So who won the month of Watch & Wonders 2022?

Likely unpopular opinion but saving that I’ll likely never be able to afford any of their releases, I personally felt Cartier had the strongest showing with some new/interesting pieces and some refreshed classics.

The LE Cartier Santos-Dumont had to be my favorite of all the releases right next to the VC 222. The Masse Mystérieuse is one of the coolest ideas to integrate he movement into the rotor. The Pasha, a watch I never really looked twice at completely showed out with the chrono and the fully-lumed moonphase. I am always a sucker for the tank, loved the new flavors in both the Tank Louis and the Must.

Still waiting for the Sea Timer..

Yea, I am seriously considering getting a Santos. They are awesome. However, of the watches from them, that got all the press, who is really going to buy them? Cartier is a rectangle watch company. Anything else, won't sell very well.

Agreed - most these models won’t be purchased. If it’s just about press that will translate directly into sales then it’s probably Omega.

I'm not sure if there is a formula for "winning" trade shows, but I think the watch-going public generally has positive reactions when a brand takes some risks - either new lines or significant changes to existing lines or brings out something that demonstrates their watch-making prowess. Cartier, VC and Grand Seiko come to mind, for this year. 

I think this is why there was such a visceral reaction to Rolex releases this year. If Cartier can stick an entire movement into a rotor of a watch, then surely Rolex can do more than move a crown and date window to the opposite side of the case - hardly ground-breaking. Do they need to? No, their watches will still sell. One might argue that brands other than Rolex had more to lose by going all out - yet they did.   

Rolex marketing efficiency to keep consumer talking about the brand 

I saw Stephen King in an interview years ago, and they asked him if his new book was "one of his best". He said, "No, it's actually crap, but it will still be a best seller. Why should I try, when it doesn't matter?"

This feels a lot like Rolex at the moment.

I understand the watch media is more male/masculine market inclined but what about Ballon Bleu?

Cartier makes a ton of amazing watches that are not rectangular. I am not saying any of them are bad. Just they don't sell. Cartier is kind of pigeonholed that way. Same with AP. The Royal Oak was just something they throw out there, to capture some of the steel sports watch market, and is so far away from what the brand really is. However today, they probably sell 10-1 Royal Oaks vs everything else combined, and it's all anyone thinks of when they think AP. 

Top 3 for me was Jaeger-LeCoultre, Vacheron Constantin, Grand Seiko.

I think "won" should be who put out the best watch. If the criteria is for promotion then it's really hard to tell since I believe all brands representing Watches & Wonders 2022 has "won" (including the uninspiring Rolex releases). Cuz in the post criteria, I think TAG Heuer went all out on that department, along w/ Montblanc, Van Cleef & Arpels. There's also Cartier and Tudor too.

I mean, Omega got tons of press for a cheap, low quality watch that's turning it's customers blue and reviewers are now saying it isn't even worth the $260 MSRP (but it's fun).  And Omega dealers don't even get to sell them.  Sucks to be an Omega dealer right now.  No hype product to sell and your luxury brand has sold out it's reputation to shill a plastic disposable replica of your mainstay product line. 

I give the win to Cartier.  The Masse Mysterieuse is a tour de force.  In the realm of "no mere mortal can buy it", I think this edges out the Grand Seiko constant force tourbillon.  Yet Cartier also released the gorgeous enamel Tank Chinois for the most well-heeled of mere mortals.

Its hard to beat the JLC line up...

In terms of attention, Omega, and i don’t mean in a bad way. They got their brand on more lips than anyone, and not just the usual suspects. Their novelties were interesting, too. The next would be Tudor. There was a paroxysm of Rolex! of course, and Tudor can ride the Rolex wave for attention and actually present something interesting. Mind you, I don’t mean that these were the watches I liked the best.

Just from what I've seen I agree with Tudor.  A lot of buzz for what they released. 

What I'm saying is that Ballon Bleu seems to be one of the go-tos for the ladies/feminine watch wearers? 

Ahh, I am unaware. I thought the tank was the go-to watch for the ladies

I think that Grand Seiko "won" with their Kodo constant force tourbillion, which I think really elevated their standing as a brand. I suspect that the upward trend in GS pricing is going to accelerate.

I felt that Cartier offered the most compelling announcements overall. The Cartier Masse Mystérieuse was my personal favorite watch from the show, but at €250,000 is the stuff of dreams.  In the more reasonable realm, their new lacquered Santos Dumont is one that I'd seriously consider buying.  The SS version (at only €5,100) is really tempting, although it looks too much like the black dial Santos de Cartier (WSSA0037) that I recently added to my collection. The rose gold version is pretty appealing as well, but at €12,000 is a bit tougher for me to justify.

Honestly I'm having a hard time finding actual numbers. I guess on top of that I was in East Asia most of my life so my perception may differ. 😅

Winners: Omega, Omega+Swatch, Vacheron Constantin, JLC, Grand Seiko, and Van Cleef & Arpels.

Honorable Mention: Tudor. They would be a winner if they only released the BB Pro. But they had to two-tone it up. Oris, for releasing one nice watch that is priced too high, but not the affordable 38mm steel Diver 65 they should have. 

Lifetime Achievement Participation Trophy: Rolex, for creative use of mirrors and adding one zero. 

Maybe it's bad form to respond to your own post, but I ran across this article. Someone in the watch media who was at Watches and Wonders agrees that Omega x Swatch won the show.

The Omega × Swatch MoonSwatch Release Casts A Shadow Over Tudor And Rolex Novelties

Interesting perspective. You would make a company the winner, because they released something you really like, but dropped down because they released something additional you didn't.
 

For me, I want as much variety as possible, as we all have different tastes.

I guess if taken to the extreme, it could be bad, like Invicta. They make some nice-looking watches, but people just think of them for their outlandish stuff.

I think Tudor has solidly positioned themselves as where you go if you want a newly manufactured watch, but want it to look like a Rolex from the 1950s-1980s. If that's your brand positioning, making two-tone watches fit.

I never said I liked the things in the winner section. I’m certainly not wearing a Van Cleef & Arpels.

You asked, “When I say "won", I mean from a press promotion perspective, and general brand promotion,” and you were answered from that perspective.

Watch media liked the BB Pro, and were largely meh or negative toward the gold two-tone root beer floats.

I wouldn’t want half the Omegas, 3/4 of the MoonSwatches, any of the VCs (to quote Eddie Vedder, “the kids of today should defend themselves against the 70s”), can’t afford any of the JLCs/wouldn’t grab the bedazzled one even if I could, and preferred the Grand Seikos they quietly released last week outside the show than the ones they released at the show.

Also didn’t mention the Breitlings or Tag Heuers that I would most certainly buy over most of the watches from companies in the “Winner” or “Honorable Mention” lists I posted. Because they didn’t win from a press promotion and general brand promotion perspective, based on the coverage, and that is what you asked for.

Edit: And the Oris would be the watch released at W&W 2022 I’d be most likely to get. But it is overpriced. And they did save the good stuff for showing people off the record and under embargo for future releases. And I don’t “really like” the Tudor BB Pro. I’m not a fan of any Explorer II homages or of the Explorer II itself, but the media like it, and it was good for general brand promotion by Tudor.

I didn't see any negative press about the two tones. Actually, as is the case with watch media, I didn't see much negative press at all (other then Rolex making an upside-down watch)