Often considered as the ‘Peace Capital of the World’ because of its long history of diplomacy and humanitarianism, Geneva has a stupendous century’s old watchmaking history. From complications to classics, Geneva Watch Days 2025 gave that perfect ecosystem where innovation meets tradition, and mixed with a serene backdrop, the city hosted maisons, and innovative watchmakers for whom watchmaking supersedes passion. Presenting our key highlights from this year’s watchmaking gala.
TAG Heuer Monaco Flyback Chronograph TH-Carbonspring
First released in 1963 with Ref. 2447, the Carrera collection takes inspiration from the Panamericana race. This year at GWD 2025, TAG Heuer released its new TH-carbonspring oscillator which took a decade to be created. The first timepiece is the TAG Heuer Monaco Flyback Chronograph TH-Carbonspring (Ref. CBL5190.FT6313) which has a 39mm case, bezel, a crown at 3 o’clock, two chronograph pushers at 2 o’clock, 4 o’clock, and a dial all in forged black carbon. The two chronograph counters; 3 o’clock for the minutes, and 9 o’clock for the hour are crafted in black opalin with white super-luminova hands with a black gold hand at 6 o’clock for the second counter. The dial has black carbon hour markers, black gold hour, and minute hands with white super-luminova, and a white Super-luminova flyback chronograph central hand. Powering the watch is calibre TH20-60 with an 80-hour power reserve.
Czapek & Cie Antarctique Rattrapante ‘R.U.R.’
The crown jewel from the repertoire of Czapek and Cie, the Antartique has seen multiple variations. At the recently concluded Geneva Watch Days 2025, the timepiece maker presented the Antarctique Rattrapante ‘R.U.R.’. Sized at 42.5mm in stainless steel, this model brings up automation, artificial intelligence. A tripod bridge in the centre holds a proprietary satellite minute train and split-second mechanism. A column wheel visibly represents each half of the movement, with one at 12 o’clock for the chronograph and one at six o’clock for the split-seconds mechanism. The horizontal clutch is engaged, the rattrapante clamps are in motion, and the two column wheels work opposite each other and in tandem with the two pushers. This timepiece features a split-second chronograph integrated with a split-second pusher at 10:30, the chronograph’s minutes sub-dial at 4:30, a small second at 7:30. Then there is a rattrapante indicator at 6 o’clock, and the mechanism of the chronograph is displayed with an open-worked grey-metallised dial.
Laurent Ferrier Classic Tourbillon Teal
Celebrating it’s 15 years, Laurent Ferrier has released a new version of its Classic Tourbillon taking inspiration from the 19th century pocket watches, the Classic Tourbillon Teal. Cased at 41mm, this timepiece gets the case, bezel, lugs, and ball-shaped crown from platinum. Retaining the signature features from the original timepiece, this model gets a teal grand feu enamel dial set on a base of white gold, Roman numerals, and a railway minute track. There is also a small seconds sub-dial at 6 o’clock, and is framed by a bevelled white gold flange. The gold hour, minute hands are Assegai-shaped for the hours and minutes, and baton-shaped for the seconds. Powering the watch is calibre LF619.01, a manual winding movement with a tourbillon cage visible through caseback, offering an 80-hour power reserve.
Oris ProPilot Altimeter
The base watch is the Oris ProPilot Altimeter, the only watch in the world to house a Swiss Made automatic mechanical movement alongside a mechanical altimeter. Oris x Bamford Watch Department ProPilot Altimeter ‘Mission Control’ can relay altitude readings up to 19,700 ft. This 47mm novelty is limited to 250 pieces and is crafted from a single-piece carbon fibre. The dial is black with yellow, lime and red detailing, and the altitude scale is on outer dial ring in ft. Time is displayed by the hands on the central dial, and is adjusted by the crown at 2 o’clock, to activate the altimeter wearers can unscrew the crown at 4 o’clock into position 1, and a red ring appears, indicating the altimeter is in use. Powering the watch is Oris 793 calibre with a 56-hour power reserve.
H. Moser and Cie. Endeavour Perpetual Calendar Smoked Salmon
The next novelty launched is the 42mm white gold Endeavour Perpetual Calendar Smoked Salmon. This model gets a smoked Salmon griffé dial with leaf shaped hands, hour markers in red gold finish. The timepiece maker by applying its logo in transparent lacquer looks like a secret signature. At the centre, the small hand integrated in the central hands indicates the months, while a very large date window at 3 o’clock, with the “Flash Calendar” function providing an instant date change at midnight, and a power reserve indicator at 9 o’clock displaying the movement’s seven days of autonomy. The time and date are easy to set using the crown, and can be changed at any time of the day, easily, and with no risk of damage.
Louis Moinet 1806
Taking inspiration from the first chronograph, the 1806 has a 40.6mm grade 5 titanium case, lugs, and crown at 3 o’clock. The rhodium plated dial gets four blued steel screws, blued steel, facetted and open worked hour, and minute hands with luminescent material. There is a second sub-dial at 9o’clock with a blued steel second hand with circular open worked counterweight. There are Arabic hour markers, and a minute chapter ring is arranged on a peripheral flange with a circular satin finish with twelve blackened nickel cabochons. Powering the watch is calibre LM1806 with a 48-hour power reserve.
Ulysse Nardin Freak [X Crystalium]
With the unveiling of the Freak [X Crystalium] at Geneva Watch Days 2025, Ulysse Nardin has given a uniquely textured hour disk crafted from Crystalium. It is created from ruthenium, a rare platinum-group metal valued for its hardness and brilliance. The metal undergoes a slow, controlled vapour-deposition crystallisation process. This process, results in natural, fractal-like crystal structures which impossible to duplicate, thus making every timepiece piece unique. This 43mm timepiece has a black DLC titanium case and side-parts, and a black DLC titanium bezel. The dial is in rose gold, and is coloured in Crystalium with black shading hour disc, and the hours are indicated in black with black varnish. Powering the watch is calibre UN-230 with a 72-hour power reserve.
Favre Leuba Chief Skeleton
The first skeleton watch from Favre Leuba comes on a 40mm stainless case with black DLC coating, lugs, and a crown at 3 o’clock. The skeleton, anthracite dial gets rhodium hour markers, hour, minute hands with Super luminova, a semi-exposed mainspring barrel at 12 o’clock and a balance wheel at 6 o’clock. Powering the watch is calibre FLS01 with a 41-hour power reserve.
