My Favourite Picks From Watches And Wonders 2025

It's been a minute since I've put pen to paper, or rather fingers to keyboard. And what better way to get the juices flowing than to systematically pick out my personal and completely subjective favourite picks of Watches and Wonders 2025. I know -- this is a completely nuanced subject, but regardless, I do feel as though there is still some time left to impart a thought or two on the highlights of the show.

The easy answer would be to say my favourite release was Vacheron Constantin's now record-breaking 41-complication-comprising Solaria, or A. Lange & Söhne's Minute Repeater Perpetual, or maybe Patek Philippe's 5308G-001 Quadruple Complication, or even Jaeger-LeCoultre's Reverso Tribute Minute Repeater. Or even the internet-breaking Cartier Tank à Guichet. 

Instead, and very much unlike my usual personal preference to pick the most obscenely complicated watches released, I'm going to take the route of conservatism. In the sense that while many of these watches are far beyond my very modest means, they can still be seen as somewhat attainable and therefore even more so considerable. 

Okay, let's get into it.

Patek Philippe 6196P Calatrava

The 6196P Calatrava was the easiest pick of the bunch. There is this inimitable feeling of "Yes!" when I look at this piece. Perhaps Patek Philippe is going to revisit its more foundational, or shall we say grass-roots references. The 6196P is charatestically very different to what we've seen from Patek in the last decade. Plenty of vintage nods to appease Patek diehards. But also an abundance of modern touches and genuine technical improvements, too. This is the kind of watch that Patek Philippe could really rest its laurels on, and in its entirety the 6196P just sublime. 

The Patek Philippe 6196P Calatrava is priced at AUD75,900.

PATEK PHILIPPE

Rolex 1908 'Settimo'

Hats off to Rolex with the Land-Dweller. Although, I am less inclined to applaud its aesthetic and more to tip my hat at the new calibre 7135 and its new Dynapulse escapement (which reportedly took Rolex 10 years to develop and is made entirely in-house). The 1908 'Settimo' does it for me. We're talking less about the watch and more about the band, I get it. But that seven-link yellow gold bracelet is a masterpiece and works seamlessly with the look of the 1908. A genuine delight and an absolute pleasure to look at. 

The Rolex 1908 'Settimo' is priced at AUD56,700.

ROLEX

Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Geographic

The Reverso Tribute Geographic just edged out the fantastically complicated Reverso Tribute Minute Repeater and the equally as beautiful Reverso Tribute Monoface with its distinctive milanese gold mesh bracelet. It boasts a patented Grande Date (a first for the Reverso) along with a world time complication on the reverse side. The artistry here is incredible -- polished silver continents set against a hand-lacquered blue ocean and the cities' names engraved into the 'dial', beautiful stuff. And rather ingeniously easy to operate, with a sliding pusher that sets the World Time. 

The Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Geographic is priced at AUD34,200.

JAEGER-LECOULTRE

Parmigiani Fleurier Toric Quantième Perpétuel

To say that the Parmigiani Fleurier Toric Quantième Perpétuel is anything but spectacular is to do it an injustice of the highest order. In platinum, the Parmigiani Fleurier Toric Quantième Perpétuel just sings. And the song it sings is one of balance, restraint, excellence and a meticulous eye for the finest of finishings. The dial is gorgeous, the movement is just exquisite. Parmigiani Fleurier really did dot the 'i's' and crossed the 't's' with Toric Quantième Perpétuel. A supreme exercise of watchmaking mastery. 

The Parmigiani Fleurier Toric Quantième Perpétuel is priced at CHF92,000.

PARMIGIANI FLEURIER

Chopard L.U.C Quattro Mark IV

Picking the L.U.C Quattro Mark IV over the Alpine Eagle 41 XP CS Platinum was tougher than I had initially thought it would be. As a professed fan of highly technical movements that are as equally as beautifully finished, then picking the L.U.C Quattro Mark IV was an absolute no brainer. I could wax lyrical about the innate qualities of the L.U.C Quattro Mark IV, but purely from a subjective perspective as a genuine Chopard fanboy, the Geneva Seal L.U.C Quattro Mark IV is just about as perfect as a watch could be. 

The Chopard L.U.C Quattro Mark IV is priced at AUD63,000.

CHOPARD

IWC Ingenieur Perpetual Calendar 41

IWC's Ingenieur Perpetual Calendar 41 came in as a very unexpected but very welcomed addition to the ever-expanding Ingenieur collection. A wearable perpetual calendar is what everyone wants, and one powered by the genius that is Kurt Klaus is always going to be high up on any true watch fan's list, mine included. Couple that with the delightfully wearable case structure of the Ingenieur and what you have is a bona fide winner for the maison. Looking forward to seeing how far IWC can push the Ingenieur line.

The IWC Ingenieur Perpetual Calendar 41 is priced at AUD57,000.

IWC