Today is the start of the first edition of the LVMH Watch Week, in which the top brands of this luxury conglomerate present their newest watches in Dubai. For Zenith, the perfect opportunity to launch a completely new ladies watch; the Defy Midnight.

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.

Good design lasts forever. But great designs can lay the groundwork for a bevy of future reinterpretations—a handful of modifications here and there and you end up with a fresher take on the fundamentals.

It is still interesting to see that the development of certain mechanical complications doesn't stop. A great example of this is the chronograph, where brands continue to find new ways to take it to the next level. 2019 was a year in which chronographs broke records and celebrated anniversaries, as it has been 50 years since the very first automatic chronographs hit the market. So no wonder that 2019 was a great year for chronographs.

The beauty of the luxury watch space is that is room for just about any type of timepiece. From the understated ultra-slim dress watch to the outrageous high complication piece, watch brands today are looking to cater to all walks of watch enthusiasts. While the benefit of a tourbillon to a wristwatch’s accuracy is still up for debate, what is not disputed is the expertise, investment, and time required to craft these ultra-complex mechanisms worthy to spin away inside a topnotch timepiece. Buckle up as we roll through some crazy tourbillon watches that flaunt mechanical mastery and powerful designs.

An auction house designing limited editions of one of the most iconic chronographs out there? That is precisely what Phillips in association with Bacs & Russo did earlier this year. This Zenith El Primero Ref.386 featured a dial made from Lapis Lazuli and will be the only El Primero Ref.386 ever to be made with a platinum case. It sold last weekend for CHF 250,000,- with the proceeds going to charity. After this watch, Zenith and Phillips have joined forces again for two more limited editions.

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.

Some watches don't have to prove anything anymore. Their name is enough to gain a watch connoisseurs respect, and in rare cases, you don't even have to mention the exact model to achieve this. One of these watches is the Zenith El Primero. A watch that cannot only rely on a strong heritage but also kept its relevance because Zenith continued to invest in it. Today clients can still buy the pure El Primero with only a chronograph, but also far more complex varieties such as the Defy El Primero Double Tourbillon.

A relic from the mid 20th Century, the Panda dial has proved its staying power six decades later. Defined as a chronograph dial with a white background and black sub-dials (and nicknamed after the cute creature with that recognizable face), the Panda dial is as fresh looking today as it was when it first appeared. Case in point is this batch of contemporary luxury watches with Panda dials.

The Zenith Defy El Primero 21 is already an impressive watch, with its automatic 1/100th-second chronograph movement. However, when Grammy-award winning artists Swizz Beatz adds his style to it, it gets even better. For his creation, Swizz Beatz opted for a vibrant color combination of white and orange. On the Zenith, it works wonders because no corners are cut to bring them to life in nearly every aspect of the watch.

The Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG) has announced its preselection for its 2019 edition. It proves to be once again an exciting year, as many of the categories have imposing watches in them, which will make it not easy for the jury to pick the winner.

By its very nature, fads come and go and the watch industry is has seen its fair share of them. However, the two-tone watch is one that has transcended trend-status to become a bona fide classic style. From old-world heritage brands to cutting-edge niche brands, just about every watchmaker has dipped their toes into the two-tone look—and sometimes in surprising ways. Here are four examples of current luxury watches taking on the classic two-tone colorway.

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!

Diamonds on men's watches; some people love them, others can't stand them. But even those who are counting themselves among the last category might be tempted to at least, adjust their opinion with the following four watches. They are either quite subtle or go all in, but all bring something very special to the table that makes them in one way or another too tempting to turn down.

2019 is a special year for quite a few brands, as it marks for them important events in their history. For some, it was the launch of an iconic model or important movement, while for others it was an event at which one of their watches became legendary. That makes it that these four brands have something to celebrate:

In the world of watches is the El Primero a legend. With its frequency of 5Hz, you can measure the passing of time with 1/10th of a second precision. While this movement is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, the beauty is that Zenith never stopped with developing it. They not only added many complications over the years but also improved the movement itself. With the Defy El Primero 21, they fitted the movement with two escapements, one running at 5Hz and supporting the regular timekeeping of the watch, and one dedicated to the chronograph, running at 50Hz.