Our favourite new watches from Watches & Wonders 2025
From space-age tourbillons to masterful calibre movements, Watches & Wonders 2025 had it all. We’ve sifted through the spectacle to bring you tickers that impressed us the most
By Cayle Reid
IF GENEVA’S ANNUAL Watches & Wonders trade show is the Met Gala of watchmaking, then 2025 was its most stylish year yet. In case you missed it, the world’s most renowned watchmakers gathered in Geneva this week for watchmaking’s Super Bowl, where they all unveiled their latest pieces.
There were reinventions of old classics, boundary-pushing new designs and more than a few price tags that had us wondering how much we could get for a kidney. But beyond all the fanfare, Watches & Wonders delivered on what it always promises: unadulterated joy for watch-lovers.
You don’t need to make the trip to Switzerland to keep up with what’s hot in horology, though. Whether you’re in the market for a $200,000 moonphase or just like to admire the latest in luxury goods, we’ve handpicked the standout releases from the show. Here, we break down our favourites.
Rolex Oyster Perpetual Land-Dweller
Rolex’s first new model since the Sky-Dweller in 2012, the Land-Dweller represents a massive technical leap forward for the brand. It has 18 patents exclusive to the new watch (and 32 related to it in total).
Becoming one of the few Rolexes with an integrated bracelet, the Land-Dweller also features a striking honeycomb dial and a super-thin Calibre 7135 movement, which is boosted by a highly energy-efficient ‘Dynapulse’ escapement. The Land-Dweller comes in two varieties; 36mm and 40mm. If the 40mm version is to your liking, you can get it in white gold and Oystersteel, or platinum, both of which come with a fluted bezel. If you prefer diamonds, the 36mm take on the Land-Dweller is set in 18-carat Everose gold and has a bezel full of them.
Hublot Big Bang 20th Anniversary ‘Red Magic’
Hublot released a huge collection of new Big Bangs to celebrate the model’s 20th anniversary. Our pick of the bunch? The Red Magic. Arriving in a vibrant scarlet shade of red, Red Magic is an ode to Hublot’s first watch with a fully ceramic case, which was released in 2018. The new edition is embossed with a carbon-patterned dial, is 43mm in diameter, boasts 100m of water resistance and features the MHUB1280.20 flyback chronograph movement with a column wheel.
TAG Heuer Formula 1 Solargraph
TAG Heuer’s new Formula 1 collection pays homage to the originals but updates them with a more contemporary 38mm case, improved finishing with sandblasted steel and DLC treatment, and perhaps most intriguingly, Solargraph technology – which means the watches are solar-powered.
At the core of the Solargraphs is the TH50-00 movement, an ultra-efficient calibre that harnesses light through the watch’s dial-integrated photovoltaic cells. Utilising a rechargeable battery, just two minutes of sunlight provides enough energy for a full day of power, while a full charge will power it for up to ten months. Even if it does stop ticking, TAG Heuer says that just ten seconds of sun exposure will get the Solargraph started again.
Tudor Black Bay 58
Headlining Tudor’s new releases was a new version of the watchmaker’s most popular watch, the Black Bay 58. It gets a new burgundy-hued dial and bezel, a colour scheme it borrows from a ‘90s prototype of a Tudor Submariner. It also gets the METAS Master Chronometer treatment for the first time, but sticks with a 39mm case. Inside, the MT5400-U movement powers the watch and offers a 65-hour power reserve and anti-magnetic properties. The new Black Bay 58 comes with either a 5-link bracelet, 3-link rivet-style bracelet, or rubber strap.
Cartier Tank à Guichets
Cartier is bringing back the Tank à Guichets. It’s obvious from the get-go just how unconventional it is. It doesn’t feature the signature Roman numerals and blue hands, but it does feature a full metal casing with two tiny display apertures, a small square at the 12 o’clock for the hour, a little grin at the 6 o’clock for the minutes.
Vacheron Constantin Les Cabinotiers Solaria Ultra Grand Complication
The Les Cabinotiers Solaria Ultra Grand Complication is, in the words of its creator watchmaker, “the most complicated wristwatch ever made”.
A piece unique, the Solaria Ultra Grand Complication has a whopping 41 complications, making it the most complicated watch ever made. To name a handful, it features an innovative minute-repeater and five rare astronomical functions, one of which is dedicated to charting the apparent course of the sun across our sky. The watch also debuts a split-seconds chronograph which can be used in conjunction with a star chart, allowing the wearer to calculate when a selected star or constellation will appear in the sky.
Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Monoface Small Seconds
Featuring a golden-hued dial and an 18-carat pink gold case and bracelet, the latest JLC Reverso Tribute plays with vintage, Gatsby-esque themes. It’s quite the vibe switch from the OG model, which was created in 1931 for the “sporting gentleman” of the polo field. But with this 2025 iteration, a grained dial with indexes and a Milanese link bracelet, JLC has revived a classic.
Montblanc 1858 Automatic Date 0 Oxygen
For the new version of the 1858 Automatic Date 0 Oxygen, Montblanc have gone with a grained brown dial with a gradient sfumato effect. Luminescent rose gold-coloured hands and Arabic numerals adorn the dial, along with a railway track around the periphery. A brown fixed bezel made from a brown ceramic insert accentuates the dial, while the MB24.1 movement powers the watch. The 0 Oxygen gets its from the fact that its dial was set in place with zero oxygen, allowing it to work more effectively at high altitudes.
Piaget Polo 79
The Polo 79 has returned in a shimmering white gold case and bracelet. A minimalist masterpiece, the new Polo 79 has a 38mm case and is powered by the calibre 1200P1, which boasts 44 hours of power reserve. The bevelling and polished engravings are what really make the Polo 79, a refined piece of art that simply works.
Zenith G.F.J.
An eminently modern reimagination of the time-only Caliber 135 chronometers of old, the G.F.J. is an homage to Zenith’s founder Georges Favre-Jacot (hence the initials in its name). Most importantly, the G.F.J. is the centrepiece of a collection that revives the legendary Calibre 135, which has been re-engineered for modern practicality. The Calibre 135 is one of the most decorated chronometer movements in watchmaking history, and when paired with a platinum case and a lapis lazuli, it’s a certain winner.
Bulgari Octo Finissimo Ultra Tourbillon
With the Octo Finissimo Ultra Tourbillon, Bulgari has captured yet another ultra-thin watchmaking crown. Officially the thinnest tourbillon ever produced, measuring just 1.85mm in thickness, the Octo Finissimo Ultra is skelotonised, manually wound, beats at 4 Hz, and offers 50 hours of power reserve.
Chanel J12 Diamond Bleu Tourbillon
Chanel’s flagship watch received a maritime makeover for its 25th birthday, with a limited edition collection comprising just nine pieces. The new watches vary from 28-42mm. Six are powered by automatic movements, two are manual winding, and one has a quartz movement. The J12 Diamond Bleu Tourbillon is the highlight of the collection, with a flying tourbillon and a diamond-set cage visible through a sapphire crystal dial.
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Bleu Nuit Nuage 50
The Royal Oak model, with its octagonal bezel, exposed screws and integrated bracelet, remains one of the most recognisable designs in watchmaking. The Blue Nuit Nuage 50 is a celebration of 50 years of the Royal Oak, and its colour scheme is inspired by the night sky of the Vallée de Joux, the birthplace of Audemars Piguet, and is a reference to the signature deep blue hue of the original Royal Oak.
Related:
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TAG Heuer digs deep into its Formula 1 bag at Watches & Wonders ‘25
