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DOXA SUB 200 Review WatchAdvice
Doxa SUB 200 Review Introduction May 29, 2020

DOXA SUB 200 Review

Introduction When it comes to iconic dive watches, few individual pieces, let alone brands at large, possess the pedigree and character akin to that of Doxa. Having adorned the wrists of Jacques Cousteau and fictional character Dirk Pitt, there is little left for the imagination in terms of what their watches are capable of enduring. If I’ve ever had a watch that I bought initially under, and due to, the influence of alcohol, immediately felt a sense of “what have I done”, and then fell in love with more than I could have ever conceived, that’d be the Caribbean Doxa Sub 200. It may not be the signature “fat” cushion case with the integrated no-decompression dive time calculator, nor does it wear the signature orange dial that made Doxa stand out from the rest back in 1967, but one thing it certainly is not, is boring. Initially at face value, it’s your standard issue dive watch with your usual checks in the right boxes. But as any watch geek would know, we never “fall” for a watch as a result of its specs sheet, but rather the way you feel when it’s on your wrist, we obsess over the most minute details, the little, split second glances that make you smile. The SUB 200 does just that, while not breaking the bank and delivers value at the top of its class. The SUB 200 is what I like to call the gateway drug to the world of what Doxa has to offer. It delivers the rugged, utilitarian construction to take on the seas, or in my case, crashing into the ground ...

In-Depth: Krayon Anywhere SJX Watches
Krayon May 26, 2020

In-Depth: Krayon Anywhere

Krayon made its debut in 2017 with the Everywhere, an incredibly complex wristwatch that was, in essence, a mechanical calculator for sunrise and sunset. Founded by movement constructor Rémi Maillat in 2013, Krayon has debuted the follow up to the Everywhere, the simpler, sleeker – and a lot more affordable – Anywhere. Like its bigger brother, the Anywhere displays the time of sunrise and sunset. But while the Everywhere allowed the wearer to input his location and time zone for the watch to show local sunrise and sunset times everywhere, the Anywhere displays sunrise and sunset times for a single, fixed location, albeit one that can be quite easily changed by a watchmaker. Despite while the complication has been streamlined, the movement has been upgraded in terms of finishing, which is now exceptional. The Anywhere in white gold Initial thoughts The Anywhere is surprising in person. Given the complexity of the movement, you’d expect a large watch with a fussy display. But the Anywhere is modestly sized – the thinness of the case stands out – giving it an elegant profile on the wrist. At the same time, the dial layout is simple and intuitive, making it easy to understand. And it is also easy to operate, with the calendar and time both set via the crown. And the calendar, in turn, controls the sunrise and sunset function, so the interface is straightforward. Turn it over and the movement is also surprising. While the movement in the Everywhere was a mechanica...

Eight Collectors of Independent Watchmaking to Follow on Instagram SJX Watches
F.P. Journe tourbillon Akrivia Chronometre Contemporain May 25, 2020

Eight Collectors of Independent Watchmaking to Follow on Instagram

While the vast majority of watch content on Instagram is predictable and repetitive – hello Nautilus with baguette gemstone bezel and Submariner “Hulk” –  there are a couple of collectors with interesting watches who share their collections on the picture-sharing app. The most interesting for me are the independent-watchmaking enthusiasts. Most own watches that well known and regarded as landmarks in the genre – Philippe Dufour Simplicity, F.P. Journe tourbillon, Akrivia Chronometre Contemporain, and the like – but many also have watches further off the beaten track, like Keaton Myrick’s 1 in 30 or the Bexei grande sonnerie. Here are a few independent-watchmaking collectors who are worth a follow. @igwatchlover – A collector based on Southeast Asia, Igwatchlover features his own watches, as well as occasionally watches owned by his friends – who are also accomplished collectors. Amongst the watches that can be found on his account is the unique and elaborate Voutilainen Starry Night Vine, and the Vox Vinum grande sonnerie by Aaron Becsei, and the one-off, regulator-dial minute repeater by Voutilainen. And he also features a good number of notable complicated watches from the 1990s, which are overlooked today but often just as interesting as the latest creations. @horoptimist – A longtime collector who only started his Instagram account recently, Horoptimist is based in Asia but has managed to visit several independent watchmakers in their home count...

IN-DEPTH: The Longines HydroConquest 41mm in Khaki Green, a value proposition like few others Time+Tide
Longines HydroConquest 41mm May 23, 2020

IN-DEPTH: The Longines HydroConquest 41mm in Khaki Green, a value proposition like few others

Right now, the dive watch market is more saturated than a saturation diver’s wetsuit. If you want a fit-for-purpose timepiece made to withstand the pressures and perils of H20, you are most definitely spoilt for choice. Of course, it’s understandable why watches that aren’t going to completely capitulate when coming into contact with water are … ContinuedThe post IN-DEPTH: The Longines HydroConquest 41mm in Khaki Green, a value proposition like few others appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

INTRODUCING: The TAG Heuer Monaco Grand Prix de Monaco Historique Limited Edition Time+Tide
TAG Heuer Monaco Grand Prix de May 21, 2020

INTRODUCING: The TAG Heuer Monaco Grand Prix de Monaco Historique Limited Edition

It may have been made to celebrate an event that, like everything else this year, has been cancelled, but that hasn’t stopped TAG Heuer from unveiling a new, high-octane variant of its iconic moniker – the TAG Heuer Monaco Grand Prix de Monaco Historique Limited Edition. Mouthful of a name aside, this latest iteration of … ContinuedThe post INTRODUCING: The TAG Heuer Monaco Grand Prix de Monaco Historique Limited Edition appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Louis Erard Introduces the Excellence Regulator with Smoked Dials SJX Watches
Louis Erard Introduces May 18, 2020

Louis Erard Introduces the Excellence Regulator with Smoked Dials

Regulators are all about their characteristic dial where the hour, minute and seconds hands are each located on separate axes – with the minute hand being the largest and longest – a layout originally designed for maximum legibility on clock faces in the mid-18th century. The Louis Erard Excellence Regulator revisits this classical design, but now with a fashionable smoked dial – and an eminently affordable price tag. Initial thoughts Regulator watches are simple, but are not common at this price point – the Excellence Regulator costs just 2490 Swiss francs, or about US$2600. Louis Erard, however, has made something of a specialty of affordable regulator watches, most notably with the whimsical Alain Silberstein Regulator launched last year that was styled by the eponymous watch designer for Louis Erard. The value proposition is good, though the dials are definitely reminiscent the fumé dials of H. Moser & Cie, which didn’t invent such graduated-colour dials, but have made them almost synonymous with the brand. Based on the photos, the graduated finish of the Excellence Regulator dials are not quite as not as complex or refined as that on Moser’s watches – understandable and acceptable given the substantively lower price. Smoked dials While the regulator layout is unusual, the smoked dials are the highlight. Offered in vibrant and saturated hues of grey, blue or green, the colour gradually tapers off in intensity, turning almost black towards the edges...

In-Depth: The Life Behind the Deadbeat Seconds SJX Watches
May 17, 2020

In-Depth: The Life Behind the Deadbeat Seconds

Watchmaking combines technical achievement and aesthetic expression, and sometimes the two are inextricably linked. In a handful of instances, the technical achievement transforms the artistic value, as in the jumping seconds. The complication is perhaps the most abrupt expression of time. Is there any value in having a mechanical jumping seconds? In exploring that, we first have to understand how the seconds as a unit of time came to be. Time in antiquity In today’s world where no one bats an eyelid when a satellite is sent into orbit, time and space are perceived to be intimately linked as one. Before Einstein hit upon the theory of relativity, the link between space and time was nebulous, but the definition of time was well established. For the ancient Egyptians, daytime was based on the apparent movement of the Sun, and the night sky was segmented into smaller divisions based on the position and motion of stars. Over the subsequent millennia, the Sumerians and Babylonians further refined the time measurement to better account for stellar motion. The Babylonians, inspired by the Egyptians, approximated the movement of the Sun’s apparent revolution into 360 divisions, due to the number of days required for the Sun to trace its path on the ecliptic and their predilection for a base-60 (or sexagesimal) system. This is also the origin of 360 degrees required for a complete revolution, which was explained by Malcolm Correll in the volume 15 of scientific journal The Phy...

In-Depth: Inspiration and Creation of the Grand Seiko Thin Dress Series SJX Watches
Grand Seiko Thin Dress Series Earlier May 15, 2020

In-Depth: Inspiration and Creation of the Grand Seiko Thin Dress Series

Earlier this year, I paid a visit to Seiko’s headquarters in Ginza, Tokyo. I was there for two reasons. One was to present my Ideal Watch Size Survey to their design, product and development teams. The other was to find out more about a particular Grand Seiko I had recently purchased, the SBGZ001. Launched in 2019 to celebrate the Spring Drive’s 20th Anniversary, the SBGZ001 is an extraordinarily finished version of the Grand Seiko Thin Dress Series from the Elegance collection. What started as a few questions from a collector ended up being a dive into how a significant new line of watches at Grand Seiko was born. In the interest of full disclosure: The Armoury, which I own, has been a retailer of Grand Seiko in Hong Kong for about six years now. I have been collecting Grand Seiko for about nine years. Neither the SBGZ001 nor the SBGY003 detailed in this article are available for sale at the store. But they are special so I wanted to delve further into their creation. The Credor Eichi I, 2013 First some background. Back in 2013, I bought a Credor Eichi I, a well-known watch in certain circles for its exceptional finishing. It was made in the Micro Artist Studio (MAS), a division within the Seiko-Epson Shiojiri plant where all the cutting-edge high horology – namely Spring Drive movements – is designed and made. That includes things like the Credor Minute Repeater, the Grand Seiko 8 Day Power Reserve and the Credor Eichi II. I toured the facility in 2014 and visite...

Up Close: IWC Da Vinci Tourbillon Four Seasons SJX Watches
IWC Da Vinci Tourbillon Four May 8, 2020

Up Close: IWC Da Vinci Tourbillon Four Seasons

The two decades or so after the end of the Quartz Crisis was a fruitful one for the mechanical watch industry as it revived itself. IWC was one of the stars of that revival, a highly technical yet niche brand that appealed to true watch nerds. Everything it did then became the foundations for its modern day success – literally, with the brand still relying on the complications invented then. One of the most interesting, yet little-known IWC watches from that era is the Da Vinci Tourbillon Four Seasons. A limited edition of 20 watches that debuted in 1999, the Four Seasons (or Quattro Stagioni as it was known at the launch) has a hand-engraved, solid-gold dial – the Da Vinci Tourbillon represents the only instance IWC has bestowed such elaborate dials on its watches. A year after the launch of the Four Seasons, IWC was acquired by Swiss luxury group Richemont, making it perhaps the major complication the brand unveiled before the change of ownership. Intriguingly, the combination of an engraved dial and complicated movement, as well as the style of engraving, brings to mind some of the Handwerkskunst watches by A. Lange & Söhne, then as now, a sister company of IWC. But perhaps more important is the movement, which is the only hand-wound calibre in this generation of Da Vinci. Not only is the manual-wind calibre better looking – by a massive margin – but the movement is descended from the Il Destriero Scafusia, the grand complication made for the brand’s 125th ...

INTRODUCING: The IWC Portugieser Automatic 40, a new contender for the ultimate ‘one watch’ Time+Tide
IWC Portugieser Automatic 40 May 1, 2020

INTRODUCING: The IWC Portugieser Automatic 40, a new contender for the ultimate ‘one watch’

The story of the Portugieser begins with two businessmen from, you guessed it, Portugal. They went to IWC asking for a watch as accurate as a marine chronometer but could be worn on the wrist, something that hadn’t been done before by the brand. The only way the Schaffhausen-based manufacturer could meet the brief was … ContinuedThe post INTRODUCING: The IWC Portugieser Automatic 40, a new contender for the ultimate ‘one watch’ appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

French Champagne House Ruinart Collaborates With British Artist David Shrigley For Its Annual Carte Blanche Art Commission Quill & Pad
Apr 30, 2020

French Champagne House Ruinart Collaborates With British Artist David Shrigley For Its Annual Carte Blanche Art Commission

David Shrigley is not your conventional artist. He says what’s on his mind without beating around the bush. Not taking himself seriously while opening our eyes to the bigger picture is why French champagne house Ruinart commissioned the 51-year-old artist to present the champagne house in a new light as its 2020 carte blanche artist,

Vacheron Constantin Introduces the Astronomical Grand Complication “Ode to Music” SJX Watches
Vacheron Constantin Introduces Apr 24, 2020

Vacheron Constantin Introduces the Astronomical Grand Complication “Ode to Music”

Just revealed at Watches & Wonders 2020, the Les Cabinotiers Astronomical Grand Complication “Ode to Music” is the latest chiming watch to emerge from Ateliers Cabinotiers, Vacheron Constantin’s dedicated department for commissions and ambitious unique pieces that showcase the brand’s technical as well as artisanal skills. If the watch looks familiar, that’s because it is based on the Les Cabinotiers Celestia Astronomical Grand Complication 3600, the most complicated wristwatch ever created by Vacheron Constantin at the time of its launch in 2017, but more importantly, the most comprehensive astronomical complication wristwatch ever made. The new Ode to Music retains all of its astronomical prowess, but replaces the tourbillon with a minute repeater, while omitting the tide indicator and power reserve display. Rebuilt grand comp As a result, the Ode to Music retains the same astronomical display module but is actually constructed on an entirely different base movement from the Celestia. While the Celestia relied on a base movement with a tourbillon and six barrels, the Ode to Music utilises the minute repeating cal. 1731, a wide but ultra-thin movement measuring just 3.9 mm high. Comprising a total of 600 parts, the resulting cal. 1731M820 is hand-wound, with a frequency of 3Hz and a 60-hour power reserve on a single barrel. Because of the thinner base movement, the Ode to Music clocks in at a relatively svelte 12.45 mm high, versus 13.6 mm for the Celestia. ...

Vacheron Constantin Introduces the Traditionnelle Tourbillon Chronograph SJX Watches
Vacheron Constantin Introduces Apr 24, 2020

Vacheron Constantin Introduces the Traditionnelle Tourbillon Chronograph

Vacheron Constantin’s hand-wound chronographs are, for the most part, powered by either the Lemania-based cal. 1142 or the mono-pusher cal. 3300 that was developed in-house. Freshly unveiled at Watches & Wonders 2020, the Traditionnelle Tourbillon Chronograph belongs in the latter camp. Notably, the new tourbillon-chronograph is powered by the same movement that was last seen in 2015 inside the Harmony Tourbillon Chronograph made to mark the 260th anniversary of the brand. The in-house movement combines a mono-pusher chronograph with the brand’s signature Maltese-cross tourbillon and was absent from the line-up for several years, but now it returns in fine form. While the Harmony was a cushion shape, the Traditionnelle Tourbillon Chronograph is conventionally round in form. Entirely polished, the case is in pink gold and measures 42.5 mm across and 11.7 mm high, making it large but fairly slim. The silver dial with a tachymeter scale is characterised by a rather unusual, asymmetric layout, with the tourbillon at 12 o’clock, 45-minute chronograph counter just below, and a small power reserve indicator at six. The impressive cal. 3200 Inside is the cal. 3200, which is identical to movement inside the Harmony Tourbillon Chronograph, with one difference –  this lacks the gilded and engraved tourbillon bridge that was unique to the 260th anniversary watches. Instead the tourbillon here is secured on the back by a simpler brass bridge decorated with Cotes de Geneve...

Cartier Introduces the Santos-Dumont Limited Editions SJX Watches
Cartier Introduces Apr 24, 2020

Cartier Introduces the Santos-Dumont Limited Editions

Hot on the heels of the Santos-Dumont XL hand-wind, Cartier has dropped four limited edition variants of the same at Watches & Wonders 2020, each dedicated to one of Alberto Santos-Dumont’s most significant aircraft. Within just a decade, the pioneering Franco-Brazilian aviator designed and piloted diverse methods of conquering the skies, from balloons and dirigibles to heavier-than-air aircraft. The four flying machines commemorated by the new limited edition Santos-Dumont watches each represent a different milestone in his career, starting with his first balloon, the Brésil of 1898, to his greatest feat, the La Demoiselle plane of 1908.   Increasing in edition size as the price decreases with the preciousness of the case, all four editions are mechanical, powered by the ultra-thin 430 MC found in the Santos-Dumont XL, which is actually a Piaget 430P. Though they share the same movement, the editions are not all the same size. The first three are in the large Santos-Dumont case, with dimensions of 43.5 mm by 31.4 mm, perfectly appropriate for a modern-day dress watch, offering just the right balance between elegance and presence. The last and most expensive edition, on the other hand, is platinum and XL size, meaning it is 46.6 mm by 33.9 mm. Santos-Dumont XL in platinum (extreme left), and the trio of large-size editions Santos-Dumont “Le Brésil” Limited to 100 pieces, “Le Bresil” is named after Santos-Dumont’s first flying machine, a hot-air balloon not...

Pandemic Truths - Rexhep Rexhepi SJX Watches
Rexhep Rexhepi Amongst independent watchmakers Rexhep Apr 23, 2020

Pandemic Truths - Rexhep Rexhepi

Amongst independent watchmakers, Rexhep Rexhepi has found swift and significant success since he founded Akrivia, now one of the hottest niche brands. After his Chronomètre Contemporain took the prize of best men’s watch at the 2018 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG), collectors have been eagerly anticipating his next creation – which is on track despite the pandemic-induced disruptions. How has the COVID-19 coronavirus affected Akrivia? Now still crafting watches in his workshop at the heart of Geneva’s Old Town, Rexhep answers. Rexhep, still at the workshop in Geneva’s Old Town. Photo – Rexhep Rexhepi What impact has the crisis has on your business? The first impact was human. A month ago, when social distancing was first implemented in Switzerland, the atmosphere was grim. I could feel employees’ morale was affected; their motivation was low. I offered them the choice to stay home with partial unemployment or keep coming to the atelier, while respecting all health and hygiene measures, of course. Most of them opted to keep working, so we are still open at the moment and working almost normally. Even my partner [Jean-Pierre] Hagmann is back now. Production-wise, we feared for some of our subcontractors, like the [specialist that does] rhodium plating for example, but they are also working, even if only part time, for one week out of every two. But since we have [vertically] integrated a lot of our production, like making our own cases, and we have...

The Audemars Piguet Museum is Complete (and Open) SJX Watches
Audemars Piguet Museum Apr 22, 2020

The Audemars Piguet Museum is Complete (and Open)

Announced in 2014 as part of a massive expansion of headquarters in Le Brassus, the Audemars Piguet museum is now complete, although the public will have to wait end-June 2020 to visit. The vintage-inspired Remaster01 Chronograph limited edition was launched last month to commemorate this very occasion. [Update June 25, 2020: The museum is now open to the public, with tickets required for admission.] Designed by Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG), the Danish architects responsible for Google’s new North Bayshore headquarters, the Musée Atelier Audemars Piguet is a low-slung spiral that gently rises out of the fields right behind the building Audemars Piguet has occupied since 1875. Inspired by a balance spring, the museum is almost entirely curved glass. A hundred and eight panels of structural glass support the steel roof that’s covered with a garden, blending into the pastoral landscape of the Vallee de Joux, the homely heart of Swiss watchmaking. The glass exterior is covered by a brass mesh to regulate temperature and light A spiral into the past and future Visitors to the museum will follow the spiral through the building – first clockwise towards the centre and then in the other direction to the conclusion – accompanied by some 300 timepieces dating from the 19th century to the present. At the centre of the spiral sit a selection of the brand’s grand complication watches, including the massive Universelle pocket watch from 1899. And appropriately, at the end of the...

Pandemic Truths - Jean-Claude Biver SJX Watches
Apr 21, 2020

Pandemic Truths - Jean-Claude Biver

Who better than Jean-Claude Biver to reflect on the current crisis? He is an emblematic figure in watchmaking, with a career that’s spanned half a century, one that started in another, long-ago crisis caused by quartz watches. Always passionate and frank, Jean-Claude played a major role in the rise of mechanical watchmaking, contributing a large part to the boom of the 1990s. Working from his chalet in the ski town of Crans-Montana in Switzerland, Jean-Claude spoke to me over the phone. Here is our conversation. Jean-Claude’s selfie from his study This crisis sheds light on the weaknesses of our current economic systems. How has it impacted your business? Obviously it impacts us like everyone else, because no matter how good your sales team is, or how many stores you have, or how well situated they are – if there is nobody out there, it hurts your business. But we have developed a few ideas to keep business going. We are always trying to implement strategies to combat the situation. And all crisis create opportunities as well. When China was closed, we organised limousine services to bring one customer at a time to our boutiques that were open just for them. It created a sense of security, ease and comfort, so we actually managed to do some business, even during that time. This is going to be a long [crisis]. By the time it gets back to normal, we will have to be ready. Now is the time to bring in innovation again, in distribution and equally, in sales. How do you e...

OPINION: 3 reasons why collecting watches is meaningful, even in a crisis Time+Tide
Apr 19, 2020

OPINION: 3 reasons why collecting watches is meaningful, even in a crisis

Is collecting mechanical watches meaningful? I’ve thought about this existential question quite a bit. Recently I was fortunate to spend some time chatting with Leonid Khankin, President and Creative Director for the brand Ernst Benz. Leonid has a deep understanding of the watch industry. Our discussion is worthy of a separate article. But at one … ContinuedThe post OPINION: 3 reasons why collecting watches is meaningful, even in a crisis appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Business News: Bulgari, Hublot, TAG Heuer, and Zenith Ditch Baselworld SJX Watches
Patek Philippe Chanel Chopard Apr 17, 2020

Business News: Bulgari, Hublot, TAG Heuer, and Zenith Ditch Baselworld

In a widely expected move, the watch and jewellery brands owned by LVMH – Bulgari, Hublot, TAG Heuer, and Zenith – have just announced their pullout from Baselworld. Once the world’s largest watch fair, Baselworld suffered a mortal blow when its largest individual exhibitors, Rolex, Patek Philippe, Chanel, Chopard and Tudor, announced their withdrawal a few days ago, opting instead to move to a new fair in Geneva. And surprisingly the fair issued a swift, and clearly miffed, response to the mass exodus. But the die has been cast, with the centre of gravity having shifted decisively to Geneva, making it inevitable that the French luxury conglomerate would follow suit – especially after having made known its wavering commitment to Baselworld – and now it’s official. With the LVMH announcement, Baselworld has lost all the major exhibiting brands in Messe Basel hall 1, the fair’s flagship space. The chiefs of the LVMH watch and jewellery brands at LVMH Watch Week that took place in Dubai in January 2020, a stopgap measure due to the uncertain trade show schedule. Photo – LVMH In a statement fresh off the press, the LVMH Watch Division and Bulgari explain their move with the “clearly weakened representation of the Swiss watch industry and hence inevitably lower participation… [leading us to] withdraw in order to preserve [our] image and relations with clients as well with the media.” What the four brands will do in Geneva has not yet been decided, conti...

Breitling (Re)Introduces the Chronomat with Rouleaux Bracelet SJX Watches
Breitling Re)Introduces Apr 16, 2020

Breitling (Re)Introduces the Chronomat with Rouleaux Bracelet

One of the most fashionable watches of the late 1980s and 1990s was the Breitling Chronomat with the distinctive Rouleaux bracelet, specifically the two-tone, steel-and-yellow-gold model with a dark blue dial. The watch of choice for assorted air force squadrons, the Chronomat was also spotted on major Hollywood stars of the era, most prominently Jerry Seinfeld and Bruce Willis. Breitling’s supercharged success after the Quartz Crisis – having been rescued by Swiss entrepreneur Ernest Schneider – was largely down to the Chronomat. Now the Chronomat on the Rouleaux bracelet is making its comeback, after having been discontinued several years ago. Abandoning the styling of recent, unsuccessful facelifts, the new Chronomat B01 42 returns with a tightly-executed design that incorporates several elements of the 1990s classic. A historic hit Launched to mark the 100th anniversary of Breitling in 1984, the Chronomat marked the brand’s return to mechanical watches. In 1979, the late Ernest Schneider took over an ailing Breitling, which until was then making mostly quartz watches with a military flavour. Having delivered the inaugural version of the Chronomat to members of Frecce Tricolori, the aerobatic team of the Italian air force, Schneider had a hit on his hands once the Chronomat was sold to the public. A page from the 1987 Breitling catalogue showing several versions of the Chronomat Though it had the same name as a vintage Breitling chronograph, the Chronomat l...

Breaking News: Rolex, Patek Philippe, Chanel, Chopard and Tudor Pull Out of Baselworld SJX Watches
Patek Philippe Chanel Chopard Apr 14, 2020

Breaking News: Rolex, Patek Philippe, Chanel, Chopard and Tudor Pull Out of Baselworld

The unravelling of what was once the world’s largest watch and jewellery show has finally reached its unsurprising climax as the biggest exhibitors at Baselworld – Rolex, Patek Philippe, Chanel, Chopard, and Tudor – have just announced their withdrawal from the event. Instead the all-important brands – Rolex is the world’s largest luxury watch brand by turnover – will decamp to Geneva to show their new products at a new, as-yet unnamed watch fair that will merge with Watches & Wonders (W&W;). In the announcement signed by representatives of all five brands, the departing brands cited the “unilateral decisions taken by the management of Baselworld, including the postponement of the Fair in January 2021, as well as its inability to meet the expectations and needs of brands” as reasons for their withdrawal. With that, the centre of gravity for watch trade shows will shift definitely to Geneva, and marking the end of Baselworld as a crucial event on the industry’s calendar. Not only does it call into question the viability of Baselworld, it might even be a mortal blow for the watch fair’s parent company, MCH Group, which also owns Art Basel. Hello Geneva What started with the Swatch Group’s shock exit from Baselworld in 2018 accelerated this year, with the show’s exhibitor’s committee, led by a senior Rolex executive, politely demanding a refund of fees paid for the cancelled 2020 show. The negotiations between exhibitors and fair organisers have ob...

John-Mikaël Flaux Introduces the Le Guépard Sonnerie-Automaton Clock SJX Watches
Ming Apr 10, 2020

John-Mikaël Flaux Introduces the Le Guépard Sonnerie-Automaton Clock

A young French horologist who specialises in automaton clocks – his most recent work was a retro-automobile that tells time – John-Mikaël Flaux has just unveiled his most elaborate work to date, Le Guépard. Translating as “The Cheetah”, Le Guépard is an elegantly-conceived, hour-striking clock with its movement forming an automaton of a big cat. Made of brass and steel, Le Guépard tells the time on an open-worked dial on its right, but it is also a sonnerie en passant, chiming out the time as it passes. Mr Flaux, who attended the same watchmaking school as independent watchmakers Cyril Brivet-Naudot and Theo Auffret, describes Le Guépard as a “poetic take” on the hour-striking clock. At the top of every hour, the clock chimes the number of hours via a hammer striking the large bell on its rear. Triggered by a snail cam and front paw of the cheetah, the strike work propels the limbs of the cheetah, which moves in slow motion as the rack of the strike work “counts” the number of hours being struck. The clock can also strikes the hours on demand – a feature activated by pressing on the tail of the cheetah. Located behind the decorative panel are the hammer and bell that sound the hours Made up of 205 parts, most of the clock is produced by Mr Flaux using traditional methods, like turning wheels on a manual lathe. The movement is mounted on a steel platform, but sits against a background of an abstract starry night on the African plains. Executed in a...

Hands-On: Zenith El Primero A384 Revival with “Ladder” Bracelet SJX Watches
Zenith El Primero A384 Revival Apr 8, 2020

Hands-On: Zenith El Primero A384 Revival with “Ladder” Bracelet

There are few brands that can make modern-day reissues of historical watches powered by the same movement as the vintage original. Zenith, as it happens, is easily able to, thanks to its long-lived El Primero. The chronograph movement celebrated its 50th anniversary last year with several commemorative A386 limited editions, including a one-off in platinum for charity, but most were in gold and thus pricey. On the other hand, the El Primero A384 Revival is a faithful remake – including a “ladder” bracelet – that’s part of the regular collection, and also affordable. Since 1969 While the A386 is the iconic El Primero chronograph – and today the most valuable – the A384 was introduced at the same time (along with the A385), making it part of the debut range of El Primero watches. One reason the A384 doesn’t quite have the stature of the round and relatively-ageless A386 is also one of its most distinctive qualities: a tonneau- or cushion-shaped case that instantly identifies it as a watch of the late 1960s and 1970s. The easily recognisable design has made the tonneau-shaped A384 a popular base for a variety of limited editions, including one based on a fictitious watch featured in the Japanese manga Lupin III. Romain Marietta, the brand’s chief of products, also indicated during a recent conversation that the A384 will continue to be the base for limited editions, while the A386 will not be reproduced again except in exceptional instances since it is syno...

Business News: Baselworld Inches Towards Calamity [Updated] SJX Watches
Rolex Apr 7, 2020

Business News: Baselworld Inches Towards Calamity [Updated]

Writing in a manner graceful yet irate, the president of the exhibitors committee of Baselworld – mostly made up of brands that exhibit that the event – has penned a quietly scathing letter to the organisers of Baselworld. [The fair’s response to the letter can be found in the addendum at the end of the article.] The letter, which I received a copy of, expresses the exhibitors’ dissatisfaction at well, everything, from the new date for the event to the proposed refunds for the “postponed” fair, while asking for a refund of fees paid for the cancelled event. Significantly, the letter ends with: “we fear that this will be the end, pure and simple, of Baselworld…”. While on the surface this might seem to be a group of exhibitors pushing back, it is a more nuanced – and perhaps more uplifting – picture. The president of the exhibitors committee, Hubert J. du Plessix, has a day job: head of investments and logistics at Rolex, in addition to being the president of the watchmaker’s pension fund. If there was ever a sterling example of the philosophy “speak softly and carry a big stick” in watchmaking, this is it. Seen in that light, Mr du Plessix, and by extension his employer, are standing up for the little guy: defending the interests of exhibitors who can ill-afford Baselworld even in the best of times, in an attempt to help the wider watch industry that is now on the edge of the precipice. The central atrium of Messe Basel, the convention hall des...