From Hermes to Cartier: 10 of the best new luxury watches for men and women - in pictures

The annual Watches and Wonders event may have been cancelled, but that has not stopped luxury brands from unveiling their latest launches

Arceau L’heure de la Lune: Limited to just 30 pieces, this new Arceau L’heure de la Lune watch by Hermes is brimming with celestial beauty. It features the simultaneous display of moon phases in both the northern and southern hemispheres, represented by two mother-of-pearl moons that emerge from behind two mobile counters that gravitate on a “Black Sahara” meteorite dial. With a total thickness of just 4.2 millimeters, the watch's 117 polished and bead-blasted components are incorporated within a Manufacture Hermès H1837 movement.

Tank Asymetrique: Cartier has been busy reimagining its classics, with new launches falling under the theme Unexpected Encounters. There are five new versions of the Santos de Cartier, which dates back to 1904; the Pasha, an 1980s classic; and the new Maillon de Cartier, which sees a chain-link bracelet transformed into a statement-making timepiece. But most bound to delight is the tweak given to the brand’s famed Tank. The rectangle of the original version has been expanded and the dial’s numerals shifted 30 degrees to the right, to revisit the Tank Asymétrique. As Cyrille Vigneron, Cartier’s chief executive says: “This year is truly the year of the unexpected.”

Portugieser Yacht Club Moon & Tide: For 2020, IWC Schaffhausen has added to its timeless Portugieser family. Launched in the late 1930s, the Portugieser’s clean, open, functional dial was informed by the deck watches IWC was producing for the British Royal Navy at the time. It combined the stylistic features of a pocket watch with the precision and readability of a nautical instrument. Among the latest iterations is IWC’s first watch fitted with a tide indication, the Portugieser Yacht Club Moon & Tide, which tracks the complex interplay of gravitational and centrifugal forces between the Earth, Moon and Sun that cause tides. A subdial at 6 o’clock indicates the expected times for the next high and low tide, while a double moon phase display at 12 o’clock provides information about the strength of current tides.

Altiplano Ultimate Concept: Piaget is reaching for the record books with its latest launch. The Piaget Altiplano Ultimate Concept is the world’s thinnest mechanical hand-wound watch, with a thickness of only 2 millimeters. Made from a cobalt-based high-tech alloy, the calibre and watch exterior merge as one, with a rectangular-shaped crown recessed into the caseband. Six years in development, the timepiece pushes the boundaries of horological engineering and currently has five patents pending. Because of the level of complexity involved, only three pieces will be made each year.

Limelight Gala Precious Sapphire Gradient: For women, Piaget has launched new variations of its famed Limelight Gala, including the striking limited edition Limelight Gala Precious Sapphire Gradient, which has a dial encircled by blue gemstones of shifting hues. But it is the limited edition Limelight Gala Precious Aventurine Glass pictured here, with a dial that mimics a clear starry night sky, that that we are coveting. The bezel is set with 42 brilliant-cut diamonds, paired here here with a dark blue shiny alligator strap.

Traditionnelle Tourbillon Jewellery: Vacheron Constantin has also launched its first self-winding tourbillon for ladies, the Traditionnelle Tourbillon. It has all the trademarks of the time-tested Traditionelle collection: a round stepped case, a discreet bezel, a fluted case-back and dauphine-shaped hands, now housed within a new 39 mm diamond- set pink gold case, or in the diamond-paved white gold jewellery version pictured here, which is decked in 559 brilliant-cut and baguette-cut gems. An in-house 2160 calibre features a peripheral rotor and a three-day power reserve.

Among an array of new offerings from Vacheron Constantin are the most complicated wristwatches ever produced by the maison. Les Cabinotiers Grand Complication Split-seconds chronograph is a double-sided timepiece, fully reversible thanks to a special strap attachment system. It displays the chronograph hours and measurements on the front, along with a perpetual calendar. The back is dedicated to astronomical functions, including indications of solar time, sunrise and sunset, day and night duration, as well as the age and phase of the moon. A total of 24 complications are organised by the new in-house 1,163- part 2756 calibre. The timepiece also upholds Vacheron Constantin’s long tradition of chiming watches.

Excalibur Twofold: Never one to hold back, Roger Dubuis has unveiled the Excalibur Twofold, a double flying tourbillon housed within a 45 millimeter case crafted from Mineral Composite Fiber (MCF), an ultra-white composite material made of 99.95 per cent silica and developed specifically by Roger Dubuis. The kicker? The watch and strap are both luminescent at night.

1858 Automatic 24H: Montblanc has launched two new 1858 timepieces, combining vintage aesthetics with new coloured dials, case elements made of a special bronze alloy, hand-made NATO straps and unique complications. The 1858 Automatic 24H pictured here features a 24-hour dial, with a single hand that allows the timepiece to be used both as a timekeeper and as a compass. The red hand is coated in SuperLumiNova for enhanced visibility, while the compass scale is marked on the outer rim of the dial in a beige ring, with markers at approximately 5 degree intervals.

Hampton: Baume & Mercier has given its Hampton collection an art deco makeover. The signature rectangular watch shape has been softened with the introduction of smooth, subtle curves and polished steel cases that come in three sizes. Protected by a domed sapphire crystal, the dials are adorned with contemporary Arabic numerals, riveted indexes and sword-shaped hands.

While the world's watch brands were not able to gather to show off their latest novelties at the annual Watches and Wonders (formerly SIHH) event this year, they have been avidly unveiling their newest creations via the newly launched watchesandwonders.com platform.

The website, which went live this weekend, lists new products from 30 of the world's leading watch brands and displays the engineering prowess of names such as Hermes, Cartier, IWC Schaffhausen and Vacheron Constantin.

Here is our round-up of the 10 best new timepieces. As Cyrille Vigneron, Cartier's chief executive says in his presentation of the maison's new collection: "In a period when time is still and everything has stopped, to talk about watchmaking is a very nice symbol."