Our Favorite Watches of 2025 (So Far)

Our Favorite Watches of 2025 (So Far)

Just one month into 2025, we’ve seen enough notable watch releases that I considered adding an honorable mentions section to this article. Keep in mind—we’re two months away from the biggest watch trade show of the year, Watches and Wonders, where brands like Rolex and Patek Philippe will unveil their most significant releases (although Rolex is liable to shock us year-round). Come April Fool’s Day, there will be enough new watches for you to forget about the ones launched in January. So, now feels like the perfect time to talk about my 2025 favorites so far.

Omega Speedmaster ‘Pilot’

Image Source: Hodinkee (Mark Kauzlarich)

The Omega Flightmaster—a late-'60s pilot’s chronograph—is a colorful cult classic with some serious funk to it. The new Speedmaster ‘Pilot’ isn’t that, but it wouldn’t exist without the Flightmaster. Featuring splashes of orange, blue, and yellow, the ‘Pilot’ borrows elements from both civilian and professional references of the Flightmaster. On the textured black dial, you’ll find running seconds at 9 o’clock—a bi-color subdial resembling a horizon indicator—and a combined 60-minute/12-hour totalizer at 3 o’clock.

Unlike the manually wound Omega Speedmaster Professional, the Speedmaster ‘Pilot’ houses the automatic Co-Axial Master Chronometer Caliber 9900. As a result, the ‘Pilot’ is about 2mm thicker than the Speedy Pro, coming in at 14.8mm. That extra thickness also brings double the water resistance of the Speedy Pro—100m instead of 50m. Much like the Flightmaster that inspired it, the Speedmaster ‘Pilot’ is robust, quirky, and full of fun details.

Longines Ultra-Chron Carbon

Image Source: Longines

Speaking of robust, quirky, and vintage-inspired, Longines released a carbon composite version of its Ultra-Chron dive watch. Originally launched in the late 1960s, the Ultra-Chron was the first high-frequency dive watch. It returned to the Longines catalog in 2022 as a faithful recreation of the original, complete with a black dial, steel case, red minute hand, and bezel accents.

The all-new Ultra-Chron Carbon ditches the red accents in favor of an all-black and gray aesthetic. In addition to a carbon composite case replacing steel, the watch features titanium elements, including the caseback, crown, and bezel construction.

I fell in love with the Ultra-Chron recently when my friend—who owns the 2022 re-release—brought it to RedBar meetups. This is an extremely fun watch, and I can’t wait to see the carbon version in person.

Oris Divers Sixty-Five 60th Anniversary Edition

Image Source: Hodinkee (TanTan Wang)

This past October, Oris refreshed its Divers Sixty-Five collection, introducing the new-and-improved ceramic-bezel Divers Date. Originally released in 2015, the Divers Sixty-Five is a (mostly) faithful recreation of Oris’ 1965 "Waterproof" diver. Over the past decade, it has become a go-to recommendation for modern skin divers under $2,000.

The 60th Anniversary Divers Sixty-Five Edition pays tribute to the original Oris ‘Waterproof,’ featuring funky lumed cardinal numerals and the vintage Oris text logo—the first non-collaborative (modern) release to feature this typeface.

This “last hurrah” for the Divers Sixty-Five largely speaks for itself, but I have one last note: the lume is a great shade of beige. As more brands dip into their vintage archives, we’ve seen some botched beige tones that end up looking orange or otherwise strange. This Divers Sixty-Five seems to have struck a nice balance.

Daniel Roth Extra Plat Souscription

Image Source: Teddy Baldassarre (Bilal Khan)

Revived with a little help from Louis Vuitton and La Fabrique du Temps, Daniel Roth is back. The ‘90s-favorite independent brand made its return last year with the Tourbillon Souscription, which took home the GPHG award in the tourbillon category.

This year, Daniel Roth embraces the simpler things with the Extra Plat (Extra Thin) Souscription—a time-only watch that, in true Daniel Roth fashion, is all about the details. Inside the 18k yellow gold double-ellipse case, you’ll find an impeccably hand-finished movement and a hand-turned guilloché dial.

If this watch pulls on your heartstrings, I recommend checking out Bilal Khan’s write-up with excellent photos. Just don’t let it pull too hard—this watch is limited to just 20 pieces.

Czapek Antarctique ‘Purple Storm’

Image Source: Czapek

First released in 2020, the integrated-bracelet Czapek Antarctique has grown into a full-fledged collection with multiple materials, dial variations, and sizes. (If you’re unfamiliar with the watch, check out our Watches and Wonders 2023 coverage.) The silhouette serves as an excellent canvas for bold dials—like the all-new ‘Purple Storm.’

This vibrant, hard-varnished purple dial comes from Metalem, the same partner behind the Czapek Promenade ‘Guilloché Soleil’ dial (released alongside the Promenade 'Goutte d’Eau' dial—one of my favorites of 2024). After seeing photos of the Antarctique ‘Purple Storm,’ I can’t wait to get my hands on this one.

Final Thoughts

Although we’re only one month into 2025, some exciting watch releases have already set the tone for the year. These are just a few of my favorites—what are yours? Let us know in the comments below.

If you’re unconcerned with new releases because you’re already wearing the Rolex or Tudor of your dreams, check out our collection of rubber and leather straps, tailor-fit to specific models.


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