Guide: Mia's 10 favourites from 2022

Text/photo: Mia Litström

The year has offered up wonderfully many new releases, which means it has not been easy to pick out 10 favourites. An incredible amount is happening in the watch industry and there is a great breadth in the range of of new releases. My selection is a list of the watches that really moved me when I got to squeeze and feel them and it is written in no particular order, instead it is divided into three themes: sparkling, sporty and everyday favourites.

Sparkling favourites

MB&F Legacy Machine Flying T

MB&F, who you just have to love, they have the drive from imagination and deliver incredible watches at the highest level of haute horlogerie. The brand is growing and in a short time they have succeeded so well thanks to their expertise and entirely own style and above all the heart and warmth they convey thanks to their founder Max Büsser and team. This year we got a long and lovely interview with him where he tells about his journey, it can be watched here.

Their new releases are always something quite special and one of this year's releases is completely extraordinary. It is a collaboration with the French jewellery designer Emmanuel Tarpin and their second in order where they have made use of the model Legacy Machine Flying T, the first was with Bulgari. The result of MB&F x Emmanuel Tarpin has resulted in two versions of the LM Flying T called ”Ice” and ”Blizzard” which I got the chance to preview during Geneva Watch Days.

Winter, which is Emmanuel Tarpin favourite season, meant that he wanted to create two different watches with a winter theme. One illustrates beautiful snow and the other the shape of ice. Beyond the LM Flying T's striking and entirely own design, which Max talks about in the video, the diamonds are applied with an advanced setting technique. The case is in white gold for both models and on the crowns as well as on the tourbillon sit extremely unusual Paraiba stones. Fantastic watches that you can talk about for as long as you like because they are pure works of art. Magically beautiful and they are limited to 8 pieces per version.

Jaeger-LeCoultre Rendez-Vous Dazzling Shooting Star

Jaeger-LeCoultre has long seduced us with its ladies' model Rendez-Vous, where in 2019 I fell for their then new release in the version called Dazzling. It is a model that also has an incredibly advanced stone setting on the bezel, the outermost row you can look at forever. This year another version of the model arrived, named Rendez-Vous Dazzling Shooting Star.

There are many advanced and exclusive complications but this one is extra fun precisely because the Shooting Star is a complication that does not happen at set times, instead the appearance of the flying star happens at random during the day. Suddenly, in the upper part of the inner ring on the dial between 10 and 2, the star comes rushing to and fro. Really a detail that has no meaning purely in terms of time but it is a detail that is beautifully romantic. It is also fascinated that mechanically it is possible to make a function like this. Should you want to show the beautiful ”shooting star” it is also possible to do so by activating the crown in a certain position.

The movement is their in-house calibre 734. The size is 36 mm and the deep blue colour of the dial and leather strap against rose gold as well as the beautiful diamonds in different sizes make this watch strikingly elegant. It is also a delight to see the watch from the side where you can see the stone setting on the bezel in detail. The price is as high as it is beautiful and complicated, a little over 1 million kronor.

Vacheron Constantin Patrimony Self-Winding

Vacheron Constantin has always created classically beautiful watches that can be had with the most advanced complications, which I always fall for. But one of the new releases I took a liking to is a clean-lined Patrimony. It is a model that has heritage from the historic model from 1957. And that the new releases have light powder pink shades made me fall immediately. It is in rose gold and the dial is in a light powder pink shade where it is darkest at the outermost edges and then lightens in towards the middle. Fantastically good-looking with indexes and hands also in gold. The bezel comes without diamonds but I fell for the one with diamonds because without it gets a bit naked, the diamonds tie the whole of the watch together. The size is 36,5 mm and part of the elegance is also that it is thin, the thickness is only 8,45 mm and it has an automatic movement, calibre 2450 Q6/3. The price is around 36,300 euro.

Patek Philippe Complications 7121/200G

Patek Philippe's new releases are not something that passes anyone by unmoved. Several interesting models have been shown during the year, where I took a liking to their ref 7121/200G with moon phase. An incredibly beautiful watch where the deep blue colour again gets to assert itself. The size is really interesting and it is in size 33 mm, which means it sits fantastically nicely on the wrist. The case is in white gold with a manual movement, calibre 215 PS LU, which is their smallest complicated movement. And the combination with the advanced stone setting on the bezel, which is called Dentelle, together with the moon phase makes this wonderfully romanistically beautiful against the white gold. Price on request.

Sporty favourites

A. Lange & Söhne Odysseus Titanium ref. 363.117 

A. Lange & Söhne surprised greatly when they launched a completely new model in 2019 named Odysseus and the big news wass precisely that it is in steel. After that came a version in white gold with a rubber strap. Of course it does not stop there, instead this year they launched a version in titanium which to my taste is incredibly elegant with its soft shades of grey and blue. It has an ice blue dial in brass where case and bracelet are in grade 5 titanium, on which they have managed to create an incredibly gorgeous matt brushed surface for both case and bracelet.

It is an extremely special sports watch in size 40,5 mm with their calibre L155.1 automatic datomatic, which is extra gorgeous with a large day and date display resembeling that of their Zeitwerk. Despite its size and hefty style it sits incredibly well on the wrist and it is considerably lighter than the steel variant is. It also gets an extra plus for having micro adjustment of the bracelet, up to 7 mm. The watch is a real bullseye and it is limited to 250 pieces with a high price, around 55,000 euro.

If you want to read more about A. Lange & Söhne's new releases from Watches & Wonders you click here.

Hublot Big Bang Integrated Beige Ceramic

Hublot launched the Big Bang Integrated Ceramic in different colours where the ones in strong tones stood out extra much, but I fell for the one in beige. The ceramic is really gorgeous in the light tone with satin finish and polished surface. The bezel is nicely decorated with the six H-shaped screws in titanium. The watch is in size 42 mm and what also makes the whole of the model is that it is a skeletonised chronograph with flyback thanks to the in-house automatic movement calibre HUB1280 with column wheel. It is clearly the cockiest watch in my selection and precisely that it is in sand colour makes it extra fun. The Hublot Big Bang Integrated Beige Ceramic is limited to 250 pieces and the price is 25,200 euro.

Panerai Luminor Due Luna PAM01180

Panerai cannot be mistaken, their watches have a lovely character and design of their own. This year it is extra fun that their extension of the Luminor Due family became a model with moon phase. The collection's first advanced complication, it is fantastic and it suits the model extremely well. The size is just as good, 38 mm sits perfectly on the wrist and several variants exist where gold is the most exclusive material, but I prefer it in steel. Really classically good-looking, above all the version with white dial, and that it can also be had with an alligator strap in a stronger colour such as pink makes it desirable. The strap you can easily change yourself if you want to change colour to match the outfit. The moon phase is placed at 3 o'clock and seconds are shown at 9 o'clock. The Luminor Due Luna is a real catch in my eyes if you are a big fan of moon phases. The price is 9,300 euro.

I wrote a longer hands-on earlier this year on the watch which you will find here

IWC Pilot’s watch Chronograph Top Gun Edition ”Lake Taoe”

This particular choice is perhaps not is the best choice for me when it comes to size but I think it is so gorgeous and exactly as a pilot's watch should be, wonderfully big! What I above all like about IWC's new releases for pilot's watches is the twist on a robust pilot's watch and its material and appearance. It comes in green, beige, black and finally – the one I think is so lovely, in white! It is called IWC Pilots Watch Chronograph Top Gun edition ”Lake Tahoe”, and is in ceramic with a strap in rubber. The inspiration comes from the US Navy's white uniforms and the winter landscape at Lake Tahoe. The case is 44,5 mm and the dial is in black and the back in titanium, crown and pushers are in steel. The automatic movement is their own chronograph calibre 69380 which has an iron housing to be antimagnetic. A hefty and super cool pilot's watch in white that is limited to 1,000 pieces and the price is 126,000 kronor. 

Everyday favourites

Longines Elegant Collection

The Longines Elegant Collection are watch models that are perfect for anyone looking for an elegant watch at a good price and quality. One of their new releases that stands out a bit extra in my eyes is the one in size 39 mm, which means it asserts itself. This particular version has a seconds display at 6 o'clock and a date display at 3 o'clock which I think suits the dial well, which is matt white. The elegant feeling also comes thanks to indexes in Roman style. The case is in steel has an automatic movement calibre L891 with an open back. What is also extra fun about this model is that the beige strap, which also comes in black, is not from animals but is made from a by-product of apple growing. The price is 21,900 kronor.

Maurice Lacroix AIKON #tide Special Edition FIBA 3×3

Mauric Lacroix launched several Aikons in lovely colours where everyone can find their favourite. Among the new releases I found a black one with a white dial with a white rubber strap. A nicely relaxed sports watch for everyday use. It is called Aikon #tide Special Edition FIBA 3×3 which means that they have launched three models in collaboration with the basketball organisation FIBA 3×3. The model also comes with a black dial and the last variant in the basketball trio is a very colourful version. The #tide model comes in other lovely colours such as pink, baby blue, turquoise, orange and much more. The plastic that has been used for the case is recycled plastic from the sea. The size is 40 mm and the price is 760 euro for the one that is in collaboration with FIBA 3×3.