Modern Luxury staff

When it comes to mechanical watches, the beauty lies in the construction of the mechanism itself, and the different, inventive dial configurations that the world’s top brands come up with.

Looking for a visual masterpiece as a holiday gift? Here's a Big Bang Pop Art from Hublot, a wizardly Vacheron Constantin and a unique piece from MB&F.

The story of an astonishing 163.41-carat diamond.

The Only Watch auction inspires unique versions of already exceptional timepieces — catnip for watch collectors, who pushed the bids into the stratosphere.

Much like a fine timepiece, model automobiles make the most of their refined dimensions. Perfection to scale, from Amalgam.

Bold colors took the place of Art Nouveau’s pastel shimmer, and the naturalism of Art Nouveau became the sharp geometry of Art Deco — as you can see in these jewels from Cartier, David Webb, Sutra, TAKAT and de GRISOGONO.

As the tourbillon becomes more and more popular, watch brands constantly seek to distinguish themselves by increasing the complexity of the mechanism. Watches from Harry Winston, Girard Perregaux, Cartier and Greubel Forsey.

Pandas and polar bears, tigers, giraffes and elephants: High-end jewelers have long been intrigued by these enchanting powerhouses of the animal kingdom. Some sparkling examples from Van Cleef & Arpels, de GRISOGONO, Boucheron and Cicada.

The modern men’s wristwatch owes its popularity to the soldiers of World War I, and a number of today’s most famous brands continue to draw inspiration from these military roots.

The towering spire of a skyscraper or the crumbling design motifs on ancient ruins might plant a seed for an idea that will eventually bloom in gems.

V.H.P. stands for “Very High Precision,” and it delivers: with a deviation of just +5/-5 seconds per year, it is one of the most precise analogue watches in the world.

A natural progression from Zenith’s onboard instruments developed in the then-nascent field of aviation, this timepiece lives up to the precision, robustness and clarity of its ancestors.

To create a tourbillon, in the world of haute horology, seems to be a kind of code, a signal that a brand has truly arrived. Here are some beautiful examples from Breguet, Patek Philippe, A. Lange & Söhne and Vacheron Constantin.

With TAG Heuer’s Connected Modular 45, the globe-trotting traveler will be able to take advantage of all of its features, even in China — an immense luxury audience and a key market for TAG Heuer.

With blue sapphire as the very material of the case itself, Hublot pairs scientific savvy and a willingness to experiment.

Jewelers and watchmakers have seized the symmetrical, alien glamour of the spider to create pieces that range from fanciful to frightening.

Talk about precision engineering and perfect mechanics! Olympic champion and Hublot brand ambassador Justin Rose won the WGC-HSBC Champions tournament in Shanghai.

Known as the “queen of complications,” the minute repeater is an extremely challenging addition to the cramped confines of a mechanical wristwatch, and it can take a watchmaker up to 12 years of experience to be able to create one.

Rings, earrings and watches that spotlight the spectacular colors of Autumn, from Jacob & Co., Andreoli, Bulgari, de GRISOGONO and Sutra.

Audible indications are as old as mechanical horology itself. Here are some favorites from Vacheron Constantin, Breguet, Patek Philippe and Ulysse Nardin.

While beauty, precision and craftsmanship remain the most well-known qualities of fine mechanical timepieces, it may be their functionalities that give them their most captivating meaning, especially in the sporting world.

Watch companies are quite skilled at keeping the flame alive, returning to the archives to create new models that seem to have traversed the years without a single sign of age.

Halloween isn’t the only skeleton-centric holiday that’s just around the corner! Día de los Muertos, a Mexican holiday on which people remember, pray for and celebrate deceased friends and family members, has grown in international popularity.

What is it about high-end watchmaking that allows the art form to transcend the world of luxury and find a captivating place in the sporting universe?

Celebrate the season with these skull-motif watches, which go from spooky to simply stylish come November 1.

Roger Dubuis and Lamborghini Squadra Corse put their love of mechanical performance at the forefront of the watchmaker’s Excalibur Aventador S.

Colombian emeralds bear a certain mystique, and the Muzo area is known to produce the most splendid stones of all. Jacob & Co. leans hard into the exceptional beauty of these stones—as only Jacob & Co. can.

Hublot has an “Art of Fusion” philosophy. Working with the cigar company Arturo Fuente, Hublot blends haute horology and a century-plus of experience in fine tobacco for a rich, full experience with notes of Latin expertise and Swiss precision.

Richard Mille, who insists that there's a watch for every purpose or sport, turns his attention to cycling.