In this age of digital information, watch companies try to get ahead of the competition by releasing news on their new timepieces ahead of the big watch fairs.

This year is no different, and in honor of the upcoming 25th edition of the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie (SIHH), which opens its doors on January 19, 2015, we present you with an overview of some of the new models that have already been revealed – at least on paper.

Richard Mille RM 33-01

* Richard Mille unveils the RM 33-01 outfitted with the skeletonized new RMXP3 caliber with an off-center platinum micro rotor. The surfaces of its titanium movement are sandblasted and electroplasma-treated, microblasted and satin-finished, while the beveling has been completed entirely by hand. The appearance of the movement goes very well with the case’s sports-inspired design combining a hint of the brand’s famous tonneau style with its newer, yet characteristic, round design. The case, available in titanium, red gold or white gold with a case band in grade 5 titanium, case measures 45.7 x 9.2 mm and comes on a rubber strap with a folding clasp in grade 5 titanium.

GMT Black by Greubel Forsey

* Greubel Forsey releases the GMT Black, which premiers a hypermodern new look for the expressive GMT model as it is housed in a 43.5 mm titanium case treated with vacuum-deposited ADLC. This unique edition of 22 pieces is powered by Caliber GF05, which is outfitted with a 24-second tourbillon inclined at a 25-degree angle and a GMT function graphically depicted by a three-dimensional globe that even includes a day/night indication and a rotating disc with 24 different time zones (yes, including Daylight Savings Time!).

Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Calendar in red gold

* Jaeger-LeCoultre promises us a year of astronomy in 2015. And this begins with the brand-new Master Calendar boasting a meteorite dial. As one component of the astral creations to come, the new Master Calendar is the perfect introduction: its visuals are distinguished by a fragment of the very face of astronomy forming the dial, a piece of the heavens on earth so to speak. Housed in a 39 x 10.6 mm stainless steel or red gold case, the watch’s full calendar, powered by automatic Caliber 866, includes the day, date, month and moon phases.

A. Lange & Söhne Saxonia Dual Time, Saxonia Automatic and Saxonia

* A. Lange & Söhne launched the Saxonia family of wristwatches 20 years ago, and it has since been a permanent part of the manufactory’s repertoire. This year the collection experiences a small facelift. The hour markers of the Saxonia Dual Time (measuring 38.5 x 9.1 mm), Saxonia Automatic (measuring 38.5 x 7.8 mm) and hand-wound Saxonia (measuring 35 x 7.3 mm) are closer to the flange, opening the dial of the elegant trio of wristwatches available in white and pink gold.

Montblanc Heritage Spirit Orbis Terrarum on the wrist

* Montblanc continues its Heritage line introduced at SIHH 2014 in honor of the 90th anniversary of the iconic Meisterstück fountain pen and will release the Heritage Spirit Orbis Terrarum at SIHH 2015. This model reinterprets the world time function by putting the earth at the core of the timepiece, depicting the continents – which are cut out from the rest of the disc, setting them off from the light blue oceans – as they would be viewed from the North Pole looking down. The pushers are used to change the dual time zones, and there is also a day/night indication. This timepiece housed in a 41 mm stainless steel or red gold case is powered by automatic Caliber MB29.20.

Piaget’s Altiplano Chronograph is the world’s thinnest chronograph

* Piaget returns two of its vintage icons to the present in breathtaking new editions: the Black Tie “vintage inspiration” and the “traditional oval,” which pay tribute to the brand’s feel for unusual shapes in watch design of the 1960s and 1970s. However, it is the Altiplano Chronograph that is bound to capture the spotlight. Once again, the brand sets a new record in the ultra-thin category by creating the world’s thinnest chronograph movement and timepiece. Available in pink gold, this 41 x 8.24 mm hand-wound chronograph’s Caliber 880P measures a mere 4.65 mm in height.

One-off Royal Oak Concept watch by Audemars Piguet featuring minute repeater, tourbillon and column-wheel chronograph

* Audemars Piguet presents a concept watch called the Royal Oak Concept, which is for the moment destined to remain a unique prototype rather than a serial watch. Powered by a hand-wound caliber containing a minute repeater, tourbillon and column-wheel chronograph, it is the result of eight years of acoustic research in partnership with the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL). For the moment, it is housed in a 44 mm titanium case with a look typical of recent concept watches that the Le Brassus-based brand has issued. At SIHH, we will likely get a better look, and hopefully a chance to listen as well.

Ronde Louis Cartier Filigree (photo courtesy Nils Hermann/Cartier)

* Cartier continues its quest for integrating beautiful, unusual and highly skilled arts into its wristwatches in the new Ronde Louis Cartier Filigree. This timepiece is the first issued from the new Métiers d’Art building located right next to the main factory in La Chaux-de-Fonds. The timepiece incorporates a vintage art called filigree, which more or less transforms gold into something more akin to lace. The lacework here in gold and platinum and set with diamonds depicts a set of Cartier’s symbolic animal, the panther. Housed in a 42 mm yellow gold case set with brilliant-cut diamonds, this 20-piece limited edition is powered by manually wound Caliber 430 MC.

Roger Dubuis Excalibur Spider Skeleton Flying Tourbillon (left) and Excalibur Automatic Skeleton (right)

* Roger Dubuis presents two distinctive skeletonized Excalibur models: the Excalibur Spider Skeleton Flying Tourbillon and the Excalibur Automatic Skeleton, both of which incorporate signature features of Roger Dubuis’ skeleton watches.

The Excalibur Spider Skeleton Flying Tourbillon is part of the new Excalibur Spider collection, which is destined to take the skeleton theme beyond the movement to encompass a skeletonized titanium case, flange, and hands. The Excalibur Automatic Skeleton is powered by a new in-house Caliber RD820SQ, which is the first skeletonized automatic RD movement with micro rotor.

Elegant Portofino Hand Wound Pure Classic by IWC

* IWC extends the new Portofino line introduced at Watches & Wonders in September 2014 with a manually wound model called Hand-Wound Pure Classic, which exudes stylish understatement in a 43.5 x 12 mm case available in red gold or stainless steel. It is powered by IWC’s own Caliber 59060 with eight days’ worth of power reserve.

Automotive Chronograph by Ralph Lauren

* At the 2013 edition of the Villa d’Este Concorso d’Eleganza on Lake Como – the world’s foremost show of exotic and historic automobiles – Ralph Lauren took home the top prize for his 1938 Bugatti Type 57SC Atlantic Coupe. At SIHH 2015, he introduces the Automotive Chronograph, whose visuals were inspired by this superb automobile, in particular the lavish wood elements of the dashboard. This is reflected in the handmade wooden dial component crafted from elm burl wood. The 44.8 x 12.2 mm stainless steel case houses a powerful Jaeger-LeCoultre automatic chronograph movement. For more information on the 2013 edition of the Villa d’Este Concorso d’Eleganza, please read Villa d’Este Concorso d’Eleganza And A. Lange & Söhne: Time For Legends.

Follow our daily reporting live from the SIHH starting January 19, 2015!