Results for The 2017-2022 Vintage Market Boom

Build The Future On The Foundation Of The Past

Bring a Loupe: A White-Gold Vacheron Constantin, An IWC Mark XII, And A Cartier Bamboo Coussin

It was bound to happen. I've written nine Bring a Loupes, covering 38 watches (excluding Strays or Buyer Beware watches). Two weeks back, I picked a clunker of a Doxa Sub 300T, which, among other issues, had the wrong hands (I'd actually been more concerned with the dial), and in my enthusiasm for vintage Doxa divers, I screwed up and included it. My apologies, though, as Coleman Hawkins consoles, "If you aren't making mistakes, you aren't really trying." Scorekeeping the picks from two weeks ago, the Esso Breguet sold for €15,2000, the Juvenia Arithmo's still available, the Blancpain Bund sold for €15,500, the Doxa Sub 300T passed, the Chaumet sells Friday afternoon and has been bid to $12,000 at the time of writing, and the black dialed Seamaster sold for CHF 1,000. Strays A Universal Genève Railrouter. For sale on OmegaForums. A Gübelin Cioccolatone at Monaco Legend this weekend. For absolutely no reason whatsoever, here's a lovely Doxa Sub 300. As Stefon (from SNL) would say, this watch has it all: original (correct!) black hands, no-T dial, signed expandro bracelet and screw-down crown, and, of course, the OG thin case. These early thin-cased Doxa Sub 300s were made for only a year, and aside from minor paint loss on the bezel, this looks like an excellent example. If the Doxa's not your flavor and/or diving's not your bag, maybe this UG Railrouter'll do it for you. I have an overdeveloped fondness for railroad watches, which fondness is equaled by my appreciati...

Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame 2012: A Complete Champagne with Great Balance and Length – Reprise

For Ken Gargett, the Veuve Clicquot 2012 La Grande Dame is a special champagne. It walks the tightrope between dense and coiled power with delicacy, finesse, and elegance. Great intensity, finally balanced acidity, early complexity, and it is still wonderfully youthful with a long future ahead of it. But what interesting story lies behind this fantastic champagne?

Champagne Taittinger Comtes Blanc de Blancs 2012: Not Just a Great Champagne, it’s a Great Wine!

Ken Gargett thinks that the Champagne Taittinger Comtes Blanc de Blancs 2012 is not just a great blanc de blancs, nor a great champagne: it is a great wine. He rates it an impressive 98/100.

Louis Roederer Cristal 2013 And Cristal Rosé 2012: As Good As Champagne Gets

Ken Gargett just had the chance to try Louis Roederer's Cristal Rosé 2012 and Cristal 2013 champagnes. For many, a good sparkling rosé is a thing of beauty and this one tops most. While Ken's usual response to a young Cristal is that it is fabulous, he feels it something of a shame that the 2013 Cristal was not given a bit longer before release. However, both of these vintages are glorious now and there is no doubt they will age and improve for many years.

Ep. #201: 2020’s Best Watches For Under $200

Join Kaz and Mike as they take things back to their roots. This week, the guys thought it would be fun to highlight some ideal watch purchase options for $200 or below… well below. Tune in, and find some of the best dress, sport, and wildcard watches in that “sweet spot” TBWS price bracket.

2012 Novelty: Ludovic Ballouard’s Half Time

Ludovic Ballouard: innovative genius? Ludovic Ballouard is a funny, quirky fellow. His humour extends to the location of his show during the SIHH – the Hotel du Midi – with its quirky furniture in the lobby and large, loud sculptures, to the watches he makes. Formerly working at Francois Paul Journe, Ludovic was formerly inRead More

SIHH 2012: Greubel Forsey GMT

  Greubel Forsey’s continued exploration of the tourbillon is a fascinating one. Incline double tourbillons, quadruple tourbillons, inventions with tourbillons, secrets with tourbillon, and now a GMT with a 3 dimensional rotating globe with an incline double tourbillon. So they take their wonderful 24 incline tourbillon, moved things around a bit, so as to createRead More

SIHH 2012: Jaeger LeCoultre’s offerings

  2012 might be the year of the re-issue. For JLC, the strategy is not different. They reissued and revised the Master Control series with aplomb. And reissued some Reversos…but do note that JLC might perhaps be seen as leading this trend, having started the 1931 Reverso re-edition in SIHH 2011. However, in addition toRead More

SIHH 2012: Vacheron Constantin Novelties

SIHH 2012: Vacheron Constantin. The rise of the new Malte and the continuing saga of the Metiers d’Art. 2012 seems to be the year of the reissue. Many brands reworked their classic offerings and modernized their collection. This was seen in JLC with their 1930s Reverso (yes that started in SIHH 2011), AP with theRead More

Mr Jones Beam Me Up! Review: A Different Kind of Mechanical Watch

A hands-on review of the Mr Jones Beam Me Up! mechanical, exploring its playful dial, unconventional time display, and more.

Industry News – Richemont Sells Baume & Mercier to Italian Jeweler Damiani

Swiss-based conglomerate Richemont, owner of multiple jewellery and watch brands such as Cartier, IWC, Piaget, A. Lange & Söhne or Vacheron Constantin, to name a few, has agreed to sell Swiss watch brand Baume & Mercier, which it acquired in 1988, to the Italian, family-run Damiani Group, concluding a strategic review of the long-time Richemont […]

Richemont Unloads Baume & Mercier

Today Richemont confirmed the rumoured sale of its entry-level Baume et Mercier brand to the Damiani Group, a key distributor of the brand in Italy through its retail chain Rocca. While Baume et Mercier is understood to not be profitable, the acquisition should give Baume et Mercier the home-field advantage, as Italy is one of the most important markets for the brand today. According to the Baume et Mercier website, 325 stores in Italy carry the brand, compared to just 150 in France, 130 in the United States, and only 66 in Mainland China. A leaner Baume et Mercier focused on the Italian market, in the same vein as Eberhard & Co., is likely in the long-term, but in the meantime it must be untangled from Richemont. The deal is expected to close this summer, after which Richemont will provide “operational services” for the brand for at least 12 months. It is unclear whether the brand’s “Baumatic” movements with 5-day power reserves will survive the transition, as there are made by ValFleurier - Richemont’s counterpart to ETA. For more information, visit Richemont.com.  

Baume Et Mercier Makes A Solid Gold Everyday Watch Under 10k

Under $10,000 there aren't very many options for gold watches, yet Baume et Mercier offer a compelling example in the Clifton range with little competition at this price point. Not only does it offer handsome looks, but there is solid watchmaking inside to back it all up.

First Look – Vyntage Horology Launches Strata, a Sleek Emirati Integrated Sports Watch with Swiss Micro-Rotor

Vyntage Horology is the brand created by the Seddiqi family, long regarded as the most influential retailers in the Gulf; Ahmed Seddiqi has just celebrated 75 years in business. They are also organisers of Dubai Watch Week, which has become the beating heart of independent watchmaking in the region. After decades of promoting Swiss watchmaking […]

Baume & Mercier channel ’50s flair with their latest Clifton in steel and gold

Baume & Mercier tweak the Clifton, introducing new 39mm Baumatic-powered models with groovy crosshair dials.The post Baume & Mercier channel ’50s flair with their latest Clifton in steel and gold appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Vyntage Horology Debuts Time-Only in Tantalum and Onyx

Vyntage Horology is a micro brand established by Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons, the Middle East watch retailer giant best known for organising Dubai Watch Week. Vyntage has so far focused on small-run limited editions, with the latest being the Purity Tantonyx. The 24-piece edition is a time-only executed in a novel combination of exotic materials: a tantalum case with a polished black onyx dial. Inside is a manual-wind La Joux-Perret LJP7380 with a 90-hour power reserve that’s rotated 45 degrees from the usual position, giving the watch its signature four o’clock crown. Initial thoughts On its face, the Tantonyx seems like a familiar proposition from a micro brand. But a couple of things set this apart from the typical offerings in this segment. For one, the materials are unusual, especially at this price point. Granted, the tantalum case and onyx dial make this substantially more expensive than the base model Vyntage watch, but the pricing remains reasonable. The attention to detail in the execution also stands out. It’s obvious in the domed bezel and recessed seconds register (thanks to a two-part dial), but more notable in the finishing of the case, which has brushed flanks and polished tops for contrasting surfaces that are rarely done with tantalum due to its hardness. However, the design is a missed opportunity in terms of minimalism in my opinion. Though the dial is already clean – the model name is Purity after all – I would have gone a step further and eliminate...

Baume & Mercier goes back to nature with a new collection of Riviera models

Baume & Mercier has taken its Riviera line back to nature with four new models drawing inspiration from the surroundings of the French coast. The post Baume & Mercier goes back to nature with a new collection of Riviera models appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Baume & Mercier’s Clifton Baumatic Moon Phases epitomise understated luxury

These Cliftons combine one of watchmaking's most traditional complications in a contemporary yet timeless package with a great movement beating under the hood.The post Baume & Mercier’s Clifton Baumatic Moon Phases epitomise understated luxury appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Baume & Mercier goes for a traditional and modern mix for Watches and Wonders

Highlights include a skeletonised Riviera, a pair of handsome Clifton moonphases and a trio of Classima chronographs.The post Baume & Mercier goes for a traditional and modern mix for Watches and Wonders appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Baume & Mercier debut a new Soulages sequel with another stunning painting-inspired dial

Baume & Mercier once again painstakingly bring the work of Pierre Soulages to a watch dial in this limited edition sequel.The post Baume & Mercier debut a new Soulages sequel with another stunning painting-inspired dial appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Baume & Mercier Riviera Perpetual Calendar

Baume & Mercier continue to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Riviera in style, reintroducing their signature complication to their sporty integrated bracelet luxury sports watch in style.The post Baume & Mercier Riviera Perpetual Calendar appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Baume & Mercier’s Hampton proves it’s hip to be rectangular

Baume & Mercier is back with three new Hampton references for Watches & Wonders 2023 A multi-finished blue dial is new for the midsized Automatic model The small size gets a blue dial, and is set with brilliant-cut diamonds Rectangular watches are certainly a considered choice over more conventionally shaped ones, but the form is … ContinuedThe post Baume & Mercier’s Hampton proves it’s hip to be rectangular appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Celebrating 50 years: Baume & Mercier Riviera 39mm and Riviera Azur 300M

This year marks the 50th anniversary of Baume & Mercier’s integrated model, the Riviera. For the first time, there’s a new unisex 39mm version of the Riviera. Also new is a dive version called the Riviera Azur 300m, a reinvention of their 1981 diver. It seems like everyone in the watch industry has jumped on … ContinuedThe post Celebrating 50 years: Baume & Mercier Riviera 39mm and Riviera Azur 300M appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

INTERVIEW: Talking colour, size and accessible pricing with Baume & Mercier CEO David Chaumet

Editor’s Note: Back at Watches & Wonders, Zach had the chance to sit down with Baume & Mercier CEO David Chaumet. In recent years, the brand seems to be going from strength to strength with their BAUMATIC calibres, Riviera designs and other value-driven offerings. Here David Chaumet offers his state of play for Baume & Mercier today … ContinuedThe post INTERVIEW: Talking colour, size and accessible pricing with Baume & Mercier CEO David Chaumet appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.