Time Is a Jewel
As one would expect, all kinds of creations, innovations and variations were revealed at Watches & Wonders 2023. New materials, new technologies, new designs… one could not stop taking notes and writing down article ideas while queuing to access Palexpo. At the risk of sounding superficial, I chose this year to focus on jewelled timepieces. […]
Standing ovation
Watches & Wonders 2023 has been a great show for the main maisons. Patek Philippe had new versions of the ref. 6300 Grandmaster Chime, Vacheron Constantin produced another wonder in their Cabinotiers series, and Roger Dubuis introduced a new idea into its hyper horology universe with some justification, re-thinking the tourbillon and micro-rotor winding system […]
Bovet 1822 Virtuoso XI
There is an art to producing a skeleton watch. The trick is to remove sufficient material to enhance the aesthetics and completely show the inner workings, while still keeping the movement robust enough to function. Take away too much metal from the bridges, for example, and they could deform and damage the performance of the […]
IWC Ingenieur 40
Launched in 1957, the IWC Ingenieur was always intended as a technical watch, named after engineers for engineers. But it was not until Gérald Genta designed the reference 1832 – released in 1976 – that it took on a modern form. The 1970s were a decade of change in many ways and in terms of […]
Her Time
Although ladies wristwatches date back to the mid 19th century (coincidently, Omega’s founder Louis Brandt started making watches in 1848), it wasn’t really until the early 1900s that women who were not from the upper-classes began to wear watches, which kick-started mass-production and the development of a complete new sector in the industry. By this […]
Mercedes-AMG SL 55 4MATIC+ Roadster
I feel very privileged that my job allows me to drive dozens of wonderful cars every year, but by the same token, it takes a lot to impress me, let alone make want to chain myself to the car when it’s time to return it after my testing period; but that is exactly what happened […]
Fifty Fathoms Tech Gombessa
Belabouring the hoary old puns declaring that watches are “all about timing”, it is timing that graced Blancpain with not one but two matters to celebrate with the latest incarnation of the Fifty Fathoms. 2023 marks both the 70th anniversary of this pioneering diving watch and the 10th anniversary of Gombessa, an environmental project that […]
A New Kind Of Desire
At an exclusive event last week at their revamped boutique in Mayfair, the new SV Lansdowne Edition car was revealed. The latest SUV from the SV Bespoke division of the British manufacturer is proof positive that true luxury is in high demand these days. Perhaps we should rather speak about the redefinition of luxury, which […]
Joint Ecstasy
The 1970s, in the luxury world, were a time of excess. Fashion looked to exaggerate the bohemian style of the late 1960s with flared trousers, wide collars, and excessively patterned coloured fabrics. At the other extreme, the Halston, Missoni and Diane von Furstenberg-clad crowds were part of the disco era of dance floors and glitter, […]
The Gift of Time
My job as an editor means that my life is ruled by strict time boundaries and imminent deadlines, so I spend a lot of time looking at my watch. I imagine this happens to many of you and your partners, so I thought you may be interested in introducing a bit of variety into the […]
