Four New Watches Every Serious Collector Should Be Freaking Out About This Month

Welcome to Watch Guy Watches, GQ’s monthly curation of high-end timepieces for the true watch nerds among us. This April, Zenith keeps the triple calendar alive, Biver scores with carbon, Breguet takes us all the way back to the French Revolution, and Blancpain finally fulfills our stainless steel wishes.

If you’re somewhere between boarding a private jet and economy-plus money, then an annual calendar watch might be for you. A step or two down from the grand perpetual calendar, which won’t need to be set for another 75 years, is the endangered “complete” or “triple” calendar. These more pedestrian calendars have largely disappeared from brands’ catalogs. This is a shame, however: They offer a lot of the same functionality but require manual adjustment at the end of each month. Making that extra effort can save you tens of thousands of dollars. And they’re great to look at too. Take a peek at Zenith’s new Chronomaster Original Triple Calendar in Rose Gold.

While many watchmakers have abandoned the triple calendar, Zenith has been holding up the mantle lately. The brand launched its Chronomaster Original Triple Calendar upon a prototype from 1970 that was never put into production. This modern beauty marries the convenience of Zenith’s automatic El Primero movement with a triple-calendar display in a perfectly sized 38-mm case. Initially available in white, slate gray, and green dials, it was later joined by, in my opinion, one of the best Hodinkee limited-editions ever produced: a striking black-dial version with meteorite subdials. What was not present on the prototypes is the ability to track time down to a resolution 1/10th of a second, which is available on the new versions courtesy of the cal. 3610 movement.

Now, Zenith is continuing to play with the triple calendar and churning out gorgeous watches as a result. The new Chronomaster Triple Calendar is housed in a 38-mm 18k rose gold case with a box sapphire crystal, tapered lugs, and pump pushers inspired by the brand’s historic A386 from 1969. The new release also features a beautiful black dial with a contrasting rose-gold-tone 1/10th-second chapter ring, indices, and chronograph counters. In typical El Primero fashion, the date window is present at 4:30, while the day and month apertures are at 10 o’clock and 2 o’clock, respectively.

This is truly a watch with something for everybody. Those who like to telegraph their means will dig the rose gold construction, while design heads will no doubt love the eye-catching combination of rose and black. Movement snobs love a good El Primero—it was the first automatic chronograph in 1969 and arguably one of the most important developments in the history of movements. And those with a fascination for horological history will appreciate the vintage-inspired proportions and triple-calendar integration in this most beautiful of watches.

At $26,300, the watch isn’t cheap. But then again, considering the above, it’s sort of a steal!

Biver Automatique Atelier Series Carbon Edition

Jean-Claude Biver—the biggest personality among watch executives—surprised us last year by launching his own brand in concert with his son. Now, he’s expanding the collection with the addition of two new Automatique pieces. Though the 18k yellow gold execution is cool, it’s the Automatique Atelier Series Carbon Edition that truly caught our eye. Housed in a 39-mm case, its dial features dual-carbon-fiber concentric rings—one in the dial center and one forming the minute chapter ring—that give it an unexpected contemporary flavor. It's a neat amalgam of classically inspired and modern aesthetics, powered by the beautifully decorated automatic JCB-003-C movement and paired to a black-braided rubber and leather strap.

Breguet Classique Souscription 2025

Returning to Paris following the French Revolution, star watchmaker Abraham-Louis Breguet began production on a series of pocket watches that he sold on a revolutionary new business model: Dubbed “souscription,” Breguet required a deposit of 25% up front, which he used to fund production. (He even printed a special brochure to advertise the souscription model, which saw some 700 pieces made in 30 years.) In time for its 250th anniversary, Breguet’s namesake brand had produced a beautiful 40-mm dress watch derived from the pocket watch’s design. It is simplicity at its best: A single hand makes its way around a white grand feu enamel dial, while a handsomely decorated hand-wound movement is visible via the caseback.

Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Automatique 42-mm Stainless Steel

One of the world’s first commercially available dive watches, the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms is a mainstay in the high-end tool watch category. However, its brawny 45-mm construction scared some collectors off, especially today when many are looking for more slender vintage-inspired pieces (after all, the original Fifty Fathoms clocked in at 41 mm). Blancpain has slowly started to satisfy the desire for smaller pieces. In 2023, the brand put out a very limited edition (555 pieces) that scaled the measurements down to 42 mm in celebration of the watch’s 70th anniversary. Blancpain followed that launch with versions of the 42 mm in red gold and titanium last year. Now, at last, Blancpain is offering its slimmed-down Fifty Fathoms in the stainless steel construction we’ve been waiting for.