1,661 articles · 39 videos found · page 5 of 57
Time+Tide
Recent sales figures from Seiko starkly contrast the (Swiss) narrative that the watch industry is struggling right now.The post As the Swiss struggle, Seiko continues to soar appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Fratello
Ask me whatever you want; there are no secrets. Do you want to know where the movement is from? The automatic caliber 1031-1 was developed in collaboration with Chronode SA. Please come up with something a bit more original. The spring bar? Okay, the spring bar is made by IsoSwiss from 316L steel and attaches […] Visit Hands-On With The Pragma P1 – Perseverance: A 100% Swiss High-End Chronometer With High Morals to read the full article.
Monochrome
We all know that there are tons of brands that are dormant or defunct that are deserving of a revival, and a number of those are actually being brought back through passion and perseverance. One brand to add to that list is Monceau, a once-respected Swiss watchmaking name now in the hands of Simon Ryan. […]
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...
Fratello
Maybe you can’t call it a comeback - thanks, LL Cool J - but in a way, Corum is making a comeback. Founded in 1955 in La Chaux-de-Fonds, the brand recently announced a return to Swiss ownership. It was part of the Hong Kong-based Citychamp Watch & Jewellery Group for 12 years. But following a […] Visit Corum Is Making A Swiss-Owned Comeback - What Can We Expect? to read the full article.
Video
Time for a Q&A! Thanks to everyone who sent in their questions! If you want to have one of your questions featured in my next episode, make sure to follow me on Instagram and subscribe to my channel to not miss out on...
Hodinkee
Hong Kong owners have sold the Swiss brand known for its unique Coin Watch and Golden Bridge timepieces.
Monochrome
Historical Swiss watch brand Corum is back to Swiss ownership following a management buy-out led by Sales Director Haso Mehmedovic, backed by a group of Swiss investors – which remains undisclosed for now but is presented as members of the luxury and finance sectors. Haso Mehmedovic, who will serve as the brand’s new CEO, began […]
Hodinkee
Swiss maker of Blancpain and other brands says price increases follow 'dramatic' change in exchange rates.
Hodinkee
Swiss watchmakers get 90-day reprieve even as a 10% tariff stays in place.
Worn & Wound
Last week, midway through the watch industry’s biggest trade show, Donald Trump announced 31% tariffs on Swiss imports. The proposed tariffs, enacted as of this morning, immediately became the focus of many discussions in Geneva between brands, retailers, and the press, at Palexpo and beyond. The United States is the largest importer of Swiss watches in the world, so a new tariff of 31% on Swiss imports to the US has the potential to reshape not just the watch market in the United States, but the industry as a whole. The announcement could not have come at a more pressure packed time. The entire watch industry – retailers, brands, manufacturing partners, collectors, and executives – was gathered in Geneva last week, doing the business that normally shapes the arc of the year. As the news was absorbed on Thursday, we witnessed brands and retailers reacting in real time, changing or solidifying plans as appropriate. The inescapable nature of the topic in meetings meant to showcase new products underscored the seriousness of Trump’s announcement, and the potential implications. In seeking to understand the ramifications of the planned tariffs, we sought out an economist to help firm up our understanding of what the administration is seeking to accomplish. Brendan Cunningham is a professor of economics at Eastern Connecticut State University, and the author of Horolonomics, a website dedicated to “economic complications in watchmaking.” We started by defining o...
Video
We also dive into how I evaluate microbrand watches, whether buying your first Rolex changes your opinion of Tudor, if OMEGA has become too reliant on the Co-Axial escapement, why the Tudor Royal deserves more attenti...
Fratello
While my colleagues and most of the industry have been in Geneva, enjoying Watches and Wonders and devouring the sights and sounds of the year’s biggest trade fair, I have been watching on from home this year. I welcomed my firstborn son into the world and moved house less than two weeks later (apparently, I […] Visit Trump’s New Tariffs Rock The Swiss Watch Industry to read the full article.
Hodinkee
US President vows 31% tariffs on imported goods from Switzerland in 'Liberation Day' speech that would sideswipe Swiss watch sector.
Hodinkee
Watch CEOs react to news of potentially devastating US tariffs on Swiss watches.
Fratello
Welcome back to another episode of Fratello On Air! This week, we’re each choosing three non-Swiss watches with a budget of €20,000. The task is tricky, though, because €20,000 is enough to afford great pieces from the usual suspects, but it means being picky if choosing just one from a costly brand. Get ready for […] Visit Fratello On Air: Three Non-Swiss Watches For €20,000 to read the full article.
Fratello
We know Yema as an accessible French brand that offers fairly affordable watches. However, with the introduction of the company’s in-house Calibre Manufacture Morteau movements, its prices shifted upward a bit. To ensure that the watchmakers have enough time to work on the higher-end in-house movements and still offer watches at a more affordable price […] Visit Yema Introduces Its Superman Swiss Edition To Mark A Strategic Turnaround to read the full article.
Video
For years, Longines sat quietly in the background of the Swiss watch industry. Today, it has become one of the most respected brands among watch enthusiasts.
Time+Tide
Counter-intuitively, Yema outsourcing its signature dive watch to the Swiss actually helps keep costs down so they can invest in French manufacturing.The post How the Yema Superman Swiss Edition will make Yema more French appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Monochrome
Watch brands rarely take the time to explain their strategic shifts to the public, making Yema‘s transparency all the more commendable. In unveiling its new 2025 references, the French watchmaker provided insight into a significant transition: introducing the Superman Swiss Editions. These timepieces, which represent the brand’s entry to the Superman collection, are now powered […]
Time+Tide
Florida-based, Swiss-inspired, and thankfully, affordable!The post What makes Montreux’s affordable straps ‘Swiss-inspired?’ appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
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 […]
Time+Tide
Forget steel or gold, let's get weird.The post The most unusual case materials in watchmaking, from ‘chameleon’ sapphire to Swiss cheese appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Video
How The Swiss Watch Industry Spent 100 Years Destroying ItselfFor decades, the story has been the same: Japan arrived, unleashed quartz, and destroyed Swiss watchmaking almost overnight. In this video, I'm challenging...
Fratello
Welcome back to Fratello Talks. Everyone knows Switzerland is home to some of the world’s greatest and most renowned watch brands. But plenty of brands outside the Alpine region - and even outside Europe - produce high-end mechanical timepieces that can stand shoulder to shoulder with their Swiss contemporaries. Some of these non-Swiss brands have […] Visit Fratello Talks: Non-Swiss Watch Brands That We Love to read the full article.
Worn & Wound
Editor’s Note: Today, the final installment of The Greatest Horological Inventions of All Time. Here, Andrew Canter examines the story behind the co-axial escapement, invented by George Daniels, industrialized by Omega, and now considered one of the great watchmaking innovations of all time. You can find more of Andrew’s work at the Mr. Watchmaster website here. George Daniels (1926 – 2011) was raised in London in poverty. Aged five, he pried open his family’s alarm clock and realised that it was a metaphor for his life – always moving inexorably onwards, but without outside assistance. He was determined to learn horology, despite his parents’ opposition. He was conscripted into military service in 1944 which unleashed his innate mechanical skills, and following the end of the war, he studied horology, while repairing watches in North London. He gained access to the work of the greatest watchmakers, particularly Abraham-Louis Breguet, through a meeting with a collector, and when it seemed that quartz technology would overwhelm traditional watchmaking, Daniels ensured this would not come to fruition. He made a series of increasingly ingenious mechanical watches, heavily influenced by Breguet, teaching himself to make every part, now referred to as the ‘Daniels Method’. Essentially, he devised a virtually oil-free escapement – the now iconic co-axial escapement – which was later mass-produced by Omega. It was anything but an easy journey, but George D...
Time+Tide
Awake outfits the Sơn Mài Silver Leaf with a unique, intricate dial.The post Awake blends Vietnamese heritage with Swiss watchmaking with the Sơn Mài Silver Leaf appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Fratello
Take a look at your bookcase, and tell me if you have a copy of one of the following books - The Three Musketeers, The Jungle Book, Robinson Crusoe, The Call of the Wild, The Last of the Mohicans, Moby-Dick, Robin Hood, Treasure Island, or anything by Jules Verne, like Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea. […] Visit Introducing: The MB&F; × Eddy Jaquet LM Split Escapement 2024 Series - Artisanal And Adventurous Watches Inspired By Youth Literature to read the full article.
SJX Watches
MB&F; is well known for its ability to consistently produce timepieces that are as much sculpture as technical marvels. In its latest collaboration, MB&F; leans heavily on the artisanal side of watchmaking, with a dose of literary influence. Executed by the namesake master engraver, the MB&F; Legacy Machine Split Escapement “Eddy Jaquet” is a limited series of eight unique pieces, each depicting a scene from famous novels, ranging from The Three Musketeers to Moby Dick. Initial thoughts The LM SE “Eddy Jaquet” is arguably a true, multifaceted work of art that just happens to be wearable. Mr Jaquet’s work is amongst the best, and the LM SE happens to be a perfect canvas for it thanks to the particular set up of the dial that leaves practically the entire dial disc free for engraving. Making such an ornate watch usually requires compromise in terms of time telling, with watchmakers often favouring an expansive decorated dial over prominent hands. The LM SE somehow manages to keep all of its sub-dials, along with the LM’s trademark exposed balance. These elements do not take away from the centrepiece, which is the engraved dial plate. The elaborate execution of the LM SE comes at a hefty price, CHF158,000, which is almost double the cost of a standard LM SE. A quiet master engraver While not a widely recognised name, Eddy Jaquet was actually one of the original “friends” of MB&F; since the brand’s early days. Back in 2011, he hand-engraved the names of Kari Vout...
Video
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