It’s been a year of momentous anniversaries. In 2026, the United States celebrated its 250th anniversary, Sir David Attenborough blew out 100 candles on his birthday cake, and Alexander Graham Bell’s telephone has been ringing off the hook for 150 years. And it’s been an equally impressive year of anniversaries in the watch world, so our photographer has taken a look back, with slightly misty-eyed nostalgia, at those watches celebrating a milestone this year.
PADI at 60
It has been 10 years since Seiko began their partnership with the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI). However, rather than celebrate that milestone they instead decided to dedicate their latest collaboration watch to an even more significant anniversary, PADI’s 60th anniversary. The resulting timepiece is the Prospex Mechanical PADI 60th Anniversary Limited Edition “King Turtle”.
Model: Seiko Prospex Mechanical PADI 60th Anniversary Limited Edition 'King Turtle'
Ref: HBB002
Case/dial: 45mm diameter x 13.2mm thickness, stainless steel, screw-down crown
Dial: Blue
Water resistance: 200m (20 bar)
Movement: Seiko calibre 4R36
Frequency: 21,600 vph (3 Hz)
Power reserve: 41h
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, day, date
Strap: Stainless steel bracelet
Price: £650, limited to 8,000 pieces
More details at Seiko.
Seiko at 145
Seiko’s 145th anniversary has been split into three sections: Past, Present and Future, each featuring watches of a specific colourway. For the past, there’s the Timekeeper in gold. For present, there’s the Arita Porcelain, Shiro-neri and 1965 Heritage Diver’s in ‘Seiko Blue’. For the future, there’s the Edo Purple series including Speedtimer, Alpinist, Cocktail Time GMT, 5 Sports, Rotocall and Astron GPS. Seiko know how to party like it’s 1881.
Model: Seiko Prospex Speedtimer Solar Chronograph 145th Anniversary Limited Edition
Ref: HBJ005P1
Case/dial: 41.4mm diameter x 13mm thickness, stainless steel
Dial: Edo purple
Water resistance: 100m (10 bar)
Movement: Seiko calibre V192, solar quartz
Power reserve: 6 months
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, date, chronograph, 24-hour
Strap: Stainless steel bracelet
Price: £670, limited to 8,000 pieces
More details at Seiko.
Eco-Drive at 50
Eco-Drive is the terminology Citizen uses to describe quartz watches that use light absorbed through the dial to charge their batteries rather than the typical chemical batteries you need to replace on a standard quartz watch. The first Eco-Drive watch, though that term hadn’t been coined yet, was the 1976 Citizen Crystron Solar Cell, making 2026 the 50th anniversary of its launch. To celebrate this milestone, the Japanese brand has released the Citizen Eco-Drive Photon 50th Anniversary Innovation.
Model: Citizen Eco-Drive Photon 50th Anniversary Limited Edition
Ref: BJ6560-53W
Case/dial: 39.6mm diameter x 9.9mm thickness, Super Titanium
Dial: Black with blue
Water resistance: 50m (5 bar)
Movement: Citizen Eco-Drive calibre E036, solar quartz
Frequency: 32,768 Hz
Power reserve: 12 months
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds
Strap: Super Titanium bracelet
Price: £749, limited to 5,000 pieces
More details at Citizen.
The Star at 60
The Oris Star is a watch tied to a lesser known but hugely significant moment in the history of Swiss watchmaking. In the 1930s the Swiss government introduced the Swiss Watch Statute to protect the industry in the fallout from the Great Depression, but the statute had the side effect of limiting innovation and growth in the industry. In 1965 the statute was overturned by a lawyer hired by Oris, a year later in 1966 they produced the Oris Star using fresh innovations they were now allowed to use, such as lever escapements. It has been revived by modern Oris on its 60th anniversary.
Model: Oris Star Edition
Ref: 01 733 7813 4151
Case/dial: 35mm diameter x 11.1mm thickness, stainless steel
Dial: Brushed silver
Water resistance: 50m (5 bar)
Movement: Oris calibre 733
Frequency: 28,800 vph (4 Hz)
Power reserve: 41h
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, date
Strap: Black leather strap
Price: £1,750
More details at Oris.
The Harpoon at 60
Favre Leuba’s Harpoon Revival is a modern take on a design from 1966 that’s celebrating its 60th anniversary this year. It’s an early example of what we’d describe as a GADA watch (go anywhere, do anything), with all-rounder specs that make it suitable for any situation without being a dedicated tool watch.
Model: Favre Leuba Harpoon Revival
Case/dial: 36.8mm diameter x 10mm thickness, stainless steel
Dial: Grey
Water resistance: 50m (5 bar)
Movement: Favre Leuba calibre FLD04
Frequency: 28,800 vph (4 Hz)
Power reserve: 68h
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, date
Strap: Black alligator-embossed leather strap
Price: £1,800
More details at Favre Leuba.
Orient Star at 75
As the higher-end arm of Orient’s watchmaking, Orient Star’s always been an odd proposition to me. They seem to feel the need to justify their higher positioning with open hearts, skeletonization and their signature power reserve indicators. But honestly, the value and finishing make me wish they’d just take it back a step. Well, for their 75th anniversary they’ve done just that with the F8 Meteorite 75th Anniversary.
Model: Orient Star M34 F8 Date Meteorite 75th Anniversary Limited Edition
Ref: RE-BX0010A
Case/dial: 40mm diameter x 12.9mm thickness, stainless steel
Dial: Grey meteorite
Water resistance: 100m (10 bar)
Movement: Orient Star calibre F8N64
Power reserve: 60h
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, date, power reserve indicator
Strap: Stainless steel bracelet
Price: £2,824.99, limited to 255 pieces
More details at Orient Star.
Tudor at 100
The Tudor Monarch is a name that has been used across multiple previous models from Tudor but that is now attached to a brand-new watch. It’s essentially Tudor’s centenary watch, paying tribute to their 100 years of history since being founded in Geneva in 1926 by Hans Wilsdorf. It’s a fusion of vintage inspired design elements with modern master chronometer specs. Tudor continue their slow quest to crawl out from under the shadow of Rolex.
Model: Tudor Monarch
Ref: M2639W1A0U-0001
Case/dial: 39mm diameter x 11.9mm thickness, stainless steel, screw-down crown
Dial: Dark champagne
Water resistance: 100m (10 bar)
Movement: Tudor calibre MT5662-2U
Frequency: 28,800 vph (4 Hz)
Power reserve: 65h
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds
Strap: Stainless steel bracelet
Price: £4,600
More details at Tudor.
The Oyster at 100
When the Rolex Oyster was launched in 1926 it revolutionised watchmaking in multiple ways. Not only did it change how we think of watches in terms of durability (being the first watch to be worn on a swim across the English Channel (on the wrist of Mercedes Gleitze) it changed how watches are marketed. It can be argued that the concept of high profile ambassadors and celebrity endorsement started with the Oyster 100 years ago.
Model: Rolex Oyster Perpetual 41
Ref: 134303
Case/dial: 41mm diameter, Oystersteel and yellow gold, screw-down crown
Dial: Slate
Water resistance: 100m (10 bar)
Movement: Rolex calibre 3230
Frequency: 28,800 vph (4 Hz)
Power reserve: 70h
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds
Strap: Oystersteel and yellow gold Oyster bracelet
Price: £8,050
More details at Rolex.
Raymond Weil at 50
Raymond Weil turns 50 this year, having been founded in 1976. In order to celebrate, the Swiss brand is producing a 50-piece limited edition chronograph called The Fifty that pays tribute to watchmaking from 1976 as well as the brand’s most recent successes. In order to achieve that, the design is based on the popular Millesime collection while housing a restored Valjoux manual chronograph movement from 1976.
Model: Raymond Weil Millesime The Fifty
Ref: 1976-STC-65001
Case/dial: 37mm diameter x 10.75mm thickness, stainless steel, 18k white gold bezel
Dial: Silver
Water resistance: 50m (5 bar)
Movement: Raymond Weil calibre RW1976
Frequency: 21,600 vph (3 Hz)
Power reserve: 40h
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, chronograph
Strap: Blue nubuck leather strap
Price: £9,250, limited to 50 pieces
More details at Raymond Weil.
The Monza at 50
How do you follow up an accidental icon? Fifty years ago, Heuer built a watch on the cheap and inadvertently created a cult classic. Now, to mark the anniversary, TAG Heuer have brought the Monza home with the new Monza Flyback Chronograph 50th anniversary edition with modern specs, bringing the collection into the 21st century.
Model: TAG Heuer Monza Flyback Chronograph 50th Anniversary Edition
Ref: CR5092.FC8372
Case/dial: 42mm diameter x 15.22mm thickness, forged carbon
Dial: Black
Water resistance: 100m (10 bar)
Movement: TAG Heuer calibre TH20-12
Frequency: 28,800 vph (4 Hz)
Power reserve: 80h
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, flyback chronograph, date
Strap: Black perforated calfskin leather strap
Price: £11,300, limited to 500 pieces
More details at TAG Heuer.
IWC Ceramic at 40
Back in 1986, IWC, presiding over the picturesque region of Schaffhausen, introduced the world’s first ceramic wristwatch in, of all collections, the Da Vinci line. The Da Vinci of the time was the cutting-edge, forward-thinking member of IWC’s collection, so it’s perhaps not too much of a surprise. Today ceramic has become a staple of the brand, including the Ingenieur line, which is celebrating 50 years since it was redesigned by Gerald Genta.
Model: IWC Ingenieur Automatic 42
Ref: IW338902
Case/dial: 42mm diameter x 11.5mm thickness, dark olive green ceramic, 18-carat gold crown
Dial: Dark olive green
Water resistance: 100m (10 bar)
Movement: IWC calibre 82110
Frequency: 28,800 vph (4 Hz)
Power reserve: 60h
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, date
Strap: Ceramic bracelet
Price: £18,500
More details at IWC.
The Freak at 25
Launched in 2001, the Ulysse Nardin Freak is one of the seminal watch designs of the early 21st century. With a self-contained rotating movement that serves as the watch’s time display, it revolutionises how we depict time in a mechanical context. Additionally, through the work of designers like Ludwig Oechslin, silicon became a prominent watchmaking material in the mechanisms of UN and beyond.
Model: Ulysse Nardin Freak X 25th Anniversary
Ref: 2323-500-1A/0A
Case/dial: 41mm diameter, stainless steel, screw-down crown
Dial: Grey
Water resistance: 100m (10 bar)
Movement: Ulysse Nardin calibre UN-232
Frequency: 21,600 vph (3 Hz)
Power reserve: 72h
Functions: Hours, minutes
Strap: Cognac nubuck leather strap
Price: £31,100
More details at Ulysse Nardin.
The Nautilus at 50
One of the defining watches of the late 1970s and 1980s, the Patek Philippe Nautilus by Gerald Genta came to exemplify an entire generation of watch design. With its broad, flat surface, integrated bracelet and engraved dial, the Nautilus is the classic example of sports-chic design. Taking the principles of a tool watch and turning it into a luxury item.
Model: Patek Philippe Nautilus 50th Anniversary
Ref: 5810/1G-001
Case/dial: 41mm diameter x 6.9mm thickness, white gold, screw-down crown
Dial: Blue
Water resistance: 30m (3 bar)
Movement: Patek Philippe calibre 240
Frequency: 21,600 vph (3 Hz)
Power reserve: 48h
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds
Strap: White gold bracelet
Price: £75,690, limited to 2,000 pieces
More details at Patek Philippe.
