Results for The Swatch Group

Highlights: Sothebys’ Hong Kong Watch Auction

Taking place on Friday, April 23, 2021, Sotheby’s first live watch auction of the year takes place in Hong Kong. Important Watches is a full-sized sale led by the unique Rolex “Zenith” Daytona in platinum with a turquoise “Stella” dial, which might just set the record for most valuable automatic Daytona ever sold at auction. But the 296-lot sale is diverse in the traditional manner of Hong Kong auctions, encompassing vintage Patek Philippe, modern grand complications, and an assortment of independent watchmaking. Here’s a roundup of a few noteworthy lots at the auction, including a Patek Philippe ref. 1518 in exceptional condition, a pair of gorgeous pocket watches decorated with the very best of Geneva miniature enamelling, and the F.P Journe Coffret 38 made up of five watches with steel cases. The auction will start at 11 am local time on April 23 at the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre, while the catalogue and online bidding are available on Sothebys.com. Lot 2185 – Vacheron Constantin miniature enamel pocket watch The middle decades of the 20th century were a golden age for miniature enamelling in Geneva, with the cities best watchmakers recruiting its best enamellers to decorate pocket watches. One example of such work is lot 2185, a yellow gold pocket watch made in 1948 by Vacheron Constantin that bears a miniature enamel painting by Hélène May Mercier (1910-1996), an artisan who learnt the craft with another famed enameller, Carlo Poluzzi...

Introducing IWC’s Big Pilot Watch 43

IWC releases the Big Pilot Watch 43 in homage to the IWC Big Pilot’s watch Ref. 5002 launched in 2002.

Watch lover: Robin Wong on The Collector’s View

We caught up with Robin Wong, a collector friend and an avid collector and lover of all things horological. Here is what we talked about.

Breitling Debuts Watch Subscription Programme

The subscription model – where customers pay for access, but not necessarily ownership – is familiar, and increasingly prevalent. Spotify and Netflix are amongst the best known examples, but subscriptions are now found in fashion – a new wardrobe weekly – and even automobiles, with Porsche Drive that offers a new car every month. And now also in watches: Breitling becomes the first major watch brand to offer a subscription with BreitlingSelect. More accurately, BreitlingSelect is a combination of a subscription and instalment payment plan. It starts with the wearer rotating amongst a handful of trial watches over a year, while paying a monthly fee. But at the end of the year, the total fee paid can be put towards buying one of the watches worn during the trial. Initial thoughts Watch subscription isn’t novel. New York-based ElevenJames launched with much fanfare in 2013, before shutting down quietly five years later. There have been plenty more similar services offered in several of the world’s major watch markets, but few have been sustainable. Consumers quickly realise it makes more sense to save for a watch, rather than paying subscription fees, which are by nature hefty since the timepieces being subscribed to are luxury watches. Breitling clearly believes that its subscription service can buck that trend. The crucial difference between BreitlingSelect and everything that has come before is the brand – BreitlingSelect is being offered by the watch manufa...

Sinn’s Submarine-Steel Dive Watch Gets a Patina Dial

Known for its utilitarian “tool” watches, Sinn’s latest is a variation on its bestselling dive watch. The U1 DS is a limited-edition rendition of the brand’s dive watch that’s best known for having a case made from the same steel alloy as German navy submarines. Limited to 500 pieces, the U1 DS features a dial that has been lapped to achieve a seemingly worn-out finish, whilst retaining the famed robustness that characterises the U1. The combination is a juxtaposition of an aged dial and a case that will likely never show any wear. Initial thoughts The U1 DS is a clear winner in my books. The dial’s battle-scarred look suits the submarine-inspired genesis of the U1, which has long had a military feel, despite not being a military-issue watch (though Sinn did made a special edition for a special-forces unit of the German military). Despite the new finish, the U1 retains its trademark legibility. The randomly-scratched texture does not detract from readability or the distinctive U1 dial design. Its signature block-shaped hands and hour markers remain prominent. Though it’s an uncommon look, Sinn has been using this randomly-textured finish frequently of late. The finish was first used in 2019 on the 356 Fliegerchronograph for Singapore retailer The Hour Glass, and then last year on the EZM3.F.V. that was only sold in Japan. The patina finish remains rare, but not quite as rare as it seems to be. The Japan-only EZM3.F.V. Despite being a limited edition, the U...

Introducing IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph Edition “Tribute to 3705”

IWC’s New Fliegerchronograph takes inspiration from the Iconic “Black Flieger” from the mid-1990’s, but upgrades the ceramic case to groundbreaking Ceratanium, and an in-house movement.

Furlan Marri: The Watch Brand the World Needs

INTRODUCING: The Grand Seiko SLGH005 brings the 9SA5 to standard production in steel

Whenever I hear a new Grand Seiko is being released, I get all giddy inside. Like a child hoping to find a Nintendo Switch under the tree on Christmas morning, Grand Seiko novelties are highly anticipated by fans worldwide – and fortunately they never disappoint. We recently covered the 60th anniversary limited edition Grand Seiko … ContinuedThe post INTRODUCING: The Grand Seiko SLGH005 brings the 9SA5 to standard production in steel appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

The Best Looking Rolex Day-Dates You’ve Never Seen, Now Available to View at Revolution Watch Bar

3 American Football Watch Stories Starring Terry Bradshaw, John Harbaugh, And Aaron Rodgers

On the eve of Super Bowl LV, Elizabeth Doerr takes a look at American football legends Terry Bradshaw, John Harbaugh, and Aaron Rodgers and their watch stories.

IWC Big Pilot’s Watch Constant-Force Tourbillon Edition “IWC Racing”: Haute Horlogerie Contrasts

The IWC Big Pilot’s Watch Constant-Force Tourbillon “IWC Racing” edition piques Joshua Munchow's interest thanks to its connection between time, flight, and mechanics. This latest iteration of the Big Pilot’s Watch Constant-Force Tourbillon is new for 2021 and provides an extremely attractive proposition for the historically minded pilot’s watch fan. Here Joshua explains why.

My Watch Story: Bonded By Breitlings, A Love For 007, The Cartier That Started It All, And More

Five video stories from HODINKEE readers.

HODINKEE Radio: Hollywood Prop Master Maria Simonelli Tells Us Why It's The Watch That Truly Makes The Character

Episode 116 is a double-header full of insider perspectives and watch ephemera.

Made To Measure Up: Grand Seiko Professional 600M Diver’s Watch, SLGA001

Grand Seiko has a reputation as the maker of perfectly finished watches, where precision and performance of the highest calibre are valued above everything. And when it comes to their dive watches, the same depth is there…

Introducing: The Ralph Lauren Automotive Chronograph Watch

A vehicular state of mind.

Sunday Rewind: The First Battery-Powered Watch

Don't call it quartz, it's been here for years.

The Turtle Watch That Ruled Thanksgiving

Gone in less than 10 minutes.

TAG Heuer x Bamford Watch Department Limited Edition Aquaracer

A new 1500-piece limited edition is the latest collaboration between TAG Heuer and Bamford Watch Department; this time it’s an Aquaracer and as racy as the name suggests.

The Value Proposition: The Hamilton Intra-Matic 38mm 'Dress Watch'

Less is more.

Watch Spotting: Manager Dave Roberts Wearing A Panerai Luminor Marina As The Los Angeles Dodgers Win The 2020 World Series

A Panerai and a World Series ring.

New with hands-on review: IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph TOP GUN Edition “SFTI” REF. IW389104

IWC extends the Top Gun collection in the Pilot’s Watches range with the the Pilot’s Watch Chronograph TOP GUN Edition “SFTI”. The The new model takes inspiration from the “Strike Fighter Tactics Instructor” watch, which was created in 2018 in honor of the US Naval Aviation Community and is available only for TOPGUN graduates. ThisRead More

Just Because: What Watch Would Be Worn By George Smiley, The Anti-James Bond?

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Timex?

The Grey NATO: Episode 126: Our Watch Discomfort Zones

Watches that we don't get (but really want to).

My Watch Story: The Watches Of Grandfathers, A Birthday Panerai, A Speedmaster With An Astronaut Connection, And More

Five video stories from HODINKEE readers.

HODINKEE Radio: Episode 107: All About The Apple Watch With Alan Dye, John Gruber, And Om Malik

A comprehensive deep-dive into Apple's latest smartwatch.