Sameera Gamage 
This year promises to captivate horological enthusiasts around the globe as we look forward to celebrating the timeless legacy of watchmaking with milestones of innovation, craftmanship and history.
2025 is set to be a major year for the world of horology. Firstly, we have the watch fairs coming back this year to be bigger and better in showing us groundbreaking releases, providing the opportunity to network with key industry professionals and to be able to immerse oneself in the artistry of fine watchmaking!
Related Reading: Looking Forward to 2025: Major Watch Events in the Horology Calendar
The year is also full of milestones, marking the anniversaries of some of the most iconic timepeices and brands in watchmaking. From timepieces that changed the course of watchmaking altogether to legendary maisons reaching incredible historic milestones, the year 2025 is promising to be one of the best yet, with anniversary releases, limited edition models and special events all on the agenda.
These anniversaries not only celebrate the past, but will also set the stage for the future of watchmaking, as the brands celebrate not only their historic legacies but also the iconic timepeices, while also pushing the boundaries of innovation. In this article, we take a look at the most anticipated watch anniversaries of 2025, their historical significance, and what collectors can expect from these landmark celebrations!
A.Lange & Sohne’s 180th Anniversary
A.Lange & Sohne was founded in 1845, marking their 180th anniversary this year. The brand was built on a reputation of creating timepeices with exceptional craftmanship and high precision. I expect A.Lange & Sohne to commemorate this momentous occasion with limited edition timepeices reflecting the brand’s rich heritage alongside it’s mechanical excellence. Possible collections that A.Lange & Sohne will look to use as the base for the celebratory timepieces are the iconic Lange 1 and Datograph models!
Audemars Piguet’s 150th Anniversary
Audemars Piguet marks their 150th anniversary this year, with the brand being established in 1875. Audemars Piguet has remained an independent, family-owned brand since the beginning, and have pushed countless boundaries.
As we know quite well, their most iconic line is the Royal Oak, and its derivatives. When the Royal Oak was introduced, the world of Horology and the luxury sports watches sector was revolutionised. I can certainly see Audemars Piguet creating Royal Oak timepeices to celebrate the brand’s 150th anniversary, alongside their newest collection the Code 11.59. With the rose gold Skeleton Royal Oak being discontinued recently, perhaps it is making way for a newer model this year as well?
Blancpain’s 290th Anniversary
Blancpain is arguably the oldest watch brand in the world, with their legacy dating back to 1735. Blancpain has been at the forefront of mechanical and horological excellence for centuries. The brand is well known for it’s Fifty Fathoms collection, which is the first true dive watch, alongside the many intricate mechanical innovations that can be seen throughout the brand’s other various collections.
As part of the brand’s 290th anniversary celebrations, Blancpain can introduce special-edition models in the Fifty-Fathoms collection, their most iconic line. Another possible release is timepeices that highlight Blancpain’s commitment to traditional watchmaking, which means exquisite hand-finished complications, reaffirming the brand’s position as a leader in haute horology.
Breguet’s 250th Anniversary
Founded in 1775 by Abraham-Louis Breguet, the brand has been a pioneer in innovating and driving the watch industry into new territory. The 250th anniversary for the brand is expected to be an incredible celebration, and I’m personally very excited to see what they come up with here.
I can see the brand diving into creating horological masterpieces, showcasing the brands heritage, and their mastery of complications and classic elegant designs. We may also see limited-edition models of the brands iconic collections, such as the Classique and Marine lines. Regardless of what is on the agenda, one thing is for sure: the brand will undoubtedly create horological timepieces that will be sure to leave us in awe!
Girard-Perreguax’s Laureato Collection’s 50th Anniversary
Unveiled in 1975, the Laureato has become an iconic line for Girard-Perregaux. The Laureato collection has balanced the art of combining sporty elegance with fine craftsmanship. The current collection features a mixture of chronographs, skeleton dials and simple three-handers in various colours and material finishes. Expect Girard-Perregaux to go all out for the 50th Anniversary, creating models with exquisite materials, such as carbon fibre, once again? Or perhaps a new colour ceramic model, such as green or blue? Now, wouldn’t that be something?
Grand Seiko’s 65th Anniversary
Grand Seiko was first founded in 1960 as a sub-brand of Seiko. Seiko created the brand to produce timepeices that would reflect the brand’s craftsmanship and heritage, but on a much higher-end and luxury scale, to compete with the likes of Swiss watchmakers. Since then, Grand Seiko has become synonymous with producing high-precision and meticulously crafted watches.
For the brand’s 65th anniversary, we can possibly expect to see special and limited edition models that feature unique dials and textures, which the brand is well known for. On the mechanical side of things, we could see advancements in their spring-drive and Hi-beat movement technologies, but honestly, I’d expect something substantial like this to happen on their 70th anniversary!
Hublot’s Big Bang 20th Anniversary
Hublot first unveiled their Big Bang collection in 2005, marking this year as the 20th anniversary. Since it’s introduction, the Big Bang collection has turned into the brand’s flagship line, with many variations also being created such as the Big Bang Unico and Big Bang Complications.
If Hublot’s past creations for Big Bang are anything to go by, expect to see some truly incredible masterpieces in horology being unveiled this year, from Big Bang Unico models to high-complications like the MP-11. The brand has mastered the “Art of Fusion”, so look forward to seeing some possible innovations with new materials, or at the very least, new colourways for the sapphire and ceramic materials!
IWC Schaffhausen’s Da Vinci Perpetual Calendar Chronograph 40th Anniversary
Launched in 1985, the Da Vinci Perpetual Calendar Chronograph showed IWC Schaffhausen’s technical capability in haute horology. The Da Vinci Perpetual Calendar Chronograph was designed by the iconic inventor Kurt Klaus. It was created during the height of the Quartz crisis when many other Swiss brands were closing shop or having to deviate from mechanical watchmaking, showcasing IWC Schaffhausen’s bravery in pushing through adversity.
At the time of release, the Da Vinci Perpetual Calendar Chronograph had displays for the date, day, month, moon phase, and year that were all perfectly synchronized, so even if unworn for a time, they could all be reset together via the crown. A four-digit year display and a moon phase requiring only a one-day correction after 122 years were unprecedented, making this a truly innovative perpetual calendar timepiece. So to commemorate the 40th anniversary of this historic timepiece, expect IWC Schaffhausen to create a timepiece with the original design or modernized editions maintaining its distinctive aesthetic and mechanical sophistication!
MB&F 20th Anniversary
When MB&F first stepped into to the watchmaking arena in 2005, it set the world of horology alight with it’s incredibly sophisticated creations. MB&F has redefined independent watchmaking with its artistic and futuristic designs.
For the 20th anniversary celebrations, MB&F has already released a new timepiece to commemorate this special occasion. The Legacy Machine Perpetual Calendar Longhorn offers a unique take on the brand’s existing Perpetual Calendar model, with a redesigned case to feature a new lug design (longhorn) to better fit the wrist, while also having a new look dial with black and blue colour combo!
The year has only just started, and MB&F is already off to a flying start. Expect to see more exciting releases, and hope that one of them is a new horological machine!
OMEGA Celebrates 55th Anniversary of Apollo 13 Mission
The OMEGA Speedmaster is one of the most iconic watches in the world of horology, most famously known for its crucial role in the Apollo 13 mission in 1970. Following a disastrous explosion of an oxygen tank on the Apollo 13 spacecraft, the crew faced many challenging tasks to safely get the spacecraft back to Earth, all the while running on minimum power. One of these challenges included manually firing an engineer to correctly align the damaged aircraft for re-entry in to Earth’s atmosphere.
Luckily, the Apollo 13 crew were wearing Speedmaster timepieces. They were able to successfully time a 14-second burn, which allowed them to arrive safely on Earth. NASA gave OMEGA a Silver Snoopy Award for their efforts in the safe return of the Astronauts on the Apollo 13 mission.
2025 marks the 55th anniversary of the Apollo 13 landing, alongside OMEGA receiving the Silver Snoopy Award. Omega may release a commemorative timepiece honouring this occasion, which will likely feature Snoopy alongside space-inspired engravings and aesthetics.
Omega & James Bond Franchise 30-Year Partnership
OMEGA is also celebrating its 30-year anniversary with the James Bond franchise this year. OMEGA’s first role in a James Bond film began in 1995, when during the film “GoldenEye” 007 was seen wearing a Seamaster. With James Bond being a Royal Naval Reserve Commander, the Seamaster seemed the perfect choice in wristwear and has since cemented its place as the 007’s timepiece.
For the 30th Anniversary, we expect to see a commemorative timepiece from OMEGA. The brand already has two 007 Seamaster 300M alongside two James Bond 60th anniversary edition timepeices in their lineup. For the 30th anniversary of the Seamaster x Bond partnership, we can hopefully see a new coloured dial being released at the minimum!
Rolex 120th Anniversary
This is a big anniversary in the world of watchmaking. One that many watch enthusiasts are watching very closely. In my opinion, Rolex’s releases during Watches & Wonders in 2024 was quite underwhelming, and one would be inclined to think that maybe they were holding out for their 120th anniversary celebrations this year.
It’s as good a time as any for Rolex to release some new timepeices during Watches & Wonders 2025 and not just simple colour changes. Possibly new collections or revamp existing ones with fresh, new, contemporary looks. Regardless of what is unveiled, we know that this is going to be a big year for the brand, with some of its collections celebrating their own anniversary!
Rolex GMT Master 70th Anniversary
With Rolex turning 120 years old this year, the brand’s beloved GMT Master turns 70 as well! First introduced in 1955, the GMT-Master was designed for Pan Am pilots who were navigating transcontinental flights. The GMT Master would allow the pilots to keep track of local time and time back home. Over the decades, the GMT-Master evolved into an icon of dual-timezone watches, with its distinctive two-tone bezel becoming instantly recognizable.
For its 70th anniversary, Rolex might unveil new interpretations of the model, possibly exploring bold colour combinations or upgraded movements with enhanced precision.
Rolex Datejust 80th Anniversary
Another Rolex timepiece that’s celebrating an Anniversary this year is the Datejust. The Datejust was launched in 1945 to celebrate Rolex’s 40th anniversary. This innovative timepiece was the first self-winding chronometer to feature an automatically changing date window, setting a new standard of watchmaking.
Over the past 80 years, the Datejust has remained a symbol of elegance and luxury. For its 80th anniversary celebrations, I would expect Rolex to keep the essence of the design intact, with possible dial colour and design variations, along with potential new materials and two-tone combinations.
TAG Heuer 160th Anniversary
Since its founding in 1865, TAG Heuer has been at the forefront of precision timekeeping and motorsport-inspired design. TAG Heuer key collections like the Carrera, Monaco and Aquaracer have become iconic in horology, with each line having it’s own unique and innovative story.
For the brand’s historic 160th anniversary celebrations, expect it to create special and limited edition models around it’s key collections, alongside releasing unique pieces like the tourbillon in possible new variations involving materials and dial changes! With the Carrera being one of my favourite collections from TAG Heuer, I’m excited to see how this year will unfold!
Vacheron Constantin 270th Anniversary
Vacheron Constantin is the oldest watch brand in the world that has been continuously operated throughout it’s lifetime. 2025 marks a special occasion, as this is the year the brand celebrates its incredible 270th anniversary. Well known for its refined craftmanship and horological mastery, Vacheron Constantin has over the years released groundbreaking complications that include perpetual calendars, minute repeaters and grand complications.
For the brand’s momentous 270th anniversary, we can possibly see them release multiple limited editions that showcase its vast history and experience, such as updates to the Traditionnelle, Patrimony and Overseas collections. The brand has already started the 270th celebrations with the release of the Hisotrique 222, a contemporary reissue of a historic 1970s model!
Zenith 160th Anniversary
Zenith was founded in 1865, and since then, the brand has been a leader in innovating the world of horology. The brand is most famously known for it’s El Primero movement, which the likes of Rolex even used in their timepeices (Daytona) during the 1980s. Since the first introduction of the El Primero movement, it has grown into a remarkable movement capable of incredibly accurate measurements (1/10th and 1/100th of a second measurements) of time that very few brands have achieved consistently.
For the brand’s 160th anniversary, they will more than likely tap into their history to look back at iconic timepeices and movements to revamp into limited editions. Expect the brand to honour its legacy with special editions of its flagship collections, such as the Chronomaster and especially the Defy collection, which has picked up popularity over the last few years.
With so many anniversaries being celebrated this year, 2025 will unquestionably be an incredible year that will reward watch enthusiasts with special editions, reissues and innovative interpretations of legendary timepeices. The releases of 2025 promise to ensure another memorable chapter in the timeless art of horology is in the works!
