The history of watches began in 16th century Europe, where watches evolved from portable spring-driven clocks, which first appeared in the 15th century. Today’s smart watches continue to play on these ideas, speaking to the person who constantly needs to be plugged in. By moving notifications to the wrist, where you can easily monitor them without having to spend time on your phone, the idea is that users can more efficiently spend time managing their tasks and receive and react to important updates in the moment. While smart-watch wearers can’t be described by a single demographic, the price point of these devices (and the fact that people who own them already need to have a smartphone) makes them a luxury product linked to perceived efficiency.
TIMEX METROPOLITAN+
With a total of six hands, this analogue smartwatch firmly eschews the wearable trend towards minimalist mass-appeal. Despite its heft - the Metropolitan+ is 42mm across and 12mm thick - it's still comfortable to wear and the supplied silicone strap felt particularly nice to the touch
PANERAI LAB-ID LUMINOR 1950 CARBOTECH 3 DAYS
While the LAB-ID’s exterior is made of Carbotech, a lightweight, corrosion-free composite, inside is where the real innovation happens. In watchmaking, lubrication is crucial. Even the most basic movement has 60 points that require oil. This watch however is completely free of liquid lubricant. The cogs and gears are instead covered with diamond-like carbon
ROLEX OYSTER PERPETUAL DAYTONA COSMOGRAPH
Given that the Daytona was already a bulletproof watch, from the automatic movement to the design and functionality, what has changed is the previously steel bezel, whose logarithmic "tachymetre" calibration became easily scratched. It's now rendered in Rolex's tough Cerachrom ceramic. An incremental yet masterful move
IWC PILOT WATCH TIMEZONER
This pilot's watch is ideal for seasoned globetrotters. Making use of a patent acquired from indie brand Vogard in 2014, it uses a rotating bezel to set your second time zone. A differential gearing connects bezel and hands, and the watch also packs a flyback chronograph for ultimate timekeeping accuracy
HARRY WINSTON Z10
Made by Marilyn Monroe's favourite jeweller, Harry Winston, the Z10 has a double retrograde display, exposing its mechanism with techy panache
DE BETHUNE DB25
Independent watch brand De Bethune has made a watch focused only on cities one is actually likely to visit. The DB25's second time zone is indicated by a gold and blue "microsphere" held in a channel around the dial, which rotates every 12 hours to indicate night or day.
BREMONT MBII-WH
This hardy watch is built to withstand almost anything thrown at it. Bremont tested its timepiece by ejecting it from plane cockpits at high speeds to see how well it withstood the impact.
BREITLING SUPEROCEAN HÉRITAGE CHRONOWORKS
This launch - a prototype Blackbird spy plane in wrist form, if you like - soups-up the brand's B01 chronograph calibre by introducing a ceramic baseplate and geartrain (self-lubricating, doing away with the need for 11 bearing jewels), a silicon escapement, plus an ingenious way of introducing elasticity to the chronograph wheels' meshing, meaning the hands sweep immediately.
HUBLOT TECHFRAME FERRARI 70 YEARS CHRONOGRAPH TOURBILLON
Hublot is known for its porthole-shaped watches (that’s the meaning of its name in English, after all), but the 70th anniversary of Ferrari, its automotive partner, is clearly an event of sufficient importance to step outside the usual format. In fact, the carmaker’s celebrated design director Flavio Manzoni and his team took the controls in coming up with the look of the watch, conceiving a highly unusual skeletonised case inspired by the lightweight frame of a supercar
BREITLING AVENGER HURRICANE
This rugged timepiece wouldn't look out of place on Batman's utility belt, yet sits on your wrist as innocuously as a Swatch. Made out of polymer composite spiked with carbon fibre, it's 3.3 times lighter than steel yet almost impossible to dent or scratch.
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