Review – The Best Vintage-Inspired Watches of 2025

While 2024 showed that vintage design is still popular, 2025 proves that it can still surprise us. As watchmakers continue to explore new materials and bold designs, vintage inspiration remains a key creative influence. From digital Art Deco revivals to post-war classics, this year brought many exciting new editions. Here is our pick of the six best vintage-inspired watches of 2025. When history is embraced with care and finesse, it never goes out of style.

Cartier Tank from the Guichets Prive Collection

Among Cartier's many sculpted icons, this 1928 digital display tank stands out for its minimalism and mystery: a solid metal façade interrupted only by two openings for the jumping hours and the dragging minutes. For 2025, the Cartier Privé collection is reviving it in four versions: yellow gold with green accents, rose gold with gray and platinum with burgundy, as well as a platinum model limited to 200 pieces in which the openings run diagonally across the case. All remain compact, measuring 24.8 mm x 37.6 mm x 6 mm and powered by the new hand-wound caliber 9755 MC, which is characterized by improved jump stability. The case retains the original 1928 design, with the crown at 12 o'clock, a vertically brushed top plate and moldings that fit into the case. It's elegant, mysterious and distinctly Cartier.

For more details, see our article on the Cartier Tank à Guichets here.

Chronoswiss Neo Digiteur

Another digital display watch, a modern take on the brand's 2005 Montre sans Aiguilles (“clock without hands”), revives the digital jumping-hour format, here refined for the 21st century. The 48mm x 30mm rectangular steel case combines satin and polished surfaces with sandblasted sides and screw-down lugs that soften its shape. The time is displayed through three windows: jumping hours at 12, sliding minutes in the middle and running seconds at 6. There are two versions: the industrial-looking granite version with an anthracite dial and blue numerals and the warmer sand version with a gold dial and navy blue numerals. The hand-wound caliber C.85757 is based on a Peseux movement, but has been heavily revised in-house and equipped with a special module for the jumping hour. It features hand-guilloche bridges, gold-plated wheels and radial Côtes de Genève decoration. Limited to 99 units per version, the Neo Digiteur is bold, niche-oriented and extremely appealing.

Find out more about the Chronoswiss Neo Digiteur in our story here.

Longines Ultra-Chron Classic 37 mm

Following the Diver model in 2022, this faithful reissue of the 1967 high-frequency Ultra-Chron returns in a compact and period-accurate 37mm case. The design stays true to the original, with sharp 1960s lines, a crosshair dial, a trapezoidal date window and black lacquered markers on a domed sunray silver dial. The multi-link bracelet and the box-shaped sapphire crystal underline the vintage look. What makes the Ultra-Chron so special is what's inside: the 5 Hz (36,000 vibrations per hour) L836.6 caliber, a certified ultra-chronometer tested by TIMELAB in Geneva to ISO 3159 standards. It features a silicon hairspring and a 52-hour power reserve, staying true to the original's focus on precision. Of the two sizes introduced, the 37mm version feels the most authentic. It is elegant, well-proportioned and the typography is also true to the original. Longines brings back the past and improves it.

Read our full review of the Longines Ultra-Chron Classic here.

Omega Seamaster 37mm Milano Cortina 2026

This 37mm Moonshine Gold Edition is inspired by the 1956 Seamaster XVI “Cross of Merit” and the 2008 Seamaster XXIX. It brings back the “dogleg” eyelets and mid-century style of the earlier models. The polished gold case and domed white Grand Feu enamel dial give the watch a vintage look. Gold markers, dauphine hands and classic “Seamaster” lettering reflect 1950s style, while the solid caseback features a Milano Cortina 2026 logo. The watch runs on the Master Chronometer-certified caliber 8807, which can withstand magnetic fields up to 15,000 Gauss and offers a power reserve of 55 hours. Even with the Olympic link, the design remains classic, without colored rings or additional logos on the dial, simply timeless style. This is a beautifully understated commemorative watch and one of Omega's most elegant modern Seamasters.

Discover the Omega Seamaster 37mm Milano Cortina 2026 in our full feature here.

Vacheron Constantin Historiques 222 in steel

Hardly any new edition was as eagerly awaited as the Historiques 222 from Vacheron Constantin in steel, which followed the all-gold model. First released in 1977 to mark the brand's 222nd anniversary, the 222 was Vacheron's answer to the era of integrated sports watches like the Royal Oak and the Nautilus. Measuring 37mm x 7.95mm, it matches the size of the original but features a sapphire crystal back, a more comfortable strap and updated craftsmanship. The matte blue dial is reminiscent of the early steel versions, with gold hands and a yellow gold Maltese cross at 5 o'clock. The watch is powered by the in-house caliber 2455/2, a Geneva Seal automatic movement with a gold rotor, quick date adjustment and an operating frequency of 28,800 vibrations per hour. The integrated bracelet, brushed and polished, fits seamlessly onto the case. This elegant sports watch reflects the confident style of the 1970s and meets today's demands for precision and quality.

Read our test report on the Vacheron Constantin Historiques 222 in steel here.

Zenith GFJ caliber 135

Of all the tributes to watchmaking history in 2025, few are as meaningful as Zenith's revival of the famous Caliber 135. The new GFJ watch, named after Georges Favre-Jacot, celebrates the most decorated chronometer movement of the 20th century, now redesigned with impressive accuracy. The 39mm platinum case houses a blue dial with many textures: a lapis lazuli center, a guilloche outer ring and a mother-of-pearl small seconds dial. The real highlight is the movement, a meticulous replica of the 1948 caliber 135, now with a large balance wheel, swan neck regulator, Bioflex mainspring, 72-hour range, stop seconds and COSC certification. The decoration is outstanding, with engine-turned “brick” bridges inspired by the Zenith workshop at Le Locle, highly polished wheels and fine angulation throughout. Only 160 pieces will be made, making the GFJ Caliber 135 a true marriage of past skill and modern watchmaking.