Smaller, Stranger, Smarter: Watch Trend Predictions For 2026
The watch world doesn’t merely follow trends; it sets them, often years ahead of the curve. So, let’s try to predict some of the trends we’ll see in 2026.
By Ash Longet
PR & Business Development
Behind the noise of sell-out sports models and speculative hype, we can see a more interesting watch culture that is taking shape. In fact, collectors are gravitating toward refined proportions, technical nuance, and pieces that resist categorization. In short, enthusiasts want watches that reward knowledge.
With that in mind, here is our list of watch trend predictions for 2026.
The Rise of the Jewelry Watch
This may be a bold prediction to kick things off with, but 2026 will be the year the watch becomes jewelry. Not in the sense of ostentation – that era is passé – but as an object of refined adornment.
Manufacturers are rediscovering gem-setting as horology’s haute couture. Stones are no longer oversized statements but lattices framing diminutive movements. Moreover, the distinction between lab-grown and natural stones continues to vanish.
For collectors with one eye on wearability and the other on investible rarity, this renaissance of elegance recalls the great Art Deco pieces of the 1930s. The connoisseur question we think brands will be answering in 2026 is simple: Why choose between a bracelet and a watch when one can be both?
Multi-Wear Timepieces: Beyond the Wrist
The cult of the wristwatch persists, yet liberation of the movement is underway to provide time-telling that bends to lifestyle, not the other way around. In 2025, we saw watch models, such as the Studio Underd0g x Christopher Ward Alliance 02 pocket watch, Piaget’s Sixtie Sautoir, and Louis Vuitton’s unconventional Monterey interpretations at Paris Fashion Week 2025, embody a new versatility, becoming accessories that can be adapted from denim to evening wear.
These are deliberate design statements. Thus, for collectors, the question is technical and cultural (and becoming more common): How does one carry time when convention no longer constrains? This multi-wear category fills that niche.
Component Innovation as a Revolution
If haute horlogerie is to evolve, it must look inward as much as outward. The groundbreaking Breguet Expérimentale 1 is an excellent example of the materials innovation at the micro level that we expect to see in 2026: novel alloys for escapements, new shock-resistant silicon composites, and advances in lubrication that extend service intervals.
These improvements are not always visible, but they matter where it counts: longevity, precision, and the subtle whisper of a well-regulated heart. The true enthusiast understands that the beauty of a watch lies as much in what you don’t see as what you do.
The Return of the Smaller Case
After a decade of ever-inflating diameters, there has been a palpable shift toward restraint. Smaller, more ergonomically pure cases have become easier to find, and not merely as retro affectation, but as design logic, just as Greubel Forsey’s Michel Nydegger promised us at Dubai Watch Week 2025.
With the proliferation of deskless work and digital fatigue, wearers will increasingly seek comfort; watches that sit lightly yet convey gravitas. Thus, watches with a 36mm to 38mm range, proportioned rather than poster-sized, that cater to both historical sensibility and modern taste will be on the rise in 2026.
The Neo-Vintage Wave Continues
Yes, this year we will still be riding the heritage wave, not only because these pieces continue to intrigue collectors but also because they turn out to be a safe space for brands.
Moreover, this year will be full of anniversaries, like the 50th anniversary of Patek Philippe’s Nautilus, and the 100th and 70th anniversaries of the Rolex Oyster and Day-Date, respectively. Additionally, Tudor will celebrate its 100th birthday, while Cartier’s Tank Française and the Parmigiani Fleurier brand will turn 30. And that’s just to name a few of the milestones coming up in 2026.
Happy 2026!