The 25 Most Important Anniversaries For Watch Brands In 2025

I already thought “2024” had a nice ring to it, but “2025” sounds and looks even better. The fact that it’s such a round number also suggests that there will be several anniversaries this year. Then again, I suppose most people don’t have the foresight to choose a specific year to start a watch company. Well, anyway, we did take a look at some of the best-known watch brands to see if they have something to celebrate this year. Fittingly, we ended up with a list of 25 notable anniversaries.

Some relate to the founding of the brands themselves, and others commemorate the introduction of their most famous models. So, without further ado, let’s take a look at the watch world’s anniversaries in 2025 in ascending order.

Ressence is halfway through its teens

Benoît Mintiens founded Ressence in 2010. Since then, the brand’s watches have gained a loyal following of fans thanks to their innovative take on displaying the time. Ressence already released a very nice surprise right at the end of 2024 with its smaller Type 9. Let’s see if Mintiens and his team have anything else in store for the company’s 15th anniversary.

MB&F celebrates its 20th anniversary

In 2005, Maximilian Büsser started the experimental horological concept laboratory he called MB&F. The company’s Horological Machines are beautiful and impressive examples of three-dimensional watchmaking. MB&F’s Legacy Machines have a more traditional form factor but don’t look any less impressive. Most of the company’s machines are unaffordable for most of us. But with the sympathetic M.A.D.Editions, Büsser also tries to keep the less wealthy watch enthusiasts close to him.

Two years ago, the company moved into its M.A.D. House. Let’s see what the folks there have been cooking up for the brand’s 20th anniversary.

Another company that turns 20 years old this year is Cvstos. We haven’t covered many of the brand’s steps over the last few years, but let’s see what will happen in 2025.

Roger Dubuis blows out 30 candles

The watchmaker Roger Dubuis started his eponymous brand in 1995, and 30 years later, it’s still going strong. These days, Roger Dubuis creates mind-boggling, architectural, skeletonized movements. In particular, the complicated and minimalistic Excalibur Monotourbillon in titanium made quite an impression on us last year.

Another anniversary to mention here is the 30 years of collaboration between Omega and the James Bond franchise. This is a difficult one, though, because it’s a little quiet around Mr. Bond these days. People are still guessing who’ll play the next James Bond after Daniel Craig resigned. But that doesn’t mean we can’t fantasize about what the next Omega Seamaster Bond watch will look like, of course.

Glashütte Original and Nomos celebrate 35 years in 2025

Now we go to the east side of Germany where both Glashütte Original and Nomos celebrate their 35th anniversary…sort of. Though Glashütte Original’s origins date back much further than 1990, that was the year when, after German reunification, the company officially registered as Glashütter Uhrenbetrieb GmbH. According to Swisswatches, in doing so, “the company became the official legal successor to all former watchmaking companies and brands in Glashütte in reunified Germany, with the obligation to continue watch production on site.” The brand ended 2024 on a very high note with the beautiful PanoLunarInverse. Let’s see if Glashütte Original will continue to impress us this year with such mesmerizing guilloché patterns.

Last year, Nomos entertained us with its 31 colorful versions of its iconic Tangente. With those, the brand celebrated its first physical appearance at Watches and Wonders. We’re wondering what Nomos will come up with for this year’s edition and its 35th anniversary.

Picture: Ticking Way

The IWC Da Vinci deserves a comeback after 40 years

With all the re-editions we’ve seen in recent years, there are fewer and fewer iconic models left to reissue. However, Lex found one that certainly deserves a respectful comeback — the IWC Da Vinci Perpetual Calendar IW3750. This year marks four decades since its introduction, and we’re curious to see if IWC is preparing something to honor this quirky classic.

Hublot enters its midlife crisis at the age of 45

Most people start doing crazy and unexpected things when they tumble into their midlife crisis. In the case of Hublot, it looks like it’s the other way around. Last year, we were most impressed with the brand’s monochromatic Classic Fusion Essential Grey and the 38mm Big Bang Integrated. Those are certainly not Hublot’s most outspoken designs. I’m sure that the new models for the brand’s 45th birthday will be more outrageous and bolder than ever.

Maurice Lacroix and Girard-Perregaux’s Laureato see Abraham this year

Now we get to the more respectable anniversaries. Maurice Lacroix, for example, turns 50 this year. Lex is a fan of the brand’s Aikon, and to be honest, that’s the only model I was familiar with. Let’s see if Maurice Lacroix can convince us with a new release among some of its other collections in 2025.

As a brand, Girard-Perregaux has already existed since 1791, so we’ll have to wait till next year to celebrate its 235th anniversary. However, the company’s Laureato was born in 1975, exactly 50 years ago. Initially, it housed a quartz movement, but many mechanical Laureato models have come out since then. What else is the brand capable of after having presented us with the toolish titanium chronograph Ti49 and the green- and blue-dialed Laureatos in rose gold?

Rolex GMT-Master ref. 6542 — Image: John Goldberger

Rolex’s GMT-Master and Corum both turn 70 this year

Many sources cite the GMT-Master ref. 6542, developed in partnership with Pan Am Airlines, as having debuted in 1954. The Rolex website, however, claims it was 1955, meaning it has “officially” been 70 years since its introduction. Knowing Rolex a little bit, though, this number probably doesn’t give the company a reason to do anything special this year. That will happen when Rolex thinks the time is right, and that certainly isn’t during an anniversary.

Corum also turns 70 this year. Known for its Bubble, Golden Bridge, and Admiral collections (which, respectively, are turning 25, 45, and 65), the brand always knows how to surprise us. Let’s see what Corum has in store for 2025.

Sellita becomes a diamond this year as it turns 75 years old

What are watches without their movements? That’s why Sellita certainly deserves a place in this list of anniversaries. Over the last decade, in particular, the company took over ETA’s position as a universal movement provider for not just many smaller but also bigger watch brands. The thing that’s still missing from its catalog is an affordable flyer GMT movement. Maybe 2025 is the year we will see such an offering from Sellita.

The Rolex Datejust turns into an oak for its 80th anniversary

Another one of Rolex’s iconic models celebrates an anniversary this year — the classy Datejust. As Rolex claims, it was “the first self-winding wrist chronometer to indicate the date in a window on the dial.” It already came on its iconic Jubilee bracelet and with a fluted bezel back then. That’s why the Datejust is still such a recognizable model within Rolex’s catalog, just like almost any of The Crown’s other watches. As with the GMT-Master, I don’t think we can expect any news for the anniversary front other than new dial variants.

Baume & Mercier turns 95 years old

Lex mentioned the Baume & Mercier Riviera Perpetual Calendar 10742 as one of the surprising releases of 2023. Since then, we haven’t given the 95-year-old lady any further attention. This anniversary year might be a good excuse to do so. We’ll certainly take a good look during this year’s edition of Watches and Wonders in April.

Laco and the world’s first perpetual calendar wristwatch, the Patek Philippe 97975, turn 100 this year

Now a century old, Laco is still going strong with its pilot’s watches. Of course, the brand is known for its extensive collection of vintage-inspired models. Recently, though, we also went hands-on with the more modern Scorpion collection, which didn’t disappoint. We’re curious to see what the people in Pforzheim come up with for the company’s 100th anniversary.

Image: Revolution Watch

The records show that Patek Philippe’s 97975 instantaneous perpetual calendar movement was already available in 1898. However, the pendant watch it was housed in was never sold to the lady it was meant for. Instead, in 1925, Patek put the caliber in a magnificent hand-engraved 34.4mm case, making it the first wristwatch with a perpetual calendar. Nowadays, it’s part of the impressive collection at the Patek Philippe Museum in Geneva. Don’t you think the brand will honor this beauty 100 years after such an important horological milestone?

Audemars Piguet celebrates its sesquicentennial anniversary

A year and a half ago, Ilaria Resta took over the top seat at Audemars Piguet from François-Henry Bennahmias. She’s been relatively quiet since then, especially in comparison to Bennahmias. Maybe the brand’s 150th anniversary this year is the moment to speak up and show which direction she’s heading with the brand. There probably won’t be any completely new models, but we’ll certainly see more variations of the Royal Oak, the Royal Oak Offshore, and the Royal Oak Concept. Which superhero or artist do you think AP will collaborate with to celebrate this year’s milestone?

Zenith hits 160, and Panerai, (TAG) Heuer, and Chopard all turn 165

Before we get to the really old ladies, we still have a few “middle-aged” brands to deal with. Zenith, founded by Georges Favre-Jacot in 1865, will celebrate its 160th anniversary. The brand truly surprised us with its new Pilots in 2023. Then, last year, came the first proper Zenith dive watch in two decades. Zenith has a good track record of celebrating anniversaries, so let’s see what “The Star” has up its sleeve for this year.

Panerai’s 49mm Submersible Elux LAB-ID already looked very much like a celebratory watch last year. As a part of the Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli team, the brand also won the first women’s America’s Cup in 2024. So there were already quite a few celebrations at Panerai, but let’s see what it still has in store for us for its 165th anniversary.

Then, there’s TAG Heuer, which started as Heuer in 1860 and merged with Techniques d’Avant Garde 125 years later. As a sponsor of the Red Bull Racing team, TAG Heuer conquered Formula 1 with Max Verstappen again last year, and in 2025, it’s back as the racing circus’s main sponsor. In that sense, it promises to be a big year for TAG Heuer. We’re almost certain that these big events will be accompanied by many celebratory watches as well. Make sure to get ready because TAG Heuer is going to show itself from its best side this year.

Last but certainly not least is classy Chopard, which also began in 1860. We are big fans of the new L.U.C models presented at Watches and Wonders last year. If those count as just a warm-up for what’s coming in 2025, then we’re all for it!

Breguet, Vacheron Constantin, and Blancpain are all getting ready for a very big year

If there’s one brand we’re expecting a lot from this year, it’s Breguet. The company turns 250 years old in 2025! Gregory Kissling recently got appointed as the new CEO, and we think the brand could use a serious refresh. Realistically, it might be a bit early for the new CEO to show what he has in mind for Breguet. However, this is the year to start working on the new direction.

Vacheron Constantin is one of the few brands that communicates anything about its anniversary on its website. And that’s rightfully so because 270 years is an impressive history. The brand kicked off the year by presenting the Historiques 222 in steel with a beautiful matte blue dial. If that tells us anything about what else is coming this year, then we’re very much looking forward to the other novelties.

In 2023, Blancpain already celebrated the 70th anniversary of its Fifty Fathoms collection. In 2024, the brand seemed to be more focused on its Air Command. However, in 2025, Blancpain turns a whopping 290 years old! Considering how the watchmaking house tends to lean on its classics, probably not much will change this year. But maybe it’s time to reinvigorate the Villeret collection a bit, for example. We’ll have to wait and see, but this is certainly an anniversary that Blancpain can’t let pass unnoticed.

Which anniversary are you looking forward to?

There you have it — quite an exhaustive list of the notable anniversaries happening in the watch world this year. I’m most looking forward to what Ressence and Breguet will do to celebrate their birthdays. Which company’s celebration are you most looking forward to? Let me know in the comments below.