When Pharrell grew up, his focus was already on the stars as he watched Star Trek, at home in Virginia Beach. This invoked a deep fascination for everything that lies within the universe. It is not surprising that when Richard Mille asked Pharrell to collaborate on a watch together, he turned to these memories for inspiration.

Seven years ago, Richard Mille took inspiration from something that has fascinated humankind for centuries, the human skull, and made it the centerpiece of the RM 052 Tourbillon Skull. The shape of the skull served as the top bridges, hiding the entire movement behind it. It was suspended in the middle of the case, almost like a mystery watch, being only connected to the case by four bridges. This created the effect of bones and skull, much like a pirates flag. Richard Mille went even so far as also to sculpt the back of the skull, which served as the movement's center bridge. With the introduction of the RM 52-06, Richard Mille continues to play with this concept, yet now it is not a skull, but a mask that takes center stage.

Diamonds on a ladies' watch are not a necessity, but in most cases, they do add something special. Even when only a few are used, their fire and scintillation make such a watch, especially in certain light conditions, truly stand out. While some diamond set ladies watches take on the mantra, the more, the merrier, others are more restrained in their approach. Here are for of those watches that are truly fit for a dame

The standard shape for pocket watches was round; therefore, when the progression to wristwatches started taking hold, it was only natural for wristwatches to follow the familiar silhouette. However, Louis Cartier was not a man to follow norms and made a name for himself and his family’s business by championing non-round watch designs, also known as “shaped watches.” Hot on the heels of the square watch made for Alberto Santos Dumont in 1904, Cartier debuted the Tonneau watch in 1906. Named after the French word for “barrel,” tonneau-shaped watches have long since been adopted by other brands.

Next to being ultra-light and very strong is carbon visually a very cool material. It can be processed in a variety of different ways, each with an appearance of its own. In watchmaking, the advantages that this material offers where recognized at a very early stage by quite a few watchmakers. It is utilized primarily in sports watches, as this type of watches makes the most out of the benefits that carbon offers over steel and even titanium. Next to that do they also utilize carbon as an important visual element of the design. That this can result in very tempting watches is proven by the following four watches;

Richard Mille and Airbus Corporate Jets launched a new travel-watch, inspired by and adapted to, exclusive journeys on an Airbus Corporate Jets. The watch features an all-new grand complication, an incomparable timepiece for travelers, and a companion suited to daily wear and use.

Nobody in Formula One is as cool as Kimi Räikkönen. This 2007 World Champion is one of the veterans in this very demanding sport and will start this weekend in Singapore for the 307th time in a Formula One race. He earned his nickname 'Iceman' by keeping his cool under even the most challenging circumstances. Räikkönen did so not only in the Formula One but also drove in WRC and NASCAR races. One accolade that he hadn't got yet was his very own Richard Mille, with is now remedied as he joins the family of the famed watch manufacturer, following in the footstep of other Formula One legends such as Jean Todt, Felipe Massa, and Romain Grosjean.

Now that summer is coming to an end and fall is just around the corner, now is a good time to swap out those colorful water-ready timepieces for something more restrained. Step into the world of ultra-thin watches, where mastery is measured in how few millimeters a case height reaches. From a simpler time and date version to a complex tourbillon and a few surprises in between, here are four incredible ultra-thin watches to show us how it’s done.

As we enter September, the days are already noticeably shorter, and the sun is losing its power. Many try to hang on to the summer just a little bit longer, participating in activities that make summer always such an enjoyable time. A watch that shares the sentiment is the RM 67-02 by Richard Mille. While the brand has far more complicated creations, it is this time-only watch that in many ways represents the essence of what they are all about.

Black is a color that is nearly always appropriate to wear. Also in watchmaking does it have a dominant position, especially when it comes to dials and straps. Black cases were for a long time a rarity. At the beginning of the last century, some brands, like Cartier, for example, experimented with bakelite cases. These watches were scarce then, and even more so now. Later on, new technologies such as PVD-coatings made it that more watches with black cases entered the market. Today there are several materials which a brand can utilize to create a black watch case. Next to the traditional PVD-coating, are there now coatings made from 'Diamond-Like Carbon,' which are more resistant to wear. Next to coatings did also a whole new generation of materials emerged. Ceramic was one of the first to make its entrance, but now even carbon, in various forms, is being used to craft watch cases. Their popularity is increasing, and for a good reason, because no matter what black-colored material is selected, it often results in watches that are true dark delights!

While gold, steel, and platinum are mainstay metals for watch cases, modern watchmaking has welcomed plenty of other materials in recent years. From bronze to titanium to ceramic and more, offering familiar models in new materials has been a popular approach of many brands looking to offer fresh iterations of old favorites. And it doesn’t get fresher than a crystal clear case in full sapphire—a material once reserved as the glass protecting the dial or movement. Feast your eyes on four extraordinary examples of watches with sapphire cases.

For anyone who is into cars, today marks the start of one of the most exciting periods of the year in the automotive space: Monterey Car Week! It’s well established that a passion for high-end cars and fine timepieces often overlap, and the luxury watch industry habitually draws inspiration from the auto industry. So in honor of Monterey Car Week, we’ve rounded up some of our favorite auto-inspired watches from some of the world’s top timepiece brands.

A picture can sometimes say more than a thousand words. At Haute Time, we have the privilege of having the world's most exclusive, rare, desirable, and expensive watches in front of the lenses of our camera's. Over the years this has resulted in an archive filled with the most amazing photos; time for a little flashback!

Chef Daniel Boulud appreciates all of the finest details of life—from the rarest ingredient in the kitchen to a prized vintage bottle of wine, exotic cars and of course, luxury timepieces.

Luxury watch and jewelry retailer, Westime, teamed up once again with Arnold Schwarzenegger for the 7th Annual After-School All-Stars Charity Night, raising $5.32 million.

Of all the complications, the tourbillon must be the most mesmerizing. It is therefore not surprising that most brands also make this complication visible from the dial side so that whoever is wearing it, can fully enjoy it. For others, this is not enough, and they like to take the tourbillon to a whole other level;