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Origins of the G-SHOCK MRG-B2000BS-3A Hana-Basara Revolution
Casio R&D; Sep 8, 2021

Origins of the G-SHOCK MRG-B2000BS-3A Hana-Basara

Revolution speaks with Mr Shingo Ishizaka from Casio R&D;, the key engineer behind the G-SHOCK MRG-B2000BS-3A Hana-Basara and Mr Kazuhito Komatsu, a master precious stone and pearl cutter and polishing expert, and also the man who lent his art to the extraordinary finishing applied to the Hana-Basara’s COBARION bezel. The word “Basara”, which is derived from the Sanskrit word for diamond, is a term of respect used for only the most bold and honorable of samurai, and it is this word that has inspired G-SHOCK’s new limited-edition MR-G, the MRG-B2000BS-3A “Hana-Basara”, which celebrates the 25th anniversary of G-SHOCK’s flagship collection. In feudal Japan, the Basara Busho were the boldest of the samurai, renowned in battle for their expressive, and indeed, artistic armor, and it is from them that the MRG-B2000BS-3A takes its design cues. Crafted with an ultra-hard COBARION bezel and case made from DAT55G titanium, (COBARION is about 4 times harder than titanium, while DAT55G is 3 times harder than titanium), the Hana-Basara is ideally suited to embody the fighting spirit of its namesakes. In fact, the direct inspiration for this singular G-SHOCK was a one-off suit of armor commissioned by Casio from famed armorer atelier, Suzukine Yuzan. The bezel and bracelet are rendered in a deep green DLC finish called “kurogane-iro”, while the case is treated with a brown AIP (arc ion plating) finish, which echo traditional samurai colors. But the real star of the sho...

Audemars Piguet Debuts the Royal Oak Offshore 42 mm with In-House Cal. 4404 SJX Watches
Audemars Piguet Debuts Sep 2, 2021

Audemars Piguet Debuts the Royal Oak Offshore 42 mm with In-House Cal. 4404

One of the biggest watches on the market when it was introduced in 1993, the Royal Oak Offshore is a landmark in the oversized-sports watch genre. Since then the model has been iterated into numerous variants and several sizes, while the first-generation originals have occasionally returned as limited editions. Now they are back for good as part of the regular collection at Audemars Piguet – but upgraded with the in-house cal. 4404 as well as quick-release bracelets and straps. Nicknamed “evolution” by Audemars Piguet (AP), the new Royal Oak Offshore Chronograph 42 mm ref. 26238TI is being launched with a trio of watches that are a faithful take on the 1993 original, along with two new “Mega Tapisserie” dials in the same size. The Offshore 42 mm with “Mega Tapisserie” dials Initial thoughts The last major revamp of the Offshore Chronograph 42 mm was in 2014, when it received a movement upgrade in the form of an in-house base movement, though retaining the modular chronograph. And then two years ago Audemars Piguet unveiled a model equipped with the Frederic Piguet cal. 1185. The new Offshore is arguably better than all its recent counterparts, because it combines the original design – which is a classic – while improving what needed to be improved, namely the movement. In the release announcement, AP describes the movement as “a new selfwinding integrated chronograph, Calibre 4404, equipped with column wheel and flyback function”, which pretty much ...

Follow us at Geneva Watch Days 2021, starting right now with MB&F; madness and Moser magic Time+Tide
MB&F; Aug 31, 2021

Follow us at Geneva Watch Days 2021, starting right now with MB&F; madness and Moser magic

At first it was so strange. And it had the drama, the inevitability, of a tipping point being reached. SIHH’s changed name. Basel stumbled, fell, then disintegrated into dust. COVID-19 hit, everything stopped. Then out of these ashes, Geneva Watch Days 2020 emerged. I was unable to go, along with anyone from our Australian team, … ContinuedThe post Follow us at Geneva Watch Days 2021, starting right now with MB&F; madness and Moser magic appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Parmigiani Introduces the Tonda PF Collection SJX Watches
Breguet inspired Aug 30, 2021

Parmigiani Introduces the Tonda PF Collection

When I spoke with Parmigiani chief executive Guido Terreni earlier this year, he described his plans for the brand’s product as having a “new direction for design, which is less ostentatious”, adding that Parmigiani will ” go back to the craft and excellence of the early days… with an eye on the world of today.” With the new Tonda PF collection launched to mark Parmigiani’s 25th anniversary, Mr Terreni appears to have pulled it off. Made up of four watches – ranging from a time-only to a pricey split-seconds – the Tonda PF is a synthesis of Parmigiani’s recent integrated-bracelet sports watch and its earlier Toric timepieces that were classical and Breguet inspired. The result is a sleek case and integrated bracelet matched with a refined yet minimalist guilloche dial featuring solid-gold hands and indices. Initial thoughts In a review two months ago, I wrote that liked the Tonda GT sports watch, though I thought the dial could be done better in several ways. The new Tonda PF does exactly that. It keeps everything that was good with the Tonda GT and enhances the rest. The dial has been stripped of superfluous elements while gaining a barleycorn engine turning. In fact, the dial is almost Moser-ish in its restraint, with the only marking being a small “PF” logo, which is made of solid 18k gold. And the upgrades in materials continue with the case, with all the steel model getting a knurled platinum bezel. And the movements have been enhanced. The...

IWC to Keep Time on First All-Civilian Space Flight SJX Watches
IWC Aug 27, 2021

IWC to Keep Time on First All-Civilian Space Flight

Slated to be the first space flight with an entirely civilian crew, Inspiration4 take off in September 2021 for a three-day orbit of Earth. Operated by SpaceX, the space travel company founded by Elon Musk, the mission will keep time with the help of IWC, which has created the Pilot’s Watch Chronograph Edition “Inspiration4” for the four-person crew. Featuring white ceramic cases and blue-lacquered dials, the four watches will be sold at auction after the space flight, with proceeds going to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, a paediatric hospital funded by donations that treats severely ill children and teenagers for free. Initial thoughts Being four watches that will be sold to benefit a good cause, the Inspiration4 chronographs are certainly a good thing. It helps that the design is appealing. Though the overarching elements of the watch are familiar – white ceramic and blue – they are combined in a novel manner for IWC. Both the star-speckled dial and white ceramic case are unique in the IWC line up. But the fact that these four are the first-ever Pilot’s watches in white ceramic (aside from prototypes from two decades ago) probably hints at something similar in the pipeline. If, and when, such a watch does emerge, I hope the production version will be smaller than the 44.5 mm that the Inspiration4 is, though that’s unlikely since the ceramic chronographs are all that size. Four travellers The four watches have been made for the crew of Inspiratio...

Hublot Unveils the Big Bang Integral Tourbillon Rainbow SJX Watches
Hublot Unveils Aug 24, 2021

Hublot Unveils the Big Bang Integral Tourbillon Rainbow

The most extravagant watch to date in 2021 has arrived courtesy of Hublot – the Big Bang Integral Tourbillon Rainbow. Combining Hublot’s signature porthole face with the integrated bracelet introduced last year, the Big Bang Integral Tourbillon Rainbow has almost every surface set with coloured gemstones. And ticking away inside is an in-house movement with a tourbillon and clear sapphire bridges. Initial thoughts Rainbow watches are the “it” watches of our era, with the Rolex Daytona “Rainbow” being the most famous of the multi-coloured, gem-set timepieces. But now Hublot has taken it to the outlandish next level. The Big Bang Integral Tourbillon Rainbow is a lot, probably too much, but it’s also a stunning example of gem setting – proof comes in the form of 36 carats of stones – with an unusually interesting movement. The movement will probably be overlooked by whoever buys either of the two unique examples, but it is quite accomplished in a technical sense: an automatic tourbillon wound by a micro-rotor, with everything held in place by clear sapphire bridges. Contrasting starkly with the densely saturated case, the movement is light and airy in its layout, with its wheels appearing to be floating within the case thanks to the transparent bridges. The only glaring shortcoming in its technical features is the Etachron regulator index for the tourbillon. It’s entirely functional, but typically found in less expensive watches. Even though I would not ...

Up Close: Citizen Promaster Mechanical Diver 200 m SJX Watches
Citizen Promaster Mechanical Diver 200 Aug 16, 2021

Up Close: Citizen Promaster Mechanical Diver 200 m

Historically best known for ultra-advanced quartz and solar-powered watches – including the most accurate watch ever – Citizen has been on a tear recently with good, old-fashioned mechanical watches. The Japanese watchmaker started the year the high-end with The Citizen Caliber 0200, and then moved onto something more accessible but still sporting an integrated bracelet. More recently it took the covers off the Promaster Mechanical Diver 200 m ref. NB6004-08E. Oversized and aggressively styled, the new Promaster is eminently affordable – retail is about US$1,000 – but kitted out with impressive features, including a hardened case as well as a magnetism-resistant in-house movement, which makes it excellent value. (And it has a cool, glow-in-the-dark buckle.) Initial thoughts In my early days as a watch enthusiast, I had a soft spot for Seiko dive watches, because they were diverse in style and budget friendly. Citizen, on the other hand, didn’t feature as much, because it only offered one or two notable mechanical dive watches as the company largely focused on solar-powered watches (and still does). But Citizen is expanding its repertoire at a measured pace, but making tremendous progress. The Promaster Mechanical Diver 200 m is a single model, but offered in several variants (though availability of each version varies throughout the world). Citizen lent me the base model – brushed titanium with a black dial – for a few days. On paper, the watch is high s...

OPINION: Flaunting the watch you’ve just given your partner on social media makes you look like a jerk Time+Tide
Patek Philippe boutique Aug 13, 2021

OPINION: Flaunting the watch you’ve just given your partner on social media makes you look like a jerk

To celebrate the birthday of his fiancee, Dee Devlin, Conor McGregor recently posted an Instagram snap of the couple inside a Patek Philippe boutique. On his partner’s wrist, conspicuously pointed at the camera, was a diamond-set Aquanaut Luce that the caption implied was a birthday gift. This was a fairly standard flex for McGregor, a … ContinuedThe post OPINION: Flaunting the watch you’ve just given your partner on social media makes you look like a jerk appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

RAKETA “BAIKONUR” Review WatchAdvice
Raketa Aug 6, 2021

RAKETA “BAIKONUR” Review

It’s the dawn of the new space age. Over the past 10 days, we have had two separate billionaires venturing into space in their very own spacecraft. With Elon Musk also firmly in the race (albeit not in his own ship… yet), it’s quite apt that we look at another aspect of the space age… as in, what will the space tourists wear on their wrist… in space??? When we think about mechanical watches, Swiss and Japanese watches usually come to mind. Perhaps followed closely by German watches. What about Russian? They pop up in a watch conversation perhaps as many times as humans have been into space. (Although given recent developments, the numbers might grow in favour of humans in space…) However, the Russians did have a thriving watch industry and whatever your viewpoints are political, you cannot ignore the fact that there are many interesting and fascinating Russian watches available today. Some of them were even developed with space travel in mind. Introduced in 1961, named in honour of Yuri Gagarin’s first manned flight to outer space on the Vostok 1, Raketa (Russian for “Rocket”) is perhaps one of the better known Russian watch companies. In fact, they are a true Manufacture in the sense that not only do they make their own movements, they also produce their own hairsprings, meaning they don’t need to rely on Swiss or Japanese supplies for this crucial part. One of the main points of difference is the “secret Soviet alloy” used to produce the hairsprin...

HANDS-ON: The Zenith Chronomaster Original Collection offers vintage perfection on a 38mm dial Time+Tide
Zenith Chronomaster Original Collection offers Jul 31, 2021

HANDS-ON: The Zenith Chronomaster Original Collection offers vintage perfection on a 38mm dial

Zenith have a track record for having their fingers on the pulse of the watch world. In the ‘60s, they spent nearly the entire decade developing the El Primero to be the world’s first integrated automatic chronograph movement. Back then, the world was crying out for innovation: new techniques, new designs and new possibilities. Now, … ContinuedThe post HANDS-ON: The Zenith Chronomaster Original Collection offers vintage perfection on a 38mm dial appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

VIDEO: The Zenith Chronomaster Original Collection hits the sweet spot in three different forms Time+Tide
Zenith Chronomaster Original Collection hits Jul 29, 2021

VIDEO: The Zenith Chronomaster Original Collection hits the sweet spot in three different forms

In the 1960s, Zenith developed the El Primero to be the world’s first integrated automatic chronograph movement. Back then the world was crying out for innovation: new techniques, new designs, and new possibilities. Now watch buyers increasingly seem to appreciate tradition, vintage reissues and smaller sizes. The Zenith Chronomaster Original offers both progress and nostalgia … ContinuedThe post VIDEO: The Zenith Chronomaster Original Collection hits the sweet spot in three different forms appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Girard-Perregaux 230th Anniversary Exhibition in Singapore SJX Watches
Girard-Perregaux 230th Anniversary Exhibition Jul 28, 2021

Girard-Perregaux 230th Anniversary Exhibition in Singapore

In celebration of its 230th anniversary, Girard-Perregaux has extracted part of its museum collection and sent it across the world to Singapore, where they form an exhibition on the watchmaker’s history. Shaping The Know Since 1791 provides a peek into the company’s past milestones and timepieces, illustrated by a diversity of items on show, ranging from enamelled pocket watches from the late 18th century to an ultra-modern wristwatch with its case and bridges in sapphire crystal. Pocket watches Though the Tourbillon with Three Gold Bridges is Girard-Perregaux’s best known complication, the brand is instead focusing on its wider repertoire in the exhibition. Arranged in a chronological manner, the company’s history is explained with a series of displays that include notes as well as representative watches of each era, from the 18th to 21st centuries. Notable contemporary pieces include the original Laureato from 1975, as well as the avant-garde Quasar Light that reinterprets the brand’s iconic triple bridges in sapphire crystal. The original Laureato that was quartz the exhibition unfolds the brand’s unusual origins: while husband-and-wife Constant Girard and Marie Perregaux founded the brand in 1856, the company later acquired Jean-François Bautte, a brand that was established in 1791, explaining the 230th anniversary in 2021. A pioneer in ultra-thin timepieces, Bautte specialised in pocket watches decorated with enamel and gemstones, reflecting the prevail...

BUCKS IN SIX! NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo celebrates victory with a Rolex Sky-Dweller Time+Tide
Rolex Sky-Dweller After Jul 23, 2021

BUCKS IN SIX! NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo celebrates victory with a Rolex Sky-Dweller

After a 50-year dry spell without a championship title to their name, the Milwaukee Bucks won the 2021 NBA Finals – finally living up to the eight-year-old Brandon Jennings instigated motto: “BUCKS IN SIX”. This year’s victory, while certainly a team effort, can be largely attributed to the stellar performance of Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo … ContinuedThe post BUCKS IN SIX! NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo celebrates victory with a Rolex Sky-Dweller appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Andersen Genève and BCHH Collaborate on Double-Crown, Cloisonné World Time SJX Watches
Jul 23, 2021

Andersen Genève and BCHH Collaborate on Double-Crown, Cloisonné World Time

Singaporean collector Benjamin Chee has long been involved in watchmaking as a hobbyist, having set up two brands in the last decade, Maison Celadon for dress watches and Millechron for sports watches. While his earlier endeavours were powered by excellent Vaucher movements, Mr Chee’s latest venture is the most haute horlogerie to date. Taking its name from Mr Chee’s initials, the BCHH Celestial Voyager combines fine watchmaking with metiers d’art in series of pièce unique world-time wristwatches executed by independent watchmaker Andersen Genève. Cased in platinum, each of the seven watches in the series features a cloisonné enamel dial depicting a different stylised map. At the same time, the watches are accented by details like soldered lugs and a mother of pearl inlay on the back. Initial thoughts The Celestial Voyager is typical of Andersen’s products, meaning it’s classical in design and well made in an artisanal manner. But like many of Andersen’s watches, the Voyager is bespoke, so it reflects Mr Chee’s preferences and eye for detail. Take for instance the dial, which is elaborate in a discreet manner. The cloisonné enamel centre is the highlight, and most watches would stop there, but here the cities ring is made of sparkly aventurine glass. Elements like the cities ring play a supporting role, but getting them right often distinguishes the great from the good. The Celestial Voyager gets most of it right, and is one of the better looking...

Stories: A Legendary Iranian Pilot and His Rolex GMT-Master SJX Watches
Rolex GMT-Master Gunshots ring out Jul 19, 2021

Stories: A Legendary Iranian Pilot and His Rolex GMT-Master

Gunshots ring out with an unnerving cadence, and the chants of angry crowds ring across the city. It is Sunday, February 11, 1979. Come Monday morning, the country’s biggest newspaper hits newsstands with the front page proclaiming: “The Regime Has Disintegrated”. The provisional government collapsed the day before, with the military having returned to its barracks – leaving the Islamic Revolution triumphant. All day long that Monday, a young man ignores the revolutionary chaos as best he can, dedicating himself to picking up the phone every hour and dialling his father’s office at air force headquarters within Doshan Tappeh Air Base in Tehran. Each time his father answers and calmly reassures the son all is well. For a few months now, the son has tried to talk his father into leaving the country. The Shah had already fled and tensions were rising. But each time his old man responded in the same manner, “I am a soldier of this land and my duty calls me to stay.” Not only did the father remain in the country, he dutifully turned up to work every day. Nader Jahanbani (right) with Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the last Shah of Iran, in the early 1970s; Nader has his GMT-Master on his wrist On that fateful Monday, the son calls at six in the evening and hears his father’s voice. He calls again at seven and his father picks up the phone. An hour later, he dials the number once again and listens to the phone ringing. No one answers. He tries again a few minutes later ...

Montblanc Meisterstück Spike Lee Special Edition: Highlighting A Love Of Writing Quill & Pad
Montblanc Meisterstück Spike Lee Special Jul 13, 2021

Montblanc Meisterstück Spike Lee Special Edition: Highlighting A Love Of Writing

I’m not sure it’s possible to experience a Spike Lee film without being changed in some profound way. Lee loves writing with a pen, and Montblanc's new fountain pen in his honor is crafted in classic black resin with a sleek cap and decorated with Lee’s signature eyeglasses. Purple, the artist’s favorite color, also figures prominently.

A. Lange & Söhne Unveils the Saxonia Thin Aventurine in Pink Gold SJX Watches
A. Lange & Sohne Jul 13, 2021

A. Lange & Söhne Unveils the Saxonia Thin Aventurine in Pink Gold

Three months after Watches & Wonders 2021 (where it debuted the Triple Split in pink gold amongst others), A. Lange & Söhne is now back with more new releases, as is now the norm with watch fairs having gone online. Of the trio of new launches, the Saxonia Thin is the simplest, but no less striking. Clad in lively, blue aventurine glass and pink gold, the watch has a rich, sparkly aesthetic quite antithetical to the fuss-free style usually associated with the German watchmaker. Initial thoughts While flourishes like the aventurine-glass dial are uncommon for Lange in general, the sparkly glass dial is not new. In fact, the material was first used in the white gold Saxonia Thin back in 2017. The brand followed up with the same but with a black aventurine-glass dial last December, and then the pair of Little Lange 1 Moon Phase earlier this year. That’s four models with aventurine glass dials in as many years. The new model is a first, in that it matches the blue aventurine-glass dial with a pink gold case, giving the watch a warm aesthetic not found in earlier versions, or even the broader catalogue where the combination of pink gold and blue is found only on the recent Triple Split. This is no doubt a good news for collectors that already have everything from the brand and want something different. Still, the frequency of aventurine-glass inevitably chips away at its uniqueness. One nitpick I have about the watch is personal – I find the Saxonia Thin too wide and f...

Hands-on with the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore self-winding Chronograph WatchAdvice
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore self-winding Jul 12, 2021

Hands-on with the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore self-winding Chronograph

First up, let me get something off my chest. I have never been a fan of the movement used in the AP Royal Oak Offshore. As much as I like the style of the watch, I’ve always felt the movement isn’t up to scratch, especially for the price. Of course, not many people will care about this, but one look at how deep-set the date is, and you know clearly that it is a modular construction (module by Dubois-Deprez). And really, at $50k a pop, is it really too much to ask for an integrated chronograph movement? I’m sure there are many out there who will argue that this is part of the charm. It’s what makes the Royal Oak Offshore different. But I have a feeling given how hyped the watches are, people are only too happy to buy one when one is available, and straight away, blinders come on, and the denial begins. Especially when the layout is exactly the same as the ubiquitous ETA 7750 chronographs (12-9-6 sub-dials). Again, nothing wrong with the ETA 7750. In fact, it is one of my favourite entry-level, workhorse movements, but even this one is integrated… Fine. Call me a chronograph snob if you like. As we all know, this hobby is highly personal and highly subjective. I just prefer my chronographs to be integrated. (Although I’m not fussy regarding whether it’s a vertical or horizontal clutch, and whether or not the engagement is controlled by a column-wheel or a cam/lever assembly – I’m sure there are people out there who swears by one form over another…)  This...

The Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso – Canvas for Hokusai SJX Watches
Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso – Canvas Jul 9, 2021

The Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso – Canvas for Hokusai

Debuted in 1931, the ubiquitous reversible watch is marking its 90th anniversary this year. Jaeger-LeCoultre (JLC) has rolled out several special editions for the occasion, from a digital hours to the uber Reverso with four faces. But the latest anniversary edition is pared-down in mechanics, but elaborately crafted. JLC turned to its enamel workshop for the Reverso Tribute Enamel, a time-only watch with both the dial and back decorated in grand feu enamel. Most remarkable is the miniature painting on the reverse of the case, which is a miniature version of Kirifuri Waterfall, a 19th century woodblock print by Hokusai, the Japanese artist most famous for The Great Wave off Kanagawa, a print depicting roaring waves with Mount Fuji in the distance (which JLC already put on the back of another Reverso three years ago). Initial thoughts The Reverso Tribute Enamel is a evidently a good looking watch. Simple on the front, looking similar to the standard model, the watch is discreetly captivating, thanks to the green, wavy guilloche dial that evokes the serene motion of the flowing water. And hidden until the case is flipped over is a miniature enamel painting that’s even more outstanding. The brand’s miniature enamelling has long ranked amongst the best in the industry – it was one of the first to establish an in-house enamel studio – and this watch shows that JLC has preserved its prowess. The back is a near-exact recreation of the original woodblock printing by Hokusa...

Up Close: Hermès H08 Automatic SJX Watches
Hermes Jul 5, 2021

Up Close: Hermès H08 Automatic

Unveiled at Watches & Wonders 2021, the H08 is an all-new men’s watch from Hermès. Featuring a cushion-shaped case and a Vaucher movement, the H08 is typical of Hermes in its restrained, thoughtful styling exemplified by the custom typography. Hermès described the H08 at its launch as a relatively affordable, everyday watch with a simple, high-quality execution – which is accurate. Though it comes from a brand better known for its handbags and scarves, the H08 is a watch done well in many ways. Initial thoughts The H08 is surprisingly appealing in the metal. Slim and lightweight, it has a design that is interesting despite being simple. And its technical credentials are solid, albeit not fancy, with the H1837 movement inside being a Vaucher calibre. Although the H08 does evoke other watch designs, it still manages to look original. And it does look like a Hermes product, which might be important to some buyers, thanks to the touch of orange in the seconds hand that remains discreet enough to suit those who don’t care for obvious emblems. The H1837 Characterised by geometric shapes, the styling is modern while incorporating accents that illustrate Hermes’ traditional attention to detail. The font used for the hour numerals, for instance, was designed specifically for the H08 and echoes the cushion shape of the case. And the same font is used for the date, ensuring perfect consistency in its typography (though it does impact legibility of the date somewhat). On t...

Business News: Consolidation in European Pre-Owned Watches SJX Watches
Cartier Jul 5, 2021

Business News: Consolidation in European Pre-Owned Watches

Historically fragmented and dominated by numerous small players, the pre-owned watch industry has been consolidating with at an increasing pace, driven by the e-commerce and ambitious entrants from outside the business. Amongst the most prominent and fastest-growing is Watchbox, which began as an offshoot of authorised retailer Govberg Jewelers but has since grown into one of the largest pre-owned merchants with outposts in Hong Kong, Dubai, and even South Africa. Even Richemont, the Swiss conglomerate that owns brands like Cartier and IWC, has invested substantially in the space with its 2018 acquisition of British outfit Watchfinder. Though the most widely-reported developments in the business are largely concentrated in the United States and Britain, continental Europe is experiencing similar growth, especially in its largest markets like Germany and France. The recently announced takeover of Paris-based MMC by Watchmaster in Germany illustrates many of the trends shaping the pre-owned business. Like many recent startups in the space, Watchmaster was founded by digital entrepreneurs instead of watch industry insiders. In fact, almost all of Watchmaster’s founders and senior managers are former employees of Quandoo, the restaurant booking platform that was sold to Japanese staffing giant Recruit Holdings in 2015 for about €200 million, shortly before Watchmaster was set up. Watchmaster’s current chief executive, Tim-Hendrik Meyer, was a cofounder of Quandoo, as a...