After a wild week at Watches & Wonders 2025, the one question I’ve been asked most is: “What were your highlights from the show?”
Even for someone who dedicates countless hours looking at, talking about, and thinking about watches, a week of 16+ hour days in the weeds with hundreds of freshly launched timepieces requires a day or two to reflect upon the good/great/forgettable.
Here were the stars of the show.
Highlights From Watches & Wonders 2025
Rolex Ref. 1908 With Yellow Gold Bracelet
Yes, the Rolex Land-Dweller is the big headline this year. And while plenty of other commentators have already exhausted themselves articulating the pros and cons of the new collection, I wanted to add a tally to the former.
The Rolex ref. 1908 – which debuted back in 2023 – now arrives in yellow gold with a matching yellow gold bracelet, and it’s a beautiful thing to have on your wrist. It’s very comfortable, the clasp is as secure as you’d expect from Rolex, and the design works well with the case of the ref. 1908 (rather than looking like an afterthought).
IWC Ingenieur Perpetual Calendar 41
There’s zero doubt IWC had another excellent year, but of all of the horological heavyweights announced by the Schaffhausen-based brand, my favourite has to be the Ingenieur Perpetual Calendar 41. The dial colour is great, the case is incredibly wearable at 41mm in diameter and 13.4mm thick, plus it’s also one of the few great steel watches of 2025 (the “more expensive” trend means plenty of precious metal).
Cartier Privé Tank à Guichets
It’s far from an original choice, but there’s a very good reason why no one can stop talking about the Cartier Privé Tank à Guichets: it’s one of the brand’s most instantly recognisable and collectible designs. In total, four new references made their debut, and my pick of the bunch is the “classic” in yellow gold, thanks largely to it being the closest to the original design from 1928.
Hublot Big Bang 20th Anniversary “Master of Sapphire” Set
This year is the 20th anniversary of the Big Bang collection, and the youthful, energetic watchmaker is celebrating in a style only Hublot knows.
I love it when Hublot is at its most unapologetically bold and over-the-top, and as a result, my pick of the bunch (and one of the aforementioned watch sets for sale) is the Hublot Big Bang 20th Anniversary “Master of Sapphire” Set, with five different colours of the brand’s famous sapphire crystal. It’s unforgettable on the wrist.
Raymond Weil Freelancer Complete Calendar
As previously mentioned, watches are getting more complex and expensive every year, making Raymond Weil’s freshly launched Freelancer Complete Calendar a value-packed breath of fresh air.
My pick of the two references is the version with the blue dial, given it’s a little more versatile than its traditionally styled sibling; as well as being paired with a well-made steel bracelet. For a watch that looks this good and delivers such impressive functionality, you’d expect a price tag with another zero.
Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda PF Skeleton Limited Edition
After handling a few hundred watches last week, I needed something special to make me pause and just enjoy how a watch feels on the wrist. That was exactly what the Tonda PF Skeleton Limited Edition delivered.
I was very pleasantly surprised with how comfortable the bracelet was, how light the steel and platinum case felt on the wrist, and how legible the skeletonised dial was. All these surprises combined into a feeling of desire, which swiftly made way for one thought: “I wish I were richer.”
Grand Seiko Evolution 9 SLGB003
I’ve long been a lover of vintage Grand Seiko watches and observed from a distance the level of scholarship true collectors dedicate to the historical “VFA” (Very Fine Adjusted) references, regarded as the brand’s most collectable vintage models with its superlative accuracy. This year, Grand Seiko has rekindled that flame with the announcement of an all-new Spring Drive Caliber 9RB2 UFA (Ultra Fine Adjusted), housed within the extremely wearable Evolution 9-design SLGB003.
The richly textured dial and 37mm high-intensity titanium case and bracelet are definite highlights, but the movement within promises an accuracy of ±20 seconds per year (or approximately ±3 seconds per month). Or around three times more accurate than Grand Seiko’s previous most accurate Spring Drive movements.
Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Monoface Small Seconds
A bracelet is rarely able to transform the feeling of a dress watch on your wrist, though it’s something Jaeger-LeCoultre achieved this year with the Reverso in question. Sure, you could make a loose comparison to the ref. 1908 from Rolex. As nice as that bracelet is, however, there’s little doubt about the difference in effort and expertise required to create each of these bracelets.
The Milanese bracelet you see here is crafted in pink gold and reportedly requires 16 metres of precious metal wire, which is then woven like fabric and extremely cleverly integrated into the space between the lugs. In some ways, it’s just a bracelet, but anyone with eyes can see how transformative it is to the Reverso Tribute design.
Piaget Andy Warhol Watch Masterpiece
Another watch that made me pause – just for a moment – to enjoy the experience of having it on my wrist was this Piaget Andy Warhol Watch Masterpiece.
I’m a big fan of the stone dials and stepped cases that are the common threads tying this collection together, but this unique watch features a dial so blue it’s almost glowing; complemented and obviously complimented by several rows of mini baguette-cut sapphires in the bezel. It’s not even the kind of watch I’d likely want to wear (unless on the most special of occasions). Regardless, I’m delighted Piaget took the time to create it (alongside other novelties).
Baume & Mercier Riviera Flyback Chronograph
Baume & Mercier has long been a bastion of quality, affordable watchmaking. Yet in recent years, it’s been straying from its time-only sweet spot and exploring a little complication. One of my favourite watches from 2023 was the Riviera Perpetual Calendar, and this year, we see the debut of the Riviera Flyback Chronograph, expanding the credentials of the collection and doing so in style.
If you enjoyed this wrap-up of our favourite timepieces from Watches & Wonders 2025, head to the event’s homepage right here for brand overviews and collection deep-dives.
For a retrospective look at our favourite watches in recent years and why Watches & Wonders is such a calendar event, check out the stories below:
