THE HOTTEST TIMEPIECE DEBUTS FROM WATCHES & WONDERS

BY LAURIE BROOKINS

We gathered 19 stunning new pieces from the annual watch event that just wrapped up in Geneva. 

ROGER DUBUIS

Smaller cases, beautiful blues, and anniversary models — these were just three of the trends that emerged from Watch & Wonders 2025, the yearly event that ushers in new timepieces from 60 status brands. Set in a colossal hall located just minutes from Lake Geneva, this annual fair draws top editors and watch aficionados alike, all clamoring to be the first to view just-released models teeming with beauty and precision, from high-wattage brands that include Rolex, Patek Philippe, Chanel, Cartier, Bvlgari and others.

In addition to style-centric trends that emerged — the hot dial colors, for example, or the metal that’s emerged as the latest must-have — a variety of events and debuts at Watches & Wonders also put an emphasis on the role high-end timepieces play in popular culture, from film to sports to the artistry of horology itself. With that in mind, we gathered 19 stunning pieces that enjoyed high-wattage debuts in Geneva — and all available at the boutiques of South Coast Plaza. 

Roger Federer wears a Land-Dweller 40 in a
white ROLEX Rolesor version.

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SOUTH COAST PLAZA

2025 WATCHES & WONDERS

HIGHLIGHTS

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A. Lange & Söhne

1815 in Pink Gold

LEVEL 2, Saks Fifth Avenue Wing
657.205.4555

Not so long ago, high-end watch brands were jockeying to see who could craft statement pieces in extra-large case sizes that could reach 46 or 48 millimeters in diameter (and, in rare cases, even larger), but among the biggest trends at Watches & Wonders 2025 is that status timepieces have shrunk ever so slightly. A. Lange & Söhne is among the brands that reinterpreted one of its iconic styles in a smaller model, crafting an 1815 in a 34mm case, down from the 38.5mm and 40mm cases offered in previous (and still-available) models. 

The 1815 gets its name from the birth year of the company’s founder, while the styling of the dial is rooted in an ultra-traditional pocket watch, but the navy dial and smaller case in pink gold on this manually wound design result in a piece that feels fresh and, as intended, highly wearable. Indeed, perhaps the most thrilling aspect of the trend in smaller cases is that watchmakers are embracing a case style that’s decidedly unisex, perfect not only for a man seeking the on-trend case size, but also ideal for a woman who desires an upscale mechanical watch that won’t overpower her wrist. A. Lange & Söhne offers a variety of 1815 models highlighting different looks, case sizes and functions, and this new piece is a terrific addition to an iconic family. 

VACHERON CONSTANTIN

Traditionelle Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar

LEVEL 2, Between Jewel and Carousel Courts
714.955.4057

Jean-Marc Vacheron was only 24 years old when he founded his watchmaking firm in Geneva in 1755 — 270 years later, this spectacular timepiece in the house’s Traditionelle collection is a fitting homage to the art and craft of horology. Only platinum could be deemed worthy of a 270th anniversary, used to craft the 42mm case for this self-winding model, limited to just 127 pieces. Small seconds placed on the tourbillon carriage allows for the symmetrical placement of month, day and date subdials above, all on a hand-guillochéd silver dial. 

ROGER DUBUIS

Excalibur Biretrograde Calendar 

LEVEL 2, Carousel Court
310.734.1855

House founder Roger Dubuis loved retrograde functions so much, they played a major role in the first watch he created in 1989. Today the brand is honoring both its founder and the function with the Excalibur Biretrograde Calendar, an automatic timepiece that features day and date retrograde functions symmetrically placed as elliptical counters in pink gold over a mother-of-pearl dial, all housed in a 40mm case also of 18-karat pink gold. 

CARTIER

Panthère de Cartier

LEVEL 2, JEWEL COURT
714.540.8231

The iconic jeweler continues to lean in on its Panthère de Cartier collection — and why not? The styling and design codes is this model are supremely elegant and highly versatile, resulting in pieces you’d happily wear with either a pair of jeans or a chic black dress. Among a clowder of Panthères debuting at Watches & Wonders, this was the standout, a 36.5mm model crafted in 18-karat rose gold and embellished with diamonds and spessartite garnets, with zebra stripes in black lacquer mixed in with the diamonds on the square dial. This “new breed” of Panthère is sure to sell out quickly. 

IWC

Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 APXGP

LEVEL 2, Between Jewel and Carousel Courts
714.955.4037

With F1 gaining traction as one of America’s most popular sports, racing watches are likewise more sought-after than ever, an idea that should only increase when F1, starring Brad Pitt, opens this summer. IWC is the official watch brand partnering with the product, its logo prominently seen on the cars, helmets, uniforms — and Mr. Pitt’s wrist. Among the watches designed for this film is this Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 APXGP, the latter group of letters representing the fictional name of Pitt’s team. This 41mm steel automatic features a chronograph function with hours, minutes and seconds, day and date display and small hacking seconds on a black dial with gold-plated hands. 

JAEGER-LECOULTRE

Reverso One “Precious Flowers”

LEVEL 2, CAROUSEL COURT
714.955.4048

The latest debuts from Jaeger-LeCoultre are all about celebrating the Reverso, the legendary watch famously designed in 1931 with a case that flips to protect its crystal from any damage that might occur while playing polo. Almost a century later, a Reverso can now flip to reveal a second watch dial or, in the case of this piece, exquisite handcraft. The latest in the brand’s “Precious Flowers” series is limited to just 10 pieces and highlights gem-setting and enamelwork to create a bouquet of green arums. Flip the case to reveal a mother-of-peal dial surrounded by a bezel and lugs fully embellished with more diamonds. 

HUBLOT

Big Bang Red Magic 20th Anniversary

LEVEL 2, Carousel Court
949.389.2140

The iconic Big Bang is celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2025, so Hublot is pulling out the stops in multiple ways, offering limited-edition boxed sets and other commemorative pieces that showcase what makes this watch truly memorable. That’s the idea behind this self-winding Big Bang Red Magic, which emphasizes how Hublot has been at the forefront of game-changing colors in scratch-resistant ceramic cases. The bold red on this 43mm microblasted and polished case surrounds a checkerboard dial and functions that include a chronograph flyback and 72-hour power reserve, all on a red and black rubber strap.

TAG HEUER

Split-Seconds Chronograph F1

LEVEL 2, Carousel Court
657.655.2144

Also jockeying for F1 positioning at Watches & Wonders, TAG Heuer introduced a bold new piece in its Monaco collection, meant to put the watch made famous by Steve McQueen in 1971’s Le Mans in decidedly avant-garde territory. This 41mm automatic timepiece features a stark white ceramic case, a perfect frame for the red-tinted translucent dial with openwork styling and square subdials for the chronograph functions, labeled “Lights Out” and “& Away We Go,” the phrase made famous by F1 commentator David Croft at the start of every Grand Prix. The piece is finished with a white leather bracelet.

PATEK PHILIPPE

Cubitus Ref. 7128/1R

LEVEL 2, Saks Fifth Avenue Wing
714.850.0222

An iconic watch in a smaller size, the latest Patek Philippe Cubitus indeed offers its sporty chic styling in a new 40mm case, down from the original 45mm sizing to create a look that’s suitable for most wrists. To the delight of Patek fans, the dial design, meanwhile, remains unchanged, highlighting embossed horizontal lines and a sunburst finish in chocolate brown in a case and bracelet of 18-karat rose gold. Functions on this self-winding piece include a date at 3 o’clock and sweep seconds. 

VAN CLEEF & ARPELS

Ruban Mysterieux Watch

LEVEL 1, Nordstrom Wing
714.545.9500

As its name implies, this high-jewelry timepiece by Van Cleef & Arpels is crafted to evoke thoughts of haute couture and ribbons perfectly draped around the wrist. Snow-set diamonds have been paired with emeralds and sapphires placed on the watch using the house’s iconic mystery setting. But take a closer look at the watch’s crystal – that’s actually a 3.72-carat oval-cut diamond sitting atop the watch dial, adding new meaning to cut and clarity. 

HERMÈS

Mailon Libre 

LEVEL 1, Nordstrom Wing
714.437.1725

Chaine d’ancre has been a celebrated Hermès motif since Robert Dumas, son-in-law to Emile Hermès, caught a glimpse of the anchor chains on ships he saw along the Normandy coast in 1937 and employed the inspiration for the house’s first bracelet design. Almost 90 years later, the Mailon Libre (translation: “free link”) watch evokes thoughts of that early piece, also because its dial is meant to be discreet and almost imperceptible as the bracelet, crafted in yellow gold and embellished with diamonds and terracotta tourmalines, dangles on your wrist.

CHANEL

J12 Bleu Watch Caliber 12.1 38mm

LEVEL 1, Nordstrom Wing
714.754.7295

It’s been 25 years since Chanel debuted its J12, a gamechanger in sports watches with its scratch-resistant case and bracelet crafted of ceramic and steel. The J12 quickly became an icon in black, and three years later an even bigger icon in white — but now meet Bleu. Chanel released a collection of nine J12 Bleu timepieces at Watches & Wonders, in various case sizes and sometimes embellished with carefully matched sapphires in deep blue. Models like the 38mm style seen here beautifully blend matte blue and black ceramic to create a couture-worthy design. 

Bvlgari

Octo Finissimo Ultra Tourbillon

LEVEL 1, JEWEL COURT
714.751.7833

Thin is always in at Bvlgari, which once again set a record with the latest debut from its Octo collection, crafting a manually wound tourbillon style that’s only 1.85 millimeters thick. Limited to just 20 pieces, the Octo Finissimo Ultra Tourbillon indeed sets a new record for a tourbillon watch, a mesmerizing piece to see in person, marveling not only at the handcraft that goes into such a profoundly thin timepiece, but also the ingenuity required to add a tourbillon that runs so smoothly within such a sleek environment. Fold in a case and bracelet crafted in titanium, and it’s easy to be dazzled by this ultra-light, ultra-thin wonder of a watch.

CHOPARD

Alpine Eagle 41 XP CS Platinum

LEVEL 2, JEWEL COURT
714.432.0963

Two Watches & Wonders trends can be seen in the latest Alpine Eagle by Chopard: an ombré dial and a case and bracelet in platinum, increasingly a sought-after metal across the watch spectrum, as evidenced in its use on this sporty timepiece. The 41mm case houses the “Shades of Ice” blue dial crafted in a pattern inspired by the iris of an eagle’s eye. This boutique-exclusive watch features a self-winding mechanical movement and a power reserve of approximately 60 hours. 

PANERAI

Luminor Perpetual Calendar GMT Platinumtech

LEVEL 2, Carousel Court
714.481.7188

GMT and perpetual calendar functions are wonderfully easy to read on the Panerai Luminor Perpetual Calendar GMT Platinumtech, which also allows the time to take center stage on this automatic timepiece. That’s also because the month, year and leap-year indicators have been moved to the back of the case, while the am/pm subdial also doubles as a 24-hour subdial. The result: complications that are divinely simple. The update to this piece, which launched in 2022, is the 44mm case in Panerai’s proprietary Platinumtech alloy, which the brand notes is harder and more scratch-resistant than traditional platinum finishes. 

Rolex | Tourneau Bucherer

Land-Dweller

LEVEL 1, Between Jewel and Carousel Courts
714.241.8088

It’s big news when Rolex releases a new model, and even if that hadn’t already been the buzz at Watches & Wonders, the appearance of Roger Federer, a longtime Rolex ambassador, was enough to cause palpitations among fans of the brand. You’re meant to think of the Sky-Dweller when you hear the name of Rolex’s new release, the Land-Dweller, but that’s where the similarities end. The piece takes its shape from a model released in 1975, but 50 years later, this Land-Dweller is all new, sleek and supple and sitting beautifully on the wrist, courtesy of the thin case and Flat Jubilee bracelet. 

The honeycomb pattern on the dial is offset nicely by the signature Rolex fluted bezel, while an exhibition caseback has been included to showcase a new, patented escapement that became the talk of all the watch nerds in Geneva — that’s a compliment, in case it’s not clear — because it’s about improving accuracy even further on one of the world’s most accurate timepieces.

Tudor | Tourneau Bucherer

Black Bay Chrono

LEVEL 2, Carousel Court
657.467.6264

A new turquoise dial on the latest Tudor Black Bay Chrono continues the dominance of blue and green hues among Watch & Wonders debuts, and for this brand has been dubbed “Flamingo Blue,” with styling meant to evoke thoughts of Miami’s famed South Beach district. Housed in a 41mm steel case, the turquoise dial on this self-winding piece is offset with black chronograph subdials and a date window at 6 o’clock, all surrounded by a black bezel with tachymetric scale. 

PIAGET

Polo 79 Watch

LEVEL 2, Carousel Court
714.361.2020

The Piaget stand at Watches & Wonders celebrated the ultra-glam jewelry and watch designs that made the house a status symbol in the 1970s, and that includes one iconic timepiece, the Piaget Polo. Back then Yves Piaget set out to design a perfect bracelet watch, and the fact that we can appreciate its modern update today proves that he succeeded nicely. The automatic Piaget Polo 79 has been upsized from its original styling, now available in a 38mm case vs. the 34mm case of its predecessor. But it’s the graphic horizontal styling and the seamless integration of dial, case, bracelet and invisible clasp that make this piece a true beauty.

MONTBLANC

1858 Geosphere 0 Oxygen Mount Vinson Limited Edition

LEVEL 2, JEWEL COURT
714.424.5270

All shades of green and blue topped the list of most popular colors at Watches & Wonders, and at Montblanc, that decision was a nod to the colors of the glacial ice you’ll encounter on Mont Blanc, the highest mountain in the Alps and, of course, the heart of every Montblanc inspiration. This 1858 Geosphere was designed to honor mountain climber Reinhold Messner’s 1986 ascent of Mount Vinson, and with the year in mind, it’s limited to 986 pieces. Crafted to be devoid of oxygen, the 43.5mm case houses an automatic movement and highlights rotating Northern and Southern Hemisphere globes, day and night indicators, dual time display, a 24-hour scale, and date, all on a blue-green rubber strap.

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