Not gonna lie, I did feel a slight frisson of dissonance diving headfirst into the world’s biggest ode to watchmaking, while back home, the Strait of Hormuz is getting blocked and unblocked more often than your toxic ex. Going from the hypervigilance of having one ear cocked to the sky for missile interceptions to focusing on novelties was quite a vibe change to navigate. I guess the watch world collectively decided that the best response to chaos is mechanical beauty. I won’t argue with that.

Ulysse Nardin Super Freak

While 2025 had seen an anniversary every other week — record-breakers, birthdays, world-firsts, and landmark complications arriving at an almost bewildering pace — 2026 delivered a different mood. The “Wonders” arrived courtesy of the booths — my favorite was Ulysse Nardin, whose immersive deep-dive into silicon-driven innovation came complete with an eerie giant head of watchmaker Dr. Ludwig Oechslin, the man behind the iconic Freak, which celebrates its 25th anniversary this year with the newly unleashed Ulysse Nardin Super Freak. The Caliber UN-252 is the world’s first automatic double tourbillon — two flying tourbillons, each inclined at 10 degrees and beating in opposite directions; 97% of the movement in constant motion and featuring the world’s tiniest gimbal. It claims its crown as the world’s most complicated time-only watch. Do we need one? Of course not. Do we want one? Every single one of us, please.

The Roger Dubuis Excalibur Biretrograde Perpetual Calendar’s new Caliber RD850 brings a month corrector that makes regulation feel intuitive and is a beautifully visual achievement. The nine distinct layers of the open-worked dial, presented in a new “Astral Blue” hue, along with the signature biretrograde mechanism — co-patented by Roger Dubuis and Jean-Marc Wiederrecht in 1989 — sit in what I can only describe as perfect harmony. A beautiful moonphase shows the waxing and waning of the moon, timing it almost exactly as it appears in the sky. I tried this 40mm rose gold beauty on, and honestly, I just didn’t want to take it off my wrist.

Roger Dubuis Excalibur Biretrograde Perpetual Calendar

Over at Jaeger-LeCoultre, three exquisite models of a new collection, Master Control Chronometre, take center stage around a stunning new integrated three-row bracelet. The 39mm Perpetual Calendar, which is accurate until 2100, is the obvious headline, but the 39mm Power Reserve Date or Date models also look and feel very instantly collectible.

Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Control Chronometre Perpetual Calendar (©Revolution)

The new Master Control Chronometre collection with an integrated three-row bracelet, led by the 39mm Perpetual Calendar

Going over to an indie brand that’s a bit of a favorite of mine: Ressence. The TYPE 11, whose UAE-sands inspired Seddiqi Limited Edition last year, was one of my favorite pieces celebrating the 75^th anniversary of the Dubai Watch Week founder and leading regional retailer, now introduces the Caliber RW-01. Ressence’s first in-house movement is COSC-compliant and designed specifically to power the game-changing watch without hands, crown or conventional indices from the Antwerp-based independent founded by Benoît Mintiens. With a 60-hour power reserve indicated by a very cool patented ceramic micro-ball system, the CHF23,000 price tag makes it, in my opinion, one of the best bang-for-buck watches at the fair. The brand also introduces a cool Milanese strap for the first time, which brings a new personality to the brand too – pretty cool.

Ressence TYPE 11

The signature ROCS rotating discs display hours, minutes, power reserve, and seconds without hands, crown, or conventional indices

Finally, an enduring crush of mine from my fashion editor days, Chanel continues to assert its high watchmaking creds in its unmistakably Chanel way — shimmering diamonds and a new pixelated video-game style Madamoiselle mascot appearing on the maison’s watches and jewelry made me smile. But it was the J12 Diamond Tourbillon Caliber 5 in all its complicated beauty that stole the show for me. Arnaud Chastaingt’s baguette-set dial, six months in the making, was designed so that every stone converges toward the rotation of the flying tourbillon with a 0.18-carat diamond at its centre. It is also the first mechanical tourbillon movement designed by the Watchmaking Creation Studio, developed and assembled by the Chanel Watch Manufacture. I feel if anyone is going to offer an incontrovertible, carat-encrusted antidote to the world going to hell in a handbasket, it’s going to be Chanel with its enduring, reassuring design pillars and inimitable style. Times may be unprecedented, but let’s focus on the positives. And, please, whatever you do, don’t unblock your ex.

Chanel J12 Diamonds Tourbillon Caliber 5

Every stone converges toward the rotation of the flying tourbillon with a 0.18-carat diamond at its centre