From updated classics to refreshing newcomers, here are the best watches of the year.

This year in watches brought fresh updates to timeless classics and some brand new game changers. From Bulgari's record breaking calendar piece to Gucci's first step into high watchmaking, here's this year's most exciting pieces.



Octo Finissimo Perpetual Calendar


Bulgari
$89,000.00

Breaking a seventh world record, BVLGARI is once again changing the game with the world’s thinnest perpetual calendar watch. The Octo Finissimo Perpetual Calendar is a true testament to fine watch making, featuring a 5.80mm case and 2.75 calibre.



Tank Must


Cartier
$2,480.00

The Cartier Tank has been a classic timepiece with its now iconic rectangular shape since 1917. This year, the elegant staple get an upgrade with the Tank Must. It is the first solar-powered watch for Cartier and comes with lux non-animal leather straps in various colors including this fresh pastel green.



J12 Electro Dream Watch Caliber 12.1, 38 mm


Chanel

The 'it' fashion watch, Chanel’s J12, gets a colorful upgrade with a new matte black ceramic and steel case adorned with 46 baguette-cut rainbow sapphires. The stunning piece is part of a limited edition of just 55 pieces.



Esperanza


Chopard

Chopard’s Haute Joaillerie, a Red Carpet Collection designed in partnership with the Cannes Film Festival, is nothing short of real life artwork. This year the collection includes the dazzling Esperanza watch. Glowing with beautiful pearshaped and round-cut emeralds and diamonds, this masterpiece took Chopard artisans more than 515 hours of work to complete.



Grand Bal Plume


Dior

Since its first introduction in 2011, Dior’s Grand Bal timepieces have been the go-to watch for the glamorous consumer. This year’s Grand Bal Plume features wild peacock and jay feathers meticulously hand cut on a stunning mother of pearl dial.



G-Timeless Moonphase


Gucci
$32,000.00

2021 is the year Gucci is taking its first step in the High Watchmaking world. Everyone’s favorite luxury brand is taking its innovative and eclectic style and translating it to ultra-cool timepieces shaking up the watch world. Part of their new collection include 5 new captivating designs in there G-Timeless series, including this Moonphase piece.



Nantucket


Hermes
$18,850.00

Created in 1991 as a companion to their 'Cape Cod' watch, Hermes created the sophisticated timepiece 'Nantucket' inspired by the anchor chain links of their chaine d'ancre bracelet. The new model includes a beautiful white mother-of-pearl dial with two diamond-set chatons.



Big Bang Integral Tourbillon Full Sapphire


Hublot
$422,000.00

Hublot’s newest iteration of their Big Bang Watch has been entirely reconstructed to feature full crystal clear sapphires. This innovative piece was reconstructed to remove almost all visible screws and the bridges and main plates were reworked to give them the illusion of being suspended in space.



Longines DolceVita


Longines
$1,250.00

Created in 1997, Longine’s aptly named DolceVita piece is the perfect homage to the breezy Italian way of life. This year, the classic staple features an Art Deco style Dial and offers new leather strap options in white, black, blue, and golden colorways.



Vivienne Bijou Secret


Louis Vuitton

Louis Vuitton’s signature flower, Vivienne has made a name for herself on timeless monogram bags, high jewelry, and now is making waves in the watchmaking world. Vivienne’s Monogram flower face sits in pink, white, and yellow gold with over 150 brilliant-cut snow-set diamonds. It’s movable face twists to reveal a gorgeous 21mm case and white mother-of-pearl dial embellished the iconic monogram flower pattern.



Speedmaster Moonwatch Velcro Straps


Omega
$190.00

OMEGA is honoring its longstanding legacy of space exploration with new velcro straps that offer astronaut-friendly adjustments, but also make the perfect accessory for the average space lover. These 20mm straps come in black, white, and grey and is seen here paired with the brand’s Master Chronometer certified Moonwatch, but can easily be paired with any watch.



Oyster Perpetual DateJust 36


Rolex
$7,050.00

Rolex’s chic and timeless Oyster Perpetual DateJust 36 gets a fun update with a palm motif dial. Inspired by tropical forests, this DateJust is the perfect piece to inspire a vacation state of mind.

The Indonesian national football squad secured a historic tournament championship following a late equalizer, sparking nationwide celebrations and boosting the profile of regional sports.
A new industry analysis shows that the expanding ASEAN aviation sector supports over 23 million jobs, highlighting the importance of major airport infrastructure projects in hubs like Bangkok.
The administration of Anwar Ibrahim is working to balance essential cost-of-living relief for households against the need for subsidy reforms to maintain long-term national fiscal health.
The board of directors has dismissed the airline's chief executive following public backlash over the mishandling of passenger communications and baggage logistics during severe regional floods.
Following extreme weather that has caused dozens of deaths in Thailand since mid-September, urban development experts are calling for urgent civil engineering projects to protect the capital's economic core.
Lawmakers have implemented strict bans on the digital distribution of unsafe personal mobility vehicles to address urban pedestrian safety concerns and domestic fire hazards.
Authorities in southern Malaysia have shuttered educational institutions due to deteriorating air quality, while Indonesian courts face negligence complaints regarding agricultural fires driving the regional crisis.
In a move to deepen defense ties, Polish leadership is in the Philippines to negotiate military aviation contracts and align strategic interests regarding regional sovereignty.
National and municipal authorities are directing significant capital into seapert and multimodal transport infrastructure to transform the Hai Phong area into a competitive international maritime hub.
The Thai Ministry of Public Health has backed a proposed arrival fee for international visitors to fund an insurance pool intended to cover unpaid hospital bills and maintain care standards.
Authorities in Jakarta have committed to ending the conversion of pristine forests into rice paddies as part of a shift toward more sustainable agricultural intensification and food security.
Diplomatic and labor delegations from both nations are working to finalize a new regulatory agreement by year-end to resolve exploitation issues and secure the flow of essential labor into Malaysia.
President Ferdinand Marcos has arrived in Singapore for a five-day working visit aimed at attracting foreign direct investment into the Philippines' domestic technology and infrastructure sectors.
Energy ministers from across Southeast Asia have inaugurated a new institutional body designed to harmonize utility frameworks and facilitate multi-billion dollar investments into an interconnected regional electricity grid.
Foreign Affairs Minister Vivian Balakrishnan stated that Singapore will use its upcoming leadership of the regional bloc to push for deeper economic integration and stronger trade partnerships to navigate global volatility.
The Laotian government has introduced new resource nationalism policies requiring all extracted minerals to be processed domestically before export to capture higher industrial value and increase national revenue.
Domestic financial institutions across Vietnam are seeking massive capital injections from international and regional investors to expand lending capacity and support the country's rapid industrialization.
Malaysian infrastructure and technology authorities have commenced development of a large-scale technological hub aimed at attracting global semiconductor manufacturing and artificial intelligence data centers to compete with Singapore.
Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul confirmed that negotiators are drafting the final stages of a sweeping trade pact designed to strengthen Thailand’s position within global manufacturing and technology supply chains.
Cambodian and Lao energy authorities agreed to strengthen high-voltage grid connections, supporting larger flows of hydropower between the two countries and neighboring regional markets.
Norwegian shipbuilder VARD inaugurated a marine engineering and vessel design center in Ho Chi Minh City to support growing shipbuilding demand across Southeast Asia.
Malaysian sovereign funds, venture capital networks and technology agencies are allocating capital to local chip design and advanced packaging companies to strengthen the country’s electronics industry.
Chinese technology companies are increasing spending on regional data centers and cloud services as businesses across ASEAN adopt more artificial intelligence tools and digital financial platforms.
Indonesian authorities and Danantara are preparing several major state-owned companies for potential listings in 2027 as part of efforts to deepen the Jakarta capital market and attract institutional investors.
Bangkok authorities are rolling out electric river boats, additional skywalks and cycling lanes under the Car Free 2026 initiative to reduce congestion and emissions across the capital.
Large projects including the 20 billion baht Songklanagarind Phuket Advanced Medical Center are helping broaden Phuket’s economy into healthcare, residential development and retail alongside its traditional tourism base.
The Tourism Authority of Thailand signed a letter of intent with aviation and tourism partners to turn passenger stopovers at Bangkok airports into curated travel experiences aimed at increasing visitor spending.
Blockchain analytics data showed Vietnam processed more than $122 billion in digital asset transactions over a 12-month period, ranking second in Southeast Asia behind Singapore.
Analysts expect the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas to conclude its monetary tightening cycle in October as imported inflation pressures ease and policymakers weigh the need to support domestic spending.
Philippine equities dropped to their lowest levels of the year amid foreign fund outflows, a weaker peso and concerns that high borrowing costs could weigh on domestic growth.
Singaporean officials are preparing for the country’s 2027 ASEAN chairmanship with a focus on deeper economic integration, digital trade standards and stronger regional security cooperation.
Thai economic officials outlined a three-part plan to reduce exposure to expensive fossil-fuel imports by increasing domestic renewable generation and allowing households to sell surplus electricity back to the grid.
German chipmaker Infineon Technologies inaugurated an expanded facility in Thailand that is expected to increase local engineering capacity toward 1,000 specialized jobs and deepen the country’s role in semiconductor supply chains.
Malaysia’s Johor chief minister called for urgent regional talks as smoke from agricultural fires in Sumatra and Borneo affected parts of Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia, increasing pressure for coordinated firefighting and enforcement.
Vietnam’s consumer price index rose to 5.08% in September as higher construction material and food costs pushed inflation to its highest level in a decade.
Severe monsoonal flooding across northern and central Thailand has damaged farms, disrupted food supply chains and pushed estimated national economic losses above 69 billion baht.
A World Bank assessment found that Malaysia and Vietnam are capturing strong demand for artificial intelligence hardware and electrical equipment, while Indonesia faces greater difficulty attracting advanced digital manufacturing investment.
The ASEAN+3 Macroeconomic Research Office said weaker global demand for artificial intelligence hardware could significantly slow regional growth by 2027, exposing economies increasingly reliant on semiconductor and electronics exports.
The World Bank lifted Vietnam’s 2026 GDP growth forecast by 1.1 percentage points to 7.4%, citing surging exports of computers, servers and other high-tech products tied to global artificial intelligence infrastructure demand.
International law enforcement agencies seized 521 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine from a private aircraft at a Laotian airport and arrested a Singaporean pilot in a major operation linked to the Golden Triangle drug trade. :chatgpt-content-reference{index="19"}
Thai developer Siam Piwat has announced IconPhuket, a large retail and entertainment project aimed at capturing growing demand from affluent international visitors to the southern island. :chatgpt-content-reference{index="18"}
Malaysia’s election commission has scheduled the Melaka state poll for mid-November, creating a significant political test for Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and public support for his government’s economic reforms. :chatgpt-content-reference{index="17"}
Thailand recorded 7.5 billion baht in revenue from international film and television productions, supported by tax incentives and growing use of Thai locations and production talent. :chatgpt-content-reference{index="16"}
Singapore is urging ASEAN governments to expand cross-border intelligence sharing as criminal networks increasingly use advanced artificial intelligence tools to conduct sophisticated financial fraud. :chatgpt-content-reference{index="15"}
Thailand’s Board of Investment says its 10-year Long-Term Resident visa program has attracted more than 12,000 wealthy individuals, executives and digital professionals, supporting foreign spending and investment in the domestic economy. :chatgpt-content-reference{index="14"}
Malaysia has begun high-level discussions with visiting Myanmar officials over the return of undocumented Myanmar nationals as planned repatriations draw warnings from United Nations human rights monitors. :chatgpt-content-reference{index="13"}
Thailand has climbed to 38th place in the World Economic Forum’s Travel and Tourism Development Index, reflecting improvements in aviation connectivity and efforts to attract higher-value international visitors. :chatgpt-content-reference{index="12"}
Singapore is promoting deeper regional electricity integration and shared energy infrastructure as it prepares to chair ASEAN, seeking to reduce Southeast Asia’s exposure to volatile global fossil fuel markets. :chatgpt-content-reference{index="11"}
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