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Above: The Ressence TYPE 9 S75 (limited to 20 pieces) priced at CHF 15,500. Sold out.
Paving the way for creativity in 2025, Belgian-designed and Swiss-made brand Ressence has partnered with Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons to produce a limited edition of their Type 9 wristwatch. Created in celebration of Seddiqi’s 75th anniversary, the collaboration pays mechanical tribute to the United Arab Emirates. The watch features a dial composed of sand collected from all seven emirates, impeccably encapsulating Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons’ roots. The creative and textured dial comprises grains of sand from throughout the emirates, bonded onto the rotating titanium minutes and hours discs.
Ressence’s patented ROCS (Ressence Orbital Convex System) displays the time in a completely unique way, with sub-dials orbiting the main dial in a fluid motion for an intuitive reading. Rooted in ergonomics, aesthetics, and performance, this newest iteration of the Type 9 is powered by an automatic ETA 2894 movement and a 36-hour power reserve.
Similarly, inspired by the heritage that accompanies a brand anniversary, Audemars Piguet released three perpetual calendar wristwatches this year. An apt celebration of 150 years, the brand released the highly complicated Calibre 7138 movement. Five years in the making and protected by five patents, this 4Hz movement is fully crown-adjusted, incorporating four different setting positions. Designed with ergonomics in mind, it eliminates the need for tool-assisted adjustments, combining ease of operation with a highly legible calendar display.
Encasing this impressive movement are three limited-edition watches: one Code 11.59 Perpetual Calendar in 18K white gold, and two Royal Oak Perpetual Calendars, in 18K sand gold and steel.
Above: The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar wristwatch, ref. 26674. Credit: Audemars Piguet.
Echoing creativity and breathing fresh life into Gérald Genta’s iconic design, the Royal Oaks each feature a photorealistic moon phase display at 6 o’clock. Hyper-realistic and based on NASA imagery of the moon, this subsidiary dial, set against a sparkling blue aventurine night sky, is the most detailed moon phase ever produced by Audemars Piguet.
One of the most creative independents to emerge over the last couple of years is Berneron. Sylvain Berneron, former Chief Product Officer at Breitling, founded his independent and self-funded company in September 2022. His approach to design in the watch world is perfectly captured in his own analogy: “Let’s imagine you go into a house, but they tell you that you can’t go in one door. That makes you want nothing more than to go through that door.”
Above: The Berneron Mirage Sienna. Credit: Berneron.
The movement served as the starting point for the the creation of the Mirage. Berneron collaborated with Le Cercle des Horlogers to develop a movement that allows each component to occupy the space it requires for optimal performance, with the unique asymmetric case shaped around the wheels. Following in F.P. Journe’s footsteps, the Mirage features a thin 18ct gold movement, necessitating dedicated tooling during assembly. Combining mechanical prowess with a streamlined aesthetic, the manual-wind calibre beats at 3Hz and offers a 60-hour power reserve.
Above: The Berneron Mirage Sienna movement. Credit: Berneron.
Obvious visual inspirations for the Mirage include the iconic Cartier Crash, co-designed by Rupert Emmerson and Jean-Jacques Cartier in 1967. Sylvain Berneron has also previously cited the elegance of the Patek Philippe Calatrava as a muse for the ultimate time-only dress watch.
Above: The Alto Art 01 Monochrome collection. Credit: Alto.
A similar tale of creativity emerging independently of the major brands comes from the French brand Alto. Founded in 2024 by Thibaud Guittard, former marketing manager for Audemars Piguet, the brand was joined shortly after the Art 01 release by Raphaël Abeillon, Cartier’s former senior watch designer.
Combining their shared experiences at two of the world’s most prestigious watchmakers, as well as their personal experiences and childhood influences in design, Guittard and Abeillon collaborated on the retro-futuristic Art 01 Monochrome. Launched in February, the Art 01 Monochrome allows for unbridled creativity, featuring a 1970s “wedge car”-inspired case available in black and titanium grey. Wedge car is indeed the correct descriptor, as Guittard cited Filippo Sapino’s 1970s concept cars for Ferrari as a leading design inspiration.
Above: A Filippo Sapino Concept Car, inspiration for the Alto Art 01 wristwatch. Credit: Story Cars.
Aside from its sleek faceted case and futuristic aesthetics, the Alto Art 01 boasts a reverse-seconds micro-rotor movement. Playing with the very concept of time, the seconds hand on the Alto Art 01 rotates anti-clockwise around the dial. Manufactured by Le Cercle des Horologers, the 32-jewel movement runs at 4Hz and boasts a 48-hour power reserve.
Blending unique mechanics, aesthetics and design, the Alto Art 01 Monochrome unites two seasoned watch creatives, shaped by their time at Audemars Piguet and Cartier, who embraced the freedom and challenges of an independent project.
No commentary on ground-breaking watch designs in 2025 would be complete without mentioning the Rolex Land-Dweller. The most talked-about debut of this year’s Watches & Wonders in April, the Rolex Oyster Perpetual Land-Dweller is the brand’s first entirely new model line since the Sky-Dweller in 2012.
The Land-Dweller marks a striking new aesthetic and a bold conceptual direction for Rolex, long regarded as conservative in its launches. Taking seven years to develop, the calibre 7135 movement within this watch beats at 5Hz and features a revolutionary Dynapulse escapement. Fittingly, the watch includes an exhibition caseback to showcase these exceptional mechanics, which are protected by no fewer than 16 patents.
In terms of aesthetics, the Land-Dweller offers a fresh perspective for the brand, featuring a distinctive honeycomb pattern dial, polished bevel, fluted bezel, and an integrated flat Jubilee bracelet. Designed to capture the perfect balance between lightness and robustness, the Land-Dweller is the slimmest Oyster Perpetual in Rolex’s catalogue.
The Land-Dweller recalls archival Rolex models, the Oysterquartz ref. 1630, and the preceding ref. 5100 Beta 21. Launched in 1970, the 5100 Beta 21 was the brand’s first foray into quartz technology and was the most expensive offering in their catalogue. Known as the “Texano” for its bold and extravagant aesthetic, the 51 Beta 21 launched in a special release of 1,000 pieces in 18ct gold and had a limited run until 1972.
Based upon reviews of the Land-Dweller, drawing upon these obsolete references to house cutting-edge movements and aid design innovation seems to be a winning and well-received formula for Rolex.
The Rolex Land-Dweller is available in 36 and 40mm, and White Rolesor, Everose gold or Platinum.
Above: The Anoma A1 Optical collection. Credit: Anoma.
From a giant of the watch world to a maverick microbrand, Anoma was launched in 2024. The brand’s signature watch, the Anoma A1, drew inspiration from a mid-century table designed by Charlotte Perriand in the 1950s, resulting in a true visual outlier in the watch world. In creating the Anoma A1, the British microbrand references Gilbert Albert designs for Patek Philippe and the Cartier Pebble in aesthetic, yet remains visually worlds apart from any other contemporary offering on the market.
Anoma was founded by Matteo Violet Vianello, formerly a specialist at both Sotheby’s and A Collected Man. Quoted as stating: “We want every piece to feel like a small sculpture––for the wrist,” Matteo has achieved this with the A1. The stainless-steel triangular case measures 39 x 38mm, and retains a retro, yet ultra-modern and organic appeal with its curved corners and reflective qualities.
Powered by a Swiss-made Sellita SW100 automatic movement, the Anoma A1 optical has a 38-hour power reserve. Now in its third iteration, released in March, the Anoma A1 Optical pays homage to optical art, with a uniquely engraved dial, detailed with fifty slightly offset triangles. The result is a radiant and mesmerising dial, available in copper and silver options. Hailed as wearable art and a study in distortion, the first 300 numbered watches will be released with an accompanying artwork by optical artist Adam Fuhrer, who reinterprets the linear dial pattern.
Establishing and Redefining Brand Heritage… Launches to Follow
Above: The Berneron Quantième design render. Credit: Berneron/Master Watch.
In April, Berneron announced a new iteration, due to launch this September in Geneva. The Quantième, or ‘Counting Device,’ is Berneron’s unique take on the Annual Calendar wristwatch. Deliberately designed as an opposite to the Mirage, the Quantième is strictly symmetrical, with a 10mm case depth and a complication comprising a quadruple jump, with hour, day, month and AM-PM apertures. Designed around sequential reading, the dial configuration allows the time to be read vertically and the calendar horizontally. Speaking to Master Watch in an interview in April, Sylvain Berneron referenced the much-admired Patek Philippe Perpetual Calendar ref. 5496P as a design inspiration, particularly informing the dial spacing and window sizes of the Quantième. Crafted in platinum with an officer case back, steel bumper and touchpoints, this complication will be priced at 120,000 CHF, with a limited run of 24 pieces per colour each year.
Above: The Berneron Quantième movement, set to release in September. Credit: Berneron.
In a similar vein, Alto will reportedly launch a new version of the Art 01 this year with no further details released at this time. Further brands with potential launches before the end of the year include Ressence with a new artistic collaboration, Kudoke and Krayon, each with a much-anticipated new complication. With events such as Geneva Watch Days, Munich Watch Fair, World Time UK and Watch Time New York still scheduled for September and October, these rumoured launches could see the year close in style.
As far as the established horologers such as Rolex and Audemars, the many years and patents it has taken to create the Calibres 7135 and 7138 are indicative of three things. Heavy reinvestment into fresh design, a break from formulaic releases, and an increased scope for further innovation. Whilst it is unlikely, but not impossible, that we will see a new model release from Rolex in the next few years, the Land-Dweller adds a dress-tool watch hybrid to the catalogue that undoubtedly will continue to grow in popularity and evolve. Dial variations, case adjustments and even (perhaps) a bi-colour option all could be released in the future. Audemars, on the other hand, has refined its Perpetual Calendar offering, with the Calibre 7138 allowing opportunity for many more sleek, complicated watches in future releases.
Whether driven by mechanical storytelling, optical art, user experience, or complication innovation, 2025 has been a stellar year for watchmaking, with creativity and heritage serving as a springboard for design. Big brands, independents, and microbrands alike have ensured a wealth of creativity and a renewed sense of excitement in the watch space. If there’s one thing these examples show us, it’s that design shapes the future—and if these releases are anything to go by, that future looks incredibly exciting.
Words: Elizabeth Bailey
