Geneva, Switzerland
CNN
—
As the world’s biggest luxury watch manufacturers gather beneath one sprawling roof at the annual Watches and Wonders trade show in Geneva this week, anniversaries are being celebrated all around.
One of Switzerland’s longest-running horologists, Vacheron Constantin, marks its 270th birthday with the most “complicated” wristwatch ever made. Featuring a record-breaking 41 complications (functions that go beyond basic time-telling), the Solaria somehow packs a constellation of metal cogs, levers and springs into a 45-millimeter circle of white gold.
Elsewhere, LVMH-owned watchmaker Zenith blows out 150 candles on its cake with a chronometry classic revival, while Hublot honors the 20-year anniversary of its era-defining Big Bang chronograph by introducing its boldest and brightest take on the model to date.
As watchmakers mark their longevity, their attention has also turned to showcasing products that, they hope, will last just as long. This is evident in the boasts of anti-magnetism (which ensures greater precision when exposed to magnetic fields) and shock-proofing (hard-wearing styles that resist mechanical shocks), as well as lengthy warranties. The focus on durability comes in the face of an industry downturn — in 2024, Swiss watch exports declined 2.8%, to 26 billion Swiss francs (about $29.4 billion), from the previous year — following three years of steady growth.
Amid a pullback in luxury spending, there is heightened competition in the entry-level and mid-range segments at this year’s fair, which spreads across the more than 800,000 square feet of the Palexpo convention center, and is expected to attract tens of thousands of visitors over the course of the multi-day event.
Here are some of the most eye-catching debuts on display at Watches and Wonders 2025.
Patek Philippe Quadruple Complication Ref. 5308
Having made its global debut as a limited-edition platinum piece at Patek Philippe’s “Watch Art” mega-expo in Tokyo in 2023, the Reference 5308 has now established itself in the brand’s permanent catalogue. It comes complete with a perpetual calendar, a “splitting seconds” chronograph, on-demand chimes and a gorgeous pastel dial to boot.
Rolex Land-Dweller
The Land-Dweller bears all the aesthetic codes of Rolex’s classic waterproof sports watches but with more longevity than ever. The transparent sapphire crystal case back meanwhile acts as a window into a labyrinth of horological parts representing 32 unique patent applications — 16 of which concern its ultra-thin caliber 7135 movement.
Hermès Arceau L’heure de la lune
You can always rely on Hermès to rise surprise and delight with a watch as whimsical as it is technical. A devastatingly romantic update of the brand’s L’heure “moonphase” range, its celestial choreography sees both Northern- and Southern-Hemisphere lunar displays pirouetting about a meteorite dial, a performance orchestrated by an exclusive 117-component module integrated into the watch’s self-winding movement.
TAG Heuer Formula 1 Solargraph
After years of Ferrari dominance in Formula 1, rival McLaren became the manufacturer to beat in the mid-1980s — thanks in no small part to the patronage of TAG Group, a Luxembourg-based company formed by Saudi businessman Akram Ojjeh, and Heuer, the Swiss watchmaker it acquired in 1985. Now returning to the sport as F1’s “official timekeeper” TAG Heuer is reviving its plastic-fantastic Formula 1 collection: a fun, colorful “thinking man’s Swatch” that marks not only the return of an iconic ‘80s watch style but another home for the brand’s Solargraph charging system, which can power the watch for a whole day on just two minutes of sunlight.
Bell & Ross BR 03 Skeleton
It’s been more than 25 years since Chanel took a punt on Bell & Ross by purchasing a minority stake in the Paris-based watchmaker (an investment that later saw the brand’s manufacturing move to Chanel’s facility at La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland). For all the sporty watchmaker’s monochrome utility, a certain elegance has rubbed off in that time: Its square-shaped BR 03 and BR 05 timepieces, which take inspiration from aircraft cockpits, now serve the wrists of fashionistas as effectively as those of naval aviators. The watchmaker’s new Skeleton range stands out for its proprietary mechanics as well as a dynamic, stealth-aircraft angularity — a tight flying formation, to say the least.
Oris Big Crown Pointer Date
Pastel-colored dials evoking “The Talented Mr. Ripley” and pared-back timepieces in the 38- to 40-millimeter-diameter (1.49- to 1.57-inch) range appear to be on trend, if new watches from the likes of Breitling and Zenith are anything to go by. Not to be overlooked, however, is the Big Crown Pointer Date by Oris, which has been there all along as the brand’s poster boy since 1938. While it was originally created for gloved pilots, the practicality of the watch’s large, legible Arabic numerals and oversized crown has made it a timeless style. The new dial shades of yellow, turquoise and lilac are both warm and calming.
Ulysse Nardin Diver (Air)
The 2019 predecessor of the Diver (AIR), which is being dubbed the ”lightest-ever mechanical dive watch” by its maker Ulysse Nardin, weighed 120.5 grams. The brand’s new skeletonized timepiece, however, has been trimmed down to an incredible 52 grams, including the strap (or under 46 grams without). Watch movements are commonly crafted from brass but here titanium, which is considerably less dense, offers a promising balance between lightness and torsional strength (though it also runs the risk of catching fire during machining). Ulysse Nardin has also integrated a lightweight and highly antimagnetic silicon regulator into its newest creation.
Roger Dubuis Excalibur Grande Complication
Limited to just eight pieces, this watch is a rare sight in the wild. And its sculptural quality belies the mechanical wizardry ticking steadily beneath — a quality in keeping with the ethos of the brand’s late founder Roger Dubuis, who emerged as an independent breakout star in watchmaking in the ‘90s. Although acquired by luxury conglomerate Richemont Group before Dubuis’ death in 2017, the watchmaker’s self-styled “hyper horology” continues to feel purist. Grande Complication is the name given to any watch fitted with at least three additional functions, and the new RD0829 caliber fulfils that stipulation by combining three of the most prestigious complications in watchmaking: a perpetual calendar, a two-tone chiming minute repeater and a single-bridged flying tourbillon cage.
A. Lange & Söhne Minute Repeater Perpetual
The Swiss may dominate luxury watchmaking, but along the Czech-German border lies a town bearing eerie resemblance to Switzerland’s own horological heartland, both topographically and artisanally. Glashütte is home to revered watchmaker A. Lange & Söhne, also owned by Richemont Group, whose Minute Repeater Perpetual stands apart from its competitors thanks to its sophisticated chiming function: As the brand notes, there is a low-pitched tone for every full hour, a double tone for every quarter hour and a high-pitched tone for every further minute.
Chanel Première Blush Charms
Last year, Chanel’s horological focus celebrated its famed haute couture heritage through a joyous, witty collection of fine watches, all made, as you’d expect, from the French luxury house’s consistently exacting approach — at its very own Swiss atelier. For 2025, the brand is riffing on over a century’s worth of beauty and cosmetic products with a series of cocktail watches that come in all manner of pinks and rosy reds.
Vacheron Constantin Solaria
Twenty years after Vacheron Constantin celebrated its 250th anniversary with the 16-function Tour de l’Ile (named after the Genevoise island where founder Jean-Marc Vacheron set up a workshop in 1755), the company rings it its 270th year with the Les Cabinotiers Solaria Ultra Grand Complication, a 45-millimeter-diameter wristwatch boasting 41 complications — including five solar and celestial indications. The split seconds hands of its rear-side stopwatch function even double as a means of knowing when your chosen star (selected from the 13 zodiac constellations on the watch’s dial) will be visible from Earth.