These are the very best timepieces and novelties of Watches & Wonders 2025, according to our editor

As Watches & Wonders 2025 unfolded in Geneva last week, from day one, it was clear that the event had evolved beyond a simple showcase of horological feats. This year’s presentations were a testament to the utter craftsmanship of our most celebrated watchmakers' ability to innovate while staying rooted in tradition, with each watch offering a unique approach to technical mastery and artistry. The focus was not just on what was new (or in some instances, arisen), but on what these timepieces represented—whether it was a deep respect for history, a bold leap into modernity, or a clever melding of both. The fair revealed what we have long known—a watchmaking landscape that is increasingly diverse, with brands pushing the boundaries of creativity while honouring the heritage that defines their industry.

Here, we take a closer look at the timepieces and celebrations that will define the year ahead, and forever change the way we think about time.

Cartier — Privé Tank de Guichets
Tastemakers globally have been calling it; this reintroduction of the Maison’s history might just be the watch of this year’s fair. Drawing inspiration from a 1928 design made famous by jazz legend Duke Ellington, Cartier introduces a mechanical digital timepiece that perfectly marries vintage charm with modern innovation. The Tank à Guichets features a clever jumping hour display and a dragging minute marker, creating seamless legibility while maintaining a sleek, concealed, and quite Brutalist, really, facade. Nearly 80 years after its debut, this iconic model returns with four variations, including a striking limited edition with a rotated display, each encapsulating Cartier’s perfect understanding of historical reverence and immaculate design.

Cartier — Panthère Jewellery Watch
For those seeking further feline appeal, Cartier ups the ante with the Panthère bangle, a bold evolution of last year’s Reflection design. The watch’s sleek side gently curves around the wrist, transforming into a panther in mid-pounce, its paws reaching out with a sense of motion and grace. Available in both yellow and white gold, the yellow gold version is distinguished by a diamond-set bezel, though this piece is best appreciated in full brilliance. The diamond setting artfully fades toward the hinge, while the panther’s emerald eyes and onyx spots bring it to life with remarkable detail. Yes, Cartier knows exactly what a panther looks like—and it shows.

Hublot — 20 Years of the Big Bang
The Big Bang remains Hublot’s most audacious statement, continually reshaping watchmaking with its bold design and groundbreaking material innovations. For over two decades, Hublot has led the charge, fusing materials like sapphire, high-tech ceramics, and proprietary alloys with intricate movements. This year’s novelties elevate that vision, with the ‘Master of Sapphire’ set, featuring the MECA-10 calibre housed in translucent sapphire and SAXEM, and the ‘Materials & High Complications’ set, where advanced tourbillons and minute repeaters meet daring materials. Through every iteration, and twenty long years, the Big Bang stands as a testament to Hublot’s unrelenting creative spirit.

Van Cleef & Arpels — Cadenas Watch
In 1935, Renée Puissant at Van Cleef & Arpels reimagined a simple padlock as a groundbreaking jewellery watch, resulting in the Cadenas—a bold departure from the delicate timepieces of the era. Featuring a tilted rectangular case held by two sinuous chains and a shackle that closes atop the wrist, the Cadenas quickly became an iconic creation. To mark its 90th anniversary, Van Cleef & Arpels unveiled a new version at Watches & Wonders, crowned with pavé diamonds and baguette-cut sapphires. This 'secret watch' remains a masterful creation of fine jewellery and functional horology, with subtle updates that have only enhanced its timeless allure.

Van Cleef & Arpels — Bal des Amoureux Watch
Van Cleef & Arpels returns with another chapter in its most enchanting love story; the Lady Arpels Bal des Amoureux Automate. Following the success of the Pont des Amoureux, the watch transports us to a whimsical Parisian guinguette, where, at noon and midnight, a couple meets for a kiss—a tender moment brought to life by an intricate automaton movement. It’s a familiar narrative, but this time, the scene feels almost more theatrical, as if the watch itself is a delicate stage for a romance that, like the hours, is forever repeating. It is a nice reaffirmation that, sometimes, the most captivating moments are those that bring us back to a simpler, more poetic vision of love.

Van Cleef & Arpels — Extraordinary Objects
The Maison also goes beyond traditional timepieces with their enchanting automaton creations, where the passage of time is captured with both artistry and functionality. Naissance de l’Amour features Cupid rising from a basket of feathers, his delicate wings fluttering in plique-à-jour enamel, while the base, made of iron eye and petrified palmwood, uses lacquered feathers set with diamonds to indicate the time. In contrast, the Planétarium Automaton elevates horology to celestial heights, with a 66.5 cm piece representing the Sun and seven planets, each orbiting at their true astronomical speeds. Powered by a manual movement with 11 complications and a 15-day power reserve, this cosmic display dazzles with planets crafted from ornamental stones and a Sun dressed in golden stems and garnets.

Rolex — Oyster Perpetual Land-Dweller
When Rolex introduced the Sky-Dweller in 2012, it caused a stir with its grand unveiling at Baselworld, concealed beneath a silk cap, signaling something monumental. A decade later, the Land-Dweller debuted with a markedly different approach—no silk caps, no mystery, just a flurry of teasers and leaked images leading up to the release. The 40mm steel Land-Dweller captured immediate attention for its blend of vintage-inspired design and modern touches, like a thinner case and a new Flat Jubilee bracelet. Fitting neatly into Rolex's well-calibrated catalogue, it’s a watch that embodies the brand's incremental evolution while challenging the norms, much like the Sky-Dweller did all those seasons ago.

Bvlgari — Octo Finissimo Ultra Tourbillon
Watches are getting ultra-skinny again, too. The Bvlgari Octo Finissimo Ultra Tourbillon is more than just a record—and a very impressive one at that—it's a bold declaration of what’s possible in ultra-thin watchmaking. At an unbelievable 1.85mm thick, it brings together the elegance of a skeleton tourbillon with the precision of Swiss craftsmanship, proving, as always, Bvlgari’s mastery over the craft. Records aside, as this piece isn’t just a technical feat; it’s the culmination of years of innovation, setting a new standard for horology's most prestigious complications. After all, Bvlgari doesn’t just push boundaries—it redefines them. 

Bvlgari — Serpenti Aeterna
The Bvlgari Aeterna takes a closer look at the emblematic serpent motif, shedding the traditional eyes and scales for a pure, geometric form that blends high jewellery with futuristic design. A striking evolution of the iconic serpent, it takes the reptilian theme and transforms it into a sculptural bangle, honouring, of course, the 2025 Year of the Snake. Crafted in either rose gold with brilliant-cut diamonds or fully pavé-set white gold, the piece features oversized gems that elevate its utterly immaculate aesthetic. I love that it embraces both heritage and innovation in a single, captivating design. And as it should.

Tudor — Black Bay 58 Burgundy
This new edition of the Black Bay 58 retains all the core design elements from Tudor throughout the ages and includes aesthetic notes from a prototype Tudor Submariner developed in the ‘90s. The stunning burgundy dial, paired with a matching bezel, is a direct homage to the never-before-produced prototype, now brought to life in this fresh colourway. The unidirectional rotatable bezel, with its subtly curved numerals and well-defined edges, offers an enhanced tactile experience. In addition to its striking design, the Black Bay 58 now boasts METAS Master Chronometer certification, ensuring precision, resistance to magnetic fields, and exceptional waterproofness, elevating its status as a true timekeeping marvel, and a watch with utter practicality.

Hermes — Maillon Libre Bracelet Watch
The Maillon Libre is a very cool reinvention of Hermès’ iconic anchor chain link motif, elevated into both a wristwatch and brooch watch. Drawing inspiration from the Nantucket and Chaîne d’Ancre collections, this new creation combines the capsule-like shape of the past with refined modernity. Crafted in either rose or white gold, the Maillon Libre features stunning diamond or terracotta tourmaline center stones. This is as luxurious as it gets.

Jaeger-LeCoultre — Reverso Hybris Artistica Calibre 179
Designed with the perfect proportions of the Golden Ratio, the Reverso has long been a canvas for artistic exploration, and in now, Jaeger-LeCoultre introduces the Reverso Hybris Artistica Calibre 179. Every detail of this timepiece showcases Jaeger-LeCoultre’s commitment to pushing the boundaries of watchmaking and fine art. The result is a masterpiece transcending timekeeping, where the joys of this novelty are provenance; this timepiece is limited to 10 creations globally.

Chanel — Kiss Me
At Chanel, watches become amulets. The Maison continues to push timekeeping boundaries with the Secret Watch ‘Kiss Me,’ leaning into the brand’s prowess in both beauty and horology. Drawing inspiration from Gabrielle Chanel’s iconic 1954 lipstick cases, the timepiece celebrates her legacy by transforming one of her signature creations into a precious amulet. Crafted from glossy black titanium and stylised with golden beryls, the pendant opens to reveal a hidden dial, encircled by shimmering gemstones—a playful yet refined statement of the need for lasting curiosity in traditional practice. Of course, despite being deeply nostalgic, it is not kitschy—there is meticulous attention to detail, and the piece features rhodolite beads, diamonds, and a central brilliant-cut diamond, elevating this Secret Watch to an artistic tribute of girlhood.

Chanel — Astroclock Lion Diamant
The Lion of Mademoiselle is a masterpiece of extraordinary watchmaking, paying homage to Gabrielle Chanel, a proud Leo whose astrological sign shaped her creative vision. This sculptural timepiece, carved from white gold and set with 5,037 diamonds, features the king of the beasts as the protector of a glass sphere containing the Astro clock mechanism. Powered by a self-winding mechanical movement with an eight-day power reserve, the watch's hours are marked by a comet orbiting a rotating planet, while the constellation of Leo elegantly indicates the minutes.

Patek Philippe — Complicated Desk Clock
In a week where wristwatches dominate the spotlight, Patek Philippe’s Complicated Desk Clock brings a refreshing and thoughtful twist to the scene. A modern reinterpretation of a century-old tradition, it merges precision engineering with a refined aesthetic, capturing the brand’s ongoing commitment to both heritage and innovation. Housed in a sterling silver cabinet with flinqué enamel panels and mythical lion-inspired appliqués, the clock is as much an art piece as it is a timekeeper. Manually wound, because it's a classic, it boasts a remarkable 31-day power reserve and a constant-force mechanism, reminding us that even in the world of extravagant timepieces, it doesn’t always need to be complicated—just beautiful.