The Best Watches of 2025

The jury may still be out on the benefits of aging, but maturing is undoubtedly a good thing. With maturity comes wisdom, refinement, and confidence in one’s taste, whatever that may be. This year’s best watches don’t just reflect the wide-ranging tastes of watch enthusiasts, but a growing maturity as well. Where just a few years ago the addition of a robin’s egg blue dial was enough to send the watch world into a frenzy, this year’s most covetable offerings — of which there were certainly too many to list here — are distinguished by craftsmanship, creativity, and nuance. These are some of our favourites.

Best New Movement: Rolex Land-Dweller

“The Land-Dweller’s calibre 7135 with Dynapulse escapement is a huge leap forward in horology at an industrial scale — an area of watchmaking that no brand does better than Rolex. To collectors, this matters, of course, but the end product itself is even more compelling as a thin, integrated bracelet, steel sports watch from Rolex. This is something we haven’t seen in decades and ultimately exactly what enthusiasts are most interested in.” ($19,400 as shown)

— GEOFF HESS, global head of watches at Sotheby’s and founder of Rolliefest

Best Dial Detail: Citizen The Citizen AQ4100-22A

“I love Citizen’s entry-level pieces as much as the next guy, but the brand’s The CITIZEN lineup shows a capability to create watches with an impressive level of refinement and depth. This one features a dial that uses Japanese washi paper and hand-applied platinum leaf to create the effect of freshly fallen snow from a scene described in The Pillow Book, an 11th-century Japanese poetry collection. Needless to say, in addition to being beautiful to look at, there’s a lot more going on here than meets the eye.” ($4,795)

— JEREMY FREED, watch editor of SHARP

Best in Monochrome: BVLGARI OCTO FINISSIMO 

“To the uninformed, BVLGARI is a fashion watch brand. To collectors, they’re some of the finest watch making of the modern era. Only an exceptional manufacturer can produce the world’s thinnest mechanical watches and only BVLGARI could do it in a timelessly stylish, yet distinctive and unique case. When you’re done working through the usual suspects, consider the skill and style of an Octo Finissimo, maybe in the mirrored finish or a nice, skeletonized gold piece.” ($63,000)

— MICHAEL LA FAVE, chief creative officer of SHARP

Best IYKYK Moment: Vacheron Constantin Overseas Perpetual Calendar Ultra-Thin

“Vacheron Constantin remains at the forefront of “quiet luxury” — the type of watch someone buys later in their watch collecting journey, not as the first luxury watch, and outside of the “hype watch” arena. The Overseas Perpetual Calendar Ultra-Thin comes in at just a svelte 8.1 mm, a remarkable achievement for an integrated bracelet sport watch. Perpetual calendars are one of the “if you know, you know” complications, and are impressive to any serious watch collector.” ($160,000)

— ERIC WIND, founder of Wind Vintage

Most Unexpected Twist on a Classic: Cartier Tank À Guichets

“I most recently saw one of my favourite menswear designers, Aaron Levine, rock the Cartier Tank à Guichets. It’s a design that makes a lot of sense for anyone (myself included) who stirs more classic with their day-to-day wardrobe, focusing on timeless accessories with unique details to add an element of surprise. There is something tastefully off-kilter about the Cartier Tank à Guichets, and it’s no surprise this Art Deco-era style is resonating with an entirely new generation in search of a collectible that is far from basic. Powered by the hand wound 9755 MC movement — especially designed for the Cartier Tank à Guichets – the new iterations include the reimagined 1928 design, alongside a limited platinum style that is modelled after a 1930s design, featuring two apertures positioned on an angle. The latter is limited to 200 pieces — you can guess which one I’m vying for.” (Price upon request)

— SAHAR NOORAEI, editorial and creative director of SHARP

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