Daan de Groot’s three favorite Watches and Wonders Geneva 2024 releases were the Cartier Santos de Cartier Dual Time, Hublot Big Bang Integrated in 38mm, and Hermès Cut. They were personal choices: watches he said he would want to wear, not a claim about the event’s objectively best releases. His Fratello article was published April 15, 2024, the final day of the show’s public opening.
How Daan chose his three favorites
Watches and Wonders Geneva ran April 9–15, 2024; the public days were April 13–15, and the official foundation reported 54 exhibiting Maisons. Watches and Wonders Geneva Foundation provides that event context, while the picks and opinions below come from Daan de Groot’s April 15 Fratello article.
Daan framed his list around personal wearability rather than a formal ranking. In his words, he chose “a trio of watches that I would want to wear right here and now.” His reasons range from travel usefulness to case design, finishing, and proportions.
Daan’s three Watches and Wonders 2024 picks
Cartier Santos de Cartier Dual Time
The Dual Time was Daan’s favorite Cartier release. He already likes the Santos and often wears a Santos Galbée XL while traveling; the new model appealed because it adds the ability to track another time zone. He also liked its gray sunburst dial, which reminded him of a 2002 Santos Galbée Asia limited edition.
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Fit was an open question for him, not a tested conclusion: he worried the watch might be too large for his 17 cm wrist and explicitly said he had not tried it on. In the 2024 article, he described CHF 8,800 as a fair price for a stainless-steel Santos with the added complication, while noting that the movement was based on the Sellita SW330. Both the price and his movement assessment are historical comments, not current buying guidance.
Hublot Big Bang Integrated in 38mm
Daan found the 38 mm Big Bang more playful in appearance than the larger version, with titanium models drawing his particular interest. He highlighted the sandwiched case construction, dial numerals, and rubber-composite midcase as details that set it apart.
Rank #2
He had not tried the watch on, so his sense that its size might work well for him was only a suspicion. He was also wary of the Sellita-based MHUB1115 caliber relative to the article’s 2024 starting price of €13,600. That figure is an article-era price, not a verified current quote.
Hermès Cut
The Cut appealed to Daan for its distinctive cushion-shaped stainless-steel case, lug-less design, and 36 mm size. He also praised the contrast between brushed and polished surfaces, the applied numerals with lume, and the H-link bracelet’s quick-release system, which allows the wearer to swap to colorful straps.
Rank #3
Daan thought the size could look small on some wrists but believed it would suit his own. He called the watch good value at €5,900 in 2024; that was his assessment at the time, not a present-day price.
What distinguishes the three choices
| Watch | What appealed to Daan | Fit or qualification | Price mentioned in the 2024 article |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cartier Santos de Cartier Dual Time | Travel usefulness, second-time-zone display, and gray sunburst dial | He had not tried it on and worried it might be too large for his 17 cm wrist. | CHF 8,800, described by Daan as fair; historical, not a current quote. |
| Hublot Big Bang Integrated 38mm | Playful smaller proportions, titanium versions, layered case, numerals, and rubber-composite midcase | He had not tried it on; his favorable fit impression was speculative. | Starting at €13,600; historical, not a current quote. |
| Hermès Cut | Cushion case, lug-less profile, finishing contrast, luminous applied numerals, and quick-release bracelet | He believed 36 mm suited him, while noting it may look small on some wrists. | €5,900, which Daan called good value; historical, not a current quote. |
What Daan’s list does—and does not—tell you
The trio offers three different reasons to be interested: a travel complication in the Cartier, compact and material-led styling in the Hublot, and design detail with bracelet-to-strap flexibility in the Hermès. Daan’s comments can help explain why these releases caught his eye, but they do not establish current prices, availability, or how any of the watches will fit a particular wearer. Nor should the list be read as a universal ranking of the 54 exhibiting Maisons’ releases.
Quick Recap
Best Value
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