72 articles found · page 2 of 3
Quill & Pad
Why do high-end watches cost so much? To answer the question, Ian Skellern looked at low production numbers and high complexity, but the cost he focuses on here is hand-finishing, because unlike low production numbers and high complexity, ultra-high-level hand-finishing is not easy to appreciate.
Hodinkee
The independent watchmaker's in-house automatic movement, now in skeletonized titanium.
![Photo Report: Watch Spotting At The Hodinkee Happy Hour [May 2026]](https://hodinkee.imgix.net/uploads/images/16891390-a790-4ec8-9293-1e162cd07990/1C2A0782.jpg?ixlib=rails-1.1.0&fm=jpg&q=55&auto=format&usm=12&w=2000)
Hodinkee
Last week, we brought back the second edition of what will start to become a regular fixture on the calendar—Hodinkee Happy Hour. Watches of Switzerland SoHo was once again the venue, and Editor-in-Chief James Stacey hosted a very fun evening. Great conversations, great company, and no shortage of great watches to look at—a few of which you'll see below. If you made it out, thank you for coming. If not, we'll be doing it again at the end of June. Follow us on Instagram to be the first to know when RSVPs open. Patek Philippe 5940J. Zenith Sporto. Hodinkee Editor TanTan Wang with his Rolex Land-Dweller 36. Casio G-Shock x Hender Scheme DW-5900UD-1. Patek Philippe Complications ref. 5180/1R-001 18K Skeleton. C by Romain Gauthier and a A. Lange & Söhne Odysseus in White Gold. Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Control Rolex Land-Dweller 36 A nice variety of local beverages were on offer from Grotta. Patek Philippe Aquanaut ref. 5167A. Tudor Black Bay 58 and a Rolex-GMT Master II "Batman". Timex Ironman, Tudor Pelagos, Breitling Aerospace. Patek Philippe Nautilus Annual Calendar ref. 5726A. Dennison Dual Time. Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Duoface, Univeral Genève FS, Rolex Cosmograph Daytona. Sinn T50. Hodinkee's Editor-in-Chief James Stacey serving pizza and talking watches. Rolex Oyster Perpetual. Vacheron Constantin Overseas ref. 4500V. Rolex Explorer II ref. 226570. Hodinkee's TanTan Wang and Pedro Vidal. Thanks to Upside Pizza for the pizza. Rolex Submariner, Jaeger-L...
SJX Watches
Proving recent rumours to be true, MB&F; has just announced that Chanel now owns 25% of the company. The terms of the deal were not disclosed but it is likely that the valuation of the independent watchmaker not far from the CHF120 million mark. Though meaningful in the context of independent watchmaker, it is a small investment for Chanel, which had 2023 revenues of almost US$20 billion. MB&F; will continue to be controlled by founder Maximilian Büsser (above left), who pares his stake down to 60% stake, while his longtime deputy, Serge Kriknoff, continues with a 15% share in the brand best known for its sculptural, sci-fi creations. The pair were the only shareholders in the brand prior to the Chanel investment. The MB&F; HM11 A major player behind the scenes With its MB&F; investment, Chanel continues to grow its presence in watchmaking, particularly independent watchmaking. The stake in MB&F; follows on Chanel’s investment in F.P. Journe (believed to be about a quarter), and about a half share in Romain Gauthier. Chanel has also long owned a substantial stake in Bell & Ross, as well as a quarter of movement maker Kenissi. Add to those Chanel’s holdings in the watchmaking supply chain, and the result is a luxury group that has a substantial and growing player in watchmaking. Chanel’s watch and jewellery chief, Frédéric Grangié, said the investment in MB&F; “is part of our long-term strategy to continue to preserve, develop and invest in specialist know-how and...
Revolution
At Geneva Watch Days Revolution hosted a series of symposiums, with some the watch industries greatest leaders, innovators and visionaries. In case you couldn’t make it in person, we’re sharing the stream here. The session, Legends of Independent Watchmaking – Part 2 features Ludovic Ballouard, Bernhard Lederer, Romain Gauthier, Edouard Meylan from H. Moser & Cie, […]
SJX Watches
Chanel’s best known watch is unquestionably the all-ceramic J12, now in its refined and upgraded second generation. But its most interesting watch – from a mechanic and design perspective – is the Monsieur de Chanel. Originally offered only in precious metals, the watch was last year given a stylish makeover with the Monsieur Édition Noire that’s clad entirely in matte black ceramic. A jumping hour with retrograde minutes, the Édition Noire is powered by the Calibre 1, an original, integrated movement produced with help from independent watchmaker Romain Gauthier. But equally important is its design, which is discreetly brilliant. The watch has the sort of thoughtful aesthetic that pays attention to the whole but also the details – the typeface used on the dial was designed expressly for the watch – that is expected from the grand Parisian fashion house. In fact, the design is more coherent and informed than many watches created by traditional watchmakers. The Chanel elements of the watch are subtle, like the octagonal frame for the hours inspired by the Chanel No. 5 perfume bottle The long road Like other luxury fashion houses, Chanel has been working hard to make proper timepieces, watches that are well made and equipped with respectable movements. Earlier this year it took a 20% stake in movement maker Kenissi, in a joint venture with Tudor, which now produces calibres for the face-lifted J12. Kenissi is merely the latest investment in Chanel’s gradual...
SJX Watches
Chanel has been slowly but steadily building up its line of mechanical watches powered by high-end, in-house movements. Most notable is the Monsieur de Chanel jump hour, created with the help of respected independent watchmaker Romain Gauthier, who sold a minority stake in his company to Chanel several years ago. Mr Gauthier also had a hand in last year’s Boy.Friend Skeleton, a top of the line variant of Chanel’s fashionable rectangular watch. Fancy mechanics are usually the preserve of men’s watches, but the Boy.Friend Skeleton boasts an impressively thoughtful, open-worked movement, the Calibre 3. In fact, the design and details of the in-house movement show that it was conceived from the ground up with a particular aesthetic goal in mind. It’s the only way to create a skeleton movement that looks as coherent as this does. An especially beautiful detail are the gilded bevels on the outermost frame of the base plate and the sub-seconds, which emphasise the finish and shape of the movement. Chanel circles The Calibre 3 has been constructed to incorporate a series of repeating, interlocking circles, a favourite motif of Chanel’s chief watch designer, Arnaud Chastaingt. The motif starts with the bridges and base plate, which are all brass finish with a frosted surface coated in black amorphous diamond-like carbon (ADLC). A telling indication of the attention to detail put into its construction lies in how the bridges are constructed. Instead of being a sing...
Deployant
Romain Gauthier introduces a new ladies watch with an opal dial - the Insight Micro-Rotor Lady Opal. Full detailed specifications and price within
Time+Tide
I’ve been saying for a while now that Chanel are a force to watch when it comes to serious watchmaking. Their recent high-end movements are impressive, to say the least. They’re already investors in Romain Gauthier, and - more recently - F.P. Journe. The latest step in Chanel’s increasing in-house journey is their acquisition of … ContinuedThe post NEWS: Chanel steps up their in-house watchmaking capacity with investment in new factory appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Deployant
A short guide for a timepiece with the Fusee and Chain system, with pieces from Leroy, Breguet, Cabestan, A. Lange and Sohne, Zenith, and Romain Gauthier.
Revolution
Last Friday, the 15th of November, the jury of the 13th. Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG) unveiled its prize list. Quite a few independent watchmakers like Kari Voutilainen, Romain Gauthier and Benoît Mintiens, de Ressence were among the winners. Fifteen prizes honoured the year’s finest watch creations, including the supreme distinction, the “Aiguille d’Or”. […]
Time+Tide
Two blokes, three watches, and a four-year Surfer saga to look back on...The post Andrew & Zenith Chief Products Officer Romain Marietta look back on the Zenith x Time+Tide Surfer Trilogy appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Revolution
Discovering the genesis of Zenith’s twenty-first century chronograph movement: The Zenith Defy El Primero 21.
Deployant
Romain Gautier Prestige HMS Stainless Steel featuring a dial from ultra rare Henbury meteorite, and the first from the maison in stainless steel.
Deployant
I featured the abstract art of the Romain Gautier Logical 1 last week, today, I show the whole watch, and some of the interesting stuff which goes on beyond what the naked eye can normally see. Romain Gautier Logical 1 First, an establishment shot of the rather handsome, if not a bit unusual, guts hangingRead More
Quill & Pad
RJ Watches - formerly known as Romain Jérôme - has declared bankruptcy with immediate effect. Elizabeth Doerr takes a brief look at the 16-year run of this quirky boutique brand, its design-focused existence having formed an interesting tribute to the power (and limits) of marketing.
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...
Deployant
Full review of the RJ-Romain Jerome Donkey Kong. Our analysis with price, hands-on commentary and live high resolution photographs.
Deployant
We review the Romain Jerome Super Mario Bros. A collaboration between Romain Jerome and Nintendo celebrate the 30th anniversary of Super Mario Bros!
Deployant
A contemporary novelty from Baselworld 2016: the Romain Jerome Batman-DNA Gotham City. Click here to find out more!
Deployant
A contemporary novelty in Baselworld 2016: the Romain Jerome Moon Orbiter GMT. Click here to find out more!
Deployant
Who has the better watch? Is it the Romain Jerome Spacecraft-Batman or MB&F;'s HM5 and HMX?
Deployant
romain jerome subcraft hands-on review baselworld2015
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Romain Jerome Steampunk Auto 46
Deployant
Romain Jerome is a brand that is synonymous with using exotic materials to craft their watches- from relics of the Titanic to the mysterious moon dust. This time, they have looked towards the famous Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress, and specifically, the “Pink Lady”. Here is a little historical information on the “Pink Lady”.Read More
Revolution
Rusted steel from the Titanic, erupting vulcano’s, PacMan; they all featured Romain Jerome’s watches. So what took them so long to use diamonds on their watches in the general collection, especially since they have created some commissioned diamond set watches before? Probably because diamonds are too common for a brand that always seem to take […]
Revolution
It’s been so difficult to keep quiet about this watch. I met the RJ-Romain Jerome Spacecraft last summer at Agenhor during my week under the tutelege of Jean-Marc Wiederrecht and his talented cadre of watchmakers. Needless to say I was completely enamored with it. However, I was compelled to wait five months to be able […]
Quill & Pad
As the 2021 Formula 1 season begins, Elizabeth Doerr revisits Richard Mille’s impressive commitment to the sport. The brand now supports two full Formula 1 teams and four high-profile drivers (with a fifth still convalescing after a horrific accident in the 2020 season), including Mick Schumacher. These are partnerships as natural as they come: the premise of Richard Mille’s entire brand is built upon the fact that his watches are “racing machines on the wrist.”
Deployant
French artist Romain André, aka, seconde/seconde collaborates to design an new, fresh look at Perrelet's iconic Turbine movement.
Fratello
These are exciting times at Zenith. With former Zenith CEO Julien Tornare moving on to TAG Heuer and new CEO Benoît de Clerck taking over, it will be interesting to see what is next for the brand. What Tornare and his creative team of Romain Marietta and Sébastien Gobert achieved was quite wonderful, meaning that […] Visit Zenith Introduces The Brilliant Chronomaster Original Triple Calendar to read the full article.
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