Hodinkee
Four + One: It's All About The Indies for Christopher Daaboul
The owner of retailer EsperLuxe loves the stories just as much as the watches themselves.
254 articles · 159 videos found · page 10 of 14
Hodinkee
The owner of retailer EsperLuxe loves the stories just as much as the watches themselves.
Hodinkee
The shockingly affordable C1 Bel Canto has captured collectors’ attention and plotted a new course for the brand. And if you missed it the first time, or the second time, you're about to get a third chance.
SJX Watches
Having been resurrected three years ago, Ikepod is returning to collaborations with contemporary artists, this time for Megapod designed together with Tom Christopher, best known for his paintings of New York City streetscapes. Based the automatic model launched last year, the Ikepod X Tom Christopher Megapod is a 200-piece edition sold exclusively online, reflecting the reborn Ikepod’s focus on affordable watches sold direct to the consumer. The Tom Christopher Megapod is the brand’s first artist collaboration since the Jeff Koons and KAWS watches created by an earlier iteration of the company. To recap, the brand was originally founded by Swiss businessman Oliver Ike and industrial designer Marc Newson in 1994, but failed to achieve commercial success despite its distinctive designs, in part due to high retail prices that resulted from its small production and high-quality components. It closed its doors in 2006, before being revived by art collector and dealer Adam Lindemann, whose influence helped gets Mr Koons and KAWS on board. But the brand continued to focus on pricey watches, and went bust once again in 2012. Now owned by a pair of Swiss entrepreneurs, the latest iteration of Ikepod is very much sticking with entry-level watches. Initial thoughts Having been the brainchild of Mr Newson, and then backed by Mr Lindemann, Ikepod’s idiosyncratic timepieces were long popular with certain well-heeled fans of contemporary art. Kanye West, for instance, sported a...
Deployant
Ikepod announces an extension to the Megapod line with a new artist collab with Tom Christopher, with dial art on the Megapod MCT 1 Skaters in the Sky.
Hodinkee
An American take on a classic British chronometer.
Video
Fratello
Sometimes we come across projects or brands initiated by unique characters. Christophe Schaefer is one of those people. He is the founder of Schaefer & Companions, which releases special watches in very limited quantities. These timepieces result from Schaefer using his brand as a platform to celebrate human creativity. He does so by collaborating with […] Visit A Hands-On Introduction To The Schaefer & Companions Solune Antarctica Micro-Painting to read the full article.
Monochrome
Originally founded in 1918 in Granges, Switzerland, Eska Watches vanished during the quartz crisis and was revived in 2024 by Christophe Chevreton and Sinicha Knezevic. The partners quickly captured the essence of Eska’s heritage and adapted it to modern trends. The rebirth began with the Amphibian 250 dive watch and the Heritage Chronograph, both assembled […]
Fratello
You’re familiar with Max Büsser and his friends. The creations MB&F; produces are incredible, wondrous, and imaginative, but they’re also out of reach for the majority of watch enthusiasts. Let me introduce you to Schaefer & Companions, a brand recently founded in Le Locle that positions itself as an artistic platform. Christophe Schaefer, the brand’s […] Visit Introducing: Schaefer & Companions Solune Grand Art Marqueterie - Straw You Can Actually Clutch At to read the full article.
Monochrome
In a press release issued just a few hours ago, the LVMH Watches Division announced having acquired a minority stake in yet another key player in the Swiss watch industry. As a reminder, the LVMH Watches Division comprises brands Hublot, TAG Heuer and Zenith and is under the direction of Jean-Christophe Babin, also CEO of […]
Monochrome
Eska may not be a well-known brand, but this revived Swiss watchmaker is gaining attention among enthusiasts. Initially founded in 1918 by Silvan Kocher (whose initials inspired the brand’s name), Eska built a reputation in the mid-20th century before succumbing to the Quartz Crisis in the 1980s. Reborn under the direction of Christophe Chevreton and […]
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Revolution
Wei sit down with Jean-Christophe Babin, CEO of Bulgari, as we discove their new 2024 novelties, including the superbly thin Octo Finissimo Ultra.
Revolution
Join Wei and Christophe Chevalier, PR of Tudor, as they go through Tudor exciting new novelties for Watches & Wonders 2024.
Revolution
Revolution Founder Wei Koh and Revolution UK Editor-in-Chief Ross Povey were some of the first people at Watches and Wonders to get their hands on the new Tudor novelties. They had the honor of being led through this exciting collection by Tudor’s Head of Public Relations Christophe Chevalier. The Tudor Black Bay returns in 37mm, […]
SJX Watches
Though born in Japan, Yosuke Sekiguchi is steeped in the tradition of Swiss watchmaking. He moved first to France and then Switzerland some two decades ago, and is today fluent in French and skilled at watchmaking. After a career at complications specialists like Claret and La Joux-Perret, Mr Sekiguchi established his own brand in 2020 with the goal of building a historically-inspired timepiece of extremely high quality. The concept is a familiar one that has been interpreted in various ways by others, but Mr Sekiguchi arguably succeeds far better in both paying tribute to the historical inspiration and achieving impressive, artisanal quality. His first watch is the Primevère, which made its debut just earlier this year. It is an elegantly designed and clearly rooted in 19th century pocket watches, but also novel in several ways, reflecting Mr Sekiguchi’s unusual approach to the concept. Amongst other things, it is robustly constructed and larger than such wristwatches typically are. And while the movement resembles its vintage inspiration, it is fabricated and decorated in a finer, more artisanal manner than the 19th century original. NB: The Primevère pictured here is the first complete prototype with a gold-plated case, so it still reveals several obvious imperfections in the movement decoration. Mr Sekiguchi promises the the final product will be perfectly finished and I believe that it will be. Initial thoughts Although it appears to be a pocket watch reproducti...
Hodinkee
A wide-ranging conversation with Jean-Christophe Babin.
Video
Time+Tide
The OceanMoon has been a key part of the Bausele lineup for a decade, released as a watch made for one place – the water. Designed by Christophe Hoppe, who moved to Australia from Switzerland only a little before he started work on this watch, the beaches of Sydney must have offered some inspiration that … ContinuedThe post HANDS-ON: The Bausele OceanMoon IV literally has a bit of Australia in every watch appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Revolution
Jean-Christophe Babin, CEO of Bulgari, walks us through Bvlgari’s 7th world records: the 5.8mm thin, Octo Finissimo Perpetual Calendar unveiled at Watches & Wonders 2021.
Revolution
For Type 20 collector Christophe (a.k.a. @Toiche), there is a Breguet for every occasion.
Time+Tide
There aren’t many watch brands that can proudly claim to be Australian, but Bausele is one of the select few. Founded by Christophe Hoppe in 2011, Bausele have just announced their partnership with the RAAF to produce two watches that will celebrate the Royal Australian Air Force Centenary in 2021. It is exciting news that … ContinuedThe post Bausele is the official watch provider of the Royal Australian Air Force Centenary with two historically inspired designs appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
As Georges Kern, Patrick Pruniaux, Jean-Christophe Babin and a dozen-or-so other watch CEOs stood on stage in a moment of solidarity to pose for a group photo, behind them a big Geneva Watch Days sign went largely unnoticed, obstructed from view by the hussy of wrist-displaying head hunchos. Some smiled, some straightened their ties and … ContinuedThe post We filmed behind-the-scenes at Geneva Watch Days to show you what a watch fair is like in 2020 (it’s as weird as the year itself) appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
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Time+Tide
It started with an invitation to join Watchonista’s ‘Home Time Live’, a new series on Instagram that takes followers into the homes of the industry’s leaders and luminaries for an intimate interview. Georges Kern, CEO of Breitling. Jean-Christophe Babin, CEO of Bulgari. Max Büsser of MB&F;. And now, a Happy Hour version of the usual … ContinuedThe post Andrew reveals five of his own watches in a Media Watch Death Match against Josh from Watchonista (and gets a slapping) appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
Following the cancellation of both the year’s biggest watch fairs – Baselworld and Watches & Wonders Geneva (WWG) – due to the COVID-19 coronavirus, a consortium of watch brands have come together to show their wares come April. The event, dubbed Geneva Watch Days, was the brainchild of Bulgari and its chief executive Jean-Christophe Babin – one of the first brands to pull out of Baselworld – and conceived with European press and retailers in mind. [Update March 24, 2020: GWD will now take place August 26-29, 2020 instead.] WWG to GWD Taking place when WWG was due to happen, April 26 to 29, Geneva Watch Days now has a line-up of brands big and small: Girard-Perregaux, Gerald Genta, Ulysse Nardin, Breitling, MB&F;, De Bethune and Urwerk. A handful more might sign on, including H. Moser & Cie. and Chopard. However, at present, none of the brands belonging to the major watchmaking conglomerates, Richemont or Swatch Group, or either of the Geneva giants, namely Rolex and Patek Philippe, has announced their participation – and are unlikely to due to the complexities of the industry. Crucially, Geneva Watch Days is not a fair per se, rather it is a series of events organised by brands in separate venues, including boutiques and hotels, but happening during the same period. Because the individual events during Geneva Watch Days are small-scale and discrete, none of them will run counter to the Swiss government’s temporary ban on events with over 1,000 people. ...
SJX Watches
Barely a month after the inaugural LVMH Watch Week in Dubai, Bulgari has announced it is out of Baselworld 2020, citing the “Coronavirus pandemic”. Instead, Bulgari will present its products at roadshows in key markets, where amongst other things it will unveil a new record-setting ultra-thin watch. In the Bulgari announcement of its exit, chief executive Jean-Christophe Babin was careful to note that the jeweller might return to the event, stating “we remain open for 2021 onwards to continue with Baselworld”, with a decision due to be made by June 2020. The Roman jeweller is the biggest revenue earner amongst the LVMH watch and jewellery brands, which also includes watchmakers Hublot, TAG Heuer, and Zenith. All four already showed most of their new products for the year in Dubai, though Bulgari is the only one to depart Baselworld. Sunny and free of the flu in Dubai In contrast, the three watch brands of LVMH will be staying put. In a press release swiftly put out by Baselworld after Bulgari’s departure, LVMH watch division president Stéphane Bianchi stated: “We believe in the importance of a major event for the Swiss watch industry and look forward to a successful fair, both in terms of image and sales, for our three Maisons.” The divergence between Bulgari and the LVMH watch division gives credence to talk within the industry that a keen rivalry has developed between Messrs Babin and Bianchi, who joined LVMH in 2018 after a successful stint running Fre...
Time+Tide
There was not a moment’s hesitation. Jean-Christophe Babin, the CEO of Bulgari, and I were standing on a pool deck at a villa in Dubai. Within sight, an emerald green ocean. Swaying palm trees. Skies of blue. A world away from the scene I had left, when I’d jumped on an Emirates flight 24 hours … ContinuedThe post VIDEO: “Our planet is the most precious gem we have.” Bulgari CEO adds his voice – and a $50K watch – to our bushfire appeal auction appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
I like interviewing Jean-Christophe Babin. There is a playfulness to the Bulgari CEO; in fact, I’d go so far as to say there’s a wickedness to his personality that makes the exchange unpredictable. You don’t know what’s going to happen, or what direction the conversation will take. But wherever it goes, it’s almost always with … ContinuedThe post Bulgari CEO drops an Octo Finissimo Chronograph on the ground to make a point appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
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