What did Watch & Wonders 2025 in Geneva surprise us with?

It's rare to be left somewhat overwhelmed by the number of interesting models in the final lineup at watch trade shows these days. It's even rarer to have to limit the pick of potentially interesting watches for collectors and investors. That makes the results of the biggest watch and jewelry trade show — Watches & Wonders Geneva — all the more delightful. Without further adieu, we're bringing you our pick of the top five most interesting premieres from Watch & Wonders 2025.  

Vacheron Constantin Les Cabinotiers Solaria Ultra Grand Complication La Première Ref. 9600C/000G-231C

Vacheron Constantin marked the maison's 270th anniversary by unveiling the world's most complicated wristwatch, which clocks up a whopping 41 complications. That's a new world record! Here we can find astronomical, solar, and lunar calendars, plus the most exhaustive perpetual calendar, along with a minute repeater, tourbillon, and split-seconds chronograph — i.e., a full list of the most prestigious complications in the highest class of Grande Complication watches.

You may remember previous record holders for most complicated wristwatch: Franck Muller's Aeternitas Mega 4 (36 complications and functions), Jaeger-LeCoultre's Hybris Mechanica Grande Sonnerie (26 complications and functions), and Vacheron Constantine's Celestia Astronomical Grand Complication 3600 (23 complications).

Now the record belongs to Vacheron Constantin's Les Cabinotiers Solaria Ultra Grand Complication La Première. But the new watch raises the question again about how you define what qualifies as a complication or a function, and how they're counted. In our view, it's a stretch to class all of the following examples as separate complications.

The function of the minute repeater's four-gong striking mechanism (the number of gongs as separate from the whole striking mechanism), the crown locking system during chiming, the system that makes hammers jump back from the gongs immediately after striking to amplify the sound (referred to as double-stop hammer system to limit rebound and optimize transmission of energy), not to mention the isolator system for the split-seconds chronograph that prevents friction on split-seconds shafts.

That would also give Rolex every right to claim that their latest sensational three-hand Caliber 7135 movement with a date aperture has 20 complications and functions: indications for hours, minutes, seconds, and the date, plus 16 technical patents. But nevertheless, the world record would still hold, even if you subtracted the four complications and functions that we highlighted, because we'd still be left with 37.

Vacheron Constantin presented the most complicated pocket watch in 2015, Reference 57260 with 57 complications, and then they trumped their personal best last year with the Berkley Grande Complication's 63 complications. Back then, everyone knew that some of the terrific calendar developments would be transferred to wristwatches.

And thank goodness, this year it happened. Few sources will be able to provide a better, more detailed description of all the complications in Les Cabinotiers Solaria Ultra Grand Complication than the watchmaker's own website. So we'll highlight the fact that this watch has a group of eight complications to provide the most exhaustive sun-related information — there's a good reason why "Solaria" is in the watch's name.

And we'll wrap up with a description of this year's main premiere: the celestial object tracker. The ultra-complicated pocket watches haven't featured this indication yet. Its main appeal is the fact that it's purely a wristwatch premiere and that it's linked to the split-seconds chronograph module. It's located on the reverse dial.

The ultra-complicated pocket watches haven't featured this indication yet. Its main appeal is the fact that it's purely a wristwatch premiere and that it's linked to the split-seconds chronograph module. It's located on the reverse dial. The sky chart of the constellations is composed of two superimposed sapphire disks that revolve in real time with the stars illustrated on them.

You might be interested in knowing when you can see your favorite star in the sky, and how may hours it will be visible for. You can find the star depicted on the chart and activate the chronograph. Then you just have to wait until the hand aligns with the green reference marker and stop it. Needless to say, a second split-seconds chronograph hand will still keep running.

You'll need to stop it when its tip reaches the illustration of your star on the chart. The stopped chronograph hands will form a green triangle. Now you need to look at the small inner ring within the 24-hour scale right in the center of the dial: the chronograph hands will show you how many hours are left until your star will come out and shine. Fairly simple and ingenious.

The price is being determined as this piece is being written: would-be first owners of Solaria No. 1 are bound to be contacting the watchmaker with their offers. We get the feeling that it could easily fetch around CHF 3.5 million. The subsequent pieces will of course be cheaper. It would also be interesting to know if American clients will have to pay more on top for this watch in light of Trump's new 31 % tariff on Swiss goods.

Patek Philippe Quadruple Complication Ref. 5308G-001

One of the most complicated watches now in Patek Philippe's permanent main catalog is the minute repeating instantaneous perpetual calendar with a split-seconds monopusher chronograph. First unveiled to the world two years ago in Tokyo at the Watch Art Grand Exhibition, it's finally been launched as a series.

The Ref. 5308P-010 Tokyo version came in a platinum case with a salmon dial (officially described as "rose-gilt opaline"), and it was limited to 15 pieces. The latest version is Ref. 5308G-001 in white gold with a light blue dial. The model was launched as a series after numerous requests from the watchmaker's fans.

In general, some collectors consider Ref. 5308 to be a more complicated version of the famous Ref. 5208 launched in 2011, which made headlines in 2017, when a titanium version with a dark blue dial sold at the Only Watch auction for CHF 6.2 million. But that's not quite the case. Firstly, Ref. 5208 had a simple chronograph, whereas Ref. 5308 has a split-seconds chronograph.

And while the second model may also build on the splendid automatic R CH 27 PS QI manufacture movement in its similarly named R CHR 27 PS QI movement, Ref. 5308 is a more complicated version. It has 799 individual components, which is 80 up on the earlier model. According to Patek Philippe, the repeater module has become a whole 20 % more efficient, and an anti-backlash wheel prevents chronograph friction at the clutch.

The latest model also has an isolation system to eliminate energy consumption by the split-seconds mechanism when it's stopped, which brings the impact of timing intervals on the movement's timing accuracy down to a minimum. So when the chronograph isn't timing two simultaneous processes at the same time, it's totally disconnected from the watch movement.

The current model is being launched in a case that measures 42 mm like the Tokyo edition, but its height has been reduced from 17.71 mm to 16.16 mm. Here we should note that this is one of the most comfortable and ergonomically perfected complicated watches. Although few people would consider this an everyday watch, this case size is very comfortable for everyday wear.

By the way, the light blue metallic dial paired with blue markers is also an extremely rare combination on watches by Patek Philippe. No limit has been set for the series, given that production capabilities will naturally limit how many watches can be made. They'll retail for CHF 1,050,000, which is actually CHF 50,000 cheaper than the platinum Tokyo version.

A.  Lange & Söhne Minute Repeater Perpetual Calendar Ref. 607.091FE

Another very serious watch from a very serious brand can be heralded a world premiere. Well, you could say that this is the first time that the Saxon manufacture has launched a model purely combining a minute repeater and a perpetual calendar. The A. Lange & Söhne Grande Complication Ref. 912.032F in a 50-mm pink-gold case that was introduced in 2013 also had a chiming mechanism and a perpetual calendar, but these complications were also accompanied by a chronograph.

Besides, availability was limited to just six pieces, priced at USD 2,6 million a pop. They don't resurface on the pre-owned watch market, so only the experts still remember them. And now we have a brand-new watch in an elegant platinum case, measuring 40.5 mm in diameter and just 12.1 mm in height, even though this is currently the most complicated model in A. Lange & Söhne's catelog.

The earlier L.1902 movement simply wouldn't fit in such a slender case, so they created the latest manually wound L.122.2 movement, assembled from 640 components, which runs at a frequency of 21,600 vph and has a three-day power reserve. You can't even say with a clear conscience that the L.122.2 was created based on the L.122.1 (191 components) housed in the 2022 Richard Lange Minute Repeater model.

Sure, they look very similar on the flip side, but you couldn't tell the facade of the L.122.2 apart from that of the L.922.1, which was created almost a quarter of a century ago for the Langematik Perpetual model. Only the leap-year indication in this movement uses a sectoral disk, which actually allows you to appreciate the aesthetics of the unusually thick white-gold dial, filled with black enamel.

We think it should even go without saying by now that the latest movement is finished and decorated to the highest degree, which you can confirm by admiring its surfaces through the powerful loupe that each of these models has to leave the manufacture in Glashütte with for precisely this purpose.

Germans are known to be very consistent, so seeing as they've already made Perpetual Tourbillon and Minute Repeater Perpetual models, we can also expect to see another sensational model from A. Lange & Söhne very soon: the Minute Repeater Perpetual Tourbillon. Availability of the Minute Repeater Perpetual Calendar will be limited to 50 pieces, which insiders say will each be priced around USD 750,000.

They can only be ordered through one of the single-brand A. Lange & Söhne boutiques. The model's pricing is roughly the same as its main and only competitor: Patek Philippe's Ref. 5074 Minute Repeater Perpetual Calendar. But A. Lange & Söhne's Minute Repeater Perpetual Calendar Ref. 607.091FE will be able to compete.

Rolex Land-Dweller

Ultimately, the biggest sensation at Geneva's Watch & Wonders 2025 was this watch with a rather simple appearance: just three central hands, a date aperture, and a case with a fluted bezel that looked fresh fifty years ago. Plus the dial has a honeycomb pattern that was popular in the era when the use of mobile phones was becoming democratized.

Yet this is the biggest novelty to come out of Rolex for half a century, which was probably a more popular topic of conversation around the trade show's coolers than the US President's introduction of new tariffs on Swiss goods. This model would be the logical conclusion of a trilogy dedicated to the earth's habitats: Sea-Dweller (unveiled in 1967), the Sky-Dweller (2012), and now we finally have the Land-Dweller.

That being said, this presumed trilogy could well end up being a tetralogy if Rolex follows the latest watch up with the likes of a Space-Dweller. Moreover, according to all laws of modern marketing, this will more than likely happen, but that's a conversation we can have when tomorrow comes. What set and sets all Dwellers apart from regular and professional Oysters? Bingo!

They're all very technological. The case of the Sea-Dweller provided an unprecedented level of water resistance for regular citizen's models at the time, 2000 ft (610 m) at launch, then 4000 ft (1220 m) from 1978. It also featured an innovative automatically operating helium escape valve to protect the case from getting destroyed by steep variations in pressure.

The Sky-Dweller had the truly remarkable first Saros annual calendar module by Rolex with a marker to indicate the months in a red window traveling along the flange and hour scale. It was primarily designed to simultaneously indicate two time zones for globetrotters, and then also to perform this secondary function.

The Land-Dweller's main achievement is its automatic 7135 movement with the latest, terrifically efficient Dynapulse indirect impulse escapement. In a nutshell, no traditional go-betweens like the traditional ruby blocking and unblocking pallets are used to deliver impulses here whatsoever! The pallet fork (the lever in lever escapements) has been significantly visually altered, and twin escape wheels deliver impulse to a lever, thus indirectly to the balance wheel.

This increases efficiency and reduces energy loss by up to 30 % compared to traditional Swiss lever escapements! And of course, the Dynapulse increases isochronism, stability, and timekeeping accuracy even more.It also has to be mentioned that the indirect impulse Dynapulse escapement employs a sensation introduced in 2014: the trademark Syloxi hairspring, which allows fixation to the traversing balance bridge.

This construction is highly reliable at protecting the hairspring from all possible shocks, and it also offsets the negative effects of gravity better by a factor of hundreds than all kinds of tourbillons and their carriages. Finally, all components in this ensemble are silicon-based, so they don't need lubrication and aren't prone to damage from magnetic fields.

Now do you have an idea of the level of technical progress in Caliber 7135?  Sure, this isn't a radical watchmaking revolution, but it's a giant leap forward in its development. You might be wondering if it's even worth mentioning the new Flat Jubilee bracelet after listing all the achievements of the new caliber.

Absolutely! After all, the tiniest flaw when manufacturing a bracelet can completely ruin the impression of the most technically advanced watch, like stepping on a nail that goes through the sole of your luxury alligator-skin shoe and pierces your foot. But the only thing we can say about the Flat Jubilee is that it's the most comfortable bracelet in Rolex's catalog and one of the most comfortable on the market.

When it comes to the price of the Land-Dweller, it's more than enticing. The most affordable Ref. 127234 version with a white-gold and Oystersteel case measuring 36 mm in diameter costs CHF 13,300. The same watch in a 40-mm case (Ref. 127334) costs CHF 14,200. The case height is the same across all versions of the Land-Dweller at 9.8 mm.

Versions made of the trademark Everose alloy (Ref. 127235 and Ref. 127335) cost CHF 40,100 and CHF 43,900, respectively. We can only imagine the hype when the full steel version comes out! Overall, Rolex's Land-Dweller looks poised for an unstoppable victory march around the globe, and nothing can get in its way. Not even Donald Trump's barrage of tariffs.

We've managed to find out that all major Rolex retailers in the US should receive as many as 10,000 Land-Dwellers very soon. That being said, they're bound to come with strict guidelines to limit daily sales to no more than a handful. But will collectors like the Land-Dweller, and will they be able to become blockbusters on the pre-owned watch market?

Certainly not all versions, but they could. For example, the 40-mm version in Everose that has its old-fashioned bezel encrusted with baguette-cut diamonds (Ref. 127385TBR, priced at CHF 98,400), not to mention the platinum and diamond-set 40-mm version (127386TBR, priced at CHF 111,500), look jaw-droppingly prestigious and luxurious. They'll be the ones that spark a big hunt.

F. P.  Journe Chronomètre Furtif Ref. CF

Of course, before we move on to describing the next model, it's worth noting that this brand is not a permanent participant of the exhibition. However, it consistently holds presentations during the broader watchmaking events that have grown around the main fair at Geneva’s Palexpo. And every watch expert considers it a must to stop by and take a look.

Fans of François-Paul Journe began praying for him to make more Chronomètre Furtif watches as soon as the first unique piece with a tantalum case and bracelet sold at last year's Only Watch auction for CHF 2,000,000, which also happened to be the first full tantalum watch in the world.

The maestro couldn't repeat the exact same watch due to the agreement with the auction's organizers about exclusivity, but he has made an all-black tungsten carbide version, where only the caseback, bumper, bezel ring, and winding crown are made of tantalum. And the new watch appears to live up to the name "Furtif" even more, which can be translated from French as "Stealth".

But it wasn't given this name because of its color. The thing is that the first version fully coated in stealthy blue had blue rhodium-plated hour and minute hands that blended in with the dial, making it almost impossible to tell the time when the watch is tilted at an angle of over 30 degrees. So only the watch owner could tell the time.

Admittedly, the hands on the new version are made of polished silver, so they certainly stand out against the white-gold dial coated with black enamel. The Arabic numerals to mark the hours are poorly visible in daylight, but coated in anthracite lume that glows impressively in the dark. Another thing that makes this watch "Furtif" is that the three central hands on the dial don't give everything away at first glance. The caseback is where you can find the power reserve indication (at 12 o'clock) and the moon-phase display (at 6 o'clock).

Because of this layout, the balance mechanism is unusually placed horizontally on the 3-9 o'clock axis. The case size for the Furtif remains unchanged: 42 mm in diameter and 9.5 mm in height. The movement housed inside is the manually wound rose-gold Caliber 1522, which runs at a frequency of 21,600 vph and has a 56-hour power reserve.

By the way, the Chronomètre Furtif was the independent watchmaker's first ever movement to be equipped with a central second hand. This is a very important fact for fans of the maestro's creations. No limit has been announced for the series, but the watch is only be available for pre-order through F. P.  Journe boutiques or exclusive retailers.

As per tradition, Journe clearly doesn't intend on making them for long. He'll honor all the orders that come in in the first months and then wrap up production. The model is priced at CHF 85,000 (excluding taxes and tariffs).