Fratello Favorites: The Best Watches And Wonders 2025 Releases — Thomas’s Picks From Angelus, Parmigiani, And Cartier

With the dust settling after this year’s Watches and Wonders, it is time to pick our favorites. I spent countless hours preparing release articles, and a handful of watches stuck with me. In my view, these are the best Watches and Wonders 2025 releases. Just like last year, I picked a Cartier. Unlike last year, however, my other two favorites are from Parmigiani and Angelus.

I pondered whether to put the Rolex Land-Dweller on my list. I love the case and bracelet, and the new caliber is also impressive. Unfortunately, I feel the dials are so off-putting that I would never aspire to own one. That means it could not get more than an honorable mention here. So, with that out of the way, let’s explore my picks for the best Watches and Wonders 2025 releases.

The best Watches and Wonders 2025 releases — Pick #1: Cartier Tank à Guichets

My first pick for the best Watches and Wonders 2025 releases is from Cartier. Last year, my show favorite was the Tortue Monopoussoir (a returning theme, but more on that later). This year, it is the Tank à Guichets. This rectangular precious metal watch with its two little peepholes might not be for everyone, but I love it.

I have always loved Cartier for its very specific design language. The watches tend to be elegant but without coming across as dainty. This is due to the unique Parisian style from just after the turn of the 20th century. The house pairs elegance with a certain industrial touch. The Tank à Guichets is perhaps the best example of this combination. I find it ugly and painstakingly beautiful at the same time. That type of tension is usually a sign of great design.

My pick of the bunch would be the version in yellow gold with its subtle green numerals. I would not kick the platinum version with its touch of red out of my safe either. At a mere 6mm thick and with the crown at 12, these should wear about as comfortably as one can desire. Additionally, the Tank à Guichets makes a bold statement in the ocean of round watches.

The best Watches and Wonders 2025 releases — Pick #2: Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda PF GMT Rattrapante Verzasca

Parmigiani came out with all guns blazing this year. Honestly, any of its new watches could qualify as the best Watches and Wonders 2025 releases in my book. The ultra-clean perpetual calendar and the skeletonized Tonda tickle my fancy just as much. However, I have chosen the watch that resonates with me on a conceptual level — the Tonda PF GMT Rattrapante.

In case you missed it, the Tonda PF GMT Rattrapante stacks a local-time hour hand over the home-time hour hand. As you cross time zones, a click of the pusher advances the local time, while a lower rose gold hand sticks with your home time. Once you arrive back home, another push of a second pusher resets the hands to home time. In this state, the watch looks like a two-hander.

I love this approach to complications. The house seems determined to make complications look less complicated. It is the ultimate flex if you ask me. The new Verzasca green dial also looks right at home. I love the freshness it provides without sacrificing versatility.

The best Watches and Wonders 2025 releases — Pick #3: Angelus Chronographe Télémètre Steel Rose

Now, if you follow my writing, you know I suffer from retro fatigue. I don’t mind the occasional nod to history, but straight-up retro watches tend to feel gimmicky and irrelevant in 2025. My final pick for the best Watches and Wonders 2025 releases proves me wrong. Or, at least, it proves that a retro watch can still be great. This is the Angelus Chronographe Télémètre Steel Rose.

After last year’s Tortue, I have another monopusher chronograph in my selection for this year. This time, however, it is the deliciously vintage-looking Angelus Chronographe. Measuring in at a period-perfect 37mm, it has the size to match the mid-century inspiration. The monopusher chronograph caliber is based on a very attractive La Joux-Perret movement, proudly on display behind a sapphire window on the back.

I particularly love the salmon-dial variant. It puts the oddly tightly spaced sub-dials front and center. Unfortunately, Angelus is producing only 25 of these, so the chances of scoring one are slim. I would happily wear it, though! It easily makes my list of the best Watches and Wonders 2025 releases.

Closing thoughts

There you have it — my picks for the best Watches and Wonders 2025 releases. Another honorable mention goes to Patek Philippe for the Calatrava ref. 6196P-001, another salmon-dial contender. I would also like to mention the mind-blowing Vacheron Constantin Solaria Ultra Grand Complication as a favorite. Lastly, the A. Lange & Söhne Odysseus in Honeygold surely deserves a shoutout.

All in all, I feel there was plenty to like at this year’s Watches and Wonders. My picks for the best Watches and Wonders 2025 releases are merely the tip of the iceberg. The one brand that failed to impress me was Tudor. Its releases felt iterative and uninspired. I hope the folks there come up with more innovative stuff next year or perhaps later this year. It is about time we see something new rather than more versions of its existing models.

What were your favorite watches of this year’s Watches and Wonders? Let us know in the comments below!