A look at some of the watch industry’s most exciting new releases for 2021

Springtime is always the most exciting season for the watch industry as the brands reveal their new timepieces for the year ahead. In the past, this thrilling moment has taken place at physical shows in Geneva and Basel, but like with so many other things, Covid has been a total killjoy.  

Undeterred by the Covid chaos, the organizers at Watches and Wonders Geneva put on their second digital show with a seven-day virtual extravaganza of watches. Thirty-eight brands took part, revealing all their latest designs and technology. The Watchdreamer team takes a look at the highlights and here is a selection of novelties that particularly caught their eye.

Hublot Big Bang Integral Tourbillon Full Sapphire

 

Sapphire crystal cases have become increasingly popular over the last few years with a number of high-end watchmakers presenting models in these transparent cases. The beauty of this material is that it allows the wearer to see the intricate workings of the watch’s mechanical movement from every angle, which in this case is a rather wonderful automatic and skeletonized flying tourbillon.  

From a technical stand-point, these cases are extremely complicated to produce as sapphire crystal is the second hardest material in the world after diamonds. The hardness is not only a nightmare to machine, but it also makes it particularly fragile to produce (think of glass).

What makes the Hublot Big Bang Integral Tourbillon Full Sapphire interesting is that this is the first time a brand has made a full sapphire bracelet with sapphire crystal links. The expertise needed to make this is off the charts, explaining why the collection is limited to 30 pieces.

Discover Watchdreamer’s selection of Hublot timepieces

 

Breitling Premier Heritage B09 Chronograph

 

At every watch show there is always a color that starts trending. This year the color was green with numerous watch brands unveiling timepieces with emerald green dials. Breitling’s green was something quite different, however, coming in this unusual pistachio color.

The timepiece pays homage to the brand’s chronograph heritage with a vintage-style dial that has been paired with this contemporary color. The dial has a lot of depth thanks to recessed chronograph counters, applied Arabic numerals, and a tachymeter scale that sits above the minute track. It comes in a 40mm stainless steel case and is powered by the brand’s in-house,  COSC-certified column wheel chronograph movement. 

Discover Watchdreamer’s selection of Breitling timepieces

 

TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional 300

 

TAG Heuer presented a brand-new Aquaracer collection for 2021. One of the brand’s most successful lines, the Aquaracer is instantly recognizable thanks to its robust yet elegant look. This new version has been modified to be more wearable and comfortable on the wrist with lugs that are steeper and shorter and a slightly smaller bezel that slims down the bracelet and makes it a good bit lighter too.

Other details include a magnifying glass that has been incorporated into the underside of the sapphire crystal, a new clasp with a 15mm sliding mechanism that can be loosened or tightened while on the wrist, revised typography for more precise reading, and a new clicking sound for the uni-directional rotating bezel.

There are a number of different colors to choose from, along with two sizes – 43mm or 36mm. Our favorite is this grade two titanium model with its khaki green dial and matching ceramic bezel that has an interesting industrial matt aesthetic.

 

IWC Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar

 

The perpetual calendar is one of the most useful complications as – if kept wound – it can keep track of the exact date, including leap years, until the year 2100. When you stop and think about it for a minute, it is a marvel of mechanical engineering.

This new Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar by IWC is not only noteworthy from a technical standpoint (with two barrels providing a seven-day power reserve), it also has a pure and highly legible dial where all the information is beautifully presented to the wearer. Note also a rather lovely perpetual double moon phase display that indicates the phases of the moon in both the northern and southern hemispheres.

Discover Watchdreamer’s selection of IWC timepieces