Deployant
Quick visit: Girard-Perregaux in La Chaux-de-Fonds
We had the opportunity to visit Girard-Perregaux Manufacture in La Chaux-de-Fonds last November, and here is our account of the tour and photographs.
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Deployant
Revolution
Patrick Dempsey visits TAG Heuer’s workshops in La Chaux-de-Fonds
At the beginning of the week, TAG Heuer ambassador Patrick Dempsey traveled to La Chaux-de-Fonds to visit the brand’s workshops for the first time and learn more about its rich heritage and strong connection to motor racing. Both actor and racer, Dempsey first met TAG Heuer’s CEO Jean-Claude Biver at the 24 Hours of Le […]
Hodinkee
Dispatch: A Visit To The La Joux-Perret Manufacture In La Chaux-de-Fonds
La Joux-Perret shows how the right movement can spark a whole new story, as the quiet powerhouse behind Arnold & Son and Angelus.
Hodinkee
Breaking News: Possible Tornado Hits La Chaux-de-Fonds, Causing Significant Damage To The Area
One fatality was reported in the town and Sellita's factory was damaged.
SJX Watches
Early Audemars Piguet Single-Button Chronograph Wristwatch Emerges at Christie’s Geneva
One of the highlights in Christie’s upcoming Geneva auctions taking place on May 11, 2026, is the Audemars Piguet “Coussin Tortue” single-button chronograph wristwatch, serial number 41’849. It is an exceedingly rare watch, being one of a batch of three examples that were the first ever chronograph wristwatches made by Audemars Piguet (AP). Moreover, the watch has been in the same family since new, and is consigned by a descendent of the original owner who bought the watch in 1943. Also notably is the fact that this watch has been comprehensively – but sympathetically and artfully – restored by AP. This “cushion turtle” wristwatch has a platinum case and two-tone, solid gold dial, while the movement is a LeCoultre, just like the others in the batch of three watches. The first of the three was in white gold, following by two in platinum, including this example. Interestingly, this watch was delivered to retailer Veuve Louis Goering in La Chaux-de-Fonds in 1937, but only sold six years later. The tepid demand for such watches perhaps explains why, according to Christie’s, AP made a total of six single-button chronograph wristwatch movements, but the remaining three were only cased and sold over a decade after this one. Restored perfectly Besides being extremely rare and also unexpectedly beautiful, this watch stands out for having been enjoyed “extensive” restoration at Audemars Piguet. Ordinarily restoration would be frowned upon, but the watch was pre...
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Schwarz Etienne La Chaux de fonds Tourbillon Petite Seconde Retrograde
SJX Watches
Hands On: Imaginative Automata from Jacob & Co.
It is somewhat counterintuitive to think that New York-based jeweller Jacob & Co. is one of the fastest growing brands in the mostly stagnant Swiss watch industry. In fact, Jacob & Co. is now a watchmaker first and a jeweller second by turnover – watches account for 75% of the brand’s revenue today. This success is party due to the brand’s open-minded approach to movement making and the surprising (and often risky) projects it has produced, from the first 31-day wristwatch in 2006 to the world’s fastest tourbillon in 2026. One of Jacob & Co.’s specialties is dial-side automata - micro-mechanical sculptures that that can be activated on demand. Alongside the launch of the flagship Godfather II, Jacob & Co. expanded its range of automata watches with new sapphire editions of the Bugatti Tourbillon, a malachite-dialled Casino, and new editions of the provocative Oil Pump. The Bugatti Tourbillon Sapphire Jacob & Co. is not the first watch brand to collaborate with celebrated carmaker Bugatti, but the collaboration is more than a mere commercial tie-up. In fact, the two companies share a manufacturing partner - Concepto - a La Chaux-de-Fonds-based specialist in components and white-label movements. Bugatti enlisted Concepto to produce the fully analogue instrument cluster of its latest hypercar - the aptly named Tourbillon. This was a delightful return to tactility in a world of digital displays and ubiquitous touchscreens. This three-way collaboration contin...
SJX Watches
Greubel Forsey’s Beach-Ready Balancier 3
Greubel Forsey’s Balancier Convexe S² recently took its final bow, making way for the ‘baby blue’ edition of the Balancier 3. Positioned as the brand’s entry level model now that production of the the dressier Balancier Contemporain has concluded, the Balancier 3 is a 22-piece limited edition that introduces a novel finishing technique for the Y-shaped titanium bridge that transverses the dial. Initial thoughts For fans of sport watches who thought the end of the Convexe S² might be a signal that Greubel Forsey is backing away from its Convexe collection, the launch of a new - albeit limited - series of the Balancier 3 is welcome. The brand’s sporty case format debuted shortly before controversial tenure of former CEO Antonio Calce, who seemed to see the Convexe case as a vehicle for rapid growth akin to that of Richard Mille. But his efforts at scaling production ran into the immutable limits of hand craftsmanship. His ouster was followed by something of a return to form for one of the leading lights of La Chaux-de-Fonds, which subsequently backed away from some of the more simplified watches launched under Mr Calce. The Balancier 3 manages the difficult task of being a casual watch built with utmost dignity. While this is technically the brand’s entry level watch, and a sport watch at that, it is finished more thoroughly and to a higher level than most grand complications from the great houses of Geneva. If we’re splitting hairs - and at this price ...
Monochrome
Introducing – The Benrus Sky Chief Chronograph, a Historic Pilot’s Watch Reborn
Founded in New York in 1921 by Romanian-born brothers Benjamin, Oscar, and Ralph Lazrus, Benrus relied on Swiss production, centred in La Chaux-de-Fonds, and during the 1930s and 1940s, it became known for its pilots and military watches. Early models such as the Flyer and Airman were popular among the airline pilots, helping establish the […]
Worn & Wound
The Audible Joy of Alarm Watches
One of the most useful watch complications in horological history is also one of its most forgotten. The ring of a mechanical alarm may seem like a lost artifact, like a rotary phone dial or a manual transmission, all once the necessities of 20th century civilization. And yet, functionality of a settable and mechanical-winding alarm into the tiny confines of a wristwatch is an impressive mechanical feat, one underrated among dive bezels, world timers, pulsations scales, and tachymeters. The alarm watch was meant for the everyman, whether they’re travelers, titans of industry, or merely early risers. Just like there is appreciation for a watch’s ability to do more than just tell time, there is the aural sensation for a watch to produce something more for the senses than just sight. Eterna was the first to patent an alarm caliber as early as 1908, eventually introducing an alarm wristwatch in 1914 at the Swiss National Exhibition in Berne. It was an impressive achievement, but it wouldn’t last: there was the problem that the alarm could only sound for less than 10 seconds, barely enough to rouse a moderate sleeper, as well as the fact that when the alarm was set, accuracy suffered. However, the Eterna did achieve something significant: it spurred Vulcain, in nearby La Chaux-de-Fonds, to begin developing its own alarm mechanism in 1942. The resulting Vulcain Cricket, debuting in 1947, fixed its predecessor’s shortcomings: namely, separate barrels for the alarm s...
SJX Watches
Hugues’ Accomplishment: The Story of Hugues Bürki
Nestled in the Jura Mountains, La Chaux-de-Fonds has been a cradle of Swiss watchmaking ever since its watchmaking school, the Technicum, opened in 1865. For aspiring watchmakers, the climax of their training was traditionally the creation of a montre école – or what’s known as a school watch. This is the story of Hugues Bürki, a Technicum alumnus, who built what would become a record-breaking school watch, and who would later make horological history as a movement engineer. Hugues Bürki. Image – author The Technicum The watchmaking school of La Chaux-de-Fonds was founded in 1865. In its early days, the school occupied rooms inside the modestly named ‘Technicum’, a local vocational-technical school. By 1885, the school’s own building had been inaugurated, yet the name Technicum stuck. In 1933, in the wake of the global economic crisis, the nearby watchmaking schools in La Chaux-de-Fonds and Le Locle were merged to form the Technicum Neuchâtelois. The Technicum in the 1960s. Image – author It demands attention that both divisions of the Technicum Neuchâtelois had a particularly strong focus on high-precision chronometry at the time compared to other watchmaking schools in Switzerland, which specialised in other domains, such as the construction of complications and traditional finishing techniques. In fact, some of the innovations in chronometry we associate with brands like Longines can actually trace their roots to the Technicum Neuchâtelois, including...
Video
Protocolo Vino de La Tierra de Castilla Red | Liquor Run
Monochrome
Hands-on – The Featherweight Bianchet B 1.618 UltraFino Carbon
Founded in 2021, Bianchet is a young independent brand based in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland, specialising in contemporary tonneau-shaped timepieces that merge advanced materials with architectural mechanics. The brand’s designs are rooted in the Golden Ratio (1.618), which influences the proportions of its cases, bridges, and even its rotors. Last year’s model B 1.618 UltraFino Carbon […]
Monochrome
Introducing – Twenty Years and Going Strong, the Ochs und Junior Settimana PVD
Simple solutions to complex problems could well be Dr Ludwig Oechslin’s overriding philosophy. Former curator of the Musée international d’horlogerie in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Oechslin studied archaeology as an undergraduate and obtained a PhD in Philosophy – with a scholarship to study theoretical physics and astronomy – and became a Swiss master watchmaker in 1983. Bringing […]
Teddy Baldassarre
Omega Co-Axial Movement Explained: A Radical Invention
What is a Co-Axial Movement? More specifically, what is the now-famous Co-Axial Escapement that has become a standard feature on most all Omega watches? In short, it's both a radical concept by one of the modern era's most revered watchmaking geniuses and the culmination of a Swiss watch brand's longtime dedication to improving watchmaking accuracy. Here is the story of Omega's co-axial movements. [toc-section heading="Early Omega Movements"] While it is best known these days for its signature watch models, like the Speedmaster “Moonwatch” and the James Bond-worn Seamaster, Omega has also been a pioneer in movement-making since nearly the beginning. The company was founded in 1848 by 23-year-old watchmaker Louis Brandt (with family, above) in the Swiss village of La Chaux-de-Fonds. Originally called La Genérale Watch Company, and eventually renamed Louis Brandt et Fils after Brandt’s sons joined the business, it originally produced key-wound pocket watches from parts supplied by local artisans, After the growing company moved from La Chaux-de-Fonds to the more bustling town of Bienne, in the Swiss Canton of Bern, it pioneered a series of industrial watchmaking techniques and also began making its own in-house movements. The first one, called the Labrador, launched in 1885 in a now-legendary series of pocket watches. Nearly a decade later, in 1894, came the company’s chef d’oeuvre, the 19-ligne Omega Caliber, which was notable at the time for its enviable acc...
Worn & Wound
How a Summer Job While Pursuing a Degree in Anthropology Turned into a Decade-Long Career as Heritage Director at Zenith
Laurence Bodenmann has served as the Heritage Director of Zenith for a decade. She’s also a member of the scientific committee for The Watch Library, a non-profit public interest foundation established in 2021 to document, preserve, and share watchmaking archives. While Bodenmann has become a staple of the industry, her role in watches was mere happenstance or rather came out of necessity. It spurred from a summer job at the International Museum of Horology in La Chaux-de-Fonds while trying to earn some extra money during her pursuit of a degree in anthropology. “I was always interested in logic – when I was young, I first thought I wanted to be a math teacher,” she recalls. “But as I got older, I realized what interested me most was how different people approached reasoning,” Bodenmann continues, “and how factors like cultural context and economical or sociological diversity informed their thought process. I found it fascinating to observe how one person would approach an object or problem in one way and another person would do it completely differently.” While Bodenmann didn’t initially expect to find herself in the world of horology, we can see why it’s been such a natural fit. The entire watch industry revolves around her astute observations as a teenager. Every person within a manufacturer – from the watchmaker sitting at a bench to the executives running the brand – is faced with the same object – a timepiece – and many of the same probl...
Monochrome
First Look – The New Schwarz Etienne 1902 GMT
Schwarz Etienne is one of the rare independent manufactures that does everything under one roof: design, movement development, finishing and assembly in La Chaux-de-Fonds. Since Florian Brossard took the helm in 2024, the brand has sharpened a clear, contemporary identity built on technical depth. That work was visible earlier this year with the launch of […]
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What's SIHH (the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie) really like?
SJX Watches
Tokyo Retailer Shellman Celebrates Christiaan Huygens
In order to mark the spiral hairspring’s 350th anniversary and celebrate its inventor Christiaan Huygens (1629 – 1695), Japanese watch retailer Shellman presents a two-week exhibition event in Tokyo, The Origins of Time = Astronomy. Opening November 19 and slated to run through December 2, the Shellman exhibit is a collaboration with the Musée International d’Horlogerie (MIH) in La Chaux-de-Fonds, and showcases the larger extent of Huygens’ work, from horology to optical observation devices. Themed around the Dutch scientist credited with building the first pendulum clock and with inventing the hairspring, the exhibit also explores larger fields of horology, with a focus on astronomy and modern independent watchmaking. Original drawings showing early attempts at making a sprung balance. Beyond his practical applications in horology, Huygens left marks on many other scientific fields, from geometry to physics and astronomy. He notably discovered Saturn’s largest moon Titan and cemented the wave theory of light propagation. One could say that he was interested in the celestial bodies as much as he was in understanding motion and measuring time here on Earth. In his honour, the exhibit leans on the astronomical theme as well. The exhibition is accompanied by a selection of special watches available for sale. Visitors will have the chance to acquire the world’s smallest wristwatch planetarium, the Planetarium Christiaan Huygens Limited Edition, created by the Du...
SJX Watches
Interview: Marc Michel-Amadry, Managing Director of Girard-Perregaux
Appointed Managing Director of Girard-Perregaux (GP) in early 2025, Marc Michel-Amadry has over two decades of leadership experience spanning both the auction world and fine watchmaking. A former head of Sotheby’s Switzerland and Chief Commercial Officer of IWC, he steps into the role at a pivotal moment for GP, which has spent the past three years refining its identity as an independent brand, alongside its sister brand Ulysse Nardin in the Sowind Group. I sat down with Mr Michel-Amadry not long after he took office to discuss what he has in store. Our conversation touched on the enduring relevance of the Laureato, the renewed importance of in-house innovation, and his plans to restore GP to its former glory. The interview was edited for length and clarity. SJX: You’ve covered a wide range of the industry, having worked with niche brands, major brands, and big groups. Tell us how you ended up at GP. MMA: People often tell me I don’t have a typical career path. Usually, you start somewhere and stay within the same group. But for me, every step has to have a purpose. I’ve always wanted to work for a brand that means something. By coincidence, I was born in La Chaux-de-Fonds - the home of GP. It’s a brand I’ve always followed. I met Luigi Macaluso early in my career and was struck by the sophistication and beauty of the brand. Beyond its know-how and history, GP has always expressed its own design because everything is in-house. Luigi “Gino” Macaluso, forme...
Monochrome
Introducing – The new Bianchet UltraFino Sapphire
Bianchet is a relatively young high-end brand founded by Rodolfo and Emmanuelle Festa-Bianchet, and based in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland. Since 2021, the brand has been offering modern tonneau-shaped watches powered by architectural openworked tourbillon movements. Early 2025 marked the launch of an important model for the brand, the UltraFino, its first ultra-thin model, its first […]
SJX Watches
Prix Gaïa 2025 Awarded to Dr Helmut Crott for Scholarship
Awarded annually by the Musée International d’Horlogerie (MIH), one of Switzerland’s leading timekeeping museums, the Prix Gaïa recognises individuals who have contributed to watchmaking in three categories. This year’s winner in the “History [and] Research” category is Dr Helmut Crott. Best known for having founded the eponymous auction house, Dr Crott is also an author, scholar, and former owner of Urban Jürgensen, amongst other roles. In 2021 he authored Le Cadran, an in-depth study of dials and dial making techniques of 20th century wristwatches. Le Cadran by Dr Helmut Crott Past winners of the Prix Gaïa include Reinhard Meis, Jonathan Betts, Pierre-Yves Donzé, Kathleen Pritschard, and Ludwig Oechslin, all scholars and authors who have contributed substantively to the body of knowledge in the field. Alongside Dr Crott, this year’s winners are Jean-Jacques Paolini for “Entrepreneurship”, and Roger W. Smith for “Craftsmanship [and] Creation”. As the successor to Georges Daniels’ brand of English watchmaking, Mr Smith now produces watches under his own name, with his achievements and timepieces well known. Jean-Jacques Paolini Mr Paolini, on the other hand, is less known outside the industry, but he is arguably most responsible for building the enterprise that’s the largest employer in La Chaux-de-Fonds. In 1980, Mr Paolini took over his family’s case and bracelet manufacturing business, developing its operations sufficiently that it was acq...
Monochrome
Hands-on – The Dashing Retro Allure of the Eberhard & Co. Chronographe 1887 Édition Limitée
Founded by Georges Eberhard in 1887 in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Eberhard & Co. had established itself as a purveyor of innovative, technically advanced chronographs by 1919. Although the independent brand is well-known among Italian collectors, and its Chrono 4 model, with four separate counters inspired by the dashboard of race cars, might resonate with some readers, […]
Video
3 Watch Collection Vacheron Constantin Collection $150,000 Overseas - Traditionnelle - Quai de l'ile
Monochrome
Introducing – The Darker Mood of the New MING 37.02 Monolith
When it was launched last year, MING’s 37.02 Minimalist represented several firsts for Ming Thein’s independent Malaysian brand. For starters, it was the brand’s first watch made at MING’s facility in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland. Ironically, though, the watch could not bear the “Swiss Made” label because the design and engineering were executed in Kuala Lumpur. […]
Fratello
Corum Is Making A Swiss-Owned Comeback - What Can We Expect?
Maybe you can’t call it a comeback - thanks, LL Cool J - but in a way, Corum is making a comeback. Founded in 1955 in La Chaux-de-Fonds, the brand recently announced a return to Swiss ownership. It was part of the Hong Kong-based Citychamp Watch & Jewellery Group for 12 years. But following a […] Visit Corum Is Making A Swiss-Owned Comeback - What Can We Expect? to read the full article.
Monochrome
First Look – Eberhard & Co. Presents its New Retro-Inspired Contodat Collection
While Eberhard & Co. is a household name among Italian watch collectors, its rich history and longstanding tradition in producing chronographs have yet to be discovered by a wider audience. Founded by Georges Eberhard in 1887 in La Chaux-de-Fonds, the brand’s pocket watch chronographs gave way to its first wristwatch chronograph in 1919. Models that […]
Fratello
Inside Greubel Forsey: CEO Michel Nydegger On Strategy, Craftsmanship, And The Future
Visiting Greubel Forsey is unlike stepping into most watch ateliers. Tucked away in La Chaux-de-Fonds, the brand has always carried an aura of mystery, spoken about with reverence among collectors but less visible in mainstream luxury circles. That is partly by design. When I sat down with Michel Nyddegger, the brand’s recently appointed CEO, it […] Visit Inside Greubel Forsey: CEO Michel Nydegger On Strategy, Craftsmanship, And The Future to read the full article.
Monochrome
Introducing – The New Bianchet B 1.618 UltraFino Carbon
Bianchet, an independent watchmaking brand founded in 2021 and based in La Chaux-de-Fonds, has quickly established a distinctive identity with its modern tonneau-shaped designs. Earlier this year, the brand introduced the B 1.618 UltraFino, a milestone model release that brought several firsts: an ultra-thin case, a metal bracelet, and an automatic movement. Now, to mark […]
Video
Gerald Charles CEO on Alex de Minaur, Genta's Legacy & 3 Must-See Watches | Watches and Wonders 2026
Gerald Charles served up a few ace novelties this year, with a real focus on tennis. Andrew McUtchen took some time out during Watches and Wonders this year to sit down with the brand's CEO, Federico Ziviani, to talk...