Geneva Watch Days 2025 (Episode 2): get ready for more surprises
This second video about the Geneva Watch Days brings new surprises! From the incredible watch released by Ferdinand Berthoud to TAG Heuer’s technical revolution, from the environmental commitment of Oris and a beautiful complication created by Frédérique Constant, the watchmaking houses show feats of creativity and audacity bound to thrill collectors.
FERDINAND BERTHOUD, FB 4BTC.1
Naissance d’une Montre 3 is an exceptional watchmaking heritage project, the result of 6 years of hard work and more than 11,000 hours of making. Conceived without any digital assistance, using only traditional tools and the mastery of specialized craftsmen, this watch is officially chronometer-certified by the COSC.
Taking after historical technical characteristics – fusee-and-chain transmission system, thermal compensating bimetallic split balance, central seconds hand and open structure – it is a tribute to the master watch-maker Ferdinand Berthoud. This piece of work is the result of a collaboration between Chronométrie Ferdinand Berthoud and Chopard, drawing together more than 80 craftsmen and specialists. Inspired by the Astronomical Pocket Watch No.3 by Ferdinand Berthoud, only 11 copies will be available. On a side note, the very first piece – made of stainless-steel – will be sold at auction in November 2025. A part of the profit made will be donated to a charity to preserve and transmit the watch-makers savoir-faire to future generations. Starting from 2026, the next 10 watches – this time made of 18-carat ethical gold – will be sold two by two each year.
More than a timepiece, Naissance d’une Montre 3 is the symbol of a mission: documenting, preserving and transmitting high watchmaking traditional techniques. All the parts, including the chain made of 477 elements, are hand-crafted, and a full database (pictures, videos, documents) traces each step.
Price on request.
See the technical details of the Ferdinand Berthoud FB 4BTC.1. watch
FREDERIQUE CONSTANT, Classic Perpetual Calendar Manufacture
The perpetual calendar translates the irregularities of the Gregorian calendar, adjusting the date (day and month), including leap years. The Frédérique Constant house confirms their mastery of such a complex mechanism, especially with this Classic Perpetual Calendar Manufacture.
This references not only stands out by its technicity but also by its price – rare positioning in such a category of complication. The movement, the house’s FC-776 calibre, is the successor of the FC-775 calibre, now offering a power reserve of 72 hours instead of 38. The brand chose to assimilate the additional charge caused by such a development, in order to maintain the watch’s accessibility – a choice that underlines the house’s determination to make the high watch-making world more accessible.
Setting the perpetual calendar, usually complex, was simplified for this model. Every function (date, day, month, leap year and moon phase) is adjustable with a discreet corrector integrated to the case middle. Once the watch is set, only the adjustment of the main hands is required, again comfortably facilitated by the crown – such a rare feat for this type of complication.
The dial of the stainless-steel Classic Perpetual Calendar Manufacture is available either in blue or silver. The clear placement of the indicators enhances the legibility: 3 distinct dials show the day, date and month, alongside with a moon phase indicator located at 6 o’clock. The leap year indicator is placed at 12 o’clock, on the same axis as the months’ hand. The sun-brushed dial reflects the light, highlighting the hand-polished indices and hands, nestled in a 40mm case. Last but not least, a 37-copies limited edition, made of 18-carat yellow gold, is the last touch to the collection. It associates a black onyx dial contrasting with the warmth of gold, accompanied by an alligator leather bracelet. The transparent case back reveals the FC-776 calibre, technical heart of this exclusive edition.
Yellow gold edition: €29,995
Stainless-steel edition: €9,995
See the technical details of the Classic Perpetual Calendar Manufacture watch
ORIS X BAMFORD WATCH DEPARTEMENT, ProPilot Altimeter “Mission Control”
The collaboration between Oris and the Bamford Watch Department (BWD) takes the form of a daring project: re-interpreting the ProPilot Altimeter, the only watch in the world that combines a Swiss Made self-winding mechanical movement and a mechanical altimeter. Please welcome the ProPilot Altimeter “Mission Control”, a unique piece that reconciles technical feat and experimental design, as a limited edition.
Right upon its release in 2014, the ProPilot Altimeter went down in history thanks to its double function: a reliable and legible altimeter combined with a self-winding mechanical movement – a feat that many watch makers had given up mastering, given its technical complexity. After 3 years of development, Oris comes back in 2022 with this new model that displays remarkable improvements: the measuring range was extended to 19,700 feet (6,000 meters), the calibre 793 now offers a power reserve of 56 hours, and the new case is made of multi-piece carbon fibre. Made in collaboration with the Swiss company 9T Labs, a branch of ETH Zurich, this material merges carbon fibres and PEKK polymer. Lighter than titanium, it is sturdier than most metals and is produced with an additive manufacturing that has a low environmental impact. Every case displays a unique pattern that evokes the veins of a tree bark.
Renowned for their daring reinterpretations of iconic pieces, Bamford Watch Department added their own touch to this base. George Bamford created an edition inspired both by the 1980’s sneakers aesthetics and spatial imagery. Bright and contrasting colour touches stand out against the black background, reinforcing legibility and offering a visual identity recognisable at first glance. Lieutenant Audley is a fictional character invented by BWD to embody this creative approach. Fearless astronaut, he is said to “boldly go where no watchmaker has gone before”.
With a 47mm diameter, the ProPilot Altimeter “Mission Control” remains a massive watch, in order to ensure an optimal legibility of the atmospheric pressure and altitude indicators while displaying the time and date. Besides, the innovative case guarantees lightness and comfort to the wearer. Only 250 copies of this watch are available.
Only 250 copies of the ProPilot Altimeter “Mission Control” are available.
€6,700
See the technical details of the ProPilot Altimeter “Mission Control”
ORIS, New York Harbor Limited Edition II
Oris keeps following their environmental commitment by collaborating again with the Billion Oyster Project with this limited edition: the New York Harbor Limited Edition II, only available as 2,000 copies. The proceeds from sales will directly support this large-scale sustainable project.
Oris is back in New York city to support the Billion Oyster Project with a 2,000 copies limited edition of the Aquis Date diving watch.
Founded in 2014 by the professors Pete Malinowski and Murray Fisher, the Billion Oyster Project aims to reintroduce a billion oysters into New York harbour. More than 150 million have already been replaced in this ecosystem. The goal goes beyond reintroducing a native species: it’s about restoring a threatened marine environment and enhancing the link between locals and their seafront.
Oysters play a major ecological role. An adult oyster can filter up to 190 litres (50 gallons) of water a day, which helps purifying aquatic ecosystems. Besides, oyster reefs provide habitat for hundreds of marine species while forming natural barriers against storm damage, thus preventing erosion. Oyster reefs are to the ocean what trees are to the forest. Note that New York harbour was once home to 89,000 hectares (220,000 acres) of oyster reefs.
Yet, at the beginning of the 19th century, overharvesting, pollution and other human activities had almost annihilated this natural treasure. With the Clean Water Act of 1972, the situation started to get better, as regular dumping of industrial waste and raw sewage were prohibited, allowing a significant improvement of the water quality. In 2010, whales returned to the habour. Yet, challenges remain nowadays, like the aging of sewage infrastructures for instance.
But let’s row back to the watch itself. This 43.5mm stainless steel edition is water resistant to 300 meters and displays an aqua mother-of-pearl dial, with iridescent reflections mimicking those of an oyster shell. This dial holds the hands, including a “lollipop” seconds hand, indices coated in a luminescent substance and a discreet date aperture at 6 o’clock. Equipped with a screwed-down crown, the case displays a unidirectional bezel with a steel inlay and a minutes scale in relief. True divers’ watch, the model is powered by a self-winding calibre that offers a power reserve of about 41 hours.
€2,550
See the technical details of the New York Harbor Limited Edition II
TAG HEUER and the TH-Carbonspring oscillator
TAG Heuer presents a major improvement for mechanical watchmaking with the introduction of their new TH-Carbonspring, the result of 10 years of research and development. This patented innovation made to improve the accuracy and durability of mechanical watches sets a new milestone for the house history. The TH-Carbonspring gathers 3 fundamental assets. First, it is anti-magnetic, ensuring an efficient resistance to magnetic fields. Plus, it is shock-resistant, offering stable performances against daily movements likely to impact its inner workings. Then, the lightness of carbon reduces its inertia, improving chronometric performances.
The manufacture chose 2 iconic models to launch this new technology: the Monaco edition and the Carrera edition, true symbols of its motor race legacy and its avant-garde spirit. Each edition is available as a limited edition of 50 copies. The TAG Heuer Monaco Flyback Chronograph TH-Carbonspring is recognisable by a case made of carbon fibre, a snail-looking spiral dial and an optimal legibility thanks to the hands coated in Super-LumiNova®. It is powered by the TH20-60 calibre, a flyback chronograph with a power reserve of 80 hours.
The TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph Tourbillon Extreme Sport TH-Carbonspring follows the same aesthetics, but this time with a carbon bezel displaying a tachymeter scale, and a black rubber strap. This one is powered by the TH20-61 calibre, a self-winding tourbillon chronograph that offers a power reserve of 65 hours.
These 2 pieces remind the true savoir-faire of TAG Heuer – the use of carbon fibre, a light but sturdy material, shows its strong link with the motor race universe. Every detail was designed to reflect the brand’s DNA: innovation, accuracy and functional aesthetics.
In a nutshell, the TH-Carbonspring paves the way for a new generation of high-performance mechanical watches designed to resist daily challenges while offering a unique accuracy. For Antoine Pin, TAG Heuer’s CEO, it is “a major watchmaking innovation and a key step in TAG Heuer history”.
See the technical details of the Monaco Flyback Chronograph TH-Carbonspring – €17,700
See the technical details of the Carrera Chronograph Tourbillon Extreme Sport TH-Carbonspring – €41,500
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