It feels like just yesterday that we welcomed the Year of the Blue Snake with the story of the Bulgari Serpenti, And yet we are already at the close of 2025. I am curious about what kind of year and what kind of watch life our loyal VIVER Magazine readers have enjoyed. In this edition, As we say farewell to 2025, We have selected five watches that set enthusiasts’ hearts ablaze this year. These are the timepieces that have left the most distinct fingerprints on the era of 2025.

Breguet
Classique Subscription 2025

Classique Subscription 2025
© Worn & Wound LLC

The Classique Subscription 2025, Presented to commemorate the 250th anniversary of Breguet’s founding, Was not created simply to showcase a beautiful watch. It carries significance in technology, Business, And philosophical messages. As its name suggests, The Subscription was a pre-order watch system devised by Abraham-Louis Breguet. Buyers would pay 25% of the watch price as a deposit to place an order, Which was a groundbreaking business model at the time. This allowed the company to secure stable operating funds. Additionally, The Subscription, Equipped only with a minute hand, Could be produced more quickly, Resulting in higher productivity. Of course, Since the concept of time back then was not as strict as today’s minute and second units, A single hand was sufficient for practical use.

Subscription 2025 and an actual Breguet pocket watch
© SWISSWATCHES MEDIA GMBH

The Classique Subscription 2025, Which reinterprets Breguet’s subscription-type watch as a wristwatch, Incorporates the single hand and its historical background. It is equipped with the modern hand-wound caliber VS00 and uses a new gold alloy called Breguet Gold for the case. The "Grand feu" enamel adds an even more special touch.

© Monochrome

For those encountering a single-hand watch for the first time, It may feel quite unfamiliar. Since you can only check the time roughly by the minute, It might feel a bit frustrating. However, If you understand the philosophical message of enjoying the flow of time at a relaxed pace, Which is the essence of time display, You will appreciate the true value of this watch.

Rolex
Land-Dweller

Land-Dweller Everose Gold, Steel, Platinum
© Rolex

As the third model following the existing “Dweller” series, The Sea-Dweller and Sky-Dweller, The Land-Dweller symbolizes a solid foundation on land and forward-looking innovation. Its design is a modern reinterpretation of the integrated bracelet watches from the late 1960s. The flat Jubilee bracelet and honeycomb-patterned dial are its most distinctive features.

Honeycomb dial and flat Jubilee bracelet / © Revolution

The main reason the Land-Dweller was chosen as one of the Best 5 Watches is the significant role played by the in-house self-winding Caliber 7135. Even for the renowned Rolex, A unique retro design alone would not be enough to be selected as one of the best watches.

Caliber 7135 / © Rolex

The significance of Caliber 7135 lies in its potential to usher in a new generation for the heart of mechanical watches. Currently, In Switzerland, Germany, Japan, And other countries that produce mechanical watches, The “escapement, ” which serves as the heart, Uses an industry-standard method called the “Swiss Lever.” There is no rule that requires the use of the Swiss Lever, But it is suitable for wristwatches because it is resistant to shocks and responds well to frequent position changes. The downside, To use a car analogy, Is that it is not very fuel-efficient.

© Rolex

The Dynapulse escapement of Caliber 7135 is far superior in power efficiency and requires less lubrication. With its high frequency of 5Hz, Like Caliber 7135, It also offers advantages in accuracy. Dynapulse evolved from the natural escapement structure devised by Breguet during his lifetime. At that time, It was difficult to adjust, So only a very small number were produced, But after attempts by various brands, It has evolved into Dynapulse, Raising expectations for a new era of watch “hearts.”

Dynapulse escapement / © Rolex

Audemars Piguet
Royal Oak RD#5

Royal Oak RD#5
© Hodinkee

The Royal Oak Extra-Thin Selfwinding Flying Tourbillon Chronograph (RD#5) is a tourbillon chronograph unveiled to commemorate the 150th anniversary of Audemars Piguet in 2025. It can be described as a watch that presents a structural revolution in the operation of chronographs. If the Rolex Land-Dweller is said to have the potential to change the “heart (escapement)” of mechanical watches, The RD#5 shows the possibility of fundamentally changing the “structure itself” of chronographs.

Caliber 8100 / © Audemars Piguet

There is a kind of standard grammar even for chronographs. While not as unified as the heart, The core operating part, The “clutch, ” generally adopts one of several representative structures. Simply put, The clutch is a connecting device that attaches and detaches the chronograph train to the time display train to operate the chronograph. Pressing the start button on the side of the case engages the clutch, And resetting releases the connection. The RD#5 attempts innovation precisely in this clutch structure.

How to operate the RD#5 and detailed movement mechanism
© Monochrome

By combining the traditional lever-and-spring structure with a rack and pinion mechanism, It elevates the operational feel and controllability to a higher level. Although technically complex, The result is much smoother operation, And especially when pressing the pusher, You can expect precise operation with much less force. It allows for more precise control of the chronograph, Almost like the “touch” familiar to the digital generation.

© Audemars Piguet

The technology introduced in RD#4 continues in the crown. With a separate pusher integrated into the crown, It demonstrates a level of technical prowess unimaginable in ordinary watches: in the default state, It operates in winding mode, And when you press the pusher integrated into the crown to switch modes, A red ring appears next to the crown to intuitively indicate that it has changed to time-setting mode.

© Monochrome

The RD#5 contains all these complications while maintaining the same size as the existing 39mm “Jumbo” model. It achieves ultra-lightweight with a titanium case and bracelet, And the dial features the signature petite tapisserie guilloché stamping of the “Jumbo” model. The bezel is made of bulk metallic glass alloy, Offering a unique texture different from the usual vertical brushing finish of the Royal Oak.

Bulgari
Octo Finissimo Ultra Tourbillon

Octo Finissimo Ultra Tourbillon / © Bulgari

The saying “records are made to be broken” in the world of sports also holds true in the watch industry.
With a case thickness of 1.85mm, This is the thinnest hand-wound tourbillon watch.

The astonishing thinness of the Octo Finissimo Ultra Tourbillon
© Time + Tide

Bulgari’s progress in the ultra-thin genre is not a recent story. After fierce competition in the time-only hand-wound segment with a case thickness of 1.70mm, Bulgari reclaimed the champion’s title from Piaget and Richard Mille, And holds several other records in different functions.

Tourbillon positioned at 4 o’clock / © Watches by SJX

Bulgari excels at arranging components horizontally to achieve thinness. While this approach has become common in ultra-thin watches since the 2000s, Bulgari takes it to the extreme. Even the crown is mounted horizontally, With one on each side of the case (separating winding and time setting).

Two crowns on the left and right / © Time + Tide

Traditional roles of components have also been broken down. The caseback doubles as the movement plate, And the area traditionally called the dial is filled with hour, Minute, And second hands, Mainspring barrel, And gears. With no boundaries between component roles, Materials like tungsten carbide are used to enhance strength, And every part has been slimmed down to the utmost, Like a boxer squeezing out every last drop of sweat before a weigh-in. As a result, A mechanical watch just slightly thicker than two credit cards now operates on the wrist, Presenting a truly astonishing sight.

© A Blog to Watch

Cartier
Tank à Guichet

Four Tank à Guichet models from the 2025 Cartier Privé Collection
© Cartier

The Tank à Guichet, Part of the Tank watch family born in 1928, Was produced in limited quantities for select VIPs in the 1930s and is famous for being worn by jazz musician Duke Ellington. Revived in the Privé Collection, The new Tank à Guichet features a bold design that displays jumping hours and dragging minutes via digital discs through two “guichet” (windows). While the Patek Philippe Calatrava Ref. 6196P and Chopard L.U.C Qualité Fleurier 20th Anniversary Edition were also strong contenders for the best [simple watch], The even more minimal and striking Tank à Guichet won my heart.

Tank à Guichet Rose Gold Ref. WGTA0235
© Oracle Time 2025 Opulent Media Ltd.

Even within the Tank family, Which includes distinctive models like the curved-case Tank Cintrée and the reversible-case Tank Basculante, The Tank à Guichet stands out in particular.

© Time-Telling Magazine

The design, With the entire front covered by a metal plate except for the small windows, Directly evokes the image of a military tank and, At the same time, Minimizes the exposed glass area for practical durability. As a result, The Tank à Guichet achieves both simplicity and individuality, Proving itself as a worthy representative of simple watches in 2025.

2025 was a special year where innovation and tradition coexisted. The infinite possibilities of mechanical watches are once again felt. From Breguet’s philosophical message to Bulgari’s record-breaking achievements and Audemars Piguet’s chronograph technology revolution, These are witnesses that will engrave the fingerprints of horology and the era. We look forward to continued innovation in 2026.

Adieu 2025. We hope to continue sharing special moments on your wrist with VIVER Magazine readers in the new year.