Business

Business

Richard Benc – The Underd0g

Breaking all the rules

After witnessing the long queues to the Studio Underd0g stand snaking around the London venue for British Watchmakers’ Day back in March, our Editor-in-Chief Julia Pasarón couldn’t resist finding out more about the man causing the disruption: Richard Benc.

Richard ended up in watchmaking more out of chance than passion. With a degree in product design, he landed his first job helping to create character watches (Mickey Mouse, Minions… that type of thing), and from there he moved on to the Bauhaus-inspired company, Braun. Along the way, he fell in love with mechanical things and how to make them smaller and better. “It should have been clearer to me that I was destined to design watches,” he says candidly. “I always enjoyed details. I like how a tiny design decision can have a very large impact on the overall aesthetic of a watch.”

As the idea of creating his brand started to germinate, it was clear to him that he wanted to explore colour and vibrancy, in opposite contrast to the Bauhaus style. In general, he was disappointed by the lack of creativity in the…

Business, Lifestyle, luxury shopping

Harrods’ 175th anniversary

The world’s most famous luxury department store celebrates 175 years of retail magic

Arguably the most famous luxury department store in the world, Harrods is marking its 175th anniversary with all manner of exciting celebrations and special-edition products. From its iconic teddy bears to its renowned Festival of Lights, there are many highlights in store for customers throughout the year. Embodying the very essence of luxury, tradition and […]

Business

Audrey Raffy

The beautiful mind driving Bovet into the future

The vice president of Bovet, Audrey Raffy, is most definitely a rising star in the watch industry. Her cosmopolitan background, natural intelligence and exceptional qualifications are the tools with which she is taking the company into the future, navigating one of the most competitive sectors in luxury. Audrey has Lebanese roots, was born in France, […]

Business

Women Of The Future 2019

The search for the Women of the Future 2019 is officially underway. Do you know her?

The nominations for the 2019 Women of the Future Awards (supported by Aviva), are now open. The Women of the Future Awards, founded by Pinky Lilani CBE DL in 2006, were conceived to provide a platform to strengthen the pipeline of female talent in the UK. The awards, now in their fourteenth year, celebrate the […]

Business

Touker Suleyman

The dragon with a heart of gold

With more than 40 years experience as an entrepreneur, Touker Suleyman became a household name in the UK thanks to his participation in Dragon’s Den, where he has invested in numerous businesses, helping promising entrepreneurs realise their dreams. In the business community, he is best known for taking fashion brands Hawes & Curtis and Ghost, from the brink of bankruptcy to […]

Business

Gerry McGovern

Chief Design Officer, Land Rover The business of design, the game changer Very few names in the world of automotive design are better known than Gerry McGovern’s. This is not just because he was introduced to the world of car design when he was still in secondary school, or because he is the creative […]

Business

Don Cochrane

Vertex was founded in 1916 by Claude Lyons, Don Cochrane’s great grandfather. In the 20s and 30s, they made elegant gentlemen’s sport and evening watches and truly beautiful cocktail ladies watches, with designs inspired by Art Deco. Lyons’s son-in-law, Henry Lazarus, a Captain in the British army, joined the business in 1938, and soon they […]

Business

Gabriella Somerville

by Lysanne Currie With a (literally) high-flying career over three decades, Gabriella Somerville’s flight path has taken her from air hostess to aircraft sales. As founder and managing director of private aviation services company, ConnectJets, she talks to us about the challenges of the aviation industry post Brexit, improving the gender balance and the rise […]

Business

Michel Parmigiani

Design inspired by nature When Michel Parmigiani had to pick a career, he hesitated between architecture and watchmaking, two disciplines that share intense technical and creative sides. Watchmaking won and Michel Parmigiani completed his studies specialising in restoration. In 1976 he opened his own atelier, where he created and restored pieces for brands like Breguet and […]

Business

150 Not Out – by Simon de Burton

An American’s dream looks to the future

As little as 15 years ago the initials “IWC” meant nothing to anyone who was not a dyed-in-the-wool horophile. But now the historic brand is widely recognised as a major player on the luxury watch scene, with everything from its earliest vintage pocket watches to its latest “haute horlogerie” creations being highly sought-after by collectors. The initials […]

Business

How AI is impacting the workforce

By Merje Shaw, MD and co-founder of Path59

The true power of Artificial Intelligence is yet to be properly understood in the full ‘self-aware’ sense (as science fiction describes it), but there are many aspects of this exciting future state which are already here and others that are fast-emerging. Currently, we are benefitting from many advances in AI in our everyday lives. Bought […]

Business

Kelly Hoppen, MBE

With a career that extends over four decades, Kelly Hoppen is one of the most celebrated interior designers in the world. Over the years, she has put a lot of heart and passion into inspiring women in business and supporting young entrepreneurs. Furthermore, Kelly is a committed philanthropist, giving her time and attention to causes […]