The editorial team's 8 favourites from 2025

2025 was a year where the watch world had more considered launches and a clearer feel for what actually matters over time. When Eqotime's editorial team now picks out eight favourites from the year that has passed it is not about hype or passing trends, but about watches that in different ways stood for quality, personality and long-term relevance. Eight choices that say something about the year and perhaps even more about where the watch interest is heading. 

Text: The editorial team

In order to reflect the breadth of the watch year 2025 we have chosen to divide this year's selected watches into two categories. One gathers models where the price may amount to a maximum of 30 000 kronor, watches that combine accessibility with clear quality and character. The other category we have chosen to call no limit, where the price does not set the frames and where the focus instead lies entirely on craftsmanship, innovation and uncompromising expressions. Together the two categories give a picture of the year that has passed, from everyday favourites to pure watch dream. The selection is not ranked. The watches are presented in no particular order, where each model has been chosen for its own qualities and its own story, rather than to be compared against the others.

Category 1: watches under 30 000 SEK

Tissot PR516 Chronograph Valjoux
One of 2025's most gladdening new releases, not just for those who love chronographs but also for those who appreciate classic watch design, is the Tissot PR516 Chronograph Valjoux. An obvious proof that a more popular brand can deliver something that genuinely engages, not through trendy gimmicks, but through considered proportion, a good movement and a design that is both recognised and feels right. In a market where sports chronographs are often large, technical and sometimes overworked, the PR516 Valjoux stands for something more balanced. It captures a sporty 60s and 70s spirit without becoming retro in a contrived way, and that is a fine, sometimes underrated, art.

The first thing that strikes you is how Tissot has handled the proportions. With a case measurement that feels everyday-friendly and a well-judged thickness the PR516 has a presence on the wrist that feels natural rather than convoluted. The dial, especially in the combination with blue and white contrasts, is clear and elegant while at the same time having a drive to it, it signals sportiness without compromising on legibility. The automatic Valjoux movement at the heart of the watch is a classic chronograph movement that many collectors already recognise and appreciate for its robustness, accuracy and service level. This is about function that at the same time feels homely for the mechanically versed – a movement that has been a reference for decades and that continues to show why it is used even today.

But what really makes the Tissot PR516 Chronograph Valjoux interesting in 2025 is its overall feel. It feels like an answer to a part of the watch world that sometimes forgets that simplicity can be just as strong as complexity. Here we have a chronograph that is easy to understand, easy to wear and easy to love, but whose interior also offers substance for anyone who wants to dig deeper. It becomes a reminder that good design does not have to be the most expensive, and that a really good watch in this price class can give more joy per krona than many of its more expensive competitors. With the PR516 Valjoux Tissot has shown that you can move in the borderland between popular appeal and passionate watchmaking and do it with style.

Seiko Alpinist, 2025
The new Seiko Alpinist 2025 is one of those launches that has grown with time. It is not a watch that screams for attention, but the more you look at it, the clearer it becomes why it deserves its place among this year's favourites. The Alpinist has always had a special position in Seiko's range – as a functional adventure watch with unusually much character and the 2025 version manages to manage that heritage without getting stuck in nostalgia.

The design is recognisable but refined. The characteristic dial, the clear indices and the sporty but balanced case create an expression that works in many contexts. It is a watch that feels just as natural in everyday life as under more active conditions, and precisely that versatility is a large part of its strength. Technically Seiko continues to do what they are best at: robust, reliable solutions without unnecessary fuss. The Alpinist 2025 is not built to impress on paper, but to work year after year. In a time where many watches feel overworked or contrived it is liberating with a model that trusts its own identity. All in all the new Alpinist is a clear example of why Seiko continues to be relevant. It is a watch with soul, history and practical presence and precisely for that reason one of the year's most interesting launches.

Frederique Constant Classics Premiere
One of 2025's most unexpectedly appealing launches in the more price-conscious segment is the Frederique Constant Classics Premiere. In a time where much focus lies on sports watches and technical extremes it is refreshing to see a classic three-hand watch with a clear identity take its place. With its well-judged case size and the softly salmon-coloured dial the model manages to balance vintage feel with a modern expression, elegant without becoming contrived. The automatic movement offers a generous power reserve and contributes to the overall impression of a considered and serious watch rather than a style project. The Classics Premiere is an example of how Frederique Constant continues to deliver classic Swiss watchmaking ambition at a reasonable price. A discreet but self-assured watch that rewards anyone who appreciates proportions, colour and simplicity and that deserves its place among this year's favourites.

Raymond Weil Millesime, Small Seconds 35mm

In a year where sports watches continue to dominate the launch calendars it is liberating when a classic dress watch actually manages to stand out. The Raymond Weil Millesime Small Seconds 35 mm is just such a watch. In a price class where really well-made dress watches do not exactly grow on trees the Millesime appears as a bullseye: elegant, proportionate and clearly considered. It also reminds us of something that is easily forgotten, that most of us neither dive, fly nor climb with our watches, but live everyday lives where a classic wristwatch is often the most reasonable choice.

Raymond Weil is perhaps not the most talked-about name in Europe, despite the brand having been family-owned and Geneva-based since its founding in 1976. For many years they have had something of an “airport reputation”, but the Millesime collection has changed that picture. Since the introduction in 2023 the model has become a clear success, not least after having been awarded a prize at the GPHG. The smaller 35 millimetre version with a small seconds at six o'clock is a particularly successful addition, a format that is completely right for the times and that suits a dress watch considerably better than larger cases. The combination of a modest diameter, well-judged thickness and classic proportions gives an expression that feels both timeless and contemporary.

Technically the Millesime Small Seconds holds a sound and realistic level. The automatic movement is based on Sellita, is reliable, easy to service and visible through the sapphire-glazed back. The absence of a date contributes to a clean dial, while 50 metres of water resistance makes the watch fully everyday-capable. The dials are offered in several tasteful colours, where the salmon pink variant particularly reinforces the model's vintage feel. With a price around 22 000 kronor on a leather strap the Millesime Small Seconds 35 mm is one of the year's most convincing examples of how much elegance and watch joy you can actually get under 30 000 kronor, without compromising on either form or function.

Category 2: No limit

Vacheron Constantin Historiques 222

It is hard to talk about the watch year 2025 without stopping at the Vacheron Constantin Historiques 222. When the model was first launched in 1977, as part of the celebration of the brand's then 222nd anniversary, it was a contemporary answer to the era's new idea about the elegant sports watch in steel. The design, signed by Jörg Hysek, was distinct but restrained, an integrated case and bracelet with sharp lines, a low profile and a clear identity that differed from both the dress watches and tool watches of the time. That the 222 never became a volume model has paradoxically only reinforced its aura in hindsight.

When Vacheron Constantin now reintroduces the 222 in steel it therefore feels less like a nostalgic re-release and more like a correction of history. The format is right, the proportions sit and the feeling is immediately self-evident on the wrist. The thin case, the seamless bracelet and the discreet maltese cross detail in the case side work together into an expression that is both sporty and sophisticated, without trying to be anything other than exactly a 222. In a time where many re-releases are driven hard by the market's craving for retro this feels rather like an expression of self-confidence.

Perhaps the most interesting thing about the Historiques 222 is how well it fits into the present day. Despite its clear 70s DNA it does not feel dated, but rather liberatingly modern in its simplicity. It requires neither explanation nor context, it works. As part of Vacheron Constantin's 270th anniversary celebration the 222 thereby became more than a tribute to the past. It became a proof that strong design, once it is right, does not need to be updated unnecessarily. For many enthusiasts it is precisely this that makes the Historiques 222 one of the most significant watches from 2025 and a model that will probably age with unusual dignity.

Angelus Chronographe Télémètre Steel Rose

Among the year's more quietly sensational launches is the Angelus Chronographe Télémètre Steel Rose a watch that reminds you of how strong a revived historic name can feel when it is handled right. Angelus is one of those venerable Swiss brands with deep roots in chronograph history, founded as early as 1891 in Le Locle. After having disappeared in the wake of the quartz revolution the brand rose again in 2015 under La Joux-Perret's umbrella, and since then the ambition has been clear: to build further on the technical heritage rather than to chase trends.

After an initial period with bold, almost conceptual models Angelus has gradually turned back towards more classic expressions. The Chronographe Télémètre is a clear example of this shift a traditional monopusher chronograph that takes its form directly from the aesthetics of the 1940s. In steel with a rosé-coloured dial the model is close to hypnotic. The case's 37 millimetres in diameter and only 9.25 millimetres of thickness are unusually well judged for a chronograph and give the watch an elegance that is hard to achieve in this segment. The absence of a date, the lone pusher in the crown and the two symmetrically placed subdials contribute to an expression that feels both clean and completely thoroughly worked.

Under the hood sits the Caliber A5000, manufactured by La Joux-Perret and thereby in practice in-house, which gives further weight to the whole. Functionally the watch offers everything you expect from a classic monopusher chronograph, complemented by a historically correct telemeter scale that rather reinforces the character than fills a practical need. With only 25 examples in this steel-and-rosé configuration and a price to match, the Chronographe Télémètre Steel Rose is no everyday watch but as a horological statement it is one of the year's most convincing launches. A watch that does not only pay tribute to history, but actually lives up to it.

Gérald Genta Minute Repeater

If money does not matter the Gérald Genta Minute Repeater is one of the most fascinating new releases from 2025. It is a watch that carries one of horology's heaviest names and at the same time manages to feel both relevant and self-evident in its own time. Gérald Genta was not just a designer, but one of watch history's most influential creators, with a heritage that stretches from Universal Genève to the Royal Oak and the Nautilus. That his name now once again adorns watches with real substance is in itself remarkable and in this case fully justified.

After the brand was relaunched within Louis Vuitton's La Fabrique du Temps in Meyrin, under the leadership of Genta's former colleagues Michel Navas and Enrico Barbasini, the ambition has been clear: to work at the absolute highest level. The choice to introduce a minute repeater as one of the first major launches is no coincidence. Gérald Genta himself had a special relationship to precisely this complication, and the new model feels like a natural extension of his horological philosophy. The design, signed by artistic director Matthieu Hegi, respects Genta's softly rounded design language and combines it with a modern weight and presence.

The case in yellow gold measures 40 millimetres in diameter and is relatively slim for a minute repeater, while the hand-wound movement is developed and manufactured within La Fabrique du Temps. Each example takes several weeks to complete and the production is strictly limited to a handful of watches per year. The price tag is accordingly, but in this context almost secondary. The Gérald Genta Minute Repeater is not meant to be compared or rationalised. It is a piece of the highest horology that is about heritage, craftsmanship and uncompromising ambition. A watch that does not only honour the name on the dial, but actually deserves it.

Parmigiani Toric Quantième Perpétuel, Platinum – Morning Blue

In a year when perpetual calendars often feel like something for the absolute top of watchmaking, the Parmigiani Toric Quantième Perpétuel, Platinum Morning Blue has a self-evident place in the no limit category. Not because it is merely technically impressive, because it is, but because it does something few other modern complication watches manage: it combines high horology with a design that is both poetic and physically present. Parmigiani has long been a brand that speaks more to those who really see the detail – the case's lightly winged fluting, the transition from case to lugs, and how the dial's blue tones shift in different light rather than to the broad masses. The result is a perpetual calendar that does not only do mathematics, but also experience.

Under the polished surface sits a complication that demands absolute precision and long-term thought; the perpetual calendar is the watchmaker's ultimate test of both mechanics and aesthetics. Parmigiani has calibrated its movement so that it is not only reliable, but also beautiful to observe through the sapphire crystal at the back. The platinum case gives a weight and presence on the wrist that reinforces the feeling of exclusivity, while the clear blue dial makes the watch both timeless and contemporary. The Toric Perpetual Calendar Platinum Morning Blue is not just a technical achievement it is a work of art with function as a self-evident companion for anyone who appreciates horology at the highest level.

Vacheron Constantin brand of the year 2025

To name a clear Watch Brand of the Year is rarely easy in a year filled with strong launches, but in 2025 there is one name that stands out: Vacheron Constantin. During the year when the house moreover celebrated 270 years they managed the feat of both looking back and forward, without getting stuck in anniversary romanticism. The return of the Historiques 222 in steel quickly became one of the year's most talked-about launches, not only as a tribute to the model's origin from 1977, but as a proof of how timeless strong design actually is. In steel format the 222 felt self-evident, relevant and completely contemporary, an anniversary release that did not live on the history, but on its own quality.

But what really cemented Vacheron Constantin's position during 2025 was the breadth and level of ambition in the other launches. In parallel with iconic re-releases they showed an impressive innovative power, where the highlight for many became the introduction of a perpetual calendar in 36 mm. To distil one of watchmaking's most complex complications into such a wearable, elegant format says a lot about the brand's technical maturity and feel for proportions. Together with several other technical and aesthetic refinements during the year, 2025 became a clear statement: Vacheron Constantin did not only celebrate its past, but showed with conviction why they still belong to the absolute top. In an anniversary year like this one they did more than live up to the history they built further on it. That is why Vacheron Constantin is our self-evident choice as Watch Brand of the Year 2025.