The Most Important Watches Of 2025

2025 was a year of significant and important releases that ran the gamut within the world of watchmaking. We saw a brand new collection from Rolex with the Land-Dweller, Grand Seiko released their Ultra Fine Accuracy movement, and Breguet capped off a year of reinvention with their first R&D piece in the Expérimentale 1. And, of course, there were some honorable mentions from Cartier and Zenith that were unanimously agreed upon to be added to the list. So, without further ado here are our most important watches of 2025.

[toc-section heading="Rolex Land-Dweller"]

Rarely is there a year where industry consensus builds around a single watch with such clarity and I think that it is fair to say that the Land-Dweller is that watch for 2025. This watch means a little more to us here because we had the chance to see the watch before basically anyone outside of Rolex meaning that our initial reactions and initial thoughts were able to be formed without external interference or unconscious influence. The Land-Dweller is Rolex’s first new collection since the Sky-Dweller, and for those that don’t know, when the Crown creates a new collection, it’s a really big deal. The watch exists as a sort of luxe bridge between the Datejust and the Day-Date. It evokes the integrated styling of the Oysterquartz of yesteryear while also filling an integrated void that just about every other watch brand on the planet has filled. We see the brand utilizing dial texture, a new form of bezel fluting, and a new applied numeral styling in models sized at both 36mm and 40mm.

But the big news is the movement inside, which has been built effectively from the ground up around the Dynapulse escapement system (read all about it here, and watch all about it here).  The Caliber 7135 represents Rolex’s first use of a high-beat 5Hz movement and is essentially the brand’s version of a natural escapement – oh, and it is presented through an exhibition caseback. Watch our full review and read our article about the Land-Dweller for the full rundown and you’ll see just how significant a release this was this year.

[toc-section heading="Grand Seiko UFA"]

The Grand Seiko UFA (Ultra-Fine Accuracy) movement was the logical evolution of their revolutionary Spring Drive technology and it certainly earned a place amongst the most important watches of the year. It is the most accurate watch movement that uses a mainspring, coming in at a remarkable accuracy of +-20 seconds per year. The UFA 9RB2 movement is really an extension of the 9RA5 and 9RA2 calibers but takes some things further while throttling some others. Yes, the power reserve indicator is still on the back. By going from two barrels to one barrel (taking the power reserve down from 5 days to a still-solid 3 days), Grand Seiko was able to make the movement significantly smaller.

Among other developments, Grand Seiko utilizes a more easily serviceable quartz oscillator here, which makes for a remarkably high-accuracy watch. Additionally, while in most previous Spring Drive movements the integrated circuit (IC) wasn’t visible due to its sensitivity to the elements, in the 9RB2 the IC is right on display. The movement is also finished to the standards of Grand Seiko, with frosting throughout as well as beveled edges and black polished screws. Finally there’s a new bracelet with an easy-to-use micro-adjust clasp, something people have long been clamoring for.

[toc-section heading="Breguet Experimentale 1"]

One of the central tenets of watch knowledge is the age-old advice that watch movements and magnetism simply do not get along, and that magnets should be kept as far away from mechanical timepieces as possible. But leave it to Breguet, founded by the legendary 18th-century watchmaker who challenged conventional wisdom throughout his immensely impactful life, to turn that adage on its head. The Breguet Expérimentale 1, unveiled in late 2025, ushered in the brand’s scientifically bold R&D line and represents the culmination of its year-long 250th anniversary celebration. It is also the first timepiece whose movement boasts both a high-frequency tourbillon (a nearly unprecedented 10 Hz) and an escapement that delivers constant force to the balance by means of magnetism — that’s right, the very force that has been known to wreak havoc on the performance of traditional mechanical movements for centuries.

Here’s basically how it works: two escape wheels, equipped with a magnetic track that has magnetic pallets beating at their center, generates a stable magnetic field that delivers controlled impulses to the balance with the aid of an intermediate stop wheel that prevents unwanted jumping. Many tourbillon components are non-magnetic (i.e., silicon, titanium, etc.) and the magnetic impulse function is decoupled from the rotations of the tourbillon cage, escape wheel, and the rest of the going train. In concert with the 10-Hz frequency (which dwarfs the 3-Hz and 4-Hz rates of most mechanical non-tourbillon movements), this experimental system also enables the balance to return more rapidly to its normal amplitude after encountering an impact. All of this avant-garde technology comes in a 43.5mm case Marine made of proprietary Breguet gold, with a sapphire regulator-style dial that allows a panoramic view of the movement. It’s also the first piece from the Breguet Marine collection with an interchangeable rubber strap. 

[toc-section heading="Honorable Mentions"][text-media heading="" text="Though they’ve been beaten out by some other heavyweights on this list, Cartier’s revival of its Tank a Guichets and Zenith’s celebratory launch of its GFJ have their respective places amongst the watch titans of 2025. First, the return of Cartier’s jumping hour was the brand’s most fawned-over release of the year, standing out amongst the typical Cartier design codes with its blocky, almost Brutalistic, metallic case and functionality pulled from the brand’s own history books." image="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0278/9723/3501/files/Cartier-Tank-a-Guichets-5.jpg" caption="" media="left"][text-media heading="" text=" As for the GFJ, Zenith resuscitated its iconic and groundbreaking Caliber 135 (which won over 230 chronometry awards in its time) in celebration of the brand’s 160th anniversary. It’s a tribute to a pivotal time not just in Zenith’s own history, but a pivotal moment in watchmaking itself, all packed in a distinctly dressy, Lapis Lazuli-adorned package." image="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0278/9723/3501/files/Zenith-GFJ.jpg" caption="" media="right"]