Results for Geneva Seal (Poinçon de Genève)

H Hodinkee

Hodinkee

Breitling Tabarly Aug 28, 2026

Bring a Loupe: A Hamilton Cross Country, A Heuer Titanium Quartz, A Movado Super Sub Sea Chronograph, And More

Welcome to August's end, everyone. I never know how to start these things—there's too much variety in most of our days, meaning that, short of borderline universal cultural experiences, it's hard to know what we'd all even know about. That said, I'd like to offer quick thanks: I've now lucked into writing Bring A Loupe for six months, and it's just tremendous fun, soup to nuts. Thanks for reading, and I look forward to working as hard as I can to not bore you for as long as I'm allowed. Also, boo to Dolly Parton's and Tim Curry's passing. Terrible plot twist. Scorekeeping last week's picks, the Hublot Orlinski's on hold, the Seiko Sportura sold for €1,350, the Breitling Tabarly for €760, and the Yema Tomahawk for £800. Strays I have failed to highlight fun skin divers over the last couple of weeks, so let me ameliorate that lack with this Dupont and this LIP. They share identical all-steel skin diver cases; the differences in their bezels are awfully minor, and the Dupont's got a bracelet, so maybe that's enough of a needle-mover. This Breguet Chronoscope pocketwatch in platinum's not in perfect condition—the dial's got a few spots—but it is also incredibly gorgeous, the design is fantastic, and Monaco Legend Group sold a silver version in 2023 for €16,000, so plan accordingly. I could be wrong, but it looks like this ultra-thin solid gold quartz Jaeger was made by other brands as well, among them Bulova (who called their version a Phantom) and Microma (appare...

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W WristBuzz

WristBuzz

Atelier Wen x Massena Lab Inflection Shuò: Tantalum, Gold Dials, and a Very Smart Collaboration Aug 28, 2026

Atelier Wen x Massena Lab Inflection Shuò: Tantalum, Gold Dials, and a Very Smart Collaboration

The Inflection gets a Geneva Watch Days 2026 upgrade, with Massena Lab bringing two gold dial variants to an already serious tantalum sports watch

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S SJX Watches

SJX Watches

Ming 57.05 Comet Springs Forward Aug 26, 2026

The Ming 57.05 Comet Springs Forward

Ahead of Geneva Watch Days, Ming has introduced the 57.05 Comet, a DST-compatible worldtimer with a clever two-piece bezel. The Comet also upholds the long tradition of worldtimers with decorative dials, in this case with a dynamic interference pattern that changes throughout the day. Initial thoughts There are few complications that embody jet-set optimism like the Cottier-style worldtimer, with its noble ambition to create a unified view of the time everywhere on Earth. This inspiration is ever-present in the 57.05 Comet, which takes its name from the world’s first passenger jet, the de Havilland Comet. Interestingly, the worldtime format was partially obsolete even before Cottier came up with his ingenious display in 1931, due to adoption of what we now call Daylight Saving Time (DST) in several Western countries around 1918. I’ve always resented the fact that DST significantly reduces the effectiveness of one of the most elegant complications in watchmaking. Some brands have proposed solutions to this issue, but often the result is overly complex or visually cluttered. Ming’s solution is so intuitive it seems obvious in retrospect, with a two-piece bezel that moves DST observers 15 degrees counterclockwise in the summer to align with the correct hour. Summer mode is indicated by a cut-out in the mobile section of the bezel that reveals a (slightly) luminous red indicator. To be clear, it’s not a perfect solution, since different countries begin and end DST obse...

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W Worn & Wound

Worn & Wound

Blancpain Introduces Aug 24, 2026

Blancpain Introduces the Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe 70th Anniversary Limited Edition

You know, I actually wasn’t going to write about this watch. An $18,000 vintage inspired dive watch from a brand that doesn’t hold a ton of personal relevance to me was just not super high on my list of priorities as Geneva Watch Days prep is now in full swing (this time next week, I will be surviving on CHF 10 Coke Zeros). But, over the weekend the collective watch internet kind of lost its mind over the new Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe 70th Anniversary Limited Edition, so I shifted my to-do list around a bit and, well, here we are.  Of course, there have been a lot of memes and jokes about this watch sharing a certain similarity to the Seiko 62MAS and the many, many reinterpretations and reissues of that watch over the years. I’m frankly less interested in those aesthetic similarities than I am in the very conceit of this watch, what it illuminates about Blancpain, and the way it fits into the neverending conversation around price sensitivity that we’ve been having for months as we see MSRPs shoot higher and higher. But what I’ll say about the appearance of the Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe 70th Anniversary Limited Edition is simply that, at this point, 70 years on from the advent of this type of watch, I don’t think any brand really owns the aesthetic identity of something so generic. Lots and lots of watches from all kinds of brands look like this, just like lots and lots of watches look like a Speedmaster, or a Calatrava. The design tropes of these wat...

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W Worn & Wound

Worn & Wound

TAG Heuer Aug 20, 2026

Wei Koh and Guillaume Tetu Launch Legare with the Chapter 1 AGP Inverted

Just ahead of Geneva Watch Days, we see the debut of a new haute horlogerie brand, brought to us in part by Wei Koh, founder of Revolution and the Rake, and a longtime fixture in the watch media landscape. The new brand, Legare, was founded by Koh and Guillaume Tetu, a watch industry veteran who counts Hautlence as well as TAG Heuer and Ralph Lauren on his resume. Koh and Tetu are incredibly well connected professionally, and the first watch out of the gate for Legare reflects that particularly well – this is the product of a lot of collaboration between many partners, and has plenty of pure watch nerd DNA in its inspiration as well.  The brand’s first watch is the Chapter 1 AGP Inverted, and takes inspiration from a rare pocket watch made by Albert-Gustave Piguet, who would ultimately become well known in the watch industry for his work on the Lemania 2310 caliber. But the watch that Legare credits with shaping the Chapter 1 is a pocket watch he created while a student at the Vallee de Joux School of Watchmaking in 1932, when he was just 17 years old. That watch featured two large split bi-metallic balance wheels, whose rates were averaged by a differential. According to Legare, only six total examples of this pocket watch were completed.  Legare’s conceit in making the Chapter 1 is essentially an answer to the hypothetical question of what if Piguet’s idea behind this movement had continued to evolve? This is an entirely original movement architecture (and diff...

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S SJX Watches

SJX Watches

Czapek s Promenade Transparencies Aqua Aug 20, 2026

Into the Blue: Czapek’s Promenade Transparencies Aqua Blue 

In the lead up to Geneva Watch Days, Czapek has unveiled the Promenade Transparencies Aqua Blue — a gradient blue variant of a sapphire-dialled dress watch the brand released in late 2024. The watch breaks little new ground but the blue-on-blue look reveals a keen eye and an awareness of colour theory. Initial thoughts I have mixed feelings about sapphire dials, but I liked Czapek’s approach to opening up the Promenade when the brand launched its “Viridian Green” collaboration with Fratello in 2024. The “Aqua Blue” edition gets many of the same things right, with a dark-enough tint that the exposed movement elements don’t overwhelm the design. In fact, at some angles, the exposed movement looks more like a graphic element, akin to the Octo Finissimo Automatic BVL 138 Sketch. On the wrist, when the movement is not back-lit, the dial appears much darker, and the movement components are even less obvious. This split personality extends to the overall format of the Promenade, which is conveniently sized at 38 mm and is about 11 mm thick. The latter dimension is a bit chunky for an automatic dress watch with a micro-rotor movement, but it gives the watch a robust, almost sporty feel. And the extra thickness likely contributes to the reassuring 50 m test depth. An optional milanese-style steel bracelet completes the transformation from dressy to sporty, should one wish to do it all with one watch. A close look reveals thousands of printed dots that are responsible...

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W WatchRider

WatchRider

Seiko Time Sonar Casio has Aug 16, 2026

Upcoming Casio MTP-E740 Series: Specs, Price, and Why It’s a £85 Steal

The upcoming Casio MTP-E740-4AV and MTP-E740-2A1V are vintage-inspired watches launching soon for just £85. Proving that budget-friendly watches don’t have to be boring, these new releases feature a stunning see-through dial design that punches well above its price bracket. A Striking Translucent Dial Design The standout feature of the new MTP-E740 series is undoubtedly its dial. Drawing heavy inspiration from the classic 1970s Seiko Time Sonar, Casio has incorporated a transparent face that reveals the mechanical day and date wheels underneath.   Usually, entry-level Casio day-date models hide this calendar mechanism behind a solid face. By exposing it, Casio gives these models a playful, layered, and premium look that is rarely seen at this price point.   The Standout Models: Orange and Navy While the collection features several colors, two models steal the show:  MTP-E740-4AV (Orange):   if you want a watch that immediately catches the eye, the MTP-E740-4AV is the undisputed star of the collection. The bright orange colorway perfectly complements the retro-futuristic transparent dial, giving the watch a summery, high-energy feel. Orange dials have historically been associated with dive watches and motorsport chronographs, but putting it on an everyday stainless steel piece gives it a remarkably fresh vibe.  The bright, vibrant orange dial is an absolute head-turner. It provides a bold contrast against the stainless steel case and makes the exposed cal...

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F Fratello

Fratello

Aug 15, 2026

Tried And Tested: The CIGA Design Hunter Titanium Skeleton Automatic

My first encounter with CIGA Design was with its Blue Planet model. In 2021, it won the Challenge Watch Prize at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG), which obviously gave it some proper traction. Although CIGA Design has been producing watches since 2016, I’d say 2021 was really a turning point for the Shenzhen-based […] Visit Tried And Tested: The CIGA Design Hunter Titanium Skeleton Automatic to read the full article.

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F Fratello

Fratello

Patek Philippe 6105G-001 Celestial Sunrise Aug 6, 2026

A Touch Of Watch Heaven: Patek Philippe 6105G-001 Celestial Sunrise And Sunset

An oversized white-gold case inspired by space modules, paired with a seamlessly integrated X-patterned composite strap and a dial depicting the sky as seen from Geneva on a sapphire-crystal dial. The Patek Philippe 6105G-001 Celestial Sunrise and Sunset is a contemporary take on the eternal celestial theme. Inside the oversized case beats the caliber 240 […] Visit A Touch Of Watch Heaven: Patek Philippe 6105G-001 Celestial Sunrise And Sunset to read the full article.

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W Worn & Wound

Worn & Wound

Glashütte Original Introduces Two New Limited Aug 4, 2026

Glashütte Original Introduces Two New Limited Editions Versions of the SeaQ

When it comes to luxury divers in the $10,000-$20,000 range, the usual suspects are big Swiss heritage brands. Rolex, Omega, and Blancpain immediately come to mind, and IWC, Jaeger-LeCoultre, and a host of indies offer sporty watches that are dive adjacent if not divers, strictly speaking, that collectors might consider cross shopping. Glashütte Original is a brand that probably doesn’t get mentioned enough in this category, as they actually offer two dive watches in this price range built on their SeaQ platform that are worthy of consideration. The brand has just introduced new versions of their SeaQ Panorama Date and standard SeaQ in a new “Northern Tide” colorway for the North American market that got me thinking about these watches (frankly, reminding me they exist).  I’ve handled both the SeaQ and SeaQ Panorama Date in the past and both watches are very nicely made, but each come with significant tradeoffs that make them tough to commit to, but in different ways. The standard SeaQ is the brand’s stripped down stainless steel diver, measuring 39.5mm in diameter, 12.15mm tall, and 47.2mm from lug to lug. The SeaQ’s case is very nicely executed and gives the feeling of a classic skin diver but with higher end, luxury finishing. The trade off here is really the movement – it runs on GO’s Caliber 39-11, which is a very nicely decorated movement, but has a power reserve of 40 hours, which is low relative to the competition, and is missing the signature Gla...

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F Fratello

Fratello

Roger Dubuis Excalibur Aug 3, 2026

Heads Up For A Japanese History Lesson: The Roger Dubuis Excalibur The Kabuto Legacy

After launching timepieces inspired by the fantastic Arthurian mythology, Roger Dubuis thinks it’s time for a lesson on Japanese history. The new Excalibur The Kabuto Legacy takes inspiration from the rise of the Tokugawa Shogunate, a turning point in Japanese history. The Geneva-based brand uses its high-watchmaking know-how and métiers d’art to create 28 timepieces […] Visit Heads Up For A Japanese History Lesson: The Roger Dubuis Excalibur The Kabuto Legacy to read the full article.

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F Fratello

Fratello

Jul 30, 2026

Sicura Makes A Comeback After 47 Years With The Hexa 400

In the past decade, we have seen many once-defunct Swiss brands return to the watch industry. A few recent returnees that come to mind are Gallet and Universal Genève. Today, another legendary brand joins the ranks. It’s the return of the classic Swiss brand Sicura. Under the leadership of the famous Ernest Schneider in the […] Visit Sicura Makes A Comeback After 47 Years With The Hexa 400 to read the full article.

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F Fratello

Fratello

Bulova There Jul 26, 2026

The Value Proposition: Caravelle Sea Hunter By Bulova

There is a particular kind of relish in finding a watch that makes it feel as if the Quartz Crisis never happened. That was exactly the case with the new Caravelle Sea Hunter. At €270 delivered to me in Sydney, Australia, this is not a particularly expensive mechanical dive watch, nor is it one that […] Visit The Value Proposition: Caravelle Sea Hunter By Bulova to read the full article.

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M Monochrome

Monochrome

Rolex Datejust Jul 22, 2026

Hands-on - All the new Dials for the Rolex Datejust in 2026, and There’s Much More than the Green Ombré

For 2026, Rolex had a pretty big year at Watches and Wonders Geneva. There was, of course, the much-debated high-end Rolesium and enamel Daytona, the revamped Yacht-Master II, or a new gold alloy named Jubilee gold for the Day-Date. Then, the Crown publicly showed the special edition steel and gold Oyster Perpetual 100th Anniversary. You thought […]

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W Worn & Wound

Worn & Wound

Frederique Constant Introduces New GMTs Inspired Jul 8, 2026

Frederique Constant Introduces New GMTs Inspired by Classic Teak Boats

Good things are worth the wait, according to Frederique Constant. Every two years, the Geneva-based watchmaker releases a new collector’s piece in their sought-after Classics Runabout collection, which represents, according to the brand, the combination of Genevan craftsmanship and Italian nautical influence. The 2026 model has been, of course, highly-anticipated; the Classics Runabout Automatic GMT represents a new chapter in Frederique Constant’s celebrated line.  The new GMT model, presented in collaboration with the Riva Historical Society, brings a 42mm footprint and two colorways: deep blue and teak-brown. Both models and their aesthetics are inspired by boats restored by the Riva Historical Society, and come with a miniature replica of said boat. The polished stainless steel case features three-part construction, and a midrange thickness of 12.85mm, giving it a decently chunky presence on the wrist. Still, the larger size is deceptive, given the bezel-less design; the GMT instead features an outer 60-second track, and a center 24-hour disk, giving it a filled-out look that slims the watch down visually. Arabic numerals appear at 12, 3, and 9 o’clock, and hand-applied indexes fill in the remainder of the hour markers, with a date window nestled at 6 o’clock. What results is a balanced dial that feels both busy and calm, given the limited color pallet, with blue and brown dial options both rounded out by beige-gold numerals and text details. All hands and ind...

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F Fratello

Fratello

Panerai Launches Jun 28, 2026

Panerai Launches The Rugged Yet Reined-In Submersible Navy SEALs PAM01738

Panerai continues its official partnership with the U.S. Navy SEALs with a new Submersible. The watch’s 44mm stainless steel case has the brand’s characteristic cushion shape and a matte black ceramic unidirectional bezel. Following the ultra-limited Afniotech Experience model, this release extracts key design cues in a more grounded steel package. Crucially, PAM01738 skips the […] Visit Panerai Launches The Rugged Yet Reined-In Submersible Navy SEALs PAM01738 to read the full article.

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W Worn & Wound

Worn & Wound

Jun 26, 2026

Hands-On: Re-Defining the Hype of Quiet Luxury with the Moser Streamliner Minis

There was one particular moment the Moser Streamliner clicked for me. I was fresh off my first enameling apprenticeship in the summer of 2023. At Geneva Watch Days, Moser was previewing some new models set to launch at Dubai Watch Week later that year, and one of those models was the Streamliner Small Seconds Aqua Blue. As a refresher, this is a standard mid-size 39mm build, but most importantly, it introduced an enamel dial to the collection for the first time. Let’s be clear, this isn’t any ordinary enamel dial. It starts with a hand-hammered solid gold base topped with three varying pigments of translucent aqua-blue enamel applied over the course of a whopping 12 firings to achieve the unique fume effect radiating from light to dark around the periphery. The result of the intricate process creates a visual range much broader than aqua-blue alone, evoking bright tones of turquoise and deep tones of violet in high and low light. Having just come off a week of training in an enameling atelier on far simpler designs, my degree of admiration and respect for the brand grew tenfold. This wasn’t just a beautifully streamlined (and perfectly named) take on the classic integrated bracelet sport watch – this was a true way of making a stainless steel sport watch luxurious, artisanal, and dare I say elegant. From that point forward, I started to develop a bit of an obsession with the Streamliner, and it began to inch toward my grail list of dream models. However, there’s ...

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T Two Broke Watch Snobs

Two Broke Watch Snobs

Mido Mido refreshed Jun 24, 2026

The Best Swiss Dive Watch Deal of the Summer Might Be This New Mido

Mido refreshed the Mido Ocean Star 200 with the 80-hour Caliber 80 and a Nivachron hairspring, priced from $950 to $980 across four dial options.

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S SJX Watches

SJX Watches

Patek Philippe Tudor Jun 23, 2026

Watches & Wonders Announces 2027 Dates and New Exhibitors

Watches & Wonders, the world’s most important luxury watch fair, will return in 2027 from April 5-11 in its traditional venue of Palexpo, the cavernous exhibition complex beside Geneva’s airport. The event takes place over a week, with Monday to Thursday being invite-only days open to members of the trade, while Friday and the weekend are ticketed public days. All of the major luxury brands will return for the fair, including Rolex, Patek Philippe, Tudor, and Chanel, alongside a range of independent marques. But 2027 will also see new exhibitors, including Breitling, Gallet and Universal Genève, the trio that make up the House of Brands, the entity set up to contain the three brands led by Georges Kern. Notably, niche Italian jeweller Damiani will also exhibit at W&W; 2027, joining giants like Cartier, Bulgari, and Van Cleef & Arpels.  

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M Monochrome

Monochrome

Vacheron Constantin Jun 23, 2026

Introducing - Indie Watchmaker Vincent Deprez Launches the Scientific Tourbillon, a Contemporary Take on Traditional Watchmaking

Independent watchmaker Vincent Deprez first attracted attention with his Tourbillon Classique Souscription Edition, a remarkably accomplished debut that showcased a fully hand-finished tourbillon movement and his ability to manufacture most of the watch himself using traditional methods. Trained at Vacheron Constantin and later active in restoration at Patek Philippe, the Geneva-based French watchmaker now expands […]

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H Hodinkee

Hodinkee

Patek Philippe Jun 23, 2026

Business News: Breitling's House Of Brands Joins Watches And Wonders For 2027 As Dates Unveiled

One of the largest watch group holdouts is heading to Watches and Wonders in 2027 as Breitling's House of Brands will join the world's premier luxury watch fair for the first time. Scheduled to take place April 5 to 11 in Geneva at Palexpo, with supplementary programs and exhibitions including the In The City events that debuted at the most recent edition, brands including Breitling, Gallet, Universal Genève and Italy's Damiani will exhibit alongside founding partners Rolex, Patek Philippe and Richemont brands, among others, according to a statement from the non-profit Watches and Wonders Foundation. The inclusion of the House of Brands group marks a significant addition for Watches and Wonders, underscoring its position as the most important annual gathering of Swiss and international luxury watchmakers, retailers, media, and the public each spring. The announcement follows news that Basel will return to the watch fair schedule with a new watch and jewelry show called Basilia that will follow during the same month, and leaves Swatch Group as the only major Swiss watchmaking conglomerate not participating in Watches and Wonders.  "The arrival of these new names represents an important milestone in the evolution of Watches and Wonders Geneva, and reflects the desire of major watchmaking Maisons to unite around a shared vision," Watches and Wonders organizers said in a prepared statement.  A record 65 brands participated in the event in 2026, including, for the first time...

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M Monochrome

Monochrome

Certina Doubles Down Jun 17, 2026

First Look - Certina Doubles Down with the New DS Super PH2000M Sea Turtle Consverancy (Incl. Video)

Certina has a very long legacy in keeping watches safe from the effects of shocks and water, dating back to the Double Security system introduced in 1959. This has remained a key element in the brand’s watches, which it expanded last year with the DS Concept Extreme Shock Resistance system. Doubling down on this legacy, […]

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H Hodinkee

Hodinkee

Patek Philippe Museum Celebrates 50 Years Jun 17, 2026

Happenings: The Patek Philippe Museum Celebrates 50 Years Of The Nautilus With A Special Museum Exhibition

If you have ever been through Geneva but missed visiting the Patek Philippe Museum, you have missed the full horological experience. We should be thankful to the recently departed Mr. Philippe Stern, who passed away earlier this week, for leaving a legacy that extends not just to the work he did at Patek Philippe (of which his family has been caretakers of for generations) but also for providing a beautiful and robust celebration of watchmaking history through the Patek Philippe Museum. The space on Rue des Vieux-Grenadiers houses some of the most historically significant watches, not only from the storied brand's past but also from the broader history of watchmaking in Switzerland and abroad. And from June 2026 to early 2027, the museum is celebrating the 50th anniversary of one of their most important, influential, and coveted models: the Nautilus. Photo courtesy Patek Philippe. I've been to the museum a number of times, and the Nautilus has never taken a particularly prominent place in any display. With hundreds, if not thousands, of Patek Philippe watches on display, many of them unique, many of them complicated or artistically oriented, the Nautilus is truly only a small part of the brand's history. But it's also been the avenue through which the brand has reached its broadest audience, and the watch has made a massive impact on popular culture at large. So it's a watch worth celebrating. Patek is doing so in the way that feels most "them," with a very historically mi...

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M Monochrome

Monochrome

Jun 17, 2026

Industry News - The EPHJ 2026, Where the Future of Watchmaking Takes Shape Behind The Scenes

Every June, Geneva becomes the meeting point for the world of high precision. Held annually at Palexpo (June 16 to 19, for the 2026 edition), the EPHJ trade show brings together more than 20,000 visitors and over 800 exhibitors from the watchmaking, jewellery, microtechnology and medical technology sectors, making it the largest high-precision industry exhibition […]

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S SJX Watches

SJX Watches

Patek Philippe Philippe Stern who served Jun 15, 2026

Obituary: Philippe Stern, Pivotal Leader of Patek Philippe

Philippe Stern, who served as general director and later president of Patek Philippe from 1977 to 2009, died yesterday at the age of 88. Under his stewardship, the Geneva manufacture was transformed from a small, workshop-scattered operation into the global benchmark for fine watchmaking, a position it holds to this day. He was the third generation of the Stern family to lead the company. His grandfather Charles, alongside his brother Jean, had acquired Patek Philippe from insolvency in 1932 from their position as the firm’s trusted dial supplier. His father Henri had built the company’s modern international distribution network and established the Henri Stern Watch Agency in New York, laying the commercial foundations on which Philippe would build. Father and son, Henri and Philippe Stern. Image – Patek Philippe Philippe Stern became managing director in 1977, at the height of the quartz crisis. The timing could not have been more demanding. Swiss watch industry employment was collapsing, from roughly 90,000 workers to a fraction of that figure within a few years, as electronic timekeeping rendered the mechanical watch commercially marginal almost overnight. Many established manufacturers collapsed, merged, or abandoned mechanical production entirely. Stern’s response defined his presidency. He kept the tooling, retained his engineers, and committed Patek Philippe irrevocably to mechanical watchmaking at the precise moment the industry consensus ran in the opposit...

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M Monochrome

Monochrome

Jun 15, 2026

Introducing - The New ArtyA Purity Tourbillon Sport Editions

Artya is known for not shying away from creativity, boldness and boundary-pushing designs, and proves this once more with its latest release. Following earlier models like the Purity Tourbillon, Purity Stairway to Heaven and Purity Central Tourbillon housed in the brand’s signature sapphire cases, the Geneva-based manufacture now introduces the Purity Tourbillon Sport Edition, a limited […]

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S SJX Watches

SJX Watches

Patek Philippe Calibre 89 Jun 12, 2026

In-Depth: Patek Philippe Calibre 89

In 1989, Geneva’s storied watchmaker unveiled the most complicated watch ever made – the Patek Philippe Calibre 89. The genesis of the Calibre 89 arguably started almost a century before with a watch made in Besançon, the historical heart of French watchmaking. In 1977, the Association Française des Amateurs d’Horlogerie Ancienne (AFAHA) published the first issue of its journal Horlogerie Ancienne. The watch on the cover was the Leroy 01. The caption on the inside front page read, “Montre Leroy 01, la plus compliquée du monde” – “The most complicated watch in the world”. Inside, on page 15, a short article made the case: the Leroy 01, completed in 1904 by the Parisian firm of Louis Leroy for the Portuguese collector António Augusto de Carvalho Monteiro, held a title that no other timepiece had successfully disputed. In Geneva, the claim was noted. The first issue of Horlogerie Ancienne of 1977. Image – SJX composite/AFAHA Two years later, in early June 1979, Philippe Stern was at his desk in Patek Philippe’s offices on the rue du Rhône when Max Studer, the firm’s technical director, came in for what the records describe as a routine meeting. The 150th anniversary of the manufacture was a decade away. Among the ideas being considered to celebrate the occasion was a reproduction of the Henry Graves Jr. Supercomplication, the watch Patek had built in 1932, with its twenty-four complications, that had served as the benchmark of mechanical ambition ev...

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H Hodinkee

Hodinkee

Jun 8, 2026

Auctions: Previewing New York's Spring Auction Season At Phillips, Sotheby's, And Christie's

Auction season can be exhausting. I can barely believe that we do this twice a year. We often only have the time and energy to cover the main show in Geneva, with a few thousand lots offered between four auction houses just last month. But after Geneva and Hong Kong (which comes before Geneva for some houses and after for others), the circus comes to New York, and this year we're going to take a gander at the watches on offer in the city. Most auction houses don't drop their catalogs until after Geneva is over. That prevents people from holding their bids because they're doing the "distracted boyfriend meme" and looking at future watches. That keeps them from going all-in in Geneva, which isn't what the auction houses want. They want your bids now and later. Well, later is here, and I hope you have some cash left over. Weirdly, I'm getting a sense of déjà vu; there are a few familiar-looking watches. So let's go ahead and take a look. Phillips It was a banner weekend for Phillips in Hong Kong with a pretty fantastic $51.5 million sale, backed by the $10.2 million sale of the first series rose gold Patek 2499, which became the most expensive wristwatch ever sold in Asia. That is one of three mega Pateks Phillips was offering this season, which is rounded out by an incredibly clean and honest 1518. I know the record result means that that should be the watch to pick, all things being equal, but I still like a watch that looks basically untouched. Photo courtesy Phillips. P...

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M Monochrome

Monochrome

Jun 5, 2026

Industry News - Vaucher Manufacture Fleurier Unveils the VMF 5500, ts Upgraded Micro-Rotor Movement

As the EPHJ Geneva trade fair, the major annual gathering dedicated to precision industries, including watchmaking, medtech and high-tech manufacturing, approaches (from 16 – 19 June), several suppliers exhibiting at the show have started unveiling their latest developments. Among them is Vaucher Manufacture Fleurier, a movement maker well known to regular readers of MONOCHROME Watches, […]

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M Monochrome

Monochrome

Favre Leuba Deep Raider Revival Orange May 29, 2026

First Look - The Favre Leuba Deep Raider Revival Orange, a Colourful and Sporty Retro Diver

Ever since Favre Leuba has been relaunched at Geneva Watch Days 2024, the brand has been going back to its archives and giving old favourites a fresh spin. Unveiled at this event was the Deep Blue collection that hosted two watches: the Deep Blue Revival (39mm) and Deep Blue Renaissance (40mm). This comeback collection was […]

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