Six of this Year’s Best Watchmaking Anniversary Celebrations

With an industry that goes back centuries and loves to honour tradition, it’s no surprise that anniversaries are celebrated in style. And honestly, when done right, we’re not going to complain. This year, like clockwork, multiple brands paid homage to horological milestones, from 250-year celebrations of a watchmaking institute to a 20-year celebration of a then-disruptive watch, and more. And judging by these six, which we feel are among the very best of this year’s best celebratory editions, it was a hugely historic year for multiple reasons!

Girard-Perregaux Laureato Fifty

We kick things off with the aptly named ‘Fifty’ edition of the Girard-Perregaux Laureato, marking the fifty-year anniversary of this iconic sports watch. Launched in 1975, it was among the first to define this new style and has earned its place in history. While it took until 1995 for the Laureato to go mechanical, and the design has evolved in many directions, the Laureato DNA has stood the test of time. This Laureato Fifty comes in stainless steel and yellow gold, with a grey Clous de Paris dial, GP’s new in-house calibre GP4800, and a two-tone integrated bracelet with micro-adjustable folding clasp. Only 200 are made, priced at CHF 25,000.

For more information, please visit Girard-Perregaux.com.

Quick Facts – 39mm x 9.8mm – stainless steel case, brushed & polished – yellow gold bezel – sapphire crystal front & back – 150 water-resistant – sunray grey dial – Clous de Paris guilloché pattern – yellow gold markers & hands, luminous – calibre GP4800, in-house automatic – skeleton rotor – 28,800vph – 55h power reserve – hours, minutes, seconds, date – integrated steel & yellow gold bracelet – folding clasp with micro-adjustibility system – limited to 200 pieces – CHF 25,000

Vacheron Constantin Traditionelle Tourbillon perpetual calendar

The biggest horological milestone this year comes from Vacheron Constantin, as the Maison celebrated its monumental 270-year legacy. With multiple celebratory watches released over the year, we take a look at the Traditionelle Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar. This ultra-sophisticated and complex watch is a true representation of Vacheron Constantin’s craftsmanship, and comes with a special hand-guilloché anniversary motif on the solid gold dial. The movement, and its decor, are stunning, with a tourbillon escapement and a peripheral rotor being just two of the highlights. Limited to 127 pieces, the price is upon request.

For more information, please visit Vacheron-Constantin.com.

Quick Facts – 42mm x 11.1mm – 950 platinum case, fluted & polished – sapphire crystal front & back – 30m water-resistant – solid gold dial in silvery-white – anniversary guilloché motif – white gold markers & hands – perpetual calendar display – exposed tourbillon escapement – calibre 2162 QP/270, in-house – automatic with peripheral rotor – 18,000vph – 72h power reserve – 324 components – dark blue alligator leather strap with platinum folding clasp – limited to 127 pieces – price upon request

Breguet classique Souscription 2025

Speaking of true horological milestones, Breguet honoured its 250-year anniversary in style this year. Not only did we get to see new editions of the famous Type 20/XX, but we were also treated to anniversary editions of the Tradition, Marine and Classique (to name but a few). The star of the show, though, has got to be the Classique Souscription 2025. Paying respects to A.L. Breguet’s Souscription pocket watch, it comes with a single hand revolving over a white Grand Feu enamel dial inside a Breguet gold case. The construction of the movement also resembles the pocket watch from 1796 and is just stunning through and through. It joins the permanent collection for a price of EUR 52,800.

For more information, please visit Breguet.com.

Quick Facts – 40mm x 10.8mm – 18k Breguet Gold case, brushed & polished – sapphire caseback front & back – 30m water-resistant – white Grand Feu enamel dial – single blued central Breguet hand – black petit feu enamel numerals & logo – calibre VS00, in-house – manually wound – 144 components – 21,600vph – 96h power reserve – navy blue alligator leather strap with Breguet gold pin buckle – permanent collection, individually numbered – EUR 52,800

Chopard L.U.C Qualité Fleurier 20th

Chopard celebrated something other than the brand’s birth year, as the L.U.C Qualité Fleurier 20th Anniversary Edition celebrates the most demanding Swiss industry certification, the Qualité Fleurier hallmark. This tribute to the first-ever QF-certified watch by Chopard comes in yellow gold and brown. The shaped lugs, paired with a wonderful two-tone dial, make for a very unusual yet devilishly captivating watch. Passing with flying colours, it uses the in-house calibre L.U.C 96.09-L with two stacked barrels for 65 hours of running time, and a micro-rotor to drive it. Limited to just 20 pieces, it is priced at EUR 33,000.

For more information, please visit Chopard.com.

Quick Facts – 39mm x 8.92mm – ethical 18k yellow gold case, polished & brushed – sapphire crystal front & back – 30m water-resistant – two-tone sector dial – brown chapter ring with applied gold markers – gold hands with SLN – calibre L.U.C 96.09-L, in-house – micro-rotor automatic – COSC & QF certified – 172 components – 28,800vph – 65h power reserve – brown calfskin leather strap with yellow gold pin buckle – limited edition of 20 pieces – EUR 33,000

Audemars Piguet Royal Oak jumbo chronograph RD#5

Celebrating 150 years of watchmaking under the Audemars Piguet name, the Royal Oak Jumbo Chronograph RD#5 completely reimagines the construction of a mechanical chronograph mechanism. Using the Royal Oak platform, the RD#5 presents a radical rethink of the chronograph, with a unique tactile experience. Energy is stored instead of being taken from the main geartrain when the chronograph is started, ensuring a precise and shudder-free engagement. It’s all very clever, and we explain it in detail in our hands-on, including video here. This 150-piece limited edition, one for every year the brand has been around, costs CHF 260,000.

For more information, please visit AudemarsPiguet.com.

Quick Facts – 39mm x 8.1mm – titanium & bulk metallic glass case – push-pieces & function selector chip – sapphire crystal front & back – 20m water-resistant – blue dial with Petite Tapisserie pattern – gold applied markers & hands – flying tourbillon at 6′ – calibre AP 8100, in-house – automatic with peripheral rotor – completely re-engineered chronograph mechanism – integrated titanium & BMG bracelet with AP folding clasp – limited edition of 150 pieces – CHF 260,000

Hublot Big Bang 20th Anniversary

If there’s one thing to be said about the original Hublot Big Bang, it is that it was a very disruptive watch when introduced. It supersized the original concept of Carlo Crocco’s porthole-like design with a case of 44.5mm in diameter made of titanium and ceramic, then rather exotic. The layered construction was striking to say the least, and it became a huge hit. This year, to mark the 20th anniversary of the original Big Bang, Hublot presented a series of limited editions that fuse the blueprint of the 2005 Big Bang with modern elements like the in-house Unico flyback chronograph movement into a 42mm case. This titanium & black ceramic is truest to the original design, and is limited to 500 pieces. The price is set at EUR 21,600.

For more information, please visit Hublot.com.

Quick Facts – 42mm x 13.2mm – titanium case, brushed & polished – black ceramic bezel with functional screws – sapphire crystal front & back – 100m water-resistant – stamped chequered dial, black – black subdials with red details – applied markers & hands with SLN – calibre HUB1280, in-house – automatic flyback chronograph – 28,800vph – 72h power reserve – interchangeable black rubber strap with Lozenge pattern – folding clasp – limited to 500 pieces – EUR 21,600