNÉTIQUE
Nine circles radiating outward like the perfectly symmetrical wave patterns caused by a stone creating ripples on the surface of a lake. That’s the secret to the way your eye is inexplicably drawn into the subtle tranquil vortex of perfect geometric harmony that is Rexhep Rexhepi’s masterpiece of design, the Chronomètre Antimagnétique. These comprise the case profile, followed by the two steps of the bezel, then the opening of the bezel where it meets the crystal, then the two rings of the chemin de fer minute and seconds track, before arriving at the three sinuously interlocking circles that comprise the sector track — the dial’s central motif. Taken together, the result is one of the most mesmerizing achievements in modern watch design ever created. Add to this the stainless steel body handmade by the Stradivarius of watch cases, Jean-Pierre Hagmann, and the dial rendered in grand feu enamel, and this timepiece only grows in its ethereal splendor. Further add to that the flat oversized crown and those lithe attenuated supermodel leg lugs, a double stepped removable back case that unlocks with the perfect audible click, as well as an all-new center seconds movement with zero-reset mechanism, and this
