In a year defined by performance and design, the sports watch has once again proven why it remains one of the most dynamic segments in horology. As we present WatchTime India’s Annual 2025 Sports Watches Issue, it’s clear that this genre has moved beyond its origins as an instrument for aviators, athletes, and explorers. In 2025, the sports watch is multi-dimensional—a fusion of precision engineering, sustainable materials, and style.
This year’s standout releases speak to the way brands are reinterpreting ruggedness and performance. We witnessed mechanical chronographs that can endure new extremes of shock and magnetism and ultra-lightweight divers crafted from advanced carbon composites. A few models rose above the rest—timepieces that not only demonstrated technical mastery, but also captured contemporary sporting culture. This issue highlights those brands and references.
We start with our report on the best sports watches of 2025, in ‘A Year in Review’ (P. 24)—these are pieces that remind us that utility and personality are not mutually exclusive. Innovation has also taken exciting new directions—we shed the spotlight on carbon as a material, which is increasingly finding a larger and more diverse presence in horology, in ‘Carbon Matters’ (P. 44). Another feature that highlights creativity is ‘Hot Spring’ (P. 50), in which we go deep into the development and challenges of the TAG Heuer TH-Carbonspring, a new path-breaking hairspring. The brand’s Chief Product Officer and Technical Director walk us through its creation. We also deep dive into how Bremont has built its expertise in the tool watch category (‘Of Land, Air, and Sea, P. 64), while also showcasing the young, no-frills tool watch brand Peren (For All Seasons, P. 70).
As sports watches evolve, so, too, does our understanding of what they represent. They are symbols of resilience; designs that encourage us to move, explore, and test limits. More than any other watch genre, the sports watch embodies the idea that performance and emotion can coexist on the wrist. One such watch is our cover watch, the Laurent Ferrier Sport Auto 79. Tracing its roots to the co-founders’ win at the Le Mans 24 Hours race in 1979, the watch not only represents the brand’s origin story, but also a contemporary design vocabulary that toes the sporty dress watch aesthetic.
Whether you’re a collector, an enthusiast, or someone who simply likes watches, 2025’s horological landscape offers something for all. I hope this issue shows you the depths and heights of what a sports watch can be today.
Images: Courtesy brands
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