CIRCULA (Germany)

Circula is a watch manufacturer from Pforzheim, Germany. The brand was founded by Heinz Huber in 1955 and relaunched in 2018 by its new owner Cornelius Huber, grandson of the founder. This year, they launched the new Circula Facet, a contemporary 38mm three-handed sports watch with an integrated bracelet. The name comes from the facets all over the dial, the indexes, the hands, the case and the bracelet, which reflect the light in an eye-catching way. It was designed by Guy Bove, former creative director of TAG Heuer, amongst others. The dial is a concentric repetition of the stylised wheel cogs from the logo, creating a hypnotic effect. The bracelet features alternating satin-brushed and mirror polished finishes for a playful contrast. The watch houses a Swiss Made G100 automatic movement from Manufacture La Joux-Perret in Soigné grade, boasting a 68-hour power reserve and a decorated, palladium-plated tungsten rotor. This new line comes in three different colours: silver, petrol (a striking greenish-blue hue) and brown. $$

D1 MILANO (Italy)

D1 Milano wants to “reinvent the world you already know, by bringing you the ultimate design object.” The design watch brand comes in a variety of colours and sizes. In 40.5 mm, there are models with a polycarbonate soft-touch coating, and ceramic watches in full black or with specific dial details – grey, white, navy blue, army green or sketch-like. In 37 mm, it comes in seasonal editions of artsy funky-coloured dots on black or white, or in full monochromatic versions in Nebula (slate grey), Akebia (steel grey) or Ecru (sand). Some timepieces have an enamel-filled bezel; others are completely made of nylon. D1 Milano watches also come with chronograph complications and in ultra-thin versions in diameters of 40, 38, 34 or 30 mm. This purely design- and colour-based watch is an affordable fashion accessory, and the majority of models are equipped with Japanese quartz movements. Only the Skeleton and Automatic in stainless steel boast Japanese automatic mechanical calibres. $

DENNISON (UK)

Dennison, a name from the past well-known in the watchmaking industry as a case maker for brands such as Rolex, Omega and Jaeger-LeCoultre, has recently been revived. The inaugural collection is called A.L.D. after the founder’s initials: Aaron Lufkin Dennison. It is inspired by the 1950s cushion case design, reinterpreted by world-famous Swiss watch designer Emmanuel Gueit, originator of some remarkable designs, notably for Audemars Piguet with the Royal Oak Offshore. The ALD offers a very sleek, slim (only 6.05 mm), and elegant polished cushion case featuring natural stone and sunray dials. The case is genderless at 33.65 mm wide and 37 mm long, and watch is equipped with a Ronda Quartz 1032-1 movement. The main appeal is definitely the minimalistic dials that come in tiger’s eye, malachite, lapis lazuli or natural aventurine stone, or black, green or blue sunray with a discreet printed Dennison logo off to one side. $

ANICORN (Hong Kong)

Anicorn is a Hong-Kong based independent watchmaker and design company, founded in 2014 by graphic designer Joe Kwan and entrepreneur Chris Chan. They have collaborated with NASA to launch a new original watch called The Exploration watch, inspired by the Europa Clipper space mission, which aims to explore the distant icy moon of Jupiter. The face of the watch showcases the iconic NASA “meatball” logo, as well as the laser-etched Drake Equation that estimates the likelihood of extraterrestrial life. The rear view of the timepiece unveils the mysteries hidden beneath Europa’s icy facade through the unique vault plate-shaped rear glass. The limited edition of 200 comes on a stainless-steel bracelet and is powered by a Seiko NH35 automatic movement. $

BRAVUR (Sweden)

Bravur was founded in 2011 by Magnus Äppelryd and Johan Sahlin. The Bravur team designs, develops and hand builds its mechanical watches to order in Båstad, Sweden. As their motto states, Bravur has a “Swedish soul with (a) Swiss Heart”. This year, they launched a Team Heritage collection of three watches paying homage to the great cycling teams of the 50s to the 80s: the PEU, inspired by the famous and most successful, Peugeot team; the REN, derived from the Renault Team; and the MER, featuring the distinctive purple and yellow of the iconic Mercier jersey worn by the French team founded in 1933. It still holds the record for the highest number of entries in Tour de France history, and was known for having one of the most popular riders of the time, Raymond Poulidor. $$

BREMONT (UK)

Bremont was founded in 2002 with the aim of creating reliable tool watches. In 2021, the brand opened its own watch facility, ‘The Wing’, starting a new chapter of its young history. At the end of 2024, they launched a new, enhanced, evolution of their well-known Supermarine collection: the Supermarine 300M GMT. The case is an eminently wearable 40mm and now comes in 904L stainless steel. The GMT function can be set independently and the 24-hour hand is paired with a bidirectional bezel boasting an aluminium insert, creating a clear distinction between day and night. The watch has a date at 3 o’clock. The movement is based on a modified Sellita SW300-2 and offers a 50-hour power reserve. Bremont proposes three vibrant gradient dials for this deep diver: ‘Tundra’ Green, ‘Glacier’ Blue and ‘Ember’ Red. The applied indexes filled with white Super-LumiNova offer great legibility. $$

NEO KUNG (China)

Neo Kung is no newcomer to the watch industry. He was the Chief Product Officer for Sea-Gull and the Shanghai Watch Factory, two of China’s most well-known historical brands. He decided to become an independent watchmaker, and launched his own brand in 2024. His inaugural creation is Orienta, the first haute horlogerie chronograph to come out of China. The dial architecture is inspired by classic chronographs from the 60s, with a bicompax configuration and large subdials at 3 and 9 o’clock. Slender minute and hour hands are complemented by a red central hand for the chronograph seconds. Neo Kung has meticulously crafted a classic column wheel chronograph movement. The NK-01 calibre is a tribute to the Venus 175 movement, the first Chinese chronograph calibre, a historic Swiss-Chinese collaboration that dates back to 60 years ago. The manually wound 12-piece limited edition comes in a round polished 950 platinum case with a diameter of 39.8 mm wide, measuring just 10.6 mm thick. $$$$

MICROMILSPEC (Norway)

Founded in 2019, this brand specialises in robust mechanical watches designed for action and tailored for special forces. This year, they introduced the Micromilspec Milgraph, a watch available to the public, featuring two useful complications: a chronograph and a GMT. The military-inspired design has a left-hand crown for enhanced mobility and comfort. The 42 mm case is made from micro-blasted grade 5 titanium to prevent reflections during critical missions. The new QuadGrip bezel, marked by four deep indents, ensures smooth operation even when wearing gloves. The watch is water-resistant to 100 m and features a bright orange-tipped GMT hand. It is powered by a La Joux-Perret L121 chronograph/GMT movement with a column wheel, offering a 60-hour power reserve. Limited edition of 50 pieces. $$

OAK & OSCAR (USA)

Oak & Oscar is an independent watch brand created in 2015 in Chicago by Chase Fancher, an entrepreneur who wanted a meaningful job with a better work-life balance. The latest Atwood collection offers a manually wound chronograph with column wheel and flyback functions. The AMT5100M calibre, from the high-grade sister company of Sellita, AMT Manufacture, delivers 58 hours of power reserve. The dial displays a classic tricompax architecture with a sandwich style that brings texture and depth to the face. It comes in panda styling as well as a reverse-panda charcoal grey, or the distinctive Oak & Oscar navy blue. A vintage inspired tachymeter scale wraps around the bezel of the watch. A very affordable flyback chronograph. $$

GAGA LABORATORIO (Italy)

Gaga Laboratorio is a new watch brand launched in 2024 by Italian entrepreneur Ruben Tomella and creative director Mo Coppoletta, a renowned designer and artistic creator. The inaugural collection, the Labormatic, fuses Italian flair from the 50s with classic Americana (think chromed cars and jukeboxes). The Cinquanta model is a perfect blend of these inspirations. This rounded and exuberant 42 mm timepiece in stainless steel displays digital hours at 12 o’clock, analogue minutes indicated by a joyful red popsicle-like arrow and a central rotating disc for the seconds. It is powered by a high-quality La Joux-Perret LJP-G100 automatic calibre with a personalised rotor that can be admired through the sapphire glass caseback. The unusual 12 o’clock crown is set with a steel cabochon. A distinctively different, cheerful and affordable watch. $$

HOLTHINRICHS (Netherlands)

The independent Dutch brand founded in 2018 by Michiel Holthinrichs, a young watchmaker, made a name for itself with its 3D printed cases made from steel, gold, titanium and bronze. It’s now upping its game with a new model: the architectural Nouveau Ornament, inspired by Art Nouveau and early modernist architecture. The complex organic case is 3D-printed in titanium, with some parts left unfinished to showcase the process, creating a vibrant contrast between the anodised and finished parts. The watch features the very first entirely Dutch-made in-house mechanical calibre. The jewel in the crown is the in-house-developed variable inertia balance wheel – a dynamically shaped openworked circle held in place with an exceptional three-dimensional glass bridge, called the “Holthinbridge”. The dial is also a feat of innovation made from UV-sensitive photochromic material, that turns black in UV lighting, protecting the oils in the skeleton movement, as well as giving the watch a playful appeal. The 39.5 mm timepiece has a power reserve of 83 hours delivered by two barrels in series. Only 100 pieces will be made of this stepping stone in Holthinrichs’s history. $$$$

MEMORIGIN (Hong Kong)

Memorigin, established in 2011 in Hong Kong, specialises in one of watchmaking’s most prestigious achievements: the tourbillon, which they produce in-house. Since 2021, they have teamed up with Swiss Koncept, a Swiss watch development firm founded by master watchmakers Kaj Korpela and Costya Vigneri, to create Memoire, an exclusive high-end watch brand. Following three years of dedicated research, development, and design, they unveiled their debut model, the Aspirare Tourbillon Watch. This exceptional partnership has elevated the craftsmanship and quality of Hong Kong timepieces to unprecedented levels. The movement comprises 155 components and 25 jewels, delivering a power reserve of 40 hours. The baseplate of the movement is inscribed “designed & handcrafted by Swiss Koncept”, underscoring the significance of the partnership. The watch comes in a 40mm stainless steel case with a skeletonised salmon dial and refined sandblasted finishing. $$$$

TYPSIM (USA)

Typsim is an American brand founded in 2019 in the Northwestern Pacific region by Matthew Zinski, an architect and self-taught watchmaker. He and his team create classic watches for everyday wear. This year they launched the Time Traveler, a GMT of their own. The calibre is based on a modified Sellita SW330-2 and the watch provides two time zones read on two separate 12-hour hands. The primary, or home time, is set on the lumed hands, which also control the date function. The second skeletonised hour hand indicates the independently jumpable secondary or local time, adjustable with crown position 2. It’s a different, very Typsim-like interpretation of the GMT function, where home is the most important place. The case is 36 mm for a perfect genderless fit, and water resistant to 100 m for true versatility. The 7 7-link stainless steel bracelet gives a dressy feel to the timepiece, which comes with three dial options: black gilt, silver-white and champagne. $$

VENEZIANICO (Italy)

Venezianico is a young Italian brand born in 2017 in Venice from the vision of two brothers, Alberto and Alessandro Morelli, who love watches, design and the beauty of their hometown. For 2024, the Morelli brothers have reinterpreted the Nereide, their signature diver, with a neoclassical motif inspired by acanthus leaves, a symbol of harmony and purity. The 316L steel case is crafted using an ancient artisanal technique that adds depth and a three-dimensional effect. Ink is subsequently applied by hand to the engravings, highlighting the contrast and giving the design depth. The delicate Renaissance-inspired motifs cover the entire case, including the lugs, buckle and unidirectional rotating bezel. This 42 mm Nereide Acquaforte is powered by a Miyota 9039 automatic calibre and is water resistant to 20 ATM. $

TIMEX (USA)

To celebrate its 170th anniversary this year, Timex is pushing the boundaries of affordable watchmaking to the limit by releasing 1,000 limited-edition Waterbury watches for just $1! Yes, you read that correctly: ONE DOLLAR. It commemorates Timex’s iconic Yankee pocket watch – their first timepiece, sold for $1 and known as “the watch that made the dollar famous”. The watch displays a glossy ice white dial, the official 170th anniversary edition logo, 3D lacquered roman numeral markers and a double window at 3 o’clock for the weekday and the date. The solid caseback is decorated with vertical brushing and engraved with a commemoration of this special moment in Timex’s and the world’s watchmaking history. It doesn’t get more affordable than this! $

NOMOS (Germany)

The German brand born in 1990 is known for its minimalistic design and no-nonsense approach to in-house watch manufacture. Its new Tangente 2date model breaks new ground for the brand: innovation for the sake of innovation, without a functional purpose. How? It has two date displays, each indicating the same date. To the obvious question, “Why?” the brand answers enigmatically, “Because we can.” The conversation has been opened. In any case, this genderless 37.5 mm timepiece in stainless steel offers the usual sleek Bauhaus-inspired design with a white or deep blue dial. The real novelty is the DUW 4601 calibre with its sunbeam ribbed finish, the latest development of the patented Nomos Swing System. It boasts 52 hours of power reserve, the usual stop-second function and a rapid date adjustment. Very helpful when you have two displays to set. $$

RAKETA (Russia)

The brand was launched in 1961 in homage to Yuri Gagarin, the first man in space. The Big Zero collection is probably their best known work with its minimalistic design and oversized numerals at 3, 6 and 9 o’clock, capped by a big 0 at 12 o’clock. It now comes with an Arabic numeral dial design that retains the famous 0 and adds oriental Arabic numerals at the 3, 6 and 9 positions. It also bears the Raketa logo in Arabic characters, created by Mohammad Sharaf, a renowned calligrapher. The 40 mm stainless steel watch is water resistant to 100 m and offers 40 hours of power reserve. The transparent case back reveals the Raketa automatic movement, entirely designed and manufactured at the Raketa Watch Factory in St. Petersburg, as well as the red rotor intricately decorated with Neva waves. This first series is limited to 100 timepieces. $$

CARL SUCHY & SöHNE (Austria)

This historic Austrian brand worn by Emperor Franz Josef and Sigmund Freud, was relaunched in 2017. In 2023 the modern and elegant Belvedere collection was launched to immediate acclaim. This year, the brand has unveiled a new iteration in the collection: the Belvedere Titan – sporty with its titanium case, yet elegant thanks to a matt finish. The gold-plated central hand of the small seconds contrasts beautifully against the grey dial. The timepiece retains the collection’s signature date display: a unique moving date window that advances day by day on a rotating central disc, creating a subtle motion on the face of the watch. It is powered by the CSS201 automatic movement designed by renowned Swiss master watchmaker Marc Jenni specifically for the Belvedere collection, based on a Dubois Depraz DB90000. It has a micro-engraved gold-plated rotor, depicting the famous Belvedere Palace in the heart of Vienna. The 40.8 mm watch is water resistant to 100 m. $$$

QIAN GUOBIAO (China)

Qian Guobiao, born in 1975 is nothing less than “China’s top watch master!” according to renowned expert David Chang, who explains: “In contemporary China, it is difficult to find a watchmaker like him: not only familiar with complex functions such as the repeater and tourbillon, but also with fine finishing, especially the polishing of tiny parts.” This year, the master watchmaker’s name appeared more widely on the watch stage, as he cooperated with Behrens to launch the Kung Fu watch. Qian Guobiao started off in the mould processing industry, before opening his own studio specialising in servicing high-end watches, and eventually his own work: the No.1 (2018), No.2 (2019), No.3 (2020), and No.4 (2023). He is currently working on two more products: a time-only piece with a small second hand, and a split-second chronograph. A new star is rising…

ROBOT (Czechia)

Founded in 2018 by Josef Zajíček, an entrepreneur in the automotive industry, Robot (the word “robot” comes from the Czech language, invented by artist Josef Čapek and first used in 1920) creates watches that are inspired by the automotive industry. Designed in collaboration with designer Michal Froněk, the Aerodynamic series of watches “reminds us of an important historical milestone, when edges and right angles still dominated the design of cars and motorbikes in the early 1930s.” Michal Froněk continues: “And then came the Czechoslovak Tatra 77 – the world’s first aerodynamic mass-produced car.” Indeed, this watch is all about curves and sleek lines. The 39.5 mm grade 5 titanium case is sandblasted for a very modern feel. The dial, which displays central hours and minutes hands, a small seconds sundial at 6 o’clock with a date window and an 8-day power reserve counter at 12, is decorated with lateral fins evocative of the 1931 Wikow 35’s front grille, the predecessor of the Tatra 77. The original manually wound timepiece is equipped with a high-end Swiss Made La Joux-Perret calibre and comes in various colours and materials. $$$

LINDE WERDELIN (UK)

Created in 2002 by Morten Linde and Jorn Werdelin in London, this brand specialises in rugged limited-edition sports watches made with exotic materials. The latest Oktopus Moon Gold Black Ink will be limited to only 8 pieces per year. It is constructed entirely from 18K N5 rose gold and is finely sandblasted to give it a warm texture. The movement is bespoke, with an in-house graphical moonphase complication, which was originally conceived and developed in 2009 in collaboration with renowned Danish master watchmaker Svend Andersen. The skeletonised dial bears the three distinctive large numerals at 12, 3 and 9 o’clock, and is adorned with Luminova moons with a blue full moon indicator. This striking timepiece with its imposing 44 mm x 46 mm case, measuring 15 mm thick, is water resistant to 300 m. $$$$

AMALYS (Belgium)

Founded in 2017 in Brussels by Adrien Voisin, a young entrepreneur with a keen sense of purpose, Amalys creates feminine affordable watches powered by Japanese quartz movements. But it does a lot more than that: it also has a strong ethical commitment to support girls and women around the world. From the very beginning, the brand has donated 10% of its annual profits to three partner associations: Think Pink, Plan International and Fondation des Femmes. Moreover, every online sale generates an extra €5. Each collection pays homage to a female role model: Baker, Hepburn, Jane, Kelly, Watson and Simone. The latest addition is an elegant round golden stainless-steel watch with a delicate moon phase display, called Aurelia. No wonder, the brand is growing fast, approaching 20,000 watch sales already this year. This rare purpose-driven business approach shows how ethics can create value, even at the entry level in watchmaking. $

JACQUES LEMANS (Austria)

For its 50th anniversary the Austrian brand has released a series of four chronographs equipped with an innovative Eco Power Solar movement that provides 120 days of power reserve, without batteries. The watches come with a scratch-resistant ceramic bezel with four different dial colour options: deep blue, light blue, silvery grey and golden yellow. They offer an appealing tri-compax presentation. The limited editions – of 500 pieces per model – boast a 42 mm stainless steel case and are water resistant to 100 m. This affordable and versatile chronograph marks an important moment in the brand’s history. $

CHRISTOPHER WARD (UK)

Founded in 2004, Christopher Ward, now Britain’s leading watch brand, debuted the chiming hour - sonnerie au passage, in French - Bel Canto adventure in 2022 with resounding success, claiming the Petite Aiguille prize at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève in 2023 . The first two series in blue and green were limited to 300 pieces each. The new Bel Canto Classic is now a series collection available in four colours. The chiming works of the FS01 movement - based on a SW200-1 caliber - and the 41mm Grade 5 titanium case remain the same, producing the same D note. But the timepiece offers notable improvements. The platine is adorned with a new laser-etched guilloché pattern that joyfully plays with light. The hands are more modern and the high-contrast Roman numerals bring extra legibility. The glass box crystal is also new to house the three-dimensional dial. A very haute horology feel watch that remains very affordable. $$

$ less than 1,000 $$ 1,000 to 5,000 $$$ 5,000 to 10,000 $$$$ >10,000