We look ahead to the products that will define the year to come.

Who’s thrilled about the future at the moment? Come on, hands up. Anyone? No? Well, that won’t do. To fend off (at least momentarily) the various apocalyptic scenarios that currently seem to be thrusting themselves in our general direction, we thought we’d put together a more upbeat-seeming futuristic edit of the products that, this spring, are taking style (and, erm, coffee) in bold new directions. It’s also given us another excuse to talk about the fact that one of the top grooming products of the current moment is basically a robot mask. Our childhood dreams have come true…

The traditions of timepiece-making can make the watch world seem like a daunting place, somewhere for only the initiated. Which is why one day we found ourselves pondering – how can we make buying a watch easier? The answer is the MR PORTER Luxury Watch Guide. It is filled with expert advice, articles, tips and tricks of some of the biggest names in watchmaking, including one of the most forward-thinking horologists of the moment: Ressence. Founder Mr Benoît Mintiens effectively reinvented the wheel (or dial, we should say) with the brand’s unique Orbital Convex System, a collection of rotating discs which allow for intuitive and innovative time-telling.

It’s still early days, but 2019 is already shaping up to be the year of the bag. For some men, carrying needs are fulfilled by the storage capacity of two pockets. For the rest of us, enter the mini bag. A catch-all term that includes, but is not limited to, belt, messenger and camera bags. The practicality of these diminutive styles might be questioned on the surface evidence – where, for example, is the laptop sleeve? – but in actuality, they’re far more functional than carting around a half-filled backpack for the sake of a few everyday essentials. Goldilocks would approve: they’re not too big, not too small, but just the right size for your phone, wallet, keys and a book, if you like. Acne Studios’ eye-catching ripstop style is one of our favourites as it can be carried in a multitude of ways – cross-body via the detachable shoulder strap or using the belt.

Any philosopher will tell you that part of looking forward is looking back, too. Our present preoccupation with everything that originated in the 1990s starts with Prada. The Italian label’s belt bags, nylon shirts and chunky sneakers are at the heart of this sartorial moment. The Cloudbust was one of the most talked-about shoes of 2018 and its latest incarnation in a variety of new colours (now available on MR PORTER), means it is likely to stay in pole position for some time to come. Composed of a sporty mesh upper with futuristic cumulus-like soles (hence the name), the sneakers are accented with eye-grabbing flashes of highlighter green. We’ve also got them in neon orange and a stealthy-looking black. Get in line.

Devialet’s speakers are unlike anything we’ve heard before. The product of 10 years of automotive and aeronautical research, the flagship Phantom model represents the pinnacle of aural technology. As well as immersive acoustics and beating-in-your-heart bass, the machine also utilises Speaker Active Matching (Sam to you), a first of its kind system that reproduces the exact pressure level of music when it was recorded. Also, it looks like it was pinched from the set of 2001: A Space Odyssey. And now, we’re back in our happy place.

No matter how sincere our resolutions at the start of 2019, the lofty promises we made as we ushered in the New Year seem like a distant memory as we drudge into dreary February. Bar one. If there’s a pledge we recommend sticking with, it’s raising your grooming game a notch. All sorts of lotions and potions have infiltrated our bathroom cabinets over the years, but high-tech gadgets are set to become a standardised step in our routines, too. Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare’s SpectraLite EyeCare Pro mask looks like something from a sci-fi movie, but the newfangled device works an absolute treat on mature skin; it’s embedded with 72 little LED lights, which penetrate the skin to stimulate collagen production and smooth out stubborn crow’s feet, fine lines and age spots. Plus, it only takes three minutes a day. Think of it as a flux capacitor, but for your face.

Rather than indulging in innovation for innovation’s sake, sometimes it pays to just get back to basics. As far as the MR PORTER team is concerned, a great cup of coffee is one of those practically perfect things that doesn’t need tinkering with – the trend for pour-over and cold brew embraces this simplicity. We’ve recently welcomed a whole host of brands on site to satiate your caffeine-related needs, including storied Italian machine-maker Elektra and bi.du.haev. The latter – a Taiwanese outfit focused on simplifying and streamlining everyday objects – has given the brewing process a sculptural makeover (or makeunder, as the case may be). The brand’s pour-over Basi contraption is crafted from a combination of concrete and ceramic, and functions as your standard pour-over set up. No fiddling with fancy steamers or endless functions. Just great coffee. As it was intended.