Did you know we are exactly halfway through this decade? June 2025. I realized this the other night and immediately convened an emergency Watch Illuminati session to hash out the very best timepieces of the 2020s thus far.
What was so exciting about putting this together was seeing how many watches deserved recognition. There are so many great releases and just as many exciting new brands. The best watches of the decade represent the dominant trends so far: the embrace of wacky design, the exploding independent scene, and a number of compelling entry points into the hobby.
To sort through this decade’s new releases, I conducted a draft alongside a quartet of experts: Bilal Khan, editor-in-chief at Teddy Baldassarre; Perri Dash and Rashawn Smith, hosts of the Wrist Check Pod; and super collector Drew Coblitz. We went five rounds, in which each of us had to select one watch from the following categories: Affordable (under $6,500), Splurge (above $100,000), Collaboration, Independent, and Wild Card (no parameters).
I’m thrilled with the results of the draft, which feel representative of the decade in watchmaking so far.
1. F.P. Journe Chronomètre Furtif (2025) — Coblitz’s Wild Card
Coblitz: I love this watch because unlike many recent hyped releases it is almost purely for the person wearing it, rather than a signal to other people. It’s the anti-flex watch among all these pieces that stand out at collector get-togethers or pieces from independents that everyone covets. I’m a big fan of alternative materials, and it’s one of the only watches to use the virtually scratch-proof tungsten carbide. It’s such a difficult material to work with, and the fact that they were able to do both the watch and the bracelet is incredibly impressive.
And then to round it out the the complications—the moon phase and power reserve—are housed in the back. So it really is something just the wearer gets to enjoy. And it’s housed in this gorgeous gold movement. I love it because of the contrast against the case—there’s a lot of romance involved in it.
2. Urwerk 102 Reloaded (2023) — Dash’s Wild Card
Dash: It is a reintroduction to the original Urwerk. I really love Urwerk, it’s one of my favorite brands. It’s definitely not a watch that you see all over the place, even in the industry. When people come across this watch, it evokes an emotion and a love and a passion for independent watchmaking.
It’s the watch in their catalog that’s still kind of shaped like a watch, but it still goes with their love of retro [aesthetics] and time displays.
3. Chopard L.U.C 1860 (2023) — Khan’s Wild Card
Wolf: I was really hoping to get this watch in the second round.
Khan: The reason I picked it is that I think one reality of watchmaking in a post-2020 world is the influence of the neo-vintage era. And early L.U.C is probably one of the best examples of how, in the era before social media and the internet, a brand would put all their money into having Michel Parmigiani make one of the best movements of all time [or having] the same dialmaker as Philippe Dufour. It’s a 36.6-mm dress watch that they improved by taking out the date window. It’s a timeless kind of design. Chopard really captured the neo-vintage appeal in a way that is just so fresh for this decade.
Wolf: I think it’s the most gorgeous watch of the decade.
4. Berneron Mirage (2023) — Wolf’s Independent
Wolf: Sylvain Berneron is doing something so unique and different with his brand and this watch. I think the brand is destined for big things, and the Mirage is just so distinct from what’s out there. It’s such a pretty watch. If I had to pick, I would choose the lapis dial that came out last year.
Khan: It’s one of the great asymmetrical watches of our time, and it’s not a rehash of something previously existing.
Wolf: And when the Mirage came out, shaped watches were already buzzing slightly, but I think this watch pushed the trend to the next level.
5. Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Monoface Small Seconds (2025) — Smith’s Wild Card
Smith: This is my absolute favorite watch release of this year—andeven over the past five years. JLC has been in their bag and has definitely been overlooked for a long time. It was genius for the brand to come up with this watch at this time, as we’re getting new enthusiasts and people have a new appetite for watches. This is a watch that is multi-purpose: you can dress it up, dress it down. I think it’s a bigger flex if you’re in jeans and a T-shirt and then you’ve got this solid rose-gold JLC on.
6. Nomos Club Sport Neomatik Worldtimer Jungle (2025) — Smith’s Affordable
Smith: There are so many good watches [in this category]. This watch is even under $5,000, which is crazy to be able to get a timepiece like this that wears really well and has some funky colors. [The fact that it comes] from a German brand starts another conversation to get people into watchmaking again. [Most] people only know Swiss watchmakers, and now you’re opening up the conversation of German brands and everyone else playing the game. Nomos is respected by true enthusiasts, but not known among people who [aren’t] collecting watches. And I think this watch will inspire people to look deeper into other brands.
Dash: I love that choice, too, because I think we’ve seen over the last few years different companies get really creative in terms of what they’re able to deliver to collectors and enthusiasts for under $6,500. And this is one of those pieces where for under $5,000, you can have a world timer, so it’s a luxury timepiece but still accessible.
Wolf: Nomos over the last two years has walked away from Watches and Wonders as one of the biggest talking points from the fair.
7. Omega x Swatch MoonSwatch (2022) — Wolf’s Collab
Wolf: I’m going to pick what I think is the collab of not just this decade, but the century, in the Omega and Swatch MoonSwatch. They’ve been pumping different variations out for three years and people still want them, people still buy them. It’s a collaboration that got so many people interested in watches and asking questions about what they put on their wrists. And people who started with a MoonSwatch, I think a lot of them have graduated to luxury timepieces. And a lot of people who already had luxury timepieces went and got their favorite MoonSwatch. It’s a really fun collaboration, and something that has been really meaningful to the industry.
8. Tudor Black Bay 58 GMT (2024) — Khan’s Affordable
Khan: In the affordable category, I was going to pick the Nomos, and the MoonSwatch was my first backup, so I gotta go to number three. This watch is probably the best value to recommend to someone who’s looking to buy a watch under $6,000. When it comes to the versatility of the size, the brand heritage, the aesthetics, the functionality, it’s hard to get more watch for that much money. I think it’s kind of a no-brainer, and it’s shocking that it’s new to this decade, because it’s a watch that you’d think has been around forever, because you see it and think, obviously, That’s a Tudor.
9. Christopher Ward C1 Bel Canto (2022) — Dash’s Affordable
Dash: So you are going to see a theme here with my selections, at least in terms of a shared spirit within the aesthetics. But I selected the Bel Canto for the same reason I appreciate the Nomos World Time. I’m continuing on the theme of delivering amazing experiences that are usually cost-prohibitive for most clients to have. A chiming watch, whether it’s a minute repeater or an hour-chiming timepiece like this one, was typically reserved for watches somewhere around $50,000.
Here’s a watch that was delivered for under five grand on a strap or bracelet at the time, which is incredible. When you look at it—the titanium case, the finishing on the dial—it looks way more expensive than it actually is. It’s a watch I own, I have the green-dial version, and I remember hanging out with a collector after I had just received it and he thought it was a six-figure timepiece.
Wolf: This was the watch I wanted the most, by far, in the under-$6,500 category. It’s so cool to be able to bring that complication to a wider audience and I’m glad to see it picked and represented. If we’re talking best watches of the decade, it definitely deserves huge recognition.
10. Rolex Oyster Perpetual Color-Dial Series (2020) — Coblitz’s Affordable
Coblitz: No one else has even mentioned this brand, even though it’s a powerhouse. I’ll do it. The Rolex Oyster Perpetual with the original bright colors from 2020 is the watch to buy under $6,500. This watch is the first thing that you can afford from Rolex and it’s the watch that you’ll keep to the end of your collecting journey. Compare that to some of the other watches that you may not wear after a certain point.
These watches started an era of fun for Rolex, and that is not something that I would have ever thought I would say. These colors [led] into the “Celebration” dial and the “Puzzle” dial Day-Date, so it’s a really important watch in general.
11. Simon Brette Chronomètre Artisans (2023) — Coblitz’s Independent
Coblitz: It’s a hybrid of sport, dress, and independent, [with an] attention to design details, and all from a guy that’s more interested in the entire product than just his name on it. The amount of time he’s focused on his watchmakers and explained the different artisans who have contributed to making this piece. I like that, I think it’s refreshing and interesting. I’m just in love with this watch.
12. Fleming Series 1 Tantalum (2024) — Dash’s Independent
Dash: The Fleming Series 1 in tantalum is so beautifully executed. The tantalum case is awesome. The aventurine center dial and the small seconds are crazy. The platinum ring around the dial is beautifully executed. It’s meaningful to me to have the watch come from someone within the community[in James Kong and Thomas Fleming]. The fact that a couple of guys we know could collaborate and deliver something so beautiful expresses all the things I love about not only the industry but the community. When you see the watch in hand, you get it: It really is a piece made for enthusiasts and collectors, because they were so detailed in every aspect of this timepiece, from the lugs to the dial to the effort that went into developing the movement. Even their partnership with [fellow independent watchmakers] J.N. Shapiro and Ming to deliver this watch on a bracelet is really thoughtful. It’s the idea of traditional watchmaking in the sense of, sort of what Drew was hitting on, where they’re leaning into the collaborative nature.
13. IWC Portugieser Eternal Calendar (2024) — Khan’s Splurge
Khan: It’s not sexy[Ed note: strong disagree!], it’s quite a staid watch, but it brings us back to how magical these objects are that have no electric technology. This is the first perpetual calendar. that’s accurate to 400 years with no correcting and the moon phase is accurate for 45 million years. How you fit that into a 44.5-millimeter case is insane. The amount of human craftsmanship that has to go into it is mind-blowing. The fact that you don’t have to correct this watch until the year 3900, it blows everything out of the water in terms of sheer watchmaking. It is an accomplishment that no other brand has reached—not just since 2020, but over the past several decades.
Wolf: Anytime a watch remains accurate until a time when there’s no conceivable way that any of us will be alive is cool.
14. MB&F M.A.D.1S (2024) — Wolf’s Affordable
Wolf: What founder Max Büsser is doing in creating separate categories—the horological versus traditional “machines,” and this more affordable branch in the M.A.D. editions—is so cool. What makes this so special is the fact that so many people wanted his very expensive watches, so he extended this olive branch so that for close to $2,000 you get all the weirdness and the strangeness of the watch and of the brand. They recently released the M.A.D.2, which I also think is really cool, but the version I’m picking is more representative of the project overall.
15. Urwerk 230 “Eagle” (2023) — Smith’s Independent
Smith: I love what Urwerk is doing, and my absolute favorite piece from them is the 230. What I love about the watch so much is it’s supposed to be this hunter’s watch, but it’s so futuristic. It reminds me of what a scavenger might be wearing in the dystopian future. It just provokes so much thought, like: Who the heck would wear this? Why the heck would you wear it? And who the heck is the guy who actually designed this? [Brand cofounder] Martin Frei is light years ahead.
With the Urwerk 230, I think of Tony Stark and Iron Man. There is so much futuristic technology in here with the twin turbines that you can turn on and off, the satellite display, as well as the rotating hours and minutes. It’s just a marvel.
Khan: And also the air brake system is so novel, where you can adjust how much air is flowing inside the watch.[Ed. note: More air means the rotor can spin faster, opening the watch up to damage when the watch is experiencing a lot of activity.] I know that kind of system had been used for some chiming watches in the past, but I’ve never seen it used in such a novel way, so as to protect how the rotor is moving so it’s still winding. So if you’re, I don’t know, on a trampoline, you don’t have to worry about screwing up your $200,000 watch. It’s amazing.
16. Richard Mille RM 65-01 (2020) — Smith’s Splurge
Smith: I have to go with the new RM 65-01. I know RM is a brand that’s controversial because of the flex factor to it, but in terms of the innovation behind it—thinking of shock resistance and actually being a performance watch—that on its own is revolutionary.
Consumers today have the right to critique watches or bring something down, but with RM it’s like, “That’s fine, you can have your opinion over there. But we like this.”
Wolf: I’m really glad you picked it, too. You can’t really talk about watches this decade without mentioning RM. They’ve been so important in the culture and in terms of the technical advancements they’ve brought to the industry. I’ll never forget the first time I tried one on, and I was just shocked at how light it is and how comfortable it is. It looks like it’s this beast, but it feels like air on your wrist. It’s so insane.
Coblitz: It’s also interesting with RM in general, because the term “sport watch” is rarely ever actually used for sport. I have a 67-02 that I got back in 2018, and it is the only watch that I will wear for everything high impact—so any time I’m in race cars. I’ve dropped it for effect. I feel more comfortable wearing that than I do any other watch that’s not a G-Shock or something like that. There is nothing else that compares to that at any dollar amount. Everyone says the same old complaint about the price, but anyone that’s been in manufacturing knows how expensive it is to make something like this.
Khan: They have been doing R&D for materials like carbon poly fiber that’s been used in aeronautics and used it to make the case of a watch. That takes years and millions of dollars. With sapphire cases, they have been the pioneers of creating watches and colored sapphire cases. They have paved the way for everyone else that’s avant-garde.
Smith: I was gonna pick the 67-02 because that watch is so fly, it’s very sleek. But the reason why I chose the 65-01 is because it’s big and it’s gaudy. It’s RM. If you have the luxury to buy one, you go for the biggest one.
17. Rexhep Rexhepi Chronomètre Contemporain II (2022) — Wolf’s Splurge
I can’t believe I’m getting this watch in the fourth round. This is a perfect watch from the poster boy of independent watchmaking. The level of detail, finishing, and craftsmanship that goes into these pieces is outrageous. Rexhepi uses all his skill as a watchmaker to make a timepiece that is aesthetically perfect. The movement that he designed to be perfectly symmetrical is so gorgeous.
And I really think he has been representative of this independent watchmaker movement that has really flourished over the past couple of years. This watch is so beautiful and so important.
18. H. Moser & Cie. Swiss Alp Watch Final Edition (2021) — Khan’s Independent
Khan: This is probably the most tongue-in-cheek watch of our lifetimes. Moser had a bunch of movements sitting around in watches they couldn’t really sell, and CEO Edourd Meylan suggested a switch. How about we make a watch that just looks like the Apple Watch?
They did one in Vantablack dial, which is the blackest thing known to man—it’s like a black hole on your wrist. And the subdial is like the Apple spinning icon you get when your computer is stuck or loading. It was so prescient because 2021 was after a year of COVID lockdown, when our whole lives felt like this spinning icon, like we’re just waiting for our lives to come back and it’s loading. That watch is one of the smartest, bravest takes from a brand that, in my opinion, made independent watchmaking a mainstream thing. They are marketing geniuses, they are watchmaking geniuses. They are one of the most important brands, I think, of the past 100 years.
19. Patek Philippe Grand Complications ref. 5373P (2022) — Dash’s Splurge
Dash: I was wrestling with a couple of pieces, but then I decided, well, if I had to splurge, I would just get the watch that I wanted. I think my favorite watch of the last 10 years is the 5373P Patek split chrono. I feel like it was a sleeper. It’s definitely a watch that a lot of Patek collectors love, but it hasn’t been talked about enough.
What I love about this watch is that it’s emblematic of what Patek has been pivoting towards. It’s the brand veering off and mixing traditional with sport and making more youthful watches. And this is still a highly complicated timepiece: it’s a perpetual calendar, split chrono, moonphase mono pusher, and it’s left-handed. But when you see it, it doesn’t scream traditional Patek. There’s something about this watch that’s incredibly contemporary, and it feels like something that they should be doing right now with a lot of their line. It’s just a cool watch: the fire engine red hands, the textile strap. Taking a watch this complicated and making it feel almost like a Supreme collab is crazy.
Wolf: There are a lot of words I think of when it comes to Patek. They’re beautiful, well made, elegant, but, rarely do I see a Patek and think, that’s so fucking cool. But that’s exactly what this watch is. The black and the red—it’s sporty and modern, but it still packs in all of the Patekness you want and expect from them.
20. Louis Vuitton x Rexhep Rexhepi LVRR-01 Chronographe à Sonnerie (2023) — Coblitz’s Collab
Coblitz: This collaboration started something special, because you take the biggest money group and arguably the independent watchmaker, and it starts this series of collaborations between LV and independent watchmakers like Kari Voutilainen. With the LVRR-01, we get to see the Titan and Megalodon do their thing together and it also supports watchmaking. The watch is annoyingly good and I like that people never recognize it. The watch is killer. It has a chronograph, sonnerie—it’s all the big hitter complications in one package.
21. Patek Philippe Grand Complications ref. 5316/50P-001 (2023) — Coblitz’s Splurge
Coblitz: If you have the money…I finally got to try one, I was like, “That might be the one.” I mean, it’s a million dollars. The smoked sapphire is badass to me in a watch like that. You get to see what’s going on [inside] without it being an overt skeleton. It’s still super readable. You have everything in a dream Patek that you’d ever want. The 40-mm size wears super reasonably. It’s just incredibly cool. If I had the money, I’d have one on my list.
22. Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Concept KAWS “Companion” (2024) — Dash’s Collab
Dash: Potentially very controversial in certain circles. For me, I grew up in New York and KAWS is as New York as it gets in terms of the perfect blend between pop culture and street art. Today, he is a blue-chip artist, but when I think about KAWS, I think about his impact on the city and his tongue-in-cheekness. He would break into phone booths and remix the ads on them with his Companion characters.
This watch is the perfect capstone to his career in a lot of ways. Because people don’t like it and they are so passionate about it, it feels like he broke into an AP phone booth, put up a Companion character and said, “Well, here you go.” It’s also the first AP that has a peripheral time display, which I think is really cool. When you see this watch in person, you see the finishing on it—especially the Companion, it’s fire. Beyond the price point, what’s not to love about this watch? It’s just a lot of fun.
Wolf: You mention the price point, but it’s probably the cheapest way to get a Kaws artwork.
23. La Semaine Louis Erard x Alain Silberstein (2021) — Khan’s Collab
Khan: I remember when the first one—with their trademark squiggly and colorful hands—were not selling particularly quickly. And then COVID happened, and people were open to more whimsical, fun, wacky, weird colors in their watches in a way that they were not beforehand. These were not taken seriously at all. But then people’s taste just got a bit more open. People got into more independent things. People learned about Alain Silberstein, who had been making watches for 40 years and nobody cared. After this collaboration, he’s been doing watches with almost everyone. There’s a great collaboration with Ressence.
This initial watch changed the game when it comes to collaborations in a way that’s probably the most profound on the industry. They were $2,700, and I got one because it was the first watch in a very long time that made me smile. It was a trailblazer for uninhibited watch design.
24. Rolex Day-Date “Puzzle Dial” (2023) — Wolf’s Wild Card
Wolf: I saved my wild card until the end. I’m going to give a few shout-outs to watches I’m not picking but deserve recognition: the Rolex Daytona “Le Mans,” the Vacheron Constantin 222, the Omega Speedmaster “First Omega in Space,” and the Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda PF GMT.
But my choice here is the “Puzzle Dial” Day-Date. It’s not the most fun watch of the decade, but for it to come from Rolex, which is just known for having this super stiff upper lip, edges it up multiple levels for me. The watch is so inventive and fun, and it’s important to see them put all of their technical prowess into making something that’s just so ridiculous and silly. There is a date wheel that just shuffles through emojis. I think it’s representative of, similar to what Bilal was saying, this fun era of watchmaking we’re in.
Khan: There is a very clear line that goes from the Alain Silberstein resurgence to the Puzzle Day-Date.
Wolf: We haven’t needed watches as tools in a long time, and I think brands are embracing that in bigger ways and giving us something that is simply meant to be delightful on your wrist. Rather than getting the time, day, and date, you’re getting an affirmation and emoji from Rolex.
25. Studio Underd0g x H. Moser & Cie. “Passion Project” (2024) — Smith’s Collab
Smith: This conversation has definitely led to our passion and love for watches. And I mean, it’s quite obvious the passion from Moser and Studio Underd0g. Ever since [Studio Underd0g founder] Richard Benc has come on the scene making watches, there’s been an excitement about collecting affordable micro brands. It’s been really fun to see what he’s been doing and then to be able to collaborate with his dream partners in Moser, it’s one of those full-circle moments. And to be able to have a company like Moser partner with this affordable watch brand is meaningful because it raises the cachet of Studio as well. I thought it was genius.
Wolf: And even if you strip all the meaning away, it’s a beautiful watch. I love that purple and yellow combination so much.
Khan: It speaks to how Moser has become the preeminent independent watch brand. Just having a cosign by them puts you on a different level now with enthusiasts. And once enthusiasts are into it, it’s going to leak into the mainstream.
Final teams
Drew Coblitz: F.P. Journe Chronomètre Furtif, Rolex Oyster Perpetual Color-Dial Series, Simon Brette Chronomètre Artisans, Louis Vuitton x Rexhep Rexhepi LVRR-01 Chronographe à Sonnerie, Patek Philippe Grand Complications ref. 5316/50P-001
Perri Dash: Urwerk 102 Reloaded, Christopher Ward C1 Bel Canto, Fleming Series 1 Tantalum, Patek Philippe Grand Complications ref. 5373P, Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Concept KAWS “Companion”
Bilal Khan: Chopard L.U.C 1860, Tudor Black Bay 58 GMT, IWC Portugieser Eternal Calendar, H. Moser & Cie. Swiss Alp Watch Final Edition, La Semaine Louis Erard x Alain Silberstein
Cam Wolf: Berneron Mirage, Omega x Swatch MoonSwatch, MB&F M.A.D.1S, Rexhep Rexhepi Chronomètre Contemporain II, Rolex Day-Date “Puzzle Dial”
Rashawn Smith: Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Monoface Small Seconds, Nomos Club Sport Neomatik Worldtimer Jungle, Urwerk 230 “Eagle,” Richard Mille RM 65-01, Studio Underd0g x H. Moser & Cie. “Passion Project”