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.

In a world of bold statements, these four watches take on a different approach. While by all means impressive, they don't make it a point to show it off to the outside world. That makes it that they are often bought by very conscious connoisseurs, who put time and effort in educating themselves on the values of Haute Horlogerie and the various levels of refinement within this art form. While they might go unnoticed to the vast majority of people, those who know will recognize these exquisite timepieces in a heartbeat!

Few watches are as well proportioned as the Langematick Perpetual from A. Lange & Söhne. With a diameter of 38.5 mm it is rather modest in size. Combined with a height of 10.2 mm it sits extremely comfortable on the wrist, yet still packs a punch because of its expressive design. The watch features a perpetual calendar with large date, moon phase and 24-hour indicator. All this information is presented in a very balanced and legible way, which is definitely an important part of the charm of this A. Lange & Söhne.

Creating an icon is the dream and hope of every brand, yet only a few can turn this into a reality. When A.lange & Söhne was relaunched in 1994, they did so immediately with the Lange 1. It was not only the asymmetrical dial design that accomplished this but also the outsize date. This complication would become a hallmark feature on many A.lange & Söhnes, but it would also be the inspiration for another icon: the Zeitwerk, which the brand launched in 2009.

It is hard to believe that the Lange 1 watch is a mere 25 years old. It was in 1994, that Walter Lange and Günter Blümlein unveiled the first four wristwatches (including the Lange 1) to usher in A. Lange & Söhne's revival after the fall of the Berlin wall.

Sometimes it seems almost mandatory; diamonds on a ladies watch. As if the use of these precious stones marks the difference for which sex a timepiece is created. While they can certainly add something, a watch without diamonds can be just as feminine, as these four watches prove!

It has happened to many watch collectors; they look over a list of watches that have been auctioned off only to realise that they didn't buy a specific model years ago when its prices were much more modest. It remains very complex to determine beforehand which watches will show a strong value over the years. Rarity plays a role, as well who made the watch, but as the Paul Newman Daytona probably proofs best, they might currently not even be among the most popular timepieces available! These four watches might be up there one day:

This is it, the last week of the year! It’s time to say farewell to 2018 and usher in the New Year in style. If your calendar is full of fancy festivities over the next few days, then look to one of these four formal black watches to complement any black tie dress code.

Opened all your gifts, ate enough sweets and need a break from the Christmas carols? Then check out some stunning casebacks. The time that the back of a watch was nothing but a plain piece of metal is long gone. The vast majority of high-end watch brands now utilize the back of their watches to give you an insight into their technical capabilities.

One of the most popular complications in the world of watches is still the chronograph. It adds a dynamic feature to a watch and more ways to interact with it. With various subdials it also makes the watch look more sportive and technical. No wonder that the vast majority of brands often have several chronograph models to choose from. However, there are a few that go beyond just being a chronograph, and have once broken the mold in this category.

While symmetry and beauty often go hand in hand, it takes true talent to bring balance and harmony to asymmetrical designs. When done right, off-center dials on luxury watches are pure pleasure to look at.

Lange & Söhne is not a brand that fills the market with introduction after introduction. As a very exclusive manufacture this is simply not their style, but when they do introduce a new model, you can count on it that it is something very special!

Understated watches are a realm of their own. They often require a connoisseurs eye to recognize them as something special, but special they are indeed. They please their owners with refined movement, subtle details and the knowledge that they have something exceptional around the wrist. They are the 'sleeper cars' of the watch industry, and these are four of the most desirable.

The Saxonia Dual Time from A. Lange & Söhne is in many ways a very discreet watch. This starts with its size. Measuring just 38.5 millimeters in diameter, and with a height of only 9.1 millimeters, is this watch modestly sized. On the wrist, it wears slightly larger as the vast majority of its diameter is dedicated to the dial. While also available in pink gold, the white gold version adds even further to its discretion.

Instagram: for many of us it has become an ever-renewing visual database to the people, brands, and products we love. Many watch brands have also realized that it is the perfect platform to highlight what makes their products so special, as well as keeping their fans up to date with the most recent developments and events. Next time you are on Instagram, make sure that you check out the following brands!

The history of the minute repeater goes back to a time before electric light. As lighting an oil lamp was quite some work, watchmakers build repeating mechanisms in pocket watches so that they could sound the time on demand. The invention of the minute repeater was claimed by both Edward Barlow and Daniel Quare, but it was Quare who obtained a patent for it in 1687. Initially, watches equipped with a repeating mechanism used bells to chime the time, later to be replaced with wire gong, which took up less space. These weren't minute repeaters, at first, but quarter repeaters, chiming the time to the closest quarter.