Smaller watch cases are experiencing a resurgence in popularity.

Big and brawny cases were certainly in vogue in the 90s and the decades after, but we seem to be heading back to the direction of less obnoxious dimensions &ndash; the 36mm timepieces popular in the 20s to the 60s. The surge in popularity of vintage watches so favoured by collectors is most likely responsible for this, but we&rsquo;re not complaining at the creativity watchmakers are squeezing into these smaller structures.

Vacheron Constantin&rsquo;s hugely successful Overseas collection saw the debut of four new models in smaller dimensions this year, occupying a maximum real estate of 35mm on the wrist. The steel version with the blue dial and the rose gold and lacquered pink dial come in at just 34.5mm, while an additional 5mm gets you a gem-set version, also in steel (this time with the pink dial) and rose gold (blue dial). The watches are powered by the self-winding calibre 1088/1, which drives the hours, minutes, centre-seconds, and date. It is equipped with a stop-second mechanism, which allows precise timekeeping adjustment, and is visible through the sapphire caseback. The rotor is adorned with the design of a compass rose, conveying themes of travel and exploration, and the movement boasts a power reserve of 40 hours. All four watches are supplied with a metal bracelet as well as a leather and rubber strap in corresponding colours, which are easily interchangeable.

Although Patek Philippe&rsquo;s gem-set 35mm Calatrava is designed for women, it is not hard to imagine this watch as part of a very stylish ensemble for men as well. Beneath a guilloched lacquered dial in midnight blue is a self-winding movement replacing the previous manually-wound calibre, making it a more practical pick. Patek&rsquo;s Calibre 240, the maison&rsquo;s ultra-thin self-winding movement, is also a good choice owing to its size. Protecting the calibre is the textured dial &ndash; finely adorned with concentric waves, it is is coated with several successive layers of transparent midnight blue lacquer creating a subtle depth effect. White gold hands glide over powdered gold hour markers to tell the time, while the bezel is lit up by 76 round-cut internally flawless Top Wesselton diamonds. This new model comes with a brushed calfskin strap featuring a satinated finish in a colour perfectly matching that of the dial.

No one expects a diving watch to be very small since its raison d'&ecirc;tre is to be seen underwater, but with more people opting for this timepiece category purely for its rugged looks, watchmakers are getting creative. The smallest model of the new Black Bay collection sits at a diminutive 31mm, but in typical Tudor style, legibility remains paramount. The case of the Black Bay 31, the smallest in a new collection of four other sizes, presents a sophisticated, curved shape, boasting polished and domed sides and a curved winding crown. Within, sunray dials in blue, anthracite, or light champagne push these models in a more stylish direction, with a contrasting minute track to evoke a subtle warmth. It is powered by a robust and precise self-winding manufacture movement that comes with a variable inertia balance, which is maintained by a sturdy traversing bridge with a two-point fixation. The Black Bay 31 is completed by a five-link bracelet in 316L steel and Tudor&rsquo;s &ldquo;T-fit&rdquo; rapid adjustment system for on-the-fly size changes of up to 8mm &ndash; ideal for those who might want to wear this over a wetsuit.

The smaller dimensions of the timeless L.U.C 1860 watch is Chopard&rsquo;s way of paying homage to this model&rsquo;s original proportions and design. Within a 36.5mm Lucent Steel case, a gold-base salmon-coloured hand-guilloch&eacute; dial shines with an otherworldly light, the passing of time indicated by slender hands gliding over matching hour-markers and a seconds subdial at 6 o&rsquo;clock. Testifying to the horological expertise of Chopard, this chronometer-certified luxury watch bearing the Poin&ccedil;on de Gen&egrave;ve quality hallmark is equipped with L.U.C Caliber 96.40-L. Despite being just 3.3 mm thin, this movement is nonetheless equipped with a gold bidirectional micro-rotor and two barrels enabling it to guarantee a 65-hour power reserve. This flawless movement can be admired through the exhibition caseback. The L.U.C 1860 is completed by a matte-finish calfskin leather strap.

intricate details that extend across both the case and the mechanisms within. Crafted with exquisite In recognition of the Navitimer&rsquo;s enduring popularity among everyday haute horlogerie enthusiasts, Breitling recently released a 36mm version of this iconic watch. The 36mm Navitimer features the iconic beaded bezel and iconic circular slide rule, but this time is coupled with trio of chic metallic dial colours (mint green, silver, and anthracite) with baton indices, or with a white mother-of-pearl dial set with round-cut &ldquo;better diamonds&rdquo;. Part of Breitling&rsquo;s mission to do better, these diamonds are lab-grown and traceable to accredited producers who have achieved the SCS-007 Sustainability Rated Diamonds Standard. Similarly, the full-gold version and gold bezel on the duo-tone are crafted in &ldquo;better gold&rdquo;, traceable to artisanal and small-scale mines that meet the Swiss Better Gold Association&rsquo;s criteria for social and environmental impact. All watches in the line that feature better gold, better diamonds, or both, carry the Origins label, a marker of their precious materials&rsquo; product integrity. The Navitimer 36 is powered by the COSC-certified Breitling Caliber 17, providing three-hand time and automatic winding.

TAG Heuer&rsquo;s ultra-sporty Carrera family was endowed this year with four new references that boast an automatic movement, less action on the dials and a smaller case size of 36mm. Taking its cues from the original Heuer Carrera from 1963. Sixty years later, a size only preferred by ladies for so many years is back in a unisex collection that offers uncompromised athletic elegance and a contemporary style. Other size-related subtle changes - the measurement from the tips of the top and bottom lugs have been reduced from 43.55mm to 41.6mm, while the 10mm case is also 2mm thinner than previous editions. Within these smaller cases are sunray-brushed dials in signature blue, pastel green, warm silver and pink.&nbsp;Legibility is assured in typical Carrera style &ndash; gold or rhodium-plated applied indices and faceted hour and minute hands are bathed in white Super-LumiNova, while the date window at 6 o&rsquo;clock is perfectly placed. Water-resistant to 50 metres, the 36mm steel case holds a bevelled, domed sapphire crystal with double anti-reflective treatment, and is completed by a tapered H-shaped steel bracelet.

Most emblematic of Cartier&rsquo;s watchmaking are skeleton watches, based on the notions of full and empty space. Stripped of a dial, the flawless balance between the movement&mdash;which appears as if suspended in mid-air in a sculptural frame&mdash;can be clearly admired, and has become a house signature. Within the aviation-inspired Santos-Dumont family, the diminutive 31mm models for the year is fitted with a new, specially developed 9629 MC automatic skeleton calibre. Within gold and steel cases, this movement includes a miniaturised functional oscillating weight in the shape of a replica of the Demoiselle, a trailblazing plane designed in 1907. Since the oh-so-covetable yellow gold version with blue lacquer is hard to come by, we&rsquo;d recommend the steel Santos-Dumont instead. Polished apple-shaped hands in blued steel glide over the skeletonised movement, which features bridges covered in blue lacquer. The watch is equipped with alligator-skin straps in blue and grey, which secures to the wrist with an ardillon buckle.

Since its launch in 1997, Longines&rsquo; DolceVita collection has been the ultimate four-sided ladies&rsquo; watch with its delicate proportions, and over the years, has been updated with details like sector dials, Roman numerals or ornate hands. This year, Longines endowed the DolceVita family with a whole new collection boasting, most critically, a smaller size &ndash; the quartz-powered Mini DolceVita is now a positively diminutive 21.5mm x 29mm. Other design evolutions include a softer shape and smoother brancards, as well as a new five-link, brick-style bracelet with a butterfly clasp. An alligator leather strap is also an option. There are a total of 11 references in the Mini DolceVita collection, with or without diamonds, the most stunning of which features a white dial with contrasting surfaces, painted Roman numerals, and a sunken seconds subdial.

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