The 5 Biggest Watch Trends From Watches and Wonders 2025

The newest and most exciting timepiece creations were unveiled this week in Geneva, Switzerland, at the exclusive Watches and Wonders fair. On display were some of the most coveted designs and trends we have seen in years. Meeting with these heritage brands over the course of a few days, I saw the record-setting feats in person: the world’s thinnest mechanical watch at Bulgari, the watch with the most complications at Vacheron Constantin, and everything in between. From portrait-cut diamonds to Piagets, here are five watch trends to know in 2025.

On the heels of the Chinese Lunar New Year, it only makes sense that watch brands would be drawn to vibrant red hues that are sure to stand out on any wrist stack. From fashion to sport styles, red is definitely the color of the season.

Watches can be high jewelry creations, too—many are limited production or one-of-a-kind pieces. Van Cleef & Arpels presented the Ruban Mysterieux, a cuff made of snow set diamonds, emeralds, and blue sapphires with the dial set under a 3.72-carat portrait-cut diamond, while Hermès released the exquisite Maillon Libre Broche, which can be worn anywhere that you can clip it onto.

Many brands looked back to their house codes to create modern interpretations. Rolex released an updated yellow gold 1908 with a Settimo bracelet (which means it includes seven links on the bracelet), which echos the 1970s Cellini style, while Chanel’s J12 ceramic watch, which first launched in 2000 and was originally only available in black and white, was presented in Geneva for the first time in navy blue. I still love the black style with fuchsia accents, though.

Taking cues from recent runways, Swiss watchmakers such as Patek Philippe and Montblanc turned to neutral colorways for 2025. From khaki straps to beige dials, these pieces are both safari-ready and sartorially sound.

There’s always an element of artistry and storytelling in watchmaking, but brands at Watches and Wonders took it to the next level. At Vacheron Constantin, master artisans, expertly trained in engraving, enamel, and guilloche, created three single-piece edition timepieces paying homage to Tour de l’Île, a historic landmark in Geneva. Jaeger-LeCoultre, on the other hand, released 10 timepieces telling the Persian story of Shahnameh, complete with enamel miniature painting and grand feu enameling, which took 100 hours to complete per watch.