Watches 0f 2025: F1, World Timers, Land Dwellers, and Wayward Tudors

As the year comes to an end, and our bank accounts briefly swell with our bonus before being emptied to purchase gifts for our loved ones, let’s take a look back at some of the watches that were released in 2025. 

This list will be divided by our favorite releases, our least-favorite, and releases that made us go, “Huh, well, that’s… interesting.” 

Our Favorite Watches of 2025

Tag Heuer F1 (Jilliano)

Technically, this is a re-release of the popular 90s F1 collection by Tag Heuer, notably worn by David Schwimmer in the early seasons of Friends. However, they have changed just enough to warrant a place on this list. Also, I created this rubric, so I can adjust it to fit my personal agenda. 

Many of us saw this coming when Tag Heuer collaborated with the fashion brand Kith to create limited edition versions of this collection, but it was still surprising to see them come out with this so soon after. Now, the new F1 watches feature better bracelets (or straps, depending on which one you select), and an accurate and convenient solar-quartz movement. I thought it was fantastic from the very first day of the release, and I was a bit surprised to see it become polarizing. While we at The Watch Brief thought it was a great move by Tag to release them to coincide with Tag Heuer becoming the official timekeeper of F1, there were many notable people in the industry who balked at the pricing. In fact, some people thought they should have dropped the price so that it could be in direct competition with the Moonswatch instead. 

I’m not here to re-litigate this, but suffice it to say, this is one of my favorite releases of the year, regardless of the price. If you would like to read more about my thoughts on this, however, I did write an article about it here. 

Christopher Ward Loco (Jilliano)

In my opinion, Christopher Ward made the leap from microbrand to full-fledged independent when they released the Bel Canto, which featured an in-house chiming movement. But, I wasn’t truly paying attention until they released the Loco, which is exactly what I hope every microbrand-cum-independent can achieve. What do I mean by that? 

Well, the established “mainstream” brands are governed by a century (or in some cases, centuries) of design language and heritage. This means that, whether it would be successful or not, you probably won’t see Omega release a bright pink open-works Seamaster to put on the wrist of the next James Bond. That’s good, but in my opinion, you need some craziness every now and then to keep everyone on their toes.

For me, the Loco is Christopher Ward showing that they can do some haute horology stuff - the likes of which are probably more at home in Swatch group’s Breguet or Glashutte Original - but they can still do it their way. That means using their The Twelve case, which put them on the map, and adding vibrant colors like orange or blue to contrast with the ridiculously impressive movement on display. The CW-003, their second in-house movement, features a 144 hour power reserve, and an accuracy of +/- 0 to 7 seconds per day. 

It also happens to be a touch under 5,000 USD, making it one of the best value for money watches you could possibly get. 

Nomos World Timer (Bryan)

One of the biggest, and frankly most unexpected, reveals at this year’s Watches & Wonders was the Nomos Club Sport Neomatik World Timer. I’ve always liked Nomos in theory: the Bauhaus charm, the clean typography, the “we make nearly everything in-house” energy. But in practice? Those famously long lugs always wore on me like a stiff handshake from someone who doesn’t know their own strength.

So when Nomos dropped a 40mm World Timer with a mercifully wearable 49mm lug-to-lug, I perked up. Finally, a Club that doesn’t treat my wrist like a stretching exercise.

Inside beats the in-house DUW 3202, and this no-date setup comes with a delightful party trick. At two o’clock sits a little pusher that hops the hour hand forward in one-hour jumps, syncing with the cities on the chapter ring. It’s endlessly satisfying and the sort of feature that makes you feel like a seasoned jet-setter even if you’re just bouncing between the sofa and the fridge.

At launch, Nomos played it safe with silver and blue. Then came the color explosion: Volcano, Jungle, Canyon, Glacier, Magma, and Dune, a lineup that sounds less like watches and more like rejected names for a new “rugged” SUV. These limited editions sold out quickly, because of course they did. But Nomos wasn’t done. September saw the Night Navigation series, followed more recently by the Roam and Reverie editions. If you like colors, Nomos has apparently decided to become your new favorite crayon box.

No matter the shade, the Club World Timer lands just north of $5,000. The standard silver and blue models are available through any Nomos AD, though patience is advised as I waited just over seven months for mine. If you’ve got your heart set on a limited edition, though, best start hunting and preordering now. In Nomos world, the good stuff doesn’t sit around waiting.

Hanhart Red Lion Mk2 (Bryan)

I’ll be honest: despite writing for this blog, I’m usually skeptical of watch influencers. Sure, I’ll tune in for the occasional video, but between clickbait titles and the faint whiff of underlying sales motivation, their takes on horology often strike me as… just that. Takes. And don’t even get me started on brand-influencer collabs. A flashy jump-hour timepiece endorsed by a loud Dutch-Irish influencer? Not my thing.

And yet, something has changed. 

I’ve always respected Hanhart. Their lineage is fascinating, each piece assembled in Germany, steeped in real watch history. There’s a genuine authenticity in the brand that speaks to me. I’d been hunting for a flyback chronograph, and the 417 ES checked many boxes: a compact 39 mm case, manual wind, no excess. But there was a catch: the 39 mm version kept the movement, the gorgeous AMT5100 M, hidden behind a solid caseback, encrypted in anti-magnetic gear. A shame for someone who likes to see the engine at work.

Enter TGV and Gentry Labs.

TGV, better known as The Urban Gentry on YouTube, partnered with Hanhart on what turned out to be a far more thoughtful release than I ever expect from influencer collaborations: the Hanhart x Gentry Labs Red Lion Mk II. Instead of a flashy gimmick strapped to a famous name, the Red Lion Mk II feels like a genuine evolution of the 417 ES, designed by someone who actually wears watches rather than someone who merely poses with them.

The watch keeps the 39 mm size and the unmistakable Hanhart silhouette, but the entire package feels sharper and more considered. The matte black dial has the kind of crisp, high-contrast legibility. The oversized “Big Eye” 30-minute counter at three o’clock adds a punch of character without drifting into parody, and the red-tipped chronograph hand (glowing generously with Super-LumiNova) gives the dial a useful visual spark. Everything feels anchored in function first, with a very subtle aesthetic wink rather than a full-blown influencer scream.

Inside beats the hand-wound AMT5100 M, finally visible thanks to a sapphire display back — a major upgrade over the solid caseback of the standard 39 mm 417 ES. There’s also a 12-hour bidirectional bezel, essentially a simplified second-timezone system that avoids the design clutter of a dedicated GMT hand. It’s a practical, quietly clever addition that feels very Hanhart.

Where so many brands lean heavily on one-to-one reissues and sepia-toned callbacks, the Red Lion Mk II takes a more grown-up approach. It doesn’t just recreate the 417 ES, it refines it. For collectors who crave progress without losing the plot, that evolution is exactly what makes the Red Lion Mk II stand out. 

Maybe, just this once, the influencer actually influenced me.

Interesting Releases

Rolex Land Dweller (Jilliano)

Did I say that the Tag Heuer F1 was polarizing? Well, maybe it is, but it is nothing compared to the Land Dweller. As Rolex’s first new collection since the Sky-dweller (I’m sensing a pattern here), expectations were exceedingly high for this. In many ways, the Land Dweller has exceeded those expectations. Unfortunately, they have also fallen short of some of those expectations. Let’s start with the good, the bad, and… well, you know the rest.

The Land Dweller features Rolex’s first new, truly innovative movement in decades. The Rolex Calibre 7135 is a 5Hz movement (36,000 vph), features an impressive 66 hour power reserve, and you can see it in all its glory through the sapphire caseback, even if you opt for the lowest-end model like a regular pauper (typically, Rolex reserves sapphire casebacks for top-of-the-line variants). It is also the debut of their new patented Dynapulse Escapement, and as always, has a chronometer certified +2/-2s per day. I hope that this movement finds it way onto more of their watches in the future. Rolex makes such robust and impressive movements, but I think - and they most likely think so too - that many people overlook them when it comes to their movements. In a way, they take it for granted. They will give flowers to Omega for the Coaxial Escapement, applaud for Zenith’s 1/10th of a second chronograph movement (insert Zenith fan who mentions that Zenith made the first Daytona’s movement), and drool over something JLC made. And you totally should celebrate all those other brands. But, with the Land Dweller, it feels as if Rolex created something to remind everyone that they know a thing or two about movements. 

If they had stopped at the new movement, the Land Dweller would probably be in my list of favorite releases. Instead, they decided to make the questionable choice of putting a cyclops (date magnification window) over at the 3 o’clock, and added numerals at 6 and 9, but not 12… This creates a strange imbalance or asymmetry on the dial, making it appear as if they combined an Explorer with a Datejust. The watch also features an integrated bracelet, and although many people are saying it’s shamelessly capitalizing on the integrated bracelet hype, it’s worth noting that Rolex did release their version of this in the 70s with the Rolex Oysterquartz. So, if you are going to criticize them for it, please make sure to criticize the original team from the 70s, as they managed to capitalize on the Royal Oak and Nautilus’ popularity first. 

All in all, this was a really polarizing release from Rolex, but I would argue that that’s exactly what they wanted, anyway. Let’s just see in another ten years. Maybe all it takes is the 21st Century Paul Newman (I guess that would be Glen Powell or Adam Driver right now?) to wear it in a movie, and we will have people adding it to their grail list. 

Omega Planet Ocean (Bryan)

The Planet Ocean has always felt like the oddball in Omega’s lineup. Year after year, we’ve watched an endless parade of Speedmasters and Seamaster 300 variants roll out, all while waiting for a much-needed Planet Ocean update that never seemed to arrive. Well, the wait is finally over: Omega has released a new 42 mm Planet Ocean. Unfortunately, enthusiast reactions have been… mixed. Here’s why.

Historically, the Planet Ocean has been Omega’s definitive dive watch, Ploprof aside. And while most dive watches rarely get closer to water than a kitchen sink, they still project a certain ruggedness. Consider the 42 mm titanium Tudor Pelagos. Mine hasn’t touched a swimming pool—let alone the ocean—but it looks like it could dive to the Mariana Trench and come back without breaking a sweat. The new Planet Ocean, however, seems engineered more for fluorescent lighting and ergonomic office chairs. The heavy polishing on the case, bracelet, and clasp pushes it away from its tool-watch roots and straight toward the shiny, luxury-diver aesthetic.

That said, the new Planet Ocean does wear surprisingly well. Its slimmed-down 13.79 mm case and titanium inner ring help this generally large watch feel far more svelte on the wrist. Omega has also removed the helium escape valve. I’ve always appreciated the feature, but its inclusion has been divisive for years, so its omission isn’t entirely shocking. Another thing you won’t find here is a date window, which is an absence we actually applaud. It keeps the dial cleaner and more focused.

So, while initial impressions were understandably off-putting for many, in person the new Planet Ocean is better than expected. Do I want to own one? No. Between the price tag, the excessive polishing, and that eternally irritating 21 mm lug width, this watch remains more frustrating than desirable. But it’s certainly not the disaster many feared.

If you do fancy the new Planet Ocean, pricing starts at $8,600 for the blue and black models on rubber, with the orange version at $8,900. On the bracelet, the blue and black models come in at $9,200, while the orange variant lands at $9,500.

Least-Favorite Releases

And then there’s Tudor, a brand that somehow made “Born to Dare” feel more like “Born to Play It Safe.” The new Dune Ranger is a perfect example: a watch so beige in both color and personality that it could double as a mood board for uninspired product design. The dial, with its sickly off-white tone, looks less “sand dune at sunrise” and more “white T-shirt after a 40-minute walk through a Japanese summer.” I recognize that shade of suffering a little too well.

Then we get the Opaline GMT and Black Bay Pro, which should have been the moment Tudor redeemed itself. But no, it’s still a slab of steel thick enough to serve as a coaster. They’ve already demonstrated they can make a slimmer GMT movement, but apparently choose not to out of sheer corporate stubbornness or a deep, philosophical commitment to mediocrity.

Then there’s the 1926 Luna. It’s billed as Tudor’s first moon-phase watch — with a domed 39 mm case, “sun-brushed” dials in black, blue or champagne, a seven-link bracelet and the moon-phase indicator glaring at you from 6 o’clock. In theory that sounds decent. In reality it lands somewhere between “over-done dress watch” and “mall-watch special”. The dial feels overwritten: applied numerals, arrow-shaped markers, sword hands, a moon disc hiding behind a crescent window, all topped with a dome crystal. It’s simply too much. Rather than elegance, it comes off as busy-and-confused. Add to that the fact it uses a Sellita-based automatic movement (the Calibre T607-9) rather than an in-house engine, and to me it feels hollow: a flashy headline complication, but no mechanical soul behind it. 

At this point, Tudor has become so predictable that I’m half tempted to write next year’s catalog for them in advance. An opaline Black Bay 58 GMT is inevitable, as are several dozen more Black Bay variations distinguished only by extremely minor changes in hue, text, or bracelet options. For a brand supposedly built on daring, they seem oddly content to keep recycling the same idea over and over again, just with slightly different adjectives.

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This has been a great year for watches, but as per usual, the best releases quickly rose above the crowd, while the not-so-great releases have either been lampooned to high Hell, or we have forgotten them entirely. 

For 2026, the Watch Brief team hopes to see better from Tudor, and looks forward to seeing Nomos and Tag Heuer continue their road to excellence. 

Let us know in the comments which watches are your favorite, and don’t forget to also add the watches you hated the most, too.