No. 22 [Latest in May 2025] Luxury Watch Current Affairs News: Case Diameter Trends Considered from Watches & Wonders 2025

Introduction – The current state of luxury watches as seen at Watches & Wonders 2025

"Has the watch market already reached its peak?"

As if to blow away such voices, Watches & Wonders Geneva 2025 , held in Geneva from April 1st to 7th, 2025, recorded a record high of 55,000 visitors (a 12% increase from the previous year).

Topic 1: Visitor data and the impact of measures aimed at young people

Admission fees were aggressively set at 70 Swiss francs for adults and 40 Swiss francs for young people aged 12 to 25. Nevertheless , 23,000 general admission tickets were sold out (up 21% from the previous year) , and a social media campaign was also used to attract young people.

Checkpoints for beginners

• An exhibition is not a place to buy, but a place to experience. First of all, enjoy the worldview of the brand.
• The expansion of the Young Ticket program makes it easier for students to participate. It's worth going without hesitation.

Collector's Insights

• Even though ticket prices have effectively increased, the number of visitors has increased, meaning that collectors still have a strong desire to spend money.
• If you keep track of the SNS collaboration projects for each booth, you will increase your chances of getting limited edition novelty items.

*Images generated by AI

Topic 2: Rolex "Oyster Perpetual Land-Dweller" in detail

The huge booth in the center of the venue attracted the most people to see Rolex's completely new collection, the Land-Dweller . This masterpiece is a modern update of the integrated case reminiscent of the Oyster Quartz from the late 1960s and the Datejust Day-Date Quartz from the 1970s.

Key Specifications

• Movement: Newly developed caliber 7135 (36,000 vibrations, daily deviation -2 to +2 seconds)
• Number of patent applications: 16 (anti-magnetic, high vibration resistant parts, etc.)
• Case diameter: 36mm / 40mm
• Available materials: Platinum, Everose gold, steel and white gold
• List price: 36mm 2,115,300 yen , 40mm 2,255,000 yen

Points to note for beginners

• The see-through case back allows you to visually enjoy the “heartbeat of the machine.”
• With its honeycomb pattern dial and ice blue color, it is highly fashionable and a great first watch.

Why collectors are so keen on it

• High beat and silicon balance spring provide magnetic and shock resistance.
• The 16 patents are the most for any new Rolex release in recent years. The degree of technological innovation is noteworthy.

Topic 3: The Age of the “Around 35” Watches? Will Case Diameters Get Smaller?

Now that the heyday of "big and thick" designs, which drove the trend toward larger sizes, is becoming a thing of the past, the new models for 2025 have been noticeably smaller in size.

• IWC Ingenieur Automatic 35: 5 mm smaller to 35 mm
• Rolex "Oyster Perpetual": 34mm New for Men
• Bell & Ross BR-05: A bold move into 36mm
• Contrarian: Tudor's Black Bay 68: A bold statement at 43mm

According to a Rolex representative, "The best-selling size is already 36mm." The size of Japanese wrists and the spread of the share watch culture are also factors accelerating the trend toward smaller watches.

Advice for beginners

• A size of around 38mm is suitable for both formal and casual wear. If you are unsure, choose a size of 40mm or less.
• If you are concerned about resale value, it is a good idea to stick to the popular range of 36 to 40mm.

Considerations for Collectors

• The development costs of small diameter movements are rising, so only luxury brands may be able to take this plunge.
• Contrarian large models are aimed at "collector demand." Keep an eye on price movements in secondary distribution.

*Images generated by AI

Looking ahead – where is the market heading?

Despite the headwinds of the Trump administration's tariff hikes and the slowdown of the Chinese economy, the conglomerate-style strategy of "even if sales decline in some areas, sales will continue in other areas" is working, and the luxury watch market continues to remain resilient.
Another point to note is that the pricing of new Rolex watches is avoiding large price hikes even in the face of a strong dollar and weak yen. If the yen strengthens against the dollar, the relative advantage of buying domestically will decrease, so be sure to check the price differences on parallel imports and the secondhand market from time to time.

summary

At Watches & Wonders 2025, three key themes stood out: "attracting the younger generation," "technological innovation," and "diversifying case sizes ." Rolex's Land-Dweller is set to be an epoch-making watch in terms of both technology and design.
We hope this article will help beginners and collectors find the perfect piece for themselves while keeping up with the latest trends. If you have any questions, feel free to contact Commit Ginza!