A whirlwind weekend in Geneva of auction sales, Only Watch and the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève has confirmed the rise and rise of independent watchmakers.

For the third time, Phillips put independents front and centre of its sale, headlined by George Daniels. Connoisseurs packed the saleroom for the British auction house's May date, with the hammer coming down on several record-breaking lots.

A watch whose one and only function is to give the time is probably the most difficult exercise a maker can undertake. When the emperor has no clothes, what is revealed must be beyond reproach.

Created by Maxima Gallery, Watchmakers – The Masters of Art Horology opens this Friday April 6th in Rome before travelling to New York, Hong Kong and London. Museums and galleries, places where art is traditionally displayed, become the venues for the work of thirteen independent watchmakers.

This past weekend in Miami, Florida, the first ever Watches & Wonders Miami took place in and around Palm Court in the Miami Design District. This event marked the first time a Watches & Wonders exhibition had been staged in America, and – judging by the success of the show—it won’t be the last.

What's new in the Carré des Horlogers? How about magnificent guillochage, splendid complications, a hefty dose of innovation and some not-what-you-expected designs. "Carré" may be French for square, these contemporary brands have no trouble thinking outside the box.

Japanese decorative techniques have made a remarked-upon incursion into Swiss watchmaking in recent years, with projects that point to a certain number of shared values, not least attention to detail and painstaking execution.