The Milestones

As with each year, 2025, too, proved that the art of watchmaking remains strong. With technical, material and design-led innovations paving the way, here are the timepieces that made a mark.

- by Digvijay

BVLGARI

Bvlgari launched the thinnest tourbillon watch, the Octo Finissimo Ultra Tourbillon, just 1.85 mm thick. Instead of having a separate movement plate, bridges, and caseback layered, Bvlgari used a single tungsten carbide main plate that doubled as the caseback. Tungsten carbide is a material that's strong and rigid even at very thin dimensions. The hour and minute displays are brought together in one dial, reducing extra parts.

Instead of a traditional crown extending out, there are two flat crowns on each side of the case: One for winding (at 8 o'clock) and one for setting time (at 3 o'clock), saving vertical space. It is powered by Calibre BVF 900, offering a 42-hour reserve.

ROLEX

Rolex introduced Dynapulse escapement this year with the Caliber 7135 powering the latest LandDweller, marking a significant advancement in mechanical watch technology. The dual escape wheel system incorporated with a silicon hairspring and escape wheels, and a ceramic balance staff, contribute to the escapement's durability and performance. Overall, the escapement is approximately 30 per cent more energy-efficient than the traditional Swiss lever escapement, offering a 66-hour power reserve, and a frequency of 5 Hz. Read about this in more detail on P. 100.

TAG HEUER

TAG Heuer developed the TH-Carbonspring, a groundbreaking carbon composite hairspring developed entirely in-house over nearly a decade. Produced using a Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) technique, where hydrocarbon gases are decomposed at temperatures between 600-850°C, this process cultivates carbon nanotubes on a silicon wafer, forming a dense, homogenous spiral structure. Read in detail on P. 47.