From celestial expressions to compact luxury sports watches, these are the best watches of July 2026
Do watchmakers ever take a break? July may not be synonymous with much for us Singaporeans, but for many Europeans, the month often heralds the beginning of the summer holidays. With that in mind, one might expect some of the world’s most esteemed watchmakers to slow down on the novelties.
Still, the maisons have continued to release a slew of compelling new watches — from H. Moser & Cie.’s dreamy Endeavour Minute Repeater Cylindrical Tourbillon Skeleton Cosmic Rain to IWC’s summery Ingenieur Automatic 35 Pool. It’s almost as though horology, much like time itself, is a perpetual process.
H. Moser & Cie. Endeavour Minute Repeater Cylindrical Tourbillon Skeleton Cosmic Rain
H. Moser & Cie. gives one of its most technically ambitious creations a more poetic expression with the Endeavour Minute Repeater Cylindrical Tourbillon Skeleton Cosmic Rain. Limited to 20 pieces, the watch retains the openworked architecture of the Endeavour Minute Repeater Cylindrical Tourbillon Skeleton released early in the year while introducing a celestial subdial that brings colour and softness to an otherwise highly mechanical composition.
Positioned at 2 o’clock, the domed time display combines two shades of blue aventurine glass to create a fumé effect, deepening towards the edge. Slender strips of mother-of-pearl are then shaped and set into the surface to evoke shooting stars, while the absence of hour markers leaves the composition largely uninterrupted. The luminous dial offers a striking counterpoint to the exposed movement, whose mirror-polished repeater hammers and curved gongs remain visible on the dial side.
At 6 o’clock, a one-minute flying tourbillon is fitted with a hand-shaped cylindrical hairspring produced by Moser’s sister company, Precision Engineering AG. Housed in a 40 mm titanium case engineered to enhance resonance, the watch is powered by the manually wound HMC 909 calibre and offers a 90-hour power reserve.
IWC Ingenieur Automatic 35 Pool
Who says you can’t look sharp and casual at the same time? IWC gives naysayers something to consider with the Ingenieur Automatic 35 Pool, whose vivid turquoise-green dial brings a relaxed, summery energy to the collection’s crisp architectural form. The latest addition to the Ingenieur Automatic 35 lineup proves that Gérald Genta’s celebrated integrated-bracelet design can feel just as at home by the pool as it does beneath a shirt cuff.
At 35 mm, the watch remains the most compact expression of IWC’s modern Ingenieur. The new turquoise-green dial, complete with the collection’s signature grid pattern, tempers the case’s muscular bezel, exposed screws, and crisp transitions between brushed and polished steel. The result is a lighter, more approachable personality that retains the disciplined proportions and refined finishing that have defined the Ingenieur since its return in 2023.
Powered by IWC’s automatic calibre 47110, the Ingenieur Automatic 35 Pool delivers a 42-hour power reserve and 100 metres of water resistance.
Roger Dubuis Excalibur Kabuto Legacy
Arthurian legend meets feudal Japan in Roger Dubuis’ Excalibur Kabuto Legacy, an intricate tribute to samurai culture rendered through haute horlogerie. Limited to 28 pieces, the 45 mm pink-gold watch reimagines the Excalibur collection through Japanese history, pairing the manufacture’s theatrical design language with meticulous métiers d’art.
Framing the dial are 12 micro-sculpted bushō that serve as hour markers, each crowned with an individually crafted 18k pink-gold kabuto that takes up to three days to complete. At the centre, a layered blue interpretation of Edo Castle recalls the seat of the Tokugawa shogunate, while the caseback is engraved with the kamon, or family crests, of the featured commanders. Roger Dubuis consulted Japanese historian Frederik Cryns to ensure the cultural details were faithfully represented.
Powering the watch is the automatic RD821 calibre, finished to the standards of the Poinçon de Genève and offering a 60-hour power reserve.
Vacheron Constantin Overseas Self-Winding 34.5 mm
Vacheron Constantin’s Overseas has always been a hot piece among collectors, but these two new 34.5 mm variations—rendered in steel with a deep-red lacquered dial and in warm, monochromatic rose gold—turn up the heat. While the steel model brings a striking jolt of colour to the collection, it is the rose-gold execution that truly commands attention.
The 18k 5N rose-gold model pairs its compact case and integrated bracelet with a matching lacquered dial finished with a sunburst centre and velvety minute track. Pink-gold hands and hour markers complete the tonal composition, while the Overseas’ signature six-sided bezel and alternating brushed and polished surfaces preserve its sporty, architectural identity. The steel reference, meanwhile, offers a sharper contrast through its deep-red dial and white-gold accents.
Visible through the sapphire caseback, the automatic Calibre 1088/1 measures 3.83 mm thick and offers a 40-hour power reserve.
Panerai Luminor Luna Rossa GMT
Ahead of the 38th America’s Cup in Italy, Panerai expands its Luna Rossa collection with a more versatile and compact proposition. The new Luminor Luna Rossa GMT is the first watch in the partnership to feature an integrated steel bracelet, giving the collaboration a sharper, more urban expression while retaining its unmistakable maritime character.
Housed in a 40 mm brushed-steel case, the watch pairs a silver sun-brushed dial with white Super-LumiNova and a restrained monochromatic palette. A red-tipped GMT hand introduces a subtle link to the Luna Rossa team, while the 12-hour second-time-zone display recalls Panerai models from the early 2000s. The integrated bracelet adds visual continuity to the familiar Luminor silhouette, making this one of the more wearable releases in the collection.
Powered by the automatic P.900/GMT calibre, the timepiece offers a three-day power reserve.
