The Indian celebrities and faces of leading watch firms also pull in the crowds online. Thanks to them, brands such as Longines, Audemars Piguet and Chopard have climbed to the top of the list of watchmaking’s most-wanted ambassadors.

Watchmakers have stars in their eyes, with several brands proposing models that feature an equation of time, sunrise and sunset times, perpetual calendar, a map of the night sky or moonphases. Cosmogonic heaven.

The launch of the Royal Oak Offshore Grand Prix will be the year's big event for the Le Brassus firm. This collection, proposed as three limited editions, confirms the brand as a master of high-tech materials.

Despite a lacklustre economy in 2009, online searches for Fine Watch brands grew 14% according to the WorldWatchReport, published by IC-Agency. HH Magazine presents the report’s main conclusions with in-depth per country coverage to come.

Revolutionary constructions, new materials, original functions… watchmaking is undergoing radical transformation in the twenty-first century, as each year brings its share of innovations. Here are some examples spotted at the latest presentations in Geneva.

Watch brands are increasingly under pressure to establish a distinct personality. JeanRichard is putting unprecedented accent on its sports models while Ralph Lauren concentrates on building up its three emblematic collections.