These stunning pieces from independent brands show why they deserve our attention
As we bid farewell to Watches & Wonders 2025, much of the attention—as always—has gone to the industry’s biggest names. But away from the large-scale activations and flagship reveals, several independent brands have quietly flexed their pedigree, delivering some of the most technically and creatively compelling watches around. Here are five standout releases that merit serious attention.
Ferdinand Berthoud Chronomètre FB 3SPC Platinum
With its new platinum-cased FB 3SPC, Ferdinand Berthoud brings additional weight—both literal and symbolic—to one of the most critically respected chronometers in independent watchmaking. The COSC-certified movement features a rare cylindrical balance spring, an architectural feature that hearkens back to the first marine chronometers, and is exceptionally difficult to regulate on a wristwatch.
A side-mounted porthole at 9 o’clock offers a lateral view of this regulating organ, reinforcing the movement’s spatial complexity. The off-centre dial is minimal and precise, sporting a subtle sandblasted finish and a salmon pink colourway that accentuates the richly detailed movement components. With its low production volumes, meticulous finishing, and architectural allure, this is a watch that’ll catch the attention of even the most rigid of horological purists.
Franck Muller Round Triple Mystery
The Round Triple Mystery is quintessential Franck Muller: bold, unconventional, and unapologetically decorative. It expands the Mystery line’s visual illusion by introducing a rotating seconds disc to join the hour and minute indicators—all of which move without hands. The central disc, which weighs just over 0.05 grams, is engineered in skeletonised aluminium to minimise energy consumption, an impressive technical feature that is belied by the watch’s theatrical dial.
A spiral of diamonds draws the eye inward, while triangle-cut indicators float across the surface, creating a constantly shifting composition. Offered in precious metal with or without baguette-set bezels, the watch comes with either emerald, ruby, or sapphire markers.
Armin Strom Dual Time GMT Resonance Manufacture Edition
Armin Strom continues to build on its pioneering use of resonance with a new 50-piece release that showcases true horological flair. Housed in a 39mm stainless steel case, the watch features the brand’s patented clutch spring, allowing two balance wheels to beat in resonance—improving chronometric stability while reducing the impact of external shocks.
The dual time zone display is thoughtfully executed, with independently adjustable hours and minutes for each zone and individual day/night indicators—catering to travellers who regularly navigate fractional GMT offsets. The dial is open-worked, symmetrical, and rendered in a restrained monochrome palette, with twin subdials and exposed gearwork offering a visual clarity that balances precision with poise.
Czapek Antarctique Tourbillon
Powered by the calibre 9, the brand’s latest in-house movement, Czapek & Cie’s beloved Antarctique now comes with a flying tourbillon. Sporting a vertically structured arrangement, with the barrel, gear train and flying tourbillon all aligned along a single central axis, the watch boasts a mesmerising guilloché dial. Crafted in collaboration with Metalem, the dial features a new pattern called ‘Singularité’—a vortex-like motif that plays with depth and light.
This effect is further accentuated by the slight convex structure of the dial that gives the impression of a timepiece that is both literally and metaphorically pulling you in. Highly polished hour markers are set on the flange to keep the dial surface uninterrupted, allowing the curvature and architectural bridges to take centre stage. Coming with an ever-popular integrated bracelet system, the 40.5mm timepiece boasts a 72-hour power reserve.
Arnold & Son Constant Force Tourbillon 11 Yellow Gold Edition
Produced in just 11 pieces, this yellow gold edition of the Constant Force Tourbillon 11 honours the collaboration between John Arnold and Abraham-Louis Breguet, whose friendship helped define 18th-century chronometry. The A&S5219 movement features twin barrels for a 100-hour power reserve and a patented constant force mechanism that regulates the tourbillon and enables a dead-beat seconds display.
The architectural structure of the movement, as well as its subtle yet refined finishing pays tribute to Breguet’s first tourbillon regulator that was based on a chronometer movement designed by John Arnold. Turn the watch over, and you’ll find a lustrous white Grand Feu enamel dial that is interrupted only by a recessed white opal subdial and a carefully cut aperture that reveals the constant force mechanism beneath an 18K yellow gold bridge.
