Inside Watches and Wonders 2025: My Experience

This year marked my third trip to Watches and Wonders Geneva. At this point, I generally know what to expect—the sea of beige, the general booth layouts, the salmon poke bowl (served in a fishbowl) on the lunch menu. Even the “ACCESS GRANTED” robot voice at security was a familiar one, although they turned down the volume considerably this year. Maybe they read my Inside Watches and Wonders articles from the past two years.

That sense of familiarity didn’t make the experience any less meaningful. It just made it easier to appreciate what actually changed—starting with one major shift at Rolex.

No Shutters, No Surprise

For the first time since I started attending Watches and Wonders, the show didn’t begin with a reveal at the Rolex booth. Instead, Rolex published its full 2025 collection the night before the fair began. Product pages went live. Press kits became available. A few outlets with early access dropped their content immediately—hands-on videos, studio shots, detailed write-ups. It all landed before anyone set foot inside Palexpo.

That means the usual crowd outside the Rolex booth never formed, at least not to the same extent as prior years. The display windows, which have traditionally opened with a dramatic reveal on day one, were already open when we arrived. The suspense that’s historically defined the Rolex launch moment simply wasn’t part of the equation this year.

We’ve already published a full breakdown of this shift and what it says about Rolex’s evolving strategy, but here’s the short version: the change makes sense. It makes coverage better. It’s a net positive for the broader audience. But it was a noticeable departure for those of us in the building.

Watches That Stood Out

Even without a big reveal moment at Rolex, there were plenty of highlights. One of the most jaw-dropping watches I saw was the Czapek Antarctique Tourbillon—a slim, integrated-bracelet flying tourbillon with a mesmerizing guilloché dial. We covered it in full here, and it’s worth checking out.

Another personal favorite was the new Cartier Tank à Guichets collection. I’ve always liked the digital jump hour format, and seeing it in a brand new Cartier with that fresh, vertically brushed case was pretty special.

Image Source: Cartier

Outside of the product itself, I focused more on capturing phone video this year. We had a photographer on the ground, but I wanted to make sure we were building up enough footage for social content—especially Instagram Reels. More and more people are experiencing these events through short-form video, and it’s become part of the way we document everything.

Familiar Faces and Lots of New Ones

As always, one of the best parts of the show was the people. I had the chance to meet Perri and Rashawn from Superniche and the Wristcheck podcast for the first time in person, and I caught up with Nico Leonard, whom I met at last year’s show. In a space packed with global brands, press, retailers, and collectors, it still manages to feel like a small community.

We also had our first official meeting with Tudor this year—a real highlight and a welcome change of pace. Their booth, which is more like a three-story industrial building than a booth, was one of the most immersive spaces at the fair. Getting inside and handling the new releases firsthand was a moment I won’t forget.

Final Thoughts

Watches and Wonders 2025 didn’t start with a bang, but it settled into something just as valuable: real conversations, hands-on access, and a sense of connection that’s hard to replicate anywhere else. It was different from past years, but like the other times I’ve attended the show, I left with a better understanding of the watch world and the people who keep it moving.