Results for Côtes de Genève

How A Dinner In LA Led Me To De Bethune’s Purple Rain Masterpiece

How Artisans De Genève Brings Personal Stories To The Wrist

Artisans de Genève is a name that many watch fans know for its bespoke approach to watchmaking. The company offers handcrafted timepiece customization services upon request from its customers. It has led to a string of unique, brilliant, customized watches. If you have ever seen one of the brand’s custom projects, you will know that […] Visit How Artisans De Genève Brings Personal Stories To The Wrist to read the full article.

Ferdinand Berthoud, Inverted: The Chronomètre FB 2TV.1

Ferdinand Berthoud (FB), Chopard’s haut de gamme sub-brand, introduces its first flying tourbillon just weeks before Watches & Wonders. The Mesure du Temps 1787 Chronomètre FB 2TV.1 is exceptional in both quality and price, presenting almost everything of interest on the dial side - chain and fusee included - along with hacking and zero-reset seconds. The dial-side spectacle will be the calling card of the new Mesure du Temps 1787 collection. Initial thoughts The revival of long-dead masters’ names to sell unrelated watches is a practice that invites scepticism - and often deserves it. The Ferdinand Berthoud brand, however, is a different matter. There is nothing cynical about it, and one suspects the man himself wouldn’t mind being associated with some of the finest mechanical watches being made today - in his home town, no less. A different name on the dial, Scheufele perhaps, might still feel more authentic, but that’s a minor quibble with what is otherwise an overwhelmingly high quality watch. The latest take on the brand’s chronometer-inspired formula adds one of my favourite features: a zero-reset seconds hand. Though I prefer the designs of the brand’s past projects, the FB 2TV.1 suggests the team at FB understands what the market wants, and the movement-as-a-dial aesthetic is hot right now. The flying tourbillon is new for the brand, in both technique and aesthetics. Until now the brand’s massive revolving regulators were secreted away on the...

Sainte-Croix: The Beating Heart of Mechanical Art

The Jura balcony awakens under the March sun. Between sky and mountains, the village of Sainte-Croix and the l’Institut de la Mécanique d’Art (IMA), seem suspended in silence. Yet behind this tranquillity lies one of the most remarkable centres of mechanical art, also known as the automata, for the institute is home to the Association Mec-Art pour la Mécanique d’Art, which is also open to the public to further its mission to promote the craft of automata. “Watchmaking mechanics is industry – serial production. Mechanical art is about unique pieces, for which we use entirely different methods. Some brands focus exclusively on one or the other, while others operate at the crossroads of both – like De Bethune,” explains Denis Flageollet, the cofounder of De Bethune who founded the Association Mec-Art in 2016 together with François Junod and Nicolas Court, both automaton makers. IMA occupies the building originally constructed by Reuge in 2016, which was acquired by De Bethune in 2023. The building now hosts mechanical art activities for Reuge, Van Cleef & Arpels and De Bethune, as well as the Association Mec-Art. “Mechanical art depends on an ecosystem of artisans,” he adds, pointing to the uniquely concentrated geography of Sainte-Croix, “the only town where all these skills coexist.” François Junod agrees, “We live in a natural incubator. Here, everyone talks about mechanical art.” It is precisely for this reason that when Junod was invited to ...

Massena LAB and Vianney Halter Team Up for the “Old Soul”

Before there was MB&F;, before there was Richard Mille or Greubel Forsey or De Bethune, there was Vianney Halter. Alongside brands like Urwerk, Vianney Halter helped to reimagine what watches could look and feel like coming into the 21st century. Writing in 2025, it’s hard to think of a time when the weird and wonderful wasn’t a core part of watch collecting, and Vianney Halter deserves no small amount of praise for his role in bridging the gap between a more traditional interpretation of independent watchmaking and the wide-open world of watch design we now get to enjoy. Still, nearly three decades on from the release of his first watch in 1998 (the inimitable Antiqua Perpetual Calendar), Vianney Halter is still working, and his latest release, the Old Soul - designed and executed in collaboration with William Massena and Massena LAB - is a sterling reminder that the old master isn’t out of tricks just yet. Like Halter’s last collaboration, the Louis Erard x Vianney Halter Regulator, which was released around Thanksgiving last year, the Old Soul leans into Halter’s Steampunk sensibilities, but blends the unique aesthetic with Massena’s signature eye towards historic watch design. The resulting piece is something both classically beautiful and wholly contemporary. Cased in a sedate and handsome 42mm, 12mm thick steel case, the Old School by Vianney Halter and Massena LAB is powered by the Minerva calibre 17’22, a vintage pocket watch movement first introdu...

Light Me Up: The Insanely Colorful Lume of Black Badger James Thompson’s Watches (Lume Fest!)

Working with creative makers like De Bethune, MB&F;, Stepan Sarpaneva, Bamford, Linde Werdelin and more, Gothenburg-based James Thompson – aka Black Badger – has become industry famous as the driving force of a new school of applications of luminous materials. Anders Modig takes us through Black Badger's history, along the way highlighting many of his colorful watch collaborations.

The Louis Vuitton Tambour Moon Flying Tourbillon Poinçon De Genève Sapphire Frank Gehry

I knew Canadian architect Frank Gehry for his work on the beautiful and impressive Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles. However, through Louis Vuitton, I learned that he was also responsible for the Fondation Louis Vuitton building in Paris (2014) and the Louis Vuitton Maison Seoul (2019). The latter inspired a remarkable watch, the […] Visit The Louis Vuitton Tambour Moon Flying Tourbillon Poinçon De Genève Sapphire Frank Gehry to read the full article.

In-Depth: Swiss High Court Rules On Lawsuit Between Rolex And Customizer Artisans de Geneve

In a precedent-setting case, the Swiss Supreme Court says that Artisans de Geneve's personalization business can continue – but it's complicated. The lawsuit also raises a bigger question: Who can customize?

New: Louis Vuitton Voyager Flying Tourbillon Poinçoin de Genève Plique-à-jour

Introducing the Louis Vuitton Voyager Flying Tourbillon Poinçoin de Genève Pique-à-jour. A magnificent artistic addition to the arsenal of Louis Vuitton.

eBay Finds: The Datron, Decimal, Dynamic & More

eBay Finds is back! This bi-monthly installment will feature a selection of watches currently listed on eBay that have caught the eye of editor Christoph McNeil (@vintagediver). If you come across any hidden gems on the ‘Bay drop us a note at info@wornandwound.com for potential inclusion! Omega Geneve Dynamic Starting this week off with a really neat 1960’s vintage Omega Geneve Dynamic. I mean, does it get any retro-cooler than this oval stunner with the blue bullseye dial?? The unique oval steel case is in excellent condition with the original radial brushed finish still intact. The dial is what makes this one stand out though, with the silver base and bold blue ring and black/white thin hash lines. Really a wild look. This example looks all-original, including the original leather rally strap with Omega signed buckle! Seller states the watch runs well, but no movement picture. View auction here. Mido Multifort Next up we have this beautiful little Mido Multifort Super Automatic military style piece. The steel case looks good, and it has a nice wide bezel. The seller doesn’t give the width of the case, but it’s definitely going to be on the smaller side. The black dial with luminous Arabic numeral hour markers is gorgeous, with a great patina’d look, and a classic sub-seconds dial at 6 o’clock. The crown is the correct, original one, oversized and domed, unique to Mido. Seller states the watch runs, but again no movement picture. Really fun military style wa...

Artisans de Genève Introduces the Lance Armstrong Skeleton “Daytona”

Known for customised watches created for celebrity athletes, Artisans de Genève (ADG) has just revealed its latest project, the Armstrong. Based on a Rolex Daytona ref. 116520, the watch was commissioned by former pro cyclist Lance Armstrong. Though it looks thoroughly contemporary, it is modelled on the vintage Daytona ref. 6239 “Pulsations”, one of which just sold at Phillips for US$693,000. The vintage inspiration is literal, yet reinterpreted creatively. The Armstrong has been skeletonised and heavily modified, with both the hour register and automatic winding mechanism removed, resulting in an unusually minimalist watch. Initial thoughts Leaving aside Mr Armstrong’s chequered past – he was a cancer survivor and then multi-time world champion before getting a lifetime ban for doping – his namesake watch is surprisingly interesting. Although it is clearly modern in style, the Armstrong is vintage inspired – it is literally a manual-wind, “pulsations” Daytona. In that sense, it is actually a vintage remake with imagination. A significant amount of effort was clearly expended to get there, and the work appears to be of high quality. Doing away with large chunks of the movements feels drastic, yet the result is intriguing, both conceptually and visually. Or put more simply, it’s weird in a good way. The customisation is priced at about US$45,000, but that excludes the watch, which the client has to supply. It’s fair enough given the substantial work on...

Business News: Watchbox Raises US$165m from Investors Including Michael Jordan, Bill Ackman

A pre-owned watch merchant that has smartly transformed itself into a market-making juggernaut – and also the owner of De Bethune – Watchbox just announced it has raised US$165 million from new and current investors. The valuation was not revealed, but CNBC reported it to be almost US$1 billion. The investment was led by a pair of American investment firms, The Radcliff Companies and The Spruce House Partnership. Also taking part were existing investors in Watchbox, including CMIA, a Singapore-based private equity outfit that was instrumental in enabling Watchbox to scale up when it invested US$100 million in 2017. According to Watchbox, the latest round of fundraising also brings a list of boldface names to Watchbox’s roster of investors, including Michael Jordan as well as prominent hedge fund managers Bill Ackman and Marc Lasry. A Watchbox favourite With the pre-owned watch business consolidating, Watchbox and its peers now have the scale to tap on institutional investors – and eventually public markets – for funding. A pre-owned merchant focused on German-speaking European countries, Chronext was planning to go public in mid 2021 but shelved plans for an IPO amidst rumours that it was in talks with another industry player on some sort of tie up. And European giant Chrono24, which began as a marketplace but is increasingly become a dealer with its own inventory, already achieved a US$1 billion earlier in 2021 and is reputed to be seeking a listing. Higher ambi...

The Rolex Daytona gets a wild blue remix from Artisans de Genève

After picking my jaw off the ground, I was surprised by my wide-eyed delight with Artisans de Genève’s irreverent take on the Rolex Daytona. I was surprised because, truth be told, this is not a model I am particularly enamored with. I’ve had my fill of all the endless fawning over vintage Daytonas. In fact, … ContinuedThe post The Rolex Daytona gets a wild blue remix from Artisans de Genève appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Artisans de Genève Unveils the Submariner Moon Phase

A custom shop best known for its extensively reworking of popular sports watches – occasionally created in collaboration with celebrity sportsmen  – Artisans de Genève has a diverse portfolio of work that range from the intriguing to the mystifying. Certainly one of its more intriguing timepieces is the Sea Shepherd Challenge, a Submariner with a moon phase display surrounded by much aventurine glass that was commissioned by the founder of the eponymous marine conservation group. Initial thoughts Aftermarket customisation of fashionable watches is common. It can often be merely opportunistic, with customisers taking advantage of the watchmaker’s well-established brand and design. Rarely are customised watches interesting in a technical sense. The Sea Shepherd Challenge is interesting, being a mechanical customisation rather than the change of colours that’s the usual formula applied to such watches. It incorporates an oversized moon phase display (driven by a mechanically simple, but elaborately-constructed mechanism going by this animation), along with an aventurine-glass dial and bezel insert. Add to that the added decoration to the movement, and the watch does have its appeal. The customisation alone costs about US$35,000 (and the client either provides the watch or purchases one), which is probably too much for the work done, but within reason given the benchmark prices of such customised watches. A mariner’s watch This customised Submariner was a request...

HANDS-ON: The dark traveller, Louis Vuitton’s Tambour Curve Flying Tourbillon Poinçon de Genève

The Louis Vuitton Tambour Curve Flying Tourbillon Poinçon de Genève is an unabashedly large futuristic dark metropolis under sapphire. I see an angular maze-like horological architecture within an organic patterned cutting-edge composite case. Hypnotised by the 9 o’clock rotating magic of the Flying Tourbillon you’ll notice it being delicately cut into the dark and recognisable … ContinuedThe post HANDS-ON: The dark traveller, Louis Vuitton’s Tambour Curve Flying Tourbillon Poinçon de Genève appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Introducing the DB28 Steel Wheels Sapphire Tourbillon

De Bethune introduces the DB28 Steel Wheels Sapphire Tourbillon, a new take on the DB28 Steel Wheels with its delta bridge and two barrel covers made of blue sapphire crystal.

Highlights: Phillips ‘Refresh:Reload’ Online-Only Auction

Phillips’ first-ever online watch auction, Refresh:Reload is a cross-category affair, encompassing watches, jewellery, and contemporary art. The week-long sale includes over 50 watches, ranging from the usual suspects like Royal Oak, Nautilus, and Submariner, but also a selection of more interesting, unconventional watches, like a De Bethune DB12 chronograph with oversized date and month, and an extra-thin, skeletonised Seiko Credor. Here are a couple of highlights from the sale, which is online from now till 6 pm (GMT+8) on May 28. The entire catalogue is available here. Lot 5 – Bronze Hourglass by Daniel Arsham One of the earliest lots in the auction is a sculpture with a horological element. The Bronze Hourglass was an edition of 100 examples commissioned by watch retailer The Hour Glass to mark its 40th anniversary in 2019. It’s the work of Daniel Arsham, one of today’s hottest contemporary artists. Mr Arsham is best known for his “eroded” works, objects made to appear heavily aged. Some of his work sits the crossroads between art and luxury goods – he’s applied his unique aesthetic to Rimowa luggage, Dior bags, and also a Porsche 911. The Bronze Hourglass has an estimate of HK$35,000-45,000, or about US$4,500-6,000. Lot 92 – Seiko Credor 40th Anniversary Signo Cherry Blossoms A limited edition made to mark the 40th anniversary of Seiko’s Credor collection, the Signo Cherry Blossoms encapsulates the key specialties of mechanical watchmaking at S...

Seiko’s Prospex LX Line Diver emerges from GPHG as a winner

Seiko’s fit for purpose range of Prospex LX Line Diver’s watches has beaten some tough competition from the likes of Longines, Ressence and De Bethune to take home the award for best Diver’s watch at GPHG 2019. This is an important win for the Japanese manufacturer for two reasons: firstly, the winning Seiko is a … ContinuedThe post Seiko’s Prospex LX Line Diver emerges from GPHG as a winner appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Hands-On: Ulysse Nardin Freak X Carbonium Gold “The Hour Glass”

Having unveiled commemorative editions from the likes of Audemars Piguet, De Bethune and Urwerk for its 40 years in business, Singapore watch retailer The Hour Glass continues the anniversary roll-out with the Ulysse Nardin Freak X Carbonium Gold. The watch is a variant of the entry-level but appealing Freak X, a remarkable exercise in simplicity and the most affordable version of the Freak to date. But importantly, it manages to be the base model without being a concession, and instead is more of an optimisation, offering a great deal of exotic watchmaking – it boasts the fanciest oscillator of any watch in this price segment – for little money as such things go. While the Freak X forgoes some characteristics of its avant-garde forebear, it is both technically clever and much more refined in design, offering an enhanced practicality by way of a smaller case, a traditional crown, an automatic movement, and most crucially, a high-performance silicon balance wheel – an innovation found only in one other Freak, the pricier Freak Vision. Streamlined mechanics Limited to 30 pieces, the Freak X for The Hour Glass combines a new case material – “Carbonium Gold” – with a striking champagne dial. In contrast to most Freak models that have dark dials, this Freak X has a face in a pale gold which gives it a greater presence on the wrist, but because of its matte, brushed finish, it isn’t loud and manages to be easily wearable. The only downside of t...

Introducing the DB28 Steel Wheels Blue: The Hour Glass Commemorative Edition

De Bethune creates the DB 28 Steel Wheels Blue to mark The Hour Glass’ 40th anniversary.

TGIFriday New Experiences: Sumo training at Ikazuchi stable

As part of our special tour on our visit to Tokyo recently, we were treated to a special glimpse of how Sumo wrestlers do their morning training.

eBay Finds: Squale, Universal Geneve, and More Vintage LED Discoveries

eBay Finds is back! This bi-monthly installment will feature a selection of watches currently listed on eBay that have caught the eye of editor Christoph McNeil (@vintagediver). If you come across any hidden gems on the ‘Bay drop us a note at info@wornandwound.com for potential inclusion! Vintage Universal Geneve Polerouter With eBay, some weeks are slim pickin’s and some weeks the bounty is plentiful. This week it’s the latter. Starting off this week with a bang, with this amazing vintage Universal Geneve Polerouter with Microtor movement. This example is the classic black dialed, no date version and it is stunning. Gerald Genta’s Polerouter design is an absolute masterclass on aesthetic design. From those sexy bombe lungs to the crosshair black dial with the signature fluted outer dial ring down to the Universal Geneve signed crown and Polerouter logo caseback, it’s just pure beauty. This example looks to be all original and in very good condition with the only issue I see being there is some corrosion on the hands. The watch needs an external cleaning to be sure, but I love finding vintage watches with all the funk on them, it just means it was worn and loved and hasn’t been messed with! If you’ve been wanting one of these, take a close look at this gem! View auction here. Vintage Seiko Chronograph 6139 How do you follow a vintage Polerouter? With arguably one of the most famous and popular Seiko chronographs, that’s how! This vintage Seiko 6139-6005 ...

Review: the Atelier Holgur Frømand

One of the great things about the current state of the watch world is the insane variety of watches that are available. We’re at a point (or at least approaching one) where brands of all stripes are willing to get creative in ways we haven’t seen in years. We’ve come out of a long period of time dominated by vintage inspired watches that all felt cut from the same cloth, and it feels like we’re now at the beginning of a new movement where makers large and small are aiming for narrower and narrower niches. I’m lucky to have seen some of the watches coming from brands we all admire later in the year, and I’m confident that when the dust settles we’ll be talking about a sea change toward more adventurous designs and a level of watchmaking once reserved for the super wealthy being made accessible to new customers for the first time. This is why I’m more interested than ever in the micro indies I’ve discussed in these pages previously. It feels like there’s a nearly infinite opportunity for brands to create special, unusual, innovative, and original watches for an audience that’s simultaneously incredibly broad and highly specialized. There’s no shortage of collectors interested in getting something unique – a byproduct of the aforementioned decade of lookalike black dialed divers. And yet, each individual watch forces you to ask, “Who is this for?” That’s a question that most of us wonder everytime we look at an MB&F; or De Bethune, and the answe...

Tudor open Geneva pop-up store to sell latest releases from Watches and Wonders

As you’re probably aware, the world’s biggest watch fair, Watches and Wonders, starts on Monday. Hundreds of shiny, new timepieces will be revealed from some of the biggest brands around. But after the initial hullabaloo over these new releases dies down, if you actually want to buy one of the pieces, you can often face … ContinuedThe post Tudor open Geneva pop-up store to sell latest releases from Watches and Wonders appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Spike Lee & Artisans De Genève Part 2: The Cool Hand Brooklyn Skeleton

Custom. A word rarely used in the world of horology. The watches we wear, by and large, are the results of someone else’s designs. Someone else’s passions. We buy into their vision of what works. And even when we do have a say, as one may see with a piece unique, we’re still limited to … ContinuedThe post Spike Lee & Artisans De Genève Part 2: The Cool Hand Brooklyn Skeleton appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.