LVMH Watch Week 2025 Recap

Zach Blass

Editor’s observe: The video beneath was made once I received again to my NYC studio proper after the extraordinary 2-day LVMH Watch Week 2025 exhibition concluded – which form of begs the query of why it’s known as a watch ‘week’. However we don’t have time to dissect that and as an alternative ought to concentrate on highlights from every of the collaborating manufacturers and a few fascinating insights from my dialog with their CEOs. So, let’s dive proper into it.

Zenith

Zenith is celebrating its a hundred and sixtieth anniversary this yr, so the model might have elected to order its extra elaborate novelties (for lack of a greater phrase) for Watches and Wonders. For LVMH Watch Week, the model debuted three new references. Two had been new Defy Skyline Chronograph Skeleton watches that create continuity throughout the Skyline vary – bringing a extra symmetrical dateless aesthetic to the Skyline Chronograph. The third, which definitely made a visible splash amongst the group’s releases of the week, is a brand new Chronomaster Sport Rainbow: the first-ever Chronomaster Sport to have a white gold case and bracelet. The watch, priced at US$112,100 and restricted to 50 pcs per yr, is ready with 5.36 carats of gems throughout the bezel and dial – a rainbow mixture of sapphires with diamonds integrated into the bezel to supply a way of the 1/tenth of second timing scale.

Whereas I used to be very happy to see and maintain these new watches, a spotlight of the assembly for me was Zenith CEO Benoit de Clerck’s elaboration on the just lately revealed growth of Zenith’s motion manufacturing – and the seeds of this growth are already blooming. Although that they had deliberate to do that regardless, Zenith is trying to refine the El Primero motion additional, decreasing the variety of parts and the period of time required for meeting. This may permit extra actions to be produced and the opposite LVMH watch manufacturers to have a neater time utilising the motion in their very own efforts.

Bulgari

It is a good segue into the largest information out of Bulgari this week: the model’s new pint-sized BVS100 Girl Solotempo computerized motion, exhibited in new Serpentis. Sooner or later, Zenith can be tasked with industrializing it to be used throughout the LVMH household. Extremely, regardless of its dimension, 19mm broad and three.9mm thick, the automated motion has a 50-hour energy reserve, has a full steadiness bridge to withstand shocks, and doesn’t enhance the thickness or total dimension of the Serpenti watches in comparison with their quartz equivalents (which can stay within the catalogue as effectively). The motion has been rolled out in a spread of varied Serpenti fashions in numerous metals and, based on Bulgari CEO Jean-Christophe Babin, was created to fill a niche in its day by day watches for ladies and add a layer of authenticity for the Serpenti as a watch that can also be accessible with true mechanical watchmaking – bolstering the model’s notion as a real watchmaker throughout its total catalogue.

Hublot

Talking of mechanical elevation… Hublot, amongst a brand new colored ceramic trio of Spirit of Massive Bang watches and a inexperienced Saxem Massive Bang Tourbillon, actually headlined LVMH Watch Week with a contemporary tackle the Massive Bang Meca-10 which debuted a brand new HUB1205 10-day hand-wound motion that permits for a smaller 42mm case. You have got titanium, carbon, and King Gold, however for me, whereas the extra compact case may be very cool, I’m equally excited by the incorporation of hand-finishing on the calibre with out a rise within the retail worth of the watch – which begins at US$23,000 in titanium.

In talking with Julien Tornare, CEO of Hublot, once I raised my shock on the introduction of hand-finished bridges and not using a worth enhance, his response was that he was comfy, the place potential, in reducing the model’s margins to raise high quality even additional – a burden the model is keen to bear within the title of elevating Hublot high quality and market proposition to even larger heights. In keeping with Tornare, this ingredient of hand-finishing is not going to be essentially present in each watch, however it is going to be discovered in additional watches down the road.

He additionally made it clear that, although there is no such thing as a formal timeline, presumably throughout the subsequent two years, he plans to transition {the catalogue}, whether or not in-house or externally sourced, to solely premium actions. This implies, regardless of being a finest vendor from the model, that we will count on the Sellita-based Basic Fusion to be probably phased out. We’ve got already seen actions just like the Zenith El Primero leveraged by Hublot in its Spirit of Massive Bang. Will probably be fascinating to see what calibres Hublot will hunt down, whether or not from Zenith or past. However once more, the Meca-10 is emblematic of Hublot’s power as an in-house motion maker.

TAG Heuer

TAG Heuer launched new fashions throughout numerous collections, with a brand new purple duo of Carrera Chronograph watches (one chronograph and one chronograph tourbillon), new Carrera Chronograph watches with diamond-set bezels, a brand new set of smaller Carrera Date 36 watches, and a brand new pair of ChronoSprint items with TAG Heuer’s distinct variable-pace chronograph complication that pays homage to Porsche historical past. Nonetheless, the marquee novelty must be the brand new Method 1 Chronograph vary that comes off the heels of LVMH securing its F1 partnership with TAG Heuer because the official timekeeper.

The watches, whereas well timed, had been developed earlier than the cementing of the F1 partnership, and are extra so a pursuit that stems from – based on newly-appointed TAG Heuer CEO Antoine Pin – the model’s core mission: delivering timepieces which might be synonymous with counting time, or elapsed time which after all the world of chronographs and motorsports.

The gathering, comprised of three watches and one particular Purple Bull Racing version, finds itself in a brand new 200-metre water resistant 44mm titanium case that’s solely 47mm lug-to-lug due to its redesigned built-in case type. A notable ingredient that each the amassing group and the press had been fast to level out was that all of them have a closed caseback and use the Calibre 16, a motion primarily based upon the historic ETA 7750. It is a component those that favor absolutely in-house calibres might not love, however Antoine Pin defined this was a calculated transfer to maintain the value of those chronographs down – the gathering beginning at a worth of CHF 4,600 in comparison with say, an in-house calibre-driven Carrera Chronograph Purple, which is priced at CHF 6,500. The ETA-derived calibre additionally explains the closed caseback, which Pin famous retains the watch thinner and less expensive for the buyer. He additionally believes exhibition casebacks are finest reserved for the model’s in-house actions.

With regards to F1 and accessibility, I raised the purpose that, with TAG Heuer’s imminent enhance in visibility throughout the sport, the OG Method 1 – which we noticed final revived in collaboration with streetwear model Kith – can be a superb platform to create a extra accessibly priced look ahead to F1 followers to take pleasure in. Because the Kith collab, we’ve had no formal phrase if this was a one-time factor or if the revival would enter the common catalogue. With a smile, Pin cheekily remarked we’re solely 20 or so days into the brand new yr, and that his comment is probably telling of the reply to my query. So, I’d say preserve your eyes peeled for developments on that entrance. It will appear the revival was not a one-and-done affair…

L’Epee

Earlier than diving into the Louis Vuitton facet of the equation, which additionally consists of Daniel Roth and Gerald Genta, Tiffany & Co. and L’Epee made their first-ever LVMH Watch Week debuts. It was nice to get extra intimate with L’Epee’s sculptural kinetic timekeeping objects, higher perceive its uninterrupted historical past since 1839, and the way its CEO Arnauld Nicolas believes the acquisition of the model by LVMH final yr has not made them any much less impartial – fairly the alternative. As a model actually in its personal lane with little to no competitors, it seems LVMH seeks to solely assist L’Epee’s inventive freedom. Its sole novelty this week was a brand new high-end absolutely mechanical watch field fabricated from clear acrylic glass, which, upon urgent down on the lid, opens it and is derived the watch cushion as much as current your timepiece to you. Closing the field winds the mechanism again up so that when you press the lid all the way down to open it once more the mechanism as soon as once more prompts. It has a worth of US$12,000, which I believe most of you studying this would favor to order to your subsequent watch buy. Nonetheless, for mega-collectors, it is a very deluxe presentation field to retailer your watch in.

Tiffany & Co.

I’ve to admit, I assumed I’d not be tremendous fascinated by Tiffany & Co’s watch creations, however throughout my go to, my perspective utterly modified. Because the ‘King of Diamonds’, holding these numerous watches – which admittedly skew extra in direction of being inventive and high-end jewelry – was marvellous. The model’s distinct perspective and mastery of diamonds results in intriguing particulars corresponding to watch crowns which might be formed and set in the identical method you’ll see a diamond earring. Plus, to be honest, the model has dabbled in excessive complication with items just like the Hen on a Flying Tourbillon, a excessive horology evolution of its famed chicken on a rock motif, that’s pushed by a 60-hour flying tourbillon motion developed with Artime that has diamond-set bridges. I had by no means seen that earlier than. Belief me, it’s insane in particular person.

Tiffany & Co. as a watchmaker I feel is a bit misunderstood: its retail partnership with Patek Philippe usually overshadows the actual fact Tiffany opened its personal manufacture in 1874 and has lengthy produced high quality watches by itself all through its historical past. It’s clear the model may be very comfy enjoying on the excessive finish, however I hope to see proportionally extra accessible creations down the road. I additionally imagine the model is an ideal candidate to discover Bulgari’s new Girl Solotempo motion as soon as industrialized and manufactured for the group at massive by Zenith.

Louis Vuitton

Okay, onto Louis Vuitton. The important thing throughline for the model’s watch debuts was the introduction of a brand new Tambour Taiko case form – named after the big drums utilized in Japan for ceremonial events. This new case form nonetheless retains signatures of the Tambour profile seen within the lineup of recent bracelet watches however has been refined to be slimmer, together with a brand new lug design that requires hand-finishing on their reverse facet, and a domed caseback that decreases perceived thickness and will increase ergonomics and luxury on the wrist.

The brand new 37mm Tambour Taiko case is used throughout the new Convergence vary, a good-looking watch that introduces the visible curiosity of a dragging digital hours and minutes show. As a result of the show doesn’t soar, and as an alternative easily drags, the watch has a much less static feeling show and the aperture will be bigger relatively than merely framing the present hour or minutes. On the rose gold mannequin, the case is completely mirror polished to the purpose you cannot solely verify the time shortly but additionally verify your hair or make-up – it truly is a mirror on the wrist. In platinum, nevertheless, this mirrored actual property is changed with a full diamond setting that’s comprised of seven completely different stone sizes and requires 32 hours of meticulous work to finish for every watch. Each are pushed by the primary absolutely in-house calibre, the 45-hour computerized LFR MA01.01, which is flaunted to reveal its tremendous ending on each casebacks.

In 39.5mm and 42.5mm iterations of the brand new Tambour Taiko case, the subsequent technology of its Spin Time assortment, six watches in complete, had been launched – the throughline being a definite dolphin blue color scheme all through the entire watches. The bigger 4 42.5mm Time Spin Air watches have the excellence of being clear and diversified in complication, corresponding to a world timer and tourbillon, however for the 2 39.5mm variants, that are each time-only and outfitted with a closed caseback, the pair does have the benefit of being extra water resistant with the next depth score of 100 metres. There may be a lot to discover inside this new vary, so keep tuned for a devoted video down the observe.

Gerald Genta

Gérald Genta’s Gentissima Oursin Fireplace Opal is just not one thing I felt I’d initially discover essentially the most fascinating, however, once more, in hand, it was one of many watches that caught my curiosity essentially the most in the course of the honest. That is undoubtedly a “however look nearer” watch by which you uncover particulars like a sapphire crystal that’s faceted on its underside to create reflective traces on the orange carnelian dial that create the phantasm of a three-dimensional floor whereas additionally conserving the 36.5mm watch skinny beneath 10mm thick. Its 9.64mm case thickness may also be attributed to its utilization of the Zenith Elite motion, which is barely 3.65mm thick. The factor that basically blew me away, nevertheless, is that regardless of the entire artisan mastery throughout the group, it was stated that just one particular person within the enterprise is able to setting the 137 hearth opal gems onto the 3N gold case and that the entire others who had tried accomplish that had been unable to finish this meticulous operation. Wanting on the watch, I’d like to see this piece on the wrist of somebody like Jeff Goldblum on the subsequent Met Gala – it will go well with him so effectively. And I wouldn’t thoughts taking it for a spin myself.

Daniel Roth

Final however definitely not least, Daniel Roth revealed its subsequent subscription sequence restricted to twenty yellow gold items. The brand new Daniel Roth Souscription Additional Plat watch is dimensionally an identical to the unique time-only Daniel Roth it was impressed by, however utilises a model new in-house DR002 motion developed by La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton. Measuring 35.5mm broad, 38.6mm in size, and seven.7mm thick, the case is made the old school approach – with every lug a separate part that’s soldered by hand one after the other to the case center. The dial can also be fabricated in a really conventional approach, comprised of a base and chapter ring fabricated from strong gold. Each parts are turned in-house, and every dial requires 10 hours of labor to create utilizing engines and machines that date again to 1850. Whereas trustworthy, it’s a disgrace the brand new 70-hour DR002 motion is hidden beneath a strong caseback as its perlage, bevelling, and striping decorations are carried out to a really excessive normal befitting of the model. Although this yellow gold piece is restricted, the model has acknowledged that an Additional Plat mannequin will comply with it to hitch the Daniel Roth catalogue. Of all of the items launched, this will surely be the connoisseur’s novelty of selection.

LVMH Watch Week 2025: remaining ideas

General, whereas I gained’t say each single novelty of the honest was essentially showstopping, the one greatest key takeaway of the honest was positively the way forward for the LVMH Watch Division, its synergy, cohesiveness, and in-group collaboration, which can finally serve to uplift all of its watchmaking and permit every model to provide its finest work. Most CEOs I met with all in some type or one other talked about the thought of honing in on what they do finest, not making an attempt to do every thing – relatively the correct issues for his or her manufacturers. It’s already a robust bunch of watchmakers, and all indicators are pointing that the group will solely get higher and higher. And that is solely a style of what’s to come back, with Watches and Wonders just a few months away.