Watches & Wonders Geneva is the most important event in the luxury watch calendar. Held each spring in the Swiss city, it serves as the global launch pad for the year’s most anticipated timepieces. Think Comic Con for watch enthusiasts.
From powerhouses like Patek Philippe and Rolex to experimental independents and fashion-driven icons like Cartier, the fair is showcases everything. It's where the industry reveals its direction of travel to collectors, connoisseurs and consumers alike.
But beyond the glitz of the booths and the hum of complications ticking away, Watches & Wonders offers something more fundamental: a window into how luxury brands are evolving.
In a world where smartwatches dominate wrists and attention spans are short, how does a mechanical watch remain relevant? The answer, this year, is clear: make it more expressive, more accessible and more personal than before.
From Rolex’s first new model line in more than a decade to mysterious new metals, Watches & Wonders 2025, which runs until April 7, suggests that fine watchmaking is alive and adapting. Here are some of the highlights so far.
The hero watches
Rolex Oyster Perpetual Land-Dweller
The biggest headline so far has come from Rolex with the unveiling of the Oyster Perpetual Land-Dweller, its first entirely new model line since 2012. Offered in 36mm and 40mm, the model includes a new Flat Jubilee integrated bracelet and features a clear caseback (a rare move from Rolex) showcasing the Calibre 7135 movement.
Rolex also leaned into playful aesthetics. Pastel dials in lavender, pistachio and sandy beige refresh the Oyster Perpetual line. When it came to its other models, the Datejust 31 made a statement with a red-to-orange gradient dial, while the GMT-Master II has a dial crafted from Tiger Iron, a striking natural stone.
Patek Philippe gets complicated
Patek Philippe showcased its prowess with the Ref. 5308G, a white gold marvel featuring a minute repeater, split-seconds chronograph and an instantaneous perpetual calendar powered by a 799-part movement. In contrast, the Calatrava 8-Day offers a simpler elegance, combining classic design with more than a week of power reserve in a manual-wind format.
Cartier Tank a Guichets is a crowd favourite
Cartier delivered some of the most design-forward offerings. The Tressage collection fuses jewellery and horology, while the return of the Tank a Guichets, Cartier’s 1920s jump-hour watch, brings vintage mystique into the modern spotlight. It is popular with attendees and the watch press.
Tag Heuer brings back Formula One’s 1980s heyday
Tag Heuer has taken a more casual approach with the relaunch of its 1980s Formula One model as the Solargraph. This solar-powered, quartz-driven watch has a retro-inspired design, low maintenance and costs Dh7,500. It balances nostalgia with practicality.
Vacheron Constantin presents world’s most complicated wristwatch
Another record-breaker that captured imaginations was the Vacheron Constantin elaborately-named Les Cabinotiers Solaria Ultra Grand Complication, unveiled as the world’s most complicated wristwatch. It features 1,521 separate components, which Vacheron Constantin is looking to protect through 13 patent applications, seven of which are tied to the chiming mechanism.
The watch trends
Design trends: colour, heritage, and flexible sizing
Colour has dominated the fair so far. Gone is the monochrome minimalism of past years. In its place: vibrant, personal palettes. Tag Heuer’s Solargraph editions come in bold reds and yellows, while Rolex’s pastel hues and Patek’s lacquered Nautilus models (7010) have contributed to a vibrant and expressive atmosphere.
Heritage also made a powerful return. Rather than simple remakes, brands have modernised vintage classics. TAG’s Carrera reappeared with a beads-of-rice bracelet; Zenith has paid tribute to its early chronographs in ceramic; and Cartier has revived a digital classic. These updates have resonated with collectors and newcomers alike.
Sizing has taken a more inclusive turn as well. Brands are offering a wide range, from Patek’s 38mm Calatrava to Tudor’s 43mm Pelagos Ultra (with 1,000m water resistance). Watchmakers are no longer pushing a one-size-fits-all narrative but acknowledging diverse wrist sizes and preferences.
Storytelling and record-breaking
This year’s fair underscores how watches are no longer just instruments of timekeeping but symbols of innovation and storytelling. One of the most talked-about debuts has been Bvlgari’s Octo Finissimo Ultra COSC, now officially the thinnest tourbillon watch ever made at just 1.70mm thick. The achievement isn’t just technical, it’s visual and conceptual, pushing the boundaries of what a mechanical watch can be.
In this digital, shareable age, record-setting watches like Bulgari’s, along with others featuring bold designs or limited-edition narratives, serve as attention magnets. These are watches designed not just to tell time but to tell a story and capture attention. And in an era where attention spans are short and digital impressions matter, that’s exactly what luxury needs.
Cosmic mechanics and architectural transparency
One of the most jaw-dropping debuts has come from independent atelier Christiaan Van Der Klaauw, whose Grand Planetarium Eccentric Meteorite has redefined celestial watchmaking. Set against a real meteorite dial, it tracks planetary orbits in real time, blending mechanical poetry with astronomy in a 45mm case.
Material play and colour-driven design
Chanel has unveiled the J12 Bleu Caliber 12.1, a monochrome matte blue ceramic piece that feels like contemporary sculpture: minimalist, architectural and unmistakably Chanel.
Chronoswiss has brought an unexpected tone to the fair with its Pulse One Sand: a titanium-cased regulator in warm beige hues. It is equal parts tool watch and design experiment, showcasing that even classic layouts can carry subversive energy.
Panerai, not to be outdone, has delivered muscle and brainpower in the Luminor Perpetual Calendar GMT Platinumtech. A bold 44mm case houses a full perpetual calendar, bringing sophistication to Panerai’s rugged DNA.
High concept and anniversary statements
Czapek & Cie have introduced the Antarctique Tourbillon Secret Alloy, housing a flying tourbillon inside a minimalist steel case and featuring a dial made from a mysterious proprietary metal. It’s a watch that reveals more the longer you look.
Hermes has captivated with a signature blend of mechanical whimsy and poetic design. The Arceau Le Temps Suspendu has returned with refreshed aesthetics, letting wearers “pause” the time on command, alongside other metiers d’art pieces that blurred the line between horology and fine art. In an era of specs and status, Hermes offered an emotional counterpoint.
Hublot, meanwhile, has marked 20 years of its Big Bang collection with a trio of celebratory novelties. From carbon to coloured ceramic, the anniversary editions have reinforced Hublot’s identity as a brand that creates trends.
Honourable mentions and quiet standouts
Not every highlight has shouted for attention. Chopard has introduced the Alpine Eagle 41 XPS in platinum, an elegant evolution of its sports-luxe line, while Genus has unveiled the GNS2 Infinity Blue, a kinetic sculpture that continues the brand’s art-meets-time philosophy.
H Moser & Cie impressed with a new Endeavour Centre Seconds Purple Enamel, mixing restrained form with a vivid dial, and Jaeger-LeCoultre added gravity to the fair with a showpiece Reverso Tribute Minute Repeater, a high complication dressed in art deco charm.
So far, the fair has balanced legacy and expression. Brands have dialled up emotion, design flair and narrative richness, embracing the idea that a watch isn’t just about time, it’s about storytelling and craft.
With offerings that range from interplanetary calendars to solar quartz reboots and poetic complications, the message is clear: technical brilliance and know-how means more than ever in a world where the basics will soon be taken over by the machines.
