Revolution
The Virus That Went Viral - What The Market Might Say…
Ross Povey ponders the impact of the recent spate of cancelations of watch events and its wider impact on the watch market…
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Revolution
Ross Povey ponders the impact of the recent spate of cancelations of watch events and its wider impact on the watch market…
SJX Watches
On a fast-moving Friday that started with the first case of the COVID-19 coronavirus in the city of Basel being diagnosed according to Swiss newspaper Le Temps, the day culminated in the organisers of Baselworld 2020 announcing its postponement to January 2021, essentially cancelling this year’s trade fair. This comes a day after the organisers of Geneva watch fair Watches & Wonders announced it was cancelled, which wipes out the entire year’s calendar for the major watch industry events. Though the Baselworld organisers had initially planned to meet on Monday, March 2, according to an announcement by Hubert J. du Plessix, the president of the event’s exhibitors committee (and also the director of investments and logistics at Rolex), events got ahead of them. The primary catalyst Baselworld’s cancellation was the Swiss government declaring a ban on all gatherings of over 1,000 people, until at least March 15 – which instantly made the Geneva Motor Show, one of the automotive industry’s most important events, a non-starter. Now Baselworld 2021 will take place from January 28 to February 2, with press day happening on January 27. Baselworld managing director Michel Loris-Melikoff, commenting in the announcement of the event’s cancellation, stated “We have found a solution that enables the industry and all our customers to avoid losing a full year and at the same time reset their calendars for the beginning of the year, a period that is conductive to the...
Deployant
Followup to the cancellation of Watches & Wonders 2020, we wrote to and reveived communication from Baselworld. Here is what they say.
Quill & Pad
The news broke like a hurricane on the morning of February 27, 2020: Watches & Wonders (formerly SIHH) has been canceled for 2020. In the words of Hublot CEO Ricardo Guadalupe, “The future of the fairs is already in the balance – to cancel them is really bad news for them, and for Baselworld in particular." Read on for more of his opinion.
SJX Watches
RJ Watches, better known as Romain Jerome, has just gone bankrupt. Announced almost exactly a month after De Grisogono met the same fate, the bankruptcy of RJ Watches SA is the consequence of its majority shareholder, a company controlled by a member of the Saudi royal family, deciding to “stop investing in the company”. Though RJ was never a major watchmaker – its peak revenue was around 20 million Swiss francs – the brand was often in the headlines thanks to its shrewd and occasionally ridiculous marketing. Founded in 2004 and named after the two sons of its founder, Alain Bajulaz, RJ started out making mechanical golf-counter watches, but swiftly took a drastic new direction after Yvan Arpa was appointed chief executive in 2006. By then owned by the Saudi investor, RJ enjoyed a brief period of turbocharged, and in hindsight unsustainable, growth under Mr Arpa. A former Hublot manager, Mr Arpa was a fervent marketer of the most preposterous ideas that were somehow weirdly compelling. Amongst his creations were the rusty-looking Titanic DNA watches and timepieces sprinkled with actual Moon dust. Perhaps the masterpiece was a rusty-Titanic double tourbillon that had no hands and did not tell the time. The 2008 collaboration between Romain Jerome and Cabestan producing the Titanic DNA tourbillon – and now both brands are no more The case has a stabilised and protected rusty-look finish Mr Arpa and the company parted ways in 2009 amidst a lawsuit, and he went o...
SJX Watches
Last year was the 25th anniversary of A. Lange & Söhne’s modern-day revival in 1994, also the debut year of the iconic Lange 1. For the occasion, ten limited edition Lange 1 models were unveiled over the course of the year. The line-up ranged from the basic to the ultra complicated, but one of the standouts was a model in the middle of the spectrum – the Grand Lange 1 Moonphase “25th Anniversary”. Introduced in 2003, the Grand Lange 1 was essentially an upsized Lange 1, with a larger but slightly thinner case – and the same L901.0 movement found in the standard Lange 1. The result was an awkward, cramped dial with overlapping displays that abandoned the orderly asymmetry of the classic Lange 1 dial. Nine years later, the Grand Lange 1 movement was redesigned to create the cal. L095.1, which accommodated all of the indications on a dial with the correct proportions. A moon phase was added to the movement the following year, which increased its thickness slightly. The 25th anniversary edition is a second generation Grand Lange 1 Moon Phase with a subtle, beautiful twist – and one of the most appealing models from the anniversary line-up. Anniversary livery Though large, the watch is notably flat, giving it an elegant profile on the wrist. With a height of 9.4 mm, the white gold case is still thinner than that of the basic Lange 1, despite having the additional moon phase complication. The tripartite case construction has a brushed middle between the polish...
SJX Watches
Watches & Wonders Geneva (WWG), the trade show formerly known as SIHH, has just announced its cancellation. Scheduled to take place in Geneva from April 25 to 29, the event was canned due to “the latest developments concerning the worldwide spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus”. Organising body Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie (FIHH) said in a statement that the decision was made “to protect the health and wellbeing of all our guests, press, partners and teams.” Its announcement comes not long after Switzerland confirmed its first patient with the coronavirus on Tuesday, alongside a sudden spike in cases in Italy. A scene from SIHH 2019 WWG is the second major Swiss event to be cancelled, following the Swatch Group’s decision to call off Time to Move in Zurich, a launch exhibition of its new watches, which was scheduled to take place from February 28 to March 2. Industry insiders now expect Baselworld 2020, slated to take place right after WWG, to follow suit. Several exhibitors at Baselworld, including Bulgari and Citizen, have already pulled out of the fair. But as of February 20, the world’s biggest watch and jewellery trade show is still going ahead.
Time+Tide
Editor’s note: When it comes to stunning dials and complicated movements made simple, no one does it better than Moser. The Moser Endeavour Perpetual Moon Concept in red gold is one such example, with an enchanting fumé dial and a perpetual moon phase that is so simply laid out, those not in the know might … ContinuedThe post Complication made simple with the Moser Endeavour Perpetual Moon Concept appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Hodinkee
A quartet of legendary watches from a modern legend in watchmaking.
Deployant
Luminox releases 3 new Bear Grylls Survival Series watches. We go hands-on with one of them: the Chronograph Bear Grylls Survival 3740.
Revolution
Casio add new members to the G-Shock family to mark the 25th anniversary of the iconic G-Shock DW-6900-1V.
Revolution
The story of the MB&F; Legacy Machine Perpetual’s creation is as intriguing as the innovative workings of the movement driving it.
Revolution
Launched in 2018 in two versions of 25 pieces, one in polished steel version and the other one in gunmetal finish, the Urwerk UR-111C now comes in a two-tone version made of black PVD and brushed steel.
SJX Watches
Backed by Chopard and taking the name of a noted 18th century French watchmaker, Ferdinand Berthoud made its debut in 2015 with the Chronomètre FB 1. Though unusual in style with an octagonal case, the FB 1 boasts an impressively constructed movement developed and manufactured by the same facility responsible for Chopard’s top-of-the-line L.U.C calibres; the project was the brainchild of Chopard co-president Karl-Friedrich Scheufele. At its core the FB 1 is an elaborate – and delightfully anachronistic – tribute to 18th century marine chronometers inside and out. The subject of four patents, the unusual calibre is very much antiquarian horology; it is constructed with pillar-style architecture and contains a chain-and-fusée, feeler-and-cone power reserve mechanism, and a large tourbillon with central seconds. Since the debut of the FB 1, there have been as many as ten subsequent variations – which is probably too many but it doesn’t diminish from the intrinsic, technical qualities of the watch – with one of the most recent being the Chronomètre FB 1 “Oeuvre d’Or” launched last year. Mechanically identical to the other iterations, the Oeuvre d’Or is distinguished by extra decoration, namely an engraved and grained gold dial as well as gold movement bridges engraved with a repeating pyramid motif. The Oeuvre d’Or FB 1.1-2 in white gold A tribute to marine chronometry Modern day Berthoud watches are inspired by the works of its 18th century namesak...
WatchAdvice
See how the Breitling Superocean Heritage stack up against other dive watches! The year 1957 was an important one in Breitling’s history, as this was when the brand first released the Superocean collection. In fact, the decade of 1950 saw some prestigious brands such as Rolex and Omega release dive watches (Submariner, Seamaster 300), with Breitling following suit in the latter years. Breitling released the Superocean model in two variants; chronograph and non-chronograph. Some of the originals from 1957 are much sought after today by Breitling and watch enthusiasts. In celebration of the 60th anniversary of the Superocean, in 2017 Breitling redesigned the Superocean Heritage line and released anniversary editions which come in both chronograph and non-chronograph versions, much like the originals from 1957. Both these editions were made by Breitling to resemble original versions in terms of design, with only the movement update being the significant change in the watches. The watch models came in 42mm and 46mm sizes with the chronograph version available in 46mm. All three size variants came in 3 different dial colour variations; black, blue and brown. In 2018, Breitling re-vamped the Superocean Heritage line once again by introducing the chronograph and non-chronograph versions in 44mm, along with a 42mm gold and stainless steel version. The three different sizes (42mm, 44mm, 46mm) offer a whole lot of flexibility to the general public to be able to match almost an...
Revolution
In the pantheon of emblematic sports chronographs, it’s the Zenith El Primero Ref. A3818 “Cover Girl” that inflames desire to the extreme.
Quill & Pad
Zacapa was one of the first rums ever to convince Ken Gargett that there was serious life in the category outside the ubiquitous "Bundy." He doesn't think that it will be long before people think of the best rums alongside other premium spirits, and Zacapa is one of the foremost proponents of this movement.
Revolution
With a case and bracelet that is almost entirely made out of sapphire, it’s clear that Chanel’s new J12 watch is here to amaze.
SJX Watches
Dive watches priced below US$10,000 are one of the saturated and competitive segments in watchmaking. The category is dominated by two dive watch icons, the Rolex Submariner and the Omega Seamaster, both of which set the bar high with high-spec, in-house escapements equipped with high-tech hairsprings and next-level chronometer certifications. Ulysse Nardin smartly steered away from the conventional dive-watch look with last year’s new Diver X. Created to mark the brand’s newly-forged partnership with Vendée Globe, a non-stop solo yacht race around the globe, the Diver X Cape Horn and Diver X Nemo Point are a contemporary take on the standard Diver Chronometer 44mm, dressed up in new materials and colours but retaining the same basic specs, namely a 300 m rating and an in-house movement with a proprietary escapement. The Diver X Cape Horn Dubbed the “Everest of the Seas” because of its reputation as the toughest sailing competition in the world, the Vendée Globe is such an arduous journey that the eight races since 1989 have claimed three lives. Competitors have to travel over 40,000 km, a round-the-world trip that takes between two to four months. Unsurprisingly, the twin Diver X editions are aggressively styled and technically robust. Form and function Each named after key points along the Vendée Globe route, the Cape Horn and Nemo Point have the longstanding, symmetrical layout of a Ulysse Nardin diver’s watch – originally inspired by the dial of the br...
Time+Tide
Jean-Claude Biver is a horological superhero. The legendary watch entrepreneur brought Blancpain back to life, resuscitated Omega and turned Hublot into a super-brand for which LVMH paid almost half a billion dollars. As a result, he’s assembled a private watch collection that would do King Midas proud. Auction house Phillips understands the appeal, which is … ContinuedThe post Jean-Claude Biver reveals “the most beautiful watch I have ever seen” appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
A few days ago, we uploaded a photo of the Zenith Defy Classic Ref.95.9000.670/51.R790 and asked our 120,000 followers this question: “Is the Zenith Classic underrated?” The response was resoundingly confirmative, with many people opining that not only the Defy Classic but the Defy range in general was, more often than not, overlooked and it shouldn’t … ContinuedThe post We asked you if the Zenith Defy was underrated, and this is what you said appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Hodinkee
Four editors go head-to-head to assemble the best group of watches for under $10,000.
Revolution
MB&F; launches two new versions of its GPHG award-winning Legacy Machine FlyingT, now with beautiful guilloché dials from Kari Voutilainen.
Revolution
The story of how two friends and master watchmakers, Jean-Marc Wiederrecht and Roger Dubuis, gave the world its first bi-retrograde perpetual calendar.
Deployant
Breaking News: Citizen is the latest to exit from Baselworld 2020, citing worries about the current epidemic of COVID-19 as the reasons.
SJX Watches
George Daniels’ contributions to horology, as a watchmaker, historian and educator, were multi-dimensional. Most are widely known, and his watches are now incredibly valuable. But one of his creations – the “Unfinished Daniels” – remains tantalisingly incomplete, residing in the Clockmakers’ Museum within London’s Science Museum (which is also now home to Daniels’ Space Traveller II pocket watch). Even though he completed only a small number of watches – 23 pocket watches and four wristwatches made by hand, along with the serially-produced Millennium watches – Daniels’ inventions, techniques and philosophy have been deeply influential. His successor Roger W. Smith now practices the Daniels method with his own hand-made watches, but other notable watchmakers, including Francois-Paul Journe, have cited Daniels as an inspiration. The unfinished Daniels movement in the George Daniels exhibit in the Clockmakers’ Museum. Photo – Science Museum Like many great watchmakers over the ages, Daniels’ pursued perfect chronometry throughout his career; inventing a novel, superior escapement was perhaps his greatest achievement. And he managed to do it twice. Having observed that the sliding friction in the conventional Swiss lever escapement affects the rate of a movement over time, he set about developing solutions. He invented two escapement types: one inspired by a 18th century Abraham-Louis Breguet idea, while the other was the entirely original and mo...
Time+Tide
When does the weekend technically start? Is it Friday arvo or does the clock have to strike 12am on Saturday morning? Reason I’m asking is because I spotted all my watches in this weekend’s instalment on Friday afternoon and, boy oh boy, were there some lookers … enjoy! John’s (@minutes_intime) Oris Big Crown Pointer Date … ContinuedThe post Weekend watch spotting with JR – Ft. Oris, Omega & Rolex appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Quill & Pad
The date: January 13, 2012. The place: Glashütte, Germany, where one of GaryG's best friends had arranged for the two of them to visit A. Lange & Söhne. The vision: his friend extended his arm from the sleeve of his shirt, and what Gary saw left him reeling – his first view of the Lange Datograph Perpetual in white gold. He was confident from that very moment that this was a watch for him, but pursuit of the piece took four long years.
Two Broke Watch Snobs
Interested in the Omega Seamaster? Read about the history, facts, specs, and wearing experience of this iconic Omega model right here!
Hodinkee
Another week, another round of watches from the web worth knowing about.
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