Watchmakers, in their cosseted world of tweezers and loupes, might be known for many admirable things, but rampant creativity hasn’t traditionally been one of them. Most new watches these days bear more than a passing resemblance to models that preceded them, adding to the impression that timepieces largely look the same no matter the price or brand.

You could argue this is no surprise given the few ingredients – a dial, a brace of hands and a bunch of numerals – creators must work with. But brands are recognising that we don’t necessarily want our next watch to be the same as the last. To date, it’s mostly been smaller watchmakers and independents pushing the envelope, but there are signs the big players want to have some fun, too.