With gold at all-time highs, the retreat from precious metals feels all the more urgent.
Below, we’ve collected five watches unveiled at Geneva Watch Days that impressed us with their innovative use of alternative materials.
1. Ferdinand Berthoud Chronomètre FB 3SPC
The new Chronomètre FB 3SPC from Ferdinand Berthoud gently makes clear the central tension in all of luxury watchmaking: that between history and modernity. While the model’s movement features a cylindrical balance-spring, harking back to the mechanisms that 18th century watchmaker Ferdinand Berthoud and his nephew, Louis Berthoud, sometimes employed, it’s encased in stealthy ceramised titanium, a lightweight material with enhanced scratch-resistance and a rich black hue destined to never fade. The reference also features a crown guard, a first for the Chronomètre FB 3SPC, and a new black fabric that doubles down on the classic timekeeper’s contemporary spirit.
Chronomètre FB 3SPC in 42.3 mm ceramised titanium case, price on request
2. Hublot Big Bang Original Soft Touch
The material scientists at Hublot have been hard at work crafting an entirely new sensory experience. The brand’s two new Big Bang Original Soft Touch watches feature an exclusive textured rubber compound applied across the case, bezel, dial and strap, resulting in a unique tactile finish. Developed through an overmoulding process, using specially engineered tools that integrate the texture directly into the material during production, the exclusive and velvety rubber compound is, unlike a coating or surface treatment, an intrinsic part of the construction itself. Available in All Red or All Black stylings, the model embodies the essence of the brand’s two-decade-old Art of Fusion concept.
Big Bang Original Soft Touch in 43 mm titanium overmolded in red rubber, CHF 20'700
3. Atelier Wen x Massena LAB Inflection Shuò
Atelier Wen is no stranger to working with tantalum, a heavy, blue-grey metal that inspires terror among casemakers for its tool-destroying capabilities. The Chinese brand, founded in 2018 by two Frenchmen, has made the exclusive material something of a signature. For Massena LAB, however, the Inflection Shuò, its new collaborative model with Atelier Wen, marks the first time it has worked with tantalum (on an integrated bracelet style, no less). And yet tantalum isn’t even the main point. The model is meant to be a showcase for exquisite dial craftsmanship, specifically hand tremblage, a painstaking technique, frequently performed on gold, executed by hand engraving specialist Coralie Mercier on behalf of GT Cadrans. Limited to 50 pieces (10 featuring all-white-gold dials and 40 dials combining white and rose gold), the watch is further distinguished by its unusual California-dial-inspired layout: the hour sector features both Arabic and Chinese numerals.
Atelier Wen x Massena LAB Inflection Shuò in 40 mm tantalum case, EUR 35,900
4. Alto ART 02
Integrated bracelet watches are having a mini renaissance — just look to the new ART 02 model from Paris-based Alto if you need persuading. Housed in light and strong Grade 5 titanium, the piece marries nostalgia for ’70s car culture with a clean, architectural vibe. The bracelet deserves special attention. “Like the case, each link is composed of multiple satin-finished surfaces, brushed in different directions and carefully considered for the way they interact with light,” says the brand. “The resulting reflections give the bracelet an unprecedented sense of brilliance, without a single polished surface.”
ART 02 in 42.3mm (L) x 36 mm case, EUR 13,100
5. H. Moser & Cie. Streamliner Tourbillon Skeleton Ceramic Alpine Limited Edition
A sporty, high-tech homage to its 2.5-year-old partnership with Alpine Motorsports, H. Moser’s new Streamliner Tourbillon Skeleton Ceramic Alpine Limited Edition comes in a sleek anthracite grey ceramic case that will, thanks to the material’s scratch-resistance, hypoallergenic properties and light weight, retain its appearance year after year — no patinas, no fading. The skeletonized dial exposes Moser’s one-minute flying double hairspring tourbillon and hand-finished HMC 814 Manufacture movement architecture. Limited to 100 pieces, the watch comes on an integrated blue Alcantara strap and pairs Moser’s understated design language with genuine motorsport pedigree.
Streamliner Tourbillon Skeleton Ceramic Alpine Limited Edition in 40 mm ceramic case, CHF 79'000
FAQ
What is Geneva Watch Days?
Geneva Watch Days is an annual industry event held in Geneva outside the main January and April fairs, where brands unveil new models to retailers, press and collectors. The 2026 edition featured several watches in alternative materials.
Which watches use alternative materials at Geneva Watch Days 2026?
Five pieces at Geneva Watch Days 2026 used alternative materials: Atelier Wen x Massena LAB's tantalum Inflection Shuò, Alto's titanium ART 02, Ferdinand Berthoud's ceramised titanium FB 3SPC, Hublot's rubber Big Bang Soft Touch, and H. Moser's ceramic Streamliner Tourbillon.
Why do watch brands use alternative materials like titanium and ceramic?
Brands use alternative materials such as titanium, ceramic and tantalum because they are lightweight, scratch-resistant and hypoallergenic compared with gold or steel. Rising gold prices are also pushing watchmakers like H. Moser & Cie. and Ferdinand Berthoud toward these options.
What is the H. Moser & Cie. Streamliner Tourbillon Skeleton Ceramic Alpine Limited Edition?
The H. Moser & Cie. Streamliner Tourbillon Skeleton Ceramic Alpine Limited Edition is a 40mm anthracite grey ceramic watch marking Moser's Alpine Motorsports partnership, with a skeletonized dial exposing a flying double hairspring tourbillon. Limited to 100 pieces at CHF 79'000.
