Chanel J12

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Last year at Watches and Wonders, amidst all the powerhouses of high horology, French luxury fashion house Chanel quickly grabbed eyeballs with its extensive display of timepieces that spoke of the brand’s heritage. Coco Chanel and her legacy in Haute Couture shine through the Couture O’Clock collection. Inspired by the founder’s atelier, her craftsmanship, and the tools she used, the timepieces imbibe the house's monotone palette, and the leather woven chains and charms have again taken centre stage. Chanel has seriously invested itself in high watchmaking. It has turned thimbles, buttons, pins, and scissors into timepieces in the form of wristwatches, rings, and long necklaces, among others. Watch critics appreciated the J12, the ‘Superleggera’ Edition, and Première. Furthermore, Chanel acquired a 25% stake in independent watchmaker MB&F last year, reinforcing its role in the growing high-end horology. 

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Chanel Superleggera

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Chanel Première

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Building on the triumph of its 2024 debut, Chanel returned to the Geneva fair this year with an evolution of its iconic J12 collection. Introducing a fresh shade of blue, the Maison created the timepieces in a matte ceramic finish that exudes modern elegance. The collection spans from gem-set creations to haute horlogerie timepieces, including a sophisticated tourbillon and a model encased entirely in sapphire. With the launch, Chanel reiterated its persuasion for innovation in high horology, be it the design, complications, or materials. 

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Chanel J12 Collection at Watches & Wonders 2025

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When Louis Vuitton unveiled the redesigned Tambour watch in 2023 (the brand’s first timepiece launched in 2002 with a drum-shaped case and GMT function) priced four times its old value, the maison made it clear that it was here to make an impact. The timepiece was quite slim at just 8.3mm, had a new in-house automatic calibre LFT023, and flanked an integrated bracelet. “With this launch, we seek to open a new chapter in the history of Maison's watchmaking by creating a watch with strong horological credentials while identifiably Louis Vuitton in style”, says Jean Arnault, Watch Director, Louis Vuitton. Notably, last year while rooting for the Kansas City Chiefs at the NFL, American popstar Taylor Swift was wearing an 8K gold version of the Louis Vuitton Tambour.

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Louis Vuitton Tambour

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Earlier this year, at the LVMH Watch Week in New York, the Parisian fashion giant upped the ante with the Tambour Convergence and the Taiko Spin Time lines. Convergence denotes the coming together of its three ateliers - La Fabrique du Temps for the watch movements, La Fabrique des Boîtiers for the cases, and La Fabrique des Arts which brings in the rare handcrafts. Inspired by the bygone era of the montres à guichet, or the era of watches with apertures or windows, the Convergence features a brand new 37mm case with plates that are sculpted open at 12 o’clock to show the time through brass rotating discs underneath marked with blue Arabic numbers. 

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Tambour Convergence

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Taiko Spin Time

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The latter, Taiko Spin Time jumping hour watches were designed for the brand in 2009, when La Fabrique du Temps’s founders Michel Navas and Enrico Barbasini created the very first movement for the maison, taking cues from the flap displays that show timetables at airports and railway stations. The collection brings a skeletonised dial, the world-first travel time complication with the jumping hour, and a flying tourbillon. “Without Spin Time, we would not have embarked on the challenge of entering high watchmaking in this manner,” says Arnault.

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The leading fashion brands in the watchmaking arena, Bvlgari and Cartier, have stood tall in the horological halls of fame with their legacy and paved the way for others. It was their heritage pieces like the Serpenti, and Gérald Genta designed Bvlgari Bvlgari for Bvlgari; and the Santos, the Tank, the Crash, and the Baignoire, to name a few for Cartier. 

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Watches and Wonders 2025 has seen outstanding timepieces from these two brands. Beyond the shimmer of gem-laden timepieces, the fair witnessed the revival of legendary designs drawn from the golden age of watchmaking.

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Cartier Monopoussoir

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Cartier Tortue

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Last year, Cartier turned the spotlight on its iconic Tortue within the revered Privé collection. Amid a whimsical display of animal-inspired jewellery watches, the Tortue returned in two distinct forms: a minimalist time-only model echoing the original 1912 design, and a sophisticated monopoussoir chronograph inspired by its 1928 predecessor.

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Cartier Tank à Guichet

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Cartier Tressage

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Cartier’s 2025 presentation reached further into the archives to resurrect another legend—the Tank à Guichet. Now reborn within the Privé line following the Louis Vuitton Convergence, this rare jump hour timepiece was offered in two versions. One mirrors the 1928 original, with its signature apertures—jumping hours at 12 o’clock and dragging minutes at 6—while the other draws from a 1930s iteration, distinguished by its asymmetrically aligned windows. The collection was accompanied by a fresh line, the Cartier Tressage with sculptural timepieces made of precious metals and gemstones. 

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Bvlgari Serpenti Aeterna

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Meanwhile, Bvlgari commanded the spotlight with a stunning reinterpretation of its most iconic muse—the Serpenti. The new Serpenti Aeterna high-jewellery watch shed traditional motifs in favor of a sleek, architectural silhouette, cast in precious metals and studded with diamonds. Instead of the familiar serpent’s head concealing the dial, the Aeterna revealed an arrowhead-shaped face resting atop the serpent’s crown. The bangle-style timepiece introduced a bold new language for the Serpenti line.

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Following the lead

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Hermès Maillon Libre

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Hermès Maillon Libre

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Hermès Arceau Rocabar de Rire

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Luxury giants like Hermès, Gucci, and Ralph Lauren have followed. Apart from the unbuyable Kelly and artistic scarves, Hermès has brought its signature equestrian heritage to its timepieces, cased with new movements and complications. The latest timepieces from the brand at Watches and Wonders 2025 made highlights with the Maillon Libre designed on the brand’s anchor chain link motif. This signature motif found in its apparel and accessories is now Hermès’s wristwatch and a brooch watch. The other that did not let onlookers pass by was the Arceau Rocabar de Rire, where a hand-painted and hand-engraved horse showed them its tongue through mechanical animation powered by Manufacture Hermès H1837, activated by a pusher at 9 o’clock. 

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Hermès Cut

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Hermès Cut

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But it was the elegant Hermès Cut last year that made the buzz, resembling the ‘a circle within a round shape’ aesthetic. This 36mm sports watch, designed with a gender-neutral appeal made quite an impact alongside Hermès Arceau Duc Attelé, a watch designed by Henri d’Origny in 1978 featuring a triple-axis tourbillon and minute repeater complication with hammers designed as horse heads, driven by in-house Hermès H1926 movement. This year, the two timepieces came back as Cut Le temps suspendu and Arceau Le temps suspendu, both with disruptive and quirky time-telling design. 

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Hermès Cut Le Temps du Suspendu

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Hermès Arceau Le Temps Suspendu

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Remarkably, the Hermès Cape Cod took the market by storm when the brand first released the double tour watch in 1997, under Martin Margiela as its Creative Director. The watch had an unusually long leather strap with saddle details, wrapping around the wrist unconventionally. Since then wraparound or double tour watches have only grown in popularity and style. But even before Hermès, Bvlgari created the first wraparound watch in 1948 - the iconic Serpenti, which gets spotted now and then adorning the wrists of popular people and celebrities. Nonetheless, the Cape Cod and the Serpenti have found their place in the consumers’ hearts. 

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Hermès Cape Cod

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Fashion house Gucci took a strong stance on horology with timepieces like the 25H Minute Repeater and the Gucci Interlocking, which combines a flying tourbillon and jumping hour mechanism. Ralph Lauren released the sporty, mechanical Polo watch collection, which features bold colours, robust materials, a new shape, and a connection to its equestrian heritage.

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Gucci 25H Minute Repeater

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Gucci Interlocking

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Ralph Lauren Polo Mechanical

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Together we are stronger

Most fashion brands today draw inspiration from their heritage for watchmaking. The legacy Swiss watchmakers like Patek Philippe, Rolex, and Omega, although still the strongest players, no longer own the domain. There has been a perceptible shift and fashion houses are appealing to the customers and watch enthusiasts alike, therefore these heritage watchmakers have started collaborating with traditional fashion houses. 

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Tamara Ralph

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For example, Italian luxury brand Prada has created straps for many of Panerai’s Luminor Due Prada Re-Nylon collection, which catered to lovers of both brands. Swiss brand Audemars Piguet joined hands with Australian designer Tamara Ralph, Creative Director and co-founder of Ralph & Russo, to create the limited edition Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Concept Flying Tourbillon, presented at the Spring/Summer 2024 Haute Couture Fashion Week. Also, Victoria Beckham teamed up with Breitling to create the limited edition Chronomat Automatic 36 Victoria Beckham watch collection. Additionally, last year TAG Heuer Formula 1 X Kith collection revived the Formula 1 watch from the 1990s, designed by Ronnie Fieg, the Creative Director of the New-York based lifestyle brand.

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Breitling x Victoria Beckham Collection

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Celebs top picks

At the recent 82^nd Golden Globes night, where Shogun and The Brutalist scored major wins, the stars on the red carpet were shining even brighter with their wrist candy. Besides the timepieces from Richard Mille, Rolex, Omega, Panerai, and more, Cartier was one of the most spotted brand. Sebastian Stan complemented his Prada suit with a Cartier Tank; Saudi Arabian film producer Al Turki got a Panthère de Cartier brooch and a Santos-Dumont Skeleton Micro-Rotor watch, and Jake Gyllenhall donned a Cartier Privé Tortue watch.

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Sebastian Stan with his Cartier Tank

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In December 2024, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg made headlines when he was spotted wearing the world's thinnest mechanical watch Bvlgari Octo Finissimo Ultra COSC. It was Bvlgari beating its world record for the thinnest watch at 1.70 mm with calibre BVL 180, and reclaiming the title from Richard Mille’s RM UP-01 at 1.75 mm. 

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Mark Zuckerberg spotted wearing the Bvlgari Octo Finissimo Ultra COSC

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We cannot deny the fact that fashion houses have upped the game in watches. The artisans with these brands understand what the customer of today looks forward to when buying a luxury watch. Brands are also looking at women’s watches with utmost significance, and the latest report by Deloitte and Watch Femme proves it. Innovations are going on all over and clearly for the watch industry and consumers, there’s a lot to look forward to in fashion and horology combined. The industry on the whole is entering some truly exciting times.

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