Watches and Wonders Geneva: New Watch Releases for 2025

Of all horological icons, the Reverso, Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Art Deco masterpiece, is among the worthiest of the accolade. Since first appearing on wrists in 1931 – a response to the call of polo-playing gentlemen of the British Raj who desired a watch that would withstand the sport’s rigours – the Reverso has assumed numerous incarnations while steadfastly holding true to its defining tenets. The first is that patented reversible double-sided case from which the timepiece derives its name; the second, its unique Art Deco silhouette that feels vintage and modern all at once. Amid a swathe of Reverso novelties unveiled this year, a new Reverso Tribute Monoface Small Seconds in 18-karat pink gold is a confident reiteration of Jaeger-LeCoultre’s enduring mastery of elegance. Fans of bracelet watches will no doubt be drawn to the Milanese link that accompanies that sleek 7.56mm Reverso case – an intricate, woven construction known in Italian as pezza, comprised of pink-gold threads totalling 16 metres that intertwine precisely following a technique with origins in 13th-century Milan. For those who like numbers, the manual hand-wound Calibre 822 built of 108 components and promising 42 hours in reserve should satisfy the brief – but it’s this Reverso’s undeniably chic allure that will truly win hearts. Aesthetes, gather around.

Relative to maisons spanning centuries, Hublot is comparatively young. Age is but a number though, and the watch world’s wunderkind has racked up an impressive tally of showstopping timepieces since it was established in 1980, with the Big Bang widely regarded as its pièce de résistance. This year marks the icon’s 20th anniversary (feeling old yet?) and, to celebrate, Hublot has forged a unique fusion between its original and Unico iterations to create five commemorative models – each a Who’s Who of Big Bang hallmarks. Cases recall early incarnations with a layered construction and the pinched lugs that typify the Big Bang’s renowned silhouette. You may also recognise the riveted Arabic numerals from original models, only this time they’re filled with Super-LumiNova in a nod to the modern Unico. Material innovation has long defined Hublot – the brand pioneered rubber in watchmaking and was the mastermind behind scratch-proof Magic Gold – and boldly coloured ceramic, unveiled in 2018, is one of many jewels in its crown. Limited to 100 pieces, the Big Bang ‘Red Magic’ Edition pays testimony to heritage in typically high-octane fashion. From Hublot, we’d expect nothing less.

‘Do what has never been done before’ decrees the motto of Piaget. With the latest creation born from its Ateliers de l’Extraordinaire, though, the maison bucks tradition, revisiting a captivating timepiece conjured by Jean-Claude Gueit that first made waves in the 21st Century Collection of 1969. Introducing: Sixtie. A sublime intersection of jewellery, horology and haute couture, this series of avant-garde trapeze watches invokes all of the energy, vision and flamboyance of its namesake epoch. When you’re finished admiring Sixtie’s glorious asymmetry, closer study yields further treasures harking to a golden-age icon. Set into an 18-karat pink gold bezel that frames a pristine satin-brushed dial, elegant gadroons riff on the aesthetic of Andy Warhol’s signature Piaget timepiece. Magpies of the world will equally adore versions bejewelled with 51 diamonds, available in 18-karat pink gold or stainless steel.

Many of the novelties you’ll see in Geneva are designed to be worn every day. Others, however, are destined for that rarefied realm of haute horlogerie, where art and concept supersede pure function. It’s here that Van Cleef & Arpels has reigned supreme for generations – and, fittingly, the maison has looked to its archives for 2025. The Cadenas watch hails to 1935, riffing on the silhouette of a padlock to reflect Marcel Duchamp’s readymade movement and the rising tide of Surrealism that defined the era. Precious stones are integral to Van Cleef & Arpels’ watchmaking poetry, and here they adorn the Cadenas to extraordinary effect. Snow-set diamonds and princess-cut sapphires interplay blue and white to decorate the case; on the clasp, the palette repeats with square sapphires and diamonds, radiant against yellow gold. That discreet dial recalls a period when fashionable women were discouraged from checking the time (the logic was to be above such things), and in 1936 Van Cleef & Arpels ran the Cadenas with the tagline to ‘peek at time’. Mercifully, such strictures are relics of the past – so, today, the Cadenas represents an enchanting proposition, whether you’re less inclined towards imposing dials or you simply prefer jewellery.

In September last year, it was announced that Bvlgari would be joining the illustrious line-up at Watches and Wonders Geneva – and, in true Italian fashion, it has confidently made an entrance. Where to begin with the Octo Finissimo Ultra Tourbillon? For starters, it has clocked up yet another world record (its 10th to date), representing the culmination of Bvlgari’s unyielding pursuit of ultra-slim watchmaking that has lasted a decade. Measuring just 1.85mm high, the Octo Finissimo Ultra Tourbillon is officially the thinnest tourbillon watch ever made. At such extreme dimensions, there’s no margin for error – and Bvlgari lays it all on the table, showcasing the absolute mastery of its Swiss manufacture through a skeleton movement that, in every sense, doesn’t miss a beat. You’re looking at a manually wound mechanical movement promising 28,800 vibrations per hour and a 50-hour power reserve. All, to reiterate, within just 1.85mm. Incredible.