Our Journal

LVMH Watch Week is the first real signal of the year for serious collectors. When the industry is loud, it’s one of the few events that stays focused—showing where the Maisons are placing their emphasis before the broader fair season begins.

This year, we filtered out cosmetic updates and looked for releases with a true historical anchor, a functional point of difference, and a credible place in their segment. Two watches stood out because they feel native to their brands—and built to age well beyond launch week.

When Rolex adjusted prices in early 2026, the spotlight immediately hit the retail list. New MSRPs. New headlines. New “should I buy now?” conversations.

But retail is only half the story.

For collectors, the more useful question is what happens after the price increase—inside the pre-owned market, where real transactions, real preferences, and real liquidity reveal the truth. Pre-owned doesn’t move as a single wave; it moves in pockets.

In high watchmaking, January 1st has become more than just a new beginning. It is the day the "Crown" resets the global market.

Rolex’s annual price adjustment is now a structural part of the collecting experience. While a higher price tag is rarely celebrated, seasoned collectors understand the deeper signal: Rolex is raising the floor.

In the Rolex professional universe, every icon has its element. The Submariner owns the ocean. The GMT-Master II owns the skies. The Daytona owns the track.

And then there’s the Milgauss—Rolex’s most unconventional professional watch. Not built for depth ratings or speed traps, but for an invisible enemy that quietly ruins mechanical accuracy: magnetism.

The turn of the year has always mattered in watchmaking. But 2026 feels different.

After years defined by hype cycles, speculative buying, and frantic release calendars, the industry is settling into something quieter—and more meaningful. This will not be a year that rewards speed. It will reward preparation.

For collectors, 2026 presents a rare alignment: major centenaries, milestone anniversaries, and a maturing release strategy that demands discernment rather than reaction. The calendar ahead is not something to chase—it’s something to navigate.

In the traditional halls of Swiss horology, success is often measured by preservation. Brands refine the circle, shave millimeters off case profiles, and perfect dive watches first designed in the 1950s.

Then, there is Maximilian Büsser.

At Swiss Connection Watches, we believe 2026 marks a profound shift in the collector mindset. The frantic energy of previous years—defined by speculation and "watch as asset" thinking—has finally settled into a quiet, confident maturity. This is the year where substance finally triumphs over speculation.

We are no longer chasing what might double in value; we are choosing what we want to live with. As we step into the New Year, the air surrounding the watch world feels remarkably different: it is finally the year of intention.

The "First Watch" or the "One-Watch Collection" has long been a territory dominated by the Crown. For decades, the conventional wisdom was simple: if you want a serious timepiece that signals success and holds its value, you buy a Rolex. Specifically, you buy a GMT-Master II.

However, the tide is turning. In our latest review, we dive into a fascinating rivalry that isn't about power reserves or depth ratings, but about identity. As a new generation of collectors enters the market, the Cartier Santos is emerging as a compelling alternative to the Rolex GMT-Master II.

For years, Tudor was celebrated—and perhaps occasionally pigeonholed—as the master of the "heritage" look. The Black Bay line, with its warm gilt tones and vintage proportions, successfully revived the brand’s soul by looking backward. However, a different story is being written within the Pelagos family.

The Tudor Pelagos FXD is not a tribute; it is a tool. FXD stands for “Fixed” — referring to the permanently integrated strap bars. It signals a pivot away from purely nostalgic design toward modern, professional utility and technical bravery. Following our latest YouTube review, we explore why the FXD isn't just a "budget Rolex" alternative, but a stronger case for collectors seeking modern, purpose-driven horological R&D.

For decades, Rolex has been defined by the uncompromising, industrial excellence of its steel professional tool watches. The Perpetual 1908 quietly breaks that pattern.

This new dress watch is far more than the replacement for the discontinued Cellini line. It is a defining statement—a technical achievement and the most considered elegant timepiece the Crown has ever produced. We analyze the key takeaways from the recent review and explain why this quiet dress watch’s significance extends far beyond its slim 9.5mm profile and into the very future of high-end watch collecting.

Some shifts in watch collecting happen slowly, quietly over decades. Others arrive in a single, perfectly timed photograph.

When Taylor Swift’s engagement photo surfaced late last year, the detail that captivated young collectors wasn't the ring or the dress. It was the small, discontinued Cartier Santos Demoiselle quietly gracing her wrist—a forgotten reference suddenly center-stage in the biggest love story of the decade.

This image perfectly articulated a shift many already felt: the fantasy of luxury is changing. The new aspirational dream isn't a massive steel sports watch; it’s something slimmer, more intimate, and undeniably romantic—it's something Cartier.

In 2025, this momentum is impossible to ignore. After years of watching market trends, we’re seeing Cartier move past a good year into a true cultural moment, with Gen Z leading the charge toward timeless elegance.

In a watch market often driven by complications, scarcity, or spectacle, what if the truest form of luxury was something almost no one sees — the quiet perfection of every hand-finished component?

That philosophy is the bedrock of Laurent Ferrier.

The Galet Micro-Rotor, with its smooth, pebble-like case, might seem unassuming. But flip it over, and the LF270.1 caliber inside is a world-class statement on the lost art of hand-finishing—a level of meticulous refinement typically reserved for pieces costing millions. This is a deep dive into the founder’s Patek Philippe legacy and the techniques that make this movement one of the most beautiful in modern horology.