Watches & Wonders, the reunion
Watches and Wonders has been the first major Swiss watch fair in over two years and, whilst it felt great to be back in a familiar environment, it felt simultaneously strange. The lack of both Asian and Russian attendees meant that the show seemed less busy than expected, but on the whole, it was as […]
It’s getting pretty complicated
Slowly but steadily watch brands have realised that women care about their wristwear. Gone are the days when you could just make a smaller version of your best-selling men’s watch, stick a few diamonds on it and sell it to the ladies. As women become increasingly independent and wealthy, take more space in boardrooms, on […]
Wilhelm Schmid’s Odyssey
When asked about the greatest change during his time in charge of A. Lange & Söhne, Wilhelm Schmid was definitive in his response: “It’s now! Now, this past year, is the greatest change in the watch industry.” A decade as CEO of one of the horological world’s best loved firms has shown how fickle the […]
How to buy the watch of your dreams
It might seem a simple enough proposition. Buying a watch should be a matter of walking into a retailer, selecting the one that captures your eye and meets your budget, and handing over your credit card. However, there are questions that may arise during this supposedly simple process depending on what you want it for. […]
On James Bond’s horological service
With the latest outing for the evergreen British secret agent just a few months away in No Time to Die, it seems a suitable moment to look at his wrist wear during the past decades. Over the course of 25 films there are three basic items that Bond always seems to collect from the Quartermaster […]
Greubel Forsey Balancier S
When Greubel Forsey first introduced their sports line about six months back, it came as something of a surprise to most in the watch world. A manufacturer at the very zenith of the industry, known and rightly lauded for their superlative complications and movement finishing made an incisive foray into the extreme watch world with […]
Diving into summer with Bell & Ross
Whether it is beach or pool, one of the great things about summer is the water; the relaxed and carefree days where the timed routine and the drudgery of the office commute become a distant memory. Dive watches have, to some extent, become an essential summer wrist accessory. Not that we will all be likely […]
Montblanc’s New Classics
(Opening image: Montblanc 1858 Geosphere in steel.) Watchmaking’s obsession with heritage is branded deep into the DNA of Swiss manufactures. That poses a problem, as the industry’s other major obsession is novelty (and no amount of persuasion will stop the brands referring to their new watches as novelties). It is possible for the two to […]
Slim d’Hermès GMT and L’Heure De La Lune
(Opening image: Slim d’Hermes GMT Rose Gold ) The last decade has seen Hermès edge closer to centre-stage in the watch world, demanding and receiving equal billing with larger and longer-established maisons. Two launches at this year’s digital-only Watches & Wonders show exactly why. As part-owners of Vaucher Manufacture, Hermès have access to high quality […]
Breaking Moulds: The Independents
Opening image: Speake Marin ONE & TWO Openworked Tourbillon. In this day and age new watch releases from independent manufacturers tend to occur throughout the year. That said, a number have saved their new creations for Watches & Wonders 2020. Speake Marin have continued to develop their “One&Two” openworked tourbillon design with their in-house self-winding […]
