What can we say… The watch industry is predictable. And like many industries associated with the production of luxury items and full of icons of the past, watch brands like to celebrate milestones and anniversaries. Because watch brands are emotionally driven products, exploiting nostalgia has long proven to be an efficient strategy for watch brands. And don't get us wrong, these celebrations can lead to stunning watches. For example, last year we saw incredible collections for Breguet's 250th anniversary, Audemars' 150th anniversary and Vacheron's 270th anniversary. We also expected some milestone models that never came – the 70th anniversary of the Rolex GMT-Master, for example, wasn't even mentioned. However, the 20th anniversary of the Omega Planet Ocean and the Hublot Big Bang was a big one. With this in mind, what can we expect for 2026? Which brands or Icons are celebrated?
The 50th anniversary of the Patek Philippe Nautilus (1976)
Following in the footsteps of the Royal Oak Jumbo, which was launched in 1972 and defined the entire concept of the luxury sports watch with an integrated bracelet, Patek Philippe released its own vision of the concept in 1976 with the Nautilus reference 3700. The Nautilus was also designed by the same man, Gérald Genta. It took a while for the Nautilus to gain its cult status, but then it became one of the hottest watches on the market, especially with the steel, time and date reference 5711. Now that the latter has been replaced by a white gold version, the 5811G, and since Patek Philippe had an anniversary collection in 2016 (the 40th Anniversary models), we can easily talk about the release of a Nautilus 50th Anniversary Edition speculate. Will it be steel? It's hard to say, but Mr. Stern, the brand's president, has repeatedly claimed that steel is not his priority. So a reference 50th anniversary platinum version 5811P of the Nautilus seems like a pretty good guess.
The 50th anniversary of the Heuer Monza (1976)
One of the more discreet icons from Heuer, later TAG Heuer, the Monza was first released in 1976 and featured a so-called C-shaped blackened case and an automatic movement inside. It was made to celebrate Ferrari's historic success in winning the constructors' and drivers' championships in Formula 1 for the first time since 1964. With a base metal case instead of stainless steel and the 15 caliber instead of the 12 caliber, the Monza was positioned as an “economy” model. Since then, the model has been re-released several times, for example as the elegant Monza caliber 36 with El Primero drive or in 2016 for the 40th anniversary with this black-coated model. Recently, TAG Heuer launched the Monza Flyback Chronometer in forged carbon with an openwork dial, a model that could serve as the basis for an unprecedented 50th anniversary edition.
Tudor's 100th Anniversary (1926)
“For several years I have been thinking about the idea of making a watch that our agents could sell at a cheaper price than our Rolex watches.” These words from Hans Wilsdorf (founder of Rolex) perfectly summarize the spirit of the brand founded in 1926. In fact, Tudor is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. The “how” and “what” are questions we just can’t answer right now, but we’re pretty confident there will be special moments throughout the year. Maybe something technical? Maybe new models? Time will tell, but some interesting things are sure to come.
GalLet's 200th anniversary (1826)
According to the Journal Suisse d'Horlogerie, Gallet was founded in 1826. This venerable brand, which has unfortunately been inactive for several years, is celebrating its 200th anniversary this year. And guess what…? The brand is scheduled to return to Breitling ownership in 2026. Coincidence? Absolutely not. If you look at the brand's website, the focus is clearly on Gallet's iconic pilot's watches, chronographs and everything to do with professional models. Although we can't predict the future yet, this could be a relatively clear indication of what awaits us: functional models, sports watches and (hopefully) some accessibility.
The 100th Anniversary of the Rolex Oyster Watch (1926)
The year 1926 marked an important milestone for Rolex with the development of the Oyster watch, the brand's first waterproof and dustproof wristwatch and possibly one of, if not the earliest, of its kind. This watch, which featured a hermetically sealed case that optimally protected the movement, became the blueprint for everything the Crown later created – in fact, the Oyster name is still used today, alongside Perpetual, on most watches manufactured by Rolex. Now let's be a little careful, because Rolex is not the best example when it comes to anniversary models. The brand has presented such commemorative watches in the past, but this is not the norm. Still, 100 years is no small achievement and this could be the right time for something completely new for the brand.
The 70th anniversary of the Rolex Milgauss (1956)
Well, we need to nuance the issue a bit here. It is now known that the Milgauss, at least as a prototype to be tested at CERN, was created before 1956 – as we explained here in our Evergreen article, the first models under the reference 6543 were delivered around 1954 and between 75 and 200 examples were produced. The real commercial life of the Milgauss began in 1956, when Rolex released the reference 6541, widely considered to be the first proper production model. 1956 is also the date that Rolex cites as the starting point for the collection. So if we stick to the brand's communication, Milgauss will celebrate its 70th anniversary this year. And with all of the brand's latest technical developments (including the highly anti-magnetic Dynapulse escapement), it's time for this watch to come back!
The 70th anniversary of the Rolex Day-Date (1956)
One of Rolex's most important and long-lasting models was also created in 1956, the Day-Date, also known as the Presidential watch. Chosen by the elite, this watch was the first wristwatch with a fully written day of the week displayed in an arched window at 12 o'clock and a separate date at 3 o'clock. Since then, his cult status has been unsurpassed. The Day-Date has been Rolex's hero watch from the start, available in yellow, rose and white gold with a smooth bezel (Ref. 6510) or fluted bezel (Ref. 6511) and an all-new President bracelet. Today, the Day-Date is still an important model for the brand, but the last real update (other than new colors and materials) came in 2015 with the release of the Day-Date 40, a watch that also introduced the 32xx generation of movements. Now, after 11 years of success and the model's upcoming 70th anniversary, it might be a good time for an update.
The 30th anniversary of Vacheron Constantin Overseas (1996)
The Overseas collection is the direct descendant of the 1977 Vacheron Constantin 222, the watch the brand created to compete with the 1972 Royal Oak and the 1976 Nautilus. It was released in 1996. Following the success of the first version and the exploitation of this growing icon, a second version of the Overseas was launched in 2004 with a more modern design and was revised again to mark its 20th anniversary in 2016. While the current third-generation Overseas is certainly more modern and even more premium, it still shares many similarities with its 1996 predecessor. And while it sounds a bit premature to release a fourth-generation Overseas, we might still be surprised. At least we can expect special editions of the model for the 30th anniversary.
30th anniversary of Parmigiani Fleurier (1996)
Michel Parmigiani, a man with more than one profession and already a respected watchmaker, officially founded his own brand in 1996 with the help of the Sandoz family, with a collection of 52 references combining simple and complicated timepieces. The Toric QP Rétrograde, Parmigiani Fleurier's first wristwatch, was launched in 1996 and made the gadroons and detailed knurling on the case one of the house's aesthetic trademarks. Its predecessor was the first in-house movement, the PF110 caliber, which powered the Ionica Hebdomadaire, which was a sensation at the time as it had an 8-day power reserve. Thirty years after its founding, Parmigiani Fleurier is still synonymous with elegance and mechanical marvels, now under the direction of Guido Terreni. It's easy to imagine the brand celebrating its three decades of existence with special editions or technical milestones.
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