Watchmaking Year 2025 – A Review of Highlights, Controversies and Innovations, Part 2
Watch year 2025, Part 1: January, February, March
Before the watchmaking world descends into the busy and sometimes hectic preparation phase for the upcoming trade fairs and events, it's worth taking a look back at the past year in the watch industry. And while many things can be said about it, one thing that can't be said is that it was boring.
Every month, we make it a point to remind ourselves and you of the most important events and new developments.
April 2025
April was undoubtedly dominated by Watches & Wonders in Geneva. This event, which has become the most exciting watch event worldwide since the demise of Baselworld in 2019, is now in its infancy.
Rolex uses the Watches & Wonders for its annual New product launch, and so it was again this year. And in addition to the usual reinterpretations, there were also... „"Land-Dweller"“ A true novelty and innovation. Visually, it features a new honeycomb-patterned dial; technically, it boasts the automatic caliber 7135, entirely developed and manufactured by Rolex, which incorporates 16 patents and which Rolex therefore rightly describes as revolutionary.
The „"Land-Dweller"“ But that was just the beginning of many exciting new features at the Watches & Wonders 2025. Hublot celebrated 20 years of "Big Bang", Eberhard & Co. relaunched the „Contodat“, Cartier appears wild and elegant and BulgariWith the „Octo Finissimo Ultra Tourbillon“, it once again surpassed – or rather, undercut – itself, and, and, and…
Insight has Luxury identified four major trends at the watch fair in Geneva: 1. Fifty Shades of Blue 2. Flatter, lighter, smaller 3. Forever lasts the longest. 4. Keeping an eye on the world and the times (or not)
It would have a dazzling clock festival could happen if… well, if it weren't for the customs fantasies of one Donald Trump would have been. The badly coiffed spoilsport from overseas dropped his customs bombshell right in the middle of the lively atmosphere of Watches & Wonders 2025 – and threw his Shadows over the shiny world of luxury goods.
Whether a bad feeling about what was to come played a role is pure speculation – but a very realistic one. But March was finally... a good export month For the Swiss watch industry, a slight increase of 1.5 percent was reported in April. Exports to the USA rose by 13.7 percent.
But of course, the watchmaking world continued beyond Watches & Wonders, offering many exciting new products. Here is a small selection.
And behind the scenes of the often glamorous watch industry, life was vibrant and a lot was happening. Here's our Behind-the-scenes headlines:
Chronext CEO Frederike Knop is leaving the online watch retailer
Hermès overtakes LVMH as the most valuable company in the French benchmark index.
LVMH makes forward-looking personnel decisions
Gucci's weakness continues to cause problems for Kering.
Chrono24: Timm Armbrust becomes CFO & COOCorum CEO plans global relaunch after management buyout
May 2025
Vintage and retro styles were and still are major design themes for watchmakers. This was clearly reflected in many of the timepieces we discovered in May 2025.
That the industry's leaders are experts when it comes to skillfully combining past, present, and future was demonstrated, among other things, in May. Wempe. At the beginning of May, the jeweler opened one of the largest and most modern watchmaking workshops in Europe in Hamburg – in a 4,700 square meter, listed building. Kontorhaus am Stubbenhuk from the 1920s.
The topic is more or less about the past. Pre-owned watch market. The models traded there can be from the latest collections, but just as easily from past decades. Although the market has cooled down somewhat – or rather normalized – according to the ChronoPulse watch index (Chrono24), it holds immense potential for the future.
This was also demonstrated by the record revenues of 21st Geneva Watch Auction, and especially the Eppli family business with its investment in the Eppli House, the new top address for pre-owned luxury in Stuttgart.
And what was going on in the executive suites and what was preoccupying those in charge? Our May headlines provide the answer:
Single-hand watch specialist MeisterSinger wins the iF Design Award for the 10th time
Bucherer celebrates the reopening of its Frankfurt flagship store
Five at once, from the washing machine to the clock – Studio FA Porsche sweeps the iF Design Award.
Rolex x Bucherer: New home for new Tudor watches in Munich
Niels Eggerding (CEO Frederique Constant): „We are very well prepared.“
Richemont reports a jump in profits – but the luxury goods industry cannot yet rest easy.
Swatch Group: A US investor shakes up the shareholders' meeting
German jewelry and watch industry sees significant growth in the first quarter.
Gucci downsizes its watch division and lays off 21 employees
Customs chaos causes Swiss watch exports to explode.
June 2025
June 2025 was a fairly relaxed month for watches: Manufacturers presented the results of their designers' creativity, personalities came and went, a boutique opening here, a new dial manufactory there, a new "master of light" and a new brand identity – it could have been an untroubled, casual and busy early summer atmosphere.
But there was something else. Right: that US Customs, the sword of Damocles, which the Swiss watch industry in particular feared. In May 2025, there was no progress whatsoever in the negotiations between Switzerland and the USA – what was to come was completely unclear.
As a consequence, the Exports of Swiss watches The number of cases in the United States, following a significant increase in April, rose sharply in the merry month of May. The beginning of a wild rollercoaster ride.
There was surprising news from the Swatch Group brand Longines, which confirmed in June that after five years at the top Matthias Breschan I am leaving the Swiss brand for personal reasons.
However, another personality has found his way into the watch industry. Gucci parent company Kering confirmed Luca de Meo as the new CEO. The former CEO of the Renault Group He replaces François-Henri Pinault, who led Kering for 20 years.
As always, we could rely on the creative power of designers and engineers, as a quick glance at the June clocks shows.
And here's ours early summer headlines 2025 on Insight Luxury:
Morellato Group with stable sales
Swatch Group denies the claim of an improper election process.
H. Moser & Cie. surprises with a smartwatch
Chrono24 is giving itself a new brand identity.
Oris boutique in Zurich reopens with a new look
BVSU statistics for April: Jewelry sales are booming!
Matthias Stotz (CEO Tutima Glashütte): „We want to become bigger and grow.“
Citizen x ispace: The moon mission continues
Wempe and IWC Schaffhausen celebrate the opening of their new boutique in Hamburg
Think Big – Top-level watchmaking training at Sinn Spezialuhren
Rapper Central Cee opens G-SHOCK safe containing over 300 special watches
TAG Heuer returns as the official timekeeper of the Goodwood Festival of Speed
That was it, that Quarter 2 of the watchmaking year 2025 – or at least a small part of it. The third quarter was no less exciting and multifaceted.
Stay tuned!
