Watch brand collaborations have been on the rise for the past few years. Not all of them are worth the effort. Case in point: the gaudy and super-expensive Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Concept Black Panther Flying Tourbillon inspired by the Marvel character. On the flip side, there’s the far less expensive Oris ProPilot X Kermit Edition, which brings a vivid colorway to a cleanly styled timepiece. 2024 looks to be a great year for more watch collaborations to spend your hard-earned funds on, including some that are are incredibly limited.
Blancpain x Swatch Scuba Fifty-Fathoms Ocean Of Storms
The hottest collab watch right out of the 2024 gates is the Blancpain x Swatch Scuba Fifty-Fathoms Ocean Of Storms (the name is admittedly a mouthful). Riding on the popularity of some the biggest collabs of 2023, the Omega X MoonSwatch and the Blancpain X Swatch Fifty-Fathoms Series, the Ocean of Storms brings a sixth ocean to the latter, namely the Oceanus Procellarum: a 2 million square kilometer "sea" located not on earth but the moon. This time around, the Fifty-Fathoms homage watch goes nearly all black for its sunburst dial, uni-directional bezel, and bioceramic case. It also receives Grade A Super-LumiNova for improved visibility in low-light conditions. The SISTEM51 automatic movement comes courtesy of Swatch, and there’s also bio-sourced glass, a sapphire glass display back, and a recycled fishing net NATO strap with bioceramic hardware.
Buy: $400
Frederique Constant x Ace Jewelers Highlife Worldtimer Amsterdam
Ace Jewelers might not exactly be a household name for Americans, but it's a watch-lover’s retailer of retailers in Amsterdam. It recently partnered with Swiss watchmaker Frederique Constant (whose founders are Dutch) on a special limited edition of the brand’s sophisticated Highlife Worldtimer. The watch measures 41mm in diameter x 12.9mm in thickness, but its cushion case and integrated bracelet make it wear like a smaller watch. The special touches come in the form of three red crosses (nodding to the Amsterdam flag) just below the brand name on the dial, flag colors on the dial, and “Amsterdam” replacing the typical “Geneva” timezone on the city reference ring. The movement comes by way of the in-house automatic calibre FC-718 with a 38-hour power reserve.
Buy: $4666
Nivada Grenchen x Worn & Wound Datomaster VK63 V2
Swiss brand Nivada Grenchen has added fun and flair to its vintage styling. It recently collaborated with the horological publication Worn & Wound to create a classic but playful 36mm Mecaquartz chronograph. Despite its diminutive diameter, the sand dial with teal accents pops beautifully. Its triple-registers and dual pushers pay homage to automotive racing, further complemented by a brown perforated leather rally strap. Timekeeping duties are managed by an affordable but highly accurate Seiko VK Mecaquartz movement. Only 150 pieces will be made.
Buy: $499
Disney x Unimatic x HighsnobietyModello Tre U3-HS
This triple collab brings back the classic Mickey Mouse watch in a chunky chronograph diver style. The UNIMATIC x Disney x Highsnobiety collaboration was created to celebrate 100 Years of Disney, and the 1929 mouse looks none the worse for wear in Unimatic’s Modello Tre U3-HS with a light gray matte-finish dial and a concentric circle subdial. The 12 o’clock pip on the bezel and the TPU rubber strap match Mickey’s red pants perfectly. Underneath is the Meca-quartz calibre Seiko VK64A movement, and functionality is further enhanced by the inner AR-coated double-domed sapphire glass and the Swiss Super-LumiNova C1 on the hands, markers, and bezel. Only 100 specially numbered watches will be made, and each one comes with an extra black Nato strap and a commemorative tough case.
Buy: $923
Furlan Marri x Time+Tide Outback Elegy
Furlan Marri co-founders Andrea Furlan and Hamad al Marri have hit the sweet spot of affordable but sophisticated timepieces. They’ve cemented themselves in horological circles in virtually no time at all. The Furlan Marri x Time+Tide Outback Elegy celebrates the 10th anniversary of Time+Tide watch magazine, founded by Andrew McUtchen, who hails from Australia. The brown dial evokes the Australian outback, and the rest of the watch is clad in rose gold and brushed and polished stainless steel. The cow-horn lugs are a statement all by themselves and add a level of flair without overdoing it. The automatic mechanical movement is the G100 by La Joux-Perret with a substantial 68-hour power reserve, wound by a tungsten rotor with a galvanized palladium coating. This level of beauty and sophistication comes at a seriously attractive price, too.
Buy: $1272
Seiko X Fast & Furious / Fireboost
In one of the cooler products to nod to a movie, this collab comes by way of Seiko and the massive Fast & Furious movie franchise to celebrate the 10th movie, Fast X. The base watch is the Seiko Spirit Chronograph Tachymaster and uses a black dial inspired by Dominic Toretto's 1970 Dodge Charger R/T. The car’s air intake is parked just above the Seiko logo at the 12 o'clock position. The 3 and 9 o’clock subdials are outlined like the headlights of the car’s front fascia, and the third register looks like the car’s speedometer. Finally, there’s a "Fast & Furious X" and a serial number on the caseback. Just don’t pretend that you can drive like Dom when you wear it. Only 2,000 will be made.
Buy: $650
Casio G-Shock x SoleFly Heirloom Mi Casa Es Su Casa 5600
Casio collaborated with South Miami shoe and apparel retailer SoleFly to create the Heirloom. Despite the name, the watch is actually remarkably affordable and simple in its execution. It uses the G-SHOCK DW5600 watch as the base and adds a Miami-esque tan resin case and strap, coupled with a light blue display frame. It’s actually meant to be a bit tongue-in-cheek with its luxury colorway and dusty blue presentation box. The rest of it is classic G-SHOCK with shock resistance, 200-meter depth, multi-function alarm, stopwatch, timer, etc.
Buy: $150
Prometheus Design Werx SPD X Ares Diver-1 Mission Timer
San Francisco-based Prometheus Design Werx specializes in some of the best everyday carry and adventure gear on earth. Every so often they deliver a rugged timepiece built for the field. The latest is a collab with Ares, using its Diver-1 Mission Timer as the base watch for the Special Projects Division touch. It’s powered by a Swiss ETA 2824 automatic movement for accuracy, reliability, and ease of service. The depth rating is an astounding 1,000 meters, about the record for a human dive. The collab watch receives special PDW touches like a black Cerakote bezel with Super-LumiNova, a prominent PDW Octopus logo on the matte black dial, an Ares orange rubber strap, an orange PDW titanium ring strap, and a much-coveted PDW strap compass kit. All of this tool watch goodness comes in a hard Pelican case.
Buy: $1975
Citizen Godzilla X Promaster Dive 70th Anniversary Limited Edition
It seems the big lizard is just about everywhere these days. The big screen, the small screen, and now on your wrist. This special Promaster Godzilla collaboration model was created to celebrate Godzilla and, at the same time, commemorate 35 years of the Citizen Promaster diver. The watch gets a chunky 48.2mm gray stainless steel case, a special laser-applied camo dial that’s meant to echo the 50-meter-tall “King of the Monsters,” and his footprint on the caseback. Like the already legendary Promaster Diver, this version provides 300 meters of water resistance, an Eco-Drive solar-powered movement, and a black strap with biomass-derived materials. Just like Godzilla, this watch can take some serious punishment and then get back up for more. Only 2,500 units will be made.
Buy: $900
Paul Smith + Braun Swiss Made Watch
Braun and Paul Smith go hand-in-hand with artful minimalist styling, so it makes sense to do a watch collab that showcases each brand's talents. The 40mm matte stainless steel case contrasts beautifully with the flat black dial where only the chapter ring has markers, as opposed to the dial. It sports minimalist hands coated with Swiss Super-LumiNova, a date window, and a small seconds dial with a splash of Paul Smith color. The movement is a Swiss mechanical automatic ETA 2895-2 for excellent timekeeping duties. The watch is capped off with sapphire glass, and it holds securely with a simple black rubber strap. It’s a limited edition run of just 100 units.
Buy: $952
