READ THE FULL ARTICLE IN RETAIL JEWELLER’S JUNE 2025 ISSUE
Watches and Wonders Geneva 2025 defied economic headwinds with a record-breaking edition. May Garland reports on the standout trends shaping the watch market
Taking place against the mountainous backdrop of Mont Blanc, Watches and Wonders saw a 12% increase in visitors this year, attracting more than 55,000 attendees to Geneva’s halls from 1 to 7 April. Among these were 6,000 retailer representatives and 1,600 journalists. Despite the global luxury watch market facing struggles, with a shift in consumer spending behaviours during an economic downturn, 23,000 public day tickets sold. Geneva’s hospitality sector was also boosted, with 43,000 hotel nights booked and 12,000 retail meetings recorded.
The watch designs were equally impressive, with the world’s top maisons, from storied legends like Rolex, Patek Philippe and Cartier to rising independents like Trilobe and Genus, gathering at the Palexpo to celebrate anniversary milestones and showcase their latest watch novelties.
Texture takes the lead
One of the standout themes of the 2025 edition was texture. From icy glacier inspired finishes to engraved lunar landscapes, dials become terrains. Montblanc’s 1858 Geosphere 0 Oxygen Mount Vinson is a nod to Antarctica with a glacier-blue dial created through a 30-step gratté-boisé technique. Meanwhile, Rolex debuted its first-ever ceramic dial in the Oyster Perpetual GMT-Master II, offering refreshing colours like pistachio green and sandy beige. TAG Heuer also played with materiality in new ways. The reengineered Formula 1 Solargraph line-up introduces TH-Polylight, a lightweight, durable material, presented in bold racing tones, with ergonomic upgrades and solar-powered movements.
Skeleton renaissance
Skeletonised movements were out in full force at this year’s edition. Ulysse Nardin’s Diver [AIR], the lightest mechanical dive watch ever made, strips down its form to the essentials and weighs just 52g. Similarly, Vacheron Constantin’s Traditionnelle Openface editions feature exposed retrograde displays and architectural layering, offering a view into the mechanisms that make this watch tick.
Horological heritage
Nostalgia was another strong theme at this year’s show, with many brands marking milestones. Vacheron Constantin celebrated its 270th anniversary with eight limited editions across its Patrimony and Traditionnelle collections, each showcasing refined dial signatures and updated calibre finishes. But the real showstopper was the Les Cabinotiers Solaria Ultra Grand Complication. This one-of-a-kind wristwatch features a record-breaking 41 complications. Eight years in the making, its calibre 3665 includes an array of astronomical functions, setting a new benchmark in haute horlogerie.
Zenith commemorated its 160th anniversary by bringing its historic Calibre 135 back to life in the G.F.J. collection while dressing its El Primero chronographs in bold Zenith blue ceramic cases. The booth also celebrated the anniversary in its decoration, which had iconic Zenith advertisements throughout the decades.
Also running with the theme, Tudor revealed a new burgundy Black Bay 58 as a poetic revival of a prototype Submariner from the 1990s that never made it to production until now, while Gerald Charles marked its 25th anniversary, honouring founder Gérald Genta with a Maestro GC39 that fuses the maison’s classic stepped case with a jumping hour complication.
Hublot, meanwhile, threw a star studded party for the 20th anniversary of its Big Bang watch, with guests including Kylian Mbappé, Usain Bolt and Michelin-starred chefs celebrating the very first Big Bang model.
Jewellery watches
The 2025 event signalled the rise of maximalism in jewellery watches, with precious metals, vivid gemstones and intricate enamel work. Rolex made a striking impression with its new Datejust 31, featuring a red ombré dial that fades from crimson to midnight, encircled by a diamond-set bezel. Piaget embraced opulence with a trio of standout pieces: the Aura high jewellery watch in 18ct white gold with a trapeze-cut diamond dial and rainbow-hued gems; a high jewellery cut, showcasing a green enamel dial; and the transformable Swinging Sautoir, a vintage-inspired design set with pink spinel, white opal, sapphires, diamonds and ruby root beads.
Despite global economic uncertainty, the 2025 edition closed on a high, reaffirming the luxury watch industry’s resilience. With 2026 plans already underway, Watches and Wonders remains the sector’s defining event.
May Garland 