In 2018 Bulgari smashed all thinness records with the Octo Finissimo Tourbillon Automatic. In one sweep it became not only the world's thinnest tourbillon but also the world's thinnest automatic tourbillon. That's not all, because perhaps its greatest accomplishment is that it also became the world's thinnest automatic watch. Up until now, this last record was usually held by watches that featured no additional complications, such as a tourbillon, because they tend to add to the height of a movement.

Despite the scaled-down size of this year’s Baselworld, some watch brands unveiled a solid assortment of luxury women’s watches geared towards the growing female watch enthusiast crowd. From brand new models to updates to familiar favorites, here are our top picks for the best ladies’ watches from Baselworld 2019.

When it comes to men's watches, most brands expanded their lineup during the 2019 edition of Baselworld with some solid additions. Some of them favoured evolution over revolution, further perfecting what are already great watches, while others developed breathtaking technical novelties. One of the great difficulties of any fair, and especially Baselworld, is to pick from this wide array of often very different watches the favorites that truly stand out.

Baselworld, the fair, is truly trying to dress for success, as its new layout and decorations have a more luxurious air. This was needed if only to match the atmosphere in which the brands that exhibit exist. While the classic dress watch might not be such a dominating segment of the market, new watches have taken over this position. They might not be gold, three-handers, but they are refined creations, often on the understated side, that feels most comfortable on the wrist of people who know that success is not an end station, but an everyday quest.

Tomorrow Baselworld will open its doors once again. This year it will be a completely different animal altogether. The departure of the Swatch Group, as well as an exodus of other brands, has made the show much smaller than it was in previous years. The question that remains is if that is a bad thing?

In Chinese culture, eight is considered the luckiest number because when you say it in Chinese, it sounds similar to the word for wealth or fortune. In the luxury watch world, eight could be considered a lucky number too given how many iconic timepieces there are with eight-sided bezels! Let’s have a look at three top-tier timepieces that sport octagonal bezels--who knows, wearing them may just bring you some good fortune.

Black on black seems to be one of the most boring color combinations possible for watches. It seems to be hard for designs to shine, and show their full potential when it is more difficult to see all the different details. It is however exactly that understated look that draws quite a bit of people to these watches, and over the years they have created their niche in the world of watches. These four creations are proudly a member of that club!

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!

Few watches have made such a mark on the industry in recent years as the Bvlgari Octo Finissimo. That it is a design statement is not so surprising, it is after all a Bvlgari, but it is also the watch that cemented the brand's reputation as bonafide manufacture among the general watch-buying public. The fact that Bvlgari did this with a range of ultra-slim movements is very surprising, yet at the same time not so surprising at all. When most brands want to truly establish themselves as a manufacture, they start making complicated watches, not ultra-slim movements that only tell time. However, one of the benefits that ultra-slim movements provide is far more freedom regarding the design of the watch. That is of course when you are able to design and make a reliable, ultra-slim movement in the first place.

Work hard, play hard: this is the mantra many successful women live by. They give it their all every single day and achieved great success no matter their chosen profession. But to accomplish all this, you must sometimes also be able to let it all go, because that not only works energizing but also inspires creativity. These are four watches perfect to do that with!

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.

Gem-set watches combine the artisanal skills of high jewelry with the craftsmanship of high watchmaking. Each of these watches below provides a different interpretation of the skills required to produce exceptional timepieces with master jewelry making techniques

Titanium is sought after for its low density and high strength. In addition, it is resistant to corrosion in sea water and chlorine. However, it requires different techniques than working with gold or stainless steel

Ultra-thin watches: not too long ago this was the exclusive territory of dress watches. Brands like Vacheron Constantin, Patek Philippe and Piaget, ruled in this domain. Yet as many things in the watch industry change, so also this. In more recent times having the world's thinnest mechanical watch (with or without a complication) seems to have turned into a showdown between Piaget and Bulgari, who put a distinctly different spin on things!

The tourbillon is still the undeniable king of the complications. It is often the one that envokes the most feverish reactions from watch collectors and connoisseurs alike. Part of its magic is its undeniable ability to captivate through its mesmerizing motion and the technical complexity to achieve this. These are some of the most recent watches with a tourbillon that were able to capture, and hold our attention!

Mother's Day is almost there again, which means that florists are getting busy, restaurants are trying to keep up with reservations, yet many children are still contemplating what to give their mother. At Haute Time we are of course very biased and think that a watch would make the perfect gift, like one of these five for example!