These 5 icons of modern watchmaking celebrate their birthdays in 2025

In the history of modern horology, only a handful of watches have not only kept time but also defined eras. In 2025, a number of them are marking major milestones. Take the Seiko Diver’s Watch, for instance. This 60-year-old marvel of Japanese engineering, released at a time when dive watches were a novelty, continues to set the benchmark for reliability and resilience.

Then there’s Omega’s 30-year partnership with James Bond, which has turned the Seamaster Diver 300M into cinematic legend. Ditto the Planet Ocean, which has steadfastly conquered oceanic depths for the past 20 years.

Fresh out of its teenage years, the Hublot Big Bang celebrates two decades of technical accomplishments, many of them world-firsts. Last but not least, the underrated Cartier Pasha is turning a big 4-0, resolutely maintaining its guise of sporty elegance.

40 YEARS OF THE PASHA DE CARTIER: RETURN OF THE REBEL

When the Pasha de Cartier debuted in 1985, it stood out – not just within Cartier’s own lineup of elegant Tanks and Santos, but in the broader watch landscape. Bold, extroverted and unapologetically glamorous, the Pasha was a curious contradiction.

It flaunted a round case from a maison known for geometric lines. It was a sporty, water-resistant timepiece, yet it was laced with decorative flourishes – making it as suited for the boardroom as it was poolside in Marrakech.

The watch’s origins are steeped in legend. In the 1930s, Cartier was said to have fashioned a waterproof watch for the Pasha (a high-ranking officer) of Marrakech, a man known for his taste for luxury and leisure.

That origin story became the seed for the modern Pasha, which was brought to life in 1985 with input from legendary designer Gerald Genta. Its defining features – a prominent screw-down crown cover, a chained cap, Arabic numerals, and a square minute track within a circular dial – gave it an unmistakable identity.

But by the late 2000s, the Pasha quietly disappeared from Cartier’s catalogue. As the watch world shifted towards austere tool watches and vintage revivals, and Cartier channelled its energy into haute horlogerie under the leadership of Carole Forestier-Kasapi, the Pasha no longer fit the mood.

That changed in 2020. Cartier reintroduced the Pasha with a new sense of purpose. The refreshed models stayed true to the original’s silhouette, but brought thoughtful updates: Modern in-house movements, tool-free bracelet adjustments, gender-fluid sizing, and bolder dial options.

The years that followed saw a steady expansion of the line: Skeletonised versions, models with complications, and high jewellery interpretations – each one entrenching the Pasha’s place in Cartier’s watchmaking canon.

To date, no 40th anniversary models have been announced yet. But if history is any guide, the Pasha’s next chapter will be as surprising and stylish as its first.

HUBLOT BIG BANG AT 20: A BOLD FUSION OF PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE

In 2005, Hublot detonated a seismic shift in watchmaking with the launch of the Big Bang. Two decades on, the watch stands as an icon of modern horology, a milestone that calls for a tributary collection.

Enter a series of five limited-edition timepieces, which combine elements of the original Big Bang with the current Big Bang Unico. The collection revisits the original’s defining design codes – multilayer case construction, pinched lugs, knurled bezel edge – and marries them with the technical prowess of the Unico.

Each 43mm piece features a redesigned case, carbon fibre-inspired engraved dials with riveted Arabic numerals and indexes filled with Super-LumiNova, and the signature dual chronograph counters, now powered by Hublot’s in-house automatic flyback chronograph movement. The special gold rotor engraved for the anniversary adds a touch of celebration to the engine beating beneath.

The collection includes two titanium ceramic and King Gold ceramic editions – both limited to 500 and 250 pieces respectively – embracing the sporty-luxe aesthetic that has defined the Big Bang.

A standout is the Red Magic edition, showcasing Hublot’s pioneering coloured ceramic technology in a vibrant red hue, limited to 100 pieces and pairing fiery innovation with a carbon-patterned dial.

Meanwhile, the All Black edition revives Hublot’s iconic “invisible visibility” concept, now featuring a unique matte and polished black ceramic case with a black carbon-pattern dial – the first of its kind in this variant.

Rounding out the set is the Magic Gold edition, crafted from the world’s first scratch-resistant 18K gold alloy, combining durability and luxury in a limited run of 100 pieces.

LICENSE TO SHINE: 30 YEARS OF OMEGA AND BOND

With the 26th installment of the James Bond franchise fast-tracked into production and whispers growing louder that Aaron Taylor-Johnson could be donning the tuxedo, one accessory appears to have already secure its screen time: An Omega.

Taylor-Johnson (28 Years Later, Godzilla) recently signed on with the Swiss watchmaker, fuelling speculation that the Seamaster is staying right where it belongs: On the wrist of agent 007.

For the uninitiated, that tradition began in 1995’s GoldenEye, when Oscar-winning costume designer Lindy Hemming made the fateful decision to put an Omega Seamaster 300M Quartz on Pierce Brosnan’s wrist.

“I was convinced that Commander Bond, a naval man, a diver, and a discreet gentleman of the world, would wear this watch,” she later said.

It wasn’t just a matter of aesthetics. Omega had legit Royal Navy provenance, having delivered over 110,000 watches to British forces during WWII, including military divers in the 1950s and 1960s. In Hemming’s eyes, Omega didn’t just look the part; it was the part.

ROLLING IN THE DEEP: OMEGA’S SEAMASTER PLANET OCEAN TURNS 20

When Omega launched the Seamaster Planet Ocean in 2005, it wasn’t just introducing a new dive watch; it was issuing a declaration. The timepiece was a bold, modern tool watch meant to conquer the depths of the sea with serious engineering and unmistakable style.

Drawing design inspiration from the original Seamaster 300 of 1957 – Omega’s first true professional dive watch – the Planet Ocean fused classic diving elements like broad arrow hands and unidirectional bezels with cutting-edge materials and Master Chronometer-certified movements.

Within a few years, it became a firm favourite among professionals and collectors. Mass appeal ensued after Daniel Craig donned one in 2012’s Skyfall during the action sequences set in Istanbul.

Now, two decades later, Omega celebrates the Planet Ocean’s birthday by taking the collection global – literally – with two Planet Ocean Worldtimer models. Each 45.5mm watch features a black ceramic (ZrO2) case; matching ceramic bezel with a diving scale in positive relief; and a topographical map of the Earth viewed from above the North Pole, laser-ablated on a Grade 5 titanium dial centre.

The central dial is ringed by a 24-hour indication beneath hesalite glass, showing night and day across time zones. The outer dial, finished in black DLC, is detailed with a polished honeycomb texture, and accented by turquoise or grey tones depending on the model.

Paired with a black rubber strap, each Worldtimer is powered by the Co-Axial Master Chronometer Calibre 8938, which offers high precision and 600m water resistance.

60 YEARS BELOW THE SURFACE: SEIKO DIVER’S WATCH MARKS A MILESTONE

In 1965, when the world’s oceans remained largely unconquered by wristwatches, Seiko took up the mantle and made a splash that would ripple through horological history. The 62MAS, the first Japanese diver’s watch, was engineered for 150m of water resistance. Worn by the Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition, it marked Seiko’s entry into the elite circle of serious dive tools.

From there, the legacy only deepened. Three years later, Seiko debuted the world’s first hi-beat automatic diver’s watch. Then in 1975, the game changed forever: The watchmaker unveiled a radical, one-piece titanium case design that eliminated the need for a helium escape valve.

These were watches designed with feedback from professionals who worked in the crushing pressures of the deep, and the monobloc case was a breakthrough that saturation divers still revere today.

Now, in 2025, Seiko celebrates 60 years of its dive watch dynasty with three new Prospex models that echo its most defining chapters.

Leading the pack is the Marinemaster Professional, limited to 600 pieces and powered by the formidable Caliber 8L45. It fuses the form of the 1968 icon with the tech-forward soul of the 1975 titanium beast. A textured deep-sea dial, 600m water resistance, and a movement fortified with Seiko’s Spron alloy speak to the watchmaker’s blend of heritage and innovation.

Two additional models round out the anniversary: The 1965 Heritage Diver’s Watch in silver and the 1968 Heritage Diver’s GMT in marine blue. Each features a new wave-motif dial, updated clasps, 300m water resistance, and 72-hour power reserves via Seiko’s trusted 6R55 and 6R54 calibres.