Hodinkee
Business News: Richemont Sells Baume & Mercier
Does the deal to sell the storied Swiss brand to Italian jeweler and watch retailer Damiani herald a new era of deconsolidation in the watch industry?
24,241 articles · 177 videos found · page 320 of 814
Hodinkee
Does the deal to sell the storied Swiss brand to Italian jeweler and watch retailer Damiani herald a new era of deconsolidation in the watch industry?
Teddy Baldassarre
"Made in America" is a label that is much rarer to find on products now than it was 100 years ago, and that is especially true when it comes to watches. Once a bustling industry in the U.S.A., watchmaking largely migrated away from its traditional American hubs in the early 20th Century to countries like Switzerland and Japan, which still import oodles of watches to the States every year. However, American watchmaking has been seeing a slow, somewhat quiet renaissance over the past couple decades as a new generation of trailblazing entrepreneurs, from all across the U.S., strive to bring the horological trade back to these shores. Each of them takes a slightly different approach; some, like RGM, make nearly the entirety of their watch, including the movement, in the U.S., while others, like Shinola, import the majority of components but assemble the watches in an American factory, providing dozens or hundreds of local jobs. Here we take a look at 25 notable American watch brands, spotlight their leading models, and briefly examine how "Made in America" each one really is. [toc-section heading="RGM"] Founder: Roland G. Murphy Headquarters: Mount Joy, PA Notable Models: Pennsylvania Series 801, Pennsylvania Tourbillon, 801-A “Aircraft” “RGM” are the initials of Roland G. Murphy, the trained watchmaker and former Hamilton Watch Company technical manager who founded his own watch brand in Lancaster County, PA, one of America’s ancestral watchmaking centers, in 1992...
Fratello
Another Friday, another list! This week, we look at some of the most memorable watches created in collaboration with video game franchises. As most of you will know, gaming has grown into a massively successful global industry. As a result, there is a massive audience for watches connected to the many video games out there. […] Visit Fratello’s Top 5 Video Game Watches - Featuring Hamilton, Seiko, TAG Heuer, And More to read the full article.
Monochrome
They seem to come in thick and fast, high-end Japanese indie watchmakers. In just a couple of short years, we’ve seen a whole range of them emerge from the Land of the Rising Sun. Through clever conception, unbridled devotion to craft and tradition and a unique perspective on watchmaking, they seem to capture the hearts […]
Fratello
Fears graced us with an interesting series of new releases in 2025. They included some solid new additions to the regular lineup, as well as some spectacular collaborative efforts. Now, the British brand kicks off 2026 with the Brunswick 40 “1846 Edition.” The watch is a special British Watchmakers’ Day exclusive that commemorates the brand’s […] Visit Fears Introduces The Brunswick “1846 Edition” Celebrating The Brand’s 180th Anniversary to read the full article.
Time+Tide
Tennis in Melbourne, watches in Milan and watch brands changing hands in Geneva - it's all happening this week.The post A spot of tennis with Rolex at the Australian Open, Richemont sells Baume & Mercier + LVMH Watch Week 2026 appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Monochrome
India Watch Weekend returned to Mumbai, India’s financial capital, this year for its second edition. Co-founded by Karishma Karer and Punit Mehta, the event was conceived as a space where watches could be experienced and discussed in an Indian context. Their backgrounds across watch media, brand relations, and collector communities shape the weekend’s focus on […]
Fratello
In the case of this trio of new Louis Vuitton watches, it’s good to know what the name means. Escale, in French, means “stopover.” LV made a name for itself by producing luxury luggage and steamer trunks. And the art of travel is what served as inspiration for the relaunched Escale models that debuted in […] Visit Introducing: Three Complicated Louis Vuitton Escale Watches - The Escale Minute Repeater, Worldtime Flying Tourbillon, And Twin Zone to read the full article.
Worn & Wound
Last year marked the 10th anniversary of the Windup Watch Fair. This was a significant milestone that, if you had asked us a decade ago when we launched, we might not have confidently believed we’d achieve. To mark the occasion, and to do something Zach, James, and I often struggle with (aka: celebrating our achievements), we enlisted a friend of Worn & Wound and a tremendously talented filmmaker, Taylor Scott Mason, to create a documentary. This film takes you behind the scenes of the production of the largest watch fair in the world. We hope you enjoy this documentary as much as we do. For those who have followed Worn & Wound for years, we hope you take pride in what this community has built over the last decade. As we always say, Windup is about the enthusiasts who attend and the passionate brand owners who participate. I also want to add a special note to our team. Zach, James, and I know how hard you all work to put this show on. You make it look easy when it is, in fact, just the opposite. Thank you for everything you do and for making Windup what it is. We hope you enjoy. – Blake Malin, Co-founder & CEO The Official 2026 Windup Schedule Windup Watch Fair Dallas March 13 – 15, 2026 Hickory Street Annex Dallas, TX We’re excited to announce that Windup is headed back to Dallas and staying for an extended weekend! We will be returning to our beloved venue, Hickory Street Annex, nestled near Downtown Dallas. The Annex was originally a distribution cente...
SJX Watches
Today Richemont confirmed the rumoured sale of its entry-level Baume et Mercier brand to the Damiani Group, a key distributor of the brand in Italy through its retail chain Rocca. While Baume et Mercier is understood to not be profitable, the acquisition should give Baume et Mercier the home-field advantage, as Italy is one of the most important markets for the brand today. According to the Baume et Mercier website, 325 stores in Italy carry the brand, compared to just 150 in France, 130 in the United States, and only 66 in Mainland China. A leaner Baume et Mercier focused on the Italian market, in the same vein as Eberhard & Co., is likely in the long-term, but in the meantime it must be untangled from Richemont. The deal is expected to close this summer, after which Richemont will provide “operational services” for the brand for at least 12 months. It is unclear whether the brand’s “Baumatic” movements with 5-day power reserves will survive the transition, as there are made by ValFleurier - Richemont’s counterpart to ETA. For more information, visit Richemont.com.
Worn & Wound
Among the new releases at LVMH Watch Week this year were a series of novelties from brands that casual observers might sometimes forget sit inside the LVMH portfolio. Tiffany & Co., Gerald Genta, and Daniel Roth all unveiled new pieces this week to varying degrees of fanfare. And while these boutique luxury brands are very different in shape from the likes of TAG Heuer, Zenith, and Hublot, which really form the core of the LVMH watch business, it says a lot about the power and reach of LVMH as an entity that these brands fall under their purview. All three brands are recent additions to the LVMH stable, with Gerald Genta joining upon its relaunch in 2023, TIffayny & Co. when the sale of the company to LVMH went through in 2021, and Daniel Roth in 2011, when LVMH acquired Bulgari, then caretakers of Roth’s brand (LVMH relaunched Daniel Roth as a separate entity in 2023). These three brands also seem arranged in the LVMH ecosystem to compete directly with high end independent brands, particularly Daniel Roth, a name once seen as preeminent in the world of independent watchmaking. Let’s run through the key releases from each brand at this year’s LVMH Watch Week. Tiffany & Co. debuted the Tiffany Timer, a three register chronograph with El Primero movement that flies under the radar, perhaps, in a few ways. First and foremost, that white metal case is not steel or white gold, but solid platinum. And the indices at each hour are baguette cut diamonds, which seems like a...
Time+Tide
Stylish, well-specced and affordable, Mido's halved the number of crowns on the Multifort 8 to create a more versatile piece.The post Is Mido’s Multifort 8 One Crown the only everyday integrated bracelet watch you need? appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Worn & Wound
LVMH Watch Week has become the first of the blast waves of new releases we can expect every year. Siloed to one group, it leans toward the high end. Actually, very high end, with the most eye-catching releases relegated to Daniel Roth, Gerald Genta, and the eponymous Louis Vuitton, the latter of which actually had the most intriguing releases of them all. “Über collector” brands the lot; there’s plenty to appreciate, especially as they lean into haute-indie aesthetics. Yet, the lack of accessibility for us mere mortals takes a bit of the fun out of it. LVMH is not exactly known as an “approachable” luxury mega-conglomerate, but at least with Zenith and TAG Heuer in its portfolio, it has some brands that lean toward enthusiasts. After spending an afternoon with Hublot, Zenith, and TAG Heuer, getting to see a sample of novelties (it was pretty clear that all are holding back for Watches & Wonders), the watch that left the strongest impression a day later was TAG’s Carrera Seafarer. A follow-up to their 2024 Hodinkee collaboration, the major differences are the new color, which is exquisite, the “beads of rice” bracelet, and widespread availability. Having never encountered the Hodinkee collab in the metal, getting to try the Seafarer on for the first time left an impression. IMAGE COURTESY OF ANALOG/SHIFT For those unfamiliar with the Seafarer’s heritage, here’s a tl;dr: they were a line of chronographs that included a unique additional complication, a t...
Monochrome
For over 180 years, L’Epée 1839 has been one of the greatest specialists in high-end mechanical clocks, from traditional carriage timepieces to captivating, bold creations like the 1520-component Albatross and other time-telling objects developed in cooperation with MB&F;, cars and aeroplanes for Tiffany & Co., or an Imperial Hot Air Balloon for Louis Vuitton, to […]
Fratello
Orient Star unveils a duo of classy timepieces that reflect the graceful passage of time. Compared with recent Orient Star designs, the M45 F8 pares it back to pure functionality and traditional layouts. The Roman numerals add a sense of dignity, and the moonphase complication connects our world to the cosmos. A white-dial variant joins […] Visit Introducing: The Orient Star M45 F8 Mechanical Moon Phase Hand Winding to read the full article.
Monochrome
The Oris Aquis Date collection made a splash in 2011 as a new generation of dive watches catering to professional divers and landlubbers looking for a resilient sports watch. Characterised by its competent diving credentials and robust architecture, the Aquis Date represents Oris’ more technical, contemporary side, compared to the vintage-inspired Divers Sixty-Five line. Redesigned over […]
Fratello
Oris is on a roll in 2026. We’re only three weeks into the new year, and the popular Swiss independent already presents its third novelty. After an Artelier model dedicated to the Chinese Year of the Horse and a new tuxedo-dial Big Crown Pointer Date, here comes the limited-edition Oris Aquis Date Yangtze Jiangtun. It […] Visit Introducing: The Oris Aquis Date Yangtze Jiangtun Limited Edition - Featuring An Engraved Blue-Green Mother-Of-Pearl Dial to read the full article.
Fratello
We’re barely three weeks into 2026, and things are off to a strong start. It used to be that we’d have to wait until Watches and Wonders to get the first proper wave of novelties. But LVMH has taken it upon itself to produce the first major round of releases early in the year. Today, […] Visit Fratello Talks: LVMH Watch Week Highlights to read the full article.
SJX Watches
The Olympic Games are just around the corner, which means Omega is getting ready to time 116 events in 16 different disciplines as the Games’ official timekeeper, a title the brand has held throughout much of the past century. That association has resulted in a long line of increasingly tasteful commemorative watches, including the Seamaster Diver 300M Milano Cortina, which applies discreet Olympics branding to an appealing new white ceramic iteration of the Seamaster. Initial thoughts It’s hard to see the Seamaster Milano Cortina as an entirely new watch since an almost identical black version was released back in 2021. That said, the snow white ceramic cements the connection to the upcoming Winter Olympics, due to be held jointly by Milan and Cortina. A common critique of ceramic is that it can look like plastic; I find this to be especially true when it comes to glossy white ceramic. This is where the emblematic Seamaster case and the industrial prowess of Omega pay dividends. The case is sculpted exactly like its stainless steel counterparts, with contrasting brushed and polished finishes that distinguish it as a premium product. The milky white material is complemented by grade 5 titanium, which is used for the bezel frame, both crowns, the solid case back, and the pin buckle. The ceramic bezel insert is deeply relief-engraved by laser, giving it a satisfying tactility that is all the more appealing considering the ageless properties of ceramic. Naturally, the Se...
Two Broke Watch Snobs
The TAG Heuer Carrera Seafarer brings a historic tide complication to a modern Glassbox chronograph with a bold, maritime-inspired dial.
Monochrome
Founded in 2019 by Lilian Thibault, Awake is a young French brand built on the idea that time can be experienced more consciously, through sustainability, creativity, and cultural preservation. In line with this approach, Awake seeks to revive and modernise ancestral crafts from around the world. In 2024, Awake introduced the Son Mai collection, its […]
Monochrome
This week, alongside the monochromatic Chronograph in Black Ceramic and the Skeleton Black Ceramic & Gold, which added an interplay of black ceramic and gold-toned mechanics to the Skyline collection, Zenith revealed the Defy Skyline Tourbillon Skeleton. This powerful new reference pushed the collection’s architectural design language into the realm of high luxury and complication. […]
Monochrome
Blancpain unveiled its Villeret Traditional Chinese Calendar in 2012, an extraordinarily complex watch that fuses the traditional lunisolar Chinese system, elements of the Gregorian calendar, and a moon phase. A world first, Blancpain’s masterpiece coincided with the Chinese Year of the Dragon. For 2026, Blancpain returns with a 50-piece limited edition in platinum dedicated to […]
Time+Tide
Following 2024's Monaco Split-Seconds, TAG Heuer finally brings its impressive rattrapante chrono to the Carrera - and it's a stunner.The post TAG Heuer’s new Carrera Split-Seconds Chronograph is peak modern TAG Heuer appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
A. Lange & Söhne launched the Odysseus Honeygold last year and it’s easily the brand’s most luxe sports watch. Presented end to end in 18k Honeygold, this Odysseus is impressively well made, impressively heavy, and impressively expensive. I recently got the chance to spend some time with one of the 100 pieces made, and it was certainly a good experience. Initial thoughts The Odysseus was never a pretty watch, and this isn’t more visually appealing than the titanium or steel version. The design doesn’t have the finesse of its rivals, most notably the Royal Oak or Nautilus. But the Odysseus does have tactile and intellectual appeal, and that translates into physical attraction. The Odysseus is impressive like many Lange watches are thanks to its build quality. In Honeygold it looks and feels even more luxurious. The warmth and weight of the metal give it greater appeal, in fact Honeygold gives this a large-yacht-on-the-Mediterranean type of feel that its counterparts in more common metals lack. Look and feel aside, this has all of the strengths and weakness of the earlier versions. Strengths include the quality of course, as well as good ergonomics, which matter more here because of the weight. One of the weaknesses is the clasp, which is practical and easy to operate, but a little too large for a sports watch that is also supposed to be elegant. With a price tag of US$110,000, the Odysseus Honeygold is very expensive for what it is, even by Lange standards. But wha...
Worn & Wound
Sometimes an anniversary release isn’t actually released for the anniversary itself. Case in point: the new Big Bag Original Unico from Hublot. Last year, as readers will likely remember, Hublot focused on the 20th anniversary of the Big Bang, which launched in 2005 and began something of a wild ride for Hublot among watch aficionados with what would become their signature product. The Big Bang Original Unico is dressed in the clothes of an anniversary piece but comes one year later, and according to Hublot represents a return to the origins of the Big Bang. Fair enough! The conceit here is that the Big Bang Original Unico “carries the Big Bang legacy into the next era” and features a variety of both mechanical as well as aesthetic upgrades. For one, the case now sits at 43mm, a middle ground between the 41mm and 44mm case sizes of past references. Case lines have been slightly softened for better ergonomics and wearability, as well as a more organic look overall. The lugs are a little more curved, and there’s now a beveled edge that lends a little hint of refinement to a piece that, frankly, has not frequently been associated with that concept. This feels like a less aggressive, slightly more subdued version of Hublot’s Big Bang chrono. My personal preferences when it comes to Hublot veer toward the more extravagant and avant-garde, but as we’ve seen with other LVMH Watch Week releases this year, it feels like a time for these brands to play to a wider audie...
Worn & Wound
Fashion houses are often only as strong as consumers’ nostalgia for their heyday. As more time passes between a brand’s peak and its current incarnation, the connection to what it once represented can become increasingly tenuous. In some cases, that link barely holds at all. Balenciaga is a perfect example of a brand that leaned so heavily on its laurels that it fell on its ass. Thankfully, that isn’t the case with Louis Vuitton. The maison’s durability has come from its ability to evolve without losing sight of what made it relevant in the first place. Marc Jacobs is often credited with bringing Louis Vuitton into a modern context when he launched its first ready-to-wear collection in 1998, but the throughline has always been consistent: an emphasis on craftsmanship, materials, and design rooted in the principles established by Louis Vuitton in 1854. That same approach is clearly evident at this year’s LVMH Watch Week, where each release shows that the label is heavily invested in expanding Louis Vuitton’s legacy of craftsmanship into everything under the label’s umbrella. First up, we have the Escale Worldtime, which returns this year in a platinum case with a dial ring featuring 24 hand-painted city flags, each impressively applied at La Fabrique du Temps, the watch manufacture owned by Louis Vuitton that has been the catalyst for much of the brand’s advancement in watchmaking under their own name in recent years. If you are more interested in the Flying...
Monochrome
Following in the footsteps of the award-winning LM Sequential EVO of 2022, MB&F;’s first chronograph, or rather two chronographs, with an unprecedented combination of timing modes, MB&F; treats its more sophisticated LM Sequential Flyback to the brand’s all-terrain EVO treatment, a series of structural upgrades to beef up the case for an active lifestyle. Its […]
SJX Watches
MB&F; has updated its EVO line with an aquamarine version of Stephen McDonnell’s ingenious double chronograph, freshly upgraded with the flyback functionality first seen in the classic Legacy Machine Sequential. The Legacy Machine Sequential Flyback EVO is a tough titanium timer suited to the rigours of daily wear thanks to its shock-protected and water resistant case and supple rubber strap. Initial thoughts MB&F; has enjoyed enormous success over the last few years, and while the rising tide of interest in independent watchmaking has lifted most major brands, it helps that MB&F;’s products are excellent and original. While the brand rarely dabbles in traditional complicated watchmaking, its first two forays – the LM Perpetual and Sequential, both designed by Stephen McDonnell – are standouts in their categories. The Sequential in particular is among the most interesting and creative chronographs on the market. This latest iteration applies the movement’s latest upgrades, principally the flyback function, to a sporty, titanium, Legacy Machine EVO case, which comes with enhanced shock and water resistance. Despite these tangible upgrades, the EVO Sequential is no larger than its dressier precious metal Legacy Machine counterparts. That’s a good thing, since the watch has a commanding, almost overwhelming presence on the wrist as it is. One of the benefits of the EVO case, compared to that of the classic LM, is the presence of a FlexRing shock absorber that provide...
Two Broke Watch Snobs
Explore the best watches for the money that we’ve tested through long-term wrist time. Evaluate comfort, design, and value to confidently pick the right one.
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