Regatta countdowns are all the rage right now. Panerai, Corum, Louis Vuitton and Rolex have all pushed the boat out with some sharp mechanics ready to take sailors first over the start line.

Strapped to the wrist of the first person to freefall through the sound barrier, taking to the skies with the fathers of aviation, or en route for the poles with the first explorers, Zenith keeps the thrills coming.

The models presented this year by Bovet Fleurier demonstrate its mastery of complications and superlative movement finishing. Such craftsmanship is displayed in the Amadeo, Récital and Bovet by Pininfarina collections.

The Swatch Group brand presents the new Seamaster Aqua Terra 15'000 Gauss whose movement has been completely revised in terms of materials, design and industrial production to make it insensitive to magnetic fields. It should equip every Co-Axial watch by 2016.

"The watch for Presidents" ranks among Vulcain's claims to fame. Its Cricket mechanical alarm watch has indeed graced the wrist of several American heads of state, and would rouse any leader from their sleep, no matter how well-earned.

To mark the 125th anniversary of the birth of Le Corbusier, the La Chaux-de-Fonds watchmaker Girard-Perregaux presents three commemorative watches inspired by key periods in the visionary architect's life.