The Wind Up – Watch News #315

Welcome back to The Wind Up, our weekly series highlighting the newest watches of the past seven days. With only one week left to go in February, the watchmaking world is firing on all cylinders, dropping release after release of stunning horological fare in the lead-up to the industry’s biggest show. Watches & Wonders 2025 is just over a month away and the world’s most significant watchmakers (sans Swatch group) aren’t letting any time go to waste.

This week, new novelties and core releases were unveiled by OMEGA, Bell & Ross, IWC and Hermès, giving us a taste of what is in store for the rest of 2025. But as we all know in the topsy-turvy whimsical world of watches, you really can never know what’s around the next corner. Happy reading!

OMEGA Seamaster Diver 300M Bronze Gold and Burgundy

• Brand: OMEGA
• Model: Seamaster Diver 300M Bronze Gold and Burgundy
• Reference: Ref. 210.90.42.20.01.003
• Diameter: 42mm
• Thickness: 13.8mm
• Movement: Calibre 8806 Self-Winding
• Power Reserve: 55 hours
• Water Resistance: 300 metres
• Price: AUD$23,100 (on rubber strap) / AUD$46,375 (on bronze gold bracelet)

OMEGA has hit 2025 running, introducing the latest precious metal model to its ever-expanding Seamaster Diver 300M collection. The new REf. 210.90.42.20.01.003 features a refined, warm, and utterly beautiful bronze and burgundy colour palette. It builds upon OMEGA’s proprietary gold alloy (made of palladium, silver, and gold), which gives it a lovely bronze hue along with some impressive corrosion resistance stats.

According to OMEGA, the latest Diver 300m is inspired by the Seamaster Diver 300M 007 Edition, which was launched in 2020 for Craig’s final entry in the iconic franchise, No Time to Die. Both timepieces feature similar ergonomics and construction elements, from the mesh bracelet and domed sapphire crystal to the oxalic anodised aluminium bezel ring and dial.

The combination of bronze and burgundy is a tried and true one, and in the case of the Seamaster Diver 300M’s utilitarian look, it works really well. The missing date window works in the watch’s favour, as does that delightful bronze gold mesh bracelet (which adds a fair premium to the base price, mind you). 

Hermès Slim d’Hermès Cheval Brossé

• Brand: Hermès
• Model: Slim d’Hermès Cheval Brossé
• Diameter: 39.50mm
• Thickness: 7.50mm
• Material: White gold
• Movement: Calibre H1950
• Power Reserve: 48 hours
• Water Resistance: 30 metres
• Price: Price on request (Limited to 24 pieces)

Where Hermès watches may have once been seen as an optional add-on for the high-fashion Maison, in 2025, the luxury brand is stepping things up. The new Slim d’Hermès Cheval Brossé, combines the maison’s more artistic approach to watchmaking, introducing an elegant and viscerally stunning affair. What we have is a dial that is made from grand feu enamel with pad printing done in multiple brushings for each colour.

Inside, Hermès has incorporated an ultra-thin, self-winding calibre H1950, a micro-rotor movement made by Vaucher that has been completely customised for Hermes. The unique addition offers 48 hours of power reserve, which is not a bad effort considering it functions at 21,600 beats per hour (3 Hz).

The Hermès Slim d’Hermès Cheval Brossé translates to “brushed horse,” and because of the piece’s abstract nature, you can slowly see the horse rearing its head. It’s an interesting, rather modern take on some artisanal watchmaking that holds a lot of appeal for me personally. 

IWC Big Pilot’s Watch Shock Absorber XPL Toto Wolff x Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team

• Brand: IWC Schaffhausen
• Model: Big Pilot’s Watch Shock Absorber XPL Toto Wolff x Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team
• Reference Number: Ref. IW356201
• Diameter: 44mm
• Thickness: 12.60mm
• Movement: Calibre 32101
• Power Reserve: 120 hours
• Water Resistance: 100 metres

IWC unleashes a beast of a watch in the new Big Pilot’s Watch Shock Absorber XPL Toto Wolff x Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team. As the name implies, the new Ref. IW356201 was made to celebrate Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team’s owner Toto Wolff. You will see some interesting technical developments in the IWC Big Pilot’s Watch Shock Absorber XPL Toto Wolff x Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team. 

First, the BMG shock-absorbing spring surrounds the movement and is coated with Petronas green Super-LumiNova for good effect. Then, there is the SPRIN-g PROTECT mechanism, which exponentially enhances the piece’s shock resistance. The case is crafted from ceratanium, a material that IWC Schaffhausen claims is as light and robust as titanium but with scratch-resistant properties similar to ceramic. Inside, you’ll find the in-house 120-hour reserve-rated calibre 32101. while the livery of the Formula 1 team flows throughout. 

Bell & Ross BR 03 Astro

• Brand: Bell & Ross
• Model: BR 03 Astro
• Reference Number: Ref. BR03A-EMM-CE/SRB
• Diameter: 41mm
• Thickness: 11.50mm 
• Movement: BR-CAL.327
• Power Reserve: 54 hours
• Water Resistance: 100 metres
• Price: USD$4,800 (Limited to 999 pieces)

Last but certainly not least is the Bell & Ross BR 03 Astro. Drawing inspiration from space, the Bell & Ross BR 03 Astro boasts a rather interesting celestial dial that captures the Earth, Moon and Mars along with a satellite set against an aventurine glass base. While you might think that this is a genuine celestial-based timepiece, the orbital bodies indicate the passing hours, minutes and seconds.

Mars indicates the hours, the Moon shows the minutes and the satellite fronts as the seconds hand. The highly detailed Earth at the centre of the dial doesn’t rotate, but still looks absolutely epic. The Bell & Ross BR 03 Astro is a rather creative piece from the brand, and with laser-engraved details made to replicate the exact celestial bodies, even the staunchest of our space-interested watch collectors should appreciate this piece.