Anniversaries galore, feats of engineering, a surfeit of blue and the heart-racing enchantment of Components 1: congratulations and issues had been so as at this 12 months’s Watches and Wonders in Geneva.
Right here, WWD’s editors identify their favorites from a good that provided watches in all styles and sizes.
Finest Prompt Traditional: Patek Philippe Cubitus
The primary new watch household to be launched in 25 years by the model, the distinctive Cubitus turned an immediate traditional on the truthful. Successful amongst its variations was the medium-sized rose gold model that got here in a cultured and satin end with a horizontally embossed sunburst brown dial.
Runner-up: Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Monoface Small Seconds
Fairgoers couldn’t get sufficient of this all-gold iteration of Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Reverso watch. A key characteristic right here was the Milano bracelet, which gave it speedy enchantment because of the tactility of its hyperlinks. In accordance with one wearer, it additionally introduced a shocking sense of stability on the wrist.
Finest Complication Mixture: Vacheron Constantin Les Cabinotiers Solaria Extremely Grand Complication — La Première
It’s onerous to beat a wristwatch that accommodates 41 issues, 5 uncommon astronomical capabilities and an progressive minute-repeater, all 1,521 parts packed in a surprisingly wearable 45mm case. It additionally resulted within the submitting of 13 patent purposes.
And if you happen to suppose the watch’s face is a feat of complexity, its again is a world premiere. It gives a illustration of the celestial vault, to show the calculation of the time it takes for a given star or constellation to seem in your visual view.
Runner-up: Parmigiani Fleurier Toric Quantième Perpétuel
Whereas so many watches would deserve this spot for his or her issues, the class of the Parmigiani Fleurier Toric Quantième Perpétuel helped it stand out. Honorable point out for the Hautlence Retrovision ‘85, a watch that transforms right into a robotic and proves {that a} contact of enjoyable is the final word must-have complication.
Finest Technical Feat: Chopard Alpine Eagle 41 SL Cadence 8HF
Not fairly as mild as an eagle feather, however getting nearer. This newest launch by Chopard utilizing ceramicized titanium for its case and bezel isn’t only a versatile tackle a sports activities watch. It additionally has a effective COSC-certified caliber that beats at a high-frequency 8 hertz whereas conserving a 60-hour energy reserve. All in all, an interesting feat of engineering.
Runner-up: Cartier Tank à Guichets
There have been anniversaries galore however the launch of this uncommon design first launched in 1928 — lower than a decade after the Tank was launched — thrilled watch fanatics and collectors alike.
For 2025, Cartier maintains its placing aesthetic and crown at 12 o’clock. Inside is a brand new caliber, the 9755 MC guide motion with leaping hours and dragging minutes. The platinum restricted version of 200 is much more fascinating because of its driver-style structure with hour aperture at 10 o’clock and the 4 o’clock positioning for the minutes.
Finest New Form: Piaget Sixtie
Referencing Piaget’s roots because the “watchmaker of shapes,” the Sixtie assortment parlays the Swinging Sautoir necklace launched on the 1969 truthful in Basel right into a wristwatch design with a placing trapeze-shaped dial. This primary new watch household for the model in a decade is available in metal, bi-metallic and rose gold variations, with and with out diamond. A turquoise dial is slated to come back later this 12 months.
Runner-up: Rolex Oyster Perpetual Land-Dweller
One other as soon as in a blue moon incidence was the launch of this new household, already noticed on Leonardo DiCaprio. Whereas the general look is indubitably Rolex, it comes with loads of newness — in and out. There’s the Dynapulse escapement, tweaks to the fluting to catch the sunshine much more, new fingers and indexes, a honeycomb dial motif reduce with a femtosecond laser and the novel Flat Jubilee bracelet. All in all, 32 patents for its design and motion.
Finest Jewel That Provides Time: Cadenas by Van Cleef & Arpels
This one-of-a-kind Cadenas is a gem-filled stunner with the type of pedigree that impresses throughout the board. Marking its ninetieth anniversary, this secret watch with an angled dial that’s as distinctive as it’s discreet was initially designed for the Duchess of Windsor. This iteration comes with 1,486 snow-set diamonds and 14 blue sapphires, with an Artwork Deco taste that’s very of-the-now.
Runner-up: Hermès Maillon Libre
Sturdy contenders for jewels that inform the time got here from Hermès. However the one which stole the present at a sales space that was all about time and transformation was the Maillon Libre. Crafted from polished rose gold and set with 10 brilliant-cut diamonds in addition to a tourmaline, it may be worn as a pendant or a brooch.
Finest Hue: Chanel J12 Bleu Assortment
If there’s one shade that dominated the 2025 truthful, it was blue. From the cloudless skies outdoors the Palexpo exhibition middle to the faces of watches, it ran the gamut of icy pastels, popping turquoise and deep sea tones.
The one which gained the day was the almost-midnight hue launched by Chanel. 5 years of analysis and growth, 24 blues and 150 assessments led to the deep blue matte ceramic that indicators the Chanel J12 Bleu line, which celebrates its twenty fifth anniversary this 12 months.
If proof is required that deep, darkish blue and ceramics are a match made in watchmaking heaven, Audemars Piguet revealed individually a trio of Royal Oaks that noticed its historic “Bleu Nuit, Nuage 50” shade utilized in ceramic for the primary time.
Runner-up: Hublot Large Bang One Click on Mint Inexperienced
Because the Large Bang household celebrates its twentieth anniversary, this mint inexperienced tone of the One Click on mannequin was a enjoyable, zesty tackle the extremely technical watch. The 33mm ceramic watch featured a diamond-set metal bezel and matching rubber strap and it got here additionally in a petroleum blue model.
Finest Puff of Air: Bulgari Octo Finissimo Extremely Tourbillon
Coming in at 42 grams, the Octo Finissimo Extremely Tourbillon marked the Roman jeweler’s tenth thinness report and was arguably the lightest timepiece on present on the truthful. Consider it as a 1.85mm-thick coin on the wrist.
This newest iteration, coming after 25 years since Bulgari entered the watchmaking house, is encased in a 40mm case crafted from sandblasted titanium and tungsten carbide important plate, with a particularly skeletonized building permitting to marvel on the technical feat of its in-house tourbillon caliber.
Runner-up: Ulysse Nardin Diver Air
Should you suppose that having 80 % air inside its case doesn’t go away a lot room for feats of watchmaking, you’d be useless fallacious. The UN-374 caliber with a sturdy skeletonized building and 90-hour energy reserve weighs in at 7 grams however can face up to an affect of 5,000 grams. That’s greater than 20 instances the highest-recorded g-force a human survived.
Oh, and even with a case manufactured from titanium and Nylo-foil plus an elastic material strap, it solely weighs 52 grams.
Finest Components 1 Fan Watch, Tied: Tag Heuer Components 1 Solargraph and IWC Schaffhausen Ingenieur 40
With Components 1 racing vehicles dotting the truthful and the upcoming launch of the Brad Pitt-led movie “F1” in June, the elite sport was prime of thoughts.
But it surely was not possible to discover a tie-breaker between these two.
Constructing on the hype surrounding the Apple Unique Movie’s “F1” film, IWC Schaffhausen launched a particular version of its Ingenieur Automated 40 watch. Impressed by a classic model relationship again to the ‘70s, the timepiece noticed Pitt — one of many lead actors within the film, by which he portrays driver Sonny Hayes — collaborate on the design and decide the inexperienced dial with a particular checkered sample. The watch is available in a restricted run of 1,000 items.
For a lot of collectors at present, the Tag Heuer Components 1 launched in 1986 was their first critical watch as younger adults. Now up to date with a Solargraph motion that makes use of solar energy to cost its battery and instances in TH-Polylight materials for many variations, this 38mm model is certain to seize the hearts of a brand new technology — followers of F1 or not.
