2025: A Year of Bold Colors, Innovative Designs, and Stunning Watch Releases

Looking back on a year filled with trips to Switzerland, tours of manufacturers and museums, attendance at trade shows, and interviews with watchmakers worldwide, it’s clear that 2025 was an exceptional year for watches.

Major debuts marked the year, including the impressive Vacheron Constantin clock and automaton installation at the Louvre, and the introduction of the entirely new Rolex Land-Dweller line in March. Innovations also took center stage, such as Audemars Piguet’s Royal Oak RD#5, boasting a thin case, tourbillon, and remarkably easy-to-use chronograph pushers, alongside Breguet’s magnetic escapement featured in its avant-garde Expérimentale 1.

A noteworthy trend emerged with Cartier, Bremont, Maen, Fears, and others pioneering funky jumping-hour watches, a style expected to continue gaining popularity. Urban Jürgensen also made a splash, captivating high-net-worth collectors with its movements crafted by Kari Voutilainen and its substantial price tags reaching into the hundreds of thousands of dollars.

However, the most compelling aspect of the year was the widespread embrace of bold colors and shapes across all price points. The growing trend of stone dials played a significant role, as did a collector desire for design-forward watches inspired by the cool case forms of the 1960s, ’70s, and ’80s. There’s a distinct appeal in wearing a visually striking watch that attracts attention for its beauty, rather than solely for its technical complexity.

Here’s a selection of standout graphic watches from 2025, presented in order of price. Studi0 Underd0g Av0cado, for those who missed out on this fruit-themed timepiece from the UK-based brand, there will be more to come. The delightful color combination was inspired by a similar avocado watch spotted by the brand’s founder, Richard Benc. As with all Studi0 Underd0g watches, the excellent finishing on the chronograph movement is a joy to behold through the transparent case-back. Price: $675

Next, the Baltic Pink Prismic offers a fun alternative to the unattainable candy-pink Rolex Oyster Perpetual. Part of Baltic’s new “prismic stone” line, this manual-winding stunner features a bright dial crafted from the mineral albite. The domed crystal and tidy 36-millimeter size contribute to its retro aesthetic. Price: $1,590

The Nomos Glashütte Club Sport Neomatic Worldtimer garnered significant praise, and for good reason. The 40mm worldtimer is available in six vibrant color combinations, all of which are eye-catching and well-designed. The countries around the dial move with a simple pusher press, and a central 24-hour subdial allows for easy tracking of home time. Its price point is also exceptionally competitive. Price: $5,190

The MB&F M.A.D. 2 Green, distributed through a lottery, is a collaboration between MB&F and designer Eric Giroud that’s truly special. It features a bidirectional jumping-hour module developed by the MB&F team and is powered by a Swiss-made La Joux-Perret movement with 64 hours of power reserve. The spinning rotor behind the dial creates a captivating visual effect. It can be found on the secondary market for around $6,000, or watch for the next M.A.D. Editions raffle.

Chanel’s J12 Bleu introduces a new matte color to the iconic ceramic watch first released in 2000. This elegant and understated, yet bold, hue is poised to attract a new audience, as highlighted by Jack Forster’s appreciation of the original in Hodinkee. Price: $11,050

The Cartier Tressage is a striking piece with its 18-karat gold gadroons, reminiscent of a chic jewelry collection worn by Cate Blanchett in the film Carol. It’s a statement piece that doesn’t shy away from attention. Price: $44,000

H. Moser & Cie. Endeavour Small Seconds Concept Pop, launched at Watches and Wonders, showcased a series of stone dials that differed from the typical malachite and tiger’s eye. These dials were remarkably clean, with seamless borders between stones, almost appearing painted. While the high-level horology within the case might not be immediately apparent to the casual observer, the captivating color combination is sure to turn heads. Price: 39,000 Swiss francs ($49,500)

The Piaget Andy Warhol, a tribute to the artist’s fondness for Piaget watches, features an 18-karat yellow-gold case and an onyx dial adorned with slivers of yellow serpentine, pink opal, and green chrysoprase. Despite its substantial size (45mm by 43mm), it exudes an impossibly chic aesthetic. Price: $78,000

Finally, the Gérald Genta Gentissima Oursin Fire Opal, owned by LVMH, won the Ladies’ Watch Prize at the 2025 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève. This fiery “sea urchin” timepiece is set with 137 fire opals and features an orange carnelian dial. Price: Upon request