Toys

Toys

All Around the World

Why Nomos Glashütte’s Club Sport Neomatik Worldtimer wowed the Watches & Wonders crowds

In just six years’ time, it’ll be a century since Swiss watchmaker Louis Cottier – in response to increasing use of transcontinental trains, ocean liners and passenger-based aviation –created a timepiece whose rotating and fixed rings reflected the world time-zones which had been established in 1883.

Since then, international transit has not only been democratised, but become a necessarily evil to many – and yet, the sheer romance of having how the earth’s rotation affects the time in major cities around the world hasn’t diminished one iota. Just ask those among the 55,000 visitors to this year’s Watches & Wonders trade fair in Geneva who visited Nomos Glashütte, and pored over the German manufacture’s latest upgrade to the Club Sport Neomatik: a Worldtimer function.

Most would-be owners will choose between a silver or dark blue dial, framed by a 40.5mm diameter (9.9mm thick) stainless steel case. There are also six limited-edition (175 pieces each) versions whose dials are in “Canyon”, “Dune”, “Glacier”, “Jungle”, “Magma” and “Volcano”: a chromatic mini-sequel to the 31-colour Tangente 38 Date collection the brand launched at Watches & Wonders…

Toys

The Old Razzle-Dazzle

Watches & Wonders 2025 was all about the spectacle. And why not?

If Watches & Wonders 2024 was all about America’s Cup boats, 2025 was the year of the F1 car. On the IWC stand it appeared smashed and smoking – an actual crashed car from Brad Pitt’s summer blockbuster, F1. TAG Heuer went for a more traditional approach, giving it some stand space, while Tudor opted […]

Toys

Go ahead and jump!

The fall and rise of the “wandering hours” complication

We tend to think of digital watches as a purely 70s phenomenon, the logical next step after the introduction of quartz at the beginning of the decade, the last stop before the future arrived – or at least that’s how I felt when I first strapped on my Texas Instruments LED (finished in leather-effect plastic […]

Toys

Strip and Recharge

Sir Paul Smith and MINI’s commitment to sustainability

MINI has been committed to sustainability earlier than most traditional car brands. Last year, the company announced that their last combustion engine model will be launched in 2025 and that the brand will become electric only from the early 2030s. But before that, they have been doing a lot of homework to show how invested […]

Toys

Ahead of its time

From the very beginning, Swiss watchmaker Rado focused on materials and design. Following the motto of its founders, the Schlup brothers: “If we can imagine it, we can make it. And if we can make it, we will”, the brand soon established itself as a sort of maverick in an industry that at the time […]

Business, Toys

It Is All About Desire

Torsten Müller-Ötvös, CEO, Rolls-Royce

Intelligent looking and always impeccably dressed, Torsten Müller-Ötvös has been Chief Executive Officer at Rolls-Royce Motor Cars since 2010, after building a top career in the automotive sector that includes the stellar re-launch of MINI (2000) and the global marketing and brand management of BMW (2004). In these 12 years, Torsten has turned around the […]

Toys

Chanel J12 Diamond Tourbillon

by Dr Andrew Hildreth

There has been a change in the way that haute horlogerie by traditional fashion brands is perceived, and no other embodies this evolution better than Chanel. While it was once sufficient to produce a watch laden with precious and semi-precious stones, or with a brand detail on the dial, there is now an emphasis on […]

Toys

Hyper-machinery

Roger Dubuis debuts at the 2022 Goodwood Festival of Speed

The Goodwood Festival of Speed truly is a celebration of English idioms. Jump in the old jalopy and cannon up the hill, past the stately home, run the gauntlet of the wall, and then across the finish line, after which, you sojourn to the safety of the Driver’s Club for a libation or two. Over […]

Toys

MERCEDES EQE

Intelligence is beautiful

The Mercedes EQE is the second model series to be based on the electric architecture that debuted with the EQS. Much more compact and sportier than its sibling, the EQE maintains the one-bow lines and cabin-forward design of the EQ family and it is as spacious and comfortable as you’d expect from anything with a […]

Toys

J. Craft Torpedo

Like the wind

If you want to get noticed slicing through the waves at 40+ knots on the Riviera, then consider a J. Craft Torpedo, a super-fast runabout that stands out from the rest not only for its chic retro styling but also because, to date, only 27 have been made. That is just over one per annum […]

Toys

A Celebration of Excellence

London Concours at the Honorary Artillery Company

London is full of hidden places. Whether through planning or accident, there are wonderful sites untouched by urban sprawl. The Honorary Artillery Company (HAC) grounds nestled between Bunhill Row and the City Road, is one of them. Although now a charity, the former regiment has occupied the Artillery Garden since 1641, and Armoury House, its […]

Toys

Norton V4SV Superbike

Celebrating 100 Years of Racing at Isle of Man TT.

To celebrate the 100th anniversary of Norton’s involvement with the world-famous Isle of Man TT Races, the British manufacturer has launched a re-engineered V4SV Superbike. Norton is synonymous with producing iconic machines with racing pedigree. The British brand has been linked with the most famous motorcycle racing at the Isle of Man Tourist Trophy since […]