Making a complicated watch is one thing, but giving it a unique, novel appearance is something entirely different. It means that you master the mechanical challenges needed to create such a watch and control them to such an extent that you can determine the look and position of the complications on the dial. Ulysse Nardin is a brand that loves to play with these possibilities, and for them, it has become part of their DNA. An excellent example of this is the Marine Mega Yacht, an ocean-going watch that uniquely displays its rich heritage.

Only Watch has always been a charity with a unique approach. They fund research to find a cure for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy by organizing a biennial auction for which the world's leading watch manufacturers donate a piece unique. This weekend, Christie's auctioned the 53 creations in a packed Palexpo in Geneva, raising CHF 30 million, over 32 million US dollars.

Grammy-award-winning music artist and producer Swizz Beatz is a serious watch connoisseur. His excellent taste and understanding of the watch industry and its heritage have led to some fantastic collaborations in the past. Now he joins forces with De Bethune, yet in quite a different way. In 2020 he challenged master watchmaker and brand founder Denis Flageollet to create a watch that unites some signature features of previous De Bethune creations into a unique timepiece. Form and function should go hand in hand, with a focus on beauty, legibility, and user-friendliness. What Swizz Beatz dreamed, Flageollet and his team made a reality in Dream Watch 5.

When it comes to design, Pininfarina is a name that fills enthusiasts with excitement. In particular, its work for the automobile industry has been a strong creative influence for over 90 years. This rich heritage has always come forth out of forward-thinking. This is also the case with the Pininfarina Battista, an electric hyper GT that will be delivered to the first clients at the end of the year. With this car, Pininfarina is launching another landmark design, as well as an innovative concept. The Battista shows that beauty, performance, and sustainability can go hand in hand. It also offers exclusivity, as each future owner was able to customize their car to a great extent.

The complexity of a watch can go beyond its movement and complications. The way it is created, and decorated can also add to this. As the inventor of the tourbillon, is this complication still the calling card of Breguet. They show their passion for this through a variety of different models, among them the Classique Tourbillon Extra-Plat Squelette 5395. While, in essence, a classic, time-only version, Breguet has applied innovation on nearly every level, maintaining their heritage and rich DNA, but at the same time create a watch fit for the future.

Johannes Vermeer was a Dutch painter of the 17th century who was known to be able to capture light as no other artist could. He had a fondness for household scenes, which he painted in an intimate, lifelike style. While only 36 paintings of his hand are known today, some of them are amongst the world's most famous works of art. While many are familiar with his masterpieces "View of Delft" or "The Milkmaid," they are both surpassed in popularity by the "Girl with a Pearl Earring." This painting shows elegance, unlike any other. That's why it was also a daunting task for Vacheron Constantin to recreate it on one side of their Les Cabinotiers Westminster Sonnerie at the request of a discerning connoisseur.

At the Geneva Watch Days, Bulgari surprised us with a wide range of different watches that each impressed on their own. The key element is that they all continued a certain legacy within the brand, further strengthening its pillars of success. As we have grown accustomed of Bulgari, they do so with an undeniable sense of style, (Italian) flair and eye for detail.

Marking 175 years of history can be a daunting task, yet not for Ulysse Nardin. Founded in 1846, their legacy in Haute Horlogerie has been firmly based on pursuing precision timekeeping. The brand became one of the best-known suppliers of marine chronometers, delivering them to navies and ship lines worldwide and contributing to science by supplying them to geodesic institutes and astronomical observatories. Ulysse Nardin is introducing seven(!) exciting new watches to their Marine Torpilleur collection to mark this moment.

In 2017 Hublot was one of the pioneers when it comes to the rainbow-setting. In the last couple of years, they have displayed the power of this concept in a wide variety of different watches. Today they introduce a new high in this field with the Big Bang Integral Tourbillon. Because of the integrated bracelet, the brand now has even more metal to utilize the full-color spectrum of the rainbow. They do so in the most precious way, using baguette-cut stones. As a result, 484 stones, weighing almost 36 carats, decorate these watches.

A tourbillon is often considered one of the most traditional complications. One thing that comes into play with this is its respectable age as it was developed by Abraham-Louis Breguet in 1785 and patented in 1801. However, it took until the revival of watchmaking after the quartz crisis to be used extensively in wristwatches. Now there hardly isn't a brand that doesn't have one in its collection. Standing out can then be a challenge, but at the same time, it also offers the opportunity to innovate and pave the way for the future of this highly regarded complication.

With the launch of the second chapter of the breathtaking Virtuoso VIII, Bovet gave us a watch in the brand's signature style. Its precious metal case housed an exquisite movement complemented by two aventurine glass dials. It perfectly displayed the unique elegance and technical prowess that the brand has to offer. But Bovet also has another side, one that embodies a sense of highly exclusive sportiveness, and that is at the heart of the new Virtuoso VIII Chapter Two Reimagined.

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.

In the world of Jaquet Droz, aesthetics are everything. While they love complex and refined movements, the brand does not consider them complete when a sense of beauty is absent. Especially in the last couple of years, Jaquet Droz has successfully merged the past with the present. While they honor crafts with a century-long history, they employ them in a forward-thinking way. The Grande Seconde is the perfect example of this, but even more so, the Grande Seconde Skelet-One. Here there is nothing to hide, as this watch represents the next generations of skeleton watches: high-tech and highly-refined with an avant-garde design. The next chapter for Jaquet Droz in this story is the Grande Seconde Skelet-One Tourbillon.

In the previous eight editions of Only Watch, a total of 70 million euros was raised to support the fight against Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. This plays a vital role in finding a cure for this terrible disease. For watch brands, it is an opportunity to do good and showcase their abilities. This works two ways, as it results in truly unique watches that are so tempting that they will only raise more money for the cause. Yesterday we showed you already some of our favorites, and today we do that again, as also the following ones are too good to pass up:

What started in 2005 has grown to become one of the most epic biennial events in the world of watchmaking. As an initiative of Luc Pettavino, leading watch brands create every two years a piece unique, which they donate to Only Watch to help the fight against Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. These watches are auctioned, offering collectors a unique opportunity to obtain a very rare timepiece while supporting this amazing cause. This year the 9th edition is taking place, and no less than 53 lots will be auctioned. These are some of our favorites:

Roger Dubuis has made quite a name for itself with its Double Flying Tourbillon movements. However, they also offer an enticing Single Flying Tourbillon. With that watch, the brand proves that being single ain't such a bad thing. They completely redesigned the model, keeping its familiar profile but updating both the movement as well as the case.