1,175 articles · 129 videos found · page 30 of 44
Time+Tide
I don’t want to sound too hyperbolic, but Baselworld 2019 will be make or break. The once grand fair has been navigating turbulent waters for a while now, and last year’s mass exodus by Swatch Group brands ripped a hole in the hull that almost sunk it. This year’s fair will be smaller again, and … ContinuedThe post LIST: 6 things I want (and hope) to see at Baselworld 2019 appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Two Broke Watch Snobs
The watch deftly combines a vintage aesthetic with modern technology and does it all without relying on the faux patina that can be so polarizing within the watch community. This piece helps to mark the 130th anniversary of Certina, references a watch dating back over half a century, and (given the Swatch Group’s exit from Baselworld) also marks Certina’s last hurrah at the venerated festival.
Revolution
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] TimeWalker When current CEO of the Richemont, Jérôme Lambert, was appointed head of Montblanc in 2013, there was no doubt that the group was taking the brand’s watch production...
Two Broke Watch Snobs
The show finally pivots and the guys agree that this entire TBWS thing is simply a support group for folks that are completely insane... about watches. This week, we finally reveal the details about our 5k follower giveaway as Kaz enjoys some succulent Passover moscato. Delish. There's even a new Richemont brand that makes its way into the discussion this week!
Time+Tide
Mido is a name that might not be too familiar to our Australian readers, as the Swatch Group brand has had the most minimal of minimal presences on our shores until recently. But as it so happens, they’re celebrating their 100th anniversary this year, and they’re doing it with a strong collection of watches, like … ContinuedThe post INTRODUCING: Strong looks and value – the Mido Multifort GMT appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Revolution
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]One of the unique things about the Hamilton watch brand is its undeniably American history and its heritage, even under the management of the Swiss Swatch Group. This year and...
Time+Tide
Earlier this week The New York Times published an interview with Omega CEO Raynald Aeschlimann, in which he gives an interesting overview as to how the Swatch Group’s crown jewel is faring, and what the plans are for the future. Aeschlimann points to China as a star performing market at the moment, saying that half … ContinuedThe post RECOMMENDED READING: Omega’s CEO on China and the incredible ‘Building O’ appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Revolution
In light of the latest shake up within the Richemont Group - Revolution’s editorial director ruminates on the future of watch retail and the companies that are set to take the game-changing step of fully embracing e-commerce.
Revolution
Since its acquisition by luxury super-group LVMH and the 2012 launch of the Octo, Bulgari seems to have exercised the Midas touch with every new product turning to horological gold. But no matter how forward thinking, the maison knows that the rest is history.
Revolution
An engineer, business post-graduate and qualified watchmaker, Thomas Meier worked within the Swatch Group for 23 years before becoming CEO of Glashütte Original in October 2016.
Deployant
Dr Müller is an industry veteran, having cut his teeth under direct tutelage of the late Günter Blümlein, he served a distinguished career as Managing Director of A. Lange & Söhne and subsequently as CEO of Glashütte Original. He also served on the extended board of The Swatch Group. He now runs his ownRead More
Revolution
Now this is a piece of news that has certainly got me excited. With the impending cessation of ETA movement sales to parties outside the Swatch Group, many watch brands have taken on the gauntlet, and have just decided to go on it on their own. This is the reason why we are seeing watch […]
Deployant
More Omegamania…with the Planet Ocean 600M Coaxial GMT There is much to admire of Omega. Not only is it part of a large multinational group (The Swatch Group), but on its own, it is a formidable force in watchmaking. But yet, it is not one to rest on its laurels, and continue to innovate. TheRead More
Revolution
Last week, members of the press and a handful of prominent bloggers were invited to a preview of Omega’s latest collection over dinner. President of The Swatch Group (South East Asia), David Ponzo shared with us an overview of their newest watches. The highlight of the evening was the Speedmaster “Dark Side Of The Moon” […]
Deployant
Abraham Louis Breguet is the father of modern watchmaking…almost all the timekeeping innovations have been either invented, worked on, or perfected by this great man himself. Today, the Breguet company, under the mighty Swatch Group continues in this tradition. I am very partial to their dial design and execution, which to me is the bestRead More
Revolution
The watches produced by Jaquet Droz since the name was relaunched by the Swatch Group in 2001 have for the last 11 years been notable mostly for extremely beautiful high-art dials (using everything from extremely exotic enameling techniques, such as pailloneé, to rare minerals like meteorite) and for very distinctive implementations of classic complications. (We […]
Deployant
Vacheron Constantin is one of the three Grande Dames of watchmaking…the othe two being Patek Philippe and Audemars Piguet. Interestingly, it is currently the only one which is within a large group, in this case Groupe Richemont, which count amongst the members of its stable luminaries like A. Lange & Sohne, IWC, Jaeger LeCoultre, Cartier,Read More
Hodinkee
Basel, Switzerland, is returning as the venue for a major watch and jewelry show with the launch of Basilia planned for April, 2027. There's no word yet on which brands will participate, but event organizers say the show will give watch and jewelry brands from Asia and other parts of the world a venue to connect with buyers from Europe that don't participate at Watches and Wonders in Geneva, which is dominated by a handful of major Swiss brands, including Rolex, Patek Philippe, and Cartier. At a media conference Thursday in Basel, announcing the new fair, organizers stressed that Basilia is not a return of Baselworld, the massive event that was once the world's largest watch and jewelry fair boasting more than 2,000 exhibitors at its peak before Baselworld's final show in 2019. "Baselworld is no more. It has been more than seven years now, and it will not come back," says Roman Imgrüth, the CEO of MCH Group Exhibitions and Events, which is hosting the new fair with Informa Markets, the trade show and business-to-business events division of publicly listed Informa Plc. Basilia organizers, including MCH Group Exhibition and Events CEO Roman Imgrüth (left), announce plans for a new watch and jewelry fair in Basel. Organizers say Basilia, which will take place after Watches and Wonders in Geneva, is targeting some 400 exhibitors and between 2,000 and 5,000 visitors for its inaugural edition next year. Participants and exhibitors have yet to be identified, but organizers sa...
Hodinkee
A Texas businessman filed legal action against Liberty Media and the operators of the Formula 1 racetrack in Austin, Circuit of the Americas (COTA), alleging they failed to protect patrons from a criminal gang targeting high-profile watches at the F1 Grand Prix of the United States. The Richard Mille watch that was allegedly stolen by a gang at the F1 race in Austin.(Photo courtesy of Nicholas Saady, plaintiff's lawyer) Dean Whitlock alleges his Richard Mille RM 65-01 Split-Seconds Chronograph "LeBron James" was forcibly taken from his wrist by a group of thieves at the F1 race in October 2025. The theft occurred the day after another racegoer had their Richard Mille watch stolen by the same group of thieves at the event, the lawsuit, filed in the District Court of Travis County, Texas, alleges. A spokesperson for Formula 1, the racing series controlled by Liberty Media Corporation, declined to comment. Media representatives of the Circuit Of The Americas LLC did not respond to a request for comment. The companies have yet to respond to the lawsuit, which seeks "more than $200,000 but not more than $1,000,000" in damages and states that it will cost approximately $750,000 to replace the specific timepiece, according to secondary market values. The case underscores the rising number of targeted luxury watch thefts in some regions. It raises questions as to who is responsible for personal security when someone wears a wristwatch valued at more than half a million dollars...
Hodinkee
Year over year, it's becoming increasingly important for luxury brands to back their products with traceability for precious materials like gold and gemstones, both for regulatory and compliance bodies and for conscious consumers. Traceability has become a greater concern with the rise of counterfeiting and the growing demand for transparency in ethical material sourcing. We have seen several watch and jewelry brands taking matters into their own hands by establishing their own traceability programs, from Rolex to Breitling, as well as the entire LVMH group. Here, many brands are relying on the expansion of blockchain technology to create digital passports for their wares. However, one company is taking things even deeper to a forensic level. In 2016, Haelixa started with a mission to streamline traceability within supply chains by developing a patented DNA-based technology to verify product origin and authenticity. "The first application of our DNA markers started at the supply chain level with raw materials," explains Klemens Link, Haelixa's Director of Anti-Counterfeiting and Brand Protection. "We began with textiles but have since expanded into precious metals as well as gemstones. We can apply our DNA-based nanoparticles to rough stones directly at the mine or to rough gold directly at the refinery." On the other end of the spectrum, Haelixa can also implement its technology beyond raw materials and directly to finished goods. "Here, the value proposition is different...
WatchAdvice
Though the aftershocks of news surrounding Baume & Mercier is still being felt, does their new Clifton keep the ball rolling? Let’s find out! What We Love: Elegant, slim case silhouette One of the comfiest bracelets I’ve ever worn Baumatic = Best value? What We Don’t: Fairly ordinary appearance, not for those wanting dramatic flair Bracelet finishing invites scratches and smudges Crown operation feels off Overall Rating: 8.75/10 Value for Money: 9/10 Wearability: 9/10 Design: 9/10 Build Quality: 8/10 Is the dress watch dead? Both Matt and I have attempted to answer this question on separate occasions. Matt argued that, in the contemporary space, the dress watch has fallen out of favour. I, on the other hand, believe dress watches remain prevalent and are thriving within the accessible segment of quartz timepieces. However, there are still a handful of brands that have committed themselves to collections defined by elegant aesthetics and attainable price points. One of these brands, Raymond Weil, is one we’ve discussed extensively, but they are far from the only player in this market. WATCH EDUCATION: An Introduction Into Baume & Mercier Founded in 1830, Baume & Mercier has maintained a notable presence within this relatively accessible tier of luxury watchmaking. A long-time subsidiary of the Richemont Group since 1988, the brand has used this period to develop watches that are balanced yet distinctive, both in design and mechanics. While the Riviera collection...
Teddy Baldassarre
Teddy Baldassarre is an authorized luxury watch retailer of brands like TUDOR, OMEGA, IWC, Grand Seiko, Breitling, Blancpain, Glashütte Original, Zenith, Longines, ORIS, MIDO, Tissot, Hamilton, NOMOS Glashütte, Baume & Mercier, and more.
Worn & Wound
Selten impressed me earlier this year with the release of their Grand Feu Enamel series, which features deeply engraved and colorful dials made in a traditional enamelling process. Artistic, craft forward dials made from interesting materials are their stock in trade, so it’s no surprise that they seem to be flourishing at this particular moment, when there’s a real hunger among collectors for watches that offer something a little more daring. As a certified mother of pearl addict (DM me if you need help finding a support group in your area) their latest release, a collaboration with the Hong Kong based watch collecting community Watch Ho & Co caught my eye. The Jui 聚 (which translate to “to meet, to gather”) features a dramatic Tahitian mother of pearl dial that is CNC engraved to form an elaborate and complex pattern. According to Selten, the design is inspired by ancient China, and the pattern itself is lifted from a motif often used in body armor. Over time, these shapes came to symbolize strength and security, which the brand is now pitching as a testament to the bonds formed within the watch community. This of course is a guiding principle that makes a lot of sense given the collaboration with a community of watch collectors. It’s underscored by the ethos of Watch Ho & Co with an engraving on the caseback reading “Good Vibes Only.” I’ll be honest, I’ve seen a lot of watches over the years with dials featuring abstract or obscure design motifs th...
Worn & Wound
It is a global phenomenon: some of the most exclusive independent watch brands have in the last five years created more accessible and more affordable sister brands or collections. These are undoubtedly linked to the main brand thanks to similar design features and a similar spirit. Just look at MB&F; and its M.A.D.Editions in Switzerland, Grönefeld and Grøne in the Netherlands, and Hajime Asaoka with Kurono Tokyo. Their normal offering is in the tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars, and now their sister brands offer watches for a few thousand – and you don’t have to wait for years to get a watch. Why are they doing this? What effect does it have on the general perception of the main brand? What are the collectors’ reactions to the more accessible offerings? Occasionally, it goes in the other direction. The Finnish brand Leijona’s Heritage 1907 Collection punches above its weight. It shows that a quartz based, mass market brand can make Swiss Made mechanicals together with a legend like Kari Voutilainen. We’ll get back to that. Just as we’ll get to Swatch’s recent collaborations with its fancier siblings within the Swatch Group. This phenomenon is all but new. Just look at Rolex and Tudor, the latter registered in 1926. “It was exactly the same as what we see today. Rolex founder (Hans) Wilsdorf wanted to offer high-quality watches at more affordable prices,” said watch expert Gianfranco Ritschel. Another example, half a century removed, is Cartie...
Worn & Wound
It’s counterintuitive, but one of the things I appreciate most about working in the watch industry is being reminded of my blind spots. The narrative is often that this community is small and tightly focused, and on some level that’s true, but I think more broadly speaking, the watch world is actually enormous, and there are large enthusiast communities we’ve barely tapped into. That became incredibly clear over the course of Windup weekend in Chicago as one of the most talked about watches of the show was not actually one that can be worn on the wrist. The Casio Ring Watch was not only the most diminutive timepiece of the weekend, but one of the toughest tickets at the event. I was aware that these existed prior to Windup but I had no idea they were so sought after and collectible. A peek behind the curtain: as an authorized retailer for Casio, the Windup Watch Shop sells Casio and Casio G-SHOCK watches at the fair, so over the course of the weekend, through Slack messages, daily team meetings with my Shop colleagues, and conversations over quickly devoured lunches before heading back out to the show floor, I was able to get a sense of the demand for these things. Each day’s allotment essentially sold out in the fair’s early hours, and those who were able to grab one felt they walked away with the prize of the show. The CRW-001 Casio Ring Watch has a retail price of $120, but a quick Google search reveals owners are asking anywhere from $160 to $200 for th...
Teddy Baldassarre
How well do you know your luxury watch brands? The timepiece industry is populated by many dozens of companies - a handful of them still independent, many others now members of a larger luxury-goods conglomerate - each with its own unique origin story, historical highlights, and technical and aesthetic brand DNA. Here we've gathered what we consider the 60 watch brands that should be on the radar of watch enthusiasts and given you a brief rundown of what makes each one special. In the interest of being informative (and transparent), we've divided them into sections: brands owned by the two major Swiss luxury groups (Swatch and Richemont), brands within the French LVMH Group, Japanese Citizen Group, and the small Swiss concern Sowind; the largest, best-known independent companies, and the leading brands among the rest of the independents. We've even added a little tidbit of trivia for each brand. TOP LUXURY WATCH BRANDS: SWATCH GROUP BLANCPAIN Blancpain was founded in 1735 by Jehan-Jacques Blancpain, making it one of the oldest watch brands in existence - one of the few, in fact, that can say it’s been making watches longer than the United States has been a country. The maison offers a plethora of small and high complications in its extensive and elegant Villeret collection, named for the Swiss village where it originated before moving to the Vallee de Joux in 1983, including a so-called “complete” calendar, a signature complication but these days Blancpain ...
Teddy Baldassarre
At this point it’s a cliché to even mention how outdated and prehistoric a universally negative or condescending view of “Made in China” is in the world of watchmaking. Some of the most interesting new watch brands, and a consistently growing roster of some of the most talented and resourceful living watchmakers, are establishing reputations matching, or indeed exceeding, those out of Switzerland, Germany, and Japan. In this article I have assembled just 15 of these names, some of which have been around for decades and some of which are just coming on the scene. For your reading ease, I’ve broken these down into three categories: the established brands; the watchmakers; and the upstarts. Let’s start with the Chinese watch brand most of you already know… The Established Brands Seagull Tianjin Seagull Watch Group, aka Seagull, recently celebrated its 70th anniversary, and it’s not hard to see why this giant is the most well known and prolific Chinese mechanical-watch producer. The brand made China’s first Air Force Chronograph, which has been reissued as the iconic Seagull 1963 chronograph, a watch that still represents tremendous value at around $300. But it’s not just all affordable stuff these days. Last year, I wrote about the Seagull Split-Second Chronograph, calling it one of the best values in watchmaking at $3,200. Beyond the basic chronograph and this rattrapante, Seagull has added tourbillons, perpetual calendars, and minute repeaters to its repe...
Two Broke Watch Snobs
In watch culture today, “tool watches” are those meant for physical activity; the gym, swimming, scaling Mount Everest, setting new freediving records – you know, the things we all do, all the time. In reality, every watch is a tool, regardless of its water resistance rating or its ability to survive a drop from a three-story building. Organizing human activity is a major logistical challenge, and many require timing and coordination, though the degree to which that’s true varies. Timing military operations to achieve maximum pressure on the objective needs a little bit more coordination than meeting with some friends for lunch across town (though that may depend on the friend group).
Worn & Wound
There was a time not too long ago when hearing the name “Bamford” conjured images of customized luxury watches of all stripes, sometimes with a level of taste that would make many enthusiasts sneer. That’s the nature of custom watches, though. The designs come from the mind of the owner as much as the customizer, and hardcore enthusiasts have really never been too keen on modifying, for example, stainless steel Rolex sports watches. So the fact that Bamford is now synonymous not with custom tweaked watches (although they still do this, primarily with LVMH brands) but affordable and accessible watches geared directly toward the enthusiast market is a turn that few would have predicted a decade or so ago. But it seems to be a reflection of where Bamford Watch Department’s founder George Bamford’s interests really lie. Their latest is perhaps the brand’s most ambitious creation to date. After gaining steam over the past few years with a series of well received character watches (including a number of whimsical GMTs), Bamford has pivoted to a new dive watch concept featuring a ceramic case and a bunch of little design details that make it stand out. The new D-300 diver is available in a total of four colors: white, black, navy and green. The ceramic bit here is actually an outer shell around a titanium core, a method of case construction widely used in the watch industry that helps strengthen the case and also control costs (these watches come in at $1,950). The ...
Worn & Wound
“Watches, Stories, and Gear” is a roundup of our favorite content, watch or otherwise, from around the internet. Here, we support other creators, explore interesting content that inspires us, and put a spotlight on causes we believe in. Oh, and any gear we happen to be digging on this week. We love gear. Share your story ideas or interesting finds with us by emailing info@wornandwound.com. The Struggling Swiss Watch Industry Reports continue to surface that point to prolonged troubles and a general downturn in the Swiss watch industry. Forbes reports that according to the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry, exports were down in August by 125,000 units year over year, even while the total value of all exports increased by nearly 8%. A chief cause of the downturn, in addition to a slowing global economy, is likely overproduction of watches and other luxury goods. Johann Rupert, chairman of Richemont, called on watch manufacturers to reduce production across the board. It’s worth pointing out that these export numbers never tell the whole story – these are units sold to retailers, not end users, for the most part. But signs seem to be everywhere that the boom seen during the pandemic across the industry has waned significantly, and the industry as a whole may have returned to what once would have been described as normal. A Black Hole with a Cosmic Wingspan The sheer size of space is something that is hard for human beings to comprehend, and a story we saw t...
Question, suggestion, or just want to say hi? Drop a note.