Hodinkee
Interview: Cyrille Vigneron, Cartier CEO, On Keeping A 175-Year-Old Company Nimble
Coping with COVID, firsthand experiences, and expecting the unexpected.
41,832 articles · 275 videos found · page 1232 of 1404
Hodinkee
Coping with COVID, firsthand experiences, and expecting the unexpected.
Hodinkee
Watches that either didn't get the attention they deserved or are primed for a second look.
Deployant
We take a closer look at the latest dive watch from Omega - the Seamaster Ultra Deep in O-MEGASTEEL in this episode of Quick Takes.
SJX Watches
Sotheby’s is kicking off the spring season of the year’s watch auctions with two consecutive sales in Hong Kong that take place in a week’s time. The first is an evening sale of a single-owner collection of exceptional vintage Patek Philippe watches. And it will be followed by Important Watches I, which includes several good examples of independent watchmaking. Though the single-owner sale has most of the significant vintage Patek Philippe watches offered by Sotheby’s, it doesn’t encompass all of them. One of the major lots is a Patek Philippe ref. 2524 minute repeating wristwatch. We take a look at that along with several other highlights from Important Watches I, both vintage and modern, including an arguably underrated complicated (and bejewelled) watch for men by Van Cleef & Arpels (VC&A;). Important Watches I starts at 2:00 pm (GMT +8) on April 26, 2022. Registration for bidding and the full catalogue can be accessed here. The VC&A; Midnight Poetic Wish Lot 2144: Rolex Daytona ref. 16523 “Floating” signed “Tiffany & Co.” The most desirable Rolex Daytonas are typically steel, with the two-tone versions often being the most affordable, perhaps because the two-tone look is generally less sought after regardless of brand. But this steel-and-gold ref. 16523 is notable enough that it was included in Daytona Perpetual, the reference tome covering many rare and unusual variants of the model published by Italian Rolex specialist Pucci Papaleo. The key fe...
Quill & Pad
Most of the timepieces at Watches and Wonders 2022 were from the higher end of fine watchmaking as most of the participants constitute the haute horlogerie maisons of the world. There were however a few notable exceptions – notable and affordable. Here Łukasz Doskocz highlights some of the showstoppers from the Palexpo halls that will hopefully not break your bank.
Deployant
Jaeger-LeCoultre extends the Memovox Timer line with a new aesthetic interpretation of this practical complicattion watch, now in pink gold.
Hodinkee
The "Nevadian Collector" sale is absolutely mind-blowing in its diversity and quality.
Quill & Pad
Ken Gargett recently attended a wonderful Perrier-Jouët Belle Époque dinner at the Queensland Art Gallery with focus on the Rosé. At the dinner, however, the superb Belle Époque Blanc de Blancs and also the current-release Belle Époque, the 2013, were opened for tasting. Here he shares his thoughts on these spectacular champagnes.
Hodinkee
The first thing you notice, the last thing you think about.
SJX Watches
Sotheby’s forthcoming Important Watches I in Hong Kong is the first live auction of the year by a major auction house, or so accurately it’s the second day of the auction, with the sale of a mega, single-owner Patek Philippe collection happening in the evening the day before. With the strong demand for independent watchmaking, the 214-lots sale encompasses timepieces from a range of niche and not-so-niche indies. The lineup is naturally led by F.P. Journe, perhaps the marquee name in independent watchmaking today, but the most valuable lot is the very rare and very expensive Montre École, one of 11 watches born of the Naissance d’une Montre project backed by Greubel Forsey and Philippe Dufour. We round up six highlights from amongst the independent watchmakers at the sale, which starts at 2:00 pm (GMT +8) on April 26, 2022. Registration for bidding and the full catalogue can be accessed here. Montre École no. 09/11 Lot 2127: H. Moser & Cie. x MB&F; Endeavour Cylindrical Tourbillon Having been business partners for a decade or so – Moser’s sister company supplies hairsprings to MB&F; – the two brands revealed their first collaboration in 2020 when both coincidentally celebrated their 15th anniversary. The more complicated of the two anniversary editions, the Endeavour Cylindrical Tourbillon was more Moser than MB&F; with its dial colour and movement, and it certainly didn’t disappoint. The Cylindrical Tourbillon combines the best of both brands. The aesthe...
Revolution
The United Kingdom boasts a number of independent micro-brands that are continuing the nation’s role as an important center for watchmaking, disturbing the peace and offering watches that give many more well-known brands a run for their horological money. Here are four such brands on why and how they do what they do…
SJX Watches
Just as the biggest watch fair of the year opened its doors in Switzerland earlier in April, an industrial-scale watchmaking enterprise was born in France. Conceived as a vertically-integrated watchmaking group that makes movements for its own brands Aiôn Group, wants to establish “Made in France” as a key segment in a luxury-watch arena that’s dominated by Swiss, German, and Japanese players. Backed by government funding, Aiôn has the ambitious goal of producing 400,000 movements per year by 2025 in its new manufacture on the Mediterranean coast near Marseille. Although Aiôn has kept mum about the origins of its industrial capability, it is well known within the Swiss watch industry that the French group took over Swiss movement maker Felsa-Leschot, which was then moved lock, stock, and barrel to France. [Update April 20, 2022: Respected Swiss newspaper Le Temps published an article expressing scepticism about Aiôn, especially about the movement “factory” that Aiôn acquired. The article references the factory owner’s chequered history and involvement in multiple lawsuits. We believe the doubts expressed by the writer at Le Temps are well founded and would encourage everyone to read the article of March 16.] A Swiss foundation One of Aiôn’s founders is Anthony Simao, a French watchmaker who started his career in Swiss watchmaking, having worked at Breitling, Audemars Piguet, and Chronode. He then founded French watch brand Lornet, which has been merge...
Quill & Pad
In 1995 Piaget, who was then part of the Vendôme group that would later become Richemont, entered the highest segment of the watch market by releasing a grande sonnerie wristwatch developed by François-Paul Journe. At the time, Journe was a freelance movement designer and hadn’t officially founded F.P. Journe yet.
Deployant
We take a quick look at the recently released IWC IW389105 Pilot’s Watch Chronograph Top Gun Edition “Lake Tahoe”, with live photographs.
SJX Watches
Taking place every two years in Venice, Homo Faber is an exhibition dedicated to craftsmanship of all forms, ranging from glass to porcelain to fabric. Because its organiser is the Michelangelo Foundation established by Johann Rupert, the plain-speaking chairman of Richemont, several of the Swiss group’s watchmakers are taking part. One of them is Vacheron Constantin, which is presenting a pair of one-off striking watches at Homo Faber – the Les Cabinotiers Minute Repeaters Ultra-Thin “Thunder God” and “Wind God”. The watches each recreate one half of Wind God and Thunder God, a pair of folding screens made by 16th century Japanese painter Tawaraya Sōtatsu that depicts the titular gods of Japanese mythology. Initial thoughts Owned by a temple in Kyoto, the folding screen is a National Treasure of Japan, a cultural object deemed so important by the Japanese government that it cannot be exported. The screen is certainly a worthy subject for a high-quality miniature, and Vacheron Constantin appears to have done justice to it. The dial decoration is perfect for a repeater, since the brand’s cal. 1731 minute repeater movement is relatively large, resulting in an expansive dial that is usually blank. It’s an ideal canvas for artisanal decoration. Vacheron Constantin’s enamel work, whether in house or done by independent artisans like Anita Porchet, is usually impeccable. The repeater dials definitely look the part. In fact, the miniatures of the gods are im...
Hodinkee
They're among the most intricate designs we have to offer.
Hodinkee
It's also one of the most interesting releases of the year.
Quill & Pad
Elizabeth Doerr wasn’t the only journalist to chat with A. Lange & Söhne during Watches and Wonders 2022 about the three new watches the brand launched at the show. Here are two more short video conversations featuring Justin Hast (author of 'The Watch Annual') and SJX (founder of Watches by SJX). Sit back and enjoy!
SJX Watches
TAG Heuer is injecting advanced materials technology into what was the most affordable tourbillon-chronograph on the market, creating the Carrera Plasma Tourbillon Nanograph. The new watch makes liberal use of carbon in all its forms, most notably with a carbon-composite hairspring along with a dial and crown made entirely of synthetic diamond, reflecting chief executive Frederic Arnault’s interest in technology and industrial processes. Priced at the equivalent of US$375,000, the Plasma is the first luxury mechanical watch to utilise artificial, or lab-grown, diamonds. Initial thoughts TAG Heuer has developed a suite of cutting-edge technology unusual a brands in its price range, though the brand’s most significant innovation, the carbon-composite hairspring, has never really gotten the recognition it deserves. While extremely expensive and slated to be produced in tiny numbers – just a handful a year according to Mr Arnault – the Plasma will certain broadcast TAG Heuer’s accomplishments in innovation, as well as that of its in synthetic diamond suppliers. While lab-grown diamonds aren’t new, they have never before been used in high-end watch. As befits their unconventional status, the synthetic diamonds have been set in an abstract manner on the case, as opposed to typical gem setting. Combined with the synthetic diamond dial and crown, the result is a watch that is weird yet compelling. But more important than the decorative use of synthetic diamond is the...
Quill & Pad
The watch nerd that WMMT is, he rarely immediately wears his new watches, putting them aside for a few days and letting the anticipation grow. When it finally came time to wear his new Rolex, he took it out of the box and proudly put it on his wrist. And then horror struck: he didn’t feel anything, not a thing! Zilch, nada, niente! What to do?
Revolution
Revolution’s founder Wei Koh tells the story of his watch, the world’s first luminous Cartier Crash.
SJX Watches
Having just closed its doors, Watches & Wonders 2022 (W&W;) was a success. All the industry executives I spoke with were satisfied with the event and predict it will happen again, barring any major disagreements between the important brands and groups that took part. That is borne out by the numbers as well. According to its organisers, the event had 22,000 individual visitors. Compare that to 2019 when SIHH had 23,000 visitors with about the same number of exhibitors, while Baselworld logged over 80,000 that year but with 20 times the number of exhibitors. All things considered W&W; 2022 had a good turnout. All the exhibiting brands stuck to the standard booth format of the event, except for the independent-minded quartet of Rolex, Tudor, Chopard, and Patek Philippe, which reused their Baselworld booths While turnout was good, business was great. The luxury watch industry is enjoying a boom without parallel – “sold out” and “waiting list” were certainly the defining phrases of the fair. I asked Gisbert Brunner, the veteran watch journalist who started his career before the Quartz Crisis, if he could recall a comparable period in history and he could not, though he said today does evoke the go-go years of the late 1990s. The slightly more drab section of the fair made up of almost identical booths Demand is so strong that assorted brands are being revived and new brands are entering the market. Even Cartier launched the highly complex and ingenious Masse Mysterieu...
Quill & Pad
In recent years, the world of high-end watches has become a far more colorful place. We have evolved from decades of conservatism in which a blue dial was daring to a kaleidoscopic era where anything is possible. And now red arrives, which has the advantage of a richness of hues. Here Martin Green looks at four new red-dialed watches from Bell & Ross, Oris, Rado, and Omega.
Time+Tide
EDITOR’S NOTE: Grim pragmatism ensures the watch world is not big on public candour. Retailers are totally dependent on the watch brands to secure the most lucrative stock. Buyers are dependent on the whims of their authorised dealers in order to buy in-demand models. The watch media meanwhile is still largely dependent on advertising dollars, so … ContinuedThe post WATCH CONFESSIONS: “My watch buying has got out of control – I must’ve spent $2 million” appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Deployant
We bring you the novelties of Cartier, in this year's Watches & Wonders 2022. Included are our thoughts and commentaries on the new Cartier watches.
Hodinkee
All of the greatest vintage watches the internet has to offer.
Hodinkee
The new range of shades at Watches & Wonder 2022 proves it.
Deployant
Just in: Patek Philippe released a new highly technical chronograph with many innovative features. This is the new Ref. 5470P, 1/10th of a second monopusher chronograph in platinum.
Deployant
Patek Philippe releases an addition to their Calatrava line: the Ref. 5226G in white gold, a textured dial and guilloched Clous de Paris on the case side.
Hodinkee
No saturation diving. But not in the traditional sense.
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