Ulysse Nardin has always had a very close connection to the world's oceans. This is evident from their Marine Chronometer, one of their signature timepieces, but also from their diving watches. That collection is now expended with three new chronograph models with among them the Diver Chronograph 44mm Hammerhead Shark, a limited edition of 300 pieces. The case of the watch is crafted from titanium and houses caliber UN-150. This automatic manufacture movement features the brand's signature silicium escapement and has a 48-hour power reserve. The dial, bezel and rubber strap are all in ocean blue, while distinct red details bring the watch in line with previous limited editions dedicated to the hammerhead shark. We also find an image of this magnificent beast engraved on the backside of the case.

Being understated seems to be a thing that appeals in particular to the German watch brands. A. Lange & Söhne is no exception to this and has made a name for itself, with classic designs in which less is more. The Saxonia Thin is the watch that highlights this in its purest form, with nothing but two elegant hands, aided by twelve hour markers to tell time. But while it seems to be so easy to create a watch so pure in terms of design, brands like A. Lange & Söhne know all too well that the devil is in the details.

Ultra-thin is not the only name of the game at Bulgari, as they also master that of ultra-complex watches. The Octo Grande Sonnerie Perpetual Calendar is a perfect example of this. Housed in their signature Octo case, they equipped an automatic movement with a tourbillon, which is also fitted with grande and petite sonnerie, as well as a minute repeater.

Hublot's partnership with Ferrari has shown us what a dynamic synergy is possible when two brands have such complementary DNA. This year they marked the 90th anniversary of Scuderia Ferrari, the race division of the Italian brand, with three unique watches, and among them, this Big Bang Scuderia Ferrari 90th Anniversary Sapphire.

Subtle changes can sometimes result in a dramatically different result. This is most certainly the case with the new Kalpagraphe ADLC from Parmigiani. You can take this quite literally as both the two new models feature a case with a black coating of Amorphous Diamond-like Carbon, better known as their acronym ADLC. This coating has quite a few advantages, and one of them is that it is very hard. This means that it is very scratch-resistant, but the unique thing about ADLC is that it combines this quality with being highly elastic as well. As a result, it will not chip off, but it can also be smoothly applied to a watch case, even those with a more complex shape.

In 2016 TAG Heuer took the world by surprise with a brand new watch in the Carrera collection. Christened Carrera Calibre Heuer 02T, this watch combined a chronograph with a flying tourbillon. The goal of TAG Heuer was to make this watch a gateway for enthusiasts who wanted a more complicated watch, as the brand gave it a very competitive price tag.

At Ulysse Nardin, they write innovation in capital letters. What makes the brand so interesting is that they not only apply this philosophy on their movements but many of their designs as well. A perfect example of this is Executive Skeleton X. Traditionally are skeleton watches dominated by their movement for obvious reasons, but Ulysse Nardin has found a way to unite this aspect with an equally enticing case. More so, their design even incorporates a skeletonized dial, that hides hardly anything but does add a nice dose of functionality to the mix.

For centuries the small town of Glashütte has been the epicenter of German watchmaking. While there are indeed plenty of similarities between their approach to watchmaking and that of the Swiss, there are also enough things different. This allowed a certain number of manufactures to find their niche and rise to new levels of greatness when the Berlin Wall came down, and East Germany was joined with West once more. Among them was Glashütte Original, who presents with a Senator Moon Phase Skeletonized Edition a German take on how a skeleton watch should look.

Glashütte Original shows us what a difference a color can make with the new Sixties Annual Edition; bright orange that spreads out over the dial and turns almost black at the edges. As if the color is not eye-catching enough already, the texture of the dial, which looks like raindrops hitting your windshield while driving on the highway, adds even more to it. To create this effect, Glashütte Original is using original equipment from the 1960s in their dial manufacture. Here a 60-tonne press gives each dial blank its low-relief pattern.

Class pur sang, that is, and always has been the Piaget Altiplano. A refined case, which is so distinctly understated that connoisseurs immediately know that they are looking at something special, houses a movement that comes from a royal lineage of ultra-slim movements.

With the introduction of the new Santos de Cartier, in 2018, it was to be expected that the collection would soon be expanded beyond the time-only and skeleton versions it was launched in. It is not surprising that Cartier picked for this extension a chronograph, as this is still one of the most popular complications. However, the way that they went about to integrate this in Santos is surprising!

Gérald Genta is a man to who many brands owe a great debt. As a designer, he gave Audemars Piguet the Royal Oak, Patek Philippe their Nautilus, and he worked on the Pasha for Cartier, as well as many iconic designs for other brands. What not everybody knows is that he was next to a designer also a watch manufacturer and, in fact, a pioneering one. It was already in 1969 that he founded his manufacture and as could be expected it turned out innovative watches. With the 'Gefica' did Genta introduced a bronze case before it was cool, but that was not all.

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.

In the world of Roger Dubuis, only the best is good enough. This also becomes clear when you look at the 'Velvet,' their collection of ladies watches. They are as rich as the fabric that inspired its name, combining exquisite craftsmanship, eye for detail as well as a superb movement, all in an original design.

As a brand, having an icon in your collection can be a blessing and a curse at the same time. While icons will generate interest and revenues, there will always be a point in which you need to move into the future, preferably with your icon, but changing it is still a very sensitive task. This was also a challenge that Chronoswiss faced with their Regulator.

Some watches are just too cool for school! This most certainly includes the Parmigiani Pershing Chronograph, which was the result of the partnership between the two brands that started in 2009.