Latest Review
Did Watches & Wonders even happen if we don’t do a full team “Best Of” post? Hopefully, we’ll never find out. The verdict on this year’s show seems to be that it was stronger than expected, with plenty of iterative releases, but iterative releases that people generally seem to like, and want to buy (a good thing for the industry at a tricky moment, for sure). One thing that we get more sure of every year, though, is that no matter what the consensus happens to be on the show itself, there are always great watches there, and our contributors and Editorial team pick their favorites below.
Zach Weiss
One of the best experiences at Watches & Wonders is simply being surprised. We often go into meetings having already read the press releases, and thus pretty much know what to expect. Well, this year I had the rare and fun opportunity to go in fairly blind to my meeting with Angelus as I simply hadn’t gone through their materials yet, and as a relatively quiet “indie” (quotes because they are technically under the umbrella of Citizen, though clearly operate independently), their watches hadn’t been splashed across my social media yet. So, with fresh eyes, I was presented this year’s main novelty, a trio of exceptional chronographs that I haven’t stopped thinking about since.
In 2023, Angelus debuted the Le Fabrique collection via a collaboration with Massena LAB called the Chronographe Médical. A spiritual recreation of an archival piece, this monopusher chronograph with a combined pulsometer and respirometer index featured a very cool movement, the caliber A5000, manufactured by La Joux Perret (a sister brand under Citizen). A small, thin, manual wound movement, it was designed by F.P. Journe, Denis Flageollet, and Vianney Halter for the Cartier Tortue Monopoussoir Chronograph in the late 90s. So a movement with some excellent provenance, if you’re into that kind of thing.
While a conceptually very cool watch, I felt the design had a bit of a visual flaw. Due to the movement, the active seconds sub-dial is very close to the center, which was exaggerated by putting it in a 39mm case. The negative space between the sub-dial and the edge of the case seemed awkwardly large and wasn’t reflective of the layout of the archival piece, which put the sub-dial about halfway between the center and the edge. The following year, Angelus released the Instrument de Vitesse, which was also 39mm, but got around this issue by eliminating sub-dials altogether.
Well, for 2025, the sub-dials are back, and they are still very close to the center, but the case is now a more logical 37mm, and the dial design makes better use of the negative space. Called the Chronographe Télémètre, the dials feature a classic, early 20th-century design with applied markers for the hours encircled by elapsed seconds/minutes and telemetre indexes, with an engraved trench between. The result is a well-proportioned manual chrono that’s 9.25mm thick, and looked amazing on my 6.75” wrist. Also, the feeling of the monopusher action, which just had the silkiest click, was easily one of the best I’ve ever felt (though the second best pusher at the show, bonus points if you guess the first). The best way to describe these watches in terms of look and feel is a perfect hybrid of vintage chronograph and modern luxury watch. That’s something a lot of brands try for, but this did it.
There are three versions: a deep coppery salmon and a warm gray titanium, both with steel cases, and a warm white gold with a yellow gold case. The steel models are limited to 25 pieces each and priced at 17,900 CHF, while the gold is limited to 15 pieces priced at 32,300 CHF. While obviously expensive watches, the steel models were priced far more reasonably than I had expected (I was guessing they’d be 30 at least), likely because of a common Watches & Wonders psychosis caused by overexposure to five and six-figure watches. Angelus
Zach Kazan
I hate to be that guy, but the best stuff I saw during Watches & Wonders week that I really want to write about are watches that are protected by embargoes for the time being (and, notably, not part of Watches & Wonders at all). I know, I know, nobody likes a tease, but it’s true. I’ll say this, however: the watches I’m thinking of are watches that are accessible (depending on how you define that term, but pretty accessible) and would seem to have a strong likelihood of being available for anyone reading this to handle and observe for themselves at a certain watch show happening later this year in a big American city.
OK, that annoying disclaimer out of the way, I’m ready to pick a favorite among the watches I can talk about. Honestly, there are lots of great options, many of which have been gobbled up by our contributors for this very article (I instituted a strict no repeats rule, and am making my pick after seeing everyone else’s, which is frustrating one level because maybe I’d have written about the Grand Seiko that Christoph chose, but really illuminates the diversity and quality of watches at this year’s event). Early on in the show, at only my second meeting, in fact, I saw a watch at Czapek that I’d later post to Instagram with the caption “Probably my favorite from Day 1.” And you know what? I’m still just as enamored with the Antarctique Flying Tourbillon as I was on that first day.
I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this watch for a few reasons. First, I’m not really a tourbillon guy. They almost always cause an eyeroll when I hear about a new one, and I tend to think they exist primarily for the ultra wealthy to flex (boring!). Second, while I like Czapek a lot, integrated bracelet sports watches aren’t really my thing either. But the Antarctique is growing on me – the more often I see them, the more inclined I am to say things like “Well, if I had to buy an integrated bracelet sports watch…”
This particular Antarctique though is like none other, though. Made in part to celebrate the brand’s anniversary, it has both a unique case construction and a dial with an almost overwhelming amount of drama that makes it feel truly special. The dial has a beautiful guilloche pattern of Czapek’s own design they call “Singularité.” The pattern presents as a series of repeating diamonds of increasing width as they approach the perimeter that seem to undulate and move with your wrist and the light. And then you’ve got the two towering bridges, one for barrel, the other for the gear train, that dominate the rest of the dial. Again, tons of depth, tons of movement, it’s just incredibly impressive.
But it was the unique case construction that really floored me, and represents something different for the Antarctique. You almost don’t catch it at first, but the “case” is really just a midcase, with glass box sapphire crystals affixed to both sides, which gives the impression of a bezel-less design. In fact, details like the serial number and other identifying information that you’d normally find on the caseback are actually etched in the crystal mounted on the underside of the case because there is no actual caseback in the traditional sense. So the effect on the wrist is really that you’re wearing a flying tourbillon suspended in glass, held together by those oversized bridges. It’s stunning. Czapek
Meg Tocci
Amidst discussions of high-frequency movements and gladiator-style battles for the world’s thinnest tourbillon in the Coliseum of the Palexpo (at least, that’s how I imagine Watches & Wonders from my position stateside), my attention was on the old, not the new. TAG Heuer’s revival of the Formula 1 models from the 1980s and 90s were a colorful reach into the past coupled with a modern spin.
The introduction of the Solargraph TH50-00 caliber is the biggest change to these fan favorites, but there have been updates to the dimensions as well. The new 38mm diameter (the original was 35mm) will likely appeal to many, including non-watch normies who are just fans of F1. The modern diameter gives the watch a bit of a different wrist profile than its predecessor, but nearly forty years have passed since its original release in 1986. That feels like a reasonable amount of time for the watch to grow three millimeters.
Some early monitoring of public reception leads me to think this release was a bit of a mixed bag, with some people heralding the nostalgic return of a 1980/90s favorite, and others questioning the price point. Personally, I think comparing these references to the MoonSwatch or Swatchpains of recent years is an apples/oranges debate. For one, the Solargraph TH50-00 is not disposable. The brand says it has a running time of ten months with no light exposure, and with some sunlight, should work for upwards of fifteen years. Three of nine new releases are composed of TH-Polylight, a bio-composite, and that could be the basis for the MoonSwatch comparisons. But the other six watches are stainless steel. Simply put, these are fun, colorful watches that are meant to stick around for a while.
I appreciate these new F1 releases because it highlights an important facet of Watches and Wonders, but one that’s sometimes overlooked: watch enthusiasts can appreciate haute horology and wild complications from afar, but sometimes, the ability of the everyman to directly participate is key. TAG Heuer
Alec Dent
I’m a sucker for a traditional dress watch, and there are few brands out there that can do one as well as Laurent Ferrier, as shown, once again, by his latest release at Watches & Wonders: the Laurent Ferrier Classic Auto Horizon.
The LFCAH is a straightforward take on a dress watch. It has a curvy 40mm case silhouette — the hallmark of Lauren Ferrier’s Classic line — a seconds subdial, and a date window at the 3 o’clock. This is the second Classic Auto model, but while the first was produced in a dusky tan, this new version has a striking ice-blue dial. It’s beautiful to look at, and the contrasting white gold needle-point indices, a black crosshair motif in the center, and an elongated sloping date window complete the look. The exhibition caseback reveals a beautifully finished movement that oozes luxury just as much as the front of the watch.
It’s exciting to see Laurent Ferrier continue the Classic Auto line, and I’m looking forward to seeing what’s next in the line. (Maybe, I dare to dream, slightly smaller versions?) Laurent Ferrier
Christoph McNeill
If you’ve ever read anything by me, my choice for my favorite piece from Watches & Wonders 2025 will be no surprise. Like last year, I can’t help but select the newest offering from Grand Seiko, the SLGB003 Spring Drive U.F.A. from the Evolution 9 Collection. While last year’s pick featured a hi-beat manual wind movement with 80 hour power reserve, this year’s gem showcases their newly designed Spring Drive caliber 9RB2 movement, a masterful achievement in accuracy.
The new 9RB2 movement, through improvements in design, manufacturing and processing, achieves an accuracy of +/- 20 seconds per year! Not per month, but per year, which is simply an astonishing feat and currently, according to Grand Seiko, the most accurate movement powered by a mainspring. If you hadn’t already guessed, U.F.A. stands for “Ultra Fine Accuracy”, a well deserved designation. The movement is of course finished beautifully, and can be seen through the sapphire exhibition back, along with the 72 hour power reserve indicator.
The case has the classic Grammar of Design features we’ve come to expect from Grand Seiko since the 1960’s, with broad flat planes, razor sharp edges and a mix of mirror and brushed finishes. The case is made of Seiko’s High-intensity Titanium, which I have to say is growing on me, although I’d rather there was a stainless steel option. The silvery white dial is of course a beauty, with a texture and light blue hue that is made to reflect the frost covered trees observed during the winter in the Kirigamine Highlands outside the Shinshu Watch Studio in Japan where the Grand Seiko watches are handmade.
Like all Grand Seikos, the finishing and attention to detail are second to none, and with the addition of this new Spring Drive U.F.A. movement and its outrageous accuracy, you truly have an exceptional watch. With an MSRP of a tad over $10,000, I feel like this amazing timepiece is, dare I say it, a bargain! Grand Seiko
Griffin Bartsch
It’s been a tough century for the dress watch. The last few decades have seen brands — especially at the high end — shift their entry-level away from the classic two or three–hand formula and towards sports watches, often of the integrated bracelet variety. But dress watches are back, and in a big way. Okay, sure, I’m not dumb enough to suggest that dress watches are poised to supplant their sportier cousins, but it does seem that what very recently felt like a written-off category may have found a second wind, and if you walked into Palexpo this year looking to spend somewhere in the neighborhood of $50k on a high-quality, time-only or time-and-date dress watch, you had a very good year.
Whether it be Zenith’s revival of the Calibre 135 in the new G.F.J. or Patek’s latest Calatrava, which seems to have grabbed hearts and minds in a big way, Laurent Ferrier’s latest offering, or the now-bracelet-clad Rolex 1908, the dress watch enthusiast has to have come out of Watches & Wonders feeling spoilt for choice. Still, and for as good as all these options are, my favorite new entrant into this category has to be the L.U.C. Quattro Mark IV in Platinum.
The Quattro has been around in the L.U.C. collection for a long time but despite its technical promise and advantages (namely the extended power reserve yielded by its four-barrel design), I’ve never much connected with watches sporting the ‘Quattro’ name. Even the most recent Quattro, the Quattro Spirit 25 — an objectively cool jump-hour watch with a Grand Feu enamel dial — didn’t worm its way into my heart in the way many L.U.C. watches by Chopard have over the years. But the Quattro Mark IV is different — this is a watch I could love.
There’s nothing about this watch I don’t like. The grained, ice-blue dial might be my favorite of the show and contrasts wonderfully with the sharpness of the dial furniture. The stacked date and small seconds sub-dials at six o’clock add just enough intrigue to the dial side of the watch while moving the power reserve indicator to the movement side prevents overcrowding while still emphasizing the watch’s standout feature. This is one of those watches I just can’t get out of my head and is a great reminder of everything Chopard does right — and they do a lot right. Chopard
Tommy DeMauro
With a plethora of new releases on our plates, I actually took to admiring the new Piaget Andy Warhol dials rather than an entirely new piece. As a Pittsburgh area native and 20th century pop culture historian, Warhol will always have a soft spot in my heart. The Piaget Black Tie 15102 was originally released in 1972 but received its nickname as a result of Andy’s frequent wearing of the model. What made the 15102 initially stand apart was its gorgeous––and mighty wide––cushion case and simplistic dial design. In November of 2024, Piaget decided to breathe new life into the model by releasing the Andy Warhol Clou de Paris reissue. Fast forward to this busy and exciting month in the watch industry, and Piaget has decided to run it back with a few new, eye-catching variants.
Offered in either 18k white or rose gold cushion cases, these new models feature opal, tiger’s eye, green meteorite, and white meteorite dials. The finish on the dauphine handset matches the either white or rose gold tone of the case. These new variants are powered by the Piaget cal.501P1 automatic movement with 23 jewels and a 40-hour power reserve. Measuring in at 45mm across and 43mm long, it’s a piece that’ll certainly have wrist presence even without the bold and unique dials. Piaget offers a variety of leather band options to match or clash with the dial and cases’ colors.
By far my favorite variant has to be the opal dial with blue baguette-cut sapphire stones in the bezel. There’s something incredibly captivating about opal and its ability to reflect and refract light. I’ve always wondered why watch companies don’t utilize this precious stone for dials more often. The green and blue tones work incredibly well together and give off an almost earthly appearance. The three rows of sapphires are indeed a bit gaudy for my liking, but they’re relatively welcome additions to an already vibrant watch. Like most of the Watches & Wonders releases, these Andy Warhol variants will unfortunately not be found in my watch box anytime soon (unless one of you would like to make a hefty donation to my Broke Watch Collector Fund), but I simply cannot not appreciate them as a wristwatch collector and lover. The price has yet to be announced, but judging by the $60,000 USD price tag of the models released in November, I’d say this will be a piece most of us will have to admire from afar. Piaget
Devin Pennypacker
If you tuned into our Watches & Wonders Livestream, are one of the five people who view my Instagram stories, or sent me a DM asking for my take, my pick of the show will not surprise you. My favorite release from this year’s Watches & Wonders is the Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Monoface Small Seconds in pink gold on the stunning Milanese mesh bracelet. A love letter to the Reverso penned by an experienced poet, this model is pure romance. Warm hues and rich textures exude from the weighty pink-gold on every facet, rendering time telling an afterthought as you admire its every angle.
At the time of writing, I can not speak to the piece’s comfort on my wrist or how it feels in hand (for that, check out Kat Shoulders’ pick write-up here), though I am looking forward to experiencing it on my wrist very soon. However, that has not stopped me from rotating their digital 3D model round and around, letting the synthetic light source weave through its texture. I had joked that this was the year of the vintage bracelet, though this may be the best example of that being true. Blending into the case, this bracelet brings organic curves to a vintage-inspired piece filled with straight lines. In my eyes, being paired with a Monoface rather than a more complicated piece elevates the design even more. It makes it something of a statement jewelry piece with added functionality. I can easily envision the wearer hiding the face to reveal the elegantly engraved case back, turning the watch into a finely crafted I.D. bracelet of sorts. The grained dial is a statement, the pink gold on pink gold design language is a statement, and the bracelet is a statement combining to echo boisterous sex appeal.
I could wax poetic about the construction and materials ad nauseam. Unfortunately, in this brief love letter, I don’t have time to dig into the complicated case construction or the manual caliber 822. I do, however, want to applaud Jaeger-LeCoultre for not just introducing an extensive collection of impressive yet, albeit a bit unobtainable, Reverso models. If you were paying attention, you might have also noticed that a pair of newly sized Monoface models snuck into the collection with dimensions similar to the iconic original. These two now stand as the entry point to the larger-sized Reverso collection. It is nice to see the brand servicing both ends of its larger collection simultaneously during a show where you typically only receive the most attention with a teeth-gritting flex. Jaeger-LeCoultre
Elodie Townsend
Yellow is my favorite color—I have a yellow bedspread, a yellow water bottle, and yellow accents all over my apartment. I wish my GTI was yellow. So when Oris announced the new yellow Big Crown Pointer Date, I nearly passed out. I’d already had a Big Crown Pointer Date on my “grail” list—the bronze and burgundy model—but this new yellow model blew everything else out of the water immediately. It also sports a handsome, classic Oris bracelet; weirdly, I’ve never owned a watch with a proper bracelet, because I find leather straps to be the most comfortable option for my wrist, so the potential of finally having a fancier-feeling watch was tempting.
The new Big Crown models all feature a 40mm steel case, which makes it a very democratic watch size-wise. I wear watches from 37mm up to 42mm, so that 40mm middle ground is ideal—I’m also very fussy about comfort, and having tried on an Oris Big Crown before, I knew that these new models would have the same satisfying-but-light heft to them. Finally, the pointer date complication is just too charming to ignore—and while the yellow model has the standard arrow rather than the crescent featured on other Big Crowns, it maintains that unique styling. As with all Oris watches, the Sellita movement and iconic red rotor can be spotted through the clear case back.
Still, I couldn’t justify the price. Lucky for me, however, a Topper customer had recently returned a brand new yellow Big Crown thanks to a since-buffed-out scratch on the bezel, giving the watch a “pre-owned” discount. Cue some family meddling on behalf of my birthday (all of which was done without my knowledge or consent, may I add) and I now have a stunning new Big Crown on my wrist, just over a week after its big debut in Geneva. The best detail I’ve found is the slight metallic flake to the dial—something that isn’t conveyed by any press photos, adding an extra step of dimension to an already eye-catching design. I couldn’t be happier—though I should probably stop staring at it while driving. Oris
Nathan Schultz
If I were to summarize Watches & Wonders 2025 in one sentence I’d say that most brands catered to enthusiasts through calculated iteration while Rolex uncharacteristically rocked the boat with the release of an historic movement housed in a case nobody asked for. While Grand Seiko used the annual event to finally accept the long-standing invitation to join the quick-adjust clasp club and Patek unveiled a Cubitus sized for human wrists, Rolex decided that 2025 was the year to join the recent (sort of) integrated bracelet trend with the Land-Dweller. As a budget conscious collector that doesn’t know the difference between a Kermit and Hulk, I was caught off guard by Rolex being the brand that pulled at my horological heart this year. But hey, Watches & Wonders predictions are rarely correct.
There are a couple reasons I’m excited about the Land-Dweller, and it may take years before their impact is truly felt. Acknowledging that integrated bracelets lost their allure for many collectors around the same time we were still in Barbenheimer mania, the real star of the show is the Dynapulse direct impulse escapement. It’s hard to do the caliber justice without extensive rambling (you can read more about it here), but between the dual silicon wheels that combat that pesky friction problem and the fact that it’s arguably the most substantial large scale movement innovation since Omega’s adoption of the Co-Axial escapement, stating that the ramifications are likely to be significant would be an understatement. Adding to the technological buzz, Rolex went against the grain (very out of character for the brand) by utilizing the movement in an entirely new collection. Opinions on the aesthetics and name aside (I genuinely like the looks but can’t defend the name), it’s refreshing to see what is arguably the most influential brand take a massive risk. Seeing more brands embrace risk over safe iteration is my biggest wish as an enthusiast, and I hope Rolex’s big swing will trickle down and encourage brands in all price points to step out of their iterative comfort zones.
Any honest conversation of the Land-Dweller needs to acknowledge the mostly negative sentiment dominating the comment section of every YouTube video discussing its release. Sure, it does seem a bit late to join the integrated bracelet fad. And no, the honeycomb dial pattern that more closely resembles a soccer net isn’t for everyone. But as counter points, the now-iconic case style slowly trickled through various brands throughout the entirety of the 70s into the 80s, a timeline that makes the Land-Dweller’s release seem less delayed considering the PRX was re-released less than five years ago. And, if Rolex was going to take their sweet time jumping on that bandwagon, I think a generic dial and bezel would have generated even more warranted criticism than those ignoring the 12:00 logo and 3:00 date window to argue that the two-numeral layout lacks balance.
As we continue to digest the release, I’m personally just as excited about the future possibilities as I am about the current offerings. Love it or hate it, Rolex has a new template and a new movement, both of which are sure to be expanded upon. Watches & Wonders predictions for 2026 and beyond will likely include Land-Dwellers with more universally palatable dials and an expanded use of the movement in other collections. And who knows, time will tell if those predictions are right. Until then, I’m going to continue to enjoy the surprise of being smitten with a brand outside of my wheelhouse and appreciating a release that finds a commendable balance of risk and innovation in an environment when those qualities can be in short supply. Rolex
