Hodinkee
Breaking News: Audemars Piguet Announces New CEO
Ilaria Resta will take on the role of Chief Executive Officer beginning January 1, 2024.
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Hodinkee
Ilaria Resta will take on the role of Chief Executive Officer beginning January 1, 2024.
SJX Watches
Ending months of speculation, Audemars Piguet (AP) has finally filled the role of chief executive officer after outgoing boss Francois-Henry Bennahmias revealed his intention to depart last year. The Le Brassus watchmaker famous for the Royal Oak just announced that the top job will go to Ilaria Resta, formerly the president at a privately-held fragrances giant headquartered in Geneva. According to the announcement, Ms Resta joins AP in August this year and officially assumes the chief executive role on January 1, 2024. Mr Bennahmias will remain to assist with the transition until the end of 2023. A thirty-year veteran of the brand, the flamboyant Mr Bennahmias quadrupled AP’s annual revenue during his tenure, with its sales last year hitting the CHF2 billion mark. His successor’s résumé, however, suggests the board might be looking for someone who understands branding on a global and mass-market scale. With a long and accomplished career in fast-moving consumer goods, Ms Resta’s background is unusual for the leader of a major luxury watch brand. She was most recently President of Global Perfumery & Beauty President at Firmenich, a Swiss firm that is one of the world’s largest fragrances companies and, like AP, family controlled. For over two decades until 2020, Ms Resta held a range of roles at Procter & Gamble, covering sectors ranging from laundry to hair care. “Her proven record of delivering results through a clear strategic thinking based on deep consumer...
Quill & Pad
There were many surprises in the Christie’s Rare Watches auction in Geneva on May 13. Some satisfying, some disappointing. At a preview held by Christie's in late March and early April during the Watches & Wonders show in Geneva, Alexey Kutkovoy was able to see and examine several lots in detail. Here are a few of the results that caught his eye.
SJX Watches
Having covered the extraordinary Patek Philippe timepieces and the single-owner “Ultimate Collection” in Christie’s upcoming Important Watches auction in Hong Kong, we now shift gears and look at the sales’s line-up of independent watchmaking. The independents in the sale are of course led by big names like Richard Mille and F.P. Journe – amongst the latter’s offerings in the sale is the rare Tourbillon Souverain in the colours of the Chinese flag. But alongside these six- and seven-figure watches (in U.S. dollar terms), are some underrated watches that might be value buys, notably the Ulysse Nardin Freak Lab. And then there’s the simply whimsical with the Konstantin Chaykin Clown II. Important Watches (lots 2201-2360) begins at 1:00 pm on May 26 – the catalogue is available here. The “China 2010” dial Lot 2215: Ulysse Nardin Freak Lab While Ulysse Nardin is not an independent watchmaker in the strictest sense of the term, it isn’t owned by a luxury group. And the Freak is still an avant-garde watch over two decades after its introduction, a watch so exotic it seems to have emerged from mind of a talented independent watchmaker. Which is true: it was conceived by Carole Forestier then refined and perfected by Ludwig Oechslin. So the Freak certainly makes the cut in this independents feature. And this particular Freak is incorporates some notable innovations. Historically a platform for movement-technology experimentation, the Freak evolved into the F...
Time+Tide
All the rage at the IWC booth during the 2023 edition of Watches & Wonders was the revamped Genta Ingenieur, and rightfully so, for the most part. This story, however, is not about the Ingenieur, but IWC’s bread and butter – pilot’s watches – and more specifically, the brand new Pilot’s Chronograph 41 in stunning … ContinuedThe post IWC’s green-dialled Pilot’s Chrono in rose gold is a luxe take on a tool watch appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Hodinkee
Behind the scenes at one of the world's most unique and comprehensive archives of horology.
Time+Tide
If you ask the average person to name a watch brand, they’ll most likely say Rolex. Such is the power of the company which arguably perfected the sports watch, and also transformed wristwatch marketing methods with memorable campaigns and endorsements. In terms of pure dollars, Rolex dominate the Swiss watch industry as well, with US$9.7B … ContinuedThe post WHAT IF… There were no more Rolex waitlists? appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
After covering the notable in the upcoming auction of an impressive single-owner collection, we now turn to the highlights in Christie’s main sale, Important Watches. Made up of 159 lots, the sale encompasses a remarkable line-up of Patek Philippe timepieces, from the quirky and historically important, like the brand’s smallest-known repeater, to the contemporary and magnificent Sky Moon Tourbillon ref. 5002R featuring a special-order black dial. Important Watches (lots 2201-2360) begins at 1:00 pm on May 26 – the catalogue is available here. But the most significant watch in the sale is undoubtedly the ref. 2523 world time with a cloisonné dial depicting the North American continent, one of three known to exist. Given its importance and value, the ref. 2523 will be sold as the sole lot in a dedicated auction. The ref. 2523 will be sold at 7:00 pm on May 28 – more can be found here. The ref. 2523 with a cloisonné dial Lot 2306: Patek Philippe Pocket Watch with the Smallest Known Repeater Compact yet exceptional, this Patek Philippe pocket watch dates to 1888 and is just 24.5 mm in diameter. According to Christie’s, this pocket watch is smallest known minute repeater ever made by Patek Philippe. It was most likely commissioned by a Spanish or Latin American customer, as indicated by the margins on the movement in Spanish. This pocket watch has a white enamel dial with Roman numerals in black for the hours and oversized minute numerals in gilt print. Several hai...
Hodinkee
In the '80s, Blancpain committed to understated, traditional, and above all, complicated watchmaking. The results are timeless.
Hodinkee
A selection of exciting watches from the pre-owned side of the shop.
Deployant
Discover the Zenith DEFY Extreme E 2023 Limited Edition watch, a remarkable timepiece crafted in carbon fiber and featuring sustainability-inspired design elements. With its high-frequency chronograph movement and recycled parts, this exclusive watch embodies innovation and environmental consciousness. Limited to 100 pieces, it is available at Zenith boutiques worldwide.
Revolution
Presenting part 3 of our retrospective on the watchmaking journey of François-Paul Journe, where he discusses his inspiration and, more importantly, his pursuit of precision chronometry. His obsession with chronometry led him to a single simple question, “What is the ideal watch I would make for myself?”. That, in turn, became a chase down the […]
Worn & Wound
Vulcain has been around in one form or another since the mid-1800s. A few ownership changes, some rocky years, a shutdown, and two eventual revivals make up the long and rocky road that is the Vulcain brand. If you’ve heard of the brand before, it’s most likely that the Cricket is the watch you’re familiar with. The Cricket gets the most attention, being worn on the wrists of American Presidents and having a unique alarm complication that made it stand out from the pack. While the Cricket is great, there’s another watch that doesn’t get quite as much attention, but definitely deserves it, and that’s the Chronograph 1970’s. This new release from Vulcain is a true-to-form recreation of a watch they released back in the 1970s, right down to the spot-on vintage proportions. Let’s dig in and take a closer look at this charming 38mm chronograph from Vulcain. $2781 Vulcain Continues Revival With New Chronograph 1970’s Case Stainless Steel Movement Sellita SW510 M BH Dial Black on Black, semi-gloss sunray Lume Yes, hands and markers Lens Double domed sapphire with AR coating Strap Black leather Water Resistance 5 ATM Dimensions 38x46mm Thickness 12.4mm Lug Width 20mm Crown Push/Pull Warranty 2yr Price $2781 Case Vulcain’s vintage proportions and style are spot-on here. Measuring 38mm wide by 12.4mm thick (a hefty portion of that taken up by the double domed sapphire crystal), the Chronograph wears like a dream. It’s not just about the dimensions, because the ...
Hodinkee
Hodinkee hit the ATL, and you all brought some heat.
Time+Tide
Following on from Sotheby’s Important Watches: Part I and Part II on the following day, it’s always interesting to go through and assess not only the value of the watches themselves but any emerging trends and patterns. Whether you’re trying to figure out what the next best investment piece may be, or just keeping up … ContinuedThe post Three post-sale lessons from Sotheby’s Important Watches Parts I & II appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
Having seen covered the best of independent watchmaking as well as notable complications and artisanal timepieces in Phillips’ upcoming Hong Kong Watch Auction: XVI, we turn to highlights from one brand: A. Lange & Söhne. Long a brand somewhat under the radar and appreciated only by enthusiasts, Lange started to pick up in desirability over the last three years, resulting in record prices at auction for rare or sought-after models. Consequently, Lange offerings at auctions in general have risen in quantity – but also quality with more and more unusual timepieces coming to market. The Phillips catalogue includes 16 Lange wristwatches and we pick out some of the best, including the 1815 Tourbillon Handwerkskunst to an unusual Little Lange 1 Soirée with a bezel set with pink sapphires. Registration for bidding and the catalogue can be found here. The 1815 Tourbillon Handwerkunst Lot 817: A. Lange & Söhne Zeitwerk (first generation) Now discontinued in favour of the updated version, the original Zeitwerk is arguably one of Lange’s most important watches. It remains one of the few digital-display watches even over a decade after its launch in 2009 – and is probably the most mechanically robust and reliable. This example is in white gold with a black dial, a high-contrast combination that made it the bestselling iteration of the first-generation models. It was the only version with a dark-colour dial; the other versions, namely yellow gold, pink gold, and platinum, ...
Worn & Wound
eBay Finds is back! This bi-monthly installment will feature a selection of watches currently listed on eBay that have caught the eye of editor Christoph McNeil (@vintagediver). If you come across any hidden gems on the ‘Bay drop us a note at info@wornandwound.com for potential inclusion! Vintage King Seiko 45-7000 King Seikos were one of Seiko’s high end dress watch lines, and to this day they are still highly under-rated. This model, the 45-7000 is easily one of their best ever designs. A classic example of Seiko’s “Grammar of Design”, with bold flat planes and sharp edges on the stainless steel case. The clean silver dial with no date and the manual wind hi-beat movement make it nearly perfect. I can tell you from experience that this model is very difficult to find in excellent condition, having looked for one for about 10 years. Recently I found one from a seller in Singapore, otherwise I’d be buying this example myself! The case has been refinished, which I would usually avoid, but it was done by Lapinist who does simply stunning work and actually finishes the cases with the same Zaratsu technique as Seiko. This one also comes with a super cool see-through caseback (still has the original too), so you can see that beautiful movement! View auction here. Vintage CWC Chronograph Here we have a brilliant vintage military issue chronograph. This CWC two-register chrono has markings indicating it was issued to the British Royal Air Force. The large 39m wide a...
Deployant
Argon, a new independent brand launched their first ever watch - the Spaceone, and within minutes, it achieved funding in less than a minute.
Quill & Pad
The Rotonde de Cartier Masse Mystérieuse appears magical thanks to the apparent lack of any connection to the case while putting most of the mechanics on full display. It may be a time-only watch with no complications or tourbillons, but it is a most impressive accomplishment. Joshua Munchow explains the magic trick.
Hodinkee
Life beyond Patek and Rolex, selling dials in front of the Mandarin, and limited-edition cocktails.
Worn & Wound
Last week my son was pretending to be a wolf in the kitchen (as four-year-olds do). Inevitably, he face-planted on the tile floor and suffered a bloody snout. As I scooped up my wounded canine, blood poured down my arm, shoulder to hand. I wear a dive watch most days, and this day was no exception. After Googling “How to stop a bloody nose,” I rotated the count-up bezel and prepared to pinch both nostrils shut for 10 minutes. The usually crisp bezel action felt… sticky. I looked down to realize bodily fluids had covered my watch, collecting on every textured surface: the depressed markers on the modified bezel, the crown ridges, and between bracelet links. With only one free arm, I did not dare risk opening the nasal floodgates to remove my watch. After the minute hand safely crossed the stained 10-minute marker, I gave my watch a quick bath in the sink. It thanked me for the brief excitement and continued its primary function of keeping time until the next time it would be called to action, likely in the near future. After all, kids are gross. My watches are accustomed to poorly aimed sneezes and spilled glasses of milk. PSA: never buy a used watch from me. Prior to 2020, I wore dress watches to a shared office. Usually a time-only Citizen or something similar readily available at the local mall. As a bearded guy with mop of unruly hair, a shiny 38mm dress watch was my lazy attempt to look the part. This self-imposed pressure dissipated with the sudden shift to...
Hodinkee
Along with a diamond-set Daytona 6270, the records lead strong results for vintage Rolex.
Teddy Baldassarre
We’re living in a world of seemingly almost infinite color choices when it comes to watches, particularly their dials, the faces that timepieces most prominently show to the public. Amidst the masses of silver, black, blue and various shades of green dials that proliferate today, orange dials are still something of a niche, generally assigned to a handful of diving watches, for which the earliest ones were intended more as a matter of practicality than style. However, watchmakers in recent years have slowly started to embrace the orange dial and to discover the widely appealing breadth of hues it offers. Here we showcase 15 orange-faced watches that are on the market now; as always, we start at an eminently affordable price point, slightly over $200, and top out in the high-luxury segment, at six figures. Orient Ray Raven II FAA02006M9 Price: $210, Case Size: 41.5mm, Thickness: 13mm, Lug to Lug: 47mm, Lug Width: 22mm, Crystal: Mineral, Water Resistance: 200m, Movement: Automatic Orient F6922 Orient is a Japanese watchmaker founded in 1950 but with a tangled history stretching all the way back to 1901 and a convoluted relationship with its now-parent company, Seiko Epson Corporation. Like its better-known contemporaries, Seiko (with its own complex corporate structure through Epson) and Citizen, Orient made its worldwide reputation by making affordable watches with appealing designs. Among Orient’s stable of sporty divers’ watches is this Ray Raven II model with ...
Worn & Wound
In an early contender for what has to be in the running for the most unexpected and head spinning collaborative watches of the year, Hublot has partnered with Nespresso, the Swiss coffee company, on a big green chronograph made in part from recycled aluminum coffee capsules. It’s an effort by both brands to highlight their sustainability efforts, and an opportunity for Hublot flex some of their materials muscle. The end result is undeniably Hublot in its appearance, and kind of an under the radar coffee watch, which is more than can be said about LVMH stablemate TAG Heuer’s Carrera from a few years ago, with a dial made from actual coffee grounds. I actually quite like that coffee Carrera, and enjoy taking any opportunity available to remind people that it’s a real watch that actually exists. Anyway, back to Hublot, and the Big Bang Unico Nespresso Origin. To fully grasp this watch, you first need to have an understanding of Nespresso’s core product, which is a single serving coffee platform built around little aluminum capsules (containing the coffee) that get popped into a Nespresso machine, and at the touch of a button you get a perfectly brewed cup of coffee, espresso, or a selection of other hot and cold beverages. Nespresso, of course, isn’t the only game in town when it comes to this sort of single serving coffee machine, but one thing that sets them apart from some of their competition is a focus on the materials used for those capsules. The aluminum po...
Hodinkee
Pay tribute to the achievements of the graduate in your life with timeless watches and accessories made to last beyond commencement season.
Hodinkee
Not all forms of insurance are the same – today we're looking at watch, renters, and homeowners.
Worn & Wound
Omega began teasing a new watch on their social media channels in the last few days, and while it was immediately pretty clear we’d be getting a new Worldtimer of some sort, the finer details were very much left a mystery. The existing Worldtimer has become a bit of a cult favorite since its release. It has a truly useful complication, and a dial that is undeniably stunning when you see it in person. The representation of earth as viewed from above the North Pole is a worldtimer trope, and there are a lot of ways to execute it, but few brands give you the detail that Omega can. That said, the watch has always been a little on the large side, and a new colorway is always welcome. Speculation ensued that a smaller version of the Worldtimer might be hitting boutiques, but what we got instead is a material change, along with a hard lean into green, which might no longer be the color of the moment, but seems to suit this particular watch just fine. What we have in this release is actually a trio of new watches: two references in stainless steel (one on a bracelet, the other a strap), and a completely new version of the watch in titanium. Let’s tackle the steel watches first. These follow the same 43mm format as the existing Worldtimer (the Seamaster Aqua Terra Worldtimer, to be more precise), but substitute the familiar blue dial for one in a PVD coated green. The dials here have a light sun-brushed finish, and dial accents (hands and hour markers) are in Moonshine Gold. ...
Worn & Wound
Introducing the Hawaii based Imperial Watch Co. Royalguard 200, initially unveiled in October 2022. And when we say “unveiled,” we mean it was an instant sell-out hit, with every piece snatched up before it even had a chance to grace the hypothetical shelves. So it’s no surprise that Imperial is back, this time offering more of what made the Royalguard a fast success. The Royalguard’s reissue is now available in three limited edition colorways, featuring both date and no-date options. Imperial has also revived the original blue bezel variant, presenting it in a limited run of just 30 pieces with a date function. While the watch itself remains largely unchanged from its previous iteration, the new colorways add some variety, presenting new options to collectors who may have missed out on the Royalguard’s first release. Let’s dive into the new colors (pun always intended). First up is the Tropical, which captures the rusty brown and red tones reminiscent of a well-aged tropical bezel. Then we have the Ghosted Green, a soft, muted shade of green that changes from light green to a deep emerald depending on the light. And of course, there’s the Classic Black, which exudes a vintage, almost gray faded aesthetic. The original blue bezel variant follows this same trend, with its muted, faded, and aged appearance. The Royalguard draws considerable inspiration from the iconic Eberhard Scafograf 200, notably in its glossy black dial that dances with the light. The ove...
SJX Watches
It’s been 60 years since Jack Heuer introduced perhaps his best-known creation, the Carrera. Conceived as a no-frills chronograph for racing drivers, the original Carrera combined beauty and practicality without sacrificing style. Having released several vintage remakes, TAG Heuer has now pivoted and gently modernised its signature chronograph. The Carrera Chronograph “Glassbox” retains the outline of the original, but it is recognisably different thanks to the highly-domed sapphire crystal – hence the “Glassbox” nickname – that allows the tachymeter scale to sit raised above the dial. The raised tachymeter echos the contours of the crystal, giving the watch a decidedly contemporary flair. Initial thoughts The Glassbox successful combines the old and new. The watch manages to convey evoke the original, while still looking like a modern watch, rather than a remake. The raised tachymeter scale and domed crystal serve to give the watch a visual depth that vintage originals lack. That said, essential elements from the vintage original have been ported over to the new design, like the typography on the tachymeter scale and applied markers for instance. Importantly, the Glassbox is smaller than most other comparable Carrera models, with a case that’s just 39 mm in diameter. The size suits the vintage-inspired design, although the watch still remains noticeably thick as a result of the movement. Interestingly, the two dials actually have different designs. The p...
This year’s Windup Watch Fair in San Francisco featured a broad selection of panel discussions and interviews with brands exhibiting at the show and some of our favorite watch world personalities. We talked about the importance of technological advancement in modern watchmaking, deconstructing watch categories, making haute horlogerie available to the masses, and a whole lot more. If you were unable to attend the show in San Francisco but still want to get a taste of these panel discussions, we’ve recorded them and made them available below, and via our YouTube channel. We hope you enjoy, and we also want to thank all of our great panelists who participated in these discussions! Making Haute Horology for the Many with Christopher Ward Worn & Wound Cofounder Zach Weiss leads an in-depth discussion with Mike France, CEO of Christopher Ward on how the Bel Canto has helped change the game in the world of affordable high-end complications. Advancing Watchmaking into the 21st Century with Accutron Editor Zach Kazan at Worn & Wound leads a panel of experts discussing how a historic brand like Accutron is using technology, legacy, and culture and collaborations to continue to advance watchmaking into the 21st century. Panel experts include: Richard Callamaras – Accutron collector and Jason Gong – Complecto Founder and CEO. Deconstructing Watch Categories with Fortis Diving, Pilot, Field, or Driving watches suggest that they are made for divers, pilots and explorers, or dri...
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