Results for Universal Genève

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Patek Philippe Ref 2499 ‘First Series’ May 10, 2021

Auction Watch: Patek Philippe Ref. 2499 ‘First Series’ and Independents at Phillips Hong Kong

As the Geneva auctions are almost concluded – with the Patek Philippe ref. 2523 cloisonné world time having sold for US$7.83 million – it’s on to the Hong Kong sales that’ll take place in a few weeks. At Phillips’ Hong Kong auction, the top lot is, unsurprisingly, a complicated Patek Philippe. Specifically, a first-series ref. 2499 in yellow gold, which is not exceptionally uncommon in itself, but this example has a rare Wenger case and a valuable piece of paper – the original certificate from 1956. The sale also encompasses another ref. 2499 with its original certificate, a third series in yellow gold that’s more accessibly priced, along with an interesting selection of independent watchmaking. Notably, the line up includes a Harry Winston Opus 1 Tourbillon by F.P. Journe, along with an Opus V by Urwerk. The Phillips Hong Kong watch auction will happen on June 5 and 6, and the full catalogue is available online at Phillips.com. 2499 duo Most of the first-series ref. 2499s had cases made by Emile Vichet, a Geneva case maker that supplied the cases for the first two years of the model’s production, making about 10 cases in yellow gold and about four in pink. Patek Philippe then turned to Ed. Wenger, another Geneva case maker run by brothers Edouard and Andre, for the rest of the first-series, as well as all subsequent series until 1982 when Patek Philippe starting making its own cases. Only about 30 yellow gold cases were made by Wenger for the first-serie...

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Quill & Pad

Apr 24, 2021

Watches And Wonders 2021 (Formerly SIHH) Round Table: What We Liked And What We Didn’t (With Photofest And Videos)

Please join this Quill & Pad round table discussion in which we discuss what we did and didn’t like at the inaugural (and hopefully final) digital edition of Watches and Wonders Geneva 2021. There were plenty of highs and more than a few lows during the week-long watch fest, and a sheer avalanche of new watches.

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Louis Vuitton Introduces Apr 10, 2021

Louis Vuitton Introduces the Tambour Carpe Diem Automaton

Continuing Louis Vuitton’s slow-but-steady progress upwards as a technical watchmaker, the Tambour Carpe Diem is its flagship watch for 2021. The Carpe Diem boasts a quadruple jacquemart – it incorporates four automata – along with a jumping hour and retrograde minutes display. Developed and produced entirely in-house at La Fabrique du Temps, the Geneva complications specialist owned by Louis Vuitton, the LV 525 movement in the Carpe Diem is accompanied by artisanal decoration on the dial. All of the engraving is done by Dick Steenman of Art&D; in Geneva, while the enamelling is the work of Anita Porchet, who needs no introduction. Initial thoughts One of the most impressive watches of the year, the Carpe Diem is highly complicated – and boasts extremely fine enamelling – but the gothic style will be a bit too much for many. I saw the watch in person a few weeks ago, and I was amazed by the delicate quality of the artisanal decoration. The memento mori motif is not for me, but the work is unmistakably excellent. The snake is enamelled by Anita Porchet and particularly fine. It’s extremely slender and its skin is incredibly nuanced, covered in scales and the Louis Vuitton monogram. The tail of the snake is coiled around a single brilliant-cut diamond, while the eyes of the snake are a pair of rubies The only tangible downside of the watch is its size. It is almost 47 mm in diameter and 15 mm high, and feels every bigger due to the narrow bezel and tall, sloping...

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Time+Tide

Louis Vuitton Tambour Street Diver spans Apr 9, 2021

HANDS-ON: The Louis Vuitton Tambour Street Diver spans the gulf from the sea to the streets

It was just shy of 20 years ago that Louis Vuitton released their first watch, but the strides that the brand has made in that time is impressive. The Geneva Seal isn’t something that is presented lightly in watchmaking, yet Louis Vuitton has managed to achieve that level for a number of references in their … ContinuedThe post HANDS-ON: The Louis Vuitton Tambour Street Diver spans the gulf from the sea to the streets appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

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Vacheron Constantin Mar 18, 2021

Christie’s Debuts Online Classes on Major Watch Brands

Christie’s Education, the learning division of the auction house, has just launched Behind the Curtain: Watchmaking Houses, a series of virtual classes catered to beginner enthusiasts that profile the most important watch brands – essentially the names that are typically the most sought after at watch auctions. Conducted by Geneva-based watch expert Antoine Géraud, the weekly courses cover the history, important watches, and key personalities at Patek Phillipe, Rolex, Audemars Piguet, Breguet, Vacheron Constantin, and Cartier. Each lecture is 75 minutes, and recordings of each session will be available for seven days after the class should participants wish to revisit. The programme is essentially a crash course, making it ideal for beginners who want to learn more about key brands. And the length of the lectures seems ideal – punchy and brief, but enough to convey the necessary knowledge. The Patek Philippe ref. 5101P 10 Day Tourbillon Alongside the watch history classes is a separate programme covering the biggest names in jewellery, taught by historian Vanessa Cron. Just like the watch classes, these will go into the stories behind names like Van Cleef & Arpels, Tiffany & Co., Bulgari, and Cartier. With jewellers often being watchmakers as well, burgeoning watch enthusiasts might find the jewellery classes useful too. An Audemars Piguet Grand Complication pocket watch that sold at Christie’s in 2019 The price of a single class is HK$1,200, or about US$150. The ...

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Revolution

Roger Dubuis New Excalibur Double Jan 19, 2021

Roger Dubuis’ New Excalibur Double Flying Tourbillon Enters the Realm of Hyper Horology

Roger Dubuis’s new Excalibur Double Flying Tourbillon now fearures a titanium lower cage and cobalt upper cage, mirror polished to Geneva Seal standards

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SJX Watches

Patek Philippe Grande Sonnerie Ref 6301P-001 Jan 12, 2021

In-Depth: Patek Philippe Grande Sonnerie Ref. 6301P-001

Patek Philippe closed 2020 in a big way with the launch of the Grande Sonnerie ref. 6301P-001 in November. The most complicated wristwatch unveiled by the Geneva watchmaker in recent years, the Grande Sonnerie is a grande and petite sonnerie carillon. With last year’s Geneva watch fair cancelled, the brand unveiled its new releases one by one throughout the year, starting with the limited-edition Calatrava ref. 6007A in June, allowing each new model to be in stores as soon as it was announced. The Grande Sonnerie ref. 6301P-001 was no different, albeit on a tiny scale, with reputedly only a handful available in each region – all sold before the launch. Initial thoughts An impressively large watch, the ref. 6301P feels like a modern-day grand complication. The size is a consequence of the wide and complex movement, so the watch has good proportions all things considered. But the styling is classical, incorporating many elements from vintage Patek Philippe watches – and also the ref. 5370P split-seconds chronograph – which gives it an elegant appearance, something helped by the relative thinness of the case. Still, it is clearly a contemporary watch – Patek Philippe rarely does exact remakes of vintage watches – with details that mark it out as such, including the recessed case band and the luminous hands. The fact that the watch is contemporary is evident in the movement, which looks and functions like a modern calibre, reflecting Patek Philippe’s measured,...

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Time+Tide

Seiko s NH35 movement – Jan 12, 2021

Celebrating Seiko’s NH35 movement – the unsung hero used by top microbrands in everything from indestructible divers to vintage stunners

Is Seiko’s NH35 movement ubiquitous due to its brilliance or sheer availability? This hand-wound, hacking movement is today widely used on the microbrand scene and is basically the unbranded version of Seiko’s 4R35 movement that’s universally admired for its toughness and accuracy. Similarly reliable and robust, the NH35 is a strong mechanical heart fitted to … ContinuedThe post Celebrating Seiko’s NH35 movement – the unsung hero used by top microbrands in everything from indestructible divers to vintage stunners appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

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Time+Tide

Nov 18, 2020

Watches & Wonders 2021 is cancelled, so here are our affordable favourites from last year (sob)

Editor’s note: The news out of Geneva overnight is that Watches & Wonders 2021 (formerly SIHH) is cancelled, unsurprisingly citing the “current health crisis and uncertainties as to how the situation may evolve”. To be honest, it feels like only last week that we were reporting on the cancellation of Watches & Wonders 2020, with … ContinuedThe post Watches & Wonders 2021 is cancelled, so here are our affordable favourites from last year (sob) appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

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Patek Philippe as well as privately-held Nov 17, 2020

Business News: Switzerland’s Most Important Watch Fair Cancelled for 2021

Originally scheduled for the first week of April next year, Watches & Wonders 2021 was to have taken place at Palexpo, the convention hall near Geneva’s airport that’s long been host to Geneva’s major trade fairs. And it would have been a massive event, with up to 50 brands taking part. With the demise of Baselworld earlier this year, Watches & Wonders (W&W;) was on track to become the most important watch fair in Switzerland. Formerly known as SIHH, Watches & Wonders would have counted most of the industry’s leading brands as exhibitors. Its participants would have included all of the brands owned by Swiss luxury group Richemont, including Cartier, A. Lange & Söhne, and IWC, industry giants Rolex and Patek Philippe, as well as privately-held brands like Chanel and Chopard. A scene from SIHH 2019, seeming like a lifetime ago But due to the ongoing pandemic, the physical fair will not take place, and the participating brands will (mostly) launch their new wares online. A significant number of new watches will be unveiled during the planned dates of the fair – April 7 to 13, 2021 – but most of the brands will no doubt be unveiling additional watches throughout the year, as they have done in 2020. The organisers of W&W; are optimistic about the year after, promising the “2022 edition will be the biggest watch event ever held in Geneva”, with even more brands coming on board. For more, visit Watchesandwonders.com.  

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Hodinkee

Patek Philippe Nov 15, 2020

Sunday Rewind: Listening To All Of Patek Philippe's Minute Repeaters

A choir of Geneva's finest voices.

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SJX Watches

Louis Vuitton Mr Newson has long Nov 13, 2020

Highlights: Independent Watchmaking at Phillips’ Hong Kong Watch Auction XI

With the Geneva watch auctions having just concluded – and notching up a US$1.51 million record for a Philippe Dufour Simplicity – it’s now Hong Kong’s turn. Taking place at end November, The Hong Kong Watch Auction: XI includes a compact selection of independent watchmaking, most of which are notably affordable. Here’s a look at a few highlights, including the prototype of the sold-out S.U.F. Sarpaneva x Moomin that will be sold to benefit charity. The auction happens on November 29  at the JW Marriott Hotel Hong Kong, while the catalogue and online bidding are available on Phillips.com. Lot 801 – Marc Newson Hour Glass Perhaps the quintessential timekeeper designed by Marc Newson, the Hour Glass is a timekeeper filled with nanoballs”, tiny steel spheres that are coated in gold – specifically, a little under 1.25 million of them. An industrial design known for his Lockheed Lounge and the work for brands like Qantas and Louis Vuitton, Mr Newson has long dabbled in designing watches and clocks. The Hour Glass was unveiled in 2010 by Ikepod, the watch brand cofounded by Mr Newson that later went bust. It’s a single piece of glass that’s formed by hand with a blowtorch, a rigorous process that requires skill and finesse, which explains the price despite its simplicity. This Hour Glass is the smallest version in the line up, standing 15 cm high, making it a convenient object for the desk. It’s a 10-minute timer; the medium and large versions are 3...

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SJX Watches

Nov 9, 2020

The Last Cabinotier of Saint Gervais

Few tourists find themselves in Geneva’s historic Saint Gervais district, the city’s revolutionary hotbed where Jean-Jacques Rousseau spent his boyhood in the early 18th century, and from where James Fazy overthrew Geneva’s ruling oligarchy in the revolt of 1846. Throughout those times, Saint Gervais was above all the city’s horological powerhouse, a warren of sweatshops known as the Fabrique Genevoise, turning out the myriad parts and decorating the watches that made Geneva synonymous with luxury craftsmanship. The workshops were presided over by those emblematic figures of Geneva watchmaking, the radical, opinionated yet urbane cabinotiers. “A Parisian watchmaker,” remarked Rousseau, “can only talk about watches. But you can take a Geneva watchmaker anywhere.”[1] With the revival of luxury watchmaking in the late 20th century, the Fabrique was re-born in the less picturesque ZIPLO (Zone Industriel de Plan-les-Ouates) on the outskirts of town, and the sweatshops are now known as manufactures. Yet there’s still one watchmaker left in the remnants of old Saint Gervais, upholding the cabinotier tradition in this historic centre of Geneva watchmaking. Bruno Pesenti, the last watchmaker in Geneva’s historical watchmaking district, wears the smock and eyeshade of the cabinotiers who made watches here 200 years ago Forgotten brands Bruno Pesenti is one of the few watchmakers who can still fix anything pre-quartz. He welcomes you with modest pride and old-fash...

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Patek Philippe ref 5970. And Nov 5, 2020

Highlights: Independent Watchmaking at Phillips’ ‘Retrospective: 2000 – 2020’

Taking place this weekend as a live auction with only cameras, telephones, and online bidding, Retrospective: 2000 – 2020 is a thematic sale that happens the day after Phillips’ Geneva watch auction. The second sale curated with Blackbird, both the publisher of a watch magazine as well as the agent for Ferrari in Hong Kong, Retrospective: 2000 – 2020 is self explanatory: contemporary wristwatches produced in the past 20 years. The 95 lots that make up the sale are a selection of the important, interesting, and intriguing from the last two decades, including obvious candidates like the Rolex Daytona and Patek Philippe ref. 5970. And the sale also includes notable watches that usually go under the radar, like the Breguet Classique Chronometrie 7727 with magnetic balance pivots (which is possibly the most accurate Swiss-made mechanical watch of the 21st century). The Breguet Classique Chronometrie 7727 (lot 258) Importantly, the line up also encompasses a diverse selection of independent watchmaking, reflecting the rise of these niche watchmakers. Here’s a roundup of highlights from independent watchmakers, which include the Philippe Dufour Simplicity 20th Anniversary and the ultra-rare Opus Eleven. The selection includes the worthy Seiko Credor Eichi II and Lange 1 25th Anniversary. Neither comes from an independent watchmaker, but both are as close as it gets for establishment brands. Lot 206 – Philippe Dufour Simplicity 20th Anniversary No. 00/20 Philippe Dufour...

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Revolution

Oct 26, 2020

In Conversation with the One & Only, Santa Laura

Wei Koh digs deep into the subject of the passion of watch collecting with the man behind the universally recognized Instagram handle, Santa Laura.

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Time+Tide

Doxa Australia Launch Event to pack Oct 24, 2020

“The grey market is a creation of the brands, and they need to address it.” The virtual Horology Forum 2020, brought to you by Dubai Watch Week, kicks off with a bang

It feels like a lifetime ago that I was heading home from the DOXA Australia Launch Event to pack my bags for Dubai Watch Week 2019. Since then, the global pandemic put a stop to any in-person watch events (with the exception of the LVMH Watch Week and more recently at a socially distanced Geneva Watch … ContinuedThe post “The grey market is a creation of the brands, and they need to address it.” The virtual Horology Forum 2020, brought to you by Dubai Watch Week, kicks off with a bang appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

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Quill & Pad

Vacheron Constantin Overseas Perpetual Calendar Ultra-Thin Oct 18, 2020

Vacheron Constantin Overseas Perpetual Calendar Ultra-Thin Skeleton (Video)

The Watches TV visited Vacheron Constantin’s Geneva boutique to talk with the brand’s style and heritage director Christian Selmoni, who provided the story of the new Overseas Perpetual Calendar Ultra-Thin Skeleton, which you can watch in this aesthetic five-minute video.

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Breguet numerals Oct 9, 2020

Auction Watch: The First Philippe Dufour Simplicity 20th Anniversary

Phillip’s upcoming Geneva auction on November 8 encompasses Retrospective: 2000-2020, a sale centred on important watches of the last 20 years. The Retrospective catalogue was curated by Blackbird, best known as the sole agent for Ferrari in Hong Kong, but also the publisher of a watch magazine. Naturally, independent watchmaking looms large in the selection, and a Philippe Dufour Simplicity was almost expected. Phillips and Blackbird have gone one further: going under the hammer will be the very first Philippe Dufour Simplicity 20th Anniversary, numbered “00/20”. Conceived to mark the two decades since Mr Dufour unveiled his signature wristwatch, the anniversary Simplicity is very much like the classic version of the watch, but enhanced with various extras. The 37 mm now includes a hinged, hunter case back, while the crown is topped with the “PD” logo. More obvious are the changes to the dial. While it retains the traditional guilloche and dauphine hands, the hour markers are now applied Breguet numerals and at 12 o’clock sits an extra-large “PD” emblem. The Simplicity 20th Anniversary is a limited edition of 21 watches, or more specifically, an edition of 20 plus this watch that is numbered “00/20”. There will be seven each in platinum, rose as well as white gold. The estimate on Simplicity “00/20” is 200,000-400,000 Swiss francs – reasonable relative to the record price recently set by Sotheby’s in Hong Kong – and it will be sold on Novembe...

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SJX Watches

Sep 29, 2020

Business News: Watches & Wonders 2020 Opens (Again) in Sanya

Having scheduled for Geneva in April and then cancelled, Watches & Wonders (W&W;) then went online, and in a last minute decision, an actual fair in Shanghai’s West Bund Art Center. The surging demand for luxury watches in China as it emerges from the pandemic meant the inevitable success of W&W; Shanghai – which our correspondent outlined earlier this week – which is why the fair is happening again in China, this time in the resort city of Sanya. Opening barely a month after the close of the Shanghai event, W&W; Sanya takes place from September 29 to October 31 in the massive CDF Mall – a full month inside the world’s largest duty-free shopping centre. Importantly, W&W; Sanya is catered to the retail consumer instead of the traditional fair audience of watch retailers and journalists. Shopping paradise A city on the southernmost tip of Hainan island, which is known for its tropical weather and beaches, Sanya is the rapidly-growing capital of duty-free shopping in China. The Chinese government has announced plans to develop duty-free shopping on Hainan, which is already has already enjoyed a massive uptick. From the start of July to mid-August 2020, the CDF Mall recorded sales of over RMB5 billion, or over US$730 million, from over 740,000 customers. Open to the public daily, W&W; Sanya was conceived to cater to this demand. Eleven brands are taking part in the event in the CDF Mall, which, at 750,000 square feet or 72,000 square metres, is the world’s largest duty...

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Time+Tide

Sep 28, 2020

Good morning, London! Time and Tide Watches opens first international office in the UK, to be run by former GQ Australia Editor, Mike Christensen

Well, it’s taken six years, but today a dream comes true. I am thrilled beyond measure to announce that former GQ Australia Editor, and recent Geneva Watch Days collaborator, Mike Christensen is joining the team as European Editor – Time+Tide is coming to London! The London-based role vanquishes the tyranny of distance and sees Time+Tide … ContinuedThe post Good morning, London! Time and Tide Watches opens first international office in the UK, to be run by former GQ Australia Editor, Mike Christensen appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

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Quill & Pad

Petermann Bédat Sep 17, 2020

Petermann Bédat Seconde Morte: Dead Seconds, Independently (Video)

Petermann Bédat is a young company comprising a youthful duo of independent watchmakers by the names of Gaël Petermann and Florian Bédat. Their first watch features a deadbeat style of seconds created with the help of grand master Dominique Renaud. Our friends at The Watches TV hosted Gaël Petermann and Florian Bédat in their Geneva studio to find out more. Watch their talk here!

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SJX Watches

Ulysse Nardin Blast Tourbillon Ulysse Nardin Sep 5, 2020

Up Close: Ulysse Nardin Blast Tourbillon

Ulysse Nardin (UN) excels at excellent in-house movements, even for its most affordable, time-only watches. Its watches cases, on the other hand, are typically straightforward – they do the job, but are far from fancy. Just launched at Geneva Watch Days, the Blast Tourbillon is a step in the fancier-case direction. Fronted by a strikingly facetted – and contrast finished – upper plate, the case of the Blast is novel without being too much (though it is a bit much combined with the “X” skeleton movement). And the Blast also sits surprisingly well on the wrist despite its large size. But true to UN’s technically-oriented watchmaking, the Blast is not merely new livery for an old movement. Instead the UN-172 movement within is a new calibre featuring an extensively skeletonised construction – that retains the “X” motif the brand is overly fond of – as well as the signature full-kit silicon oscillator. Initial thoughts The Blast combines an interesting case with an elaborate movement – automatic, skeletonised, and a tourbillon featuring a silicon escapement and hairspring – for not very much money as such things go. With the base model retailing for US$44,000 for the base model, the Blast is priced well. The case is the highlight – finished well and wearable despite its size. The Blast is a big watch at 45 mm in diameter, though it feels notably slimmer than its 13 mm height, partly due to the case height-to-diameter ratio. The fit is good for a wat...

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Revolution

MB&F; Aug 28, 2020

Introducing the MB&F; & L’Epée 1839 Trinity

MB&F; & L’Epée 1839 team up once again to introduce the Trinity clock at Geneva Watch Days 2020

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Time+Tide

Ulysse Nardin Blast Aug 27, 2020

VIDEO: The Ulysse Nardin Blast is a pyrotechnic expression of haute horology

Ulysse Nardin has charged into the fray in 2020 with the release of the new Ulysse Nardin Blast, launched just before Geneva Watch Days. While the brand has an extensive archive of marine chronometers that have inspired a number of nautical-themed wristwatches, the design language of the Blast collection is unashamedly expressive in its ambition. … ContinuedThe post VIDEO: The Ulysse Nardin Blast is a pyrotechnic expression of haute horology appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

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Time+Tide

Aug 27, 2020

FRIDAY WIND DOWN: The return of the event and the revenge of the nerds

This week involved not one, but two Time+Tide events and, of course, a very significant one for the industry, which was Geneva Watch Days. We were there, with Marcus, our Creative Director, and a good friend, Mike Christensen, running the show - there are some delicious, funny and quirky videos in production from the event that … ContinuedThe post FRIDAY WIND DOWN: The return of the event and the revenge of the nerds appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

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Louis Vuitton Introduces Aug 19, 2020

Louis Vuitton Introduces the Tambour Spin Time Air Japan Edition

Now almost two decades into its foray into watchmaking, Louis Vuitton has progressively introduced more complicated timepieces, an evolution that accelerated after its takeover of Geneva complications specialist La Fabrique du Temps (LFDT). Now Louis Vuitton’s signature complication, the Spin Time that tells the time with jumping cubes was LFDT’s earliest contributions to the trunk maker’s offerings. The latest variant of the complication is the Spin Time Air Japan Limited Edition. Drawing inspiration from the Japanese culture, the edition is made up of both a men’s and women’s model, each decorated with a motif that is distinctly Japanese. Initial thoughts With both versions having the same 42.5 mm Tambour case – tambour is French for drum and the very first case design of the brand – they are largish watches with great wrist presence, but they sit high on the wrist due to the case thickness (which is a consequence of the complication). But thanks to the relatively short lugs the case wears quite well. The case, however, is well proportioned – the large size suits the unique time display, with sufficient empty space to showcase the floating Spin Time complication. Reminiscent of the work of independent watchmakers like Urwerk and Ludovic Ballouard, the Spin Time display is inventive and different, but also easy to read, illustrating Louis Vuitton’s investment in making watches. But it is expensive, starting at US$80,000 for the men’s version. Japanese...

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Vacheron Constantin all owned Jul 23, 2020

Business News: Watches & Wonders Shanghai to Happen September 2020

With its Geneva debut in April 2020 cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the watch fair once known as SIHH is moving to Shanghai. Its organisers have just announced Watches & Wonders Shanghai will take place from September 9-13, 2020 at West Bund Art Center. W&W; Shanghai will see only 11 brands take part, down from 30 at the Geneva event. The exhibiting brands are A. Lange & Söhne, Baume & Mercier, Cartier, IWC Schaffhausen, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Panerai, Piaget, Roger Dubuis, and Vacheron Constantin – all owned by Swiss luxury group Richemont – as well as independently-owned brands Parmigiani Fleurier and Purnell. Like the original fair in Geneva, the Shanghai event will be invite-only, and will include new product launches, talks, as well as watchmaking classes. Alongside the physical exhibition in Shanghai, W&W; will also unveil the new products on its website. With the Chinese watch market now in the midst of a sharp upturn post-pandemic – evidenced in the results of both Richemont and the Swatch Group – China is likely the single largest national market for luxury watches that is operating close to normal, making the migration of the event from Geneva to Shanghai eminently logical.  

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Patek Philippe Calatrava Ref 6007A “New Jun 21, 2020

Up Close: Patek Philippe Calatrava Ref. 6007A “New Manufacture 2019”

Unveiled just a day ago, the Patek Philippe Calatrava ref. 6007A “New Manufacture 2019” is a commemorative edition for the completion of the brand’s huge headquarters in Geneva. Though it is a just time-and-date watch, the ref. 6007A has a few interesting details that set it apart from the typical Calatrava, and all the details come together nicely for a refreshingly modern – and expensive – Calatrava. While the launch of the ref. 6007A was largely a surprise, in some other ways it wasn’t. When Patek Philippe debuted the Calatrava ref. 5212A Weekly Calendar a year ago, it was a quirky outlier amidst the formality of the Calatrava line. But insiders revealed that the Weekly Calendar was a hint about the Calatrava’s future. While endowed with such a long history that “Calatrava” is almost a synonym for a thin, classical dress watch, the Calatrava line was getting old fashioned. Featuring hand-writing inspired markings on the dial, the Weekly Calendar marked a new design direction for the line. At the same time, the Calatrava collection has been trimmed significantly, leaving just four men’s Calatrava references (the refs. 5196, 5227, 5297, and 6006), and now the ref. 6007A. The Calatrava ref. 6007A “New Manufacture 2019” The Calatrava ref. 5212A Weekly Calendar Initial thoughts I like the look of the ref. 6007A. It doesn’t look like yet another silver-dial dress watch, which makes is especially appealing for anyone who already has a silver-dial d...

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Patek Philippe Introduces Jun 18, 2020

Patek Philippe Introduces the Calatrava Ref. 6007A-001 for the New Manufacture

Patek Philippe’s 1,600 employees in Geneva began migrating to its expansive new headquarters last year, and now the move is almost complete. To commemorate the completion of the new manufacture, Patek Philippe has announced its very first new launch for 2020: the Calatrava ref. 6007A-001 “New Manufacture 2019”. A limited edition of 1,000 watches, the ref. 6007A has a steel case and a grey-blue dial finished with a variety of textures, including a “carbon” pattern on its centre. Initial thoughts The new ref. 6007A confirms the chatter that Patek Philippe is in the midst of evolving the Calatrava line by injecting more contemporary flair into its aesthetics, which began with last year’s quirky ref. 5212A Weekly Calendar. Though the new ref. 6007A is a very different watch – in fact, its styling brings to mind the unique ref. 5208T “Only Watch” – it too feels like a more casual take on the classic Patek Philippe gentleman’s watch. The case is steel and relatively large at 40 mm, while the dial has a sporty, instrument-like look (which can be explained by its inspiration, the speedometer-inspired ref. 6006G). Notably, the dial has a stamped guilloche centre, which is an unusual feature for a Calatrava. And it also features applied Arabic numerals in white gold, a luxe detail for a simple watch. It will doubtlessly be a lightweight, thin watch that is easy and comfortable to wear, especially since the steel case is more hardwearing than the usual 18k go...

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F.P. Journe souscription watches Jun 10, 2020

Auction Watch: Singer Reimagined Track 1 Prototype at Phillips

Founded in 2017 as the watchmaking arm of Singer Vehicle Design, the critically-acclaimed rebuilder of early 1990s Porsche 911s, Singer Reimagined specialises in chronographs powered by an ingenious Agenhor movement. But before Singer Reimagined settled on its retro-inspired case design, it made a Track 1 prototype with an equally retro but more angular case that is going under the hammer at Phillips’ upcoming Geneva watch auction, the same that includes a pair of much-hyped F.P. Journe souscription watches. The production version of the Track 1 has cushion-shaped, titanium case with a radial brushed finish that is very much reminiscent of sports chronographs of the 1970s that were produced by host of brands, ranging from Omega to Heuer. It also has a “bullhead” pusher layout, with the chronograph buttons on the left and right sides of the case. More importantly, the standard Track 1 features short lugs with a narrow hood over the end of the strap, making the strap look almost integrated. The Track 1 in 18k gold (left) and titanium In contrast, the prototype has longer lugs with a pronounced opening for the strap. It’s still made of titanium, with a similar brushed case finish, and also evocative of the 1970s, but a different look altogether. Like the production watch, the prototype has wide, polished bevels separating the brushed tops and sides of the cases The prototype is fitted to a NATO-style leather strap – with matching, brushed titanium rings – that loo...

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