There are progressive brands, and then there is Ulysse Nardin. While it is, in essence, a classic manufacture, it uses the Swiss watchmaking tradition as a foundation to innovate and push the envelope. This has resulted not only in many progressive watches, with equally innovative movements, but also in introducing new materials in the world of watchmaking. Haute Time sat down with Stéphane von Gunten, Ulysse Nardin's Research and Innovation Director, to discuss the latest developments.

When it comes to dial colors, decades were ruled by black and silver as the most popular choices. They still rule supreme, but now need to give a bit of space to other colors as well. Blue has become a staple in more recent years, but grey and brown tones are getting more popular as well. Green might seem like a more extreme color, but also this one seems to be here to stay. While it will probably never dethrone black and silver, these four watches are bound to make anybody who sees you wear them, green with envy!

Hublot is the undisputed king of sapphire cased watches, and for several reasons. First of all, they can create sapphire in different colors, like blue and yellow. Creating sapphire cases, in general, is still not an easy task. The few brands that offer sapphire cased watches usually only make about two dozen of them or so in a limited edition. However, this type of watches is probably the only one where being able to produce them in 'volume' is more difficult than making just a few. Hublot also doesn't do that with just a single watch but offers an entire collection of sapphire cased watches, of which all have shapes that are complex to make. This also goes for the Big Bang Unico Magic Sapphire, which offers the clear advantage of sapphire, to Hublot's signature watch.

For those of us with slender wrists, there has been a welcomed trend in the luxury watch space towards smaller timepieces. When wristwatches first became a thing at the turn of the 20th Century, they were small. However, as we approached the new millennium, watches gradually became larger and larger. Thankfully, some brands have caught on that not everyone can successfully pull-off oversized timepieces and have introduced smaller versions of well-known luxury watches. Here are some of our favorites right now.

With most watches, there is only one way to wear them on your wrist: dial side up. While this is a true pleasure, it also means that the heart of the watch, its movement, it hidden. For decades the privilege of seeing the movement and being able to admire all its details and craftsmanship was that of the watchmakers making and servicing these watches. Today, especially in the higher echelons of watchmaking, a display back is almost standard and allows us to behold the true magic behind mechanical watches; movements with technical ingenuity and a perfect finish on even the smallest part, turning these practical objects into the realm of wearable art.

Roger Dubuis has always had a strong drive to innovate, not only in a technical but also in an aesthetic sense. This means that they need to think outside the box in all different dimensions and keep their eyes open to new materials, but also new applications of existing materials. With the Excalibur Blacklight, they took the lab-grown sapphire crystals, commonly used in the watch industry as the 'jewels' or 'rubies' which are used inside the movement as bearings for the gears and other parts that are prone to wear, and applied them in a completely different way.

Haute Time sits down with Ulysse Nardin's Francois-Xavier Hotier who discusses Haute Living's Luxe & Leisure Weekend at Brickell City Centre.

The World Time watch holds a very special position in both the history of Patek Philippe, as well as in their current collection. It is one of those watches that has become an icon, and the most desirable versions feature a Cloisonné enamel center. This year Patek Philippe launched an addition to their collection of World Time watches with the 5231J.

HYT is already known as a brand that like the push the envelope, not only with their unique way of telling time through 'fluid technology,' but also in terms of design. The shape of the case provides HYT with the perfect canvas to take things to the next level in a way that no other watch manufacture can, and the new SOONOW is a perfect example of this.

The biennial Only Watch charity auction is gearing up for the 2019 edition, slated to take place in November. For those who are not familiar with this event, Only Watch auctions off one-of-a-kind models created by some of the best watch brands in the business with proceeds going to fund research on Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.

Rolex is more than just a watch brand. For over forty years the brand is holding the annual Rolex Awards for Enterprise, which is now one of the cornerstones of Rolex's Perpetual Planet campaign. It was first held in 1976 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Rolex Oyster, and it aims to award and promote the projects of people that work to protect the environment and cultural heritage, as well as focus on improving health care.

Leading luxury jewelry and timepiece retailer MAYORS has continued its momentum in its 360-degree relaunch strategy, this time opening its first Florida flagship boutique at the luxurious Merrick Park Shops in Coral Gables.

Tom Brady can add Global Brand Ambassador under his already-impressive Rolodex, serving as a brand face for IWC Schaffhausen.

Steel is the new gold, and there is fierce competition among the top-tier Swiss brands to please clients with their sportive creations in this metal. For this Vacheron Constantin has the Overseas, a collection which was revamped in 2016. While the steel-cased time-only and chronograph versions might be the ones that are the most important regarding maintaining its market position in this field, there is also still a demand for more complicated versions, and also in precious metal, and Vacheron Constantin is happy to oblige to that with the Overseas Perpetual Calendar Ultra-Thin.

Glashütte Original shows us what a difference a color can make with the new Sixties Annual Edition; bright orange that spreads out over the dial and turns almost black at the edges. As if the color is not eye-catching enough already, the texture of the dial, which looks like raindrops hitting your windshield while driving on the highway, adds even more to it. To create this effect, Glashütte Original is using original equipment from the 1960s in their dial manufacture. Here a 60-tonne press gives each dial blank its low-relief pattern.

It has been well documented that dark blue hues and navy shades are a popular choice within luxury watches. But what about on the more vibrant side of the blue spectrum? For something a little different, here are some fresh turquoise timepieces just in time for the colorful summer season.