Anniversaries and Milestones, What to Expect from the Watch Industry in 2026

What can we say… The watch industry is predictable. And like many industries linked to the production of luxury items, filled with icons of the past, watch brands love to celebrate milestones and anniversaries. Being emotionally driven products, playing on nostalgia has long proven an efficient strategy for watch brands. And don’t get us wrong, these celebrations can result in some stunning watches. Last year, for instance, we’ve seen 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 wasn’t even mentioned, for instance. The 20th anniversaries of the Omega Planet Ocean and Hublot Big Bang were big, though. So, with this in mind, what can we expect for 2026? What brands or icons will be celebrated? 

The 50th Anniversary of the Patek Philippe Nautilus (1976)

Walking in the footsteps of the Royal Oak Jumbo, released in 1972 and defining the whole concept of the luxury sports watch with integrated bracelet, Patek Philippe released its own vision of the concept in 1976 with the Nautilus reference 3700. Also designed by the same man, Gérald Genta, it took a bit of time for the Nautilus to gain its cult status, but then, it became one of the hottest watches on the market, in particular with the steel, time-and-date reference 5711. Now that the latter has been replaced by a white gold version, the 5811G, and knowing that Patek Philippe had an anniversary collection in 2016 (the 40th anniversary models), we can easily speculate on the release of a Nautilus 50th Anniversary edition. Will it be steel? Hard to tell, but Mr Stern, President of the brand, has claimed on multiple occasions that steel wasn’t his priority. So, a reference 5811P platinum version of the Nautilus for the 50th anniversary seems to be a pretty solid guess.

The 50th Anniversary of the Heuer Monza (1976)

One of the slightly more discreet icons of Heuer, later to become TAG Heuer, the Monza was first released in 1976 and came equipped with a so-called C-Shaped blackened case and an automatic movement inside. It was made to celebrate the historic accomplishment of Ferrari winning the constructor’s and driver’s Formula One championships, for the first time since 1964. Using a base metal case in place of stainless steel and the Calibre 15 movement in place of the Calibre 12, the Monza was positioned as an “economy” model. Since then, the model has been reissued on multiple occasions, such as the elegant El Primero-powered Monza Calibre 36, or in 2016 for its 40th anniversary, with this black-coated model. Recently, TAG Heuer released the Monza Flyback Chronometer in forged carbon with an openworked dial, a model that could serve as a base for an unprecedented 50th anniversary edition.

Tudor’s 100th anniversary (1926)

“For some years now, I have been considering the idea of making a watch that our agents could sell at a more modest price than our Rolex watches.” These words, from Hans Wilsdorf (founder of Rolex), perfectly summarise the spirit of the brand created in 1926. Indeed, this year, Tudor will celebrate its 100th anniversary. The “how” and “what” are questions that we simply can’t answer for now, but we’re quite confident in saying that there will be special moments during the year. Maybe something technical? Maybe new models? Time will tell, but some interesting things are to be expected for sure.

GalLet’s 200th anniversary (1826)

According to the Journal Suisse d’Horlogerie, Gallet was created in 1826. This venerable brand, unfortunately dormant for some years, will thus be celebrating its 200th anniversary this year. And guess what…? The brand is set to return in 2026, under Breitling’s ownership. Coincidence? Absolutely not. Now, if you look at the brand’s website, the focus is clearly on Gallet’s iconic pilot’s watches, chronographs and everything related to professional models. While we can’t yet predict the future, this might be a relatively clear indication of what to expect: functional models, sports watches and (hopefully) a certain accessibility.

The 100th Anniversary of the Rolex Oyster Watch (1926)

1926 marked an important milestone for Rolex, with the creation of the Oyster watch, the brand’s first waterproof and dustproof wristwatch, and possibly one of the earliest, if not the earliest, of its kind. This watch, which featured a hermetically sealed case providing optimal protection for the movement, became the blueprint for everything else the Crown later created – in fact, the name Oyster is still used today next to Perpetual on most watches crafted by Rolex. Now, let’s be slightly cautious, as Rolex isn’t the best example when it comes to anniversary models. The brand had, in the past, presented such commemorative watches, but this isn’t the norm. Still, 100 years is not a small achievement, and this could be the right moment for something entirely new from the brand.

The 70th Anniversary of the Rolex Milgauss (1956)

Well, we need to nuance the topic a bit here. It is now well 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 started back in 1956, when Rolex released the reference 6541, generally considered the first proper production model. 1956 is also the date claimed by Rolex as the starting point for the collection, so if we stick to the brand’s communication, then this year will mark the Milgauss’s 70th anniversary. And, with all of the brand’s latest technical developments (including the highly anti-magnetic Dynapulse escapement), it is about time for this watch to come back!

The 70th Anniversary of the Rolex Day-Date (1956)

One of the most important and long-lasting models from Rolex was also created back in 1956, the Day-Date, a.k.a the Presidential watch. The elite’s choice, this watch was the first wristwatch with a day of the week written out in full, which sat in an arched window at 12 o’clock with a separate date at 3 o’clock. Since then, its cult status is unrivalled. The Day-Date was Rolex’s hero watch from the beginning, available in yellow, pink and white gold with a smooth bezel (ref. 6510) or fluted (ref. 6511), and an entirely new President bracelet. Now, the Day-Date is still an important model for the brand, but the latest proper update (excluding new colours and materials) dates back to 2015, with the release of the Day-Date 40, a watch that also inaugurated the 32xx generation of movements. Now, with 11 years of track record and the model’s 70th anniversary soon arriving, it could be a good time for an update.

The 30th Anniversary of the Vacheron Constantin Overseas (1996)

The direct descendant of the 1977 Vacheron Constantin 222, the watch created by the brand to compete against the 1972 Royal Oak and the 1976 Nautilus, the Overseas collection was released in 1996. Following the success of the first version and capitalising on this growing icon, a second version of the Overseas was launched in 2004, with a more modern design, and revamped once more for its 20th anniversary in 2016. While certainly more modern and even more high-end, the current third-gen Overseas still has a lot in common with its 1996 predecessor. And while it might sound rather premature to release a fourth-gen Overseas, we nevertheless could be surprised. At least, we can expect special editions of the model for its 30th anniversary.

Parmigiani Fleurier’s 30th anniversary (1996)

A man with more than one string to his bow, and already a respected watchmaker back then, Michel Parmigiani officially launched his own brand in 1996, with the help of the Sandoz family, with a collection of 52 references combining straightforward and complicated timepieces. The Toric QP Rétrograde, the first wristwatch from the Parmigiani Fleurier brand, debuted in 1996, establishing the gadroons and detailed knurling on the case as one of the house’s aesthetic signatures. It was preceded by the first manufacture movement, Calibre PF110, powering the Ionica Hebdomadaire, a sensation at the time since it had a power reserve of 8 days. Thirty years after its creation, Parmigiani Fleurier is still synonymous with elegance and mechanical marvels, now under the direction of Guido Terreni. It is easy to imagine the brand celebrating its 3 decades of existence with special editions or technical milestones.