Ceramic in a wealth of colors
Ceramic is a familiar sight on watchmakers' workbenches. It is valued for its homogeneity, resistance, low weight, smoothness and moderate temperature. Until recently however, its color range was limited and the palette did not stretch much further than the black and white introduced at the turn of the millennium on Chanel's J12. Two players have since pushed the boundaries.
First, Hublot. The Nyon-based Manufacture no longer seems to operate under any real constraints. The Big Bang Unico Summer Edition recently unveiled a sky-blue bezel, following two 33mm models in blue and mint green. At Watches and Wonders, intense red was the order of the day. All these colors open up endless possibilities for inlays, bezels, cases and more. In February, the brand also unveiled the first watch featuring a promising multicolored ceramic. At Aude-mars Piguet, the approach is more monochromatic, as the Manufacture from Le Brassus opts to explore a perfectly uniform alternative.
Meanwhile, at the aforementioned show, Chanel presented Act 2 by unveiling a new edition of its timeless J12... in blue! While blue ceramic is not revolutionary in itself, Chanel's version has the astonishing ability to change shade depending on the lighting. The J12 Bleu can literally change from light blue to midnight blue depending on the way the light strikes it. Known as metamerism, this rare property has to be seen to be believed.
More recently, a few weeks ago, IWC rightly pointed out that it was one of the first brands to introduce ceramic to watchmaking in the 1980s, a fact of which the brand-new Pilot's Watch Chronograph Staffel 11 is a fitting reminder.
Once titanium, always titanium
Titanium is known for being naturally resistant to shocks, scratches and corrosion. Its use in watchmaking is nothing new: this year, Citizen celebrated the 55th anniversary of the first-ever titanium watch: its X8 Chronometer launched in 1970 and which gave rise to the Super Titanium models with reinforced surfaces. The brand has just announced its latest development: recrystallized titanium, obtained through a high-temperature process revealing crystalline patterns, like natural imprints, that are impossible to reproduce.
Various methods have recently been developed to improve this metal. First, by subjecting it to various treatments. This year, Chopard unveiled an Alpine Eagle watch made from ceramicized titanium, obtained by oxidizing titanium using electro-plasma. Developed for use in aerospace and automotive manufacturing, it has an anthracite gray color that does not tarnish over time. This development is in line with what Chronométrie Ferdinand, part of the Chopard group, used for its FB 1.
Titanium can also be graded. In simple terms, Grade 2 represents the pure form and anything above that is an alloy. The one most commonly found in watchmaking is Grade 5, enriched with vanadium and aluminum. This year Blancpain made notable use of Grade 23 in its Fifty Fathoms collection. Often featured in medical and aerospace applications, it combines the properties of pure titanium with extremely low levels of impu-rities, endowing it with superior resistance to corrosion and external stresses.
Finally, ArtyA recently innovated by treating titanium like Damascus steel and introducing a watch-industry first that it calls TiDamas. At De Bethune, the new DB28xs is clad in yellow tita-nium, another first. To achieve this, the Manufacture had to treat all the components of the case and movement individually, according to the type of metal, its shape and its mass. This represents a continuation of its work on coloring titanium, exemplified by the "Kind of Blue" variations that have been part of the collection since 2018.
Steel and gold: safe bets
Paradoxically, good old steel is holding its own quite effectively. Why? For two reasons. The first lies in the brands that hardly ever use it. Inevitably, when a limited edition is released in steel, it is exceptional and therefore highly sought after. Patek Philippe and A. Lange & Söhne are accustomed to this practice.
The second reason is that one particular type of steel is unlike any other, a card played by Chopard which has its exclusive recycled-steel formula. This Lucent Steel is produced in collaboration with its Austrian-based partner Voestalpine. It is composed of 80% recycled steel - and the goal is to reach 90% by 2028. It is made from industrial waste from Swiss watches, as well as medical, aerospace and automotive steel. Chopard thus adds a responsible dimension to each of its proprietary steel watches. The ID Genève brand, with its Circular collection, works in the same vein.
Gold also remains at the pinnacle, this time for two other reasons. The first is its price, which has risen by 50% in one year. Gold watches have therefore naturally established themselves as a safe-haven investment. The second is that gold remains the subject of original R&D endeavors. In 2025, for its 250t anniversary, Breguet developed its own gold alloy, Breguet gold, composed of 75% gold, enriched with silver, copper and palladium. This new development comes alongside those made by Hublot (Magic Gold, King Gold), Omega (Sedna Gold, Moonshine Gold), Rolex (Everose), Chanel (beige gold), A. Lange & Söhne (Honeygold), Panerai (Goldtech) and Audemars Piguet (sand gold). The latter continues to offer its "Frosted" treatment for gold, named after the appearance of its micro-hammered surface.
Sapphire, color through transparency
Hublot has established itself as the leading player in the evolution of sapphire. As the material's formula is stable, the Nyon-based Manufacture continues to innovate in terms of colors. Purple, pink, blue and yellow are the latest hues, the challenge being to achieve perfect homogeneity and translucency. Zenith - which belongs to the same group as Hublot - has adopted these innovations in two new iterations of the Defy Zero G; while for the time being, Cvstos offers the most affordable models. Meanwhile, ArtyA has developed a sapphire that changes color according to its exposure and this involves not merely a slight variation in shade, but a complete change of hue. Its name is, of course, "Chameleon". It can be found in the Curvy Purity Tourbillon, while many other one-of-a-kind models have been made with this material.
Heart of Stone
The return of mineral dials is probably the hottest trend in 2025. They are not new as such, since Piaget and Jaquet Droz have been using them for decades, as has Louis Moinet. However, a number of contemporary models at sometimes unbeatable prices have given them a new lease on life and above all unexpected diversity, in terms of both types of stone and the brands that use them.
When it comes to types, ArtyA has introduced moissanite (a "space stone"), Bulgari has opted for marble, while H. Moser & Cie has presented an extraordinary array in its Endeavour collection. In terms of diversity among players, the rebirth of dial-maker Dennison as an independent brand, with designer Emmanuel Gueit, has put mineral dials on the wrists of countless collectors. Others have rushed into the breach, such as Tissot with its RockWatch. Audemars Piguet has unveiled Code 11.59 watches adorned with sodalite, green malachite, ruby root and opal, while Zenith with its signature blue color has naturally adopted lapis lazuli on the dials of many recent releases, such as the Chronomaster Original, the Defy Zero G and the G.F.J. Calibre 135.
In a nutshell
Carbon has found its way into TAG Heuer watches via the balance-spring. The brand has been working on this for ten years as an alternative to the widely used silicon balance-spring and the most delicate stage - namely industrialization - has just been completed. Two models were presented at Geneva Watch Days, while others are expected to follow by the end of the year.
At Jaquet Droz, an unusual craft has emerged in the form of setting Murano glass beads, a skill illustrated in the one-of-a-kind Tourbillon Skelet Sapphire Bushidô.
Finally, bronze remains a trendy material, even though it no longer necessarily takes center stage. Most recently, Franck Muller unveiled a beautiful Vanguard Alquimiamc highlighting the irregularity and natural appearance of this metal, which will develop a patina over time. Other recent examples include models from Bremont and Omega.
