2025 proved to be a watershed year in haute horlogerie, delivering both innovation and iconography on the wrist. From skyward adventures to racing tributes, the standout releases weren’t about technical gadgets for their own sake but about storytelling and craft. Each highlighted model below blends heritage and cutting-edge design to command attention without clamouring for it.
Breitling Navitimer B02 Cosmonaute
Breitling ushered in 2025 by honoring astronaut Scott Carpenter with a limited-edition Navitimer Cosmonaute. This 41 mm platinum chronograph (only 50 pieces) celebrates the centenary of Carpenter’s birth and the first Swiss watch in space. Its sunburst blue dial with white sub-dials (plus a signature AOPA wing logo at 12) echoes the 1962 Cosmonaute, while bright red chronograph hands and slide-rule markings inject a sporty, modern twist. The watch runs on Breitling’s hand-wound B02 caliber (39 jewels, 70 hour power reserve) – a nod to the fact that a manual movement is more reliable in zero-G. The sapphire caseback is engraved ‘First Swiss wristwatch’ in space, one of 50, and Scott Carpenter Centenary 1925–2025, underscoring its exclusive pedigree.
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TAG Heuer Monaco Split-Seconds Chronograph F1
A racing icon reborn, TAG Heuer’s new Monaco Split-Seconds F1 was a full-throttle exercise in high-tech materials and speed styling. To commemorate its return as Formula 1’s timekeeper, TAG Heuer built the 41 mm cushion-shaped case entirely from white ceramic and sapphire crystal. Under its open-work red dial sits the Vaucher-manufactured Calibre TH81-00: an ultra-precise automatic split-seconds chronograph (5 Hz) with about 55–65 hours power reserve. Unusually, the case has no metal core – just ceramic, sapphire and cutting-edge engineering. Every F1 detail is dialed in: a translucent scarlet face with asphalt-textured sub-counters, a red-lacquered split-seconds pusher, and the words “LIGHTS OUT” and “& AWAY WE GO” emblazoned on the registers to echo the Grand Prix starting call. Only 10 pieces were made, each on a white calf-skin strap. The monolithic look and rattrapante complication makes it as loud and radical as a concept race car.
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Breguet Type XX Chronographe 2075
For Breguet’s 250th anniversary, the classic Type XX pilot’s chronograph got a historically faithful reboot. The new Type XX Chronographe 2075 came in a compact 38.3 mm Breguet gold case (an 18k alloy of gold, silver, copper and palladium) that echoed the original 1955 civilian military chronographs. Two versions are offered: one with a deep matte black aluminum dial, and a special limited run (250 numbered pieces) in brushed silver. Both cases are topped by a slim bidirectional bezel and polished chamfered lugs, and flip over to reveal a hand-engraved sapphire caseback tribute – depicting the Breguet 19 “Super Bidon” aircraft in flight over the Paris–New York route of 1930.
Inside beats Breguet’s in-house Cal. 7279/7278, a hand-wound, 5 Hz flyback chronograph movement. It boasts a 60-hour power reserve and features a column-wheel with no date distraction. The bridges are plated in matching gold-tone, with the main bridge hand-engraved with the vintage transatlantic flight scene. Functionally, the black-dial model has a 15-minute chronograph subdial, while the silver-dial version has a 30-minute counter. From case materials to movement finishing, the Type XX 2075 is explicitly aimed at purists: it’s a refined, back-to-basics pilot’s chrono that wears Breguet’s history on its sleeve.
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Bvlgari Serpenti Aeterna
Bvlgari took its serpentine icon in a daring new direction. The Serpenti Aeterna breaks from the flowing coils of past models, adopting a sharply angular, bangle-style form that still evokes the snake’s head and tail. Available in rose or white gold, the Aeterna’s case-and-bracelet meld into one solid hinged bangle, heavily diamond-set for maximum impact. (The white-gold version is fully diamond-set; the rose-gold half-set, with larger stones along the upper body.) The tail tapers to elegantly wrap over the snake’s head on the wrist. Even the crown gets jewelry flair – the rose model crowned by a large briolette diamond, the white by an emerald. This new silhouette is the most stripped-back Serpenti yet, prioritizing sculptural style over dial markers. In fact, the arrow-shaped dial is a flush field of pavé diamonds, with no numerals to interrupt the shimmer.
Mechanically it’s a simple quartz, because Bvlgari intends the Aeterna as a statement piece of art and jewelry. In short, this watch reinvents the house’s iconic snake design – a pink-gold, gem-encrusted sculpture that blurs the line between high jewellery and horology. It’s unabashed luxury for collectors who prize form as much as function.
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Montblanc 1858 Geosphere 0 Oxygen Mount Vinson LE
Montblanc’s Geosphere 0 Oxygen series channels the spirit of legendary explorer Reinhold Messner. The new 1858 Geosphere 0 Oxygen – Mount Vinson is dedicated to Messner’s climb of Antarctica’s summit. Housed in a 43.5 mm titanium case (limited to 986 pieces as a nod to the year 1986), the design mimics the frozen peak: the case’s composite mid-section is crafted from quartz fiber, basalt fiber, calcium carbonate and light-blue resin, evoking icy rock and snow. The entire case is totally devoid of oxygen, a thematic twist on Montblanc’s dive-watch DNA. Engraved along the case side is a luminous gray outline of Mount Vinson, and the titanium back bears a 3D laser-engraved color image of the mountain.
Like its Geosphere siblings, this watch carries Montblanc’s in-house worldtime movement (MB 29.25). The dial features rotating Northern and Southern Hemisphere globe displays, a 24-hour scale for day/night indication, a second time zone, and date. A blue-green rubber strap echoes the glacier-blue dial and provides an expedition-ready finishing touch. The Montblanc 1858 Geosphere 0 Oxygen Mount Vinson is a technical adventure watch – and a poignant tribute to polar exploration.
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Breguet Classique Souscription 2025
To kick off its 250th anniversary, Breguet revived its historic Souscription concept in a grand feu enamel wristwatch. The Classique Souscription 2025 is a faithful modern reinterpretation of Breguet’s 1797 one-hand pocket watch – right down to a single flame-blued steel hand marking the hours and five-minute increments on a pure white enamel dial. It comes in a new alloy dubbed Breguet gold (75% gold mixed with silver, copper and palladium), which offers a slightly paler hue and greater longevity. The stepped, three-part 40 mm case departs from Breguet’s usual fluted band: instead it has smooth, satin-brushed sides, teardrop-style lugs, and a polished domed bezel framing a flat ‘Chevé’ sapphire crystal.
Like the original, this watch is driven by a simple hand-wind movement. Calibre VS00 is fitted with a large single mainspring barrel, yielding an impressive 96-hour power reserve. It beats at 3 Hz with a Nivachron balance spring (anti-magnetic, with a Breguet overcoil) and a modern pare-chute shock system shaped in homage to Breguet’s original design. The movement is finely finished – gilt-brass bridges (in the same golden tone as the case alloy), polished bevels and blued screws – and even bears Breguet’s secret signature and serial number engraved beneath the enamel, just as in 1797. The Souscription 2025 is not limited and joined Breguet’s regular collection, offering collectors a reduced version of history on the wrist.
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As 2025 draws to a close:
These timepieces collectively underscore where fine watchmaking is headed — a space where legacy is not preserved in amber, but actively reinterpreted for a new generation of collectors. From aviation instruments born of necessity to sculptural expressions of modern luxury, each watch featured in this Wrist Report reflects a decisive point of view, a mastery of craft, and an understanding that true horological value lies at the intersection of innovation, provenance, and wearability.
For collectors seeking watches that will define both the moment and the decades ahead, this year offered no shortage of conviction-led creations. To explore these exceptional maisons and discover the watches shaping the contemporary collecting, visit Johnson & Co., and step into a curated world where heritage, performance, and design excellence come together on the wrist. We wish you a prosperous, stylish, and successful New Year, marked with timeless moments and enduring craftsmanship.
