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Patek Philippe watches Oct 27, 2019

Business News: LVMH Offers to Buy Tiffany & Co.

Luxury giant LVMH has made an offer to buy Tiffany & Co., America’s leading luxury jeweller (and the biggest retailer of Patek Philippe watches in the country), according to the Bloomberg. The French group made an all-cash offer of US$120 a share, a premium of about 22% over Tiffany’s last done share price and valuing the company at about US$14.4 billion. That would make Tiffany’s the biggest acquisition ever for LVMH, which has seen its shares hit record highs recently, bringing its value to over US$210 billion. Despite being the world’s largest luxury group – its brands include Louis Vuitton, Bulgari, Rimowa, Hublot and DFS – LVMH is relatively weak in high-end jewellery, especially compared to Swiss rival Richemont, which owns Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels, and Piaget, and only just picked up Buccellati. Buying Tiffany would give LVMH a bigger presence in jewellery, as well as greater exposure to the United States, which is the jeweller’s biggest market, account for around a third of sales. LVMH only just opened a bag factory in Texas, the Louis Vuitton Rochambeau Ranch, in an event attended by Donald Trump and LVMH chief executive and controlling shareholder Bernard Arnault, who’s also the third-richest man in the world. Best known for its diamond engagement rings and blue boxes, Tiffany suffered from a weak spell in recent years, with its former chief executive Frederic Cumenal, an LVMH alumni, lasting barely two years. After he departed in 2017, to be...

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F.P. Journe Astronomic Blue Oct 25, 2019

Up Close: Akrivia Rexhep Rexhepi Chronomètre Contemporain “Only Watch”

Independent watchmakers are a major presence at Only Watch 2019, accounting for almost half the 50 lots in the charity auction coming. Importantly, two of them will probably end up in the top five by value – the F.P. Journe Astronomic Blue and the Rexhep Rexhepi Chronomètre Contemporain “Only Watch”. While the Astronomic Blue is the most complicated wristwatch F.P. Journe has ever made, the Chronomètre Contemporain “Only Watch” is a time-only watch, with a suitably modest estimate of 40,000-60,000 Swiss francs, though it’ll probably sell for five to seven times the low estimate. Hammered, and enamelled The key element that sets the “Only Watch” edition apart from the standard Chronomètre Contemporain is the dial. Completely unique because of the technique – used here for the first time in an Akrivia watch – the dial combines the surfaces finish of Akrivia’s two distinct collections: the hand-hammered decoration of the contemporary AK line and the vitreous enamel of the classic Rexhep Rexhepi range, named after the brand’s founder. Several attempts were required to get a perfect dial – Rexhep showed me one of the rejects with a cloudy finish in September – but the result is quietly impressive. Note that it is hammered and then enamelled, but not hammered enamel. Ordinarily a new dial colour doesn’t mean very much, but because the Chronomètre Contemporain regarded, and Rexhep has kept his promise not to do variations or custom orders of th...

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A. Lange & Sohne Oct 24, 2019

In-Depth: A. Lange & Söhne Odysseus Datomatic

It’s been an open secret for years that A. Lange & Söhne has been working on a sports watch, ever since the time of its founding chief executive Gunter Blumlein, so the latest launch is not a surprise. Ideas percolate for a long time at Lange: the digital time display, for instance, was first mooted in 2001, but only introduced in 2009 with the Zeitwerk. And now it is has finally arrived. Named Odysseus Datomatic, the watch is a day-date that’s the first in a new line of sports watches of the same name. It’s a 40.5mm watch in steel, rated to 120m, and powered by a new automatic movement. Initial thoughts I like and respect Lange tremendously, because its products are all engineered and finished well. Despite being a largely mainstream brand owned by a luxury group, Lange has managed to retain its characteristic quality. I do find some of the watches needlessly complicated or over designed, but the fundamental quality is unquestionable. For that reason, I hoped I would like the sports watch. And I do, but not the bracelet. I spoke with Lange chief executive Wilhelm Schmid just before the launch, and he summed up the Odysseus: “We have not changed our fine watchmaking. It’s typical Lange, but it took us a long time to find the face and find the design.” The watch – minus the bracelet – looks like a Lange, which means it’s serious looking, a bit plain, but obviously high quality from the way the small details catch the light. On the wrist the Odysseus sit...

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Vacheron Constantin both Oct 23, 2019

In-Depth: The Bexei ‘Vox Vinum’ Grande Sonnerie Wristwatch

The only independent watchmaker in Hungary, Aaron Becsei, or more properly Becsei Áron, has created a distinctive style for his eponymous brand, Bexei – ornate, Gothic engraving; a double-ellipse case; and top-class movement finishing. His latest creation, a custom and unique grande and petite sonnerie wristwatch named Vox Vinum, is all of the above, except in a more conventional round case. Created at the behest of an important, Asian collector of independent watchmaking, the grande sonnerie took more than a year to complete. It is the first, and so far only, striking watch ever produced by Bexei. The Vox Vinum The grand sonnerie A grande et petite sonnerie – French for “large and small strike” – is widely regarded as the pinnacle of mechanical watchmaking. Also known as a clockwatch, it strikes the hours and quarters en passant, as they pass. And it is also a minute repeater, being able to chime the time on demand. Modern day grande sonnerie wristwatches are exceedingly rare – the number of watchmakers having produced one can be counted on both hands. The most notable makers of grande sonnerie wristwatches are Patek Philippe with its Grandmaster Chime, F.P. Journe with the recently discontinued Sonnerie Souverain, and Greubel Forsey as well as Vacheron Constantin, both of which use the same base movement in their respective grande sonnerie wristwatches. But the pioneers in the field were Philippe Dufour in 1992, and followed shortly after by Gerald Gen...

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Farer Introduces Oct 23, 2019

Farer Introduces the Chronograph Hand-Wound

Following on the launch of its automatic chronograph a year ago, London-based Farer recently released a new collection of hand-wound chronographs, which are fairly unusual in this price category where automatic chronographs dominate. This time around, it’s more than just a new line as the watches are the official timers of the 2019 Bernina Gran Turismo, a classic car race across the Bernina Pass in the Swiss Alps. Three standard models and one limited edition make up the new Chronograph Hand-Wound line, though the limited edition quickly sold out, and all carry the brand’s DNA with distinctive, retro designs and bold colours. Though the individual models share the same house style, each is detailed differently, right down to the size of the hour numerals, something Farer does for all its mode lines. All models share the same, cushion-shaped stainless steel case measuring 41mm by 12.9mm (and 43mm lug-to-lug). It’s rated to 100m and fitted with a domed sapphire crystal. For contrast, the front and sides are brushed with a polished steel exhibition back, and the pushers are also polished. The knurled crown is steel but topped with a bronze insert embossed with Farer’s logo, a standard feature on all hand-wound Farer watches; other models have a solid bronze crown. Let’s take a closer look at what differentiates the Bernina, Cresta and Moritz chronographs. Bernina Named after the Bernina Gran Turismo – a hillclimbing race around St Moritz for classic cars  – ...

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Rolex Unicorns Part III – Oct 21, 2019

Rolex Unicorns Part III - Ref. 6062 Triple Calendar “Stelline Gordon Bethune”

The third important vintage Rolex – in my opinion – at Phillips’ upcoming Geneva auction, after the ref. 4113 split-seconds chronograph and mint ref. 8171 “Padellone”, is the ref. 6062 “Stelline” triple calendar that once belonged to Gordon Bethune, the executive best known for turning around Continental Airlines during his decade-long tenure starting in 1994. The watch a sterling example of the ref. 6062 – and will sell for well over a million dollars – but it is also notable for what it says about the development of the vintage watch market. Now 78 and retired, though he pops up regularly on CNBC to comment on the airline industry, Mr Bethune accumulated his watch collection over two decades. He sold the bulk of it in 2012, but remains probably the only famous business executive known to have collected watches in a serious fashion (another is perhaps former Hollywood talent agent Michael Ovitz, though he more widely regarded as an important collector of contemporary art). Mr Bethune’s collection was inclined towards great, even some of the best, examples of important, uncommon and desirable watches, rather than extraordinarily or unique models. So he owned one of the best-preserved, all-original examples of the ref. 6062s “Stelline”, rather than say a well-worn ref. 6062 with a black, diamond-marker dial. It was a cold day in December… The Gordon Bethune Collection of Fifty Exceptional Vintage Wristwatches took place in December 2012 at Christi...

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Glashütte Original Introduces Oct 21, 2019

Glashütte Original Introduces the Seventies Chronograph Limited Edition

First introduced five years ago with dials in solid, metallic colours, Glashütte Original has jazzed up the Seventies Chronograph Panorama Date with fumé dials featuring a graduated finish. Available either in green or grey fumé, the new edition is limited to 100 pieces each. Like the Sixties range of more classically shaped watches, the Seventies is a heavily retro line inspired by the experimental decade that’s best remembered for the birth of the luxury-sports-watch (and not much else, at least for now). The Seventies watches are typical of that decade’s style, characterised by square, stainless-steel cases and integrated bracelets. The chronograph has a television-shaped case that measures a chunky 40mm wide and 14.1mm in height. Like all of Glashütte Original’s recent, interesting dials, the fumé dials are produced by the former Th. Muller dial factory in Pforzheim that’s owned by its parent, the Swatch Group. Creating the smoked finish starts with the decorative sunray brushing applied to a German silver dial base with a rotating brass brush. The base then undergoes galvanisation before several coats of green or grey lacquer are applied. And finally, to achieve the graduated finish that darkens towards the edges, black lacquer is carefully applied to the edges with a spray gun, creating a slightly irregular dark border, then it is dried in a kiln. Mechanically, the watches are identical to the stock models; they are powered by the automatic chronograph...

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Casio recently unveiled another variant Oct 20, 2019

Introducing the G-Shock GM-5600 (Capped) in Stainless Steel

Following the bestselling G-Shock 5000-series “Full Metal”, Casio recently unveiled another variant of the iconic DW-5600, but now capped with a steel bezel cover, the GM-5600. It’s essentially a budget version of the “Full Metal”, offering a similar look for less than half the price. Introduced in 1987, four years after the launch of the first ever G-Shock, the DW-5000, the DW-5600 retained the look and  construction of the original, but with an improved electronic module and a dial that did away with the brick pattern found on the original. Since then, the DW-5600 has has been issued in an bewildering array of colours and styles, but the latest iteration marks the first time the model gets a steel cladding on the front. It is available in three iterations: stainless steel (GM-5600-1), black ion-plated steel with a black dial (GM-5600B-1), and black ion-plated steel with an military green, camo-pattern dial (GM-5600B-3). As with the standard DW-5600 (and all other G-Shocks), the new watch has a double case construction made up of an inner resin case covered in a steel outer case, preserving the signature shock resistance and 200m depth rating of the G-Shock, while keeping it lighter than the “Full Metal” model. The outer steel case features a bezel with a vertically brushed finish, nearly identical visually to the found on the steel “Full Metal”. Size-wise, the GM-5600 is a tad bigger than the standard resin DW-5600 at 49.6mm by 43.2mm on the front, ...

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Longines Oct 19, 2019

Swatch Inaugurates New Headquarters in Biel

A long snaking building that stretches some 240m, the new Swatch headquarters in Biel, or Bienne in French, is the culmination of five years of work. Selling about 9.5m watches a year for about 450m Swiss francs of revenue, according to Swiss bank Vontobel, Swatch was the foundational company of its parent, the aptly named Swatch Group, which also owns Omega and Longines. Like many of its parent company’s recent projects, the Swatch building was designed by Japanese architect Shigeru Ban, the 2014 Pritzker Prize winner who is best known for his works of wood or paper, as well as his temporary structures for humanitarian aid. Its new home is covered in a honeycomb timber grid that incorporates windows, nine balconies and solar panels. Visible from the inside is the Swatch logo, derived from the Swiss cross, incorporated into some of the grid’s cells. And hidden within the structure is a network of wires and cables for telecommunications, electricity and the like. The Swatch headquarters, with the Omega building at the far left The Swatch building ends in La Cite du Temps, which sits in front of the Omega factory and headquarters Shigeru Ban, Nayla Hayek, and Nick Hayek Jr at the opening ceremony on October 3, 2019 The glass-walled Swatch store in front of the new headquarters With the new headquarters in the background Light, flexible and sustainable, the timber beams used for the outer structure number some 4,600, all precisely cut to fit with join with each other per...

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Christopher Ward Introduces Oct 18, 2019

Christopher Ward Introduces the Military Collection

Founded in 2004 and selling its watches solely online, Christopher Ward has done some interesting watches at affordable prices, most notably the hand-wound, mono-pusher chronograph of 2017. But its latest is more straightforward: a range of watches inspired by vintage British military-issue timepieces. Unusally, the new models are licensed by the British Ministry of Defence to bear “the insignia of the Royal Navy, British Army and Royal Air Force” for public sale. While not actual military-issue watches, the line draws on well-known watches once supplied to the arms of the British armed forces, with the army and air force models managing to best capture the look of the originals. Christopher Ward, admirably, cites the exact vintage inspiration for each of the new watches, so the new dive watch, for instance, is loosely based on the Omega Seamaster 300 supplied to the Royal Navy. All three new watches have a “glass box” sapphire crystal, and are powered by a COSC-certified Sellita SW200, a robust and cost-efficient automatic movement. Each model is named after the respective training academy for the service arm, starting with the C65 Dartmouth. It’s named after Britannia Royal Naval College, which sits beside the port of Dartmouth in southern England. The case is steel, 41mm, and rated to 150m. According to the brand, it is modelled on the Omega Seamaster 300 “Big Triangle”, a specific type of the dive watch that Omega supplied to the Royal Navy...

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IWC History’ Exhibition Oct 18, 2019

Highlights: ‘Inside IWC History’ Exhibition in Singapore

Organised in conjunction with retailer Sincere Fine Watches, Inside IWC History is a walkthrough the milestones of IWC, explained with a series of important watches from the brand’s museum. Happening at the Ngee Ann City mall from now till October 27, the exhibition is the largest to date held by the brand in Southeast Asia, with some 18 watches on show. The watches detail the three key families of IWC – Portuguese, Pilot’s Watches and Portofino – tracing the lineage with landmark watches. From the legendary Mark 11 to the Portugieser ref. 325, the exhibition showcases some of the most iconic vintage IWC watches, but also includes more recent watches, most notably from the Portofino line-up, which is one of the newest creations. The timepieces on show are an instructive guide through which the brand’s current watches can be better understood. The Portofino line-up, including the significant ref. 5251 (centre) The first “special watch for pilots” Wristwatches designed specifically for aviation have defined most of IWC’s 151-year history, and it all began in 1936 with the “special watch for pilots”. Ernst Jakob Homberger, then the managing director of IWC, had two sons who were aviation enthusiasts and licensed pilots, so he decided to produce a watch purpose-built for aviation. Even though it was intended for civil aviation, the watch was notably robust and advanced. Sometimes known as the “Mark IX” by enthusiasts, it had a 37.5mm steel case fitt...

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Panerai Introduces Oct 18, 2019

Panerai Introduces the Luminor Luna Rossa Collection

Back in January, Panerai unveiled the Luna Rossa Challenger Submersible Carbotech, which kicked off the watchmaker’s official sponsorship of Luna Rossa, the challenger of the 36th America’s Cup that takes place in 2021. And now the brand has introduced three Luminor watches – the Luna Rossa Regatta (PAM01038), the Luna Rossa Chrono Flyback (PAM01037), and the Luna Rossa GMT (PAM01036) – dedicated to the sailing syndicate, which has fellow Italian brands Prada and Pirelli as its main sponsors. Only just unveiled at the Salón Internacional Alta Relojería (SIAR) watch fair in Mexico City, the three watches are characterised by high tech materials that also used in Luna Rossa. The watches share the same monochromatic palette, with a distinctive “sandwich dial” made up of a lower dial plate with luminous paint for the numerals that’s capped with an upper dial plate covered in sailcloth from Luna Rossa. Though each use different case materials, they all share the same titanium case back engraved with the Luna Rossa and the team logo. Luminor Luna Rossa Regatta (PAM01038) A dedicated yachting chronograph, the Luminor Luna Rossa Regatta is the flagship model of the range. It has a 47mm case in Carbotech, a proprietary carbon fibre-reinforced polymer, making it massive but lightweight. First introduced in 2015, the material is produced by layering sheets of carbon with a polymer resin in between to create a light and strong composite with a woodgrain appearance. ...

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Anordain Model 2 Oct 17, 2019

Hands-On: anOrdain Model 2 with Hammered, Enamel Dial

Founded in Scotland five years ago by industrial designer Lewis Heath, Anordain is one of the most unusual “microbrands” as it managed to master – straight out of the gate – one of watchmaking’s most prized crafts: vitreous enamel, often known as grand feu enamel in Swiss watchmaking. As a result, the brand manages to offer some of the most affordable watches with fired enamel dials, mostly priced under US$1500. Following the success of the inaugural Model 1 last year, the brand has just unveiled the Model 2, a compact, hand-wound, two-hander with a modern, minimalist design. Most notably, two versions of the watch feature a fired, translucent enamel done over a hammered surface. Like all Anordain’s standard enamel dials, the new hammered, enamel dial is done in-house. Located in Glasgow’s East End, Anordain’s workshop includes its own three-person team of enamellers that can produce eight to nine dials a week, usually in bright, unusual colours such as pink or a translucent bottle green. Design nuances Inspired by classic field watches – the no-nonsense wristwatches made for armies in the first half of the 20th century – the Model 2 was designed entirely in-house, from the case to the typography and hands. And just like vintage field watches that are small by modern standards, the Model 2 measures a discreet 36mm in diameter and 11mm in height. Its balanced proportions are indeed reminiscent of field watches, albeit in a more refined and formal ma...

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Corum Introduces Oct 17, 2019

Corum Introduces the Golden Bridge Round 43 Art Deco

Invented by pioneering independent watchmaker Vincent Calabrese in 1980 – whose specialty remains intriguing shaped movements – the Golden Bridge has become a Corum signature – a tiny, baguette-shaped movement suspended in watch cases of varying shapes and sizes. Despite being almost 40 years old, the Golden Bridge remains an impressive feat of movement construction, and one that is not as highly regarded as it should be. The latest iteration of the watch is the Golden Bridge Round 43 Art Deco, which installs the Golden Bridge movement in a conventional, round case, but frames it on both sides with sets of brass wires, evoking the cables of suspension bridges. Two versions are available: one with gilded wires and a yellow gold movement, the other with rhodium-plated wires and a matching movement. Mechanically the CO 113 movement is identical to that found in earlier versions. Taking its name literally, the movement has its bridges and main plate in solid 18k gold. It was born out of Mr Calabrese’s original design – which was delicate and finicky – having been reengineered about a decade ago by Laurent Besse, an independent watchmaker who formerly worked for Corum after his own workshop went bust. The case is a large 43mm and made of titanium coated in diamond-like carbon (DLC), giving it a glossy black finish. Its size means it loses the delicate elegance of the originals, which were all contained in narrow, rectangular cases, but conversely the round cas...

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IWC Mark XVIII Gifted Oct 17, 2019

The IWC Mark XVIII Gifted to Employees on the 150th Anniversary

When IWC celebrated its 150th anniversary last year, it unveiled a large line-up of commemorative watches, including the clever and well-priced Tribute to Pallweber digital jump hour (and also opened an expansive new factory). But there was one more anniversary that has been pretty much a company secret until now: the Mark XVIII gifted to staff members at IWC headquarters in Schaffhausen. Over lunch yesterday, I spotted the Mark XVIII on the wrist of IWC museum curator David Seyffer. Given Dr Seyffer’s position – and access to some of the rarest and most desirable IWC watches – I was surprised that he was wearing the entry-level Pilot’s Watch. But when Dr Seyffer handed the watch over, he explained, with an evident amount of pride, this was no ordinary Mark XVIII. On the front, the watch has a 40mm steel case and metallic, dark blue dial that’s similar to a standard watch in the IWC Pilot’s Watch line-up. But on the back, it features the IWC 150th anniversary emblem, and just below that, the name of the employee who received the watch. According to Dr Seyffer, it was chief executive Chris Grainger-Herr’s idea to gift each employee at IWC headquarters a watch as a token of appreciation for their contribution to IWC’s 150 years of success. Male employees were given a Mark XVIII on a black Santoni leather strap, while female staff members were given a Pilot’s Watch Automatic 36 on a steel bracelet. The total number produced is unknown, but IWC has about 700...

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Omega Oct 16, 2019

RJ Introduces the Arraw Spider-Man Tourbillon

Though RJ has long used pop culture icons – from Hello Kitty to Pokemon to Super Mario – on its watches, the Arraw Spider-Man Tourbillon is the most interesting to date, because it’s powered by a newly developed movement boasting a central flying tourbillon and a six-day power reserve. While earlier RJ cartoon- or comic-inspired were mostly standard watches with design tweaks, the new tourbillon modelled on Marvel’s web-slinger is mechanically interesting on several levels. The Arraw Spider-Man Tourbillon is powered by the RJ-7000, a hand-wound movement that, according to the brand, was developed in-house at its recently opened manufacture in Eysins, about 30 minutes from downtown Geneva. More notably is the fact that the concept of the movement was first developed by RJ chief executive Marco Tedeschi while he was studying micro-technical engineering at the École Technique de la Vallée de Joux (ETVJ). Central tourbillon The movement is fully skeletonised, with the large flying tourbillon sitting right in the centre. Though conventional tourbillons are extremely common, central tourbillons are notably uncommon. Only a few brands produce them, most notably Omega and Beat Haldimann, and now RJ. Open-worked to resemble a spider’s web, the tourbillon cage is made of titanium, and sits just over a pair of eyes taken from Spider-Man’s mask. Because the tourbillon sits right in the centre of the dial, the hands are are peripheral, sitting on the edge of the dial, b...

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Breitling Introduces Oct 16, 2019

Breitling Introduces the Revamped Avenger Collection

Launched by Breitling almost two decades ago as an upsized, sportier version of the then bestselling Chronomat, the Avenger has just been revamped into a streamlined collection made up of facelifted watches. Still retaining the styling of earlier generations of Avengers, the line is now made up of chronographs in three sizes (48mm, 45mm and 43mm cases), automatics in 45mm or 43mm cases, and a GMT. All models are rated to 300m and have a stainless steel case as standard. But the 45mm and 48mm watches are available in Night Mission livery – the best looking iteration – which means a black-coated titanium case and dial featuring military-inspired “stencil” numerals. Super Avenger Chronograph 48 Night Mission All the chronographs have the same basic specs, and the same COSC-certified Valjoux 7750 movement. The flagship model is the Super Avenger Chronograph 48, an enormous 48mm watch that’s probably too big for most, making the 45mm and 43mm chronographs more viable. The best looking watches of the line is the Avenger Chronograph 45 Night Mission, which manages to have a more modern military style that’s distinct from most other military aviation-type watches. Breitling ambassador and retired astronaut Scott Kelly The Average Automatic 45 Seawolf is a 45mm dive watch, powered by the Breitling Calibre 17, which is an ETA 2824. The specs are shared by the Avenger Automatic 43 that’s 43mm. Avenger Automatic 45 Seawolf And the last model is the Avenger Automati...

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Breitling also decided Oct 16, 2019

Breaking News: SIHH Will Now Become Watches & Wonders Geneva

From 2020 onwards, the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie (SIHH) will be known as Watches & Wonders Geneva, adopting the name of an event that first started in Hong Kong before migrating to Miami in the wake of the slowdown in the Chinese territory. Last year’s shock announcement by industry giant Swatch Group that it would depart Baselworld permanently set up off chain of events: a botched response that led to the resignation of the chief executive of the fair’s organiser MCH Group, and then a full-year loss for MCH. Some prominent brands like Breitling also decided to leave Baselworld, though the giants, like LVMH and Rolex, have opted to stay. Since then Baselworld’s new management has announced a flurry of new initiatives and programmes, starting with Baselworld announcing it would unite with SIHH after a decade’s separation. It’s also revealed an unimpressive hotel deal and more recently, a concierge service for visitors. All of that seems to have compelled the Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie (FHH), the organiser of SIHH – a watch fair in healthy condition compared to Baselworld – to do something as well. And so they have, with the goal of making the event more consumer centric. Rebranded but pretty much unchanged Palexpo forever Despite the name change, the format of the event appears pretty much the same. The Salon with its 30 exhibiting brands will take place as it always has, at the Palexpo conventional hall beside Geneva airport, loca...

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IWC Introduces Oct 15, 2019

IWC Introduces the Pilot’s Watch Timezoner Chronograph “80 Years Flight to New York”

IWC’s latest limited edition is a surprisingly small run – 80 pieces to mark the 80th anniversary of the flight of the giant Latécoère 521 flying boat Lieutenant de Vaisseau Paris from New York to Lac de Biscarrosse in Southwestern France. Starting on Bastille Day, July 14, in 1939, the flight was the first nonstop crossing of the North Atlantic by flying boat. A passenger on the 28-hour, 27-minute journey was French aviator Antoine de Saint Exupéry. And it happens that one of IWC’s most popular sub-collections of pilot’s watches watches is Le Petit Prince, named after the famous novel by de Saint Exupéry. So the Pilot’s Watch Timezoner Chronograph Edition “80 Years Flight to New York” is an offshoot of the Le Petit Prince collection, with a few tweaks. It retains the vaguely retro flavour, with Gothic-esque numerals and lozenge hands, but instead of the standard blue dial of Le Petit Prince, the anniversary watch has a brown metallic dial, matched with brown ceramic bezel. The edition is based on the Timezoner Chronograph, usually available only in the standard black and white livery of IWC’s basic Pilot’s Watches. It’s an unusual watch that combines both a flyback chronograph and IWC’s proprietary “timezoner” mechanism. Originally developed by the defunct watch brand Vogard, the timezoner mechanism has a rotating world time bezel linked to the second time zone, so turning the bezel moves the 24-hour hand in one-hour ste...

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Ulysse Nardin Introduces Oct 15, 2019

Ulysse Nardin Introduces the Hourstriker Phantom

A simple yet unusual chiming complication, the hourstriker has been a fixture in the Ulysse Nardin line-up for almost three decades, starting with the San Marco Jacquemart developed by Christophe Claret. The hour striker complication has been paired with various automatons over the years, including tigers, horses, oil pumpjacks, and a copulating couple. Now Ulysse Nardin has stripped away the automaton, streamlined the design, and reworked the acoustics – with help from French speaker specialist Devialet – resulting in the Hourstriker Phantom. It’s the brand’s sleekest and most contemporary hour striker to date, and according to Ulysse Nardin, the loudest chiming wristwatch in the world. High-end audio help Founded in 2007 by a trio of Frenchmen, who named the company after 18th century French engineer Guillaume Vialet, Devialet is most famous for its white, egg-shaped Phantom Premier speaker that is compact, powerful and fairly expensive. Most notably, one of its founders, designers Emmanuel Nardin, is a member of the Nardin family that once owned Ulysse Nardin. The Devialet Gold Phantom Opéra de Paris speaker Devialet’s contribution to the Hourstriker Phantom was to boost its sound, accomplished in two ways. The first element being the attachment of the gongs to the movement. In an ordinary striking watch, the gongs are fixed with screws. On the other hand, the Hourstriker Phantom has its gongs secured by “torsion arms”, presumably small springs. A...

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Louis Erard Introduces Oct 14, 2019

Louis Erard Introduces the Regulator by Alain Silberstein (With Live Photos)

Louis Erard has been around for some 90 years, but for much of that time the brand produced watches for other labels. A decade ago, shortly after new owners took over, Louis Erard began to move slightly upmarket with mechanical watches featuring proprietary modules. But most of its designs were plain or derivative. And so Louis Erard could have been just another brand making mostly anonymous looking watches. But recently Louis Erard recruited the talented Manuel Emch – best known for reviving Jaquet Droz and then running RJ-Romain Jerome until 2017 – as an advisor and suddenly things have brightened up – literally. Louis Erard has just announced the Alain Silberstein Regulator, a surprisingly affordable wristwatch created by the watch designer famed for his whimsical, Bauhaus-inspired style – captured here in photos taken by a Swiss collector for SJX (scroll to the bottom to read my thoughts on the watch after seeing them shortly after this was published). Since Mr Silberstein’s eponymous company went bust in 2012, he has created watches for MB&F; and RJ-Romain Jerome. Despite the diversity of the brands he has worked with, Mr Silberstein versatile yet distinctive style manages to ease into each brand’s house style. Illustrating the magic of Mr Silberstein’s creativity, the new watch is based on one of Louis Erard’s signature models, the Excellence Regulator, which is ordinarily available with a grained or guilloche silver dial featuring Roman numera...

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Greubel Forsey Introduces Oct 14, 2019

Greubel Forsey Introduces the Entirely Hand-Made Tourbillon Watch

The Hand Made 1 is a watch “95%” produced “using only hand-operated tools”, requiring some 6,000 hours, according to Greubel Forsey. That’s equivalent to three years of work, largely performed by a special team of watchmakers assembled by Greubel Forsey specifically for this project, along with independent specialists who produce certain components. Functionally, the Hand Made 1 is a straightforward timepiece – it shows the time, hours, minutes and seconds, and is equipped with a one-tourbillon regulator. The movement is made up of 272 parts, which is within the usual range for such a movement. The complexity of the watch comes from how it is made – by hand or by hand-operated tools – which is why only two to three examples will be produced per year. The genesis for the Hand Made 1 is the department within Greubel Forsey that produces prototypes, which are essentially one-off, hand-made watches. The same production techniques are applied to the Hand Made 1, except that they are taken to a far higher level, in order to create components that are produced with the same techniques as prototypes but to the same fit and finish as standard Greubel Forsey movements. So each screw is made on a manual lathe, and can take up to eight hours to complete. The case components are milled on a pantograph lathe, essentially a manually operated CNC machine that requires the operator to guide the cutting tool to by hand. And even the balance spring is rolled by a manua...

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Omega Museum Oct 14, 2019

The New Omega Museum is Open

Located around the corner from its old premises, the Omega Museum has just reopened within La Cité du Temps – “The City of Time” – an impressive glass and wood building designed by Japanese architect Shigeru Ban, who has worked with the brand on several projects, including its new factory. Connected to the new Swatch brand headquarters via an aerial bridge, La Cité du Temps sits just behind Omega’s main building in Biel, a city about 90 minutes from Zurich by train. Appropriately, it is on a street named after Nicolas G. Hayek, founder of the Swatch Group, the Swiss watchmaking conglomerate that’s Omega’s parent company. La Cite du Temps, the horizontal building in the middle La Cite du Temps at right While the original museum was opened in 1983, making it the oldest watch brand museum in the world, the new museum sits on the second level of the five-story La Cité du Temps, with the Swatch Museum one floor above and another floor dedicated to temporary exhibitions. The new premises give the Omega Museum an expansive space to detail the watchmaker’s long and diverse history on a scale that was impossible in the museum’s former home, which it shared with the company canteen. The 64-window display that’s built like the links of a steel watch bracelet Each of the key themes in Omega history are captured in comprehensive exhibits, including being the official timekeeper for the Olympic Games, the Speedmaster Professional and the Moon landing – ...

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Rolex Unicorns Part II – Oct 13, 2019

Rolex Unicorns Part II - Ref. 8171 Triple Calendar “Padellone” in Steel

If I had a million dollars, or maybe two, to buy a Rolex, I could perhaps buy a ref. 4113 split-seconds, which is very large, very flat – a bit too large and flat for me – and exceptionally rare. Or I could buy a ref. 8171 triple calendar in steel, one in almost “new old stock” condition, as Phillips has in its upcoming Geneva auction. The ref. 8171 in question reminds me of the 369-year old Jehan Cremsdorff pocket watch Sotheby’s sold in the summer – it’s hard to believe something that old, admittedly not quite four centuries, can be so well preserved. The “Padellone” is incredibly – incredibly – clean and crisp. Up close, the ref. 8171 speaks for itself. The dial looks like the watch left the factory recently. It is clean, neat and the date track is in pure, vivid blue. Similarly, the hands are free of marks, meaning they were seldom, or never, removed from the dial. The condition of the dial is all the more unusual due to the fact that the ref. 8171 is not an Oyster. Instead, it has a snap-on back, instead of the water-resistant, screw-on back found on the Oyster watch case. Over time, snap backs tend to lose their water-resistance as a consequence of corrosion or deformation from repeated opening, which is why most ref. 8171s have dials that show obvious ageing. An example of a ref. 8171 with a dial showing ageing, this one offered at Christie’s Hong Kong in 2017 The steel case is similarly well preserved. Fortunately, steel is nota...

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Audemars Piguet Oct 11, 2019

In-Depth: Andersen Genève Montre à Tact for Only Watch 2019

Only Watch founder Luc Pettavino is a very persuasive man. Every two years, he manages to convince small watchmakers to risk neglecting paying customers, and instead to spend a lot of time and effort to exercise their creativity in building a one-off timepiece – and then give the resulting watch to the Only Watch charity auction. Most watchmakers regard it as an honour to be asked for a contribution, after all, the list of participants include boldface establishment names like Patek Philippe and Audemars Piguet. While Luc also receives many offers from brands, he wants to curate an interesting mix of watches for each Only Watch auction, capped at a maximum of 50 watches or so each time – he alone decides what’s in and what’s out. A few brands have been dedicated supporters of the charity since the very beginning, and they are usually invited to return year after year. In the inaugural Only Watch auction in 2005, lot 1 was the unique Eros “Navigation Pleasure” wristwatch. It was the work of Andersen Genève, the brand founded by Svend Andersen, a 77-year old veteran independent watchmaker best known for co-founding the Académie Horlogère des Créateurs Indépendants (AHCI). When Luc visited Svend at Baselworld earlier this year to solicit a contribution for Only Watch 2019, he received a swift “yes”. With the watch required to be finished for a world tour starting just three months after Baselworld, quick decisions were necessary a...

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Jaeger-LeCoultre Oct 11, 2019

Longines Introduces the Heritage Classic “Sector” Dial

Longines continues its streak of solidly made and eminently affordable vintage remakes with the Heritage Classic featuring a “sector” dial. The segmented dial design revisits a style, sometimes known as a “scientific” dial, that’s currently popular, one that has been done by brands as diverse as Habring2, Jaeger-LeCoultre and Laurent Ferrier. The sector dial was fairly common in the first half of the 20th century, and unlike most other companies doing remakes, Longines actually did produce such watches back in the day. According to Longines, the Heritage Classic is modelled on a watch from 1934 that’s in the company museum. As with the original, the sector dial on the remake is two-tone, with the chapter ring for the hour markers having a concentric brushed finish, while the central portion is finely grained. The markings are all printed, while the hands are blued steel. The Heritage Classic (left) and its 1934 inspiration The modern day remake is a faithful approximation of the original, right down to the typography for the Longines logo. It’s correctly proportioned as well, with a steel case that’s larger than the original but not too large, measuring 38.5mm in diameter and 10mm high, including the domed, “box glass” sapphire crystal. And because the case is matched with an appropriately sized movement that’s 25.6mm (or 11 1/1”’) wide, the subsidiary seconds does not sit too close to the centre of the dial, as is the case with large cases an...

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Bell & Ross BR 05 Skeleton Demand Oct 10, 2019

Hands-On: Bell & Ross BR 05 Skeleton

Demand for the luxury sports watches that were born in the 1970s – all with integrated bracelets and designed by Gerald Genta – is now red hot. That has fuelled the development of such watches from every corner the industry, from Chopard to Urban Jurgensen to Bell & Ross (B&R;). While many of these watches have sparked criticism for their derivative design, B&R;’s entry into the genre comes with a distinct price advantage. The BR 05 is probably the most reasonably priced watch in this design category, starting at under US$5000. No doubt it owes a great debt to Genta’s designs, but it would be futile to compare it with the alternatives given the price gulf. But the standard BR 05 is a pretty conventional watch – well done for the price but not something that jumps out at you. The BR 05 Skeleton, on the other hand, is striking, with a look and feel that is distinct – priced at about 20% more than the base model. Well dressed Like all watches in its category, the BR 05 is largely all about the case and bracelet. The BR 05 Skeleton is identical to the base model on the outside, with a rounded-square case and a bezel with visible screws at its corners. While it is appears to be a mishmash of Genta’s classics, it bears a strong enough resemblance to the brand’s signature BR 01 and BR 03 cases – which were inspired by aircraft instrument panels – that it can pass as a rather natural evolution. But in contrast to the BR 01 and BR 03, the BR 05 ha...

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Chanel Oct 10, 2019

Introducing the Hasta la Vista Revolver 8-Day Table Clock

A recent startup dedicated to creating unusual objects, The Unnamed Society makes its debut with a table clock shaped like the Colt Bisley Model revolver of the early 20th century. The clock is produced by L’Epee 1839, the Swiss clockmaker that is responsible for practically all of the unconventional and avant-garde mechanical clocks of recent years, most famously those designed by MB&F; but also Chanel. But it’s undoubtedly the success of MB&F;’s sci-fi clocks that have compelled various brands, old and new, to develop their own L’Epee 1839 clocks. Named Hasta la Vista, “goodbye” in Spanish, the clock is the shape and size of an actual revolver, measuring 350mm or just under 14 inches long. It’s made of steel and palladium-plated brass, and can be mounted on its accompanying base either via the grip or the barrel. Pictured here with the grip made of horn from the bighorn sheep, as well as engraving on the frame Mechanically it is identical to the 8-day clocks L’Epee 1839 has produced in other shapes and sizes. The time is indicated by two revolving cylinders – one each for the hours and minutes – that take the shape of the rear section of the pistol frame. The escapement, wheel train and mainspring are where the cylinder (which contains the bullets) would be. Winding is accomplished by a key that’s inserted into the end of the barrel. Though it’s a limited edition of 50, each clock can be customised with a variety of options offered for the g...

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Zenith Daytonas Oct 10, 2019

Rolex Unicorns Part I - Ref. 4113 Split-Seconds Chronograph

If I had a million dollars, or maybe two, to buy a Rolex chronograph, I could perhaps buy one of the five unique “Zenith” Daytonas in platinum, a Datocompax “Jean-Claude Killy” (as Davide Munari did), a “Paul Newman” Daytona (not), or a ref. 4113 split-seconds. Of the many ways to spend that much money on a Rolex chronograph – and not any other complication – the ref. 4113 is the most unusual, interesting and horologically complex. At the same time, the ref. 4113 was also a dead-end for Rolex, because it never furthered development of the split-second chronograph and instead relied on standard chronographs for all its auto-racing activities. Produced in 1942 in a run of just 12 watches – with case numbers “051’313” to “051’324” -the ref. 4113 is the only split-seconds, or rattrapante, chronograph ever made by Rolex. Phillips will soon sell ref. 4113 with case number “051’318” – the watch pictured here – at its upcoming November watch auction. Ref. 4113 with case number “051’318” The Valjoux 55 inside The racing connection Though formal documentation as to its origins no longer exist or are unknown, the story behind the ref. 4113 is by now familiar thanks to research over the years as examples emerged at auction. In 1991, a pair of these emerged at Christie’s, at its Geneva and London salerooms respectively. The first, with case number was “051’313”, was sold in May 1991 at Christie’s in Geneva for 82,500 Swiss fr...

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Audemars Piguet museum according Oct 9, 2019

Business News: Rolex to Replace New York Headquarters with 25-Storey Building

A year after the opening of the Rolex Building in Dallas, designed by Japanese architect Kengo Kuma, London-based David Chipperfield Architects just announced it won an international design contest for the new Rolex skyscraper in New York City, beating out big names like Foster+Partners and Bjarke Ingels Group (which designed the new Audemars Piguet museum), according to industry publication Architects’ Journal. “Our team is committed to creating an exemplary building befitting the heritage and culture of the Rolex brand, as well as its prominent 5th Avenue location,” says Mr Chipperfield, speaking in the press announcement. Modernist and fronted entirely in glass, much like the rest of its work, the Chipperfield design will replace the watchmaker’s existing building located at 665 5th Avenue, on the corner with 53rd Street. Originally built for Danish silversmith Georg Jensen in 1924, the 12-storey building was revamped with a glass and aluminium facade when Rolex acquired it in 1977 for its American headquarters. The current Rolex Building, home to the company since the 1970s. Image – Google Maps A rendering of the new Rolex Building. Image – David Chipperfield Architects According to industry lore, the then chief executive of Rolex, Andre Heiniger, decided to buy the 5th Avenue building during a visit to the United States, closing the deal before getting the approval of the company’s board. Heiniger also led Rolex to acquire several dozen lo...

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