We've said it before and we'll say it again: there's never been a better time to be a watch fan, and in all the epic new releases in 2023, these ten references handpicked by the whole team at Topper stood head and shoulders above all the rest. Join us as we count down our ten favorite releases of the year — all of which are in-stock and shipping in time for the holidays!
HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE
10
It's rare to see a running seconds indicator on a dress watch of this size, but Longines is a rare brand – one whose dedication to the art of chronometry and fine watchmaking go hand-in-hand with the aim of making beautiful products. And the newly re-launched 2023 Dolce Vita is the perfect example of a watch that is both a beautiful object, and also a highly functional time-telling device. Why can't more brands do women's watches like this?
9
Few indies are as widely beloved in the collecting community as Fears, but it's for very good reason, as this plucky British maker has the good fortune of having some amazing history filled with great looking watches. And under the watchful eyes of its current sixth-generation Managing Director Nicholas Bowman-Scargill, the brand has florished, thanks also in part to truly spectacular iterations on its fan-favorites, like this 40mm Brunswick with a two-tone Mother-of-Pearl dial that's quite unlike anything we've ever seen.
8
There are plenty of carbon watches out there, but exactly zero carbon watches with enough confidence to subject themselves to the battery of tests worthy of being called G-Shock. That's quite possibly what makes this 40th Anniversary Full Carbon G-Shock so special – you get the cool look and staggering lightness of forged carbon, along with the legendary toughness and capability of a classic G-Shock. Sometimes you really can have it all.
7
IWe might have reached peak "Tiffany Blue" fever in 2022, but the impact of a singular dial color on the watchmaking lexicon cannot be understated. "Light blue," as its catch-all hue is probably best described, is a fantastic choice for a watch, as it's simultaneously dynamic and pleasing to behold under any lighting conditions. Few watches in the craze nail this tone quite as nicely as Breitling did with this Ice Blue Chronomat GMT, replete with its high-luxe platinum bezel. Just don't call it 'Tiffany.'
6
Oris has a unique knack for connecting compelling personalities and meaningful charitable initiatives with truly great-looking watches, and this year's Big Crown Pointer Date celebrating legendary Atlanta Braves slugger Hank Aaron is perhaps the very best example of this. And so nice is this watch, and so great is Aaron's legacy, you need not even be a baseball fan to fully appreciate this fantastic collaborative effort.
5
Grand Seiko has had a banner year, what with the launch of its pioneering mechanical chronograph in the Tentagraph, along with trotting out quite a few neat anniversary editions this year. However, only one of them truly lives rent-free in our heads, and it's this one: ref. SBGJ275, with its delicate textured cloud-like dial, evoking the skies high above Mt. Iwate, and lending new meaning to the turn of phrase "plenty of blue skies ahead."
4
If you're a regular listener of Burlingame & Park, the official Topper Podcast, you already know this watch is Russ' pick, as he wears this watch with impressive regularity, but can you blame him? 2023's triumphant return of the Pilot collection saw the introduction of a markedly capable, and good-looking aviation and travel-inspired watch that not only tips its hat to Zenith's past, but looks ahead to a very bright future indeed.
3
Two Longines watches in one annual roundup? Well what if Longines had one of its strongest years that we've ever seen and two watches were just the tip of the iceberg? To be fair, we've known about the long-awaited 39mm Legend Diver for quite some time, but even we were surprised when it finally delivered, to see that Longines didn't just give us the perfect size, they also upgraded the spec on the watch in virtually every category, making it not just the brand's best diver, but one of the best vintage-inspired divers on the market, full stop.
2
Technically, this watch won't be delivering to wrists until early 2024, but our anticipation for this one remains at an all-time high, and for good reason. Seiko has done plenty of 62MAS re-issues and re-interpretations, but none of them have gotten as close to the source material in size or spec than this one, and it's all thanks to a brand new slimline movement and a whole heaping dose of nostalgia. What's another few weeks of waiting, right?
1
Year in and year out, the legendary Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch remains a top pick, but this year, one particular Speedmaster hooked us and hasn't let go: the Moonshine Gold Speedy with a matching Moonshine bracelet. It's as epic as it is unorthodox, and whether you're celebrating one of life's milestones, or looking for the ultimate gift for that special someone who has everything, we kindly suggest you look no further.