The recently concluded fourth edition of Watches and Wonders (formerly Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie), an annual fair that showcases luxury watches by top brands witnessed a record attendance of over 55,000 visitors, including 1,600 journalists. Held in early April in Geneva, at Palexpo, a 77,000-square-metre convention centre near the airport, the event hosted nearly 60 watch brands, including Bvlgari, which made an impressive debut with a 1,000-square-metre booth.
Last year, the watch industry observed a fall of 3% in luxury watch sales after two stupendous years of growth led by post pandemic revenge buying. Things are coming to normalcy with Rolex, Audemars Piguet, Richard Mille, Patek Philippe products making their way to the stores and those crazy premiums softening.
Last year’s blip failed to make brands cautious. In fact, there were more gold watch cases and bracelets, clearly showing luxury watch brands opting to be aggressive to grow again in 2025. The celebrity appearances continued unabated — sportspersons Carl Lewis and Usain Bolt, and French chefs Anne-Sophie Pic and Yannick Alléno for Hublot; actor Simone Ashley and musician Hans Zimmer at the IWC Schaffhausen booth, and ace tennis player Roger Federer at Rolex. The biggest launch at the fair was clearly the Land-Dweller, a new line by Rolex since the Sky-Dweller in 2012.
Only one thing dampened the mood of the exhibiting brands — the sudden announcement of 31% tariff on Swiss exports to the US, as announced by President Trump. With US being the key market for the Swiss watches for the past three years, the concern was genuine. The action on tariffs will continue to play out in the coming days and shape the business in the short and long timelines.
Choosing the best six launches, like we do every year, is a tough ask. And we keep it simple, the watches that touched our hearts and not merely chased records to be the best. Also, we believe diversity within this list; from expensive to reasonable, for the men and the women, technical as well as artistic is important.
Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Minute Repeater
The new Reverso Tribute Minute Repeater is powered by a brand new movement, Calibre 953
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It’s a clearly the year of the Reverso for Jaeger-LeCoultre. Amongst the multiple Reverso watches launched, the Tribute Minute Repeater is the grandest of the complications in the rectangular iconic dual face case of the Reverso. It is a limited edition of 30 pieces only.
Born in the polo fields of Rajasthan in 1931, India has a special relationship with the Reverso. Jaeger-LeCoultre introduced high complications in Reverso in 1994 with its first Reverso Minute Repeater, fitted with the maison’s first rectangular minute repeater movement.
The new Reverso Tribute Minute Repeater is powered by a brand new movement, Calibre 953, which incorporates the seven existing patents that Reverso holds and now comes with an enhanced power reserve of 48 hours. The watch is distinguished by a newly designed enamel dials. Both dials however are very different in character. The front dial showcases a radiant hand-guilloché barley-seed pattern that creates an optical illusion of movement as it allows catching of the light from different angles. The guillochage is elevated by multiple layers of grand feu enamel in a new teal blue colour. The reverse dial is open-worked, revealing the complex functioning of the repeater and display of moving parts when the chiming is activated.
Price: ₹3.07 crore
Bvlgari Octo Finissimo Ultra Tourbillon
Bvlgari’s new Octo Finissimo Ultra Tourbillon is now the thinnest tourbillon watch ever
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Setting its 10th world record for ultra-thin watchmaking in almost as many years, Bvlgari integrates a skeleton tourbillon into the movement of a watch that measures only 1.85 mm in thickness. The Octo Finissimo Tourbillon launched the brand’s pursuit of extreme thinness in 2014, setting in motion a decade-long journey that has led to 60 international awards, including the prestigious Geneva Watchmaking Grand Prix Aiguille d’Or.
With this timepiece, Bvlgari has created striking contrasts through diverse decorative techniques applied to key visible components: the polished slope of the bezel flange, the rhodium-plated tourbillon balance, and the sunburst finished rhodium-plated tourbillon bridge.
Bvlgari’s new Octo Finissimo Ultra Tourbillon is now the thinnest tourbillon watch ever. It is powered by the Bvlgari BVF 900 tourbillon calibre. This manually wound mechanical movement beats at an impressive 28,800 vibrations per hour (4 Hz) and offers a 42-hour power reserve.
Price: ₹8 crore; €800,000 (approximately)
Grand Seiko Spring Drive UFA
The automatic UFA movement has an astounding annual accuracy rate of ±20 seconds
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The iconic Spring Drive movement started in the late 1970s, with an aim to seamlessly blend the traditional energy of a mainspring with state-of-the-art electronic watchmaking capabilities. In 2004, Grand Seiko introduced the Spring Drive calibre 9R65, which paired automatic winding and 72 hours of power reserve with a monthly accuracy of ±15 seconds, setting a new standard among movements powered by a mainspring.
Today, this legacy of accuracy in watchmaking reaches new heights with the announcement of the Spring Drive Calibre 9RB2, which receives the new UFA or “Ultra Fine Accuracy” designation. It changes the narrative of precision timekeeping by measuring accuracy over a year. The automatic UFA movement has an astounding annual accuracy rate of ±20 seconds, making it the most accurate wristwatch movement powered by a mainspring today. Thanks to the movement’s compact design, the new watches have a case diameter of just 37mm, making them the smallest models powered by the 9R series to date.
Price: ₹10 lakh
Hermès Cut Le Temps Suspendu
Hermès has redesigned this singular complication on two models
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Time suspended, a playful expression of Hermès time, first introduced by the brand in 2011, returns with new expressions.
Hermès has redesigned this singular complication on two models, the Arceau and for the first time, in the Hermès Cut collection. Launched last year, the Hermès Cut collection is now endowed with the brand’s iconic complication. The Manufacture Hermès H1912 movement fitted with the time suspended module powers the 39 mm rose gold case of Hermès Cut, known for its sharp lines and bold geometry.
At the press of a button, the hour and the minute hands move into V shape surrounding the 12 o’ clock numeral, removing the distraction of time. And a second press restores them to the current time.
Available in several versions, the Hermès Cut Le Temps Suspendu watch is designed to disrupt for being bold, quirky and innovative.
Price: The Hermès Cut Le Temps Suspendu in rose gold with a silver or red dial costs approximately €28,000 (₹28 lakh) with the rubber strap and €43,000 (₹43 lakh) with the rose gold bracelet.
Cartier Tressage
On this watch, two twists of gold and diamonds surround a rectangular dial paved with snow-set diamonds
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Cartier dazzles us with the Tressage playing with precious metals like gold, diamonds and stones, to allow a dynamic interplay of textures and colours that evoke sensuality. Drawing inspirations from its own repertoire of beautiful watches from Maillon, Coussin and Reflection collections, the Tressage is creative and precious to the core.
On this watch, two twists of gold and diamonds surround a rectangular dial paved with snow-set diamonds. On one side, the smooth roundness of yellow gold alternates with pavé diamonds, while on the other, the bold, sharp lines of vertical brancards provide sharp contrast. The shiny leather strap continues this interplay of materials.
In one version, featuring a deep blue strap, the twists and dial are paved with snow-set diamonds. Through these creations, Cartier honours the legacy of Jeanne Toussaint, the first female creative director at Cartier, appointed in 1933.
Price: ₹1.34 crore
Rolex Land-Dweller
Oyster Perpetual Land-Dweller 40
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Florian Joye
A new line by the biggest watchmaker in the world, after 13 long years, is a big deal. The Land-Dweller has a pathbreaking movement inside an integrated bracelet model with a honeycomb dial. Rolex introduces the calibre 7135, thinner than the majority of the brand’s movements, operates at a high frequency of 5Hz, delivering the highest quality performance.
Calibre 7135’s Dynapulse escapement is a revolutionary alternative to the traditional Swiss lever escapement. In this sequential distribution escapement, energy is transmitted by rolling where a transmission wheel, connected to the barrel, drives two uniquely designed distribution wheels, which in turn activate an impulse rocker that keeps the balance wheel oscillating. The Dynapulse escapement is extremely lightweight, unaffected to magnetic fields and more energy-efficient than a traditional escapement due to use of silicon components and an innovative architecture.
The gold and steel models have a satin finish over the intense white colour and the platinum edition has a sunray finish over its ice blue dial. On the index hour markers, the luminescent material extends the full length of the element. The distinctive hands, specially created for this watch, are perfectly rectilinear.
Price of 40-mm watch: ₹13.42 lakh for steel, ₹41.47 lakh for Everose gold and ₹56.11 lakh for platinum
Published – April 11, 2025 04:00 pm IST
