Results for De Bethune

A Quick Guide to Patek Philippe’s Minute Repeaters

BREAKING NEWS: Jérôme Lambert To Depart Jaeger-LeCoultre And Take Montblanc Top Job In July 2013

The news that Jérôme Lambert, current CEO of 180-year-old Swiss house of high watchmaking Jaeger-LeCoultre, will be heading up product-diverse Montblanc as of 1 July 2013 was released today, taking the industry by surprise. Speculation about the future leadership of the Hamburg-headquartered Montblanc had been been gradually heating up since early 2012, but this is […]

Bell & Ross: From The Cockpit To The Wrist.

A NEW TRIO AND A REVISED INSTRUMENTATION PANEL In 2013, Bell & Ross is enhancing the AVIATION collection with three new instruments directly inspired by the cockpit, – AIRSPEED, FLIGHT COMPASS and CLIMB. These three new models -BR 01 AIRSPEED, BR01 Flight Compass and BR01 CLIMB- are each available in limited editions of 999 pieces. […]

Max Bill by Junghans; Watch Design Brought Back to its Essence

Junghans is a brand that most people know from their clocks and radio-controlled watches. In both categories the  brand has made quite a name for itself, often combining innovative design with the latest technical developments. But what Junghans decisively gave a place in watchmaking history is its collaboration with architect/designer Max Bill. As an apprentice […]

Pavonina – a brilliant tribute to women

Glashütte Original celebrates women in all their facets with a completely new collection of feminine timepieces. The dazzling models in the “Pavonina” collection are as impressive and seductive as the contemporary, confident women for whom they were created. Pavonina – from the Latin for peacock, pavoninus, evokes luminous bursts of colour and glittering beauty. The […]

To be continued … Glashütte Original extends partnership with the Berlin International Film Festival to 2016

German watchmakers Glashütte Original and the Berlin International Film Festival have extended their current partnership agreement by a further three years, through 2016. Glashütte Original has served as Co-Partner since the 61st Berlinale in 2011, celebrating and supporting the art of filmmaking and Berlin’s largest cultural event. The 62nd Berlinale saw the German watchmaker enhance […]

Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde, The Strange Case of IWC Schaffhausen’s SIHH 2013’s Ingenieur.

If you have read Jack Forster’s brilliant report on this year’s IWC Ingenieur collection unveiled at SIHH 2013, you must be as excited as I am. Personally, Visiting the surreal IWC booth itself was an unforgettable experience. with one Formula 1 car at one side of the booth floor and a racing car engine on another. With IWC Ingenieur watches being displayed on pumping engine […]

Audemars Piguet – The Établisseur, Rehabilitated

This year Audemars Piguet (AP) walked into Watches & Wonders Geneva for the first time in seven years, and it did so carrying a word it had not used in public for the better part of a century. The brand had departed the predecessor of the fair, the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie (SIHH), in 2019 alongside Richard Mille, declaring its intention to forge direct relationships with collectors through its own channels and AP Houses rather than through the shared theatre of a trade fair. The return to Geneva in 2026, under CEO Ilaria Resta, was already a signal of strategic realignment, but the word it brought with it made the move more interesting: établisseur. The watches it presented — three of them — each made in very limited numbers by a network of named artisans working within and around the Musée Atelier in Le Brassus, were introduced under the name Atelier des Établisseurs, a project AP described in its launch communications as a revival of the collaborative spirit that had driven the watchmaking industry for generations. The établissage system The framing was historically accurate, as far as it went. The établissage system did shape the Vallée de Joux from the late 18th century onward. Farmers working through the long alpine winters crafted individual components like wheels, bridges, and screws in home workshops, coordinated by an établisseur who assembled the finished watch and brought it to market. The Audemars Piguet Établisseurs Gallets hand-w...

Hands On: Niton Prima

Recently revived Genevan haute horlogerie brand Niton jumps into the jumping hours market with the Prima — one of the more refined high-end examples of the industry’s latest favourite complication. It features a bespoke, shaped calibre that proudly carries the Poinçon de Genève — true to its inspiration — and is packed with creative choices and features. Initial thoughts Not long ago it seemed like 2025 would go down as the year of the jump hour, but the trend was evidently just getting started. The Niton Prima exemplifies this ongoing trend with surprising elegance and historical fidelity. As a rule of thumb, I view revival brands with a degree of scepticism; I would prefer people make a name for themselves rather than buying one. However, the Niton Prima shows a clear understanding of — and passion for — the source material, so I am satisfied this is not a mere cash-grab. It doesn’t hurt that the watch is excellent inside and out, and while expensive in absolute terms, it is fairly priced for what you get. The movement deserves special mention as the source of much of the appeal, being a true shaped movement — a very handsome one at that — and a competent timekeeper. It is finely finished with a plethora of interesting and clever features, including hidden screws for joining the bridges and mainplate, a small seconds hand that stops itself at 60 after the crown is pulled, and a sonnerie au passage to enhance the sound of the jump hour. Another point i...

Detailed hands-on review with video: the new Candaux DC12 MaveriK

We were in Le Solliat, up in the Valée de Joux last November, and met up with David Candaux. Here is our hands on comprehensive review of the DC12 MaveriK.

Hands-On With The Roger Dubuis Excalibur Biretrograde Calendar In Steel During Watches And Wonders 2026

Now you can get the characteristic features without the exorbitant price. Well, the Poinçon de Genève-certified Roger Dubuis Excalibur Biretrograde Calendar in steel is hardly a cheap watch, but it is the gateway to the Roger Dubuis universe. And what a way to enter the world of hand-crafted high horology it is. With its 40 […] Visit Hands-On With The Roger Dubuis Excalibur Biretrograde Calendar In Steel During Watches And Wonders 2026 to read the full article.

Full Jaeger-LeCoultre Immersion: Three New Marc Newson Atmos And Memovox Designs, Milan Design Week, And Homo Faber

Jaeger-LeCoultre had a pretty impressive Watches and Wonders, with several high-horology releases and a new range of integrated-bracelet Master Control models. The team would surely have been forgiven for taking a few days off in the lovely Vallée de Joux to catch its breath. Instead, JLC flew straight to Milan, Italy, for the Salone del […] Visit Full Jaeger-LeCoultre Immersion: Three New Marc Newson Atmos And Memovox Designs, Milan Design Week, And Homo Faber to read the full article.

News – All Together Now: Audemars Piguet Launches the Atelier des Établisseurs

Audemars Piguet launches the Atelier des Établisseurs, an ambitious project that resurrects the collaborative “établissage” system of late 18th-century watchmaking in the Vallée de Joux. Marking a novel way for the brand to produce remarkable watches using time-honoured traditional crafts, the Atelier des Établisseurs is a twofold enterprise that fosters creativity and collaboration while preserving […]

Cartier lifts the covers off new burgundy beauties and golden gems for the 10th Privé Opus (live pics)

Cartier's grail collection, with new Privé Les Opus Crash, Tortue Chronographe Monopoussoir, Tank Normale, Cloche de Cartier, & more.The post Cartier lifts the covers off new burgundy beauties and golden gems for the 10th Privé Opus (live pics) appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

First Look – A Champagne Dial for the Louis Moinet 1816 Chronograph

Louis Moinet’s 1816 Compteur de Tierces, or “thirds counter”, was originally designed to measure the speed of moving stars. Endowed with a start, stop and reset function and a balance wheel beating at an impressive high frequency of 30Hz or 216,000 vibrations per hour, his novel stopwatch could time events to the 60th of a […]

First Look – The New David Candaux DC6 Night Forest, In Carbon and Titanium

David Candaux, a native of the Vallée de Joux with experience at Jaeger-LeCoultre and collaborations as a concepteur horloger for renowned brands, launched his own brand in 2017 with the DC1. The watch that followed, the DC6, established his signature: a bassinet-shaped case, a 30° inclined flying tourbillon, and the patented “Magic Crown” at 6 […]

Introducing – The Benrus Sky Chief Chronograph, a Historic Pilot’s Watch Reborn

Founded in New York in 1921 by Romanian-born brothers Benjamin, Oscar, and Ralph Lazrus, Benrus relied on Swiss production, centred in La Chaux-de-Fonds, and during the 1930s and 1940s, it became known for its pilots and military watches. Early models such as the Flyer and Airman were popular among the airline pilots, helping establish the […]

Craft at Scale: Audemars Piguet’s Industrial Strategy

Audemars Piguet (AP) is a storied name in haute horlogerie, and has long been the public face of the Vallée de Joux, the cradle of high complications in Switzerland. It’s also the only brand in the so-called ‘holy trinity’ to employ a Chief Industrial Officer (CIO). We sat down with Lucas Raggi to understand his role in shaping AP’s industrial strategy. The historical home of Audemars Piguet. Image – Audemars Piguet The context Having closed the chapter on the brand’s first 150 years, AP is flying high. According to Vontobel estimates, the brand generated more than CHF2.4 billion in 2025, making it the third-largest brand by revenue after mass market masters Rolex and Cartier. The brand is estimated to have produced more than 50,000 watches in 2025, up from 30,000 just a few years ago. The ribbon-cutting ceremony at the opening of AP’s new Arc Manufacture in Le Brassus. Image – Audemars Piguet The new Arc Manufacture, which just came online, might raise the ceiling further. In a 2022 interview then-chief executive François-Henry Bennahmias suggested AP would be capable of making up to 65,000 watches annually by 2027. These numbers represent extraordinary growth for a century-old family owned brand that makes complicated watches. So how does a brand like AP (nearly) double its output in less than a generation without sacrificing small-scale craftsmanship? In short, thoughtful industrialisation. The recently opened Arc Manufacture in Le Brassus. Image – A...

MeisterSinger marks 25 years with the Panthero Jumping Hour, expanding beyond their one-handed oeuvre

If MeisterSinger’s usual single-hand watches are about de-emphasising exactitude, the new Panthero does something a little more nuanced.The post MeisterSinger marks 25 years with the Panthero Jumping Hour, expanding beyond their one-handed oeuvre appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Introducing – Heritage and Modernity Converge with Three New Louis Moinet Speed of Sound

Louis Moinet’s universe is populated with exuberant timepieces that often merge steampunk aesthetics with elaborate mechanical movements and exotic materials. As the brand whose founding father invented one of the very first chronographs in 1815 – the Compteur de Tierces – a fact that the brand discovered in 2013, chronographs have resumed their place in […]

Hugues’ Accomplishment: The Story of Hugues Bürki

Nestled in the Jura Mountains, La Chaux-de-Fonds has been a cradle of Swiss watchmaking ever since its watchmaking school, the Technicum, opened in 1865. For aspiring watchmakers, the climax of their training was traditionally the creation of a montre école – or what’s known as a school watch. This is the story of Hugues Bürki, a Technicum alumnus, who built what would become a record-breaking school watch, and who would later make horological history as a movement engineer. Hugues Bürki. Image – author The Technicum The watchmaking school of La Chaux-de-Fonds was founded in 1865. In its early days, the school occupied rooms inside the modestly named ‘Technicum’, a local vocational-technical school. By 1885, the school’s own building had been inaugurated, yet the name Technicum stuck. In 1933, in the wake of the global economic crisis, the nearby watchmaking schools in La Chaux-de-Fonds and Le Locle were merged to form the Technicum Neuchâtelois. The Technicum in the 1960s. Image – author It demands attention that both divisions of the Technicum Neuchâtelois had a particularly strong focus on high-precision chronometry at the time compared to other watchmaking schools in Switzerland, which specialised in other domains, such as the construction of complications and traditional finishing techniques. In fact, some of the innovations in chronometry we associate with brands like Longines can actually trace their roots to the Technicum Neuchâtelois, including...

Introducing: New Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Openworked And Malachite-Dial Models

I vividly remember visiting the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie (SIHH), the predecessor of Watches and Wonders, in Geneva in 2010. Alongside Richard Mille, Richemont Group brands, and a few others, Audemars Piguet showcased its latest creations. That year, the Royal Oak Openworked ref. 15305 stood out to me. It was based on the […] Visit Introducing: New Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Openworked And Malachite-Dial Models to read the full article.

Hands-on – The Featherweight Bianchet B 1.618 UltraFino Carbon

Founded in 2021, Bianchet is a young independent brand based in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland, specialising in contemporary tonneau-shaped timepieces that merge advanced materials with architectural mechanics. The brand’s designs are rooted in the Golden Ratio (1.618), which influences the proportions of its cases, bridges, and even its rotors. Last year’s model B 1.618 UltraFino Carbon […]

Audemars Piguet Inaugurates Arc Manufacture in Le Brassus

Audemars Piguet (AP) has formally inaugurated the Arc Manufacture in its historical home of Le Brassus. Designed by de Giuli & Portier of Geneva, the 23,700-square metre building will accommodate 700 employees under one roof - a number that would have been almost unheard of in the days of the historical établissage system. It connects to, and partially wraps around, the existing Manufacture des Forges, which was completed in 2008 and housed around 300 employees - an impressive figure for its time. The expanded manufacture should ultimately help boost production, especially considering it was designed with Industry 4.0 in mind. In other words, it’s a smart factory. This includes a Goods-to-Person (GTP) automated sort and retrieval system which uses 66 robots to pick the needed components, which are then delivered by robotic shuttle. While such systems are already used by high-volume luxury watch brands like Rolex and Omega, few haute horlogerie brands have the volumes to justify such an investment. According to AP, the GTP system saves an average of 15 seconds per operation. But more than scale, the new manufacture should deliver higher quality of product – namely superior reliability and less defects – across AP’s offerings. Like other new manufactures of its type, the Arc is extremely energy efficient as well thanks to 321 metres of electrochromic glass, which can automatically change opacity to regulate the amount of light, and heat, allowed in. The building...

The Petrolhead Corner – Dacia Takes Its First Ever Win At The 2026 Running of the Dakar

The Dakar is the true stuff of legends. And it’s not just the historic editions that still leave many of us in awe, the yearly adventure is still the playing field for the creme de la creme in rallying. Each competitor, whether on two wheels or in a car or truck, has to battle the […]