Santa isn’t the only one with a sackful of goodies! The final crop of new watches for 2021 is a sure way to end the year on a festive note.

As discussed at one of the Watches and Wonders Geneva panels, blockchain technology is making inroads in the watch industry as a means of authentication that also opens up new possibilities for customer relations.

Consumer demand for sustainability has sent brands in search of alternatives to animal leather. This includes watchmakers, which are introducing straps in plant-based biomaterials.

What began as cutting-edge innovation has revolutionised an entire sector. Hypertechnology is a key trend in watchmaking, embracing breakout technologies and mad ideas, extreme sports and a fascination with science fiction.

MicroLean Lab, a public-private consortium that includes Richemont, is developing the microfactory of the future; a concept that has the potential to transform our economic and social organisation right down to how we consume. Welcome to the world of artisanal industry, where the customer truly is king.

Ultra-light, extra-resistant, super-luminescent, unbreakable... watch brands continue to push the envelope for the materials used to encase our watches. Here's a selection of this year's innovations.

A new white knight is joining the fight against fakes. Origyn has developed a form of digital identification, thanks to which anyone can authenticate a luxury watch using nothing more than a photo and an app.

Certain brands at Watches & Wonders have kicked their R&D into overdrive, resulting in futuristic materials that make stronger, lighter, more resilient watches a reality.