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.

When it comes to pilot's watches is IWC one of the benchmarks. Their history is rich with watches made to be worn in the cockpit, particularly on the wrist of military pilots. In 2018, the brand developed a watch exclusively for the men and women who would graduate from the highly acclaimed Navy Fighter Weapons School "Top Gun" program. It is now time for a limited edition based on this unique watch, whose full name is Pilot's Watch Chronograph TOP GUN Edition "SFTI," where the acronym stands for 'Strike Fighter Tactics Instructor.'

Christoph Grainger-Herr, CEO of Swiss watchmaker IWC Schaffhausen, joined Haute Time for the latest edition of “Talking Time“, the industry-leading series of live webinars with the time world's leaders and legends.

When it comes to perpetual calendars does IWC has quite the reputation to uphold. It was mainly thanks to master watchmaker Kurt Klaus that this became one of the brand's signature complications. While we can especially credit the Da Vinci for achieving this in the first, putting the perpetual calendar in a 'Pilots'-watch, another thing IWC became famous for, only further enhanced its popularity. While a perpetual calendar is, in essence, a very classic complication, this gives it a contemporary edge.

The fact that Watches & Wonders was canceled this year due to the Covid-19 pandemic didn't stop IWC from going fully digital and launch a wide variety of new models in the Portugieser collection. Among them are a new perpetual calendar, the stunning Portugieser Tourbillon Rétrograde Chronograph, and a revamped Portugieser Yacht Timer with the innovative version among them moon phase and tide indicator. Haute Time talks with IWC CEO Christoph Grainger-Herr to hear his insights about the Portugieser and how to steer the company through these challenging times.

IWC has crowned 2020 as the year of the Portugieser, and that means that we can welcome lots and lots of new additions to this collection. Some are just revamped versions of old favorites, but many are also entirely new watches, some with innovative complications.

As a material, does bronze have an imposing history playing, especially an essential role from around 3300 till 600 BC. During this period, which is even named the Bronze age, was the alloy made from combining tin with copper. The advantage of bronze was that it is very malleable and also less brittle than, for example, cast iron, so perfect for making a great variety of different objects. As the material is very resistant to corrosion from seawater, it has also played a particularly important role in maritime history.

Whether auctions like Only Watch benefitting research into Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy or celebrities selling personal watches and donating proceeds to various charities, auctioning high-end timepieces for worthy causes is a common occurrence in the watch industry. Along with these high profile events, some brands also have charity-supporting timepieces as part of their catalog. From wildlife conservation to social change to health care, here are a few fantastic watches that support good causes.

While the tides of the current trends are flowing more into the direction of smaller sized watches, does this not mean that larger watches have become unavailable. Since the trend towards more substantial timepieces started, they have proven that they are here to stay. The following four watches show that size matters, especially when you want to make a big impression.

Picking a valentine watch for a woman seems to be substantially easier than selecting one for men. While women don't shy away from hearts, diamonds, and mother-of-pearl, around their wrist, finding tokens of love that men will wear is a bit more challenging. Here are a couple of suggestions that will not only perfectly express how you feel, but that are also too tempting for most men not to wear them!

There was a time when the perpetual calendar was a complication that could only be found in classic, gold cases, fitted with alligator leather straps. They were revered and treasured, yet only worn when the activities weren't too strenuous or potentially damaging to its complex movement. Times have changed, and today is a gold cased dress watch not automatically the timepiece of choice anymore for the rich and accomplished. In their active lives, they need a watch that can keep up with the pace, yet the fascination for the perpetual calendar hasn't dwindled. When the brands combined both, by putting that revered complication in a sportive watch, something magical happened as the following four watches prove.

It is sometimes mindboggling to realize how fast a year can fly by. Here we are on the threshold of not only a new year but also a new decade. As time is passing us so quickly, it is interesting to see its effect within an industry that is dedicated to making the passing of time not only visible but also measurable.

Hamilton collaborated with IWC Schaffhausen’s designers in creating the timepiece. The special design, of which there are only to 100 watches available, combines a black ceramic case and a Bordeaux-red dial with a crown and a case-back ring made of 18-carat 5N gold. The watch has a diameter of 46.5 millimeters. The textile strap is also colored in Bordeaux-red.

While ceramic is not a new material within watchmaking, it has become increasingly more popular in recent years. One explanation for this could be that materials other than stainless steel and precious metals are now far more accepted and even in demand within luxury watchmaking. Combined with the benefits that high tech ceramics are light in weight and very wear resistance, make it that they offer significant advantages over their metal counterparts. However, making a ceramic watch case is quite challenging as both its firing and cooling process can be somewhat challenging to predict and requires therefore quite some finesse.

Watches that can display more than one timezone remain popular. This is not so surprising as we not only travel more and more, but as the world becomes more interconnected, we also deal more frequently with people and businesses located in other parts of the world. Next to its practical use do watches that display more than one timezone often also have a dynamic look to them, one that almost entices you to go out and explore new worlds. The following four watches do just that, and are for us among the hottest GMT watches launched this year;

Trains, planes, automobiles—watches can take inspiration from all sorts of sources, especially other machines. Over and beyond being pilot watches, these timepieces also draw design cues from a range of aircraft. From Breitling to IWC to Zenith, we take a closer look at three luxury watches inspired by airplanes.