Fine Watchmaking's preservation of the applied arts now extends to Japanese lacquer techniques, as Vacheron Constantin and Van Cleef & Arpels brilliantly demonstrated at the last SIHH.

Panerai stands apart, with limited editions sold through a selective distribution network of some 500 points of sale worldwide and 20 stand-alone stores.

The twelve months of 2009, declared the International Year of Astronomy by UNESCO, have given watchmakers no end of ideas.

The timepieces at the 20th Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie were the epitome of restraint and a return to fundamental values, although the touch of extravagance that sets them apart was still evident in the applied arts and grandes complications on show.

The 2010 collections from Jaeger-LeCoultre stay true to the spirit of the brand: masterful mechanics inside, ergonomic comfort outside. This tradition is especially evident in an astronomical grande complication, the Extreme LAB 2, and a reinterpretation of the legendary Memovox.

Many of this year’s new models give pride of place to classic styling and centuries-old expertise. Illustrating this are the anniversary collection from A. Lange&Söhne, and IWC’s interpretations of its famous Portuguese.

Since setting up their company in 2001, Stephen Forsey and Robert Greubel have been at the forefront of fundamental research into the tourbillon complication. Greubel Forsey has produced three major inventions to date and revisited the first at the SIHH 2010.

Amid the many wonders introduced at the annual Salon International de la Haute Horology, the world’s most high-end watch fair, a few items stand out from the rest as collectors’ pieces, coveted by aficionados and collectors.