The editorial team of the watch magazine Chronos Japan covered Watches & Wonders 2025, the trade fair for new watches in the watch industry. This article, originally published in the magazine under the title "New Watches Shining in Geneva: The Keywords are 'Color' and 'Small Diameter,'" is now republished on webChronos. This time, we look back on this trend, focusing on small-diameter cases and colorful dials, which are also the title of the feature.
Photographs by Ryotaro Horiuchi
Masamasa Hirota (this magazine): Interview and writing
Text by Masayuki Hirota (Chronos-Japan)
Edited by Yuto Hosoda (Chronos-Japan)
[Article published in the July 2025 issue of Kronos Japan]
Under 40mm watches are now the norm, and the rise of small cases
Small cases have been gaining attention locally in recent years. This year, many manufacturers have begun to turn their attention to smaller diameters. What they all have in common is a design that is not deformed. In other words, watches that are simply shrunk versions of men's watches have become mainstream. What brought about this change?
The highlight of this year's collection is the 34mm diameter "1815." Its small case is reminiscent of the original 1815, but the movement has been enlarged from the original Cal. L941 (25.6mm diameter) to 28.1mm. Accordingly, the power reserve has been extended from 45 hours to 72 hours. Furthermore, as the treatment on the case side shows, despite the case being only 6.4mm thick, it has a clever three-dimensional look. This is a new generation dress watch that can be worn by both men and women.
The so-called "luxury sports" craze has taken the watch industry by storm since 2017. As this trend has become more commonplace, some watch enthusiasts have begun to turn their attention to a different genre: dress watches with leather straps. This once-demanding genre has evolved into a more three-dimensional watch, with a variety of colors, and now it's appealing to both those who once turned away from dress watches and those who discovered the world of watches through luxury sports. Beyond that, there's the small case.
This is a new size added to the Ingenieur line. As the photo shows, it is an exact scale-down version of the 40mm version. The bracelet width at the buckle is 13mm, with a strong taper, which is a modern trend. However, the balance between the head and tail is good, so it fits comfortably on the wrist. It is a highly versatile, practical watch, but the short power reserve is a shame.
Why have smaller cases become so prominent this year? Each company has given a different explanation, but there are a few reasons. First of all, young people who are familiar with thin quartz watches and smartwatches tend to choose small, thin watches. In addition, the junior generation of baby boomers, who have been driving the watch market, are also shying away from large watches. The trend toward smaller diameters is a natural consequence.
This new model is equipped with the Caliber 9S27, a masterpiece for women. While its 30mm diameter and 36.2mm overall length are clearly aimed at women, the design is suitable for men as well, thanks to the minimal deformation of the hands and indexes. The thickness, at 10.5mm, is also in line with current trends. Like the Santos on the left, this watch is a testament to the skillful balance it offers.
Another reason is the rising price of gold. Even if you make a gold watch, costs can be kept down if the size is small. Although companies never publicly state this, the optimal solution for balancing manufacturing costs and luxury would certainly be a small case.
What's interesting is the nature of the new small models. In the past, these models had deformed dials and hands to improve visibility. However, as the four models mentioned here show, designs that simply scale down men's sizes have become more common recently. This is likely a consideration to appeal to men as well as women. Regardless, small sizes are sure to become increasingly popular in the future.
Cartier now makes watches for both men and women. This is symbolized by the addition of a smaller diameter to the Santos de Cartier. While the design remains the same as the existing model, the second hand has been deliberately omitted to reduce the size and make the case thinner. The link adjustment mechanism has also been omitted to enhance the watch's finish.
The latest trend in "Post-Luxury Sports": Expanding neutral dial colors
Perhaps the biggest change over the past decade isn't luxury sports or complicated watches, but watch dials. Advances in technology and the proliferation of smartwatches with colorful dials have given watch colors, once drab, a wealth of expression. Of particular note are neutral hues with distinct personalities. These difficult-to-achieve colors are now becoming commonplace.
Dress watches (and basic watches) are expanding to complement the gaps in the "luxury sports" range. The key to this is new dial colors. While dial colors were previously limited to blue, black, and silver, the variety has increased significantly since 2015. Green and so-called salmon colors are becoming commonplace.
Now, various manufacturers are beginning to take on new dial expressions. One such example is structural color, which is being adopted by Audemars Piguet, Grand Seiko, Orient Star, and Citizen. However, due to the high cost of this dial, it is likely that only a limited number of manufacturers will be able to adopt it in the future.
What stands out more are the intermediate colors, which have been considered difficult to achieve until now. Because these colors are difficult to stabilize, they have only been used in a few limited edition models. However, Grand Seiko, Parmigiani Fleurier, and Nomos Glashütte have begun to actively use intermediate colors as a way to differentiate their watches. What's more, Hublot has even achieved intermediate colors using ceramics, and even matched the color of the entire watch. This is a feat that would have been unthinkable 10 years ago.
Even Rolex has begun to use neutral colors as a way to differentiate itself, first tackling the more difficult reds and yellows that are so often difficult to achieve with thick lacquer finishes, and then moving on to more difficult nuanced colors.
However, the most noteworthy example is H. Moser & Cie., which has expressed neutral colors. This sense of style, which goes beyond simply matching stones, is unique to this company, which leads the way in dial expression.
