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.

It is still interesting to see that the development of certain mechanical complications doesn't stop. A great example of this is the chronograph, where brands continue to find new ways to take it to the next level. 2019 was a year in which chronographs broke records and celebrated anniversaries, as it has been 50 years since the very first automatic chronographs hit the market. So no wonder that 2019 was a great year for chronographs.

Time flies when having fun, and this is most certainly the case as another year is coming close to an end. In the world of watches, 2019 was quite exciting. It was the year in which the stainless steel sports watch with Haute Horlogerie pedigree still ruled supreme, especially those with blue dials, and even welcomed some new members to the club, such as the A. Lange & Söhne Odysseus. The waiting list for some of these watches breaks records, but they are not the only stainless steel watches to do so, as just last weekend the Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime Ref. 6300A-010, the only one ever to be made in steel, broke the record of most expensive wristwatch ever to be sold at auction when the hammer fell at CHF 31,000,000,-.