17,575 articles · 99 videos found · page 320 of 590
Monochrome
The luxury watch industry is impacted by the slowing global economy, changes in consumer behaviour and tariff wars. Despite this challenging environment, Geneva-based luxury goods group Richemont reports solid revenues for the start of the year, with a positive trend for the first quarter ended 30 June 2025. Over the period, the Group’s sales are […]
Hodinkee
Bezel's report shows that fake or incorrect timepieces still proliferate across a variety of brands.
Hodinkee
Second quarter prices show continued divergence between listed company brands and independents on used market, according to Morgan Stanley and WatchCharts.
Hodinkee
Wholesale Exports to U.S. decline 25% as FHS warns exports outpace slower sales.
Worn & Wound
Vintage watches remain ever popular in the watch collector’s journey. There are serious collectors who remain focused on buying only vintage. Since the pandemic, my inbox has been flooded with auction houses and vintage dealers trying to one-up each other by selling the most curated “once in a lifetime” or most expensive vintage piece. I have nothing against the sellers and buyers, especially if they can vouch for the authenticity and pay for the repairs, they deserve my appreciation. Personally, I am apprehensive of owning vintage watches at my current point of collecting. I owned a few vintage watches in my early days as a collector, most of them were bargain finds on eBay that eventually stopped working or I ended up trading, except for one expensive Rolex Datejust that had to be serviced. Ultimately, service on the Datejust was as expensive as the watch, including Rolex replacing the dial to a different color which I hated and ended up selling for a loss. I know it was a rookie mistake, but that was the end of vintage watches for me. After that experience, I stuck to buying either new watches from retailers or pre-owned watches from other collectors. As it happened, my work took me to Germany often, and there I discovered a whole new world of neo-vintage watches. Before I get deeper into what specific “affordable” neo-vintage watches a couple of my collector friends and I recommend, I should briefly define what neo-vintage watches are and why they are easier ...
SJX Watches
Following the Classique Souscription, and Tradition Seconde Rétrograde, Breguet continues its 250th anniversary roll-out by turning to its signature pilot’s watch. The Type XX Chronographe 2075BH debuts in two variants in “Breguet gold”: a regular production with a black aluminium dial and a 250-piece limited edition with a sterling silver dial. Both are handsome and stay mostly true to the model’s heritage thanks to faithful sizing and a manually-wound movement. The regular production with a black aluminium dial (left), and sterling silver dial of the limited edition Initial Thoughts The new Type XX ticks many of the boxes from an enthusiast’s perspective with its compact dial and concise dial that does without a date and hour totalizer – both welcome reductions to the first-generation design. That said, the Breguet gold case is limiting due to the price. A stainless steel case would’ve been even more appreciated, though that will probably arrive in due time. While the cal. 7278/7279 in the new Type XX is technically excellent – like most Breguet calibres – the thoroughly modern construction doesn’t complement the vintage-inspired design. Adapting the cal. 582 used in the 1990s Type XX might have been more interesting due to its lateral clutch construction and increasingly rare cam-control system, though the cal. 7278/7279 reads better on a spec sheet with its vertical clutch. And to preserve the vintage feel, a solid, hand-engraved case back might...
Monochrome
The Sport Auto, first released in 2022, wasn’t the first attempt of Laurent Ferrier to create an elegant sports watch with an integrated bracelet. This must be credited to the Grand Sport, a large and high-end model with a tourbillon. However, the Sport Auto was even more important, as it entered the coveted category with […]
SJX Watches
In a rush to beat American President Donald Trump’s tariffs, Swiss watch brands exported almost two months’ worth of inventory to the United States in April, according to the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry (FH), the trade body that publishes export statistics widely regarded as a proxy for the overall luxury watch business. Exports to the United States were up over 150% to CHF852 million, more than double the CHF405 million in March. For comparison, the next-largest export destination in April was Japan, with the corresponding figure a mere CHF176 million. Currently, Swiss imports to the US are subject to a 10% blanket tariff, however 31% tariff will be levied on Swiss imports after July 9, assuming nothing changes between then and now. Consumer confidence in the United States, while battered, is showing signs of recovery too, increasing for the first time in five months as measured by economic research institute The Conference Board. For several years now, the stalwart American market has buoyed Swiss watch exports, while demand in China and Hong Kong continue to slide, with April exports to the respective markets down 30.5% and 22.8%. Having started almost a decade ago after the start of an anti-corruption campaign, China’s luxury slowdown isn’t limited to watches, and is unlikely to reverse anytime soon. While some brands can shift inventory to other markets, others are already buying back inventory and cutting production. While less dramatic than in Chi...
Revolution
Hodinkee
Sales and profits fell for Richemont's Specialist Watchmaker division due to weakness in China, but Cartier owner says production has been adjusted.
Monochrome
The slowing global economy and changes in consumer behaviour are hurting the luxury watch industry. Geneva-based luxury goods group Richemont reported a 4% increase in sales for their 2024/25 year, closing at the end of March at EUR 21,399 million. At EUR 3.8 billion, the profit for the year’s continuing operation is down 1%. This […]
Hodinkee
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says Switzerland has climbed to the front of the queue for trade deals.
Hodinkee
Hong Kong owners have sold the Swiss brand known for its unique Coin Watch and Golden Bridge timepieces.
Hodinkee
Top Swiss brand to increase prices by an average of 3% beginning May 1 and Omega prices to rise 5%.
Hodinkee
Oris is staying true to its mission, delivering quality Swiss-made watches at the best possible price, and calls on the rest of the industry to follow its lead.
Hodinkee
Swiss maker of Blancpain and other brands says price increases follow 'dramatic' change in exchange rates.
Hodinkee
Morgan Stanley and WatchCharts data shows Rolex, Patek, AP, Omega and Cartier outperforming on secondary market
Monochrome
The world’s leading luxury group, LVMH, has just announced its sales revenues for the first quarter of 2025, which ended March 31st. At the end of the year 2024, when the conglomerate was still reporting strong results, revenues showed a slight improvement, offsetting the losses of mid-2024. However, the global geopolitical and economic environment is uncertain due […]
Hodinkee
Swiss watchmakers get 90-day reprieve even as a 10% tariff stays in place.
Hodinkee
Christopher Ward says US consumers will have to absorb the 31% tariff on Swiss watches.
Hodinkee
Brands from Parmigiani to Ulysse Nardin, Hermès, and Oris see few reasons to raise volumes.
Hodinkee
Antoine Pin says TAG won't ratchet up production even as F1 sponsorship raises brand profile.
Hodinkee
US President vows 31% tariffs on imported goods from Switzerland in 'Liberation Day' speech that would sideswipe Swiss watch sector.
Monochrome
The Odysseus disembarked at A. Lange & Söhne in 2019, the Saxon brand’s interpretation of a luxury steel sports watch with a personality all its own. Not only was it the first steel model for the brand, but it was also the first model with 120m water-resistance, the first model with a metallic integrated bracelet, […]
SJX Watches
Bulgari’s longtime boss Jean-Christophe Babin has just been appointed named chief executive of LVMH Watches, effective April 1. He succeeds Frédéric Arnault, who was recently named to lead Loro Piana. Mr Babin will lead the watch division in addition to being chief of Bulgari, the Italian jeweller he has led in 2013. With a dozen years at the helm, Mr Babin is one of the longest-serving bosses in luxury. His successor at Bulgari, however, is already in place; Laura Burdese was named deputy chief executive last year. In his new role, Mr Babin will oversee the three brands that make up the watch division: TAG Heuer, Hublot, and Bulgari.
SJX Watches
One of the badly kept secrets in Swiss watchmaking has just come true: Breitling has acquired Gallet. Backed by Swiss private equity firm Partners Group, Breitling has been slowly building itself into a group of brands. The Gallet acquisition comes a little over a year after Breitling took over Universal Genève. According to Breitling chief executive Georges Kern speaking to Fratello Watches, Gallet will be positioned in the sub-CHF3,000 range, topping out at CHF5,000. This puts its squarely in the segment of established brands like Tudor and Longines, which enjoy unparalleled economies of scale, as well as online-only micro brands that lack the overhead of established brands. The rationale of acquiring Gallet is clear. As Mr Kern mentions in his Fratello interview, it gives Breitling a stronger position vis a vis third-party retailers since the brand can now offer products across the price spectrum, with Universal Genève at the very top. This is particularly relevant as many brands owned by luxury groups like Richemont continue to withdraw from third-party retailers. Another factor that is left unsaid in the interview is the enlarged group presumably improves the odds of an exit for Breitling’s private-equity backers. Partners Group bought a majority stake in Breitling at end 2022 from CVC Capital, another private equity firm that bought Breitling in 2017. According to news reports at the time, CVC divested part of its Breitling stake at over five times the 2017 valua...
SJX Watches
Panerai chief executive Jean-Marc Pontroué has just revealed he’s stepping down in a post on his personal Instagram account. He took up the job almost exactly seven years ago, after six years as chief executive of Roger Dubuis and over a decade at Montblanc, where most notably he led the brand’s high-end watchmaking efforts (that were dialled back under subsequent managers). Mr Pontroué’s successor, effective April 1, will be Emmanuel Perrin, currently head of Specialist Watchmakers (SWM), essentially the watch division of Richemont, the Swiss luxury group that also owns Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels. According to insiders, SWM will continue to exist, but at a regional level, rather than the group-level entity it is now. Emmanuel Perrin Mr Pontroué landed at Panerai with big shoes to fill: his predecessor, Angelo Bonati, led the brand for over two decades, taking it from essentially nothing to one of the hottest brands in the 2000s. Panerai’s impressive momentum had begun to slow towards the end of Mr Bonati’s tenure, and despite his best efforts Mr Pontroué never managed to recapture the magic. Amongst the initiatives launched by Mr Pontroué at Panerai was sustainability in watchmaking materials and packaging, as well as a renewed engagement with Paneristi, the community of dedicated Panerai fans – underlined by historically inspired new launches coming in 2024. The brand’s direction will now be determined by Mr Perrin. During his spell leading SWM, Mr...
Monochrome
The Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry has just released their export statistic for 2024 – December ended the year on a negative note with exports down 5.4%. For the year as a whole, the Swiss watch industry exports recorded a decrease of 2.8% compared to 2023. Following two years of robust growth and all-time […]
Monochrome
It’s the time of year when businesses announce their financial performance. Following Richemont and LVMH, Swatch Group has just released its 2024 results. In a challenging environment for the watch industry, the sales of Swatch Group – the Swiss powerhouse and owner of Omega, Longines or Tissot – were CHF 6,735 million, down 12.2% at […]
Monochrome
In the context of a global decline of the luxury goods demand, LVMH, the world’s largest luxury goods group, reported revenues of EUR 84.7 billion for 2024, +1% on an organic basis, after a record performance in 2023. In the fourth quarter, organic revenue growth came to 1%, accelerating with respect to the third quarter. […]
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