This content is a comprehensive review and ranking of 82 watches reviewed throughout 2025, covering a wide range of brands from mainstream to microbrands, culminating in the reviewer's top picks.
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I reviewed 82 different watches in 2025
from Seikko to Christopher Ward to some
underrated micro brands. Today I'm going
to give you a mini review of every
single watch that I reviewed throughout
2025 and then at the end of the video
give you my [music] top picks from all
the watches that I reviewed throughout
the year. If this is your first time
here on the channel, then welcome. My
name is Kieran. I wish you a happy new
year. This video took a very long time
to put together, so if you could hit the
like button, also hit the subscribe
button, it would make it all worth it.
Thank you. The very first watch we
checked out in 2025 was the Mr. Jones
Sun and Moon, an unusual piece that
features an hour cutout at the top of
the dial and a singular hand for the
minutes. This one, very unusual, but a
very good price, too. In the same video,
we also checked out the number cruncher,
which was even more insane than the Sun
and Moon. This one featured robots
playing a pinball machine with the time
told through a small cutout. This was a
mechanical jump power watch. Again,
unusual but very cool. One of the best
value watches of the year, the Bodery
Admiral was up next with a full titanium
construction and an automatic Seikko
movement. These came in for around £100,
which is very cheap for the spec on
offer. The first Benjamin James Scar 4
of the year was next. This is the
automatic version with the green dial. I
absolutely love this watch. It got a lot
of wrist time this year. I think they
nailed the size of this one and it's a
watch that is jam-packed with style. I
then made another attempt to solidify a
Fleer in my collection. I checked out
the Lacaco Aken Blue in 39 mm and it's a
brilliant watch for the money. I enjoyed
this watch for a few months, but the
search for my Fleer goes on because I
didn't fully gel with it. I then checked
out a couple of Arabus watches. The
first one being the Ascent Adventurine.
I think team Arabus did a great job with
this one, ticking every single box you
could possibly want, albeit lacking just
a little bit of individuality. In the
same video, we reviewed the Arabus
Origin 38. I think they nailed the
sizing on this one. It's a tool diver
that's nice and easy to wear. Again,
every box was ticked with this one, and
you simply can't argue with the price
these are offered at. We then reviewed
the stunning Varo Empire GMT, a made in
Japan watch that features a beautiful
art deco inspired dial. This was for
sure one of the best looking dials of
the year, and I thought the sizing was
absolutely spot-on. It's always a
pleasure to review Zlos because they
always deliver. The Skyraider 40
genuinely blew my mind that a micro
brand could make something so bespoke.
Skeleton watches aren't for everyone. I
can appreciate that. But this one hits
the spot. Custom movement, titanium, and
super duper thin. Islander then shocked
me by releasing an art deco inspired
dress watch. As a brand known for divers
and military watches, I couldn't believe
they made something so sophisticated.
The only problem for me was that it was
a bit too big for the style of watch. I
then picked up a Tisso Citell for a
quick fling. This features a carbon case
with 300 m of water resistance. My
favorite part of this one was actually
the loomshot, multicolored, albeit a
little bit weak. This is a very cool
tisso, but probably a bit overpriced for
the RRP. I then found this absolutely
gorgeous Seikko dress watch. It featured
a sapphire crystal for around £100,
which is probably the most shocking
part, but I still think this watch is a
bit of a gem. Nice and thin, decent case
diameter, and it will work on almost any
strap. Christopher Ward was up next for
review with the Super Compressor Elite.
I think they nailed the colors on this
one and the silhouette of the case is
effortlessly pretty. This is a genuine
compressor too which you don't often see
these days. Finally, I got hands on with
a secondhour watch with the Satleberg
M2, a field watch that felt more like a
pilot, but you can't deny the quality
for the money here. Great legibility,
loom was really good, and the watch was
nice and thin. UDC or Uni Design then
released their auto classic for
pre-order. This one features a very
70sesque design with a splash of Cartier
Santos. I think they did a great job
creating something unique here and I
think the dial design is, you know,
beautiful. Stratton then lit up our
world literally with the strongest loom
that I've ever seen on a watch. The
Synchro is a racing inspired dive watch
that features a day complication which
you don't actually see that often from
micro brands. Arabus then returned and
they did something crazy. They released
three new sizes of their Ascent range.
First was the Ascent 34, which was a bit
too small for me, but they captured that
ascent functionality in a small package.
The Ascent 36 is my pick from the whole
range. The smaller size really worked
with the case silhouette and the 20 mm
bracelet. This felt like a proper Rolex
OP alternative. And for some reason, I
felt the watch had more character at
this smaller size. But the Asen 41,
well, it was just a little bit too big
for me. As the watch is mostly dial, it
does appear much larger on the wrist.
Again, I think they captured the Ascent
style well, but I'm not the target
audience for this one with my smaller
wrist. An early contender for the best
looking watch of the year went to the
Vanexano Red and Toré Bronzo. The shape
of the case, the dial finish, the
general color scheme worked effortlessly
on this one. If this was just 2 mm
smaller, then it would have gotten a lot
of wrist time this year. I then picked
up the gimlet at British watchmakers
day. The first watch from the Fars
Studio underdog cocktail collection.
Cushion case, skeleton hands, and a full
loom dial. This one shouldn't work, but
it just does. This is such a cool watch.
Dougworth Pressex then released a Roman
numeral version of their Parker range.
Some may say this is a bit too close to
the tank for them to enjoy, but I think
this was a great release. The Parker
features a brilliant set of dimensions
and it looks effortlessly classy. I then
checked out another Great Value watch.
The Urban Adventure from Monroe was
packed with spec and style. The case was
super sporty. The dials are very
welldesigned and the price point is very
competitive. I even picked up the red
chronograph myself. I really liked this
one. Venetiano usually delivers a
brilliant watch with a brilliant design
and this one was brilliant but also a
little bit confusing. The Aquaforte
featured case detailing that made it
look like a piece of art. The only thing
was it made the other features like the
bezel and loom a little bit pointless
which for me was confusing for a dive
watch. Islander then released their take
on the Seikko Flightmaster with the
Calverton. For me this was inspired by
the iconic Seikko without being a
tasteless rip. They use some awesome
color combinations and fixed some issues
that the Seikko had. I thought this one
was a winner. We then checks out the
first release from a new micro brand.
The Rocket by Ember really blew me away.
Something completely different with its
unusual case and sandwich dial. But for
me, it all felt right. I like to see
brands making something unusual. We
followed that up with another new
release from a new brand. This time with
the Sator Companion. This was an unusual
field watch that features some bezel
detailing and some unusual military
dials. This was a tad big for me
personally, but generally I thought it
was a good watch. But an American brand
that also makes unusual field watches,
we checked out the A11 Pacific Memorial
by Precidus. Full black case with real
sand on the dial. Yes, this one is very
unusual, but I can appreciate something
that's a little bit weird. Another
Prescidus, this time less weird. It's
the Pathfinder 44. This one featured a
piece of parachute that was used during
World War II for the dial material. The
camo dial fit right in with the style of
watch and offered a nice bit of texture.
But one watch brand that never fails to
disappoint, it's Wise. These guys have
that Grand Seiko or Rolex style and
deliver some of the best quality for the
cash I've personally seen. The Adamascus
GMT was the perfect example of that.
This watch wasn't missing a single beat.
I then did a one-year owner review of my
beloved Omega C Master Professional.
It's crazy that I've almost had this
watch for 2 years already. Where does
the time go? I love this watch. It's a
shame Omega still doesn't make it today.
I don't need another diver because I've
got this. I then checked out an
incredibly impressive watch from
Christopher Ward. The 12X is one of the
most underrated watches from the brand
in my opinion because what it offers for
the money for me is insane. If a luxury
brand made this watch, they'd likely
charge 10 times the price. Our second
Scaraphor of the year, this time with a
gorgeous, and I mean gorgeous, mother of
pearl dial. It worked so well with this
style of watch and it was cool to get
hands- on with one of the manual wind
versions. Another absolute heater was
the Mirabbell GMT by Heron. Wow, another
watch that really blew me away.
Chocolate dial, golden case, and a
beautiful GMT dial design. This was a
big surprise from Heron, but they did a
brilliant job. Paulin then released
their Zapata collection, which is a
quirky little everyday watch. Playing on
astronomy, this one had a fun dial
design with a compact case construction.
I checked out the day version, but the
night model is far more beautiful.
Another wise watch, another banger. The
Fly Boy is the Thai brand's take on a
Fleeer. However, rather than playing it
safe with, you know, a vanilla dial,
they added some new elements with an
angular case. Again, Wise overdelivers
and this watch is very impressive.
Probably the best looking watch I
reviewed all year. The Venetiano Narid
Bronzo is simply a beauty. The way the
bronze case works with the cream dial
should be studied. Vanetso always makes
a good-looking watch. This might just be
the best looking one that they produce.
A big channel achievement this year was
working with German brand Nomos, a brand
that I have a lot of respect for. We
checked out two sizes of their everyday
range, the club, and these are brilliant
for the money. Bow House style with that
German attention to detail. However, my
favorite Nomos that we got hands-on with
was certainly the Tetra. I'm a big fan
of squared off dress watches, and this
one was the perfect example as to why.
Extremely classy, great proportions, and
that German style always hits the spot.
My least favorite Nomos was actually the
most expensive one. The Metro might have
the most complete design, but the
unusual lugs and the lack of quick set
day are two flaws that I couldn't look
past. Although, listen, props to Nomos
for doing almost everything in house. I
have a lot of respect for them. British
Portuguese brand Scudo then released a
new version of their seest dive watch
made in collaboration with magician Rich
Manley. This one featured a hidden
playing card etched into the sapphire
with a gorgeous orange and black color
scheme. Jodi then officially lost his
mind and released a monster 44
millimeter dive watch with the Titan. A
watch that I shouldn't like at all, but
just couldn't help but appreciate it for
being something a bit different. My
favorite was the black DLC case with the
purple dial. Zos then sent over another
incredible skeleton watch with the
Artemis. Again, Zeos proved why they're
considered one of the best micro brands
in the world. Damascus Case, a sapphire
crystal bolted to a titanium barrel, and
that custom Swiss movement just wow. The
biggest shock of the year came from
Welsh brand OJ Sinowski. Their scout was
an unusual take on a field watch. Lapis
dial loom blocks and an angular case.
This one hit the mark on almost every
single point, but the custom movement
was the cherry on top of the cake. For
this price, this shouldn't be possible.
I've mainly had a bad time with Timex,
but I decided to give them one last shot
with the Continental GMT. This one, you
know, it was actually all right. It
featured a GMT ring under the dial
instead of a fourth hand. Although,
let's be honest, the design here is a
little bit vanilla. I then checked out
this awesome Chinese dress watch from
Balty. Great spec for the money, as
usual with Chinese brands, but it was
the simplicity of the design that I
appreciated. Lovely metallic dial finish
with just a little bit of case detailing
with those looks. The only sound we
checked out all year was the SN0145.
I think they absolutely nailed the
design of this one. The shapes and
angles were all spot-on. I just felt
that it should have been a little bit
smaller. It's quite a dressy watch, so a
smaller case profile, in my opinion,
would have really suited it. We then put
two YouTuber watches head-to-head. The
Islander Melville is a playful take on
an everyday GMT, featuring a hammered
finish to the dial and a lovely splash
of green. And as usual with Islander,
really good value for money. It went up
against the Arabus Origin GMT. This, of
course, is more of a tool watch than an
everyday watch, but still delivered in a
lot of categories. I think the Arabus
just about won the battle of the two,
but it was a pretty close call. One of
the most unusual watches we checked out
all year is the Apierre [music] Gen 1. A
watch that's made using additive
manufacturing and one of the only
watches that can proudly stamp made in
the UK on the dial. The design here is
very strange, but I think they did a
great job for such a young brand.
Probably the most hyped watch of 2025.
Yes, it's the Casio Automatic. I was
generally impressed with what Casio had
done with this watch, and it's certainly
a great value for money option. The
design felt a little bit too cookie
cutter for me, so I haven't worn it
since the review. Christopher Ward then
reminded collectors that they can still
make a great affordable dive watch. The
Reef collection released during the
summer, and it was a perfect fit. Bright
dials, great rubber straps, and an
interesting case construction. We then
reviewed a new Venetano model with the
Narid Turchz. This was my first time
reviewing a turquoise stone dial, and I
was really impressed with it. Another
watch that felt perfect for the summer.
and Benetano continues to impress with
their awesome dials. Another
collaboration watch, this time from
Singaporean micro brands Berio and RZD.
They released a titanium version of the
trench watch, one of Burial's signature
watches, and I think they nailed it. I
felt like it had elements from both
brands, nicely mixed. Christopher Ward
then released a super thin version of
their 12 with the 660. Impressively thin
considering it featured a mechanical
movement. And I thought the simplistic
dial felt quite refreshing considering
the style of watch. I then picked up a
Casio chronograph in an attempt to
restore that Casio charm that I felt the
automatic lacked. This one felt like a
true Casio. Retro styling, slightly
unusual case design, and a classic
quartz movement. It also featured a
piece of sapphire, which is always nice
to see. A subscriber of the channel then
launched his very own watch brand called
Alfaro. Their model one is one of the
first ever watches that features curved
hands. And then the dial is also curved
and it's inspired by geometry. However,
it's the case back design for me that
stole the show. I then checked out my
first ever Aerotch watch, a brand that
makes some of the most delicious dials
on the market. The dials did not
disappoint. [music] Tons of detail and a
very vibrant color, albeit it maybe
lacked some refinement that you often
find at a higher price. I then checked
out another new vario, this time with
the A11s. This was and still is one of
the best value watches I reviewed all
year. Coming in at just 165, solar
movement, a very well-finished case, and
because it's vario, you get an awesome
strap. This one was simply brilliant for
the money. Portuguese brand A Boreales
then released an extremely unusual dive
watch. The beautiful white dial here was
extremely fresh. However, the floating
indices are what made this one stand
out. Most modern divers are a bit
vanilla, a bit boring. You can't say the
same for this one. I just couldn't help
myself when it came to a new dial option
for the beautiful Scar 4. Yes, this was
my third time reviewing it in one year,
but just look at this beautiful jade
dial. The watch works so well with stone
and mineral dials, so I can't wait to
see more of them in 2026. I then checked
out two very bright watches from German
brand Fine Watches Berlin. These were
certainly a playful take on the bow
house genre with lots of contrast
between the different colored elements.
I felt these were a little bit
overpriced for what you get, but you do
get the made in Germany stamp. Kuo then
blessed our screen with the masterpiece
that is the Sombrero, a compressor style
dive watch that has one of the best
looking dial designs I've ever seen.
Perfect symmetry, a nice compact case
and a perfect use of color. Arabus then
drops another version of their Ascent
range, this time with the Ascent GMT.
Like the original models, these were
packed with spec and quality for a very
competitive price. But again,
potentially just a little bit vanilla. A
new pickup for me in 2025 was this
Porsche design chronograph. It featured
a titanium case, an automatic Value
movement, and some Mission Impossible
links. My good friend Steve really
wanted this one, so I sold it to him for
a really good price. I then did a mini
review on this awesome little Milito
field watch. Of course, a bit of a
homage to the Hamilton Khaki Mechanical,
but you can't argue with the price of
these. You can buy them new for around
£50, which is brilliant for the spec on
offer. I picked up this awesome vintage
King Seiko from 1970, basically on the
same level as Grand Seiko of the time
without the silly hyped up price tag
that comes with owning a vintage Grand
Seiko. A real beauty and in my opinion a
bit of a bargain. Whilst in New York for
Windup, I picked up this brilliant
little digital watch from Far and Swit.
Of course, inspired by the F91W with a
playful twist with the mixtape
influence. I'm not a huge fan of digital
watches, but this one was a lot of fun.
Another brilliant dress watch was the
Proocidus Victory Day. I couldn't
believe how a brand that mostly makes
field watches had created such a classy
dress piece. Everything on the dial felt
right. The case was basic but worked
well, and the case back was simply a
work of art. Swiss watch brand Raymond
Veil then released the stunning Takarta
Heritage. A watch that I fell in love
with the moment I saw it earlier in the
year. This ovalshaped dress watch was
just perfect. Stupidly simple yet
flawlessly designed. We then checked out
the MB2 from Hong Kong based brand
Mombre. These guys make very angular
watches almost with a Grand Seiko feel
about them. The attention to detail on
these is just superb and the quality is
undeniable. It's top-notch. I then
reviewed the awesome new Jump Power Mark
5 from Christopher Ward. This felt like
a true evolution from the brand. Because
their previous Jump Power watches were
oversized and lacks individuality. This
one hit the mark with a sporty yet
dressy dial and a much more refined set
of dimensions. [music] We then checked
out the final Christopher Ward release
of the year with the Bell Cano Lumiere.
A bit crazy, almost like neon lights on
the dial, but I thought it was super
cool. A welcome addition to the
Bellcanto lineup as it offers something
completely different than the previous
models. I then reviewed a new watch from
Flux, a brand started by fellow YouTuber
Design Attelier. He put his design
muscles on full show with a watch that
was overdesigned in almost every single
area. Pure detail, pure spec, and not
missing a beat. Although the unusual
design might be a little bit too crazy
for some. On the 1st of December, I then
announced my very own micro brand watch,
the Clock Tower. A watch inspired by
Gothic clocks found around my home city
of Manchester here in the UK. This was a
huge moment for me, and so far it's gone
extremely well. All 100 of the Luminous
are already sold out in less than a
month. Thank you to everybody who
supported me. Then I just had time to
squeeze in a couple of watches from my
favorite micro brand. BR released two
new versions of their brilliant element
watch. This one featured a delicious red
dial that suited the style of watch to
the ground, offering a classier
aesthetic. The Rebel though was the
complete opposite. This was the tactical
version of the element. Featuring a full
black case, a black strap, and even a
black dial. It's the element best suited
with a leather jacket and a pair of
boots. too cool for me, but I fully
appreciate what it offered. Then Clemens
blew my mind with one of the highest
quality, affordable watches I've ever
seen. This diver had everything. Topsp
spec, brilliant finishing, and an
awesome design. This one was genuinely
hard to follow. So, for someone who
doesn't often vibe with divers, this one
really stood out above the rest. OJ
Sowski then returned to the channel with
their new watch, the Naked Drew. This
was a classically styled dress watch
with a modern set of dimensions. 41 mm
for the case meant that this watch wore
a little bit too big on my small wrist,
but there's no denying that it's a cool
looking watch. I then checked out a
watch from Swiss brand Perin for the
first time. The Reggia Solar Eclipse was
a bit like the Rebel in that it felt
super tactical but also more playful at
the same time. The unusual dial design
really drew me into this one and the
proportions hit my wrist like a dream.
Vanesso returned with a new version of
their Narid. this time with an Opal
stone dial. This was my first time
checking out this material and it did
not disappoint. Vanesso also added a
display case back to this watch with a
custom rotor, which for me was a big
improvement over previous models. And
the final watch we checked out in 2025
before we get on to my top 10 picks is
the Volcan Diver Chronograph. The green
dial on this watch was just superb. It
felt fresh but still vintage. And I
think they nailed the proportions,
albeit a little bit chunky because of
that mechanical chronograph movement. It
was great to finally spend some quality
time with Volcan because they make some
beautiful looking watches. Okay, so
let's get into what I think are the best
watches I reviewed this year. Of course,
it wouldn't be the morally right thing
to do to include my own watch, the Clock
Tower, in the top 10. So, I'll just give
it an honorable mention and let you know
that although the Luminous has sold out,
the other three models are still
available to pre-order. But the mother
of pearl version is also running really
low now. So visit the website in the
description if you would like to get
one. So 10th place goes to Christopher
Ward with the Belcanto Lumiere. On
reflection, this was an exceptionally
cool and unexpected watch from
Christopher Ward. The Belcanto is a
special watch. I think this is the most
special version of it. The reason it
doesn't place higher is because of a
couple of small flaws like reading the
time, you know, isn't the easiest and
the watch only has 30 m of water
resistance. But still, the Belcanto
Lumiere is one of the best watches I
checked out this year. Ninth place goes
to Japanese micro brand Kuo with the
beautiful Sombrero. Kuo somehow managed
to capture that classy aesthetic into a
dive watch, which I'll be honest, I
didn't think was possible. The selection
of dial colors on this one is
immaculate, and the 38 mm case is
refreshing for a compressor style
[music] dive watch. Eighth place goes to
another made in Japan watch, this time
with the Vario Empire GMT. I simply
think this watch has one of the best
looking dials of the year. The textured
finish, the beautiful salmon color, and
that inner ring GMT offers a lot more
balance. Just over £500 for this watch
is insane for not only the beauty, but
the brilliant true GMT Miota movement
that you get inside of it. Seventh place
goes to Arabus with the Ascent, but
specifically and only the 36 mm model.
For me, this model has the best
proportions of all the Ascent range. It
feels more like a dress watch than a
sports watch, which for me suits the
style of the design a lot better. The
quality you get for the price here is
just fantastic. Some of the best value,
no doubt, on the market. Sixth place
goes to Raymond Veil with the Takarta
Heritage. For a big Swiss brand, it's
refreshing to see something so on trend
and a watch that fits what collectors
are currently looking for. The
proportions of this watch are just
immaculate because it spans the wrist
nicely, but it still wears like a dream.
The minimal dial has been perfectly
designed and it's for sure one of the
most sophisticated watches I have ever
reviewed. Fifth place goes to Booft with
the brilliant Element Temper Red. Yes,
this was only a new dial color for the
Element range, but wow, what a brilliant
color they have chosen here. The Element
is one of the best everyday watches on
the market for under £1,000. Brilliant
finish in an awesome bracelet and a dial
that's jam-packed with detail. This
temper red version sliced through the
sportiness and offered a classy twist.
Fourth place goes to the incredibly
impressive Artemis from Zeos. The brand,
yes again, shows why they're considered
one of the best bang-book independents
in the business. This watch has
everything that a high-end luxury sports
watch has, but costs less than a
mass-roduced TUDA. Yes, Zos makes
brilliant sub $500 watches, but they
also make some incredible watches that
cost over $1,000, too. coming in third
place. So, the bronze medal here, it has
to be wise with the Adamascus GMT. These
watches are just brilliant. Yes, you
could argue that designs are maybe a bit
too generic, but there is no denying the
quality on offer here. These watches are
almost impossible to follow for me.
They're the Rolex of micro brands, and I
don't say that lightly. They're a bit
flashy. I like Rolex. They offer good
quality like Rolex, but they look a
million bucks on the wrist. Coming in
second place is the super impressive
Scout from OJ Sonowski. You definitely
can't say the design here is generic.
It's wacky, but for me, wonderful. But
it's truly the quality that gets this
one the second spot. Case finishing is
brilliant. The attention to detail on
the dial is immaculate and the movement
is something special at this price. A
custom Myota 9 series with bespoke
golden bridges. Yeah, this watch should
have cost a lot more than it did. But
coming in at number one, so the gold
medal, we have the Clemens Fotic M2 dive
watch. I cannot overstate how much this
watch impressed me. The finishing
throughout the watch was brilliant. The
proportions and how it felt on the wrist
was flawless, and the dial design, just
look at it. It's perfect. Plenty of
personality with a nice pop of color. If
you can get hands-on with this watch in
2026, even if you don't like dive
watches, you will simply be impressed
with how good this watch is for the
incredibly affordable price. Let me know
your top picks from all 82 watches in
the comments below. Did I get it right?
Did I get it wrong? Let me know. Again,
happy new year to everybody. I'll catch
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