Fratello Favorites: The Best Watches And Wonders 2025 Releases — Daan’s Picks From Cartier, Rolex, Nomos, And More

Last week was the second time I attended Watches and Wonders Geneva, and it was almost just as impressive as the first. Palexpo is still an immense venue, and the booths make it look like you’re in a shopping center full of huge luxury watch boutiques. It also still amazes me how many people are involved in the watch industry, and during that week, many of them were there. Of course, we were there for the watches, and luckily, there were plenty. If I look at my favorites, it seems it wasn’t a revolutionary year for releases because most of them are new variations of existing models. Thankfully, that doesn’t make them any less enjoyable to look at and dream about.

My visit to Watches and Wonders Geneva confirms what I’ve always told myself: you can’t judge a watch until you’ve seen it in person and tried it on your wrist. Of course, we knew what was coming from many brands as we had received press releases under embargo for most of the new releases. For example, I was excited upfront about Nomos’s new Worldtimer but wasn’t sure how it was going to fit my wrist. Also, TAG Heuer’s Formula 1 re-edition looked very promising on paper, but I knew I’d have to check out the size and color combinations for myself. Both of these watches made it onto my list of favorites below. But there are also a few surprises there that I didn’t know about or wasn’t too excited about in advance. Let’s jump in.

The Nomos Club Sport Neomatik Worldtimer

I wrote the introduction article for the new Nomos Club Sport Neomatik Worldtimer. As soon as Nacho sent me the press release, I knew it was going to be a winner. Nomos’s sportier Club collection speaks to me, and adding the world-time complication and the brand’s playful colors to it truly makes it sing. I had one big reservation, though: Nomos watches often have a fairly long lug-to-lug length relative to their case sizes. That’s why I sent the brand an email in preparation for writing the intro article and asked for the lug-to-lug measurement, which wasn’t mentioned in the press release. The answer was 48mm, which sounded very reasonable in combination with the 40mm diameter.

After trying it on at the Nomos booth, I’m glad to confirm that this is indeed a very wearable 40mm Club Sport. I’ve also always been a fan of Nomos’s Zürich Worldtimer, but because of its longer and straighter lugs, that never seemed like a realistic option for me. The new Club Sport Neomatik Worldtimer is more compact, and the different colors on the dial help make it seem a little smaller than it is. The action on the 2 o’clock pusher is super smooth and makes the city ring rotate with satisfying clicks. Now you just have to make the right decision about which color to choose. I heard the limited-edition Glacier version is very popular, so be quick if that’s your favorite. All in all, I think Nomos did a terrific job here and created a stunning watch, especially for its €3,940 price.

The TAG Heuer Formula 1 Solargraph

TAG Heuer only shared its press releases with us in the last week before Watches and Wonders, but we sure got excited when we scrolled through the different versions in the new Formula 1 Solargraph collection. Of course, these are re-editions of the 1986 originals. That was the same year I was born, so I didn’t experience the original collection in person. Still, I was very much looking forward to going hands-on with the new versions in Geneva. I’m a fan of solar-powered watches in general, and these colorful designs looked like they’d be a lot of fun on the wrist.

My favorite turned out to be the slightly more modest non-limited bead-blasted stainless steel version with the white dial and red accents. I also quite like it on the black rubber strap. In person, these watches have a very universal size and a quirky case. Plus, they feel rather solid. I think this collection is a great answer to the success of the MoonSwatch. Besides, these watches feel a lot sturdier and will probably stand the test of time a lot better than their Swatch counterparts. They’re also quite a bit more expensive at €1,750–1,850, but looking at TAG Heuer’s portfolio and the quality offered, I think that’s fair.

The Hermès Cut Le Temps Suspendu

Hermès was one of the brands that didn’t share any information with us upfront. Last year marked the introduction of the 36mm Cut, which I liked quite a bit. This year, the French maison reintroduced its Le Temps Suspendu complication from 2011 and put it in 42mm Arceau and 39mm Cut models. I was especially attracted to that new size for the Cut. It makes the watch feel less petite. Some said that the 36mm version felt a bit too feminine. I’m glad to say that the bigger Cut can very well hold its own.

The Le Temps Suspendu version of the Cut comes only in rose gold and costs no less than €28,000 with a rubber strap and €43,000 with a bracelet. That’s a bit much for my writer’s salary, but I can’t wait to see what’s next for the Cut. The prices for the 36mm Cut in stainless steel start at €5,400. I can imagine a 39mm time-only version in stainless steel shouldn’t cost much more than that, right? I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.

The Rolex Perpetual 1908 on the new Settimo bracelet

I was there at Watches and Wonders two years ago when Rolex introduced the new Perpetual 1908. Considering it’s a dress watch, the 39mm size is a bit intimidating for my 17cm wrist. However, it certainly doesn’t look completely out of place. This year, there were rumors that a new 1908 model was on its way. In the end, Rolex introduced a completely new bracelet for the yellow gold 1908 models.

It’s called the Settimo bracelet because it consists of seven rows of links, with five rows of smaller ones in the center and a row of larger links on each side. The bracelet features a completely polished finish and Rolex’s magnificent concealed Crownclasp. The end links aren’t fully integrated, which makes the 1908 still feel light and elegant instead of turning it into a full-on sports watch. It does, however, make the 1908 feel like a more complete package. The bracelet also feels very supple and smooth on the wrist. As you probably know, Rolex bracelets are some of the best in the industry, and the new yellow gold Settimo bracelet is no exception. The Rolex Perpetual 1908 on the Settimo bracelet costs €36,200. The same watch on a leather strap costs €25,550.

The Cartier Tank Louis Cartier in platinum

This next one was a nice surprise. We got some information on the Cartier releases upfront, but this Tank Must in a medium-sized platinum case wasn’t in there. There’s also a version in yellow gold. However, I prefer the platinum one because there’s more contrast between the color of the case and the dark gray sunburst dial. Both versions feature a slightly enhanced sunburst finish. This means that the texture is more pronounced and less flat than on more conventional sunburst dials. It’s a very subtle but noticeable difference, and it makes the dial even more interesting to look at. I’d swap out the gray alligator strap for something a little more daring, though, like nubuck.

This Cartier Tank Must comes with the maison’s hand-wound movement 1917 MC. The price for the new Cartier Tank Must in platinum is €17,200. The yellow gold version costs less at €12,300.

The Christiaan van der Klaauw Grand Planetarium Eccentric Meteorite

Then, for something completely different, we turn to Christiaan van der Klaauw and the magnificent Grand Planetarium. In itself, this watch is already very impressive. It shows you a miniature representation of the infinite space around us, right there on your wrist. Christiaan van der Klaauw proudly presented the watch in platinum and rose gold last year for the brand’s 50th anniversary. However, at Watches and Wonders last week, CEO Pim Koeslag showed me a version with a case made of meteorite. This has been done before, but it suits the theme of this watch so well.

Luckily, I bumped into Morgan Saignes, our former photographer here at Fratello, and asked him if he could take some quick shots. Well, he delivered, of course, so I just had to include this watch in my favorites. Don’t worry, I’ll also do a more in-depth article on this impressive watch because it most definitely deserves it. The texture on the meteorite case is out of this world, and it’s such a bright material as well. Only three will be made…if the brand can find enough high-quality meteorite, that is. They’ll cost €580,000 (ex. VAT) each.

Final thoughts

Well, that about wraps up my favorite Watches and Wonders 2025 releases. Oh, and I almost forgot, I also quickly walked over to the villa where Time to Watches took place that very same week and I saw the all-new Fears Arnos in person. What a great little watch that is, and I can’t wait to see which other dial configurations Nicholas Bowman-Scargill comes up with in the future. All right, that’s it. Let me know in the comments below what you think of these watches and what your favorites were.