Oblique Strategies: The New Dennison + Collectability Collab is Made for All Enthusiasts

Sitting on my coffee table is a black box containing a deck of 7-by-9-centimeter cards, each offering a unique challenge intended to help artists (particularly musicians) overcome blocks by encouraging lateral thinking.

On the side of the lid, embossed in gold, are two words: Oblique Strategies.

Why have I brought this up? Well, today I’m writing about the 2026 Edition Oblique Collection from Dennison + Collectability. My problem in writing about this limited edition (available for pre-order from May 27 until June 3) is not writer’s block but rather when to stop writing. (Especially since I haven’t even held it in my hand yet!)

So, I picked up a card from the top of the deck for guidance. It said: “Do nothing for as long as possible.” Unfortunately, Elena Fichtel, our beloved Deputy Managing Editor, would not love that solution, so let’s jump right into what we know: enthusiasts love Dennison + Collectability.

Collectability is an internationally respected and award-winning dealer of vintage and pre-owned Patek Philippe timepieces. And since Dennison teamed up with acclaimed designer Emmanuel Gueit in 2024 to produce accessibly priced watches, the British brand has become a cult favorite.

This is the second pairing between the two teams. The first, in 2025, was the result of a chance meeting between Collectability’s founder, John Reardon, and Dennison’s director, Stephane Cheikh.
 

It’s a meet-cute story: Both were attending an auction in Geneva when Reardon, from across a crowded room, spotted what he thought was a Patek Philippe Golden Circle on Cheikh’s wrist. It turned out to be a Dennison ALD, the revived brand’s debut piece.

After trying on the watch, Reardon was impressed with the quality of design and production – and the very attractive price point (only $490) – a partnership was born.

For their first outing together, Dennison gave Collectability free rein in designing the limited-edition series. Because Gueit’s ALD case was what originally drew Reardon to Cheikh’s watch, they instead focused on the dial, which was inspired by the two-tone, sunray dial of the Patek Philippe Golden Circle watch ref. 3862 from the 1970s (this watch is also often incorrectly referred to as the “Golden Ellipse”).
 

For their second collaboration, Collectability is doubling down with two distinct dial options, in two different colorways, each with its own personality. And they have enlisted Gueit to reimagine the ALD’s case shape.

Like the first collab, the story of this release began in Geneva. Last fall, while discussing their shared love of 1960s asymmetric design and their desire to create something distinctive, emotional, and accessible, Gueit and Reardon sketched their off-kilter idea on a scrap of paper, then Gueit brought the concept to life.
 

In a press release for today’s launch, Emmanuel Gueit wrote: “For this next collaboration with Collectability, I really wanted to focus on the architecture of the watch and especially the asymmetrical opening of the dial. My vision has always been to create something different and unexpected rather than follow convention.”

This new 2026 Edition advances Dennison’s design language with an asymmetric form set within the ALD case, which frames a geometrically shaped dial. “More sculptural than the first edition, the watch is designed to engage the wearer to see time in a whole new way,” the press release explains.
 

To that end, each version of the watch features its own design language on the dial. “For me, asymmetry creates tension, balance, and a completely different emotion on the wrist,” added Gueit. Perhaps that is why it isn’t terribly surprising that these editions feel at once vintage-inspired and thoroughly modern.

While the ALD case is what first caught many collectors’ attention, Dennison’s distinctive dials have also become a brand trademark. And the 2026 Edition Oblique collection offers more options and colorways than the first Dennison + Collectability match-up.

First up is the Oblique Enigma Dial. This two-tone face features an inner blue sunburst finish, framed by a diamond-cut metallic border and set within a rich sunburst green surround. This wabi-sabi layout lends a sense of movement. The 35 by 33.6mm case is available in gold PVD or Steel.
 

The Oblique Vector Dial offers an entirely different expression: Twelve lines radiate from the center of a gold-tone or silver vector dial, creating an explosive dynamic. In gold, the Vector dial has a warm gilt-colored sunray finish with contrasting black lines. In steel, it has a silvered sunray finish with blue lines. To keep things grounded, each version comes grounded on an embossed leather strap.

In their mission statement for this release, Dennison and Collectability reaffirm a shared belief that great design should not be reserved only for the few. “This second collaboration with Dennison is about the joy of design and the emotion of collecting,” wrote Reardon in the same press release. “The result is something bold, unexpected, and accessible. Exactly the kind of watch that reminds me why I fell in love with collecting in the first place.”
 

The strategy, it seems, is to appeal to both collectors of high and “low” horology. (Kind of like the AP x Swatch Royal Pop, but not as hyped.) What keeps these watches affordable is their use of the Swiss-made Ronda Cal. 1062 quartz movement. It’s a high-quality movement that keeps the silhouette slim (it’s only 6.05mm thick) and the weight minimal. Making it appealing to all but the most quartz-averse collectors.