There was a great sense of wonder at this year’s Watches And Wonders Geneva—the most important trade show for luxury timepieces—and much of it involved space. But it wasn’t just Artemis II fever. After all, the night sky reliably kept time for several millennia before the invention of the mechanical clock and the world of haute horology has always sought new ways to track heavenly bodies or incorporate their beauty. And as human ambition aimed ever higher, some 2,000 watches have gone on space missions since the 1960s—from the Seiko Pogue to the Rolex GMT Master to the signature Apollo-era watch, the Omega Speedmaster Professional.

In addition to the celestial watch complications among this year’s Watches and Wonders novelties—most notably moon phase dials—there were several timepieces built for actual space travel, including the IWC Pilot’s Venturer Vertical Drive and Bremont’s Supernova.

Back on Earth, several watch brands were also celebrating big anniversaries with out-of-this-world releases—Rolex launched a new Oyster Perpetual in honor its centennial, Patek Philippe debuted 50th anniversary Nautilus watches (and a limited-edition clock), and Vacheron Constantin’s Overseas collection marked 30 years.

Here are some of the most beautiful, innovative, and buzziest new watches that will stand the test of time.

Rolex Cosmograph Daytona

Having launched the Land-Dweller collection at last year’s Watches and Wonders, Rolex looked to its archives this year to celebrate the centennial of its Oyster case, the patented waterproof technology it developed in 1926, which makes its sports watches possible.

To mark the occasion, the Crown debuted a new Oyster Perpetual 41 in stainless steel and yellow Rolesor gold with “100 years” stamped on the dial at six o’clock. Rolex also kept the celebration going with a new Oyster Perpetual with a Jubilee dial (with the brand’s name spelled out in brightly colored letters).

But the watch that serious collectors will covet—and mortals will never actually see—is the new Rolex Cosmograph Daytona in Rolesium (a proprietary combination of stainless steel and platinum.) This Daytona also features a grand feu enamel dial with a Cerachrom bezel.

It’s almost enough to make Rolex fans forget that, after years of rumors, the brand officially discontinued the beloved red-and-blue “Pepsi” bezel on its GMT-Master II collection, a move that will surely give a boost to the secondary market.

Case: Rolesium (Oystersteel and platinum)

Power Reserve: 72 hours

Cartier Santos-Dumont

The more elegant version of the original pilot’s watch—created in 1904 for the dashing Brazilian aviator Alberto Santos-Dumont—the Cartier Santos-Dumont reached new heights this year with the release of a yellow gold model with an obsidian dial on a slim, 15-link yellow gold bracelet. The result is a more comfortable fit on the wrist that elevates a classic sports watch into a dress watch.

Size: 43.5 mm x 31.4 mm

Power Reserve: 43 hours

Price: $62,000 (limited edition)

Vacheron Constantin Overseas Dual Time Cardinal Points

To commemorate the 30th anniversary of its popular Overseas collection, Vacheron Constantin introduced the Overseas Dual Time Cardinal Points in titanium, inspired by the titanium prototype used by explorer Cory Richards during his 2019 ascent of Everest. The Cardinal Points collection comes in four colors, each representing a different compass direction: North (white), South (brown), East (blue) and West (green). The hour markers and local time hands are 18k white gold with Super LumiNova, while the second time zone and day/night function uses orange accents for higher legibility.

Power Reserve: 60 hours

A. Lange & Söhne Lange 1 Tourbillion Perpetual Calender ‘Lumen’

A. Lange & Söhne has long balanced its passion for complications with incredibly legible dials. Two years after releasing a “Lumen” version of its Datograph Perpetual Tourbillon, the German luxury watch brand is giving the same glow up to its signature Lange 1 model. The dial displays the month, date, and time, as well as the moon phase, power reserve, and leap-year cycle. The luminous material on the display discs, hands, and date window are even more visible in darkness, while at the same time allowing the movement to be seen through the dial. And the night sky on the........

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