The best 16 watches of 2025 across categories, according to experts

The 25th edition of the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Geneve (GPHG) showcased an extraordinary range of horological achievement in 2025. From audacious independent micro-brands to storied maisons reinventing icons, this year’s winners span the full spectrum of luxury watchmaking — technical superlatives, artistic mastery, and bold new directions.

Here, turn our attention to 16 stand-out creations that each exemplifies a distinct facet of luxury watchmaking today — whether via ultra-thin tourbillons, traditional decorative crafts, accessible innovation, or avant-garde mechanical architecture. These are the watches the experts chose and the collectors will remember.

Aiguille d’Or “Grand Prix”: Breguet Classique Souscription 2025

To celebrate its 250th anniversary, Breguet unveils the Classique Souscription 2025 — a masterstroke that honours one of Abraham-Louis Breguet’s most important innovations: the single-hand Souscription watch of the late 18th century.

Reinterpreted as a modern 40mm wristwatch, the piece is crafted in a new proprietary alloy known as Breguet gold, a warm and subtly pink metal inspired by the gold used in historic pieces. Its aesthetic restraint is anchored by a pristine grand feu enamel dial, petite-feu numerals, a flame-blued hand and the maison’s secret signature, engraved with an 18th-century diamond-tipped pantograph newly restored by the brand.

Inside, the hand-wound VS00 calibre is a technical and artistic showcase. The movement architecture echoes the original Souscription concept but is elevated through modern finishing and a remarkable Quai de l’Horloge guilloche pattern visible through a domed sapphire caseback. With a four-day power reserve, a Nivachron balance spring, and a design inspired by early “tact” watches, the calibre draws a direct line from Breguet’s inventive past to its forward-looking present.

The watch also comes in a new anniversary presentation box in red Moroccan-style leather.

Tourbillon Watch Prize: Bvlgari Octo Finissimo Ultra Tourbillon

Once again reassigning the limits of ultra-thin watchmaking, Bvlgari secures the Tourbillon Watch Prize with the Octo Finissimo Ultra Tourbillon, now officially the world’s thinnest flying tourbillon at an astonishing 1.85mm total thickness. Beyond a record, this win is a demonstration of conceptual rigour, where every component is reconceived in two dimensions rather than three, demanding a radical re-evaluation of traditional horology.

The lugs, bezel, and middle case are made of sand-blasted titanium, while tungsten-carbide is used for the mainplate that is integrated into the caseback. The skeletonised construction prioritises light and depth, using a blend of polished bevels, rhodium-plated surfaces, and sunburst-finished bridges to amplify the visual and mechanical identity of the tourbillon.

The extreme thinness heightens the challenge: each visible part must balance structural strength with aesthetic refinement. Bvlgari’s engineers revisited the fundamentals of gear trains, display mechanisms, and energy flow, returning to a two-hand indication while ensuring perfect legibility and robustness.

Powered by the manual-winding Calibre BVF 900, beating at 4Hz and offering about 42 hours of power reserve, this creation represents 10 years of Bvlgari’s pioneering work in ultra-thin watchmaking, beginning with the 2014 Octo Finissimo Tourbillon. It stands not merely as the thinnest tourbillon ever but as a symbol of Bvlgari’s ascent as a modern haute horlogerie powerhouse.

Iconic Watch Prize: Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Selfwinding Perpetual Calendar in Sand Gold

Audemars Piguet celebrates its 150th anniversary with a bold new milestone in its most recognisable collection. The Royal Oak Selfwinding Perpetual Calendar in Sand Gold elevates the brand’s icon with a new alloy combining gold, palladium, and copper that yields a warm, shifting hue that oscillates effortlessly between white and rose tones. Its monochrome aesthetic extends across the 41mm case, bracelet, Grande Tapisserie dial and counters, imbuing the model with remarkable visual cohesion.

Powering the watch is the newly developed Calibre 7138, a movement protected by five patents and designed to place all perpetual calendar indications — day, date, week, month, leap year, and astronomical moon — on a single plane. Its ease of use is game-changing: An all-in-one crown replaces traditional case correctors, offering intuitive adjustment without the risk of damage.

Chronometry Prize: Zenith G.F.J. (Calibre 135 Revival)

To mark its 160th anniversary, Zenith resurrects its most celebrated movement: the legendary Calibre 135, famed for its record number of observatory chronometry prizes. The new G.F.J. maintains the historical architecture — including the oversized balance wheel and offset centre wheel — while incorporating contemporary upgrades such as a 72-hour power reserve, refined tooth geometry, and an overcoil hairspring regulated to COSC-certified precision.

Aesthetically, the watch is equally compelling. The 39mm platinum case features sculpted, stepped lugs, and alternating finishes, while the dial layers together a brick-pattern guilloche ring, a deep blue lapis lazuli centre flecked with golden pyrite, and a mother-of-pearl small-seconds sub-dial. This composition evokes both Zenith’s celestial heritage and the architecture of its historic manufacture. And the watch is released in only 160 pieces.

Ladies’ Complication Watch Prize: Chopard Imperiale Four Seasons

Chopard introduces a lyrical fusion of poetry and mechanics with the Imperiale Four Seasons, a complication that depicts the passage of the year through a rotating disc that completes a full revolution every 365 days. Crafted in textured mother-of-pearl marquetry, the disc transforms gradually with the seasons, while the upper dial reveals a delicate lotus motif sculpted in diamond-set ethical white gold — an emblematic signature of the Imperiale line.

The 36mm case in ethical white gold sparkles with diamonds across its bezel, crown, and lugs. Beneath this radiance lies the technical sophistication of the L.U.C 96.31-C calibre, a self-winding movement with a generous 65-hour power reserve, Twin Technology barrels, and a tungsten micro-rotor. The timepiece arrives with four interchangeable alligator straps, each reflecting a different season’s palette. Limited to 25 pieces, it is truly a contemplative work of horological art.

Chronograph Watch Prize: Angelus Chronographe Telemetre

Angelus continues to honour its deep chronograph heritage with the Chronographe Telemetre, a 37mm mono-pusher model crafted in steel or yellow gold. As part of the La Fabrique collection, it reinterprets mid-century Angelus codes through a compact case, gracefully twisted lugs, and rich dial textures in rose bronze, titanium grey, or white for the gold version.

The defining feature of the telemeter scale offers a nod to historic chronograph instrumentation, used to determine an event’s distance by measuring the time between seeing it and hearing it. Inside, the in-house A5000 calibre underscores Angelus’ technical credentials, combining a column-wheel mechanism, horizontal clutch, two-register layout, and a 42-hour power reserve. Its two-tone finishing, diamond-polished details, and pronounced bevelling elevate the movement into a true aesthetic highlight.

Artistic Crafts: Voutilainen 28 GML SOYOU

A marriage of Japanese lacquer mastery and Swiss high horology, this 39mm beauty from Finnish watchmaker Kari Voutilainen showcases a dial crafted using Urushi lacquer, gold powders, cut gold sheets, and abalone shell — a process demanding over a thousand hours of work. Inspired by natural dualities, its design reflects “soyou” with a blue-green outer ring symbolising water and calm, contrasted with a radiant gold-red centre representing light and creative energy.

Beating within is the manual-winding Calibre 28GML, featuring an in-house large balance wheel, Phillips overcoil, internal Grossmann curve, and a double-wheel natural escapement that delivers direct impulse for enhanced stability. A central 24-hour disc provides a second time zone, adjusted via the crown.

Mechanical Exception Watch Prize: Greubel Forsey Nano Foudroyante

The Nano Foudroyante represents a dramatic leap into the future of mechanical energy management. Limited to only 22 pieces, it refines the maison’s 10th Fundamental Invention by incorporating nanomechanics, enabling the foudroyante hand to operate at just 16 nanojoules per jump — a staggering 1,800 times less energy than conventional systems.

Housed in a compact 37.9mm white gold case, the movement integrates the foudroyante mechanism directly into Greubel Forsey’s first flying tourbillon. The display divides each second into six segments, with the foudroyante hand rotating once per second while remaining perfectly oriented, regardless of the tourbillon’s rotation. A redesigned rhodium-finished dial, blued hands, and a textured blue rubber strap further distinguish this evolution from the earlier EWT prototype.

With 428 components, including 142 for the tourbillon cage, along with two patents and a groundbreaking architectural identity, the Nano Foudroyante is a statement of what the next era of high watchmaking could look like.

Sports Watch Prize: Chopard Alpine Eagle 41 SL Cadence 8HF

Chopard’s Alpine Eagle 41 SL Cadence 8HF pushes weight reduction and performance to a new extreme, emerging as the lightest watch ever created in the Alpine Eagle line. Its 41mm case, bezel, crown, and even movement bridges are crafted from ceramicised titanium, an aerospace-grade material hardened through electro-plasma oxidation to reach 1000 Vickers — granting ceramic-like scratch resistance at a fraction of the weight.

Inside beats the high-frequency Chopard 01.14-C calibre, running at an impressive 8Hz for superior chronometric stability. Silicon components in the escapement reduce friction and energy loss, enabling a 60-hour power reserve, while the dial — stamped with the collection’s eagle-eye motif — adopts a minimalist Pitch Black tone heightened by vivid orange accents. A rubber strap, introduced here for the first time in the high-frequency series, further enhances the watch’s sporty identity.

Jewellery Watch Prize: Dior La D de Dior Buisson Couture

The La D de Dior Buisson Couture is a breathtakingly ornamental creation that merges high jewellery with Swiss watchmaking finesse. Conceived by Victoire de Castellane, the pink gold watch transforms its dial into a resplendent floral landscape, fully paved with rubies, pink sapphires, diamonds, and tsavorite garnets. Each stone is selected with utmost precision and hand-set to create a sculptural interplay of depth and sparkle.

The diamond-set bezel and crown add further brilliance, while the caseback reveals additional engraved floral motifs — a hidden flourish that resonates with Dior’s couture storytelling. Inspired by Christian Dior’s lifelong passion for gardens and blooms, the watch embodies a joyful, dreamlike interpretation of nature.

Men’s Complication Watch Prize: Bovet 1822 Recital 30

Bovet revolutionises global timekeeping with the Recital 30, an intuitive world-timer derived from the award-winning Recital 28 Prowess 1. Its pioneering roller-based world time system solves a longstanding industry challenge: the inconsistent application of Daylight Saving Time around the world. With four selectable annual regimes — UTC, American Summer Time, European & American Summer Time, and European Winter Time — the watch ensures accuracy for all 24 time zones, including New Delhi’s rare half-hour offset.

Dominating the dial, the rollers offer exceptional legibility, while the central day-night indicator provides immediate geographic context. For India-based collectors, an alternative version links the main hour and minute hands directly to New Delhi time. Produced fully in-house for the first time, the 42mm case in a choice of red gold or Grade 5 titanium features a domed sapphire crystal designed to evoke a window to the universe.

Ladies’ Watch Prize: Gerald Genta Gentissima Oursin Fire Opal

Gerald Genta’s design legacy takes on a vivid new expression with the Gentissima Oursin Fire Opal, the fourth chapter of the revived Oursin collection. Inspired by the sea urchin motif that captivated the maestro in 1994, this flamboyant edition features 137 individually screwed fire opal gems arranged around a 36.5mm yellow-gold 3N case. Formed in Mexico’s volcanic regions, each stone glows with complex hues of orange, red, and yellow, symbolising creativity, vitality and joy.

The dial, crafted from orange cornelian, echoes the warmth of the opals, while the faceted crystal and octagonal case interior reveal signature Genta design cues. Powering the watch is the automatic GG-005 calibre, based on a Zenith Elite movement with a specially redesigned 18k gold oscillating weight by La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton. The piece balances artisanal gem-setting with refined mechanical integrity, offering around 50 hours of power reserve.

Time Only Prize: Daniel Roth Extra Plat Rose Gold

The revival of Daniel Roth continues with the elegant Extra Plat Rose Gold, a refined evolution of the brand’s signature double-ellipse silhouette. The rose gold case measures 38.6mm by 35.5mm with a remarkably slim 7.7mm profile, complemented by soft, downward-curving lugs soldered by hand — a testament to traditional case-making. The two-tone dial combines a solid white gold base with a rose gold chapter ring, decorated with meticulous pinstripe guilloche that highlight the brand’s artisanal DNA.

Inside, the new DR002 calibre, developed by La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton, represents a significant step forward for the maison. This form of the hand-wound movement mirrors the case shape and features a free-sprung 4Hz balance wheel with variable inertia blocks, delivering stable precision. A generous 65-hour power reserve, large wheels, and hand-polished bevels underscore its high horology credentials. Viewed through the open caseback, the movement’s sculptural lines and tactile details — including a hand-crafted winding click — reveal its beauty.

“Petite Aiguille” Watch Prize: M.A.D. Editions: M.A.D.2 Green

In the entry-to-mid-luxury tier, M.A.D. Editions’ M.A.D.2 Green stands out for its playful spirit and accessible price. Created by long-time independent watchmaker Max Busser and designed by Eric Giroud, the 42mm steel piece draws inspiration from 1990s club culture and turntable aesthetics, with twin rotating cylinders for hour and minute display, a crown at 12 o’clock, and a visual nod to DJ mixers.

It brings bold design to a more democratic price segment, earning the GPHG’s “Petite Aiguille” Prize. Technical credentials aside, its appeal lies equally in persona — style-driven, quirky, and entirely unexpected in the revered world of watch awards.

Audacity Prize: Fam Al Hut Mobius Mark 1

The Mobius Mark 1 is an audacious debut from Fam Al Hut that rewrites both proportions and purpose in high horology. Measuring 42.2mm by 24.3 mm with a thickness of 12.9mm, it houses a bi-axis tourbillon rotating on 150- and 60-second axes, coupled with retrograde hours, retrograde minutes, and a jumping hour mechanism — a configuration never before seen in a wristwatch.

The lugless stainless-steel case and integrated strap enhance ergonomics while offering a minimalist silhouette that conceals serious mechanical depth. With a 50-hour power reserve and manual-winding movement, the Mobius marks the arrival of a brand willing to push spatial design and mechanical complexity simultaneously. Its win of the Audacity Prize reflects not just the novelty of form, but the calibre of engineering behind it.

Men’s Watch Prize: Urban Jurgensen UJ-2: Double Wheel Natural Escapement

The revival of the venerable Danish manufacture Urban Jurgensen finds its culmination in the UJ-2: Double Wheel Natural Escapement, winner of the Men’s Watch Prize. Designed and built by the brand’s co-CEO Kari Voutilainen, this red gold model showcases a beautifully hand-finished movement with a unique double-wheel escapement and traditional architecture revived with contemporary refinement.

Its classical proportions and artisan finishing place it among the most desired “serious” watches of the year — a timepiece for connoisseurs rather than trend-seekers. With this win, Urban Jurgensen reasserts itself in the global luxury-watch dialogue as a house with deep heritage and modern ambition.