Revolution
In Conversation With Tim Bourne of Bonhams
Revolution HK speaks with Tim Bourne of auctioneer Bonhams about watch collecting and his vision for reviving watch auctions at Bonhams.
Results for Phillips (Watch Auctions)
22,404 articles · 216 videos found · page 292 of 754
Revolution
Revolution
Swatch Group-Audemars Piguet Collaboration Creates Non-Magnetic Balance Spring
The Swatch Group announced on 29 August the creation of a revolutionary balance spring with exceptional paramagnetic characteristics. This balance spring is made from a new non-magnetic compensating alloy called Nivachron™ which the Swatch Group developed in collaboration with Audemars Piguet.
Time+Tide
NEWS: If you’ve ever wanted to buy a gold tourbillon for $3000 you might just be in luck
Auctions can be funny things. Most of the time the coverage around watch auctions tends towards the record-breaking headlines – the most expensive this, that or the other. But sometimes, thanks to the fact that auctions tend to be a crystallisation of market forces, you can find a hidden gem. Which might just be what … ContinuedThe post NEWS: If you’ve ever wanted to buy a gold tourbillon for $3000 you might just be in luck appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
OPINION: The “McQueen” Submariner: What we really know, what we don’t, and what actually matters
By now, you’ve seen the news everywhere. Phillips auctions touting their upcoming sale with headlines like “Phillips to Sell Steve McQueen’s Rolex Submariner”, and lines that read as “a historically important and previously unknown Rolex Submariner owned and worn by Steve McQueen.” (copied directly from the Phillips Auctions website at time of writing). As soon … ContinuedThe post OPINION: The “McQueen” Submariner: What we really know, what we don’t, and what actually matters appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Two Broke Watch Snobs
Swatch Sistem51 Review: Should You Keep The Receipt?
The first time that I was introduced to a Swatch Sistem51 was in a marketing email from Hodinkee announcing their collaboration with Swatch. The Swatch Sistem51 cost $150, which piqued my interest immediately. It was only a fraction of the cost of anything else that Hodinkee offered (besides a magazine).
Time+Tide
NEWS: The results from Russell Crowe’s auction, including a surprisingly expensive Speedmaster
Last night, the provocatively titled Russell Crowe: The Art of Divorce auction took place in Sydney, an event which was, essentially, a rather high-brow garage sale. Unsurprisingly, it was the lots relating to his Oscar-winning role in Gladiator that saw the strong returns, a breastplate netting $152,500, an aluminium sword $85,400, and a a chariot … ContinuedThe post NEWS: The results from Russell Crowe’s auction, including a surprisingly expensive Speedmaster appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Deployant
Press release: Swatch launches Spring-Summer 2018 collection
Swatch introduces its Spring-Summer 2018 collection, which dives into the Swiss watchmaker’s DNA. Spring and summer are all about the great outdoors, and Swatch takes the party from the garden to the street before heading to the beach.
Revolution
Fellows Sells a Piece of Panerai History
A rare Panerai watch worn by the German frogman found at the Fellows Auctions “The Watch Sales” catalogues, to be held on January 30th, 2018.
Time+Tide
INSIGHT: 3 questions about Paul Newman’s Rolex Daytona, answered
When I had the opportunity, in Geneva this past summer, to get my hands on the 20th century’s most famous wristwatch and talk about it with the man who will be holding the hammer when the watch is auctioned by Phillips in New York in a few days, my immediate thought was I-love-my-job-I’m-so-lucky. Followed by … ContinuedThe post INSIGHT: 3 questions about Paul Newman’s Rolex Daytona, answered appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Revolution
Perceived Value: Does a 5 Million Dollar Rolex Make Sense?
An alternative view on auctions, prices, and the relevance of record-setting watch sales.
Hodinkee
Happenings: "George Daniels 100" Exhibition To Celebrate The Legendary Watchmaker With Some Of His Rarest Pieces In Singapore
There's no such thing as overdoing the celebration of the impact of George Daniels on the horological landscape, especially in the year that marks the 100th anniversary of his birth. Coinciding with the opening of IAMWATCH in Singapore, a celebration of the modern independent watchmaking scene, a scene that would likely not exist if not for Daniels—Phillips and The Hour Glass are exhibiting 22 of his watches. That list, which hasn't fully been made public, includes—for the first time—reuniting the Space Traveller I and Daniels' personal Space Traveller II. Photo courtesy Phillips and The Hour Glass. The fact that there will be twenty-two of Daniels' watches in one place is even more remarkable considering that, during his lifetime, Daniels alone made only twenty-four pocket watches and two wristwatches (the Spring Case Tourbillon and the Four-Minute Tourbillon) before the Millennium and Anniversary done with Roger W. Smith (not accounting for some other pieces that were made by Smith under Daniels' direction). For acolytes of Daniels, lovers of horology, and people who appreciate once-in-a-lifetime opportunities, the exhibition in Singapore is something you can't miss. Luckily, you'll have at least two chances to see the exhibition. Photo courtesy the George Daniels Educational Trust. For even more context, the Space Traveller and Space Traveller II are particularly important watches in the annals of watchmaking history. Both were made in 1982; the first was made and...
Fratello
Inside The Swatch Sistem51 And Bioceramic Production Sites
In September, I ended up spending more time in airport lounges than in my living room at home. Sometimes, that’s not so bad, especially when it means new opportunities! One highlight was visiting Switzerland to tour two Swatch Group production sites. At one, I saw how movements are made, and at the other, I watched […] Visit Inside The Swatch Sistem51 And Bioceramic Production Sites to read the full article.
Worn & Wound
Edward R. Murrow’s Gold Bulova Chronograph Hits the Auction Block Next Month
There are rare occasions in this line of work when you encounter real history that resonates with you. I’ve been fortunate enough through the years to handle a number of important vintage watches, owned by notable people, or simply incredibly rare and historic markers for their makers. These watches are visible and tangible links between the past and present and it’s always a thrill to be able to bear witness to one of these objects, even if only for a moment. But let’s face it, most of the time when we’re talking about historically important vintage watches, we’re talking about watches that are historically important to the watch industry itself, and the history of watchmaking. New Hampshire’s Jones & Horan auction house, which specializes in horological auctions and has a knack for finding all kinds of unique and genuinely important pieces, will be selling a watch in their October auction that feels genuinely significant, and hits that Venn Diagram overlap of so many of my personal interests. The gold Bulova chronograph seen here was owned by Edward R. Murrow, the famed CBS newsman, who influenced countless journalists and broadcasters and reshaped his industry multiple times. The watch is spectacular, incredibly well preserved, and interesting on a number of levels simply as a horological object. Adding Murrow’s incredibly well documented ownership of the watch into the mix makes it that much more special. There are many photographs of Murrow wearing...
Hodinkee
Inside The Manufacture: A Behind-The-Scenes Look At The Swatch x Audemars Piguet Royal Pop
Last year I took a trip to Swatch's Sistem51 factory, and many people seemed to enjoy getting a glimpse of the other side of watchmaking that we typically don't glamorize. Industrialization, in a way very opposite from classic watchmaking, is a different kind of technical art entirely. It's diametrically opposed to the philosophies of construction and finishing that you would expect from a classic watchmaker or brand, but as a result, that visit was one of the most interesting manufacturing sites that I've ever seen. I had no idea that I'd be back so soon, but then again, I certainly would have no idea that a collaboration between Swatch and Audemars Piguet would be around the corner. So a little more than a year later, I found myself back in Biel, Switzerland, right outside of Swatch headquarters, making my way back to the Swatch Museum (still some of the most fun you can spend in a watch museum), the Swatch Drive-Through shop right outside of Swatch headquarters, and finally making the drive back out into the Swiss countryside to go see some Swatch factory sites. Of course, this time, it was in the hopes of seeing how things might have changed with the addition of the Royal Pop as a product on the factory lines. This trip wasn't all just déjà vu, however. In my visit last year to the ETA Sistem51 site in Boncourt, it just so happened that the ETA site in Grenchen, responsible for the production of Swatch's Bioceramic composite, was under renovation. They were in the mi...
Hodinkee
Breaking News: Rolex To Sell Four Unique Daytonas At Auction Later This Month To Benefit The Federer Foundation And Re:wild
There was a whisper going around Watches & Wonders this year that Rolex had created a set of Daytonas inspired by each of the four seasons – precious metal, gem-set, and, what none of us could really believe, just one of each in the world. In other words, Rolex had made a unique set of watches. And as most of you likely know, Rolex is not in the business of creating one of anything, really. But they'd done it here, and the story goes that they'd asked each of their retailers to submit names and profiles of those who might be a worthy owner of this box set of "Four Seasons" Daytonas. The price? Roughly CHF 4million. Platinum and lapis! Yellow gold and mookaite and chrysoprase! And despite the few details shared, interest in the set was simply overwhelming. Rumor had it that over 1,000 names were submitted for the multi-million-dollar set before the show ended. The names included some of the most famous people in the world. And yet, Rolex, by their own admission, wasn't quite sure how they would decide who would get it. They'd never expected such interest. Well as of this morning, now we know. For the first time that I can remember, Rolex will hold a charity auction and sell off these four unique Daytonas to the highest bidder. It will take place on September 28 of this year in London, in conjunction with Phillips auction house. All proceeds will go to two charities helmed by arguably Rolex's most famous and influential testimonies, Roger Federer's Federer Foundation and...
Fratello
Hands-On With The Girard-Perregaux Neo Constant Escapement - Could We Catch The Purple “Butterfly” Inside?
Why use a traditional, coiled balance spring when you can use a 14-micron-wide and 120-micron-“thick” silicon blade instead? With the latter, Girard-Perregaux set out to overcome the inherent challenge of fluctuating power delivery in mechanical watches. The goal for the 235-year-old Swiss watchmaker from La Chaux-de-Fonds was to achieve consistently superior precision. The quest involves […] Visit Hands-On With The Girard-Perregaux Neo Constant Escapement — Could We Catch The Purple “Butterfly” Inside? to read the full article.
Fratello
A Difficult Question That Needs Answering: When Are Watches Art?
During lunch with Aurel Bacs and Alex Ghotbi from the auction house Phillips, I started wondering out loud, “When are watches art?” What sparked my question was last month’s Phillips auction, which was the highest-grossing watch auction in US history. The sale made a record US$75.8 million, and every single lot was sold. No fewer […] Visit A Difficult Question That Needs Answering: When Are Watches Art? to read the full article.
Monochrome
Industry News - Swatch Group Reports Sales Up 8.5% in its Half-Year Report 2026
Following two difficult consecutive years, with sales down 12% in 2024 and 7% in 2025, the Swatch Group, the Swiss watchmaking giant owner of brands such as Omega, Breguet, Longines, and Tissot, is now back to growth. Indeed, as indicated by its half-year 2026 report, Swatch Group recorded “a strong increase in sales, up +8.5% […]
Fratello
Catch The Four Bravur Team Heritage Watches In The Breakaway
The breakaway is five minutes ahead of the peloton. It’s a strong group, and you’d better do your best to catch the four Bravur Team Heritage watches that are in the lead. They look strong and stylish in their historical team kit colors of St. Raphaël, Peugeot, Renault, and Mercier. Forget about the ultra-aero Lycra […] Visit Catch The Four Bravur Team Heritage Watches In The Breakaway to read the full article.
Time+Tide
Swatch’s MoonSwatch ESTA could change hype watch launches forever
Just when we thought the MoonSwatch hype had been well and truly usurped by the recent AP x Swatch collaboration, Swiss giants Omega and Swatch went and broke the internet again last week, announcing their latest collaboration piece: the MoonSwatch Mission to the Moon 1969. Limited to just 1,969 pieces, the bioceramic special edition receives … Continued
Teddy Baldassarre
Swatch x Omega Launch Mission To The Moon 1969 MoonSwatch
The latest Swatch x Omega MoonSwatch Mission To The Moon 1969 goes high end with 11g of gold and an application process.
Hodinkee
Introducing: The Swatch Mission To The Moon 1969 Moonswatch
What We Know It's kind of funny saying this, but it's been a bit of time since we've seen a new Moonswatch. Given the news cycle around this year's Swatch x Audemars Piguet launch, it makes a lot of sense that Swatch has held more Moonswatch releases in its back pocket, ready for when the time is right to get people talking again about its most popular high/low collab. Today's new Mission To The Moon 1969 Moonswatch is the most limited of the Moonswatches, with only 1,969 pieces made in total. It's certainly a special execution, with an homage to Apollo 11's Moon landing in—you guessed it—1969. But unlike an actual Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch, where the story is a huge part of the appeal to the collector, I have a feeling that this Moonswatch's appeal lies in its use of Omega's 18K Moonshine Gold. It's certainly not the first time Swatch has used Omega's gold alloy in Moonswatches, but this one has a lot of that gold. With the dial, hands, pushers, and crown all in Moonshine Gold, there are eleven grams total in each of these watches. Interestingly, Swatch is saying that the gold used for this edition is melted down from spare Omega parts from that era, which then ties the connection with Omega much closer together. This edition pairs a matte black Bioceramic case with all those bits of gold and black accents to complete the look. The Moonshine Gold dial is given a vertically brushed finish. No lume to be found on these hands, as the gold beveled applied indices are fi...
Time+Tide
Swatch x Omega just democratically dropped the most precious MoonSwatch they have ever made
Celebrating the Apollo 11 Moon landing, the MoonSwatch Mission to the Moon 1969 is limited to just 1,969 individually numbered pieces.
Fratello
We Have A Lift Off! Meet The New Swatch MoonSwatch Mission To The Moon 1969
Swatch did it again! A new Swatch x Omega MoonSwatch was launched at the same time (09:32 AM EDT / 15:32 CEST) as the Saturn V rocket from the Apollo 11 mission in 1969. Swatch has a good feel for historical relevance and released yet another cool MoonSwatch variation. Mission To The Moon 1969 The […] Visit We Have A Lift Off! Meet The New Swatch MoonSwatch Mission To The Moon 1969 to read the full article.
Hodinkee
Hands-On: Five Things You'll Want To Know Before You Buy The Swatch x Audemars Piguet Royal Pop - And How To Get It
Earlier in the week, I got a chance to see the new Swatch x Audemars Piguet Royal Pop collaboration in person, the hottest (and most hotly debated) thing since, well, Swatch did their first collaboration with Omega. There were some restrictions, like the fact that I couldn't handle some of them without gloves, but I did get enough of an impression to have a lot of thoughts. Yes, I think they're a lot of fun, and actually pretty impressive in some ways. I get that a lot of people will disagree, and that's fine. But to answer the last part of our headline first: you can get the Swatch x AP Royal Pop watches only at select retail stores starting May 16. You can find those stores on the Swatch website by going to the homepage, looking for the collab, and clicking the "See Stores" link. One version (with a crown at the right) is $420, while the other (with a crown at the top) is $400. Also, this is not an AP-led product, so don't call your local AP AD hoping to get one. Swatch is in charge here. Love it or hate it, the Swatch x Audemars Piguet Royal Pop is big news. How big? A few hundred comments on our site is a good measure. But how about the fact that, in 24 hours, our "Introducing" story on the collab got about 20x an average story would do in a month and 1.75x more page views than the Rolex "Pepsi" GMT cancellation (which was the highest-traffic story of Watches & Wonders to date). We love watches over here, but it can be a bubble. There are a few rare moments when the wa...
Teddy Baldassarre
The AP X Swatch Royal Pop: The Royal Oak Gets Swatch-ified With Eight New Pocket Watches
The duo plays to their strengths with a fleet of Bioceramic pocket watches packed with a new movement and endless styling possibilities. More
Hodinkee
Just Because: A Few Standout Pieces From Quincy Jones’ Collection Are Heading To Auction
Quincy Jones was an absolute king. He was a towering figure in the music industry, leaving an indelible stamp on popular culture through his producing, arranging, and film score work. From early collaborations with Count Basie, Ray Charles, and Frank Sinatra to producing one of the top-selling albums of all time (Thriller by Michael Jackson), not to mention We Are The World, he made the soundtrack for many of our lives. During a well-lived lifetime spanning 91 years, he was rewarded with accolades, including the entertainment industry grand slam 'EGOT' (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony awards). There were also plenty of watches and jewelry gifted and collected during his epic life and career. Now some of Quincy Jones' unique pieces are heading to auction at Christie's in Geneva this month. We got a sneak preview of some of the catalog, including these three pieces, that the family has consigned. A couple of them were gifts from notable celebrities to Jones. They all give a sense of some of the objects worn and cherished by one of the most important figures in entertainment history. Girard-Perregaux World Time Control Shadow 'Quincy Jones' Sized at 43mm in diameter with both a flyback chronograph and a worldtime complication, this Girard-Perregaux, dated from 2011, has a lot going on. The beefy case features a smooth black ceramic exterior, a titanium caseback, and an interior housing, in a size and style that's very representative of the era for the Swiss brand. The watch...
Fratello
Holocaust Survivor’s Rolex Oyster Perpetual To Go Up For Auction
We have covered quite a few historical stories about Rolex here on the Fratello site. Today, we have another, this time about a special gold Oyster Perpetual that belonged to Holocaust survivor Kurt Kahn. Let’s dive in. Some watches merely tell time, while others tell stories. Very rarely, one encounters a piece that does both […] Visit Holocaust Survivor’s Rolex Oyster Perpetual To Go Up For Auction to read the full article.
Fratello
Thomas’s Watches And Wonders 2026 Favorites: Conservative Classics Catch My Gaze
As Fratello writers, my colleagues and I always have this article in the back of our minds as we work our way through the Watches and Wonders peak workload. We all know that sooner rather than later, Head of Content Nacho will schedule a Watches and Wonders 2026 favorites article for each of us, so […] Visit Thomas’s Watches And Wonders 2026 Favorites: Conservative Classics Catch My Gaze to read the full article.
Two Broke Watch Snobs
Swatch Drops Four Jellyfish-Themed Affordable Dive Watches at $155
The Swatch Scubaqua returns with four new affordable dive watches at $155, including two with built-in Swatch Pay at no added cost.