Despite the pandemic, many brands did not hold back when it came to releasing new models. What usually would be launched at one of the fairs or during a special event was now presented by Zoom- and Skype-meetings. Fortunately, this doesn't make the watches any less impressive, as the following five prove;

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 where 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.

When it comes to novelties, Hublot has a reputation to uphold. It has become a tradition for them to introduce a significant amount of new models twice a year, that in addition to the many special and limited editions that they launch during the year as well. At the first edition of the LVMH Dubai Watch Week, they continue to uphold this tradition. Next to the new version of the Big Bang 42mm with the integrated bracelet, there is much more news;

Moving into another year is always something, but entering an entirely new decade seems to come with even higher expectations. The last decade was a turbulent one, with rapid innovations of which one, the smartwatch, was accompanied by a potential cloud of doom for the traditional watch industry. While primarily the Apple watch sold very well, the watch industry wasn't plunged into another quartz crisis. Many now consider that smartwatches got a new and young generation of customers used to wearing something around their wrist. As a result, they also are curious about what else there is to wear, and then the magic of tiny little gears, levers, and other parts that work together in an astonishing precision seems to be hard to resist. In the new decade, the smartwatches with undoubtfully hold their ground, as their technological features will ever increase. Still, they will no longer be an imminent threat to the mechanical watch industry.

Kering, the parent company of Swiss luxury watchmaker Ulysse Nardin, hosted the "Banquet sur la Banquise" (Banquet on the Ice Floe) gala at its headquarters in Paris's 7th arrondissement to celebrate the "Xploration" to come in 2020.