Philippe Dufour is setting salerooms alight; WatchBox has invested in De Bethune; Chrono24 has secured LVMH-backed funding; Watchfinder is presenting all the James Bond watches in its Paris showroom; Richard Mille has launched a certified network for its pre-owned watches… for watch fans, the moving and shaking is on the pre-owned market.

With the economy back in business and exports on the rise again, brands are newly inclined to show off their capacity for innovation and imagination. Here are some of the watches from the stream of recent releases.

Research into new materials has proved instrumental in the giant strides made in precision and reliability. It has also put titanium back on brands’ radar, including in recycled form.

As Apple Watch sales continue to climb and Swiss watch exports slide, how much does customer experience contribute to the respective appeal of these two very different products?

As the effects of climate change become more and more “tangible”, luxury’s leading names are responding to the need for urgent action to stem environmental destruction and loss of biodiversity.

UNESCO’s inscription of mechanical watchmaking and art mechanics on the List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity was a victory for those involved. Six months on, as the groundwork for future action is prepared, in Sainte-Croix initiatives are already well under way.

Pushing the boundaries of its artistic design even further, Louis Erard reveals a completely unique triptych. Alain Silberstein was given carte blanche, designing the series of three watches like a picture over three panels. Three lots of 178 models at accessible prices.

Easing of travel restrictions brings hope of plunging into the ocean this summer. Any of these twelve dive watches would make the ideal companion.