Every year, the watchmaking world steps boldly forward, releasing timepieces that shimmer with originality and stir the soul as much as they track the moment. When work winds down in August and you glance at your watch as you laze in the sun, it’s a time of dazzling reflection. As you take stock of your life, consider your watch collection, too, and whether you crave a new addition or three.

The standout launches so far this year speak in colour, texture and motion. They range from towering feats of craftsmanship to independent upstarts making philosophical statements. Here’s a selection of nine newcomers that you may want to call your own.

Louis Vuitton Tambour Bushido Automata

Among Louis Vuitton’s most recent automata, the Tambour Bushido commands immediate reverence. Its sapphire dial, which boasts five animations, serves as a stage for a sword-wielding samurai, who unsheathes his katana on cue in a choreography of springs and gears. This isn’t just storytelling, it’s kinetic art.

Crafted in 18-carat rose gold, the watch is powered by an LV 525 calibre movement encompassing 426 components and a 100-hour power reserve – shown as the sun rising above Mount Fuji. Time is revealed by a nudge of the exquisitely engraved push-piece at two o’clock; indeed, from the dial to the buttons, engraving by hand took a grand total of 140 hours. Rooted in Japanese tradition, infused with Parisian luxury, and engineered with uncompromising finesse, the Bushido captures a rare alchemy of cultural homage and horological spectacle.

Tudor Pelagos FXD Chrono ‘Pink’

With the Pelagos FXD Chrono ‘Pink’, Tudor steps into uncharted chromatic territory. Crafted in celebration of the 2025 Giro d’Italia cycling race, this chronograph swells with energy. Its robust carbon composite case is paired with a shock of vibrant pink – an unexpected gesture from a brand known for tool-watch restraint. From the matte-black face and pink-edged tachymeter scale to a black fabric strap with a rosy racing stripe, the new FXD Chrono is a compelling blend of tactical credibility and expressive freedom, where strength is loud and colour is confidence.

Cartier Tank à Guichets

Cartier rewinds to 1928 with the reissue of the Tank à Guichets, reviving one of the maison’s most enigmatic designs. Its charm lies in mystery – no hands, no dial, just two subtle apertures that reveal the hour and minutes in digital flickers. Concealing a new hand-wound 9755 MC jump-hour movement and realised in yellow gold, rose gold or platinum, the brushed metal façade offers minimalism wrapped in luxury. It’s less of a Cartier Privé watch and more of a whispered complication, perfect for those who prefer their statements sealed in silence.

H. Moser & Cie. Streamliner Tourbillon Skeleton Rainbow

This watch doesn’t tick – it dazzles. Moser’s Streamliner Tourbillon Skeleton Rainbow in steel unveils its beating heart through a fully openworked cushion-shaped dial, framed by a bezel ablaze with 60 multicoloured sapphires. The contrast between the raw mechanics of the skeleton automatic HMC 814 calibre showcasing a one-minute flying tourbillon at six o’clock and the gem-set halo elevates it beyond mere ornament. It’s a technical masterpiece dressed with uninhibited joy. Here, precision meets pleasure with theatrical flair.

Zenith Chronomaster Sport Rainbow

On the subject of standout sapphire rings, Zenith injects whimsy into high-frequency timekeeping with the white-gold Chronomaster Sport Rainbow. Known for its one-tenth-of-a-second El Primero calibre, this version adds a multicoloured gem-set bezel that dances with light. The watch retains its sporty silhouette, but now carries a touch of mischief – reminding us that mastery need not be monochrome. It’s charisma in chrono form, made for wrists that embrace the mood of the moment.

Montblanc 1858 Geosphere 0 Oxygen Mount Vinson

Adventure breathes through every turn of this limited-edition Montblanc. The 1858 Geosphere Mount Vinson is built without internal oxygen, a feature borrowed from extreme mountaineering to prevent fogging under pressure. The icy dial echoes glacial terrains, while the dual hemisphere layout keeps global time within arm’s reach. Celebrating legendary Italian climber – and Montblanc brand ambassador – Reinhold Messner’s 1986 Antarctica ascent, it fuses physical endurance with mechanical innovation in a timepiece both rugged and refined.

Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar Selfwinding

Audemars Piguet continues to choreograph complexity within elegance. Its Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar watches wear their mechanical IQ with grace, integrating leap year, moonphase, date and day into a dial of serene symmetry – an intricate feat of engineering that looks effortlessly clean. In its 150th year, the manufacture reimagines the old, gifting the iconic collection with a new-generation self-winding calibre, the 7138, whose crown can now control all the subdials. Choose from either the classic pairing of steel with a blue dial or silky, solid sand gold, and slip on the latest Royal Oak while the sun shines.  

Toledano & Chan B/1.2

Following up on last year’s B/1 breakthrough, independent watchmakers Toledano & Chan re-embrace their architectural edge. For the B/1.2, a Tahitian mother-of-pearl dial brings dreamlike luminosity to the sculptural steel case that echoes the duo’s love of brutalist design. There’s tension here – between raw form and refined finish, between sharp angles and fluid light. The crown is on the left; the automatic movement a Swiss-made Sellita SW100; and the partners are based in New York and Hong Kong respectively.

Breitling Top Time B31

Breitling revs up nostalgia with the Top Time B31, a tribute to the freedom enjoyed with cruising the open road. Dial accents nod to vintage dashboards, while the manufacture’s new COSC-certified chronograph movement delivers modern precision beneath classic curves. A perforated calfskin strap reminds of racing gloves. With a contemporary campaign starring actor Austin Butler, the watch reconnects swagger with speed, proving that heritage, when driven by intent, never idles.