Fratello Favorites: The Best Watches And Wonders 2025 Releases — Gerard’s Picks From Grand Seiko, Tudor, And Rolex

With more than 55,000 visitors, Watches and Wonders 2025 saw the fair’s greatest attendance to date. In his closing press release, President Cyrille Vigneron proudly named it a must-attend professional event and a platform for watchmaking maisons to express their creativity. I agree, although, after 26 touch-and-try sessions, one discovers a pattern revealing that brand creativity is moving very much in the same direction. All brands are very proud, and many, if not all, found one reason or another to celebrate something.

The overall vibe at the show was very positive. Still, the lack of variation in presentation creativity meant we quickly lost focus on promotional videos emphasizing brands’ pride and celebrations. We came to touch and try the new watches. Only a few brands seem to realize this; Rolex, for instance, was one. I didn’t count how many watches I had on my wrist, but it must have been over a hundred. Surprisingly, it’s pretty easy to remember what watches did something for me when I had them on my wrist. And this year, they were the following models.

My favorite Watches and Wonders 2025 releases

As for the title of this article, “The Best” might be a bit confusing. Defining “good,” “better,” and “best” in watchland is already an impossible task, and who’s to say I should be the one to tell you? So my list contains the models that, once on my wrist, did “best” for me. I tried to choose watches I could even buy for my collection. Except for the first one, I think I succeeded. Enjoy, and don’t forget to let me know what you think of my choices in the comment section below the article.

Grand Seiko Tokyo Lion Tentagraph SLGC009

Nowadays, watches have to become smaller again, and I’m in favor of that. The Tokyo Lion Tentagraph, however, is a notable exception. With its 43mm diameter, 15.6mm thickness, and 50mm lug-to-lug, it’s a big boy. Although I generally favor smaller watches, this Tokyo Lion Tentagraph has precisely the dimensions it should have.

It is a brutal watch with a challenging case shape that should not be afraid to show off. We’ve been seeing more watches with bold, statement-making case shapes lately, and I’m a fan of most of them. Seiko showed us the new Vanac, Citizen presented the Series 8 model 831, and even microbrands like Papar and Toledano & Chan put their two cents in. Can we already speak of a trend?

Anyway, the Tokyo Lion Tentagraph immediately felt at home on my wrist. Usually, I’m not a big fan of rubber or silicon straps, but this watch’s rubber strap wears like a charm. In combination with the very acceptable weight of the Brilliant Hard Titanium case, the slightly curved case back, and the comfortably shaped folding clasp, the specially designed rubber strap ensures a good fit. Meanwhile, as we could expect, this Grand Seiko’s complex brown dial is an extraordinary visual feast. Finally, the chronograph pushers shouldn’t go unmentioned, just like the Tentagraph’s 9SC5 caliber. With 60 jewels, a frequency of 36,000 vibrations per hour, and three days of power reserve, it’s a state-of-the-art Grand Seiko movement. Unfortunately, although justified, the Grand Seiko Sport Collection Tokyo Lion Tentagraph SLGC009 has a recommended retail price of €17,500. You can find our introduction article about this and the other new Tentagraph model here.

Tudor Pelagos Ultra

I have never hidden my preference for overengineered diving watches. You might remember my articles on the Omega Seamaster Ultra Deep, the Oris Aquis Pro 4000M, or the Citizen Promaster 1000M. I agree they’re all pretty “useless” watches, but I like them anyway. I guess it has something to do with engineering that their makers took a few steps too far. With the new Tudor Pelagos Ultra, the overengineering is less apparent than the three models mentioned before. But I already liked the Pelagos models in Tudor’s lineup, specifically, the black-dial FXD often seen on my colleague Nacho’s wrist.

The new Pelagos Ultra isn’t much more than a step up from the ones already available. Would I buy the Ultra if I already owned a regular Pelagos? Probably not. But I don’t have a Pelagos in my collection yet because, in my opinion, they don’t differ enough from the many diving watches on the market. The Ultra could be the extra step needed to convince me. Despite its larger size, it still wears comfortably, and due to its heavier engineering, it’s irrational enough for me to love it. You can read our in-depth introduction to the €6,030 Tudor Pelagos Ultra here.

The Rolex Oyster Perpetual 36 in beige and thoughts on the Land-Dweller

It’s funny that I started this article by explaining that I favor watches becoming smaller and then listing two watches with a 43mm diameter. But now I have arrived at the smaller watches I favor. Of course, I found Rolex’s showstopping Land-Dweller impressive, especially with its new Dynapulse escapement. In the 36mm variation, I can envision it on my wrist but only after Rolex offers a more moderate dial design. A plain silver or black dial would do; I don’t need large numerals and a honeycomb texture, and many watch enthusiasts seem to agree. I love the Oyster-Quartz-inspired/related integrated bracelet and case, but I’ll stick with the vintage counterpart from my collection for now.

Unlike the Land-Deller, the new Rolex Oyster Perpetual 36 with a beige dial and an Oyster bracelet immediately felt at home on my wrist. Color- and size-wise, it is a perfect fit for me. Compared to other imaginative colors, like pistachio and lavender, beige might seem a bit bland. But that’s precisely what I like about the watch. It’s simple, plain, and straightforward; let’s call it quiet luxury. It has no date and is fitted with an uncomplicated Oyster bracelet and a dial with a subdued color. It’s precisely my kind of smaller watch. With reference number 126000 and a price of €6,400, it’s one of Rolex’s entry-level models.

Other memorable watches

As stated, I must have had more than a hundred watches on my wrist during Watches and Wonders week. And, of course, I saw so many beautiful and especially impressive watches. I want to mention a few memorable ones here, but they won’t make it to my wrist for one reason or another. So, without the intention or even the illusion of being complete, I want to mention the following watches only because they have remained in my mind.

Jacob & Co.

Comme d’habitude, the evening before Watches and Wonders officially starts, Jacob & Co. organizes a presentation in Geneva’s most prestigious Four Seasons Hotel des Bergues. Besides the dazzling Astronomia Four-Axis Tourbillon, Jacob & Co., in cooperation with Pedro Costa, presented a clock table this year. Modeled after the Opera Godfather timepiece, this took the friendly Colombian from Bogota more than four years to create. The clock table is mechanical and fully functional, and, like the watch, it even plays songs from The Godfather. I didn’t ask about the price, but I heard rumors that it’s in the US$335,000 region, and a maximum of 20 pieces will be produced.

Nomos Club Sport Neomatik Worldtimer

Nomos’s new worldtimer is a surprisingly fresh take on the genre. From a brand known for sleek and colorful designs, the Club Sport Neomatic Worldtimer is no exception. Worldtimers, in general, are often colorful, but Nomos used simpler, easier-on-the-eyes color schemes. Size-wise, it’s also a comfortable watch. With a 40mm diameter and a pleasing 9.9mm thickness, it’s one of the sleekest worldtimers. The 48mm lug-to-lug dimension is not strange for a Nomos. What was strange, at least for me, was that this worldtimer lacks a date function. I’m usually a no-date lover, but in a worldtimer, I’d like to have one. I understand that omitting the date was useful to realize the 9.9mm profile, but still, I’m not sure about the decision. The Nomos Club Sport Neomatic Worldtimer might very well be the only worldtimer without a date in the world. In addition to two standard versions, Nomos introduced six limited editions (175 pieces each). My favorite among these models is either the Volcano or the Glacier. Both seem to have sold out at a list price of €3,940.

Zenith G.F.J. with the resurrected caliber 135

For the last one, I want to mention Zenith’s take on something equal to Omega’s caliber 321 resurrection. To celebrate its 160th anniversary, Zenith released this watch with the initials of the company’s founder, Georges Favre-Jacot. It’s a rather elegant 39mm platinum timepiece that houses a rebuild of the legendary caliber 135. This caliber was explicitly designed to compete in chronometry competitions and won many awards. The dial is crafted from lapis lazuli, evoking a starry sky as a reference to the inspiration behind Zenith’s name. The brand will make 160 pieces, and I’m sure you can guess where that number came from. Although attractive, once on my wrist, this watch couldn’t convince me I needed it; something was lacking. It might very well have been the necessary €52,900 from my wallet or the fact that, although heavily modernized, the caliber is visually outdated. It’s a bit of nothing— not a vintage re-edition and, movement-wise, not modern enough to be a successor of anything from the past.

Conclusion

So, this was my failed attempt to choose “the best” releases of Watches and Wonders 2025 — or, more accurately, the watches that suit me best. Mind you, 60 brands presented their novelties that we had to look at within four days. I didn’t even manage to visit and see half of them. But together with my Fratello colleagues, we saw all the brands present, so make sure you also read their write-ups on their favorite watches from the show. For now, please let me know what you think about the choices I made in the comments below.