These are the 5 must-watch big box watch brands in 2026

Zach Blass

With 2025 now behind us, the watch community is already eagerly anticipating what 2026 has in store. Maybe it is my bias as a journo in the watch industry, but the reality (or my reality at least) is that Watches and Wonders 2026 is not that far off in the distance. LVMH Watch Week 2026 is just about a week away, too. As watch geeks, I am confident that many of you are likely to be across all the ins and outs to come from the wide spectrum of watch brands in the market today. But, below are five “big box” brands I believe are a must-watch for 2026.

Breguet

An obvious shout-out from me if you saw our best watches of 2025, Breguet, under its new leadership with CEO Gregory Kissling, had a massive 2025 befitting of its 250th anniversary. The brand debuted a new gold alloy in Breguet Gold, introduced over 13 different models throughout the year (an unheard-of novelty velocity for the brand), and established an entirely new collection that, in its first model, the Experimentale 1, debuted a revolutionary new magnetic escapement in a 10Hz movement with a constant-force tourbillon.

So, with all of that in mind, surely the brand would slow down in 2026, right? Wrong. Having spoken with Mr Kissling in November at the closing 250th anniversary celebrations in Paris, all signs point to continued momentum. We will see another entry into the Experimentale collection this year, a concept collection that will showcase new Breguet innovations that have the potential to be trickled down into more standard collections. For example, Kissling revealed at the closing 250th anniversary event in Paris that the brand does have prototypes of the magnetic escapement operating at a more standard 3Hz. Could this mean the new magnetic escapement finds itself in a five-figure watch down the line? Possibly.

Kissling and the Breguet team have every intention of keeping the excitement around the brand going and refining its offerings so that Breguet is firmly seen around the world as Swatch’s pound-for-pound competitor to the Holy Trinity brands. As a brand with such a rich heritage, it was almost weighed down by tradition and custodial concern. But Kissling has proven that he is well-suited for the daunting task of ushering in a new era of Breguet without diluting everything that has made the name so sacred in the world of horology.

Girard-Perregaux

The Laureato has somehow been both a collection of high interest and dismissal in recent years. On the one hand, it is an excellent luxury integrated sports watch. On the other hand, despite having a birth year before the Nautilus, it has been uncomfortably positioned at times as merely an alternative to the Royal Oak (or Nautilus, or Overseas…) Its lower price point and greater accessibility have positioned it at times as “less than” from a superficial standpoint, but on spec, those who truly enjoy watches have always seen it as a high-quality offering. However, this past year, a great design got even greater just in time for its 50th anniversary, debuting a new in-house GP4800 movement that, in my opinion, really elevated the aesthetic and performance of the internals.

Then, moving to the externals of the Laureato FIFTY, it debuted inside of, the calibre GP4800 found itself in a new and refined 39mm case affixed to a bracelet that debuted an on-the-fly micro-adjust extension system within the butterfly clasp (2mm on each side for 4mm of total adjustment). With a 150-metre depth rating, a calibre upgraded with a silicon escapement and a level of decoration on par with an entry Royal Oak, and a micro-adjust clasp you will not find on any Holy Trinity integrated bracelet, it was a firmly planted flag that GP means business.

I won’t be so bold as to say this new calibre and the new clasp will be instantly rolled out across the collection. However, the FIFTY was definitely a clear sign that the brand is seeking to up the ante. Furthermore, after speaking with the GP team at Dubai Watch Week, it was clear the brand believes it needs to increase its efforts in telling the rich stories of its heritage and looking to the past even more regarding informing new novelties. Perhaps we got a taste with the Deep Diver that was revived in collaboration with Bamford. In any case, I am eager to see just how much Girard-Perregaux steps on the gas in terms of continuing to upgrade its offerings and perhaps delve even more into its heritage for revival designs.

Credor

I know Credor is not really a “big box brand” in the typical sense. However, it is a Seiko Corporation brand, so I will use that nuance to justify its inclusion here, considering it is undoubtedly big-box-brand-backed. In fairness, since its founding in 1974, Credor was never really afforded a chance to be more of a global name – largely by design. For virtually its entire existence, it has been a Japan-exclusive brand, with international watch collectors afforded scarce opportunities to really engage with its creations beyond the borders of its home country. Of all the Seiko brands, it is considered to be the brand that most emphasises artistic craft rather than robustness in the manner that Seiko and Grand Seiko do – and has a more uncompromisingly ‘Japanese’ aesthetic.

However, with the reveal that Credor is joining the list of brands exhibiting at Watches and Wonders 2026, it seems like a pretty strong signal that Credor is gearing up to increase its global presence. I don’t mean that we’re likely to necessarily see an increase in production or inventory, but rather an increase in awareness and accessibility.

The current status quo has been quiet drops throughout the year: novelties that, admittedly, we discover more often by being eagle-eyed on its Instagram page than via formal press releases. It has not been a brand that makes an effort to be discovered; rather, it is stumbled upon once you are a down-the-rabbit-hole watch lover that tangentially discovered via more mainstream avenues of discovery, like being a complete Seikopath, delving into the designs of Gérald Genta, or through marquee if-you-know-you-know models like the Eichi II.

With the relaunch of Genta’s Locomotive and budding community forums sharing tips for under-the-radar Credor watches other WIS should discover, it appears the Seiko Corporation is ready to take the gamble it had yet to really take once again – putting Credor centre stage at a global watch platform like Watches and Wonders. So if you have been Credor-curious, but have yet to really dive deep into the brand, now is definitely the time to do so before the global watch community truly wakes up to the offerings of this sleeper, under-the-radar, quiet powerhouse.

Longines

Longines has undoubtedly had an upward-moving trajectory in recent years, but seeing Andrew sit down with recently appointed CEO Patrick Aoun, like Gregory Kissling, it appears the right man is behind the wheel. His enthusiasm for the brand is clearly evident, but what really stood out from that conversation is his enthusiasm for delivering quality value-driven watches – an unwavering belief that Longines, at its best, is an industry leader in the entry-luxury segment.

Keeping prices down as much as possible is music to anyone growing a watch collection, but having two clear examples in 2025 of Longines making good designs even greater without any massive price hike is where Longines will continue to be a must-watch brand in 2026. With the Spirit Pilot 39 and Spirit Pilot Flyback, each watch proved that Longines truly has its ear to the ground, combing consumer feedback and sentiment and actively working to bring desired features and proportions into the mix. Longines already earned favour for its new on-the-fly micro-adjust clasp, but the Spirit Pilot 39 introduced a new, desirable case size for a fan-favourite model with a slight dial tweak with significant impact: the removal of the applied five stars on the dial.

The Spirit Pilot Flyback not only shed the dial of the five stars, but also shed the case of around 3mm in both diameter and thickness. Coming down to 39.5mm from 42mm in diameter was certainly welcome, but more notably, the new case thickness of 13.4mm (a decrease of 3.6mm) really perked up Longines fans worldwide. It was exactly what everyone wanted to see, Longines delivered. Patrick Aoun made it clear that he intends to move toward slimmer, better-proportioned watches and retiring oversized, over-thick cases. With every faith that Longines will continue this pattern of delivering more refined references of its crowd-pleasing configurations, it is a safe bet that Longines will have some hot drops to watch in 2026.

Tudor

For this one, I am going to keep it short. Tudor is one of the few watch brands in the world that garners near-unanimous praise from watch fans around the world. Beyond the highly moronic and in the minority “cheap Rolex” contingent, Tudor has arguably become the marquee attraction of Watches and Wonders – generating an equal buzz to its older sibling, but being a far more accessible watch brand in regard to pricing and available inventory at retail.

So, if all eyes are already on Tudor, why am I taking the time to say the brand is a must-watch in 2026? It’s simple: 2026 marks the 100th anniversary of the brand. And this major milestone (along with other big 2026 anniversaries like the 50th anniversary of the Nautilus) deserves an article and analysis all on its own. Spoiler alert, stay tuned…