Once dismissed as a hang-out for unscrupulous traders touting fakes, in little more than a decade the pre-owned watch market has grown to remarkable proportions and is expected to surpass sales of new watches. Consultancy firm LuxeConsult predicts this reversal in roles for 2033.

The “Grande Maison” is reaching out to customers through a series of original experiences hosted at the Manufacture. Collectively titled “Atelier d’Antoine”*, these tours and workshops take visitors to the heart of Haute Horlogerie.

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.

For women or for men, a watch is still a watch. As consumers reject traditional gender divides, more brands are emphasising why their watches can be worn by both sexes.

This June 26th, Breguet commemorates 220 years since Abraham-Louis Breguet was awarded a patent for the tourbillon. His invention continues to delight collectors and has become a “rite of passage” for any brand dedicated to watchmaking excellence.

This year’s raft of anniversaries is retraining the spotlight on adventure-prone watches, starting with the Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso and closely followed by the IWC Pilot’s Watch and the Rolex Explorer II. Adding style in the heat of the action are the Cartier Tank and the Patek Philippe Nautilus.

First came timepieces showcasing artistic crafts, then installations commissioned by brands from visual artists. Now watchmakers are selling their creations as non-fungible tokens using blockchain technology.

Watches for her, watches for him, there is less of a clear-cut distinction among the year’s releases. The emphasis is more on emotional appeal as new colours enter the spectrum.

Helping us forget ongoing restrictions, the brands at Watches and Wonders unveiled an explosion of colour alongside calendar complications, our future travel companions.