One other Friday, one other listing! Final week, we kicked the 12 months off with a listing of horological needs for 2025. This week, we prolong our listing of needs by specializing in some high-end manufacturers. Some fascinating developments in 2024 led to this new listing. With personnel shifts and new introductions up to now 12 months, we thought it will be a good suggestion to give attention to the upper finish of watchmaking and categorical our needs for 2025.
We noticed many nice watch releases final 12 months, however these 5 needs go a bit deeper than that. They’re extra associated to manufacturers doing properly or greater gestures that we need to see extra of in 2025. You’ll rapidly discover out what we imply, so let’s leap straight in!
1. Breguet changing into a number one model
We’ll kick this listing off with Breguet. This maison has lengthy been praised as one in every of historical past’s most essential watch manufacturers. The lifetime of founder Abraham-Louis Breguet may simply be made right into a characteristic movie that will attract a crowd much more various than watch followers like us. That may have been a pleasant solution to rejoice the model’s 250th anniversary this 12 months. Nonetheless, the Swatch Group hasn’t managed to make Breguet a number one model that may be a part of the ranks of Patek Philippe, Audemars Piguet, and Vacheron Constantin. But it surely’s not a query of individuals not wanting the model to do properly. We’re additionally large followers right here at Fratello, and a number of group members personal Breguet timepieces to again that up.
Hopefully, with Gregory Kissling’s appointment as the brand new CEO, good issues will come for Breguet. Kissling was the vp of product growth at Omega and was liable for the model’s many releases over the previous few years. Hopefully, he can direct Breguet onto a path that may reveal nice issues for and from the model. Fratello founder Robert-Jan is a passionate Breguet fan and has steered a primary step right here on Fratello a number of instances — bringing again yellow gold, a valuable metallic painfully absent from the present catalog.
A model with limitless potential
However that’s solely the start of the nice potential all of us see and really feel. With its wealthy historical past and unbelievable watchmaking observe file, Breguet has all of the elements to thrive. It is going to take a while to see Kissling’s affect. Coming from Omega, he’ll hopefully develop a related design signature that may merge the model’s undisputed technical mastery with a method that excites watch followers. If the model can join its horological observe file, impeccable eye for element, and craftsmanship in realization and ending with a method that’s recognizable, elegant, and related with out abandoning the everyday Breguet really feel, it would entice numerous followers.
2. Extra entry-level additions to high-end manufacturers’ collections
Don’t rush to the feedback part simply but. We perceive this isn’t the most probably want to come true. However hear us out. After choosing up some outdated watch annuals from 10–20 years in the past, the sobering conclusion was that costs for entry-level fashions had been steep however inside attain for a far wider viewers than these days. Shopping for a high-end timepiece has more and more turn out to be for the tremendous rich. For many of us, it has turn out to be a fading phantasm. Positive, we may settle for it for what it’s and transfer on. However 10–20 years in the past, proudly owning a watch from Audemars Piguet or Patek Philippe may have been an precise horological aspiration somewhat than an summary thought.
The costs on the pre-owned market solely add to that picture of the rising distance between high-end manufacturers and most watch lovers. Particularly in in the present day’s market, you’d be silly to not discover your favourite timepiece from a high-end model as a pre-owned mannequin. All kinds of beautiful watches can be found for excellent costs should you look previous the Royal Oaks, Aquanauts, and Nautiluses. Whereas that’s an effective way of buying the watch you’ve all the time dreamed of, it nonetheless doesn’t bridge the widening emotional and monetary hole between high-end manufacturers and most watch followers.
3. Vacheron Constantin reinforcing its place
Our third want for 2025 is for an additional model to develop to its full potential. Vacheron Constantin is up there in discussions about high-end manufacturers, however it’s unlikely most individuals’s first decide in a match-up with Patek Philippe and Audemars Piguet. At this level, although, you would query why that’s. With the introduction of the Cubitus and the questionable interview that adopted, Patek Philippe has misplaced fairly a little bit of sympathy. Audemars Piguet’s 12 months was additionally somewhat unexciting after the CEO change, other than the sensible [RE]Master02. This leaves room for Vacheron Constantin to take heart stage for the model’s 270th anniversary this 12 months. With the introduction of the Historiques 222 in gold virtually three years in the past, the model introduced again a much-beloved icon from its previous. We might like to see extra of the 222 on this upcoming 12 months.
We are able to additionally agree that the Abroad assortment has nice potential. It raises the query of whether or not the 222 and the Abroad can coexist. A few of you’ve already answered that query within the many feedback discussing Vacheron. If the 222 is the icon, the Abroad has the potential to turn out to be the model’s fashionable sports activities watch. Nice examples of that potential are the titanium Everest Chronograph and Twin Time Restricted Editions from 2021. These fashions are frequently mentioned within the Fratello places of work as two sensible fashionable high-end sports activities watches.
A plethora of nice fashions
And the listing of nice Vacheron Constantin watches doesn’t finish there. With the Historiques American 1921 and Cornes de Vache 1955, the model has extra historic greats in its assortment which have been praised by followers and critics alike. Moreover, the Traditionnelle assortment holds a few of the Vacheron’s most spectacular problems. If the Fiftysix may turn out to be the right entry-level line with a correct in-house motion and an important design with out astronomical worth will increase, we consider the model may conquer a lot floor. We might like to see Vacheron Constantin do properly and rejoice an important 270th anniversary.
4. Extra watches that redefine a class
Everyone knows that proof of horological wizardry is usually manifested by means of watches combining many problems. Doing so can result in extraordinary outcomes, such because the still-mind-blowing Code 11.59 By Audemars Piguet Extremely-Complication Universelle RD#4. However there’s something magical about reinventing what a watch model could possibly be. Final 12 months, we had been handled to a number of nice examples that present that completely. The standout for us was the sensible Singer Divetrack.
The model took the idea of a dive watch and developed a very new tackle it. The central thought is to trace all the dive journey somewhat than simply the dives. This is dropped at life by a chronograph that reveals the totally different diving phases Singer defines as Dive, Chill, and Fly. The watch tells you ways a lot time is important between the three actions. After diving, the human physique wants sufficient time to eradicate the gases it has absorbed. The watch tracks all the time earlier than you progress on to a different dive or journey to a unique vacation spot.
The AgenGraphe 24-hour Automated Chronograph motion brings the fascinating idea to life. It’s a correct high-horology motion consisting of 479 parts, and it appears mighty spectacular. The result’s a unanimously praised dive-journey chronograph that mixes the signature Singer model with a gorgeous motion. However the greater strategy of issues otherwise wowed us, which is why the Divetrack made it to a number of of our writers’ year-end lists. We love this revolutionary pondering and want to see extra of it from high-end manufacturers in 2025.
5. Extra collaborative efforts between big-name manufacturers and small impartial watchmakers
Our final want for 2025 is a bit outdoors the field. In 2023, Louis Vuitton and Akrivia teamed up for the LVRR-01 Chronographe À Sonnerie. Whereas that watch was predominantly a creation by Rexhep Rexhepi made doable by Louis Vuitton’s La Fabrique du Temps, it sparked the considered seeing extra manufacturers group up for some nice horological magic. In an ideal world, these collaborations could be based mostly on every model bringing one thing particular that defines them to the desk. We would find yourself with some superb horological efforts by bringing these features collectively. If these initiatives aren’t already within the works, 2025 is just too early to anticipate outcomes, in fact, however I’m positive you perceive our want.
For instance, how a few collaboration between Breguet and MB&F? Mix the standard watchmaking brilliance of Breguet with the fashionable design ideas of Max Büsser, and it would result in one thing particular. Or how a few collaboration between Grönefeld and A. Lange & Söhne? The Glashütte model may set the stage with a brilliantly designed watch based mostly on the geometrical ideas it makes use of for its designs and backed up by a shocking and technically mesmerizing motion developed by the 2 events. Or perhaps Singer may work with Blancpain on creating one other superb dive watch. We’re simply spitballing concepts right here. It’s all in regards to the doable artistic brilliance of collaborations like these. Do the talked about manufacturers want them? No, not essentially. However that’s irrelevant of desirous to see some stunning new creations that may blow us away.
Ultimate ideas on our high-end horological needs for 2025
There it’s — our listing of high-end horological needs for 2025. After all, we may have made this listing for much longer. However we need to flip the query over to you and listen to about your needs for 2025. What would you prefer to see from high-end manufacturers this 12 months? Or perhaps you’ve an important collaboration in thoughts that you’d like to see come to fruition. Tell us within the feedback part, and we’ll see you subsequent week for an additional listing!
