Just like pop culture goes through its cycles of reinvention, the world of watches runs on rhythm and reversal—steady trends broken up by the occasional curveball. This year, we’ve seen some of those curveballs hit clean: expectations upended, safe bets abandoned, and enough bold moves to spark endless thinkpieces, unsolicited reviews, and the odd comment-section brawl. Here’s 8 watches that set the tone for this year's catalogue:

Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda PF Chronograph 40mm

The quiet luxury wave may be crashing, but Parmigiani is still surfing it like a pro. This year’s 40mm Tonda PF Chronograph nails the 'if you know, you know' vibe with its knurled bezel, well-executed guilloché dial, and delta hands. It’s elegant, not shy. Sporty, not loud. And while everyone else is chasing bolder statements, Parmigiani’s still whispering—and getting heard in all the right rooms.

Bulgari x MB&F Serpenti

This one’s pure spectacle. MB&F brought the mechanical weirdness, Bulgari brought the jewellery swagger, and the result is a titanium serpent that curves like a space-age bracelet and ticks like a future-forward machine that takes notes from Fabrizio Buonamassa Stigliani's car design past and Max Büller's neo-futurist fantasies. It’s wild, it’s brave, and it’s probably the most expensive conversation starter you’ll ever see on a wrist. High concept meets high fashion—no notes.

Rolex GMT-Master II 'Tiger Iron'

This might be the most quietly radical Rolex move in 2025—a year where the brand has grabbed several armchair commenters and shook them by the shoulders. The GMT-Master II returns in Everose gold, now paired with a swirling tiger iron stone dial—each piece cut from a natural mix of jasper, hematite, and tiger’s eye. It’s part of a wider stone-dial push from Rolex this year, suggesting the Crown’s loosening up, just a bit. Still a travel watch, still COSC-certified, but this one’s got some soul behind the specs; the pictures simply do not do this mystical dial justice.

Frederique Constant Classics Manchette

While FC has done a phenomenal job with complications this year, this release leaned straight into 2025’s small-watch revival with a cuff-style curveball that screams Timothée Chalamet and Paul Mescal. At 25.7mm, it’s clearly not chasing traditionalists, but that’s the point. With Piaget Polo vibes, malachite (yes!) or diamond dial variants, and quartz practicality, the Manchette is all about the look for. Think less “daily driver” and more “statement accessory”—like a vintage Cartier tank if it quit finance and became the next indie pop sensation.

Tudor Black Bay 54 Lagoon Blue

A 37mm dive watch with a lagoon-toned dial and a mirror-polished bezel? Go on then. After a celebrated run at Watches & Wonders Geneva '25, this BB54 riffs off vintage silhouettes but brings a breezy, beachy palette that’s got real summer wrist-time appeal. That five-link bracelet and mirror-finish bezel gives it an extra hit of dressiness, and the COSC MT5400 inside proves it’s not just a pretty face. Tool-watch purists can grumble if they want—Tudor’s already moved on.

TAG Heuer Monaco Chronograph x Gulf

The Monaco doesn’t need help being iconic, but this Gulf-edition titanium take sharpens the silhouette and lets the retro racing stripes do the heavy lifting; along with a blast-from-the-past Heuer logo front and centre. It’s lighter, cleaner, and just restrained enough to keep the Steve McQueen spirit intact. Still square, still cool, still the watch your F1-gateway uncle wishes he bought in the ’70s. Some things never change.

Oris Aquis Date 'Taste of Summer'

Oris named this Aquis 'Taste of Summer' and delivered colourways that look like a sherbet mojito—or a good old kala khatta. It’s small, it’s sweet, but don’t let the eye-catching shades fool you—this is still a 300m dive watch with a sapphire crystal and a legit automatic movement. Think of it as a poolside diver with its shirt halfway unbuttoned and a cheeky tattoo peeking through: chill, but ready to go deep.

Girard-Perregaux Laureato 38mm

This 38mm Laureato hits that rare note I've been hunting for ages: iced-out but not overdone. Shrinking the case has made the design feel sharper, tighter—and the gorgeous gradient-hued diamond bezel adds a glint without turning tacky. It’s a love letter to the 1970s steel-sports era, filtered through 2025 sensibilities. 

Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Automatique 38mm Pink

And then there’s Blancpain. The Fifty Fathoms just got its long-awaited 38mm case—finally—and showed up in what looks like a Swatch hallucination turned haute horlogerie. The pink dégradé MOP dial version, cased in lightweight titanium and paired with either a two-tone fabric strap or matching bracelet, is divisive, sure. But the 100-hour power reserve and 300m water resistance make this no dainty novelty—it’s a fully specced dive watch with a candyfloss twist that says serious watches need not be greyscale, and I'm all here for that.