Extra-large diameters or slimmer cases, sporty chic or neo-vintage styles, blue or green dials... Over the last quarter-century, some years have been marked by very clear trends. We are however currently witnessing a tendency towards vaguer aesthetic and technical fashions. While less clearly marked and less immediately perceptible than they once were, a few major directions will nevertheless be observed during Watches and Wonders. Let’s take a closer look…
At Piaget, we always oscillate between high-flying technology and jewelry watches. Our showpiece is undoubtedly the Sixtie. It’s the first new jewelry watch since the Limelight Gala revamp in 2013. A new signature, yet deeply rooted in Piaget’s heritage with this tribute to the trapeze shape found on the first sautoir watches from 1969.”
Cynthia Tabet, global product marketing director, Piaget
Celebrating heritage
Nothing happens by chance: that’s certainly what we should remember about this spring week. For age-old brands, it always seems more relevant to reaffirm an identity, establish legitimacy, build on history and continue to breathe new life into icons. At Cartier, this includes the launch of new versions of the Panthère, the 1980s legend that returned to the collections in 2018 and appears this year adorned with a zebra pattern of diamonds and spessartites combined with black lacquer. “When something works, there’s no point in changing it”, emphasizes Cartier’s CEO Louis Ferla. “We are constantly reinventing icons at all pricepoints” says Marketing and Communications Director Arnaud Carrez, who explains Cartier’s success by adding: “We have succeeded in defining a clear and distinctive position within the watch industry.”
After the phenomenal media success of the Polo 79 in 2024, a similar strategy is being pursued by Piaget which is continuing to explore the splendors of the past with a new watch collection called Sixtie. This jewel-like trapeze-shaped timepiece draws inspiration directly from the Maison’s glamorous heritage. Draped in gold, the asymmetrical shape is a nod to the jewelry pieces developed by Piaget from the 1960s onwards. The finely chased gadroons on the bezel evoke Andy Warhol’s Piaget watch.
“Our centerpiece for Watches and Wonders will be the Riviera Chrono Flyback in a 73-piece limited edition. This watch truly embodies the essence of our Maison. It features a bold and striking design, including a dial with retro accents, as well as a state-of-the-art movement and unique flyback function, which highlight our exceptional watchmaking expertise dating back almost 200 years.”
Michael Guenoun, CEO Baume & Mercier
Stirring Emotions
In need of something soothing and heartening in a time of crisis? The word seems to be on everyone’s lips. “We believe that watches are more than just timepieces; they convey dreams and memories, marking life’s important moments”, says Michael Guenoun, CEO Baume & Mercier. “Combined with the rich stories woven into our heritage and craftsmanship, this deep emotional resonance is what will carry us through the next crises.”
The impalpable and highly subjective feeling of emotions can be stirred by several means. Poetry and love are two such themes explored by Van Cleef & Arpels, which revisits the Pont des Amoureux watch with new dial designs and jeweled bracelets, glittering in the light of a snow-set sapphire gradient. Like miniature paintings, handcrafted dials are available in a wide range of Hermès designs. Among its most recent models is a Slim Cheval brossé watch in a 24-piece limited edition featuring a dial adorned with a stylized reinterpretation of a horse, designed by Dimitri Rybaltchenko and produced in colored pad printing on an enamel background. According to the brand, “it is an open invitation to travel and wonderment”.
“For 2025, I anticipate a burst of bright, assertive colors. At H. Moser & Cie. we’ve been exploring vibrant colors for several years, taking a playful and disruptive approach while cultivating our signature fumé finish. I’d like to highlight the Endeavour Centre Seconds Concept Purple Enamel model, which combines the traditional art of enameling with a very contemporary, minimalist aesthetic for its dial, all in a brand-new color.”
Edouard Meylan, CEO H. Moser & Cie.
Flying Colors
Reassuring or energetic, pastel or pop-style, colors are back again in 2025. Fuchsia or powder pink shades are spreading like wildfire. Golden dials play on their aura of preciousness. Purple and burgundy reign supreme, while blue and green – both very much still in evidence – have become classics. H. Moser & Cie. has become accustomed to exploring the brightest shades of the chromatic palette and its latest coup is the resolutely eye-catching face of the Endeavour Centre Seconds Concept Purple Enamel watch.
Drawing on Tech
While the development of high-tech materials undoubtedly stems from exceptional know-how, cases clad in ceramics or sapphire are no longer the exception. Already well established in recent years, carbon and titanium also continue to grow in popularity. “Although steel remains the most widely used material in watchmaking and gold still makes its presence strongly felt, titanium is an interesting alternative”, explains Jean-Marc Pontroué, CEO of Panerai. “Its lightness and durability make it particularly attractive. Ceramic is another material to follow, as it offers a contemporary aesthetic and excellent comfort, as well as enabling a wide range of color variations, reinforcing the versatility of watch design.”
“Our highlight is the work we’ve done on the emblematic Luminor Marina. We have refined the proportions of the case while preserving its bold aesthetic identity, making it more comfortable to wear. Most importantly, the watch’s water resistance has been improved to 500 meters, a legitimate step ahead for a brand so closely linked to underwater missions. The collection is presented with new interpretations, including a titanium model with a green dial.”
Jean-Marc Pontroué, CEO Panerai
Revealing Mechanical Power
“More than ever, it’s essential to communicate our know-how: explaining the complexity, the demands and the time required to create a timepiece helps people better appreciate its value”, says Lionel Favre, Product Design Director at Jaeger-LeCoultre. The tone is thus set and watchmakers are proving it by example with open-worked dials, finely skeletonized movements, skillful variations on the perpetual calendar (of which a large number are set to be released this year) and daring combinations of mechanical complications. Jaeger-LeCoultre makes the most of the Reverso Tribute’s signature swivel to showcase its technical mastery. On one side, a beautiful guilloché dial; on the other, a window opening onto the intricately entwined gears, bridges, sapphires and hammers required to operate a minute repeater.
At Vacheron Constantin, the festivities marking 270 years of uninterrupted activity are kicking officially with an exceptional platinum timepiece encapsulating the quintessence of the Maison’s expertise. On the dial side, the Traditionnelle Perpetual Calendar Retrograde Date Openface literally provides a window onto a mechanical masterpiece: a new in-house perpetual calendar caliber with a retrograde date display representing a historic Vacheron Constantin signature. The dial’s solid upper section is adorned with a guilloché pattern symbolizing the Maison’s 270th anniversary. This epitome of fine craftsmanship is issued in a 370-piece limited edition.
In an entirely different style, the tourbillon still reigns supreme at Kross Studio. “Like our central tourbillon, this new tourbillon was entirely designed, developed, crafted, decorated and assembled in-house”, explains brand founder Marco Tedeschi. We want to convey an inspiring message, because for me, the tourbillon is a wonderful way of revealing a watch’s beating heart. It’s a visually captivating complication that is both technical and poetic, leaving no-one indifferent.” When all is said and done, 2025 creations will clearly be infused with technicality, emotion and heritage.
“The biggest news is undoubtedly my very first signature piece, a purely horological watch that bears my name on the dial. Requested by several renowned collectors and watch retailers, it represents a milestone in my career.”
Marco Tedeschi, founder of Kross Studio
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