September’s biggest timepiece moments, from Geneva Watch Days to Rihanna’s Audemars Piguet

As Hong Kong gets ready to celebrate Mid-Autumn Festival, we look back at a September rife with horological activity. Geneva Watch Days kicked off the month as brands released killer timepiece after killer timepiece. Rihanna and Mark Zuckerberg celebrated a new baby and new AI glasses, respectively, while sporting gorgeous watches, while IWC Schaffhausen preserved heritage by launching “IWC. Curated.” We also look ahead to Watches and Wonders 2026 as brands like Audemars Piguet, Credor and L’Epée 1839 are expected to join the April fair.

September got off to a spectacular start as watch enthusiasts converged for Geneva Watch Days from September 4 to 7. This year’s edition was bigger than ever, with 66 brands – up from last year’s 52 – showcasing novelties to more than 17,000 attendees. Visitors took in curated brand presentations, a watch regulation contest, and a charity auction held by Phillips in association with Bacs & Russo, which raised over 185,900 Swiss francs (US$233,200) for the Pierre Amstutz Fund, a non-profit organisation named after the former director of the Geneva School of Watchmaking.

Furlan Marri upped the ante on its Disco Volante from last year by introducing a version with lab-grown diamonds set on an onyx dial. Dennison – known for its dials made with precious and semi-precious stones – unveiled the ALD Dual Time, featuring two independent quartz movements and a variety of semi-precious stones on the dial.

De Bethune and H. Moser & Cie looked to the stars as the former gave us a luscious red-purple dial in a (smaller and more wearable) DB25xs Starry Varius. The latter revisited the wandering hours complication via the Pioneer Flying Hours, where time is shown rotating across a dial evoking a starry night sky.