Is 2025 The Year Of The Reissue Watch?
6 min read
Every year in watchmaking has its defining mood. Some years are about material innovation think ceramic bezels or titanium everything. Others lean heavily on complications, with perpetual calendars and minute repeaters stealing the spotlight. But 2025 seems to be telling a story written in the language of history. From January’s first big reveal to the height of summer, watchmakers have been rifling through their archives, breathing new life into icons that shaped their brands. These reissues aren’t just museum pieces reborn; they’re carefully considered modern companions, blending the emotional pull of the past with the precision and reliability we expect today. So here is a month wise breakdown of the best reissues of 2025 so far!
January: Vacheron Constantin 270th Anniversary Steel Historiques 222
Vacheron Constantin delighted the watch world by unveiling a steel reissue of the Historiques 222 for its 270th anniversary. Originally launched in 1977 to celebrate the brand’s 222nd anniversary, the 222 was designed by Jörg Hysek and is a cornerstone of the integrated sports watch era. The new 2025 version stays remarkably faithful to the original’s 37mm tonneau-shaped case, fluted bezel, and minimalist blue dial, but it now houses the in-house Calibre 2455/2 with a 40-hour power reserve and modern finishing visible through a sapphire caseback. The choice of steel makes it more approachable than the earlier gold reissues, a deliberate nod to enthusiasts who have long craved this reference in its most tool-like form.
February: Grand Seiko 45GS
Grand Seiko’s 45GS revival in February revisited one of the most important watches in Japanese horology. The original 45GS, introduced in 1968, was the first Grand Seiko to fully embody Taro Tanaka’s “Grammar of Design” flat surfaces, sharp edges, and distortion-free Zaratsu polishing. The 2025 edition retains the elegant 36.5mm case proportions, razor-sharp dauphine hands, and crisp dial typography, but upgrades the movement to the modern 9SA4 Hi-Beat 80 Hours calibre. This brings not only superior chronometry but also a slimmer profile, making it one of the most faithful-yet-wearable vintage reissues in the brand’s modern catalogue.
March: King Seiko Vanac
March brought a burst of colour and flair with King Seiko’s Vanac reissue. The Vanac was the audacious sibling in the Seiko family during the 1970s, known for its faceted tonneau cases, extravagant dial textures, and bold use of colour. The 2025 release captures this retro bravado with multi-faceted lugs, sunburst dials in jewel tones, and applied indices that catch the light from every angle. Inside, it’s powered by the 6R55 automatic movement with a 72-hour power reserve, ensuring modern reliability. It’s a reissue for those who prefer their vintage aesthetic served with a bit of disco-era drama.
April: Breguet Souscription
In April, Breguet honoured its roots with a new take on the souscription watch. Abraham-Louis Breguet’s original concept in 1796 allowed customers to pay a third of the price upfront, with the remainder due on delivery an early form of crowdfunding. The original was a large, single-hand watch with an enamel dial, designed for simplicity and accessibility. The 2025 version interprets this spirit with a 40mm case in Breguet gold, grand feu enamel dial with blued steel hand, and the manually wound Calibre VS00. The movement is refined yet minimalist, with bridges shaped to recall historical Breguet architecture. It’s both a nod to the brand’s democratising vision and a showcase of its high-craft savoir-faire.
May: OMEGA Railmaster
OMEGA’s May release saw the Railmaster one of its original 1957 trilogy tool watches return with renewed purpose. Originally designed for engineers, electricians, and railway staff working around strong magnetic fields, the Railmaster was anti-magnetic before it was cool. The 2025 model preserves the clean dial with Arabic numerals at the quarters, a brushed steel case, and straight-lug profile, but adds the Co-Axial Master Chronometer Calibre 8806 with resistance to magnetic fields up to 15,000 gauss. Water-resistant to 150 metres and sized at a versatile 40mm, it’s a reissue that proves technical integrity can be timeless.
June: ANDERSEN Genève The Communication 45
June’s entry came from ANDERSEN Genève with The Communication 45 a revival of a piece that was as much conversation starter as timepiece when first created. Known for its unusual dial execution and artistic storytelling, the 2025 edition continues this spirit with intricate hand-guilloché work, a rotating disc display, and a compact 38mm case in precious metals. The dial’s theme is a modern reinterpretation of global connectivity and is expressed through miniature painting techniques, while the movement is the ultra-thin Frédéric Piguet 11.50, modified in-house. It’s a reminder that reissues can be whimsical and artistic, not just historically reverent.
July: Doxa SUB 750T Clive Cussler
July’s splashiest reissue came from DOXA, with the SUB 750T Clive Cussler edition. The SUB 750T, first introduced in the 1970s, was a professional-grade dive watch with serious depth rating and a reputation for toughness. The 2025 Cussler edition channels the author’s adventurous persona, complete with a patina-effect case finish, aged lume, and a map-inspired dial motif referencing the Dirk Pitt novels. Powered by a COSC-certified Sellita SW300 movement and water-resistant to 750 metres, it’s a reissue that speaks to both the collector’s heart and the explorer’s wrist.
August: Glashütte Original Seveties Chronograph Panorama Date
Reissued in August as a 100-piece limited edition, Glashütte Original’s Seventies Chronograph Panorama Date brings back the groovy flair of the 1970s with a playful twist. First introduced in 2014, the model channeled retro TV-shaped cases, but Glashütte Original wasn’t content with just looking the part—it added its signature Panorama Date and a flyback chronograph to keep things seriously mechanical. Now, the reissue turns up the volume with two bold new dials: Plasma, a punchy purple, and Fusion, a zesty lime green, both unapologetically fun and eye-catching. The 40mm x 40mm square case, softened by rounded corners and a polished sloping bezel, wears sleeker than its 14.10mm height suggests, while alternating brushed and polished finishes give it that extra bit of disco sparkle. Rounded rectangular pushers, crown guards, and 100m water resistance make sure this watch is a retro revival that grooves just as well in the present day.
From steel sports legends to extravagant ‘70s icons and hand-painted artistic creations, the first seven months of 2025 suggest the reissue is no longer a side act in the industry it has taken centre stage. These watches are not just about nostalgia; they are refining the past to meet today’s standards. If this pace continues, 2025 may go down not just as the year of the reissue, but as the moment when reissues became the most exciting part of watchmaking’s future.
