Fratello Favorites: The Best Watches Of 2025 — Nacho’s Picks From Nomos, Sinn, Tudor, And More

All right, everyone, it’s my turn to tell you about my favorite watches of 2025. With the calendar winding down, it’s remarkable how close the end of the year suddenly feels. The past few weeks have slipped by at an almost unfair pace, but stepping back for a moment makes one thing obvious: it’s been yet another consequential year for watch releases. In keeping with a long-running Fratello tradition, the team has been passing the baton, with each contributor highlighting the watches that made the strongest impressions. Today, I’m adding my two cents.

Before we get too far, a familiar but necessary caveat: this list isn’t intended to be definitive, exhaustive, or even particularly balanced. It reflects a very personal cross-section of an industry that released more watches this year than anyone could hope to own in several lifetimes. These are the pieces that stayed with me, the ones I found myself revisiting long after launch day. Each debuted within the last 12 months, more or less in the order listed below. I’ve also included a small collection of rapid-fire honorable mentions, if only to satisfy my curiosity. With the ground rules out of the way, let’s jump into my picks.

The best watches of 2025 — Pick #1: Nomos Club Sport Neomatik Worldtimer

It would not be fair to start with any other watch than the Nomos Club Sport Neomatik Worldtimer. It’s a charming yet capable watch that combines two of my favorite elements from the brand — the distinctive looks and cleverly curated colorways of the Club model and the functionality of the Zürich Weltzeit. I was not alone in considering this a highlight among the deluge of Watches and Wonders releases. From the balanced proportions to the characterful integration of its dual-time functionality, there’s not much to dislike about this watch.

Nomos appears to have caught on to the general excitement surrounding it, as we’ve since seen the release of not one, but two additional limited-edition families.

So far, we’ve seen 13 colorways of the CSN Worldtimer, but the one that stood out to me from day one was the Jungle LE.

I rarely buy new watches, but this Nomos made such an impression on me when I saw it during Watches and Wonders that I knew I had to have it. Fast-forward a few months, and my fiancée suggested that she might buy it for me as a wedding gift. Long story short, I’m a very lucky guy, and the Jungle edition is now proudly a part of my collection, complete with a special engraving to mark the occasion. And don’t worry; she got her watch of choice in exchange — a Tudor Black Bay 31 in the champagne colorway.

Pick #2: Sinn 613 St UTC

The majority of Sinn’s releases in 2025 took place at Time To Watches, an event running parallel to the world’s biggest watch fair, Watches and Wonders. This meant that, at least to me, they were somewhat lost in the onslaught of novelties. But there was one watch that managed to cut through the noise and catch my eye, and that’s the 613 St UTC. To me, this is an archetypal Sinn watch. It does it all, plus it has tank-like build quality and the unmistakable no-nonsense Sinn look. Its appeal to me lies in the multifunctional aspect. I love that it integrates dive, chronograph, and GMT functionality into a still-wearable form factor. With a reasonable 41mm diameter, it will fit most wrists like a charm.

One final thing I enjoy about the 613 St UTC is that it feels like something that might have existed in Sinn’s catalog for 20 years already. It just makes sense for this watch to exist. Finally, given the specs and everything it does, it’s hard to find another watch for €3,300 that holds a candle to it. Sure, its looks may not be to everyone’s taste, but if you’re a Sinn fan (like me), it’s almost certainly a new favorite.

The best watches of 2025 — Pick #3: Doxa Sub 250T GMT

The Doxa Sub 250T GMT absolutely deserves a place on my list. Even without the fanfare of a major launch event, seeing the watch in person left a strong impression. It strikes a near-perfect balance with its 40mm case. It’s certainly more wearable than the classic 42mm case size, but also feels better proportioned than the smaller Sub 200’s 38mm form, which always felt slightly too small to me. As a true dive GMT, it blends practicality and character in a way that few watches manage, offering real-world functionality without losing its distinctive charm.

What draws me in the most is how unmistakably Doxa it feels. From the bold case shape to the purposeful design language, it embodies all the brand DNA that first drew me to Doxa. Rather than attempting to reinvent itself, the Sub 250T GMT refines what already works, presenting a design that feels confident, cohesive, and authentically rooted in the brand’s history. The addition of a GMT complication only strengthens its appeal, making it a versatile option for diving, travel, and daily wear. Although some expressed a preference for the Vintage Sharkhunter colorway’s more standard GMT hand, I must digress. My preference remains with the Searambler and Caribbean models.

When I first selected the Sub 250T GMT as a favorite, I asked, “Will this end up being my first Doxa watch?” And though that remains to be seen, for now, it easily earns a spot on my list of favorites as a watch that continues to stand out the more I think about it.

Pick #4: Tudor Pelagos Ultra

It probably won’t come as a shock that I’m including the new Tudor Pelagos Ultra. It already appeared among my Watches and Wonders favorites, and now it’s back. As a longtime admirer of the Pelagos (and even the owner of the black-dial FXD model), this latest evolution of the original came as a welcome surprise. What I love most is how it preserves everything that made the original a remarkable watch while taking it a few bold steps further.

For a decade, the original Pelagos has held its place at the pinnacle of Tudor’s purpose-built watches. Watching it get dethroned by an upgraded iteration that retains its uncompromising nature and wearability was a delightful surprise. And as if that weren’t enough, the small but clever addition of a lume pip inside the signature spring-loaded clasp sealed the deal for me. That’s what earns the Pelagos Ultra a spot among my 2025 favorites.

The best watches of 2025 — Pick #5: Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean 600M

My final pick for the best watches of 2025 is the new fourth-generation Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean 600M. Released just a few weeks ago, this new take on the Omega Seamaster 300M’s deeper-diving sibling immediately met mixed opinions. But any drastic change to something that has existed with a reasonably consistent formula will undoubtedly cause some pushback. However, it seems that the most recent PO has slowly grown on people. It remains to be seen whether it’ll be a commercial success, but I very much appreciate this bold evolution. From the chunky crown and sharp angles of the titanium-reinforced case to the matte dial and extra-wide, fully graduated PloProf-style bezel, it’s a handsome, capable dive watch.

Since writing my introductory article, I spent a little more time with the Planet Ocean. Of the three versions available, it was the black-dialed model that kept me coming back. There’s something to be said for its sharp angular character and modern simplicity. Having tried it on a couple of non-OEM options that eliminated the end link, it became clear that they can (and should) be enjoyed in many ways. And though these POs are likely to continue dividing opinions, I’ll be happy to see them, years down the line, with the battle scars that come with wearing a watch to its intended purpose. Whether you’re desk diving or blowing bubbles 30 meters below the surface, you could certainly do a lot worse than the new Planet Ocean.

Honorable mentions

We kick off my honorable mentions with a bit of an outlier on my list — the Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Classic Monoface Small Seconds. At first glance, you might think, “Wait, what’s special about this one?” And that’s precisely the point: there are no bells and whistles, just a great take on the classic Reverso. I was impressed by how much I enjoyed wearing it during its time at HQ. For all those reasons, consider it honorably mentioned.

Next is a watch I swapped in at the last minute to replace the 38mm Fifty Fathoms. I tried to like that vintage-sized diver, but the modern model’s shrunken design didn’t quite work for me. So, in its place, I’m going with the Fifty Fathoms Tech. This is a consumer-oriented version of one of the most badass divers ever, the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Tech Gombessa. Due to its 45mm diameter, you’d think it would be too big, but thanks to the lugless design, it works. I find its no-nonsense design, orange accents, and killer bezel too good not to include.

The Paulin Mara is the Scottish sister brand of anOrdain’s first and quite prosperous attempt at creating a dive watch. The Mara embraces Paulin’s uniquely lighthearted design language. The colors, fonts, and geometric elements employed make it irresistibly charming. But with Paulin having counted on the expertise of dive-watch whisperer Jason Heaton for its creation, you can rest assured that it’s a thoroughly capable underwater tool.

The Vaer G5 Pacific Polar GMT is a sort of love-child of the Rolex Explorer II 16570 and my beloved Omega Seamaster Professional 300M 2254.50.00. And though the glorious Omega Seamaster 300 Professional GMT “Great White” 2538.20.00 already existed, the Vaer (available in both automatic and quartz) offers an affordable and no less appealing version of those watches.

Final thoughts

Did you think I’d put this article together without mentioning the Hermès Arceau Rocabar de Rire (aka “Licky The Horse”)? No chance! Sometimes in the watch world, a bit of levity goes a long way. And the fact that this watch, which is as exquisitely crafted, limited, and expensive as it is hilarious, exists puts a smile on my face. A watch that features a push-button-activated horse tongue is not something I thought I’d get as much of a kick out of as I did. In fact, it’s not something I knew could exist. But I, for one, am glad it does.

It’s clear that 2025 has been an incredibly varied year for watches. There have been so many amazing releases, catering to just about everyone’s taste. So, here’s hoping for a 2026 that brings us more of the same and a little more. What were some of your favorite watches released in 2025? Let me know in the comments below. Happy holidays to you all, and see you next year!