Published on April 8, 2025
By all accounts, Watches & Wonders 2025 was one for the record books. And we mean that literally.
On Monday, the final day of the world’s largest horological trade show, the organizers announced that this year’s edition reached a new attendance benchmark, with over 55,000 people visiting over the course of the week.
A whopping 6,000 of those at the fair were dealers, the individuals whose work shapes which watches end up in which markets—and, ultimately, what ends up in your collection. For the most dedicated collectors, that’s a tall order, especially with an increasingly limited number of coveted watches available and serious enthusiasts focused on novelty more than ever before.
“People are really looking to fill gaps in their collections,” says Nick Boulle, president of de Boulle Diamond & Jewelry, which operates boutiques in Houston and Dallas. “I think someone who wants a smaller collection is looking for something that speaks to them. When you look at all of the different brands, they have to cater to the different occasions that people will wear watches to, because everything is a lifestyle.”
But what about their own lifestyles? Below, we asked a group of leading watch dealers about the standout timepieces of Watches and Wonders, and which ones they’re prepared to buy for themselves.
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Nick and Emma Boulle, de Boulle Diamond and Jewelry
Image Credit: Tudor, Laurent Ferrier, Patek Philippe, Rolex Nick: “I think the fear right now is that we won’t get enough of everything we’ve seen, more than it is about what we’d want to buy.
“If I was buying for myself, there’s a lot, I have to say. The meteorite GMT-Master II struck me. I think that’s a great one. And then the Patek Ref. 5328 really jumped out. Additionally, Tudor Watches—the new Pelagos that goes to 1,000 meters with just that little detail of turquoise text on the dial is just amazing. And then another partner of ours, Laurent Ferrier, came out with an ice-blue dial that really caught my eye.”
Emma: “I would say the new Ladies’ Nautilus with the turquoise dial. It’s stunning, the detail on that dial. It’s a great size. It wasn’t too big, it was not too small. And I like larger watches, but it was stunning on the wrist.”
Nick: “It’s cool, too, because it’s a new color of blue. It’s not something I’ve seen from another brand yet.” -
Raphael Gübelin, CEO, Gübelin Group
Image Credit: Patek Philippe, Chanel, Bulgari “I do have to say there were a few highlights, and one of them is definitely the Patek Philippe, the Ref. 5370R, beautiful rose gold, brown. I really love that. And they also had the Ref. 5326 blue, love that.
“The Chanel J12 Bleu? Fabulous. It’s not shiny, it’s matte. Great, great. And also, Bulgari has a black Octo Finissimo, I also like that a lot.
“I probably would buy all of them that I was mentioning. But at the end, it’s always about availability. I saw the nice new Cubitus in a slightly smaller version. I know they’re going to be doing very good—and I’m not going to have one of those, but I’m very happy if my customers have them, and I enjoy seeing them on the rest of my customers.” -
Rudy Albers, President, Wempe U.S.A.
Image Credit: Rolex, Patek Philippe “I had a great meeting with Patek Philippe and got to see their new pieces. They’re super exciting, fantastic finishing and complications. So that was great. I went to see Cartier. They certainly had some beautiful new creations there as well. So we’re making the rounds to take it all in. Of course, my phone’s been burning up for the Rolex Land-Dweller.
“I wish I could remember the new reference number of the Patek Philippe with the eight-day power reserve and the blue dial. That just floored me. I love blue. So that’s right up my alley.” -
Brian Govberg, Global Sales Director, the 1916 Company
Image Credit: Patek Philippe, Cartier “The Ref. 6196P from Patek is a watch that, if I closed my eyes and had to imagine the best possible Calatrava, that would be it. And the second would be the new Swizz Beatz DeBethune Kind of Two GMT, which is just an awesome watch.
“I’m a very big fan of the jump hour complication, and I think that it’s a complication that’s not utilized nearly enough. Cartier just came out with a beautiful reference that incorporates this complication, and I would love to see more brands do the same.” -
Derek Mon, Carat & Co.
Image Credit: Zenith, Cartier “I really like the new Cartier Tank Louis. It’s manual winding, and even though it’s a large size, it fits really well on the wrist. Specifically, it would fit great on my wrist, and that’s why I like it.
“The other one that was intriguing to me was the Zenith GFJ Platinum watch. To me, that is Zenith going in the more independent watchmaking route with a stunning lapis lazuli dial with mother of pearl along with a full platinum case and bracelet. The size is awesome, and I haven’t seen that shade of blue done anywhere else all fair!” -
Yoni Ben-Yehuda, Head of Watches, Audemars Piguet x Material Good
Image Credit: Cartier, Piaget, Jaeger-LeCoultre “We were just joking that this is a very expensive trip for me. But the three that stood out for me that I’m like, ‘Shut up and take my money,’ would be the Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso on the Milanese bracelet and the rose gold with the tonal dial; the Andy Warhol Piaget, absolutely, especially with some customization to it; and the limited edition Cartier jump hour (Tank à Guichets) in platinum. I think those are three of some of the most exciting pieces.
“I also really love the Moser stone dials, especially the pink. There’s so much. The worst version of me just gets paid in watches, and lives, like, under a bridge by the river.”
Authors
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