1,197 articles · 210 videos found · page 40 of 47
Monochrome
The unique story of Miffy and De Rijke & Co starts back in 2022, when Dutchman Laurens de Rijke, founder of his own watchmaking company, launched something very unexpected: the Miffy Moonphase. The iconic Dutch cartoon bunny is known and loved the world over, and carefully protected by a foundation honouring Dick Bruna’s (Miffy’s creator) […]
SJX Watches
Anchored by brands like Rolex, Patek Philippe, and Cartier, Watches & Wonders (W&W;) is the world’s biggest luxury watch fair and it will take place at its traditional time of early spring, April 14-20, 2026, once again at Palexpo. As is now convention, the final three days, April 18-20, will be open to the public, who can access the fair by buying a ticket. The first four days will only be open to invited guests, namely members of the trade, primarily brand executives, retailers, media, as well as select clients. W&W; will also stage events outside Palexpo, the convention centre near the airport, with several events planned in downtown Geneva. In past years, these have included exhibitions, talks, and social gatherings. The exhibitors for 2026 have yet to be announced, but the establishment brands are a certainty, including the brands owned by Richemont like A. Lange & Söhne and Vacheron Constantin, and the LVMH marques like TAG Heuer and Hublot. There has been talk of brands joining (or returning to) the list of exhibitors – Bulgari was a newcomer in 2025 – but this will soon be known once W&W; publishes the exhibitors directory.
Worn & Wound
If you’ve opened Instagram or TikTok in the last few weeks, there’s a very good chance you’ve seen the “Propaganda I’m Not Falling For” trend served up to you in one way or another. The format is relatively straightforward, and involves a creator listing the sacred cows in his or her particular area of expertise that they refuse to buy into. The watch community, of course, is filled with conventional wisdom, ideas passed from collector to collector, rarely if ever questioned. As I encountered these social media clips over the last week, I couldn’t help but think of the watch world propaganda, as it were, that we all just seem to take at face value. Here, then, are four principles I think are ripe for questioning. There are a lot more – credit here to Ben’s Watches and Pulse on the Wrist for being first out of the gate among watch industry personalities to participate. Be sure to let us know in the comments what watch related propaganda you refuse to accept. A Vintage Watch Must Be Unpolished and All Original Let’s get the most controversial one out of the way first. When I started collecting watches, it was an era when it was still relatively easy and straightforward to buy a nice, honest vintage watch on eBay for not a lot of money. Times have changed. The best examples, watches that are truly unpolished and all original, are harder and harder to find, and eBay is filled with watches that have been passed around and sold by pro dealers and amat...
Hodinkee
Sales and profits fell for Richemont's Specialist Watchmaker division due to weakness in China, but Cartier owner says production has been adjusted.
SJX Watches
In a surprising turn of events, the Breguet Sympathique no. 1 has been acquired by its primary creator, Francois-Paul Journe, for the princely sum of CHF5.51 million including fees (equivalent to US$6.61 million). Notably, Sympathique no. 1 sold for almost as much as the Sympathique made for the Duc d’Orléans. Completed in 1991 for the Art of Breguet thematic auction, the clock was completed in 1991 by Techniques Horlogères Appliquées (THA), a complications workshop founded by Mr Journe, who also recruited Denis Flageollet and clockmaker Dominic Mouret. And now it will soon become one of the key exhibits in the upcoming F.P. Journe Museum, which will be located near its manufacture in downtown Geneva. Determined bidding The impressive result for the clock exceeded most expectations, including mine. I had expected a result in the region of CHF2.5 million. And in a bit of intrigue before the auction, F.P. Journe sent out an announcement to its clients before the auction stating that it would not repair or service Sympathique no. 1; the buyer of the clock would have to go to Breguet. Getting to the hammer price was not difficult, illustrating the strength of the F.P. Journe name today. While there were a handful of bidders under the million-franc mark, it was eventually down to a gentleman in the room and Mr Journe himself. Past the CHF2 million mark it then turned into a contest between a phone bidder represented by Alex Ghotbi and Mr Journe. Bidding proceeded at a stea...
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SJX Watches
This spring, one of the most important horological creations of the late twentieth century returns to public view. As part of The Geneva Watch Auction: XXI taking place on May 10 and 11, Phillips will offer the Breguet Sympathique No. 1, the first of twenty exceptional clocks commissioned by Breguet in the early 1990s. The primary creator of this landmark clock was none other than Francois-Paul Journe, then a young watchmaker. Completed in 1991 for the Art of Breguet auction, No. 1 is not just the prototype of the modern Sympathique series, it is its most ambitious. The example, paired with a tourbillon wristwatch, is equipped with a constant-force remontoir and moonphase display. In retrospect, it reads as a mechanical manifesto, foreshadowing Journe’s later independent work. More than a highlight of its upcoming sale, No. 1 represents a rare continuation of one of watchmaking’s great inventions, a direct link to Abraham-Louis Breguet himself. Detail of Sympathique no. 1 Of Breguet’s many breakthroughs, from the tourbillon to the pare-chute, none captured the marriage of mechanical brilliance and poetic vision quite like the Pendule Sympathique. Designed to wind, set, and regulate a paired watch automatically, it embodied a new kind of horological harmony: a master timekeeper caring for its portable counterpart. The calendar on Sympathique no. 1 By the late 20th century, these clocks had become near-mythical. Only a handful were ever built, most housed in royal coll...
Teddy Baldassarre
Join us for an unforgettable day celebrating the artistry and innovation of Grand Seiko, hosted by Teddy Baldassarre. This special event will feature a curated presentation led by Joe Kirk, Grand Seiko Brand Curator, alongside a master watchmaker from the Shinshu Watch Studio, offering a rare glimpse into the craftsman
For our next Enthusiast Spotlight, we’re featuring Los Angeles-based filmmaker, Van Neistat. As the creator of The Spirited Man on YouTube, Van inspires others to live more intentionally-while surrounding himself with objects built to last and learning how to make them last even longer. Recently, we noticed him sporting a dive watch with a bold bezel that looked a lot like a Marathon dive watch. A quick check confirmed it-he’d discovered Marathon and become a fan. We caught up with him at his Calabasas studio, where he crafts video essays ranging from DIY guides to deep dives into self-betterment. And, in partnership with Marathon, we’ve sponsored a video exploring Van’s personal watch journey and philosophy that led him to his own Marathon 41mm GSAR Type II Diver’s Automatic. The post [VIDEO] Enthusiast Spotlight: Contemplations on Time with Van Neistat and the Marathon GSAR Diver’s Automatic appeared first on Worn & Wound.
Hodinkee
Morgan Stanley and WatchCharts data shows Rolex, Patek, AP, Omega and Cartier outperforming on secondary market
Monochrome
The world’s leading luxury group, LVMH, has just announced its sales revenues for the first quarter of 2025, which ended March 31st. At the end of the year 2024, when the conglomerate was still reporting strong results, revenues showed a slight improvement, offsetting the losses of mid-2024. However, the global geopolitical and economic environment is uncertain due […]
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Fratello
If your favorite cologne is Bleu de Chanel, look no further. Chanel dresses the J12 Bleu in matte blue ceramic this year to celebrate the watch’s birthday. With 2025 marking a quarter century since the first J12 in black ceramic (and 22 years since the first white ceramic version), it’s time for a new color. […] Visit Chanel Launches The J12 Bleu Collection In Matte Blue Ceramic to read the full article.
Hodinkee
Representing a quarter-century of nine-day innovation, the L.U.C Quattro is updated for Chopard's latest design language.
Fratello
In celebration of its quarter-century anniversary, Gerald Charles presents the Maestro GC39 25th Anniversary Edition. This is a jump-hour watch with an in-house-designed caliber. Naturally, the new timepiece features the brand’s signature baroque case shape, but it is fully modernized with Grade 5 titanium construction. We’ve covered the majority of new releases from Gerald Charles […] Visit Introducing: The Gerald Charles Maestro GC39 25th Anniversary Edition to read the full article.
Hodinkee
After quietly launching last year, the young brand has just announced two new 'Monochrome' releases as former Cartier Senior Watch Designer Raphaël Abeillon joins as ALTO's Creative Director.
Worn & Wound
I first came across a short video of the Tempo Rubato metronome on Instagram. Before I could message my contact in Japan who posted it, I already had an email waiting for me in the inbox from him introducing this wrist metronome device and its creator to me. I exchanged emails to understand Gaku Okada’s background and details of his wrist metronome. Okada was born in 2002 in Hokkaido and was influenced by music from an early age, especially jazz drumming. Unlike many watchmakers, he did not cultivate a specific interest in watches, however he did develop a knack for making complex mechanical components. After graduating from high school, his skills brought him to Hiko Mizuno College of Jewelry, for watchmaking classes. During his freshman year, Okada developed the concept of a mechanical wrist metronome. This idea originated from his practical need as a jazz drummer, as he frequently sought a method to quickly and accurately establish tempo before performances. Although electronic metronomes were readily available, he wanted to create a compact mechanical device that could be worn as a watch. As a student at the watchmaking school, Okada started part time work at the Precision Watch Tokyo company, working with watchmakers Hajime Asaoka and Jiro Katayama. Asaoka is a well known master watchmaker and the creator of the Kurono Tokyo and Takano brands. Katayama is the founder of the popular Otsuka Lotec brand. Under their mentorship, Okada developed his skills and acquir...
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Monochrome
Today, there is only one Reverso, with Jaeger-LeCoultre printed on its dial, but this was not always the case. During the 1930s, Patek Philippe, Vacheron Constantin and Cartier made watches that used the Reverso case for their timepieces. Moreover, the 1931 Reverso was not the first reversible case design. A few years earlier, Universal Geneve […]
Worn & Wound
Among higher end Swiss watch brands, few have experienced a greater turnaround, at least on the surface, over the past several years than Parmigiani Fleurier. Parmigiani has always been a brand that knowledgable collectors and enthusiasts have praised and found a great deal of value in, but the brand itself didn’t always seem healthy. Before Guido Terreni took over in 2021, it would have been quite common to find heavily discounted Parmigianis on the gray market – a common symptom of overproducing too many references and not being able to find your core customer. Under Terreni, the brand’s output has been streamlined and everything just seems more thought through. And while I don’t have insight into sales statistics, you certainly don’t see the brand’s current catalog selling for closeout prices on the discount sites, a sign that they’ve got production under control, at the very least. One of the brand’s biggest gambits has been the exploring the integrated bracelet sports watch market with the Tonda PF collection. Launched at a time when every luxury brand was throwing their hat in the ring in this particular category, Parmigiani has sought to differentiate itself from competitors in the luxury integrated bracelet sports watch world by leaning into the luxury angle, and perhaps a little away from the sport. Inspired by a “sartorial approach” to watch design, the Tonda PF is all about feel, texture, and proportions in a manner similar to a bespoke sui...
Monochrome
Incredible things can happen when you put Bulgari’s designer extraordinaire and director of watchmaking, Fabrizio Buonamassa, and MB&F;’s visionary founder and creator, Max Büsser, in the same room. Joining forces for the second time, the dynamic duo has envisioned a new habitat for Bulgari’s iconic Serpenti that sheds its familiar feminine universe and takes possession […]
Fratello
The reinterpreted Grand Seiko Heritage Collection 62GS Sekki watches show bluer and greener dials than ever before. These 40mm watches also come in the brand’s Ever-Brilliant Steel for the first time. “GS” calls it a superalloy because it has a whiter sheen and greater corrosion resistance than conventional stainless steel. Both €8,000 watches also feature […] Visit Introducing: The Bluer And Greener Grand Seiko Heritage Collection 62GS Sekki Watches to read the full article.
Teddy Baldassarre
Since its high-profile revival in 2012, the Seiko Astron has continuously evolved in both its technical capabilities and in its size and overall aesthetics. As I explore in greater detail in this little treatise on the Astron models and their esteemed history, the founding member of this modern, solar-powered, GPS-equipped Astron family debuted in an imposing 47mm case in steel, with one dial option, in matte black. Since then, Seiko has refined the elements that necessitated the large dimensions and limited colorways — i.e., reducing the size of the quartz movement’s GPS-reception antenna and improving the efficiency of the dial’s solar cell — and the result has been a plethora of intriguing interpretations. The latest and perhaps most distinguished in terms of colorway dropped just recently. The Astron GPS Solar SSJ029 and Astron GPS Solar Chronograph SSH171, both limited editions of 1,500 pieces, feature glittering, violet-hued dials that Seiko says are inspired by “cherry blossoms blooming under the stars.” Both of the new watches have cases and bracelets made from titanium and treated with an extra-hard, scratch-resistant black coating that emphasizes the night-sky motif that these models are shooting for aesthetically. The cases are 42mm in diameter, 12.4mm thick, and 47.9mm lug to lug — the result of the aforementioned streamlining since the oversized original’s debut. The dials’ gradient purple colors are enhanced by a sprinkle of starry glitter...
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Monochrome
In the context of a global decline of the luxury goods demand, LVMH, the world’s largest luxury goods group, reported revenues of EUR 84.7 billion for 2024, +1% on an organic basis, after a record performance in 2023. In the fourth quarter, organic revenue growth came to 1%, accelerating with respect to the third quarter. […]
Fratello
Farer is one of the OGs of the microbrand universe. Founded in 2015, the brand prides itself on British design and Swiss production. Over the years, Farer found a style of its own and a clever position within the greater watch market, making it a household name today. This week, the brand announced a new […] Visit Introducing: Two Limited-Edition Farer Endurance Models In Gunmetal And Jade to read the full article.
SJX Watches
As Vacheron Constantin gears up to mark its 270th anniversary in 2025, the brand has just announced Laurent Perves will assume the top job at the start of the new year. Having been the Chief Commercial Officer since 2022, Mr Perves succeeds Louis Ferla, who is now in charge of Cartier. Mr Perves is well positioned to lead the storied Geneva brand into its next chapter, having held management roles in the key departments of the manufacture, namely marketing, communications, and commercial. Although he began his career in fragrances, where he rose to senior roles in Proctor & Gamble, Mr Perves started in the watch industry a decade ago. He joined Audemars Piguet in 2014 as head of communications, before being tapped to become the chief marketing officer at Vacheron Constantin in 2016. Since 2022 he was the number two at Vacheron Constantin as chief commercial officer, where he oversaw the brand’s commercial strategy but also built relationships with key clients and collectors in general. Despite the high bar set by the Berkley pocket watch – the most complicated watch ever – Mr Perves and his team have put together an impressive lineup of products for the brand’s 270th anniversary, which will be debuted progressively over the next year.
Worn & Wound
Watch history is often the story of unsung heroes. Zenith is commonly credited as the creator of the first automatic chronograph, while their collaborator Movado is often a footnote, if mentioned at all. The Omega Speedmaster, famously the first watch worn on the moon, gets most of the street cred when discussing out-of-this-world watches. However, any mention of the actual first watch worn in space, the Sturmanskie, is a deep cut rarely discussed. Mid-century watch cases tend to follow the same trend. While brands like Rolex, IWC and Zenith were busy becoming household names, the third party manufacturers making the cases of their renowned classics worked diligently in the shadows. One such case designer and manufacturer was Dennison, a brand you may never have heard of, but undoubtedly handled if you are a fan of vintage luxury Swiss watches. Founded in 1874 by Aaron Lufkin Dennison (who the ALD collection is named after), Dennison became a powerhouse of both design forward and spec focused watch cases. Their patented air and water tight cases could be found on the wrists of members of the British Military, housed the famous Smith dials that submitted Everest in 1953 and even accompanied Lt. Commander Lithgow when he broke the world air speed record. Dennison went dormant after the 1960’s and, like many other once-defunct brands that followed suit with the emergence of the quartz crisis, has risen from the ashes. Resurrection stories can be hit and miss, leading many e...
SJX Watches
Having covered independent watchmaking and metiers d’art highlights at Phillips’ upcoming Hong Kong auction, we now look at timepieces that aren’t wristwatches. The Hong Kong sale is a two-part affair: a theme sale focused on timepieces of Japanese origin christened Toki, and the The Hong Kong Watch Auction: XIX. Both include a notable number of pocket watches and clocks across the spectrum of style and periods, from an iconic Cartier Model A mystery clock in rock crystal to the Richard Mille RM020 pocket watch. The catalogues with online bidding for Toki and HKWA XIX. TOKI lot 60 – Breguet digital jumping hours pocket watch This uncommon Breguet pocket watch with a two-tone case was sold in 1926 to a certain Mitoui T.K. for the sum on 16,000 French francs. This was a period when Breguet was making few timepieces, making watches from this era, especially complicated ones, relatively uncommon. With elegantly angled cutouts for the hour and minutes, the jumping hour display makes this watch a rarity. Similarly displays were found on wrist- and pocket watches of the time, including the Cartier Tank à Guichet. This particular piece does not bear the classic Breguet style, like the coin-edged case band or engine-turned dial. The style, however, is typical of the 1920s, though the two-tone case makes it unusual. This watch was made in France, since this was produced well before the brand’s move to the Swiss Vallée de Joux in the 1970s. The white-and-pink-gold 45 mm c...
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