Earlier this year Cartier had quite a few surprises for us in store: not only did they release an updated version of the Santos de Cartier, but they also introduced a skeleton version which was not only available in pink gold but also in stainless steel.

Our watch of the week is actually a series of watches, as Vacheron Constantin took everybody's breath away last SIHH by introducing five versions of the Métiers d'Art Les Aérostiers. These watches pay tribute to the early days of aviation when hot air balloons where the first means for humankind to explore the earth from above.

IWC celebrated their 150th anniversary in style, with a special 'Jubilee Collection' of which this Portugieser Perpetual Calendar is also a member. In the history of IWC, this is an important complication, revolutionized by their very own Kurt Klaus, who was the brand's Head of Development and Research when the legendary Da Vinci Perpetual Calendar took the watch world by force.

This year the large date joined, once again, the Saxonia collection of A. Lange & Söhne, and it might be a watch a lot of watch connoisseurs have been waiting for. It combines A. Lange & Söhne 's purest design with their iconic oversized date. The result is an epiphany of German style and class, now in a slightly large package than the original dating back from 1994.

Anniversaries are there to be celebrated, and when you are a watch brand the best way to do so is by introducing new watches! That is exactly what Jaeger-LeCoultre did earlier this year when it celebrated the 50th anniversary of the famed Memovox Polaris. Of course, does the line-up include a modern version of this iconic alarm watch, but Jaeger-LeCoultre let it accompanied by a world-time chronograph and a time-only model, as well as this chronograph version.

Panthers have become synonymous with Cartier, and even while having used this theme for almost a century, they still come up with new interpretations. That their creativity hasn't run out was proved once again at the SIHH 2018, with the Cartier Rencontre de Panthères.

A flying tourbillon is often the cherry on top of what is already a great watch, and this goes for sure Laureato Flying Tourbillon Skeleton, which Girard-Perregaux launched earlier this year at the SIHH in Geneva. Created in 1975, the Laureato was Girard-Perregaux’s contribution to what would become the golden age of the premium stainless steel sports watch.

Christophe Claret reimagined his Maestro into the habitat of one of the fiercest and most dangerous snakes in the world, the Mamba! Fortunately for its owners, it is a highly detailed snake made from pink gold painted with green SpectraCoat, which houses on the dial.

The Salon Internationale de Haute Horlogerie, or SIHH, featured this year again a stunning line-up of the most beautiful watches. More then recent years.

Annual calendars are still enjoying increased popularity. As their calendar only need adjustment once a year, they come very close to the complexity of the perpetual calendar, yet require much less of an investment to obtain. For Laurent Ferrier, this was enough reason to dedicate his fifth unique caliber to this complication. During the design process, which was done completely in-house, two things were paramount: the user-friendliness of the watch, as well as obtaining a visual balance of the dial.

It is a battle of titans, as Bulgari and Piaget compete with each other to create the world’s thinnest mechanical watches. In this battle, Piaget can bow down on a much longer history as it started its legacy in 1957 with the 2mm thick manual wind caliber 9P, followed in 1960 with the 2.3mm slender automatic caliber 12P. Over the course of the decades, it has mainly used these thin, and small, calibers to offer its designers almost unrestricted freedom, which has resulted in turn in some of the most breathtaking dress watches in the world.

One article was simply not enough to highlight our personal favorites of the SIHH 2018. So after part I, we now continue with part II!

The Salon Internationale de Haute Horlogerie, or SIHH, featured this year again a stunning line-up of the most beautiful watches. More then recent years the brands seem to be in touch with their own DNA, which resulted in a very pure watches that truly represented their brand, rather than just a trend. In such a company it is hard to call favorites, yet there where still some watches that grabbed our attention just a bit more than others.

If you had a need for speed, the booth of Roger Dubuis was the place to be during SIHH 2018! Completely dedicated to the partnerships that the brand has with both Lamborghini, as well as Pirelli, it introduced exciting new versions of both the Excalibur Spider Pirelli, as well as the Excalibur Aventador S.

Introduced by Piaget's new brand ambassador, supermodel Doutzen Kroes, the brand has taken its famed Possession collection to the next level. It does so by giving it a slightly more polished and smooth, and releasing some exciting new varieties!

Being A. Lange & Söhne comes with expectations, and at this years SIHH, the brand had once again no trouble meeting, and even exceeding, them! The beauty is that for this they used the full extent of their collection, paying homage to the perseverance, and excellent taste, of the man who resurrected A. Lange & Söhne to its current glory, Walter Lange, as well as introduce a unique complication!