Haute Time’s Hottest Watches Of 2020

In many ways, 2020 was not an ordinary year. The Covid-19 pandemic left its marks everywhere. Lockdowns not only slowed down international travel but also confined us more and more into our own direct surroundings. This required tremendous perseverance and ingenuity to keep businesses afloat and remain in contact with those that matter. At first, it looked like the watch industry would take a direct hit. Jewelers worldwide were forced to close their doors, trade shows were canceled, and even many manufactures had to stop production for a while due to the Covid-19 outbreak in Switzerland. But as the pandemic continued, the market recovered. Jewelers sold more online than ever before, with a strong demand for the latest models and an intensified interest in vintage watches. Many watch brands had already planned their releases for this year prior to the Covid-19 outbreak, so the effect on that will be more visible next year. However, 2020 was a year worthwhile in watchmaking, of which the following were amongst the hottest releases.

IWC Portugieser Yacht Club Moon & Tide
IWC‘s focus was this year on the Portugieser collection. Among its introductions was the Portugieser Yacht Club Moon & Tide, the most remarkable. In this watch, the brand combines a moon phase indicator for both hemispheres with a novel complication that tells the current tide. Crafted from red gold, combined with a deep blue dial, it makes for a watch that makes quite the statement, especially given its generous diameter of 44.6mm. However, the watch has a deliberate sportive touch, thanks to red details on the dial, luminous filled hands, and a blue rubber strap with textile inlay.

Hublot Big Bang Integral
The LVMH Watch Week in Dubai, which took place in January of this year, was the only watch fair that went ahead as planned. Most of the group’s brands seized this opportunity to launch tantalizing new watches, and among them was Hublot. While the brand has most certainly released more complicated watches this year, is the Big Bang Integral one of their most important introductions of 2020. It brings an entirely new look to one of the most iconic chronographs in today’s market. The watch gets an even more technical look, while the bracelet offers unparalleled wearing comfort. Available in three different materials, they all give their own distinct look to the Big Bang Integral. In King Gold, the watch makes a precious statement, while the polished and satin-finished ceramic surfaces give the All Black a high-tech look. The Titanium holds the middle ground, taking advantage of the material’s lightness and unique color.

Grand Seiko x Watches of Switzerland Toge Special Edition
For Grand Seiko was 2020 an important year, not only because they celebrated their 60th anniversary, but also because they significantly expanded their worldwide reach. Together with Watches of Switzerland, which saw its stock soar this year, they created the Toge Special Edition. This automatic watch with GMT-function brings together both companies’ native countries, as the dial features Grand Seiko’s signature Mount Iwate motif, yet now in British racing green. The well-proportioned timepiece is a modern creation, yet with a vintage feel, underscored by the brown alligator strap with green stitching.  

Ulysse Nardin Blast
With the Blast is Ulysse Nardin continuing to give its watches the ‘X-factor.’ This letter is distinctly visible in this new model’s skeletonized movement, which combines for the first time a platinum micro-rotor and a flying tourbillon. With a generous three-day power reserve is it is an avant-garde creation that also utilizes various parts made from silicon to improve its timekeeping abilities. The case has a unique geometric shape that gives the watch a generous dash of character and looks different in the various materials Ulysse Nardin is offering the watch.

Breguet Classique Double Tourbillon 5345 Quai de l’Horloge
The Classique Double Tourbillon is arguably one of Breguet‘s most imposing watches, yet in 2020 they found a way to outdo themselves. They emphasize its complex nature by skeletonizing the watch even further, allowing a full view of the twin escapements. The watch’s back is equally imposing with a hand-engraving of the original Breguet workshop at the ‘Quai de l’Horloge,’ a street in Paris near the Notre Dame.  The cherry on top is the strap, which features a top layer of extremely thin cut natural slate, giving the watch an even more unique appearance.