Not all images were able to load for printing. Please close the print window and try again. Turning Back The Clock, With Our Favourite Watches From Watches & Wonders 2025
We revisit some of last year's highlights, with the MONOCHROME Editorial team picking one watch each from the 2025 edition of Watches & Wonders.
For a change in our regular Sunday programming, we’re not looking at specific watches selected for a shared theme or feature, but rather turning back the clock a year. With the 2026 edition of Watches & Wonders literally only days away, and the news coming in fast and frequent, we thought it would be a good idea to revisit some of last year’s highlights. For that reason, I asked the core of the MONOCHROME editorial team to list the one watch that left the biggest impression on them for whatever reason. So without further ado, here are our favourite watches from Watches & Wonders 2025!
Frank – Rolex Land-Dweller
It’s not often we get an entirely new collection from Rolex, and the Land-Dweller certainly made an impact. Not just for its looks, which can be a bit polarising, but to me, even more for its movement. The new Calibre 7135 with its new Dynapulse escapement blew me away. The sequential distribution escapement with silicon hairspring shows a complex geometry and a ceramic balance staff, in the pursuit of precision and stability. I have always loved technical innovations like this, and I simply admire the effort by Rolex with this. I’m eager to see where they will take it next, and what becomes of the Land-Dweller this year!
For more information, please check out our in-depth article here.
Brice – Patek Philippe Calatrava 6196P
Three hands can go a very long way, and I instantly fell in love with the Patek Philippe Calatrava 6196P last year. To me, it’s the essence of a dress watch, with a slight contemporary touch with the blackened hands and markers, which just struck me when I first saw it. The lineage to the Ref. 96, the rose gold opaline (or salmon) coloured dial, the compact dimensions of the platinum case, and that beautiful movement. What’s not to love? I genuinely think it’s one of the best takes on the Calatrava that Patek has ever done, period.
For more information, please check out our article here.
Xavier – Zenith G.F.J. Calibre 135
I was very happy to learn that Zenith stepped away from its legendary El Primero history for a moment and revisited another iconic movement in the brand’s history. The creation of Calibre 135, and how it became the most decorated watch in observatory chronometry competitions is simply one of the brand’s most important chapters. To see it make a comeback through the G.F.J. was great, and I loved the style of the watch. Classic, yet with a modern touch through the Lapis Lazzuli and guilloché dial. I would love to see more of this, so I am keeping my fingers crossed for this year!
For more information, please head over to our article here.
Robin – Nomos Club Sport Neomatik World Timer
I was very much doubting which of my last year’s picks I would select for this revisit. It was a 50-50 split between this and the Parmigiani Fleurier Toric Perpetual Calendar in gold. In the end, I ended up choosing the watch that I consider a future purchase, the Nomos Club Sport Neomatik Worldtimer in this deep blue dial (unless they cook up something even better in the near future!). The way they have integrated the practicality of a worldtimer mechanism into such a compact case, with an in-house movement and at a rather sensible and attainable(-ish) price, is, to me, simply impressive!
For more information, please visit our hands-on from last year.
Denis – Ferdinand Berthoud Chronometre FB3 SPC
The salmon dial edition of the Ferdinand Berthoud Chronomètre FB3 SPC in platinum was, nearly without hesitation, my favourite of the releases. It will sound cliché, but I do love how it is not louder or more luxurious, mostly because of how it reveals the architecture with greater warmth and clarity. This is a watch built for observation: the cylindrical balance spring, the layered bridges. I could easily spend hours exploring the movement from every angle, front, back and even through the side porthole. The salmon version works best to showcase the mechanics; it makes them more engaging, more human, and more memorable.
For more information, please visit our detailed hands-on right here.
