In 2025, haute horlogerie proves that true excellence lies not in excess, but in meaningful innovation. The world’s greatest watchmakers are redefining precision, sound, thinness, global usability, and artistic craftsmanship, while remaining deeply rooted in tradition. Calling a watch ‘the best’ in haute horlogerie is not about sales figures or virality but about how far a timepiece pushes mechanical boundaries while remaining coherent, purposeful, and beautifully executed. Here are eight watches that set the benchmark in timekeeping this year.
Arnold & Son Constant Force Tourbillon 11
The Constant Force Tourbillon 11 is built around the purest objective of horology, precision, as a tribute to the historic relationship between John Arnold and Abraham-Louis Breguet. The 11-piece limited edition features a patented constant force mechanism, visible from the dial side, that evenly distributes energy to the escapement, ensuring the steady precision that Arnold and Breguet spent their lives pursuing. It’s the modern answer to the historical fusée-and-chain system, combined with a large tourbillon inspired by marine chronometers. The watch embodies scientific clarity and historical respect.
Breguet Classique 7225
Manufacture Breguet presents a new interpretation of its magnetic pivot combined with its high-frequency escapement while maintaining long-term stability and precision, inspired by the Breguet No. 1176 from the early 19th century. Its magnetic pivot system replaces traditional physical contact points, reducing friction and wear. This innovation allows the movement to operate at a high frequency. Combined with the new Poinçon Breguet hallmark, Breguet certifies a maximum deviation in rate of ±1 second per day, making the Classique 7225 one of the intellectually important watches of the year.
Blancpain Grande Double Sonnerie
The most complicated watch in Blancpain’s history, the Grande Double Sonnerie represents the summit of acoustic watchmaking. In a rare feat, the fully integrated movement combines a grande sonnerie, petite sonnerie, minute repeater, a retrograde perpetual calendar, and a 4 Hz flying tourbillon. The watch has two selectable melodies via a case pusher: Westminster chime and a Blancpain composition by musician Eric Singer from the American rock band Kiss. An acoustic membrane integrated into the bezel enhances sound transmission. The project took over eight years, 1,200 technical drawings, 21 patents filed during development and 13 incorporated into the construction, 1,053 components for the movement, all entirely designed, produced, decorated, and assembled in-house. The complexity here is staggering, but what sets this watch apart is control of energy, sound resonance, and mechanical coordination. In 2025, no watch better demonstrates why chiming complications remain the ultimate expression of horological mastery.
Bovet 1822 Recital 30
Bovet 1822 Récital 30 earns its place among the best watches of 2025 by solving a real-world problem: global timekeeping across seasonal changes. Its innovative roller-based system displays 25 time zones, accounting for Daylight Saving Time variations with remarkable clarity. Crucially, the watch includes India Standard Time—a non-standard half-hour offset that most worldtimers fail to accommodate. This makes the Récital 30 particularly valuable for Indian collectors and globetrotters.
Greubel Forsey Nano Foudroyante Tourbillon
Greubel Forsey’s Nano Foudroyante is one of the most technically fascinating watches of the decade. The term ‘foudroyante’ refers to a one-sixth-of-a-second display, allowing the wearer to visually perceive time in extraordinarily fine increments. Greubel Forsey achieves this while operating at nanojoule energy levels. The foudroyante mechanism is paired with a tourbillon, ensuring stability and precision despite the extreme energy constraints. This watch is less about luxury and more about scientific exploration, making it one of 2025’s most futuristic creations.
Chopard L.U.C Grand Strike
The Chopard L.U.C Grand Strike is a statement of horological maturity. In addition to its grande sonnerie, petite sonnerie, and minute repeater, the watch incorporates a tourbillon, elevating its technical stature. The combination of a regulating organ designed for precision and a complex chiming system requires extraordinary mastery of energy management. Chopard enhances the acoustic performance through sapphire gongs and meticulous hand-finishing. It’s rare to see a complex watch like this achieve a Contrôle officiel suisse des Chronomètres (COSC) certification for precision and a Geneva Seal for aesthetics.
Bvlgari Octo Finissimo Ultra Tourbillon
The Octo Finissimo Ultra Tourbillon is a triumph of modern engineering. Measuring at just 1.85mm thick, it integrates the touribillon directly into the case, eliminating the traditional architecture. Bvlgari’s success lies not only in breaking records but in doing so repeatedly while maintaining reliability and design coherence. In 2025, this watch represents the cutting edge of ultra-thin mechanical construction and establishes Bvlgari’s dominance in contemporary watch engineering.
Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso One Precious Flowers
The Reverso One Precious Flowers reminds us that haute horlogerie is not defined solely by mechanics. In 2021, Jaeger-LeCoultre introduced the sparkling Reverso One ‘Precious Flowers’ series. This watch is a part of three limited-edition watches of 10 each that celebrate métiers d’art—enamelling, engraving, and gem-setting—executed at the highest level. Using the iconic Reverso case as a canvas, the Maison transforms timekeeping into wearable art. In contrast to the technical achievements of other watches on this list, the Reverso One Precious Flowers excels through emotional resonance and craftsmanship. Its inclusion underscores that beauty and artistry remain as essential to great watchmaking as innovation.
