True Selves

The brands that took part in Watches & Wonders 2025 show that there is much to offer by first looking into the rearview mirror.

- Words: Alvin Wong

BLOWING OUT BIRTHDAY candles does inspire a moment of reflection. Vacheron Constantin, the grand old dame of Swiss watchmaking, celebrates its 270th anniversary this year, reinforcing its status as the world’s oldest continually operating watch manufacture. Zenith, another storied maison and pioneer of lightning-fast chronograph movements, marks its 165th milestone.

Naturally, both houses were in celebratory spirits at Watches & Wonders 2025. Ahead of the fair, Vacheron Constantin unveiled the Historiques 222—a striking stainless steel timepiece that reinterprets a vintage model from 1977, evoking an era when the notion of the luxury sports watch was still taking shape. Zenith, meanwhile, introduced the G.F.J, an elegant platinum dress watch driven by a re-engineered version of the Calibre 135, a movement that earned the brand numerous chronometry awards in the 1950s.

By highlighting their enduring contributions to modern horology, Vacheron Constantin and Zenith affirmed their stature with a quiet confidence that few can match. In doing so, they remind the world that with age comes wisdom, an unshakeable sense of identity, and a wealth of icons from which to draw inspiration.