Summer is, for most people, a time to relax and unwind. It is all about exploring new places or rediscovering familiar ones, enjoying nice weather, good food and drinks, but most of all the company of family and friends. In terms of watches, something in stainless steel, ceramic, or carbon fiber seems to be the most obvious. These robust materials are a perfect match with the activities that are for many also part of summer. However, one material that embodies the soul of summer is gold, particularly the pink and red hues of this precious metal. When hit with a ray of sunlight, their rich colors bring you instant summer vibes, like the following four watches.

Ulysse Nardin is continuing its path of combining classic watchmaking with disruptive creations at Watches & Wonders 2021. They showcase not only the brands' expertise and craftsmanship but also their future-minded nature and eye for tantalizing design. They achieve this by pushing the boundaries of not only themselves but watchmaking as a whole, serving existing connoisseurs, as well as a new generation of watch collectors.

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.

Designing and developing new watches is not always as easy as it looks. They need to stay true to the DNA of the brand, yet at the same time also tantalize the senses of existing clients, and preferably some new ones as well. The DNA of Ulysse Nardin has always been very expressive, which has resulted in an instantly recognizable style. Their watches often take us in the uncharted territory of design, presenting us with models beyond our imagination, yet that feels like such an organic expansion of the existing collection. This is also the case with the Blast, the brands' latest creation that they just launched during the Geneva Watch Days.