Every year during Watches and Wonders, we are treated to an absolute avalanche of new releases. It makes it hard to keep up with everything and pick your favorites. But as is usual, we love to make our own little Top 5 of releases that impressed us the most. I might have missed great new releases from some brands, but this year, it was easy to find five highlights that blew me away. Let’s find out what they are!
Rolex and Tudor at Watches and Wonders 2025
Novelties from Tudor and Rolex at Watches and Wonders 2025
Before we get into it, I felt that this year, different brands than usual stole the show for me. Rolex and Tudor are among the usual favorites, but I wasn’t too impressed by either of the two brands’ main novelties. Technically, the Land-Dweller is super-impressive, and I love the reintroduction of the case style of the legendary Oysterquartz. But the design of the dials and the bracelets is not for me. However, I found a favorite in a simple dial variation of the Rolex GMT-Master II. I must add, though, that Rolex treated us to many new dial variations that weren’t all equally impressive.
The same also goes for Tudor. The Pelagos Ultra is technically impressive, but not for me. I prefer the Pelagos 39 and the Pelagos FXD GMT. The same goes for the new Black Bay 68. The Tudor Blue version looks the part, but a 43mm Black Bay is too big for my taste, and I prefer different models from the Black Bay lineup. The only true Tudor highlight for me was the new opaline white dial variant of the Black Bay Pro. But once again, it’s another dial variation of an already existing model, so that didn’t make my list of five highlights of this year’s Watches and Wonders. So, let’s find out what my actual Top 5 is.
Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Monoface Small Seconds in Pink Gold
My first pick is not just my favorite watch of the show but will be a contender for my favorite watch of 2025. As soon as my eyes hit the Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Monoface Small Seconds in Pink Gold on the stunning mesh bracelet, I was sold. I have always loved the Reverso, particularly the Reverso Tribute series that takes after the first Reverso models from 1931. But this new pink gold version takes the Reverso to completely different levels.
First, the monochromatic presence of the pink gold case, combined with the stunning grainy textured pink gold dial, sets the stage perfectly. The combination oozes style. But the Milanese mesh-style bracelet with its sliding clasp boosts the watch to become an instant favorite. It completes the look in absolute perfection. This new release oozes style, and I love that. With a new textured dial, a monochromatic presence, and that brilliant bracelet, Jaeger-LeCoultre released its best Reverso in a long time in a series of Reverso highlights for 2025.
Patek Philippe Split-Seconds Chronograph Ref. 5370R
Last year, I claimed that it would be the year of brown dials. While we saw an odd brown dial here and there, that claim never became reality. But this year, several brands have unveiled new watches with brown dials. The absolute best is the new Patek Philippe Split-Seconds Chronograph ref. 5370R. The watch is part of the brand’s Grand Complications collection and is reserved for the most technically impressive timepieces the brand creates.
While the reference 5370 is not a new introduction for the brand, this new rose gold version blows the previous versions out of the water. The watch features a beautifully elegant 41mm rose gold case defined by a series of beautifully sculpted lines and refined details. As you would expect from the Genevan brand, the case is meticulously finished with a mix of brushed and polished surfaces.
The beautiful case matches the best dial I have seen in a long time. The brown Grand Feu enamel dial is framed by the sub-dials and a tachymeter scale in beige enamel. The classy aesthetic is completed by the applied rose gold Breguet numerals on the dial, the rose gold hands hovering above it, and the dark brown alligator strap. This combination of colors is simply breathtaking.
As this is a split-seconds chronograph, you will find not one but two central chronograph hands making the rounds. But the second of the two hands only shows itself if you time an event where you record a split time. Making this technical wizardry possible is the stunning manual-winding CHR 29-535 PS caliber visible through the display case back. The traditional chronograph movement comprises 312 parts and completes this Patek Philippe Split-Seconds Chronograph ref. 5370R in proper style. This is a proper grail watch for me.
Grand Seiko Spring Drive U.F.A. SLGB003
Grand Seiko Spring Drive U.F.A. SLGB003
Grand Seiko released another highlight of this year’s Watches and Wonders with its Spring Drive U.F.A. SLGB003. It is part of a duo of releases powered by the brand’s new Spring Drive caliber 9RA2. This new movement is the most accurate mechanical movement ever produced, with an impressive accuracy of ±20 seconds per year. It also explains the two timepieces’ Ultra Fine Accuracy (U.F.A.) name.
Where the SLGB001 is a limited edition in platinum, the new SLGB003 is lightweight. The watch features an angular 37mm case made from the brand’s High-Intensity Titanium. It is matched with a beautifully textured silver-blue dial that gives the watch a beautiful presence. Depending on how the light hits the dial, the color turns lighter or darker, which makes the watch truly come alive on the wrist.
Also adding to the fun of wearing the watch is the new titanium bracelet, which comes with a newly developed clasp that allows you to size the bracelet precisely by 1mm increments. I had the pleasure of trying the watch, and it made a lasting impression with its combination of great comfort, attractive looks, and a groundbreaking new movement.
A. Lange & Söhne Odysseus Honeygold
A. Lange & Söhne Odysseus Honeygold
German brand A. Lange & Söhne is my favorite watch brand. Every year, the brand from Glashütte treats us with some high-end horological magic. My favorite for 2025 is not another spectacular technical novelty. While the Datomatic caliber L155.1 powering the brand’s Odysseus in the brand’s proprietary Honeygold is beautiful, we know it from the previous Odysseus models. No, this time, it’s all about the looks.
The Odysseus is A. Lange & Söhne’s take on a modern sports watch with an integrated bracelet. Instead of looking at what other high-end competitors do, the brand created a characteristic sports watch that perfectly fits the brand’s design signature. My favorite of the different Odysseus models is still the titanium version, which shows how impressive a high-end lightweight titanium sports watch can be.
But this new Honeygold version takes a solid second spot in my list of favorite Odysseus models. The combination of the case’s gold color—lighter than yellow and rose gold—and the bracelet with the chocolate brown dial is wonderful. I told you that brown dials are a thing in 2025, right? The result is a 100-piece limited edition that is easily among this year’s horological highlights.
NOMOS Club Sport Neomatik Worldtimer
NOMOS Club Sport Neomatik Worldtimer
With my last pick, we land back on our feet after all the gold craziness of three of my previous picks. The new NOMOS Club Sport Neomatik Worldtimer is a clever addition to the German brand’s Club Sport line-up. Until now, we have only seen a similar model from the brand with the Zürich World Time. But this new model links the sporty looks of the Club Sport to the brilliant world timer complication that allows you to track the time in a second time zone.
NOMOS released two regular models that are nice, but for me, it’s all about the colorful limited editions that were announced simultaneously. Six models combine a 40mm stainless steel case with stunning, colorful dials. Nomos has shown over the last few years that it knows how to pick stunning dial colors; this time, it is no different. It’s hard to pick from the six options, but the ones that speak to me the most are the green Jungle and blue Glacier versions. Both feature a contrasting sub-dial and outer ring that holds the names of all the cities in the different time zones.
The six models will be produced in a limited run of only 175 pieces, undoubtedly selling out fast. But with the addition of this great new Club Sport Neomatik Worldtimer, NOMOS shows brilliantly how the combination of an in-house world timer movement with great designs makes for the perfect traveler’s watch. It makes the series of six models the collective fifth and final pick for my list of highlights of Watches and Wonders 2025—a year in which the usual suspects couldn’t win me over, but a string of unexpected brands created some of the best releases I have seen in the past few years.
