Bracelets That Stole The Show At Watches And Wonders 2025
8 min read
Let’s begin with a confession emanating from an obsessive observation of watches. In terms of the design and ergonomics of a wristwatch as an overall product, bracelets have traditionally been an afterthought. For a major expanse of the traditional watchmaking epoch, leather straps have more or less been a dominant feature on timepieces of all kinds and whatever occurred as metallic asides to these fragments of animal hide have been principally utilitarian in form and pretty industrial in execution. This worked, and worked well, in an age where the focus of innovation in watchmaking was a distant aside to aesthetic flourishes as the major heft of leap-forwards were practiced in chasing accuracy, enhanced utility and complex mechanics.
This all changed when sports watches became a dominant theme in watch creation, curation and collection.
Bracelets As Items Of Timepiece Refinement
Although the occurrence of bracelet watches is an invention of watchmaking eras pre-dating the Gérald Genta revolution, it is the creative and ergonomic integration of bracelets with watch cases, which found an opus in early 1970s, that in many ways cemented the “luxury” synonym with a full metal timepiece construction. While the earliest traction in metal bracelet inclusion in men’s timepieces was observed in the '50s and '60s, marginally attributed to a war utility doing, the later progressions to what were folded steel bracelets yielded products of greater resilience and better practicality with gradual improvement of aesthetics as well.
With growing variance in wristwatch aesthetics and ergonomics, bracelet designs have evolved into areas of specialized expertise. Now, better engineering and artisanal executions are rendering metal bracelets as an elevated wristwatch accessory and a significant driver of a product’s overall market appeal.
A Newfound Obsession With Watch Bracelets
Beyond the fierce fervor surrounding the Rolex Land-Dweller at Watches and Wonders 2025, the halls of Palexpo found a subtle yet striking focal point - bracelets. And yes, even Rolex’s showstopper became a subject of this fixation on the metal wristband. In many ways, the event showcased a bunch of peak iterations in regards to bracelet design, ergonomics and overall wrist feel. Exhibited in pairings with a divergent ensemble of case aesthetics and forms, the bracelet designs at Watches and Wonders found a strong picking as a very delectable theme and a definite point of discussion.
Here is a curation of our favorite bracelet upgrades and creations.
Rolex
Flat Jubilee for Land-Dweller
In Rolex’s Land-Dweller, the chief prestige is much more than a mere ocular perceptible. Accepted, an all-new Rolex model line is a bona fide attention grabber in mere regards of its novelty in a very familiar supply, and the heft of ground-up inventiveness from the brand is actually very refreshing in measure of its rarity (the last all-new model line from Rolex was the Sky-Dweller of 2012). In the Land-Dweller, innovation and inventiveness reigns behind the scenes, dominantly in the mechanics forefront. In Rolex’s own marketing lingo, the Land-Dweller showcases “Technical Excellence Beyond the Perceptible.” Among the many details that reflect the remarkable scope of the technological achievements in the Land-Dweller, Rolex also lists its refinement of one of the most underrated aspects of a watch - the bracelet.
For Rolex, the occurrence of an integrated bracelet sports timepiece isn’t a novelty as the aesthetic has been explored heavily in the Rolex Quartz of 1969 as well in the Datejust “Oysterquartz” of 1974. However, these weren’t particularly category-defining catalog products unlike almost everything else. The Land-Dweller’s Flat Jubilee reinterprets Rolex’s iconic Jubilee bracelet as an integrated construction with the case. It retains the Jubilee’s five-piece link structure but with a very flat profile for the three narrow center links as well as the two broader end links. The latter feature polished chamfers like the ones on the middle case, thus rendering a consistent bevelled edge all around.
Also, the Flat Jubilee bracelet achieves a perfectly fluid integration with the Oyster case through a robust and complex attachment system which includes ceramic inserts to overcome premature wear. The Flat Jubilee is equipped with a concealed folding Crownclasp further contributing to the Land-Dweller’s aesthetic continuity.
Rolex
Settimo for Perpetual 1908
Yes, we stay with Rolex and for a very good and precious yellow reason!
What found genesis as the Cellini’s replacement in 2023 is, deliberately by degrees, evolving into a canvas for high-watchmaking execution at Rolex. There’s no rush for the brand that’s strictly oblivious to urgency, and the sentiment is evident at peak with the incremental progression for the Perpetual 1908 collection. Here, Rolex’s conservative lean is displayed at level maxima. What’s due acclaim and applause however is the infinite inventiveness of the attained increments.
At Watches and Wonders 2025, the Perpetual 1908 gets its chronologically third update and one with a greater tendency to entice. The yellow gold Perpetual 1908 now gets a pairing with an all-new seven-piece link bracelet fashioned in case matching precious metal. Termed “Settimo” (Italian for seventh), the new bracelet design excels in its objectives of refinement and comfort via its construction from rows of seven very small, slightly contoured and fully polished link elements. It is fitted with a concealed folding Crownclasp for greater aesthetic harmony.
One area of significant interest in the Settimo bracelet is its straight end-link construction (although there is a subtle curve, the bracelet follows a straight end-link style construction). This design was last featured in Rolex timepieces pre-dating the 1950s and with the yellow gold Perpetual 1908, it makes a strong comeback. The subtle hint of gap between the case and the bracelet is true vintage touch and a rarity in the Rolex catalog, where almost every single non-integrated bracelet feels decently integrated with the case. The Settimo’s case attachment system is a Rolex patent and the bracelet is exclusively reserved for the 1908 model.
It's to Rolex’s rare credit that a bracelet can actually be a highlight and a significant talking point, hence proving the notion that Rolex takes its watches as a whole very seriously.
TAG Heuer
Beads-Of-Rice for Carrera Chronograph
In all honesty, the absence of a beads-of-rice bracelet in TAG Heuer’s portfolio has been a perplexing avoidance of one of its most natural pairings. The Carrera Chronograph collection works like a dream platform to exercise the revival of this classic bracelet and that’s exactly what we got at Watches and Wonders 2025. The Gay Frères made beads-of-rice bracelets were hot property in mid-20th century watchmaking and TAG Heuer found a consistent use of the same in their Carrera chronograph models. Now, the present era Carrera chronographs reinterpret the beads-of-rice in a contemporary realization preferring a single-row interpretation as opposed to the double beads-of-rice configuration of the 1960’s Heuer Carrera models. The contemporary seven-row construction makes for a refined aesthetic and a perfect fit that better follows the wrist’s natural contours.
The new BOR bracelet gets a folding clasp with double safety push buttons.
Jaeger-LeCoultre
Milanese for Reverso Tribute Monoface Small Seconds
As the iconic Reverso saturated Watches and Wonders 2025 in myriad forms, one particular iteration stood out. The pink gold Reverso Tribute Monoface Small Seconds emerged as not only Jaeger-LeCoultre’s, but the entire fair’s most poetic and romantic exhibit. The watch on its Milanese-link mesh bracelet is a vision of unadulterated aesthetic pleasure. The resulting union achieves a sublime simplicity, effortlessly claiming victory in the pursuit of beauty.
The 2025 Reverso Tribute Monoface Small Seconds, featuring a pink gold Milanese bracelet and a dial in perfect tonal accord, offers an exceptional purity of design, a restrained boldness that is special. Its Milanese-link mesh bracelet features a modified lug attachment for seamless case integration and this rendition eloquently exhibits foundational classicism of the Reverso aesthetic. Its genesis lies in the intricate weaving of 16 meters of gold thread into a supple, fluid mesh, using a 13th-century Milanese technique.
This bracelet with a quick-release system is closed with an adjustable sliding clasp.
Tudor
Titanium Bracelet With A T-Fit Clasp for Pelagos Ultra
A dive-friendly utility is the definitive theme in the updated titanium three-link bracelet for the top-spec Pelagos Ultra. Tudor extends its T-Fit adjustable clasp system to the new Pelagos Ultra, enabling rapid length adjustment via a spring-based sliding scale. A visual indicator with a luminous marker on the sliding scale showcases what setting the bracelet is at. The bracelet’s updated clasp and a redesigned diver’s extension system offer a better wrist-fit. And, the special visual quirk is a welcome bonus.
Grand Seiko
Bracelet With Micro-Adjustment for Spring Drive U.F.A.
At Watches and Wonders 2025, Grand Seiko introduced its Spring Drive Ultra-Fine Accuracy (UFA) movement - Caliber 9RB2 with a tested world-record mechanical accuracy of ±20 seconds per year. This caliber was introduced in two models: an 80-piece limited edition SLGB001 in platinum and a high-intensity titanium variant, the SLGB003. It is the latter that’s of significant interest as it gets paired, for the first time in Grand Seiko’s history, with a bracelet featuring a three-step micro-adjustment clasp that operates without a tool. This is Grand Seiko responding to the collective manifestation of the broader watch community.
The new two-fold clasp with a comfort release device integrates an on-the-fly three-step micro-adjustment system. However, the “micro” in micro-adjust is exercised at level minima, with the new clasp allowing only three positions of adjustability in 2 mm increments, yielding not more than 6mm of bracelet stretch.
Still, it’s here and it’s very much welcome!
Hence Proved! Comfort Matters
While often unquantified on spec-sheets, bracelet upgrades make a real difference only when you wear a watch. On the wrist, these incremental innovations render a substantial elevation of comfort, fit and ergonomics.
Watches and Wonders 2025 showcased that a once underrated aspect of a wristwatch’s making can make serious buzz even at an event where Rolex announces its all-new model line in almost 13 years. While there were many watches, bracelets were the true wonders at this year’s Watches and Wonders.
