Watch Wishes And Predictions For 2025: What’s Next In The Wrist Game?

It’s speculative content that rules the internet this time of the year, in build-up to the new model season for watches. The major heft of chatter gravitates towards the usual suspects, i.e. what brands have in store for the first major watch show of the year, the Watches & Wonders 2025 in Geneva and also how the developing luxury watch market trends that captured the core attention in the previous months will continue to permeate in the future. Truth be told, the glacial pace of evolution of the mainstream Swiss watch industry punctuated by a flurry of anniversaries for brands and models, makes the watch prediction business for 2025, a bit predictable. That said, it still doesn’t make my job easy as the notoriously slow-moving brands do come with surprises here and there.

To be honest, predicting watches is as useful as a snowmobile in the Sahara. And yet, a year's unfolding devoid of such audacious predictions feels strangely incomplete. Despite this inherent absurdity, the pursuit itself, the dreaming, that is the ultimate reward. Beware, for it’s a daunting task to be sure, given the omnipresent risk of all hopes being shattered by yet another brick-sized Rolex.

As I’ve named a brand, for starters, why not stick with it. Here’s what I think could surface from Rolex.

Rolex Predictions for 2025

If there’s one thing that’s predictable for Rolex, it has to be the slow and steady evolution of its model line-ups. The brand has faced criticism for its perceived lack of imagination in collection updates. However, this sentiment gets tempered by a consistently high demand for its models that get instantly sold out! To its credit though, why would Rolex want to revise an already successful strategy. If it ain't broke, don't fix it!

Yet, Rolex refreshes its collections with updates each year. 2025 is the 120th anniversary of Rolex and the 70th anniversary for the GMT. The brand however deviates from the norm when it comes to anniversaries. What needs reminding about Rolex is their intentional subversion from the tradition of anniversary commemorations. Rolex celebrates anniversaries selectively, sometimes acknowledging the milestone, other times not. Nowadays when Rolex does mark an occasion, it's often very subtle, like the understated red ‘100’ marking on the Daytona Le Mans’ bezel.

Yet, by ignoring the unignorable, we remain hopeful of the “Coke” bezel GMT-Master ll in 2025. It aches to recall that a GMT (ref. 126710 GRNR) was already the flagship Rolex at Watches & Wonders 2024. So, can Rolex make it twice in a row, I don’t know, but please make it happen. As Rolex always tests new materials and general market reception by way of Tudor, which if you recollect did get a black and burgundy Coke bezel in the 2024 Black Bay 58 GMT, it could signal the revival of the same in the GMT-Master ll.

Moreover, in favor of the “Coke” model, Rolex did file a patent for a new ceramic insert coloring technology. An excerpt from the patent (published in French on January 31, 2024) describes the “Production of a multi-coloured ceramic component.” Also, could the arrival of a “Coke” model be the demise of the “Pepsi” GMT-Master ll? Well, only time will bear witness to that.

For the non-professional collection, we could see the Perpetual 1908 with some sort of a complication, preferably a moonphase. As the retired Cellini was survived by a lone reference 50535, the Rolex Cellini Moonphase, it makes a logical case for a similar complication to be revived in its replacement collection. For the Day-Date and Datejust to some extent, I only see new dial variations emerging in 2025. Overall, I think it's going to be more like a broadening of options and tastes across the collections without any significant updates.

Omega Predictions for 2025

Let me glance into the crystal ball once again and forecast, to the best of my ability, the Omega novelties for 2025. Kicking off with the iconic Omega, the Speedmaster, preferably the objective and emotional center of the line-up, the Moonwatch. 2025 could be the year we get a full ceramic 42mm Speedmaster Moonwatch. If Omega unites the ceramic case with the Moonwatch soul in a killer piece of historic significance, I would very much want that. Talking complications, could the Speedmaster spawn into a calendar chronograph watch or a split-seconds timepiece? Maybe. As proven by practice, perpetual calendar and rattrapante Speedmasters have already been done by Omega in the past.

Alright, from skies to the seas. 2025 is the 20th anniversary for the Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean, a collection presenting solid scope for integrating Omega’s latest innovation in proprietary materials. Also, downsizing the GMTs, chronos and the pure divers in the collection would be a logical choice.

Jaeger-LeCoultre, Hublot and Breguet Predictions for 2025

For Jaeger-LeCoultre, the re-appointment of Jérôme Lambert, its former CEO from 2002 to 2013 which is often heralded as the golden era of the brand, as the new Chief Executive Officer will allow for invigoration of models that sort of have been sidelined in the past and deprived of the much-deserved attention. His first run with Jaeger-LeCoultre was hallmarked by the introduction of affordable complications and relative accessibility of high-end examples. For 2025, the Reverso will again be a highlight model with new variations and complications to emerge along with the Duometre models, which could spawn some exciting or even eccentric complications. The brand could tease its new direction for the next decade with what they release in 2025.

Anniversary-wise, Hublot Big Bang turns 20 and the brand too witnessed a major leadership change, with Julien Tornare being appointed as the new CEO. So, Hublot could lean into their wild side with a 20th anniversary Big Bang. Moreover, Julian Tornare, who comes from Zenith as its first successful brand head of the decade and since Jean Frédéric Dufour, could rediscover the magic that Hublot had maybe seven years ago when it undisputedly was the leading LVMH group watch brand. Staying on the topic of anniversaries, Breguet turns 250 in 2025. For the Swatch group brand, I predict a Bioceramic Type XX. As an ailing entity in the Swatch Group, Breguet is long-awaiting a mass-audience appeal and the Swatch X Breguet Type XX collab could be a major revival of consumer interest for practically the fourth oldest watch brand in the world.

Audemars Piguet and Patek Philippe Predictions for 2025

Audemars Piguet, which will be 150 in 2025 could work on some revival models and sort of expand their [RE]Master series. We definitely will be seeing more Royal Oak variations in 2025, with the 150th brand anniversary edition very likely to happen. They very much do the anniversary edition Royal Oaks and special celebrity or series collabs which we could see more of this year.

What about the brand that has faced the major heft of controversy and criticism last year? Yes, I’m talking about Patek Philippe. Decisions like the Cubitus and denim straps on models like the World Time 5330G have been seriously off-putting and sort of very surprising from the unofficial leading leg of watchmaking’s Holy Trinity. Will there be more unpleasant surprises in 2025? Could be. But what remains highly anticipated is the addition of new complications or style variations in Patek Philippe’s recently launched new model line-up in 25 years, the Cubitus.

Grand Seiko Predictions for 2025

Grand Seiko, a company with an interesting brand evolution happening, will likely offer new dial variations for its popular models and a few tribute editions celebrating heritage Japanese crafts. What I remain wishful for is the brand adopting a bit of restraint on its model iterations and introductions as a lot of what they release gets lost within their over-saturated and fast-moving catalog. Maybe they need a better model categorization and definition and as the brand President Akio Naito recently spoke about focusing only on the core SKUs from the brand and even limiting the JDM editions, we will be seeing only a few focus-models getting major attention from the brand. What’s achingly absent from their catalog and what could be introduced in 2025 is a dive watch competing in the sub-42mm segment. This makes the perfect case for the SBGH291 being released in a 39 or 41mm case size.

Tudor Predictions for 2025

For Tudor, we could see more mainstream dial colors as opposed to pink for the Black Bay Chrono. They could also revive the Oysterdate Prince “Big Block” chronograph with a 6-9-12 sub-register layout. This was introduced as the Prince Chronograph One for Only Watch 2023.

What Else Can We Expect from Watch Brands In 2025?

The broader expanses of the watch industry are set to enhance diversity in terms of options and tastes when it comes to their collection updates. Materials, colors, proportions and strategic revivals all make strong forecast contenders for 2025. For Panerai, they are going to be heavy on the Luminor models which could get new case materials and dial colors. This would also hold true for the Luna Rossa novelties as they are expected to continue expanding this collection.

One thing I hope to see and what I think could be possible be happening in 2025 is an end to the arms race for the thinnest watch in the world. This is turning out to be a bit of a science project exercise for luxury watch brands solely trying to gain bragging rights. Could Piaget end the battle once and for all by releasing their ultimate version of the Altiplano? They did give us the Piaget Altiplano Concept Tourbillon, the world's thinnest tourbillon watch in 2024 on the brand’s 150th anniversary. Remember, they got to better the 1.65mm Konstantin Chaykin ThinKing for the thinnest watch in the world.

For the brand that was very much an influencer of trends in 2024, Cartier will further build on their Santos collection with even more dial colors. Then there is the 40th anniversary for the Pasha, which could get revived with a taste of the brand’s recent trend of miniaturization, similar to what they did last year with the Tank LC Mini and the Tank Américaine Mini much to the delight of Cartier fan girls.

Moving on, with the French fashion powerhouse Chanel adding MB&F to its portfolio last year with a 25% Stake alongside their past acquisition of minority stakes in Romain Gauthier in 2011 and F.P. Journe in 2018, Monsieur Journe could be added to the list of “friends” in MB&F this year. What a crazy yielding that would be!

In terms of trends, what’s predicted is the endearance of small case sizes with 36mm emerging as the now-established de facto choice. Color dials will continue to permeate across brands, both in the mainstream and independent frontiers. We could see more of the revival of classic designs for Tissot, TAG Heuer and Casio. TAG Heuer will likely introduce some Formula 1 Limited Editions for their first year of sponsorship of the sport. There will be new brand boutiques coming for brands that could spawn boutique limited editions along with collaborations within and outside the industry for major brands.

Until there's definitive clarity and material to know what’s really in store for 2025, let these predictions cultivate the spirit of excitement and inspire hope for the year ahead.