4 New Fancy Watches All the Watch Nerds Are Coveting
WatchesGQ's monthly roundup of high-end horology includes an outrageously beautiful Zeitwerk from Lange with a cool “digital” display and a radiant new timepiece from Chopard.By Oren HartovJuly 28, 2025Lange Uhren GmbHSave StorySave this storySave StorySave this storyWelcome to Watch Guy Watches, GQ’s monthly curation of high-end timepieces for the true watch nerds among us. This July, Blancpain adds a super high-tech diver to its regular lineup, Chopard hits us with a gorgeous anniversary edition, Parmigiani Fleurier stuns with a beautiful “sandstone” dial, and Lange’s Zeitwerk date gets a pink gold and grey makeover.For true watch guys, a new release from German brand A. Lange & Söhne can make any day feel like a holiday. Since its revival in 1994, the brand has carved out its own path with pocket watch-inspired cases, jumping numerical displays, elegant typeface, superbly finished movements, and nods to their native Germany (most notably in the big date display inspired by the clock at the Semper Opera House.) 2009 was another major year for Lange—it’s when the manufacturer rolled out the Zeitwerk, which is now well known for its “digital” time readout, large power reserve indicator, and running seconds subdial. Over the years, Lange has added more mechanical wizardry to the Zeitwerk and experimented with some radical aesthetic executions, like the glowing Lumen Honeygold variation. Lange continues that tradition with another handsome brand-new version of the Zeitwerk.In 2019, Lange followed up the original Zeitwerk with the Zeitwerk Date, which added an outer track on the dial containing a month’s worth of indices. As the month progresses, a colored segment fitted to a ring beneath this track illuminates the given day of the month in red. And while on a smaller watch, this system might’ve caused dial crowding, the Zeitwerk Date’s larger 44.2-mm white gold case provided plenty of real estate to house both the display and the complicated mechanics necessary to power the complication.For 2025, Lange has iterated upon the 2019 version with a new execution in pink gold. And while 44.2 mm might seem large for a dress watch in precious metal, a case height of 12.3mm keeps things manageable, if not svelte. And once you flip the watch over to check out the hand-wound caliber L043.8 via the sapphire caseback, you’ll undoubtedly be more understanding: Consisting of 516 components and 70 jewels, the 37-mm-wide movement Lange’s signature three-quarter plate manufactured from German silver, a hand-engraved balance cock, a constant-force escapement, and mesmerizing hand finishing.Adjusted to five positions, this engine controls the watch’s readout, which is machined from silver and finished in grey: The time is indicated via a jumping hour display at 9 o’clock and a jumping minutes display at 3 o’clock, the latter of which switches its numerical discs 1,440 times per day. The outer date display, meanwhile, switches over precisely at midnight, while the “UP/DOWN” power reserve indicator below 12 o’clock displays 72 hours’ worth of running time when the watch is fully wound. Finally, the look is completed by a large running seconds display above 6 o’clock.While the combination of pink gold and grey dial—or pink dial and white metal—might no longer be a completely novel aesthetic in the watch world, there’s little arguing that Lange’s Zeitwerk Date is among the best examples of such a pairing. With production numbering roughly 6,000 pieces per year, the brand’s wares continue to constitute a relatively scarce commodity in the horological sphere—a fact that makes them perhaps the ultimate “Watch Guy Watches,” if you ask us.Chopard L.U.C Qualité Fleurier 20th Anniversary EditionLens Position: 2394Limited to just 20 examples, Chopard’s L.U.C Qualité Fleurier 20th Anniversary Edition celebrates two decades since the debut of the maison’s original L.U.C Qualité Fleurier. This was the first timepiece to achieve the stringent Qualité Fleurier timekeeping qualification, which requires a movement to pass a battery of tests, be made completely in Switzerland, and meet high criteria for finishing. Measuring 39 mm in 18K yellow gold with elegantly curved, soldered lugs and a smooth bezel, it features a handsome sector (or “tuxedo”) dial with an outer printed minute track, an inner brown hour ring with applied gold indices featuring luminous pips, and an inner gold section with a small-seconds display above 6 o’clock and a luminous syringe handset. The magic is around the other side, however: Beneath a sapphire caseback, the beautifully finished Chopard L.U.C 96.09-L automatic movement with micro-rotor and two stacked barrels is visible.Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda PF Sport Chronograph “Sandstone”In the last few years, Parmigiani Fleurier CEO Guido Terreni has taken founder Michel Parmigiani's eponymous brand to new heights, adding fresh complications, executions, and a focus on the unique Tonda model family. That focus has led to some
Welcome to Watch Guy Watches, GQ’s monthly curation of high-end timepieces for the true watch nerds among us. This July, Blancpain adds a super high-tech diver to its regular lineup, Chopard hits us with a gorgeous anniversary edition, Parmigiani Fleurier stuns with a beautiful “sandstone” dial, and Lange’s Zeitwerk date gets a pink gold and grey makeover.
For true watch guys, a new release from German brand A. Lange & Söhne can make any day feel like a holiday. Since its revival in 1994, the brand has carved out its own path with pocket watch-inspired cases, jumping numerical displays, elegant typeface, superbly finished movements, and nods to their native Germany (most notably in the big date display inspired by the clock at the Semper Opera House.) 2009 was another major year for Lange—it’s when the manufacturer rolled out the Zeitwerk, which is now well known for its “digital” time readout, large power reserve indicator, and running seconds subdial. Over the years, Lange has added more mechanical wizardry to the Zeitwerk and experimented with some radical aesthetic executions, like the glowing Lumen Honeygold variation. Lange continues that tradition with another handsome brand-new version of the Zeitwerk.
In 2019, Lange followed up the original Zeitwerk with the Zeitwerk Date, which added an outer track on the dial containing a month’s worth of indices. As the month progresses, a colored segment fitted to a ring beneath this track illuminates the given day of the month in red. And while on a smaller watch, this system might’ve caused dial crowding, the Zeitwerk Date’s larger 44.2-mm white gold case provided plenty of real estate to house both the display and the complicated mechanics necessary to power the complication.
For 2025, Lange has iterated upon the 2019 version with a new execution in pink gold. And while 44.2 mm might seem large for a dress watch in precious metal, a case height of 12.3mm keeps things manageable, if not svelte. And once you flip the watch over to check out the hand-wound caliber L043.8 via the sapphire caseback, you’ll undoubtedly be more understanding: Consisting of 516 components and 70 jewels, the 37-mm-wide movement Lange’s signature three-quarter plate manufactured from German silver, a hand-engraved balance cock, a constant-force escapement, and mesmerizing hand finishing.
Adjusted to five positions, this engine controls the watch’s readout, which is machined from silver and finished in grey: The time is indicated via a jumping hour display at 9 o’clock and a jumping minutes display at 3 o’clock, the latter of which switches its numerical discs 1,440 times per day. The outer date display, meanwhile, switches over precisely at midnight, while the “UP/DOWN” power reserve indicator below 12 o’clock displays 72 hours’ worth of running time when the watch is fully wound. Finally, the look is completed by a large running seconds display above 6 o’clock.
While the combination of pink gold and grey dial—or pink dial and white metal—might no longer be a completely novel aesthetic in the watch world, there’s little arguing that Lange’s Zeitwerk Date is among the best examples of such a pairing. With production numbering roughly 6,000 pieces per year, the brand’s wares continue to constitute a relatively scarce commodity in the horological sphere—a fact that makes them perhaps the ultimate “Watch Guy Watches,” if you ask us.
Chopard L.U.C Qualité Fleurier 20th Anniversary Edition
Limited to just 20 examples, Chopard’s L.U.C Qualité Fleurier 20th Anniversary Edition celebrates two decades since the debut of the maison’s original L.U.C Qualité Fleurier. This was the first timepiece to achieve the stringent Qualité Fleurier timekeeping qualification, which requires a movement to pass a battery of tests, be made completely in Switzerland, and meet high criteria for finishing. Measuring 39 mm in 18K yellow gold with elegantly curved, soldered lugs and a smooth bezel, it features a handsome sector (or “tuxedo”) dial with an outer printed minute track, an inner brown hour ring with applied gold indices featuring luminous pips, and an inner gold section with a small-seconds display above 6 o’clock and a luminous syringe handset. The magic is around the other side, however: Beneath a sapphire caseback, the beautifully finished Chopard L.U.C 96.09-L automatic movement with micro-rotor and two stacked barrels is visible.
Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda PF Sport Chronograph “Sandstone”
In the last few years, Parmigiani Fleurier CEO Guido Terreni has taken founder Michel Parmigiani's eponymous brand to new heights, adding fresh complications, executions, and a focus on the unique Tonda model family. That focus has led to some spectacular timepieces, like the new Tonda PF Sport Chronograph “Sandstone.” Housed in a satin and polished 42-mm rose gold case paired to a “Tufo” textured rubber strap inspired by vocalic stone, it boasts a silver guilloché dial with sandstone-colored chronograph totalizers, applied rose gold indices, and a matching, skeletonized alpha handset. For such a large hunk of precious metal, the airy colorway actually makes for the perfect summer watch, especially since it boasts 100m of water resistance.
Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Tech
Who can blame you if a tried-and-true dive watch is what you’re after this summer. In that case, check out the new Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Tech, a catalog version of the brand’s special limited-edition Tech Gombessa from 2023. Measuring 45 mm in lightweight Grade 23 titanium and featuring a helium escape valve and an interchangeable strap system, it’s water resistant down to 300m and made for serious diving. The Blancpain cal. 1315A automatic movement features an extra-long 120-hour power reserve, while the “Absolute Black" dial with block-shaped appliqué indices and plenty of Super-LumiNova is designed with underwater use in mind. The 120-click unidirectional bezel, meanwhile, swaps out the original Tech Gombessa’s three-hour saturation diving scale for a more conventional ceramic count-up insert. Equipped with three rubber straps in black, white, and orange, it’s the perfect timepiece for somebody whose leisure pursuits mirror those of James Bond’s.
