There are a lot of reasons why you might call something the best watch of the year. It might be really well priced, or pack in a top quality movement. Other choices might have fantastic design language, or a neat dial colour.
But more than that, I think the best watches are the ones that make you feel something. That's really all we can ask for, and whether you find it on a watch worth £25 or £250,000, the effect is much the same.
For me, that moment happened when I first used the Mr Jones Watches Berry Late Again. That model became famous around the watch world for its pastel pink dial which would showcase the phrase "Fuck it! Time is just a social construct" once per hour.
Now, the brand is back with its first release of 2024 – and it builds on this incredible watch as a base. The original Berry Late Again model used a pink dial and strawberries as the hour and minute markers. This new Blueberry Late model takes the same design, but changes it out for a sky blue dial and blueberry hour markers.
That's a real masterstroke from the brand. While the original was a fantastic design, some may have had reservations about the pink hue on offer. It's certainly not something I felt, but I can see where others might.
The blue used on this model is certainly going to be a smidge easier to pair for most people. It's a colour which has become extremely popular in recent years and this shade is certain to be a hit.
Aside from the design changes, though, this is identical to the Berry Late Again model. A sapphire crystal sits atop a 37mm stainless steel case, with a 46mm lug-to-lug width. That makes for an incredible wearing experience, which sits really neatly on any wrist.
You'll find 50m of water resistance on there, with a quartz movement inside. No need to feel any snobbery on that front though – as mentioned in my review of the Mr Jones Watches A Perfectly Useless Afternoon, the quartz movement makes a lot more sense on these watches.
It also keep the price very reasonable. At £225 / $275 / €275, this is a really attractive proposition. Sure, it's not likely to be anyone's only watch, but as something to fill out a collection and offer a little more pizzazz, there really is nothing better.
Pink or blue? At this price, both is the most acceptable answer.
