The capital of time: Why London Watch Week 2025 might just be the best thing to happen to horology this year
A capital-wide celebration of watchmaking brilliance, its tick tracing its way through boutiques, galleries, auction rooms and hidden corners of the city. London gets its due attention at last, and quite rightly so.
For if there’s a town with the culture, the collectors, the craftsmanship, and yes, the sheer personality to pull off a week-long watch fest, it’s London. Paris can do fragrance, Geneva can do gravitas, but London? London does soul, storytelling, and a spoonful of irreverent genius.
A treasure hunt around the capital
Rather than driving horologically inclined attendees into a huge, arty, fluorescent-lit convention hall, London Watch Week does something much more. London. A thoughtfully curated trail across some of the city’s most elegant venues: 16 Curzon Street, Savile Row, Bonhams, and a few chic boutiques in between. Less trade show, more treasure hunt.
The result? A choose-your-own-adventure for watch nuts. Start the day with a panel on haute horlogerie, lunch in Mayfair, and then stumble upon an old Breguet while wondering past Drake’s. No wrist left behind.
It’s the sort of format that could only happen in London, where horology sits happily alongside heritage tailoring, street art, and a couple of hundred years of merchant-class propriety. And just this once, the world of watches feels a little less like an élite community and more like an open invitation.
Bonhams leads the way
The week starts with a bang, thanks to Bonhams’ Fine Watches sale on 19 June. Expect a dazzling parade of the regular suspects: Vacheron Constantin, Patek Philippe, Audemars Piguet, and of course Rolex, together with the occasional wildcard to keep collectors on their toes.
Jonathan Darracott, Bonhams’ Global Head of Watches, puts it succinctly: “This is a great platform to share experience and know-how of the world of horology to the community at large.” Or in plain speak: this is going to be fantastic. There’s also a not-to-be-missed panel session with Darracott and Justin Hast, dissecting essentials from the sale – catnip to anyone who loves storytelling as much as they love a tourbillon.
Your week in watches: London Watch Week 2025 at a glance
(Subject to last-minute brilliance and inevitable horological overindulgence)
| Date | Location | Highlights |
| Tue 17 June | Bonhams, New Bond St | Bonhams Fine Watches Auction Preview Afternoon panel: Darracott & Hast |
| Thu 19 June | 16 Curzon Street Minotti | Independents Showcase Day 1: Andersen Genève, Ludovic Ballouard, Atelier Wen & more “Meet the Makers” talks throughout the afternoon. London Watch Week gala reception at Minotti |
| Fri 20 June | 16 Curzon Street Drake’s Oris Boutique | Independents Showcase Day 2 Collector talks, tastings & surprise drops Pre-Owned & Vintage evening Talk in the afternoon, drinks in the evening |
| Sat 21 June | 16 Curzon Street Across the capital | Pre-Owned & Vintage showcase Full day talks programme Treasure trail finale, vintage pop-ups, informal gatherings, boutique crawls |
Independent showcase
For the more niche tastes, the independent showcase is fast becoming the pick of the bunch. Taking over 16 Curzon Street on Thursday and Friday, this part of the programme is more like an insider’s shopping list.
ANDERSEN Genève celebrates 45 years with a debut timepiece, Atelier Wen brings Chinese philosophy to Swiss mechanics, and Ludovic Ballouard continues to confound the laws of timekeeping entirely. Add to that Laurent Ferrier’s gorgeously restrained pieces, Ressence’s rotating orbital wizardry, and Czapek’s guilloché dials that could stop traffic, and you’ve got one of the most exciting indie lineups London’s ever hosted.
It’s not about showing watches. It’s about showing why they matter. Why the subtle obsession with finishing, proportions and mechanical nuance continues to capture a generation raised on smartwatches and swipe culture. These aren’t just timekeepers. They’re micro-sculptures of engineering and emotion.
The rise of the pre-owned behemoths
And of course, no modern watch event would be complete without the classic and pre-owned players, and London Watch Week has those covered too. Subdial leads the way, taking its data-driven, community-focused model to the forefront. It’s the Bloomberg terminal of horology, only with better tailoring.
Expect rare drops, behind-the-scenes insights, and yes, market-moving data courtesy of the Bloomberg-Subdial Watch Index. Also on the roster: Maunder Watches, Watch Brothers London and Somlo Watches, each bringing their own flavour of history, provenance and hard-earned expertise to the mix.
Also joining the festivities is the Oris Boutique, a welcome addition that brings a grounded, mechanical charm to the lineup. With its signature blend of Swiss precision and everyday wearability, Oris offers a refreshingly democratic perspective on fine watchmaking – proving you don’t need a tourbillon to turn heads.
Vintage lovers, rejoice. Whether you’re hunting for a tropical-dial Submariner or a ‘70s Cartier Tank, there’s plenty to tempt.
Not just for the initiated
One of the most thrilling aspects of London Watch Week 2025 is how refreshingly open it feels. It’s not about checking boxes for the industry. It’s a week for collectors, enthusiasts, the inquisitive and the downright uninitiated.
Workshops, panels, Minotti evening receptions and a full Moleskine of masterclasses. This is the horological event for anyone who’s ever asked what makes a movement unique, or why one case shape just feels right.
And with Luxury London as the show’s media partner, expect a flurry of behind-the-scenes content, event news and peeks into the wristwear of the city’s best-dressed.
A city that gets time
If London Watch Week feels like it belongs here, that’s because it does. London has never been too fond of the transient nature of minutes and hours, but instead embraces the longevity of memory, history and the art of making things. This is a city where Georgian clock towers coexist with modern ateliers, where an old Jaeger may appear on the Tube, and where the past is never more than a short walk away.
The people behind the event – Justin Hast, Tom Exton and Lucy Cheesewright – have managed to bottle that energy and turn it into something the global watch community can rally behind. And rightly so, as it’s high time the time came for London.
June 17 through 21, and the city is a playground for horology. Curiosity is all you need. That, an adventurous spirit – and a little bit of wrist real estate.
Further information: https://www.londonwatchweekofficial.com
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