Hodinkee
Rolex Hosts President Trump At U.S. Open Final In Hopes Of Diplomacy Win Amid Swiss Tariff Dispute
Trump in the Rolex suite at tennis final gives hope frosty U.S./Swiss trade relations could thaw.
3,862 articles · 51 videos found · page 12 of 131
Hodinkee
Trump in the Rolex suite at tennis final gives hope frosty U.S./Swiss trade relations could thaw.
SJX Watches
Few brands approach marine chronometer-style wristwatches with the intensity of Ferdinand Berthoud (FB). Fewer still have the capacity to produce a watch that is truly hand made. The brand has leaned into these strengths to good effect with the Naissance d’une Montre 3, which is perhaps the most labour-intensive wristwatch ever created. Marking the third official chapter of the Time Æon Foundation’s Naissance d’une Montre project, the Montre 3 is the byproduct of a six year quest to thoroughly document the steps required to make a chain and fusee wristwatch using only hand-operated tools. While the production of the Montre 3 involves more than 80 individuals from both FB and its parent Chopard, the labour involved equates to roughly a full year’s work for five people to produce each of the 11 pieces that will be made in the coming years. Initial thoughts It’s easy to feel jaded about the smoke and mirrors of luxury watch marketing, with terms like ‘hand made’ and ‘in-house’ used all too freely, making it difficult to separate the signal from the noise. Make no mistake, the Montre 3 is, in some ways, what all traditional haute horlogerie watches aspire to be, and takes the concept of hand craftsmanship to its absolute limit. The Montre 3 is neither inventive nor complicated, but the intrinsic quality of its construction is immediately obvious and breathtaking in its own right. To some extent, the simplicity of the 44.3 mm white gold case demonstrates the ...
Fratello
What if the 1969 Defy had been outfitted with an El Primero chronograph movement? And what if its design had been inspired by the USM Haller modular furniture system that debuted four years earlier? The answer is the 2025 Zenith Defy Chronograph USM. The four watches with dials in USM shades and subtle details linking […] Visit What Happens When Two Swiss Icons From The 1960s Collaborate? Introducing The Zenith Defy Chronograph USM to read the full article.
Fratello
Time is one of those slippery concepts that even adults struggle to define. We live by it, complain we don’t have enough of it, and try to manage it with apps and alarms, but ask a child to explain it, and you’ll likely get a blank stare or a shrug. That’s what makes About Time: […] Visit About Time - How Two Writers Made The Most Elusive Concept Kid-Friendly to read the full article.
Hodinkee
Shipments of Swiss watches to U.S. soared again in July as retailers stocked up to avoid levies.
Fratello
I am sure that most of you have read about Switzerland being hit with the harshest tariffs of all European countries last week. A whopping 39% tariff on goods imported to the US from the Alpine country came into effect on August 7th. The watch world is shaking as a result. Today, I would like […] Visit US Import Tariffs On Swiss Watches-How They Affect Watch Brands And Enthusiasts to read the full article.
Monochrome
On August 1st – also known as Switzerland’s National Day – the Trump Administration announced a 39% tariff on Swiss imports, coinciding with Secretary of State Marco Rubio publicly praising Switzerland… A political and economic shockwave has gripped the country for nearly two weeks. Rightfully so, Switzerland is heavily export-oriented, and the U.S. is one […]
Hodinkee
Georges Kern says Swiss government can get a better deal with U.S. President Trump.
Fratello
I bought my first Omega Speedmaster Professional in 1999. This is also when my Speedy collecting officially began. During those 25 years of buying (and selling) Speedmaster watches, I made my fair share of mistakes. This was mainly because, back then, there wasn’t as much information available as there is today. But I also made […] Visit Five Mistakes I Made While Collecting Omega Speedmasters (And How To Avoid Them) to read the full article.
Hodinkee
Swiss executives and politicians expect significant economic consequences from the outsized levy imposed on Swiss exports to U.S. including watches but still hope deal can be reached.
Monochrome
When it comes to modern independent watchmaking at its highest level, few names stand out like Kari Voutilainen. Renowned for blending classical Swiss horology with meticulous hand-finishing and artistic expression, Voutilainen’s workshop produces some of the world’s most coveted time-only watches, none more so than his Vingt-8 and 28 series. But then come proper métiers […]
Fratello
Los Angeles-based brand J.N. Shapiro Watches has achieved a somewhat mythical status since Josh Shapiro founded it in 2018. The watches are elusive and exclusive creations that dent your budget and test your patience. What if you don’t have US$75,000 to spend and/or lack the mental stamina to wait around three years for your watch? […] Visit Hands-On With The New J.N. Shapiro Infinity Series Pure - California-Made Classicism to read the full article.
About two hours away from Geneva, heading north and a touch east, just along the border with France, you’ll find the Jura region of Switzerland. One of the fabled centers of Swiss watch production, the scenery is idyllic, and the towns are old, small, and quiet. Compared to the urban centers of Geneva, Basel, Zurich, and Biel/Bienne, it would be considered rural, even if it is only a short distance away. And yet, this pastoral scene belies what is happening in many of the buildings dotted along the landscape. Inside, raw metals are transformed into incredible mechanisms and luxury goods through processes that are both coarse and delicate. In short, it’s where watches get made. On the tail end of my trip to Watches & Wonders 2025, rather than heading straight home, tired and needing a watch detox, I took a short trip to Jura to visit not a watch company, but a movement manufacturer: Soprod. Founded in 1966, as of 2008, Soprod has been part of the Festina group, and is one of a small handful of third-party, Swiss-made movement suppliers. Although the company undertakes behind-the-scenes development for large luxury brands, including module design, it is known among watch enthusiasts as an alternative to ETA and Sellita, one that is becoming increasingly prevalent among indie brands. The post Inside Soprod: Where Mechanical Movements are Made appeared first on Worn & Wound.
Time+Tide
Solar watches have been associated with the Japanese for the longest time, but Tissot is trying to change that. The post What goes into making a fully Swiss solar watch? appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
Recent sales figures from Seiko starkly contrast the (Swiss) narrative that the watch industry is struggling right now.The post As the Swiss struggle, Seiko continues to soar appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Monochrome
It’s something we’ve told over and over again. Watchmaking isn’t only Swiss. Watchmaking is global and has, historically, been present all over the world. Surely, with industrialisation and the effects of the Quartz crisis, three giant hubs have emerged: Switzerland for high-end watches, Japan with its immense conglomerates and China, the silent factory… Italy surely […]
Monochrome
We all know that there are tons of brands that are dormant or defunct that are deserving of a revival, and a number of those are actually being brought back through passion and perseverance. One brand to add to that list is Monceau, a once-respected Swiss watchmaking name now in the hands of Simon Ryan. […]
SJX Watches
In a rush to beat American President Donald Trump’s tariffs, Swiss watch brands exported almost two months’ worth of inventory to the United States in April, according to the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry (FH), the trade body that publishes export statistics widely regarded as a proxy for the overall luxury watch business. Exports to the United States were up over 150% to CHF852 million, more than double the CHF405 million in March. For comparison, the next-largest export destination in April was Japan, with the corresponding figure a mere CHF176 million. Currently, Swiss imports to the US are subject to a 10% blanket tariff, however 31% tariff will be levied on Swiss imports after July 9, assuming nothing changes between then and now. Consumer confidence in the United States, while battered, is showing signs of recovery too, increasing for the first time in five months as measured by economic research institute The Conference Board. For several years now, the stalwart American market has buoyed Swiss watch exports, while demand in China and Hong Kong continue to slide, with April exports to the respective markets down 30.5% and 22.8%. Having started almost a decade ago after the start of an anti-corruption campaign, China’s luxury slowdown isn’t limited to watches, and is unlikely to reverse anytime soon. While some brands can shift inventory to other markets, others are already buying back inventory and cutting production. While less dramatic than in Chi...
Fratello
Maybe you can’t call it a comeback - thanks, LL Cool J - but in a way, Corum is making a comeback. Founded in 1955 in La Chaux-de-Fonds, the brand recently announced a return to Swiss ownership. It was part of the Hong Kong-based Citychamp Watch & Jewellery Group for 12 years. But following a […] Visit Corum Is Making A Swiss-Owned Comeback - What Can We Expect? to read the full article.
Hodinkee
Hong Kong owners have sold the Swiss brand known for its unique Coin Watch and Golden Bridge timepieces.
Monochrome
Historical Swiss watch brand Corum is back to Swiss ownership following a management buy-out led by Sales Director Haso Mehmedovic, backed by a group of Swiss investors – which remains undisclosed for now but is presented as members of the luxury and finance sectors. Haso Mehmedovic, who will serve as the brand’s new CEO, began […]
Hodinkee
Swiss maker of Blancpain and other brands says price increases follow 'dramatic' change in exchange rates.
Hodinkee
Swiss watchmakers get 90-day reprieve even as a 10% tariff stays in place.
Worn & Wound
Last week, midway through the watch industry’s biggest trade show, Donald Trump announced 31% tariffs on Swiss imports. The proposed tariffs, enacted as of this morning, immediately became the focus of many discussions in Geneva between brands, retailers, and the press, at Palexpo and beyond. The United States is the largest importer of Swiss watches in the world, so a new tariff of 31% on Swiss imports to the US has the potential to reshape not just the watch market in the United States, but the industry as a whole. The announcement could not have come at a more pressure packed time. The entire watch industry – retailers, brands, manufacturing partners, collectors, and executives – was gathered in Geneva last week, doing the business that normally shapes the arc of the year. As the news was absorbed on Thursday, we witnessed brands and retailers reacting in real time, changing or solidifying plans as appropriate. The inescapable nature of the topic in meetings meant to showcase new products underscored the seriousness of Trump’s announcement, and the potential implications. In seeking to understand the ramifications of the planned tariffs, we sought out an economist to help firm up our understanding of what the administration is seeking to accomplish. Brendan Cunningham is a professor of economics at Eastern Connecticut State University, and the author of Horolonomics, a website dedicated to “economic complications in watchmaking.” We started by defining o...
Fratello
While my colleagues and most of the industry have been in Geneva, enjoying Watches and Wonders and devouring the sights and sounds of the year’s biggest trade fair, I have been watching on from home this year. I welcomed my firstborn son into the world and moved house less than two weeks later (apparently, I […] Visit Trump’s New Tariffs Rock The Swiss Watch Industry to read the full article.
Hodinkee
US President vows 31% tariffs on imported goods from Switzerland in 'Liberation Day' speech that would sideswipe Swiss watch sector.
Hodinkee
Watch CEOs react to news of potentially devastating US tariffs on Swiss watches.
Time+Tide
The oldest continuously operating watchmaker is bringing serious heat.The post Every Vacheron Constantin from Watches & Wonders 2025, including the most complicated wristwatch ever made appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
Built to be tough and accompany you on any adventure, these survival watches may just help you get out of a sticky situation.The post 9 of the best survival watches made to get through a sticky situation appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Fratello
Welcome back to another episode of Fratello On Air! This week, we’re each choosing three non-Swiss watches with a budget of €20,000. The task is tricky, though, because €20,000 is enough to afford great pieces from the usual suspects, but it means being picky if choosing just one from a costly brand. Get ready for […] Visit Fratello On Air: Three Non-Swiss Watches For €20,000 to read the full article.
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