This year&rsquo;s Watches &amp; Wonders did not only unveil new timepieces, but also the pulse of the watch industry itself. The show made one thing clear: luxury watchmaking is evolving with respect for its past and a keen eye on today&rsquo;s wearer.

Watches &amp; Wonders is the most anticipated annual watch exhibition, showcasing novelties from major watch manufacturers. More importantly, the new releases reflect the current state and direction of the watch industry as a whole. Three main things stood out this year: watch manufacturers are digging deep into horological archives for design inspiration, giving more relevance to watchmaking complications again and recognizing the need for right-size watches.
A common thread for many watch manufacturers is searching deep through rich watchmaking histories to breathe fresh life into old designs or concepts whose time may have finally come. The new Rolex Land-Dweller is a modern take on the relatively unsuccessful 1970s Oysterquartz model. Cartier&rsquo;s Tank &agrave; Guichet, featuring a classy jumping hours display, revives a design from the 1920s. Jaeger-LeCoultre&rsquo;s focus on the Reverso line this year is a nod to the original model launched in 1931. The list goes on. The watch industry seems to be going through a fashion-like cycle where old trends become current again.
High complications also ruled this year&rsquo;s Watches &amp; Wonders. Vacheron Constantin released the Solaria, the world&rsquo;s most complicated wristwatch. IWC and Panerai introduced new perpetual calendar versions of its Ingenieur and Luminor lines respectively. Parmigiani, a well-respected emerging brand, also released its unique take on the perpetual calendar. Surely, more complicated watches will follow soon.
It&rsquo;s inaccurate to say watches are getting smaller; more precisely, they are right-sizing. For the past three years, watch manufacturers have launched models that are more wearable by people with different wrist sizes. Leading this year&rsquo;s class of moderately-sized watches are the <a href="https://www.lofficielph.com/hommes/patek-philippe-cubitus-watch-collection" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Patek Philippe Cubitus</a> and the IWC Ingenieur, launched in 40mm and 35mm &mdash; &ldquo;medium sizes&rdquo; &mdash; respectively. A. Lange &amp; S&ouml;hne released a discreet 34mm version of the 1815. Expect this right-sizing trend to continue as watches find the sweet spot in today&rsquo;s market.
Two other notable trends this year are the rise of precious metal watches and the use of special dials. Some manufacturers have gone all in and combined both. The Zenith G.F.J. Calibre 135 was released in platinum with a striking lapis lazuli dial. Rolex launched a new lefty GMT-Master II in white gold with a green Cerachrom dial, while Piaget&rsquo;s Andy Warhol watch in white or rose gold features meteorite dials.
Now, it&rsquo;s time to take a closer look at some of the most stunning pieces from this year&rsquo;s Watches &amp; Wonders.

&ldquo;Do better if possible, and that is always possible.&rdquo; That&rsquo;s Vacheron Constantin&rsquo;s motto and, clearly, they&rsquo;ve taken it to heart. The result of its hard work and vision is the Solaria Ultra Grand Complication, the world&rsquo;s most complicated wristwatch. The watch features an unimaginable 41 complications, including an innovative Westminster minute repeater. The Solaria also has the ability to show the position of the Sun in real time, its height, time of culmination and angle of declination.
This new breathtaking watch comes just a year after Vacheron Constantin presented the Berkeley Grand Complication, the most complicated watch in the world. To put better context on how challenging it was to make the Solaria, it is important to mention that all of the 41 mechanical complications were made to fit inside a case that only measures 45mm in diameter and is less than 15mm thick. This masterpiece further cements Vacheron Constantin&rsquo;s standing as part of the watchmaking holy trinity.
Vacheron Constantin Solaria, Price upon request, <a href="https://www.vacheron-constantin.com/sa/en/watches/novelties/cabinotiers-solaria.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Vacheron Constantin</a>

Vacheron Constantin

One cannot talk Watches &amp; Wonders without mentioning the elephant in the room, the Rolex Land-Dweller. Introduced as a new model line for 2025, the watch was inspired by the Oysterquartz models back in the 1970s. Rolex revived this semi-boxy design but refined the same to conform to today&rsquo;s standards.
Beyond the case design, the watch is powered by an all-new self-winding caliber 7135 movement featuring the Dynapulse escapement that is extremely lightweight, virtually secured against magnetic fields and more energy efficient compared to a traditional escapement. Rolex is ultimately trying to further deliver a more accurate timepiece. The Rolex Land-Dweller is available in either 36mm or 40mm in White Rolesor, Everose Gold or Platinum.
Rolex Land-Dweller, P881,500, <a href="https://www.rolex.com/watches/land-dweller/m127334-0001" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rolex</a>

Rolex

Launched in 1932, the Calatrava Ref. 96 is one of Patek Philippe&rsquo;s most well-known watches. Throughout the years, the Calatrava has always had a model that paid tribute to the Ref. 96, the last one being the Ref. 5196 that was discontinued three years ago. This year, Patek Philippe has finally introduced the successor to the Ref. 96 through the Calatrava Ref. 6196P. Initially only available in platinum, this new model has emulated the best characteristics of the Ref. 96 as it still features a superior manual-winding movement and is in a modern but very wearable 38mm case size.
Patek Philippe 6196P, $49,444, <a href="https://www.patek.com/en/collection/calatrava/6196p-001" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Patek Philippe</a>

Patek Philippe

Parmigiani has created arguably the cleanest perpetual calendar in the watch industry with the Toric Quantieme Perpetuel. This is the brilliance of Parmigiani as they understand that the purest and truest essence of watches is still time-telling. The perpetual calendar on this watch complements the simple design and blends in harmoniously. Parmigiani has provided a solution to those who want to marvel at the simplicity of a watch, but at the same time enjoy the benefits of a high watchmaking complication.
Parmigiani Toric Quantieme Perpetuel, ₣92,000, <a href="https://www.parmigiani.com/en/watches/toric-perpetual-calendar-platinum-morning-blue/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Parmigiani</a>

Parmigiani

Before the rise of the stainless-steel integrated bracelet watches, the watch world was full of creativity. One of the designs that was largely left out in the past is the jumping hours. Cartier decided to revive the design through the Tank &agrave; Guichet. This watch is almost a faithful reproduction of the jumping hour watches back in the 1920s. A jumping hour watch is called as such because it features an hour display that &ldquo;jumps&rdquo; to the next at the turn of every hour. The other window displays the minutes. This easily leads the conversation for the most uniquely-designed watch released during Watches &amp; Wonders.
Cartier Tank &agrave; Guichet, $55,500, <a href="https://www.cartier.com/en-us/watches/collections/tank/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cartier</a>

Cartier

For this year&rsquo;s Watches &amp; Wonders, IWC expanded its Gerald Genta-designed Ingenieur line. Most notably, IWC introduced a perpetual calendar version of the watch that perfectly marries high complication with a utilitarian case form. Visually, the watch really looks stunning and can be worn in almost any occasion.
IWC Ingenieur Perpetual Calendar, P2,245,000, <a href="https://www.iwc.com/int/en/watch-collections/ingenieur/iw344903-ingenieur-perpetual-calendar-41.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">IWC</a>

The Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Monoface Small Seconds in pink gold with a Milanese mesh bracelet can only be described as pure class. The watch evokes the idea of old-world charm while at the same time being contemporary. The mesh bracelet was thoughtfully designed and elevates the look of this gold Reverso. Introduced for the first time in modern history with the Milanese mesh bracelet, this Reverso has become a very versatile watch as it can be worn both for sporty events as well as formal settings.
Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Monoface Small Seconds (Milanese Mesh), $41,300, <a href="https://www.jaeger-lecoultre.com/us-en/watches/reverso/reverso-tribute/reverso-tribute-monoface-small-seconds-q713216j" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jaeger-LeCoultre</a>

Jaeger-LeCoultre

Not too long after Tag Heuer announced that it was back as the official timekeeper of Formula 1, the manufacturer unveiled the Monaco Split-Seconds Chronograph F1 in white ceramic and sapphire. The watch screams F1 and racing through and through. The red-translucent dial gives off an adrenaline rush similar to how it is during the Formula 1 races. This piece is powered by the high-frequency TH 81-00 caliber and limited to only 10 pieces.
Tag Heuer Monaco Split-Seconds Chronograph, Price upon request, <a href="https://www.tagheuer.com/us/en/timepieces/collections/tag-heuer-monaco/39-mm-th81-00/CBW2181.FC8322.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tag Heuer</a>

Tag Heuer

One of the best-looking watches of this year&rsquo;s Watches &amp; Wonders is the Rolex 1908 in Settimo bracelet. Rolex has truly embraced design inspirations from the past to create this new version of its 1908. The Settimo bracelet simply looks sophisticated from whatever angle you look at it and pairs well with the watch. It appears that Rolex is keen on making its mark on formal watches in the not-so-distant future.
Rolex 1908, P2,060,000, <a href="https://www.rolex.com/watches/1908/m52508-0007" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rolex</a>

Launched late last year as a new model line, Patek Philippe has released a smaller version of the Cubitus with a 40mm case size during this year&rsquo;s Watches &amp; Wonders. This &ldquo;medium-sized&rdquo; watch features a time and date display and is available only in white gold or rose gold. Despite the initial mixed reaction from the public, the Cubitus is slowly becoming more accepted.
Patek Philippe Cubitus Ref. 7128/1G and 7128/1R 40mm, $80,346, <a href="https://www.patek.com/en/collection/cubitus/7128-1g-001" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Patek Philippe</a>

Tudor is continuing to emerge from the shadow of its sister company, Rolex. The Pelagos Ultra is a testament that Tudor can stand on its own and produce extremely capable watches. The watch is rated for diving up to 1,000 meters, a depth usually seen on deep-sea Rolex dive watches. Aside from the deep depth rating, the watch is also powered by a very accurate METAS and COSC-certified movement.
Tudor Pelagos Ultra, P332,000, <a href="https://www.tudorwatch.com/en/watches/pelagos/m2543c1a7nu-0001" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tudor</a>

Tudor

Vacheron Constantin celebrated its 270th year by launching several Traditionnelle models. Limited versions of the purest form of the Traditionnelle, the manual-winding with small seconds display, were introduced, featuring a distinctive Maltese cross-inspired dial and a movement with c&ocirc;te unique finish. The limited versions will be available in 18k 5N pink gold or platinum.
Vacheron Constantin Traditionnelle Manual-Winding, Price upon request, <a href="https://www.vacheron-constantin.com/fr/en/watches/traditionnelle.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Vacheron Constantin</a>

The A. Lange &amp; S&ouml;hne Minute Repeater Perpetual combines two of watchmaking&rsquo;s most impressive complications in one watch. Notwithstanding the presence of several indicators on the dial, the time is still easy to read. This 40.5mm watch is available only in platinum.
A. Lange &amp; S&ouml;hne Minute Repeater Perpetual, Price upon request, <a href="http://alange-soehne.com/ww-en" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A. Lange &amp; S&ouml;hne</a>

A. Lange & Söhne

The Panerai Luminor Perpetual Calendar GMT Platinumtech features one of the most unique perpetual calendars in the watch industry. The dial of the watch is very handsome as the day and date discs are visible behind a blue-tinted sapphire. Once you turn the watch over, you&rsquo;ll be greeted by a neatly-designed transparent caseback that reveals the indicators for the month, year, leap year and power reserve. The most impressive part of this perpetual calendar movement is that its entire operation is done through the winding stem, without other pushers or buttons.
Panerai Luminor Perpetual Calendar GMT Platinumtech PAM01575, $74,000, <a href="https://www.panerai.com/en/collections/watch-collection/luminor/pam01575-luminor-perpetual-calendar-gmt-platinumtech.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Panerai</a>

Panerai

Grand Seiko has just released this very wearable 37mm Spring Drive U.F.A. From the outside, it looks like many of the other Grand Seikos out there. But the thing that separates this model from the rest is that it features the new Spring Drive Caliber 9RB2. It received the designation Ultra Fine Accuracy (U.F.A.), promising an incredibly minimal deviation of only +/- 20 seconds per year. Another interesting aspect about this model is that the case size of 37mm is much smaller than what many are used to. This Grand Seiko Spring Drive U.F.A. is available in either titanium or platinum.
Grand Seiko Evolution 9 Spring Drive U.F.A. (SLGB001 and SLGB003), $10,900, <a href="https://www.grand-seiko.com/us-en/collections/slgb003g" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Grand Seiko</a>

Grand Seiko

The Zenith G.F.J. bears the initials of the manufacturer&rsquo;s founder, Georges Favre-Jacot. The two things that make this watch extra special are the Caliber 135 and lapis lazuli dial, with the Caliber 135 being the most-awarded movement in chronometry competitions. A display caseback shows the beautiful movement in all its glory and the dial of this watch is crafted from lapis lazuli, giving it that imperfectly perfect blue hue.
Zenith G.F.J., Price upon request, <a href="https://www.zenith-watches.com/int/product/gfj-calibre-135-40-1865-0135-51-c200" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Zenith</a>

Time Travel, Tech, and Tradition: Highlights from Watches & Wonders 2025

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