One More Wrap: The 1916 Company’s 2025 Wrist Time Year in Review

2026 is well underway and the year-end wrap season has come and gone, or so it seemed. We have one more for you.

In 2025 The 1916 Company launched a new community experience in our app built around discussion boards and a feature we call Wrist Time. Wrist Time lets you log, track, and share what you are wearing day to day. You can upload watches into a digital collection and any watch you purchase from us automatically appears there as well. With thousands of users from around the world, the result is a feed filled with both expected favorites and genuinely surprising appearances.

Since launching Wrist Time, tens of thousands of wears have been logged, with thousands posted publicly to the feed.

So, for our year-end-wrap, we wanted to show our community. To highlight just how diverse the collecting tastes are within it and to celebrate the people who consistently share their wrist time and make our app what it is. A genuinely special place and a unique space to share this hobby.

Some of what we found was exactly what you would expect. Rolex naturally took the top spot accounting for 21.3% of all logged wears with Omega close behind at 15.5% and Tudor rounding out the top three at 9.9%. No real surprises there. But it was spots four and five that made me pause. Citizen came in at number four with 8.2% followed by Seiko at 5.3%. Seiko does not surprise me in the slightest but even as someone deeply entrenched in this world I did not expect Citizen to rank that high on our app. If we are being honest, it is not the first brand most people associate with The 1916 Company.

Looking at model breakdowns the patterns continued. Rolex was led by the Explorer, Submariner, and GMT Master II. Omega’s top three were the Speedmaster, Seamaster 300, and Aqua Terra, and yes the Aqua Terra deserves the love. Tudor followed suit with the Black Bay 58 in the top spot followed by the Pelagos and Black Bay Chrono. Sometimes we want data to shock us but there is also something reassuring when it simply confirms what we already know. Comforting in a way, like Stephen Fry narrating a sleep story on the Calm app.

The Best Of

To wrap-up the year, the hard part was how to categorize all the incredible watches people shared. How do you neatly organize something as personal and expressive as a watch collection? We debated every topic. Case shapes. Regional origin. Design language. Every option felt incomplete, and leaving things out felt like a disservice to the community.

In the end we cut it down to three categories that best capture the depth of what you share every day. Vintage. Unicorns. If You Know, You Know.

And that’s where the real fun begins.

The Best Of The Vintage Watches

The IWC Ingenieur SL Jumbo ref. 1832

The IWC reference 1832 is the original Ingenieur SL, most often associated with Gérald Genta and one of the brand’s most important modern turning points. Released in 1976, it marked IWC’s entry into the emerging world of steel integrated sports watches, a space already being defined by Audemars Piguet and Patek Philippe.

The first Ingenieur appeared in 1955 as reference 666, (An ominous reference number). It was a robust antimagnetic tool watch that laid the technical foundation for everything that followed. Subsequent generations refined the concept until it culminated in the SL models of the 1970s.

While SL is often interpreted as “Steel Line,” IWC’s 2010 book Engineering Time credits both in-house designer Hanno Burtscher and freelance designer Gérald Genta for the model’s bold case and integrated bracelet, adding that SL stood for “Safety and Longevity,” not steel.

The Ingenieur SL introduced a cushion shaped, three part, satin finished case with a screw down bezel and caseback, measuring 40mm by 38mm and 12.5mm thick. It was water resistant to 120 meters and antimagnetic to an impressive 80,000 A/m, achieved through a soft iron inner case that functioned as a Faraday cage, paired with a soft iron dial back. Inside was IWC’s calibre 8541ES, suspended on seven rubber shock absorbers and equipped with antimagnetic components, hacking seconds, and the brand’s Pellaton winding system.

There have been many notable Ingenieur references over the years, but the ref. 1832 stands apart. For collectors, it remains one of the purest expressions of the Ingenieur lineage and one of the most compelling steel sports watches of its era.

Patek Philippe Ref. 3919J

The Calatrava reference 3919 is one of the first silhouettes I remember associating with Patek Philippe, a watch I initially discovered while reading about René Bittel, the man who helped define its image. Understanding its importance requires looking at the moment in which it arrived.

When the 3919 debuted in 1984, mechanical production at Patek Philippe had fallen to roughly 5,000 pieces per year, well below the capacity of its Geneva manufacture built during the boom years of the 1960s. The brand was revered but discreet, generational, and rooted in the idea of a watch for life. At the same time, a new, status driven audience was emerging, forcing Patek Philippe to rethink how it presented itself to the world.

That shift found its visual anchor in the Calatrava reference 3919. With its hobnail, or Clous de Paris, bezel, Roman numeral dial, time only layout, and straight lugs, the watch became the archetypal Patek Philippe in the public imagination. While it was not the first Patek to feature the hobnail bezel – that distinction belongs to the reference 3520 – the design is now almost inseparable from the 3919 itself. It was this watch that anchored Patek Philippe’s first global advertising campaign and gave the brand a recognizable face during a pivotal moment in its history.

Technically, the 3919 introduced Patek Philippe’s manually wound Caliber 215 PS, featuring a small running seconds display at six o’clock. Beating at 28,800 vibrations per hour, the movement offered approximately 44 hours of power reserve and would go on to become a quiet cornerstone of Patek Philippe’s modern hand wound calibers.

Vacheron Constantin Ref. 333

Thanks to its revival over the past few years, the 222 has become one of the most sought after models in the modern Vacheron Constantin lineup, with vintage examples even more coveted. The reference 333, by contrast, is the watch that history tends to overlook. It exists in an awkward middle ground, often lost in the broader conversation around integrated bracelet luxury sports watches, positioned as the less celebrated successor to the 222 and overshadowed by the Phidias, which would eventually evolve into the Overseas line.

The reference 333 was introduced in 1984 and remained in production for just five years. It retained the integrated bracelet concept of the 222 but replaced its predecessor’s tonneau shaped case with an octagonal one. The design features distinctive cutouts, often referred to as “bites,” at three and nine o’clock, a subtle nod to the Maltese cross that has long defined Vacheron Constantin’s visual language.

One of the most compelling aspects of the 333 is how little scholarship exists around it. Most examples were fitted with quartz movements, but a small number were produced with automatic calibers. These mechanical versions housed the Vacheron Constantin caliber 1124, also known as the Jaeger-LeCoultre 889.

The automatic reference 333 features a rhodium plated, self winding caliber with 33 jewels, a 21 karat gold rotor segment, and a steel caseback secured by eight screws. Measuring 33mm in diameter and just 6.67mm, it would be considered small by today’s standards. Transitional, yes, but also quietly important, a reminder that not every great watch gets the attention it deserves.

The Best Of The Unicorns

JLC Reverso Tribute Chronograph

You may be wondering how a Reverso ended up in the unicorn section of this roundup. This particular Reverso is one that, as I like to say, only the truly initiated tend to notice, let alone appreciate. Released at Watches and Wonders in 2023, the Reverso Tribute Chronograph debuted in two versions: stainless steel, the reference most often seen on our app, and pink gold. While it was a regular production model, it carries DNA that traces back to one of the most unusual Reversos ever made.

That lineage begins with the original Reverso Chronographe Retrograde from 1996, a 500 piece limited edition in pink gold featuring a sunray brushed main dial and an openworked chronograph display on the reverse. Interestingly, research suggests the idea itself may be even older. According to a hands-on article published by SJX, the concept appears to have been foreshadowed by a Movado prototype created in 1939. That one of a kind watch, last seen publicly decades ago after passing through both Sotheby’s and Antiquorum.

Visually, the Tribute moves decisively away from the original’s Art Deco leanings. The stamped guilloché dial and blued sword hands were replaced by a radially brushed dial and dauphine hands, now standard across the modern Reverso lineup. The case also grew substantially, increasing in volume by roughly 58%.

Inside, the caliber 860 adds a synchronized second time display, allowing the chronograph side to function as an alternate primary dial. The removal of the date window in the 860 was also widely welcomed, even if the caliber itself rarely gets the credit it deserves.

At launch, the Tribute Chronograph was not universally embraced. Innovation has a way of unsettling people, and this watch challenged long held assumptions about how a Reverso should be worn and experienced. Despite being a production model, it has become something far rarer in practice. A true modern unicorn. And honestly, tell me the last time you saw one in the wild. Don’t worry, I’ll wait.

Chopard LUC XPS 1860 Officer Vendome One

Watches are mainstream and because of that most brands are pretty well known. However, not all brands are spoken about enough. Chopard is one of these brands. It has quietly amassed not just a following but some serious horological chops.

The XPS 1860 Officer Vendome One is a fairly new watch, only released in 2024 but what makes this the unicorn that it is, is the fact that only 8 were made. Which I think needs to be put into context here. There are only 8 original castings of Rodin’s “The Thinker.” There are only 8 known competition variants of the Ferrari 250 GT California Spider Competizione (LWB). Only 8 people have completed the Explorers Grand Slam. I think you get the point. This is a rare bird.

Measuring just 40mm by 7.7 mm thick and housed in a classic 18k yellow-gold officer style case with a hinged back. It’s a true dress watch if I have ever seen one. The dial is finished in a deep, saturated blue known as Bering Blue, a nod to the iconic blue door at 1 Place Vendôme, the Parisian address of, you guessed it, Chopard. The surface is decorated with Chopard’s signature hexagonal hand guilloché, a pattern also echoed on the exterior of the caseback. It is said that this honeycomb pattern is inspired by the brand’s long standing connection to bees. If you were wondering as was I, the bee first appeared in the mid-19th century on early pocket watches and movements produced in Sonvilier, where Louis-Ulysse Chopard founded the company in 1860. The symbol was engraved on movements as a quiet signature.

Powering the watch is the L.U.C caliber 96.01 L, an ultra thin (3.3mm), self winding movement driven by a micro rotor that was first introduced in 1996. Despite its slim architecture, it delivers an impressive 65 hours of power reserve due to its double barrels. The movement supports a classic layout, displaying hours and minutes alongside a small seconds subdial and a discreet date complication.

Rare, impossibly good looking in blue, quietly nerdy with its bee connection, and packing a seriously impressive movement. Unicorn status confirmed.

Patek Philippe Celestial 6104R

Exact production numbers are not disclosed, but when a watch sits among the most complicated pieces in Patek Philippe’s regular production, it’s safe to assume output is extremely limited. Estimates suggest the broader Sky Moon and Celestial family sees roughly 35 pieces produced annually across all references. When you narrow that down to the 6104R specifically, the number becomes meaningfully smaller.

I’ll be honest this is one that I am unsure how much I need to unpack the specs and history on this watch. However for the sake of saying I did so, powering the watch is the self-winding caliber 240 LU CL C, In addition to hours and minutes of mean solar time and a manually adjusted date, the movement displays a rotating sky chart complete with the visible portion of the stars for a given latitude, a meridian indicator, the angular motion and phases of the Moon, and the time of meridian passage for both the Moon and Sirius. Despite these complications, the caliber remains remarkably slim at just 6.81mm thick, driven by Patek Philippe’s 22K gold off-center micro-rotor and regulated by a Gyromax balance with a Spiromax hairspring. Comprising 315 components it offers a power reserve of 48 hours and operates at a frequency of 3 Hz.

The 6104R has become a favorite among celebrities and serious collectors alike, occupying a space not unlike Screaming Eagle Cabernet Sauvignon: instantly recognizable, highly allocated, and as much a symbol of status as it is of craft. It represents the pinnacle of modern Patek Philippe complication, and in a world already defined by rarity, it stands firmly in unicorn territory.

The Best Of If You Know, You Know (The Deep Cuts Of Horology)

Louis Erard x Alain Silberstein x Watches of Switzerland Singapore Edition Excellence Regulator

Louis Erard and Alain Silberstein collaborations are not the rarest watches in absolute terms, but they are very much watches for people who get it. Casual collectors are unlikely to stumble across one, and casual observers often dismiss them outright, scoffing at the childlike primary colors and seemingly elementary shapes that dominate the dial. This 2021 limited edition, produced in collaboration with Watches of Switzerland and The Hour Glass, is a particularly strong example. Limited to just 178 pieces, it has proven difficult to track down and rarely surfaces on the secondary market.

While Silberstein’s designs sit well outside traditional watchmaking aesthetics, they are anything but arbitrary. They are a deliberate and thoughtful interpretation of Bauhaus principles, drawing directly from Wassily Kandinsky’s exploration of the relationship between primary colors and geometric forms. Kandinsky famously challenged his students to pair colors with shapes in search of deeper emotional and statistical patterns, and Silberstein’s use of squares, circles, and triangles carries that same philosophical inquiry onto the wrist.

At 40 millimeters in diameter and roughly 11 millimeters thick, the watch sits squarely in the modern sweet spot, wearing comfortably while still making its presence known. And that, ultimately, is the point. This is not a watch meant to blend in or quietly signal luxury. It is a statement, but a coded one. To some, it looks unserious. To others, it reads as design literacy, cultural awareness, and a willingness to embrace something genuinely different. This is the definition of if you know, you know. Not rare because of price alone, but rare because it requires the right set of eyes to truly see it.

The De Rijke & Co Amalfi Guy Allen Enamel dial “Sea Edition”

When it comes to De Rijke’s watches, particularly the Amalfi line, it is important to note they are deeply rooted in function. The rotating dial, which can be turned 90 degrees, was designed to improve legibility while driving, but it feels just as natural when worn casually, say, wandering an Italian hillside in search of the perfect Negroni.

Following the initial Amalfi release, De Rijke collaborated with artist Guy Allen to produce three enamel-dial variants themed around air, land, and sea. This Sea Edition features a hand-painted dial, while retaining the Amalfi’s signature rotating dial architecture. These watches are, by every reasonable definition, wearable art. Limited to just 25 pieces per variant and, in my view, marked the moment when De Rijke firmly announced his presence as a serious creative voice.

Each watch is fitted with a champlevé enamel dial and an engraved caseback. The process begins with solid silver dial blanks that are engraved before multiple layers of grand feu enamel are applied by hand and fired at extremely high temperatures. Once the enamel is complete, the watches undergo extensive hand finishing and final assembly at the De Rijke atelier, where each piece is completed individually.

The watch measures 38.2mm in diameter and 11mm in thickness, a versatile and well-balanced size. It displays hours, minutes, and a central sweep seconds hand, and is powered by a reliable Sellita SW300 automatic movement featuring a ball-bearing rotor, hacking seconds, 25 jewels, and a 4 Hz operating frequency. With 50 meters of water resistance, it comfortably qualifies as an artistic take on a GADA watch.

IWC Da Vinci Perpetual Calendar Ref. IW3570

Most modern collectors associate IWC with pilot’s watches or the Ingenieur, and rightly so. But look past the Porsche Design collaborations and the familiar Le Petit Prince casebacks and a deeper story emerges. IWC was one of the brands that helped usher watchmaking into the modern mechanical era, and much of that credit belongs to the late Kurt Klaus.

Klaus joined IWC in 1957 as a young watchmaker fresh out of school, apprenticing under Albert Pellaton, the mind behind the brand’s legendary winding system. As the Quartz Crisis took hold in the 1970s, Klaus moved in the opposite direction, developing IWC’s caliber 9721, a pocket watch movement that introduced a triple calendar with moonphase to the manufacture. Commercially, it made little sense at the time, but a limited test run of just 100 pieces sold out against expectations, reinforcing Klaus’s belief in the future of mechanical watchmaking.

He soon set his sights on the perpetual calendar. By the early 1980s the complication itself was well established, but its use was notoriously impractical, relying on recessed pushers and special tools. Klaus’s aim was not to reinvent the complication, but to modernize it entirely by placing complete control in the crown alone.

Using the Valjoux 7750 as a base, Klaus designed a module that harnessed the movement’s date mechanism to drive not just the date, but day, month, year, decade, century, and an astonishing 122-year moonphase. The brilliance lay in its efficiency. With just 81 additional components, Klaus created a perpetual calendar accurate until 2100, displaying the year in full with four digits, and dramatically simplifying one of watchmaking’s most complex complications.

For the design, IWC turned to Hanno Burtscher, who looked beyond traditional watchmaking and drew inspiration from Leonardo da Vinci’s Codex Atlanticus, particularly sketches of rounded harbor fortifications from the late 15th century. Their curves shaped the case, crown, and pushers, while their segmented forms informed the sub-dial layout. Burtscher finalized the design in 1984, Klaus soon completed working prototypes of the caliber 79060, and on April 11, 1985, IWC unveiled the Da Vinci Perpetual Calendar reference 3750 at the Basel fair. By year’s end, 500 pieces had been produced, and the watch was an immediate success.

It remains not only one of IWC’s most important modern creations, but in my view, one of the most consequential watches in the modern history of horology.