The Watches and Wonders event was overshadowed by COVID-19 in 2020, when industry insiders were supposed to gather in Geneva to see the latest creations from luxury watchmakers. Instead, many brands stepped back and quietly exhibited at their own pace, speculating on how the watch industry would be affected by the unprecedented pandemic. Vacations, weddings, and graduation parties had come to a snail's pace, and many consumers commemorated personal milestones with luxury purchases. Watches regained the attention they had lost to a generation that seemed to value the experience more than the watch (opens in new tab).

This year's Watches and Wonders. Based in Geneva and running from April 7 to 13, the exhibition is essentially a fashion week for luxury watches. From Hublot's completely see-through sapphire models, to Cartier's colorful new Tank line, to Rolex's ultimate diamond flex, the watchmakers seemed to really enjoy (no pun intended) themselves.

And thanks to Instagram accounts like @dimepiece.co (opens in new tab) and Net-a-Porter's Watches and Wonders edit (opens in new tab), the constantly evolving hype among watch-loving women has made the watch world less of an intimidating boys' club than ever before. We've put together some of our real-life (and our far-reaching) favorites to celebrate the exciting strides the watch industry is taking in 2021.

We, too, can't wait for these to be released. Until then, check out our favorites from Net-a-Porter's Watches and Wonders selection.