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The Old Razzle-Dazzle

Watches & Wonders 2025 was all about the spectacle. And why not?

If Watches & Wonders 2024 was all about America’s Cup boats, 2025 was the year of the F1 car. On the IWC stand it appeared smashed and smoking – an actual crashed car from Brad Pitt’s summer blockbuster, F1. TAG Heuer went for a more traditional approach, giving it some stand space, while Tudor opted for suspending it, so passers-by could admire its chassis. If this had a message, it was that, for some brands at least, quiet luxury is out, and excess is in.

Simone Ashley, co-star in the F1 movie, and IWC Schaffhausen CEO, Chris Grainger-Herrat, at Watches & Wonders Geneva 2025.

Some context – in December 2024, Sean Monahan, founder of trend-forecasting group K-HOLE and the man who gave the world the terms “normcore” and “vibe shift”, decreed, in his Substack newsletter wittily titled “8Ball”, that for 2025, logo-less Brunello Cucinelli baseball caps were out, now it’s all about the “boom, boom”. Monahan described this as an “aesthetic [that] plays with the muscular patriotism of Americana”. It summons the animal spirits: performance and profit.” In reality, that meant real fur…

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Go ahead and jump!

The fall and rise of the “wandering hours” complication

We tend to think of digital watches as a purely 70s phenomenon, the logical next step after the introduction of quartz at the beginning of the decade, the last stop before the future arrived – or at least that’s how I felt when I first strapped on my Texas Instruments LED (finished in leather-effect plastic […]

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Patek Philippe at Watches and Wonders 2025

Tradition, transformed

Every year at Watches & Wonders Patek Philippe dazzles with its new releases. At the 2025 edition of the fair, the Geneva-based watchmaking powerhouse launched a series of pieces sure to delight even the most demanding of its clients. Among the new 15 references there was an exceptional new Calatrava model and an intricate Quadruple […]

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Vertex M36 Armistice Day Limited Edition

A horological homage to Remembrance Day

Following the success of the M36, launched earlier this year to commemorate the 80th Anniversary of D-Day, Vertex has launched the M36 Armistice Day Limited Edition. Only nine of these watches are available, made in bronze with a burgundy dial, and all proceeds are going to the Royal British Legion. One of the “Dirty Dozen”, […]

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ZERO S MOTORCYCLE

Let’s have some serious electrifying fun

Founded by a former NASA engineer, Zero Motorcycles was born to push the boundaries of technology and design. Like many great ideas, it all started in a garage, with the intention of transforming the riding experience on an electric bike. Zero has changed the narrative for good. Electric riding is no longer the domain of […]

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Richard Mille RM 65-01 McLaren W1

Pushing the boundaries of horological engineering

The Richard Mille RM065-01 McLaren W1 represents the fourth collaboration between the famed watch brand and McLaren Automotive, launched in conjunction with the presentation of the luxury marque’s third “1” supercar, the W1. After the first McLaren road car – the F1 – launched in 1993, the automotive manufacturer waited another two decades to deliver its first […]

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Hublot Spirit of Big Bang Tourbillon SORAI

Talking to Kevin Pietersen about the limited time to save the rhino

Hublot’s commitment to conservation continues with another watch designed and made for SORAI (Save Our Rhinos Africa and India), an organisation set up by former England cricketer and brand ambassador Kevin Pietersen. This is the fourth limited edition watch to come out of the partnership that looks to add funds to help preserve the species and […]

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Urwerk EMC SR-71 “Blackbird”

Stealth haute horlogerie

The new Urwerk EMC SR-71 “Blackbird” released just before Geneva Watch Days 2024 is one more example of why the brand holds such a unique place in the luxury watch industry. It combines traditional watchmaking with notably different and futuristic designs. Often extravagant in terms of mechanics, materials and shapes, Urwerk timepieces have a certain […]

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Daniel Roth Tourbillon Rose Gold

The next chapter of the revival

After the success of the Daniel Roth Tourbillon Souscription earlier this year, La Fabrique du Temps presented at Geneva Watch Days 2024 a new interpretation, the Daniel Roth Tourbillon Rose Gold. Made under the expert direction of Michel Navas and Enrico Barbasini – long-time friends of Daniel Roth and founders of La Fabrique du Temp – […]

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Geneva Watch Days 2024

An edition marked by collaborations and sophisticated variations

Against the backdrop of Lake Leman and in sweltering weather, once again watch lovers from all over the world came together at Geneva Watch Days 2024 (GWD). Mostly populated by independent and micro brands, this year we saw mostly either sophisticated interpretations of models in existing collections or ingenious collaborations. In terms of themes, there […]

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Tissot PRX UFO Robot Grendizer

The classic manga hero robot from the 1970s now on your wrist

As we approach the 50th birthday of Grendizer, Tissot has launched the PRX UFO Robot Grendizer. This special edition watch pays homage to possibly the most iconic manga robot that has ever existed. Created by Japanese manga artist and author Kiyoshi Nagai (pen name, Go Nagai) Grendizer and his pilot, Koji Kabuto, lead the war […]

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Rolls-Royce Phantom Scintilla

The Grace of the Spirit of Ecstasy herself

Rolls-Royce Phantom Scintilla is a goddess car. Taking its name from the Latin word for ‘spark’, ten of them are being produced, evoking the grace of the Spirit of Ecstasy herself. This extended-wheelbase homage has been one of the company’s most challenging undertakings in terms of its craftsmanship, with its embroidered interior featuring 869,500 stitches. […]