Watch fairs like Watches and Wonders Geneva (WWG) are built around a measure of secrecy that can be difficult to understand but this year was a little different. Since there was an unprecedented leak from Rolex on most of its novelties, including the deeply consequential Oyster Perpetual Land-Dweller (see our brief post on that watch), plans for grand reveals went up like smoke – minus the fireworks. Brands flooded everyone’s inboxes with their news by midnight on day one of WWG 2025, with only a few staying their hands, notably Patek Philippe and Bulgari. We are not sure about the value of preserving mystique and the like, but one of the joys of a show like WWG is discovering watches for the first time on day one. It can even influence decisions on which brands to see first next time. On that note, the top dog of this fair was Rolex, leaks notwithstanding.
It is certainly a rare vintage year for the jolly green giant of Geneva watchmaking, with not only new models and new dials but also two new bracelets – just one of those would have been remarkable enough. Needless to say, when you throw the new calibre 7135 into the mix, this spells domination (in our opinion). With the Land-Dweller, Rolex has the most important watch of 2025. Yes, that means the entire year and includes all brands, not just Swiss ones and not just the 60 or so brands exhibiting within the Palexpo. The only brand that could challenge Rolex is Rolex, and that would indeed be something. With the world as it is, we are lucky in watchmaking that the most powerful force is indeed a force for good. We have it on good authority that the Land-Dweller is coming to stores soon, and it will not be limited to Bucherer, to cite just one example.
Overall, the fair was abuzz with good cheer from A. Lange & Sohne, Bulgari, Vacheron Constantin, Zenith and Patek Philippe. Since we gave over our entire first day coverage to Rolex, with the aforementioned watch, we shall lead here with Patek Philippe. Of course, we noted the new sizes for the Cubitus on social media but this is hardly the story at the great Geneva brand. Instead, what seems to have grabbed the most attention is Ref. 6196P, which is a successor of sorts to the discontinued Ref. 5196. For anyone who appreciates the Calatrava, this new model will be essential. The brand’s continuing commitment to good timekeeping principles is evident in the calibre 30-255 PS (new for this reference but introduced in 2021).
For something more complicated, there is a new split-seconds chronograph built into an existing calibre in ref. 5308G that features two special features. The first is an anti-backlash wheel to tackle friction when the chronograph wheel engages with the seconds wheel; the second is an isolation system that prevents energy consumption when the split seconds mechanism is stopped. If that sounds prosaic, that is because these are functional improvements that will not be immediately evident. This is because this reference is a quadruple complication, with minute repeater, split-seconds chronograph and instantaneous perpetual calendar. One reason that the new technical features will make themselves felt here is that the split-seconds chronograph is new – it was previously a mere chronograph.
Vacheron Constantin Les Cabinotiers Solaria Ultra Grand Complication
For cynics and realists alike, there is every chance that Patek Philippe is saving something for later in the year. This does not matter that much for this story because there are plenty of great watches fighting for your very valuable attention at WWG. Key amongst those will be the Vacheron Constantin Les Cabinotiers Solaria Ultra Grand Complication, which now has the honour of being the world’s most complicated watch (by number of functions at 41, if not the 1,521 component count) as well as the first grand complication to crown itself with the ‘ultra’ designation. We especially like that the watch manages to cram all of this horological excellence into a case clocking in at just 14.99mm thick (it is 45mm in diameter and has two faces, but this is irrelevant).
Interestingly, the Solaria Ultra was made by just one master watchmaker, whose identity has not been disclosed, much as the old standards were. Unusually, this watchmaker worked with the designer on the case; normally, aesthetics are a domain that does not concern the movement developer and thus we wonder if there is a secret signature somewhere here that points to the identity of the maker, just as was the case for Jean-Marc Vacheron back in the day. Yes, the Solaria Ultra might be the most sought-after yet completely inaccessible watch of its kind. It certainly helps that Vacheron Constantin is making just one of this model, although we fully expect that it will be hugely consequential for releases in the coming years. For evidence, just look to the 250th anniversary watch and what happened there.
From the supremely complicated, we move to a simple expression of precision with the Zenith GFJ. Clearly, another anniversary we are paying attention to is over at Zenith, which celebrates its 160th birthday this year with the aforementioned new GFJ model. Just as the Skyline was at its debut, this is now the only full collection that exists with pure time-only properties. Collectors will no doubt hanker for a chronograph and it may already be on the way but for now, we get to enjoy this new collection as pure tribute to precision timekeeping. Calling attention to itself with a massive balance wheel, the reissue of the manual-winding Calibre 135 looks like a straight recreation but it is anything but. The unique brick-style decoration on the movement plates indicates that much, and it will only be in play for this anniversary edition. A key technical feature of the GFJ is its 72-hour power reserve, which is highly contemporary (and an improvement over the original’s 40-hour or so rating). What is the accuracy of this tribute to on-point timekeeping then? The brand says it is chronometer-level, meaning +/-2 seconds per day.
Looking at broader trends and the like, it is probably best to wait a few weeks to digest all the information. For those who insist on gleaning whatever they can, we will simply say that case sizes continue to become more demure even as dials embrace all manner of novel decorations, materials and colours. If you thought we hit peak colour with the bold Rolex Oyster Perpetuals of a few years ago, well think again. Even Chanel is joining in, with its advertising reading “It’s not black; it’s not white. It’s Bleu.” We will be brining you more on this front and the remarkable J12 Bleu soon but we must return to those broad strokes we mentioned. To avoid ending on a sour note, we will sneak in a reference to the ongoing tariff wars, which of course impact watchmaking too.
To be blunt, there are much more important consequences to the tariffs than will be felt in Swiss watchmaking at all levels. The US is an important market for Swiss watches – the number one market in fact – so there are likely to be shocks but it is the wild west out there and no one knows how this will pan out. Uncertainty is the new normal as the stock market presents the cash-rich youth with opportunities to build wealth like their parents did. In fact, this should read ‘stock markets’ because there is hardly one that has not taken a dive.
We will end, for now, with a note about the watch industry’s commitment to making every shape possible, so long as those shapes are round. WWG 25 did not reveal any changes here, nor did it indicate that brands were in the mood to experiment with forms. The most exciting form watches this year are still from brands with established legitimacy here, including Cartier, Jaeger-LeCoultre and Bulgari, which is a fresh entrant in the Palexpo. Of the bold bunch, led as always by Hublot, things were quiet as far as new developments go but there is optimism aplenty in the messaging. For the 20th anniversary of the Big Bang, there are a lot of special editions to choose from, and every indication that the brand is holding back on a surprise or two. And that, we predict, is all we can expect from the world of watches in the second half of 2025: surprises.
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