Instagram: for many of us it has become an ever-renewing visual database to the people, brands, and products we love. Many watch brands have also realized that it is the perfect platform to highlight what makes their products so special, as well as keeping their fans up to date with the most recent developments and events. Next time you are on Instagram, make sure that you check out the following brands!

Zenith has been making impressive watches since 1865, but many of us know the brand especially because of the El Primero. Launched in 1969, it was the world's first integrated, automatic chronograph movement, and because its balance oscillates at the frequency of 36.000 vibrations per hour, it can measure time up to a tenth of a second. For Zenith this accomplishment was however only an inspiration to push the envelope even further, which results today in a collection that is as extensive as it is impressive, and their following watches are Haute Time favourites!

Luxury Swiss watchmaker ZENITH debuts its new Defy Classic collection that launched in Baselworld earlier this year, in retailers and boutiques worldwide.

Diamond set watches have a terrible disadvantage. Most people are so impressed by their visual impact and the price tag that comes along, that they forget how complicated it is to create such a marvel. The following watches are therefore first and foremost unique masterpieces that combine the noble art of watchmaking with that of diamond cutting and setting!

The greatness of many Haute Horlogerie creations is often evident. Being objects of art, they are extrovert by nature. But some follow a different path. That of understated excellence. Watches that require the knowledge of a true connoisseur to be revealed for what they really are. Here are five watches that have that down to a T!

Zenith's collaboration with premium cigar manufacturer Cohiba recently got a new chapter with two Pilot Type 20 special editions. It is quite extraordinary to sense the synergy between the watches and the cigars as their alignment doesn't seem like a stretch for either brand. They naturally complement each other.

Baselworld is always a place full of surprizes, some large and some small. One of those big surprises is the Blancpain Villeret Tourbillon Volant Heure Sautante Minute Rétrograde. This watch combines a jumping hour with retrograde minutes and a unique flying tourbillon.

One of the conclusions of the report is that large, well-funded companies that already have strong brand recognition are doing much better than smaller brands. That advantage is reinforced among luxury holding companies, which again benefit from having big pockets

It was one of the highlights of last year’s Baselworld: the Zenith Defy El Primero 21. While the El Primero itself has already set the standard of its chronograph to 5Hz/36.000 bpm in 1969, allowing you to measure with a 1/10th of a second accuracy, the El Primero 21 exceeds this tenfold. Running at a staggering 50Hz, the chronograph measures up to 1/100th of a second, and does so with a central seconds hand, which makes this accomplishment all the more tangible.

While the SIHH takes place in the Palexpo halls of Geneva, this is not the only place in the city where you can find the latest and greatest watches. In the downtown area, brands that are not officially part of the SIHH setup shop on boats and in the exclusives hotels near the lake. For them, Baselworld is often the main fair to introduce their new models, but that didn’t stop them to bring a few novelties to Geneva as well!

2017 was a good year when it comes to watches. As we already discovered a few of Haute Time's favorite watches of this year in Part I, there were simply too many to put all in one article. That's, why in part II we showcase a few other favorites that have been released this year!

Luxury watchmaker Zenith teamed up with recording artist and producer, Swizz Beats to throw a memorable launch party for its new Defy collection.

We are currently in an era in watchmaking in which there is significant innovation regarding the materials of which watch cases are made. Sapphire, scratch resistant gold, carbon fibers, and high tech plastics now play a significant role in the world of Haute Horlogerie, but surprisingly also a more ancient alloy: Bronze.

Zenith has created a novel oscillator that guides the exceptional precision of Defy Lab, a watch the exhibits masterful mechanical performance.

With the Heritage Cronometro TIPO CP-2 Zenith created a homage to one of the most desirable pilot chronographs ever created.

Blue, black and silver are by far the most common dial colors when it comes to watches. In the past gold has also been a favorite, but changing times, and the death of two-tone watches has pushed those into becoming more of a rarity as well.