What we're looking forward to in 2025

We're only a few days away from a brand new year, and already 2025 is shaping up to be one for the record books — and not just because Dubai Week Week is shaping up to be the biggest ever, thanks in part to its new home at the Dubai Mall, Burj Park — allowing for an event double the size of the 2023 show. Of course, while those few days in November are what the Dubai Watch Week team are focusing on, we asked some key figures in the watch world what they're hoping to see in 2025.

Carson Chan, the Hong Kong-based founder of Watch Professor Academy, is hoping that the new brand will bring about widespread attitudinal change in how we think about watches as investments. Chan says: "In 2025, I'd love to see a wider spread of genuine watch passion and less focus on watches purely as investments. True investing in watches requires passion as a prerequisite — understanding the stories, the craftsmanship, and the heritage behind each piece. I hope more people dive into the world of horology for the sheer joy of learning and discovery, not just the potential for profit. There's an incredible amount of fun to be had when you explore watches beyond their resale value."

Not everyone's looking for this sort of widespread change, though. Tony Traina, Founder and Editor of the Unpolished newsletter, will be happy if 2025 is the year quartz finally sheds its stigma and becomes cool again. "I'm looking forward to more brands taking quartz seriously. Sometimes (most of the time), we have our heads stuck so far up our crown tubes that we forget that even a thousand bucks is a lot to spend on a watch. The MoonSwatch showed what's possible, but I'm looking forward to more brands being less afraid of quartz. In 2024, TAG Heuer released the Formula 1 (a little expensive), Hamilton released the Khaki Field Quartz (a little boring) – not to mention the march of minis – but they're watches I find myself recommending all the time. So next year, I'd love to see more brands build fun, solid watches that just happen to have quartz ticking away inside.

Another industry expert hoping for the industry to pay attention is Tracey Llewellyn, Editor of Telegraph Time, who's looking forward to some serious women's watches. "I'm excited for a return to proper women's watches instead of unisex pieces that just look like compromises. Men seem a lot less wary of wearing watches made for women now, thanks to people like Neymar, The Weekend, Tyler the Creator and Bad Bunny wearing them with attitude. I'm hoping for lots more mechanical movements for women's watches every day. Chopard did it last year, but it seemed to go under the radar. I think Bulgari will do well this year, and I think we will see the first trickles coming through from Tiffany and the fabulous Nicolas Beau. Piaget is also making waves. And, of course, Dior, Hermes and Cartier are always good ones to watch when it comes to smart designs made with women in mind."

Speaking of smart women, watch designer Fiona Krüger has her hopes set on more creativity and thoughtful design next year. "Companies like Reuge have a beautiful vision for their future. They're a music box manufacturer, an important mechanical art alongside watchmaking and automata. If we're looking to the future, I hope we see a a heightened awareness around environmental issues and our need to be more mindful and engaged with nature, our planet is having an interesting (and much-needed) influence on design. This can be more obvious in terms of narratives around nature or material choices, or more subtle, such as smaller, slimmer designs - so less "in your face" but then more creative because doing more with less is the epitome of creativity. And last — but by no means least — Dubai Watch Week 2025! Genuinely. It has been an industry-defining event - the generosity of spirit and openness at DWW gives such a boost to everyone. I'm really excited for the 2025 edition, especially to experience it in its amazing new home!