The 14 Best Watch Collaborations of 2024

Watches are a lot like popular music. Every year, we wait for new drops. Often, the year’s most influential releases are reimagined takes on classic designs—or familiar melodies. Watch reissues are essentially song covers. Sometimes, new developments are controversial—think tourbillons, the Tudor P01, or autotune. 

And of course, a good watch collaboration delights me the way a good duet does. Some watch collaborations are like Queen and David Bowie’s “Under Pressure,” two similarly coded forces coming together naturally. Others are like Aerosmith and Run DMC’s “Walk This Way,” two different genres powerfully complementing each other.

Here are my favorite team efforts from the watch world this year.

Zodiac enlisted Craft + Tailored founder Cameron Barr’s vintage expertise to bring us the Super Sea Wolf 691. It’s an authentic recreation of Zodiac’s iconic but elusive Ref. 691 from 1953. The details of this elegant yet sporty timepiece are deeply considerate towards its audience. It provides a vintage experience with practical updates like an upped water resistance and sapphire crystal. However, though the original was an automatic, Barr went for a more vintage-feeling winding movement (a brand-new one, impressively).

Buy at Craft + Tailored

Inspired by the epic landscapes of Australia, this TAG Heuer Time+Tide Aquaracer combines classic beauty with an adventurous spirit. Built with light-but-strong titanium, the sandblasted case is adorned with rose gold accents, as is the anthracite dial. Visually, this double-signed watch is tactile but effervescent; practically, it’s tactical yet gracefully decorative.

Buy at Time+Tide

The work of Brian Donelly, or KAWS, sits safely in the Hypebeast-friendly section of contemporary art. Unsurprisingly, his collaboration with Audemars Piguet, a high-luxury favorite among trendsetters and rappers, ended up being one of the year’s buzziest releases. This Royal Oak Concept balances playfulness with undeniable artistry. An impeccably crafted Companion character, one of the leading players in the KAWS cast, is trapped behind the sapphire. His exposed tourbillon heart glistens against a fascinatingly multi-textured titanium construction.

Learn More at Audemars Piguet

Seiko is arguably Japan’s premier watchmaker. Meanwhile, Japanese style brand Porter Classic is known for combining contemporary fashion with traditional craft. Who better to collaborate on remaking the first-ever Japanese wristwatch? If the extensive lore behind the Laurel SPB449 isn’t enough to grab you, perhaps the charming spade hands, Breguet indices, or versatile enamel dial is.

Buy at Seiko

Certainly the budget banger of the year at under $250, this WW75 is the third iteration from this team-up. Unlike the past quartz versions, the Timex x Worn & Wound WW75 V3 is equipped with an engaging manual-wind movement. Moreover, the new colorways are stunning. The Sunflower variant flaunts a distinct yellow hue, balanced out with a dusty, military-esque tint. The Sunset version is a deep magenta, complemented with sky-blue accents. Both feature cushion cases, a nod to vintage utility.

Buy at Watch Windup Shop

As in most years, 2024 saw many watch and sports partnerships. Some notable ones include the pink Inter Miami CF Tudor Black Bay and the UEFA Euro’s 2024 Big Bang Smartwatch. The Breitling NFL Chronomats stand out among so many standouts because there’s never been a partnership like it. Breitling serves up true pieces of Swiss luxury, with 32 variants representing each of the 32 NFL teams.

Buy at Breitling

I could gawk at this Master Lighter forever. With its fanciful colors, whimsical font, and depth of topography, it’s like staring into the looking glass that leads to Wonderland. Each brand puts its best foot forward here: Franck Muller’s haute watchmaking and S.T. Dupont’s immaculate goldsmithing. Humans are hardwired to seek out novelty, and this art object offers the kind that won’t wear off.

Buy at Franck Muller

As a big fan of Ol’ Blue Eyes, I was thrilled when my friends over at Citizen told me that they work closely with the Sinatra family to build their Bulova Frank Sinatra line. This Chairman of the Board is true class, wielding a Deco gold case at a refreshingly un-gauche 25.5 millimeters. The Sinatra family crest sits on top of the semi-circle exhibition caseback.

Buy at Bulova

Thanks to the MoonSwatch before it, this watch was one of the most anticipated collaborations of early 2024. The Blancpain x Swatch Scuba Fifty-Fathoms Ocean Of Storms (say that three times fast) continues to ground a luxury icon closer to earth. This brand-approved homage of the Fifty-Fathoms has an exquisite sunburst dial, bioceramic case, and sapphire caseback through which you can admire the SISTEM51 automatic movement. 

Buy at Swatch

From the tennis-court green dial with 18-karat rose gold applications to the Neapolitan-ice-cream-toned subdial, this Rallymaster is truly charismatic. Doesn’t the added “with love” at the end of the Swiss Made moniker simply sweep you off your feet? This MDM and Racquet Magazine team-up debuted around the time of Wimbledon 2024 and is handsomely packaged with a custom pink tennis ball.

Buy at MDM

Casio’s collab partners range from K-pop act ITZY to SoleFly to Ed Sheeran. Also, the resulting editions are always affordable. They continue to bring the joy to watches with this apropos Uno partnership. The retro-cool A168 body is outfitted with the Mattel card game’s iconic colors—a touch of childhood happiness on an all-ages watch.

Buy at Casio

A veritable feast of textures, this Accutron Spaceview Evolution is a technological and visual wonder. Lightning in a bottle literally strikes via the miniature Wimshurst machine, composed of two spinning discs generating opposite charges. This unique electrostatic movement provides a smooth second-hand sweep and a compelling show via the tilted spinning turbines. The bridgework, perlaged accents, and beautiful emerald-colored screws invoke Hudson Whiskey’s blending kettles.

Buy at Accutron

Todd Snyder is known for his easy-going yet stylishly modern take on heritage looks. Weiss is known for outfitting WWII watch designs with upmarket materials. A partnership between the two is only natural. Their resulting field watch is what I like to call “fun Americana.” The illustrative, hand-painted dials come in two colorways: A vivid military green and a brilliant desert-forward khaki.

Buy at Todd Snyder

I saved this Olympics Omega for last because, at a watch release party, a cool watch influencer shamed me for being excited about it. Look, I get it. Omega does this every Olympic year. Recolored, rebranded versions of their standard designs won’t impress a been-around-the-block watch snob. Still, I believe 2024 was different. First off, this Bronze Gold Edition is gorgeous and versatile, even without its Olympics association. Second, the use of gold in this year’s line-up brings an appropriate ceremonial aesthetic, dodging the “expensive merchandise” trap. And yes, this includes the recolored Seamasters and Speedmasters. 

Buy at Omega