W&W 2022 Recap: The most stunning creations from Cartier, TAG Heuer and Van Cleef & Arpels

The annual Watches and Wonders exhibition in Geneva brings together some of the industry's best and brightest innovators — and for this year's exhibition, they did not disappoint. We round up some of our favourite creations unveiled at the major event from Cartier, TAG Heuer and Van Cleef & Arpels.

Cartier and its bevy of Tanks

Few watches are as emblematic or instantly-recognisable as the Cartier Tank, which has spawned numerous iterations since its birth in 1917. This year, Cartier gives its beloved icon an ultra chic makeover. Introducing an all-black version of the Tank Must: With its clean dial and complementary black alligator strap, this sleek quartz watch is a minimalist's dream. For those who prefer a mechanical movement, you'll be glad to know that there is a new version of the Tank Louis Cartier — equipped with the mechanical 1917 MC movement — which has gotten the all-black treatment too.

Cartier hasn't forgotten about the maximalists among us, either: They've brought back a classic model from the Jazz Age and given it a wonderfully urbane makeover. The Privé Tank Chinoise is a gorgeous, structural creation that also comes with three open dial, skeletonised models, which are limited edition pieces: The gem-set platinum model, which comes with 161 brilliant-cut diamonds, is limited to just 20 pieces worldwide.

TAG Heuer's "craziest" watch yet

When TAG Heuer revealed the Carrera Plasma at this year's exhibition, they sent the watch-making world and its observers into a tizzy; some commentators have even affectionately dubbed it the "craziest" watch the Swiss brand has ever created. Why? Perhaps because of the watch's inventive use of lab-grown diamonds, which you can find on the dial — blasted with a finely-ground diamond 'powder' — and the diamond crown. Yes, not diamond-encrusted or diamond-studded: The watch's entire crown is a diamond. And that's only possible because TAG Heuer succeeded in growing a single piece of diamond into the shape of a crown. It's a stunning creation, and one that, potentially, shows off a whole new direction for the watchmaking world.

Van Cleef and Arpels' otherworldly creations

Van Cleef & Arpels is known for its stunning timepieces that combine mechanical prowess with ethereal aesthetics. The French Maison continues that tradition with its latest creations, tapping on two perennial sources of inspirations: that of the beauty of nature, and the gracefulness of ballet. Take the Lady Arpels Heures Florales watch, for instance. Unbelievably, the array of flowers on the dial aren't just for show. Thanks to an astoundingly complicated hidden automatic movement, the 12 flowers adroitly display the time: at the start and end of an hour, several flowers will bloom and close accordingly. For something less esoteric, but no less beautiful, there is the Lady Arpels Ballerine Enchantée, which utilises a dancer's graceful silhouette to mark the passage of time.