Rolex 

Rolex announced new models, such as the GMT Master with its uniquely expressive tiger iron stone dial made waves, and the new pastel-toned Oyster Perpetual references are sure to be commercial hits, but the introduction of an entirely new product line dominated headlines: the Land-Dweller. It has been 13 years since Rolex last introduced a new 'Dweller' to the collection in the form of the Sky-Dweller, and while entirely different in execution, the Land-Dweller brings not only a fresh design in the modern era but also a giant leap forward mechanically. Taking design inspiration from the likes of the Oysterquartz cases first seen in the 1970s, the Land-Dweller brings an integrated bracelet look to the modern Rolex catalogue. Telltale Rolex ques such as a fluted bezel, date cyclops, a mix of baton and numeral markers, and even a re-imagination of the iconic jubilee bracelet. Measuring either 36mm or 40mm, the visuals of the Land-Dweller have impressed , but the real story here is about the movement and its Dynapulse escapement. As an alternative to the traditional Swiss lever, this sequential distribution escapement transmits power through a rolling motion via two specially designed distribution wheels, resulting in 30% more efficiency than a traditional Swiss lever escapement.  

Other noteworthy releases include a new white gold GMT Master II with the crown on the left side of the case and, for the first time, a ceramic dial to match the bezel, a striking turquoise dial yellow gold Daytona, a further evolution of the 1908 introduced in 2023 now with a silky smooth seven link bracelet, and a new green dial for the yellow gold Sky-Dweller. Another release which went under the radar was the quiet reintroduction of the green dial yellow gold Daytona known as the 'John Mayer'. This watch now returns to the catalogue ,but now with yellow sub-registers.  

Tudor 

Tudor continues diversifying the Black Bay models to enrich its lineup further at Watches & Wonders in 2025. Starting with a true staple of the modern watch landscape, the Black Bay 58 grows with a new burgundy colour scheme. Tudor aficionados will instantly recognise the prevalence of this colour, as burgundy was the colour the Black Bay launched in 2012. This use of a sunburst dial with a matching bezel was also the colour palette of a prototype Tudor Submariner from the 1990s, making this vibrant and eye-catching addition feel all the more at home. The other big Black Bay moment is the introduction of the Black Bay 68, a new 43mm wide option powered by Tudor's METAS-certified movements with either silver or black dials. Albeit more minor additions, an opaline dial enters the Black Bay Pro lineup and introduces a three and five-link bracelet for the Black Bay Chrono.  

Adjacent to the Black Bay is the Pelagos, and this year the model goes deeper than ever, Ultra deep. Now resistant to 1,000m, the Pelagos Ultra is built to stand the deepest of dives while maintaining wearable, considered proportions at sea level.   

Cartier 

La Maison came to Watches & Wonders this year with releases demonstrating an astute understanding of their clientele with new evolutions of icons and totally new creations. The release that had everyone talking resides within the Collection Privé Cartier Paris, or CPCP, which focuses on tastefully reimagining pieces originally produced in exceedingly scarce numbers, and this year it was the turn of the Tank a Guichets. Known as a jump hour watch, the Guichets was initially released in 1928 and sees the hours, minutes, and seconds read through individual apertures rather than via hands, hour markers, or any form of conventional dial. As such, the watch almost slows down the perception of time, and this year Cartier brought it back in yellow gold and platinum, crucially maintaining the same dimensions as the original from the late 1920s. Within the rest of the collection, the Tank Louis receives an automatic update with the automatic 1899 MC powering a new, extremely classic execution of the icon. Previous iterations of the automatic Tank saw scaled-up cases, seconds hands, and date apertures reside within brancards; Cartier has now scaled down the automatic Tank, removed the date and seconds hand, and given the dial a gentle sunray dial motif.  

Within Cartier's more jewellery-centred creations, the Panthère De Cartier delivers precious interpretations as black and brown lacquer mixes with pavé diamonds orange and yellow spessartites to create an abstract expression of zebra and tiger motifs. Similarly, the sculptural curves of the Tressage see two twists of gold and diamonds surround a rectangular dial paved with snow-setting, underscoring Cartier's mastery of shapes. 

IWC Schaffhausen

IWC is the primary timekeeper of the hotly anticipated F1 movie coming out this year and has been two years in the making, with filming taking place during real Grand Prix weekends. This level of authenticity stretches past filming, as for 2025, IWC has produced watches for the fictional team from the movie, APXGP. The Pilot's Watch Chronograph APXGP, Big Pilot's Watch Shock Absorber Tourbillon Skeleton XPL, and the Pilot's Watch Performance Chronograph Perpetual Calendar Digital Date-Month all are imagined in the fictional team's colours of black and gold, just like the significant partnership between IWC and Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team. Sonny Hayes, the protagonist of F1 portrayed by Brad Pitt, was recently spotted wearing a vintage IWC Ingenieur with a custom green dial, and to honour this, IWC is releasing a run of 1,000 editions of their modern 40mm Ingenieur with a green dial and contrasted by golden touches. As the first of many Ingenieur introductions, IWC came with seven new references in four new sizes this year, with the most striking new size being a smaller 35mm. Perfectly timed to meet the growing interest in smaller, proportional sensitive watches, IWC debuts this smaller edition in steel and 18K 5N gold with white or black dials and a matching 5N gold dial, respectively. Sticking with the golden theme, IWC continued the conversation within the 40mm Ingenieur, announcing an 18K 5N gold edition, this time with a black dial. IWC completed the Ingenieur lineup via a complication for the first time since its re-introduction with the Ingenieur Perpetual Calendar 41 in steel.  

Chopard 

Chopard focused its output this year on materials and mechanical savoir-faire, with highlights in platinum and impressive movement innovation. In 2019, Chopard debuted the Alpine Eagle, the interpretation of the popular integrated bracelet watch and a re-imagination of their St Moritz watch which encapsulated the 1980s. Since, Chopard has continually innovated within the Alpine Eagle boundaries, and this year, they introduced a new metal: platinum. Continuing from the 2023 extra-thin salmon dial Alpine Eagle XPS which housed a LUC movement, Chopard has brought the same philosophy within a platinum framework with an icy blue fumé dial. Measuring 41mm wide with a thickness of 8mm ,the Calibre 96.42-L LUC movement inside uses a platinum micro-rotor and offers 65 hours of autonomy, resulting in a striking release.  

Continuing the theme of LUC, the L.U.C Quattro Mark IV has seen mechanical and design updates, with the power reserve indicator moving to the movement side of the watch. On a design front, the watch has a detailed-grained textured dial with modern dart markers and a handset, while the date complication is neatly integrated within the sub-register at six. The new calibre 98.09-L has four barrels which total 1.8 metres of mainspring, resulting in a staggering power reserve of 216 hours, or 9 days. Furthermore, the movement is Geneva sealed and comes in a case that only measures 39mm with a thickness of 10.4mm

Ulysse Nardin 

Ulysse Nardin took an approach we rarely see at Watches & Wonders: presenting a single, standout timepiece. The piece in question is the 'Diver [AIR],' a skeletonised haute horology take on a diving watch that officially comes in as the lightest mechanical dive watch to date. Including the strap, the watch weighs just 52g, with only 20% of the inside of the watch being components. Nevertheless, the watch can withstand 5,000g of impact and is resistant to 200m. The watch is produced in titanium and features carbon fibre with titanium used throughout the movement. 

H.Moser & Cie.

While Moser’s reputation is centred around re-popularising the fumé dial, at Watches & Wonders, the independent watchmaker focused on a different dial approach to deliver their now textbook boldness via a collection called Pop, which uses stone dials. This Pop collection is extensive, stretching across three Endeavour models and 18 references, including small seconds editions, tourbillons, and minute repeaters. Moser uses Burmese jade, turquoise, coral, pink opal, lapis lazuli, and lemon chrysoprase in a myriad of combinations to create some of the most striking models released at this year's show. The dynamic manufacturer also stayed true to its fumé dial roots with two new additions in the form of the Endeavour Tourbillon Concept in Turquoise enamel and the Centre Seconds Concept Purple Enamel, with all models appearing without a brand signature on the dial, simply the classic Moser style leaf hands.  

Jaeger-LeCoultre  

With a narrow focus purely on the Reverso yet a diverse spread of offerings, Jaeger LeCoultre focuses on its icon for 2025. Most of the conversation was centred around the headline release in the form of the Reverso Tribute Monoface Small Seconds in pink gold with a matching smooth mesh bracelet. Gold on gold, the dial and sharp dial furniture beautifully reflect the newfound attention the Reverso is starting to enjoy. Mechanically, the Reverso made significant advancements this year with the introduction of the Tribute Minute Repeater, powered by an in-house calibre and a Tribute Geographic. The former sees a time-only dial on dial one, yet flipping the inner case over reveals the calibre 953 fully skeletonised in an incredible modern finish. For many, the latter will be the watch to see, as the Geographic combines a double date aperture on dial one with a world timer on the other side, creating a piece which is the best of all Jaeger LeCoultre worlds. 

TAG Heuer 

2025 is a notable year for TAG Heuer. With its official return to F1 as the primary timekeeper, there is much interest and buzz around the brand that it was always going to be a big year of releases. Aside from more minor refreshes to the Carrera Day Date and Twin Time models and introducing a beads of rice bracelet to the Carrera Glassbox, the biggest stories came at either end of the brand's production. Starting with the Formula 1 Solargraph, these new watches bring back an instant classic from the 1980s in a new 37mm size and with a new solar-powered movement. The watch returns in all the classic colours popularised in the 80s, including on rubber straps and specific references on bracelets. TAG Heuer will release new models coinciding with Grand Prix' throughout the year. At the other end of the spectrum, yet sticking with the same theme, is the White-and-Red TAG Heuer Monaco Split-Seconds Chronograph F1. This piece builds on the TH81-00 powered Monaco Split Seconds Chronograph introduced last year, but gives it a complete F1 treatment, including elements such as the famous' lights out and away we go' phrase said by David Croft in commentary on every Grand Prix.  

Every year, Watches and Wonders offers a fascinating glimpse into how the next twelve months in watchmaking might unfold. In 2025, a renewed focus on elegance, the presence of watchmaking within broader cultural moments, and an emphasis on what collectors truly value—the hallmark characteristics that define each brand—mark this year as one of meaningful evolution.