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Time+Tide
There's so many auctions gearing up to take place in Geneva right now and they're all chock-full of amazing watches - here's the best ones.The post The Time+Tide Team picks their favourite lots from Geneva’s stacked 2025 watch auction season appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
This spring, one of the most important horological creations of the late twentieth century returns to public view. As part of The Geneva Watch Auction: XXI taking place on May 10 and 11, Phillips will offer the Breguet Sympathique No. 1, the first of twenty exceptional clocks commissioned by Breguet in the early 1990s. The primary creator of this landmark clock was none other than Francois-Paul Journe, then a young watchmaker. Completed in 1991 for the Art of Breguet auction, No. 1 is not just the prototype of the modern Sympathique series, it is its most ambitious. The example, paired with a tourbillon wristwatch, is equipped with a constant-force remontoir and moonphase display. In retrospect, it reads as a mechanical manifesto, foreshadowing Journe’s later independent work. More than a highlight of its upcoming sale, No. 1 represents a rare continuation of one of watchmaking’s great inventions, a direct link to Abraham-Louis Breguet himself. Detail of Sympathique no. 1 Of Breguet’s many breakthroughs, from the tourbillon to the pare-chute, none captured the marriage of mechanical brilliance and poetic vision quite like the Pendule Sympathique. Designed to wind, set, and regulate a paired watch automatically, it embodied a new kind of horological harmony: a master timekeeper caring for its portable counterpart. The calendar on Sympathique no. 1 By the late 20th century, these clocks had become near-mythical. Only a handful were ever built, most housed in royal coll...
SJX Watches
It’s hard to stand out among the 194-lots in Phillips’ incredibly stacked upcoming Geneva auction. The catalog for The Geneva Watch Auction: XXI includes 36 watches from Patek Philippe, including familiar favorites like two ref. 5004s and an assortment of Nautilus and Aquanaut models. But three watches are especially notable. These highlights are led by the only known ref. 3448 “Padellone” perpetual calendar in pink gold – a retailer-signed example at that – followed by a landmark “grand” complication with Hagmann case, and a Beyer-signed pocket watch with a portal to Amsterdam on the back. The auction takes place on May 10 and 11, 2025, at the Hotel President Wilson in Geneva. Lot 74: Patek Philippe ref. 3448 in pink gold signed “Freccero” Patek Philippe’s first self-winding perpetual calendar, the ref. 3448, was primarily made in yellow or white gold – except for this example in pink gold. Besides the unique case material, this also has a retailer-signed dial. In addition, it’s in incredible condition, with unpolished lugs so sharp you could almost cut yourself. It features an early “second series” dial, with a “dimple” style minute track and engraved, enamelled markings. Even though the movement inside the ref. 3448 is one of the most beautiful automatics ever made, the cal. 27-460 doesn’t skate by on pretty privilege. The calibre is technically competent: with a free-sprung gyro-max balance, overcoil hairspring, and Patek Philippe’...
SJX Watches
After voyages through the cultures of Europe, China, and Japan, Louis Vuitton sets course beyond the terrestrial realm. The Tambour Taiko Galactique is a minute repeater with automata depicting an astronaut on the Moon. With its newest creation, Louis Vuitton once again marries artisanal decoration with high-end mechanics – all accomplished in-house at its manufacture in Geneva, La Fabrique du Temps (LFT). Initial thoughts For several years now, Louis Vuitton has endeavoured to preserve and perpetuate traditional watchmaking and related crafts. From the Louis Vuitton Watch Prize for Independent Creatives to its collaborations with independent watchmakers, and the massive, nine-figure investment in its Geneva manufactures and the vertical integration of metiers d’art, Louis Vuitton is a large luxury brand, the world’s biggest in fact, but still remains in touch with artisanal horology. The latest launch from the French marque is a minute repeater that defies traditional dogma. With the Galactique, Louis Vuitton pays tribute to both the space age and classic watchmaking by dressing an otherwise traditional complication in a space-themed attire. It is literally a “Moonwatch”, but of another type. The lunar-centric watch is appealing, a little whimsical, and well-executed, with consistent design choices unifying the case and dial. The only decidedly classic element is the movement that is visible through the case back. An artful dial The centrepiece of the Gala...
Time+Tide
We've seen what all the big box brands had to show, but what about the indies?The post 6 of the most exciting independent watches of Geneva Watch Week 2025 appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
As the festivities come to a close, the T+T Team picks their favourites from the biggest release week of the year.The post Geneva Watch Week 2025: the Time+Tide team picks their favourite watches from Watches and Wonders (and beyond!) appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
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...
Monochrome
Unveiled at Watches and Wonders 2025, the 1816 Chronograph blends a modern integrated bracelet design with more traditional elements drawn from Louis Moinet‘s classic repertoire, in particular from the fascinating and remarkable Compteur de Tierces, one of the precursors of the modern chronograph. Powered by an appealing, traditional hand-wound chronograph movement, this new Louis Moinet […]
Worn & Wound
Last year, I had the privilege of sitting down with Benoit de Clerck to talk about all things Zenith. At the time, Benoit was just a few short months into his tenure as CEO of Zenith, and Watches & Wonders was only barely in the rearview, but de Clerck made it very clear that he was already looking ahead, not just generally, but towards something very specific, and very exciting. “I’m working hard on something new next year, which - obviously - I like, because it’s very unique, and we’re producing very small quantities and all that. And, I can’t tell you much more, but next year we’re celebrating our 160th year and we will come up with something that the collectors will be very, very, very happy with.” Well, now, nearly a year later, we know what that “something new” is, and de Clerck was absolutely right - because it is something to be very, very happy with. I’m talking, of course, about the new Zenith G.F.J. G.F.J., in this case, stands for Georges Favre-Jacot, the name of the man who founded Zenith some 160 years ago, but it might as well stand for ‘Great F***ing Job’ because Zenith has knocked it out of the park with this one. At the heart of the G.F.J. is a revived version of the calibre 135, a historically significant and long-dormant movement, designed by Ephrem Jobin in the years after World War II and produced from 1949 to 1962. The Calibre 135 was widely used by Zenith at that time, but especially prized is the 135-O variant created...
Fratello
As the Northern Hemisphere eagerly anticipates spring’s arrival, the watchmaking community’s attention turns to Geneva, where the prestigious Watches and Wonders fair will take place from April 1st to 7th, 2025. This year’s event promises to be the largest and most diverse gathering in its four-year history. A record 60 brands will be taking over […] Visit Watches And Wonders 2025: Geneva’s Grand Horological Showcase Is Here to read the full article.
Deployant
We are excited to be at Watches & Wonders 2025. Once again. We talk about what is new and happening next week in Geneva...and beyond.
SJX Watches
The spring auction season is getting underway with the first sale being Phillips’ The Geneva Sessions Spring 2025 taking place online until March 12. The online auction is a warm-up for the Geneva live auction taking place in May, but the 70-lot sale nonetheless includes several interesting timepieces, including some unusual examples from the “neo vintage” era. Essentially watches made in the 1990s to the early 2000s, such watches tend to be good value today; 30 years on they still sell for a fraction of the original retail price. One of the best known watches from the era, perhaps even iconic, is the Vacheron Constantin Mercator. A double retrograde with hands taking the form of a compass, the Mercator was introduced in 1994 and produced for a decade. A little over 600 were made with most of them having etched brass dials; less common were the examples with cloisonné enamel dials. The sale includes a Mercator with a map of Portugal dating to 2004, making it one of the final pieces made. Part of a limited edition of just ten watches, this example includes an achieve extract. The Mercator Portugal is lot 19 with an estimate of CHF25,000-50,000. The enamel dial of the Mercator Portugal One of the quirkiest watches in the sale is the Alain Silberstein Kronomedio Saphir. The French designer was the first to employ sapphire crystal for the watch case way back in 1997. An exceptionally expensive watch at the time, the sapphire chronograph illustrated Mr Silberstein’s av...
Deployant
Bovet's Miss Audrey “Bris de Verre” and the Virtuoso XI are two of its latest offerings to celebrate and commemorate everything for which Valentine’s Day stands.
Time+Tide
Digital watches are all well and good - and we love them! But if you want your kids to learn reading analogue time, start with these.The post The best analogue watches for kids that could turn them into future watch nerds appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
Time on My Hands: A Collector’s Journey in a World of Watches. By Mitch Katz. Tasfil Publishing. US$24.99 in paperback, US$10.89 for e-book Thanks to the growing popularity of watch collecting, there is no shortage of books one can find about watches. Even mainstream bookstores often have a few in stock, while specialty bookstores across the world, from Powell’s in Portland, Oregon to Tsutaya in Daikanyama, Tokyo, have entire sections devoted to watch books. But the watch publishing industry is dominated by brand books, like MB&F;: The First Fifteen Years, that celebrate a particular brand or model. Perhaps because watch collecting is still a nascent hobby, there have not been many (if any) memoirs written about watch collecting. And while Time on My Hands by Mitch Katz is highly educational at times, it succeeds most as a personal story about one man’s long journey down the rabbit hole of watch collecting. Initial thoughts As hard as it is to find a book written by a fellow collector, it’s rarer still to find one that recounts events that formed the basis of one’s own watch education. I first became aware of Mr Katz in 2008 when I joined the Purists forum, which is also where I became acquainted with SJX. When I was at university, the forum served as my nightly reading, and the wisdom I gained reading Mr Katz’s posts, and those of fellow Purists, helped me get up to speed on the many nuances of the watch industry. In Time on My Hands, Mr Katz shares the ups and...
Fratello
I like a headline that gets straight to the point, and I think I nailed it with this one - no clickbait in sight. As is made exceedingly apparent, Delugs recently introduced four new patterns to its straight-end CTS (Cut-To-Size) rubber straps - Pilot, Mosaic, Waffle, and Tropic. Ken sent me one of each of […] Visit Delugs Expands Its Line Of CTS Rubber Straps With Four New Patterns - Pilot, Mosaic, Waffle, And Tropic to read the full article.
Fratello
Recent auctions in Geneva concluded with a relative bang. Eye-watering results occurred for some truly rare pieces. For many watches, though, the sales were solid but not awe-inspiring. I’ll kick off today’s article with my thoughts on the market, and then we’ll look at several lots. My colleague Lex recently penned an article about the […] Visit The November 2024 Geneva Auctions Retrospective - Highlights to read the full article.
SJX Watches
The fabled Breguet no. 160 “Marie Antoinette” (pictured above, image credit Baruch Coutts) was reputedly made for the last queen of France, but was so complicated that it took decades to complete, by which time the queen was long dead. Stolen in 1983 and then recovered in 2007, the legendary watch started by Abraham-Louis Breguet will be on display for the first time outside of the L.A. Mayer Museum for Islamic Art In Jerusalem since its recovery. From December 12, the Breguet “Marie Antoinette” will be on show at the Science Museum in London (which is also home to important George Daniels creations, including the unfinished watch and the Space Traveller II). The Breguet Marie Antoinette is part of Versailles: Science and Splendour, an exhibition dedicated to the scientific and technology discoveries related to the French royal court in the 17th and 18th centuries. The exhibition explores a 120-year span of scientific progress at Versailles, illustrating the scientific endeavours accomplished during the reigns of Louis XIV, Louis XV, and Louis XVI. The mythical watch While the exhibition will include over 100 exhibits, watch enthusiasts will know the highlight is Breguet no. 160, the grand complication commissioned in 1783, by Marie Antoinette’s lover according to legend, hence its longstanding nickname. A no-expense-spared commission, watch no. 160 was only completed in 1827, having been delayed by A.-L. Breguet’s exile during the French Revolution. By the t...
SJX Watches
With the Geneva sales over, the auction season now moves to Hong Kong, where Phillips is staging a pair of sales: Toki, a theme sale dedicated to watches related to Japan, and the traditional The Hong Kong Watch Auction: XIX. Taking place over three days from November 22-24, the sales total 346 lots, including a notable line-up of metiers d’art timepieces decorated with artisanal techniques. They range from an enamelled Bulgari Serpenti to a Vacheron Constantin Les Masques quartet. We round up metiers d’art highlights from the two sales. The catalogues with online bidding for Toki and HKWA XIX. TOKI Lot 65 – Patek Philippe Rare Handcrafts “Kimono” Ref. 5077P-097 Patek Philippe’s annual Rare Handcrafts offerings are often centred on several themes, and in 2013, resulting in several models with Japanese motifs, including this Calatrava ref. 5077P with a cloisonné enamel dial. The technique of enamelling is well known: a mixture of silica sand, metal oxides for colour, and oil is painted on a surface before being baked in an oven at temperatures exceeding 800°C. to melt the paste to form enamel. Cloisonné adds an additional layer of complexity by employing gold wires to form the motif, with the enamel painted into the cells form by the wires. Here the wires form a cherry blossom motif typical of traditional kimono fabric. According to Phillips, only four examples were produced with this dial, with the present watch being the first to emerge at auction. This wat...
SJX Watches
Perhaps the most surprising moment of the fall auction season in Geneva was when the hammer came down on an MoonSwatch at Christie’s for CHF69,300 including fees – exactly the same as a Rolex GMT-Master II “SARU” that sold later in the day. But as is almost always the case with record prices at auction, there was a story behind the price and a method to the madness. The MoonSwatch was the unique “millionth” example conceived specifically for this auction, where all proceeds went to ELA, a French medical charity. The ELA sale was spearheaded by Francois-Henri Pinault, the chief of Kering, the luxury conglomerate that owns Christie’s, and certainly one of the most influential people in the luxury goods business. Sitting in the room and opening the sale was Mr Pinault’s fellow trustee at ELA, Zinedine Zidane, the French footballer better known as Zizou who’s regarded as one of the all-time best players and coaches. Christie’s auctioneer Rahul Kadakia with Zizou. Image – Christie’s Bidding via phone, the winning bidder of the MoonSwatch – which sold for over 150 times the retail price – announced to the room via a Christie’s rep that his winning bid was for “ELA and Zizou”. It was clearly a statement that he or she would have paid up for whatever watch was on sale, regardless if it was plastic or precious metal. It was a good deed done that was no bearing on the MoonSwatch or watches in general. To the moon MoonSwatch aside, the season was pos...
Time+Tide
Thierry Stern gave a rather candid interview after the Cubitus launch and we wanted to pull out some of the key quotes. The post What Thierry Stern has to say after the Cubitus launch appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Fratello
Two weeks ago, I had the opportunity to attend an event in London hosted by 289 Consulting. Roughly 25 brands attended, and we were free to sit in a casual, albeit dark, environment to view the newest watches. It was an enjoyable day with many highlights. A standout was the new Krayon Anywhere Arborea. Geneva […] Visit Introducing: The Krayon Anywhere Arborea Métiers D’Art 2024 to read the full article.
Fratello
On April 6th, 1609, the Englishman Henry Hudson set sail from Texel with a Dutch ship called De Halve Maen (The Half Moon). He was sent on a mission to find a passage to the Indies via Nova Zembla. However, Hudson ignored his contract and decided to seek a structural passage. Via the Faroe Islands, […] Visit Maen Goes Back To Its Roots With The All-New Lunar Classic 36 to read the full article.
Fratello
During Geneva Watch Days, Frederique Constant introduced two high-end models with impressive special dials. Only a few weeks later, the brand now unveils a series of three quartz moonphase models in the more affordable segment. This move highlights the wide variety of watches the brand offers. Usually, the mechanical side of things is more relevant […] Visit A Hands-On Introduction To The Frederique Constant Classics Moneta Moonphase to read the full article.
Monochrome
ArtyA was founded by Yvan Arpa in 2010, making a name for itself with avant-garde models often incorporating unconventional materials like bullets or butterfly wings. However, over time, ArtyA has matured to produce more restrained and elegant skeletonised movements, often housed in transparent sapphire crystal cases and featured in the brand’s Purity collection. For Geneva […]
Fratello
It’s time for another episode of Fratello On Air! This week, we cap off Geneva Watch Days 2024 with our favorites from the event. We saw some fascinating watches and met new and old acquaintances. For our listeners, there’s not much banter in this episode! We’ve returned to our respective countries, are we are fully […] Visit Fratello On Air: Our Favorites From Geneva Watch Days 2024 to read the full article.
SJX Watches
The fall auction season kicks off with online auctions, before the primary live sales that take place in November. Phillips in Geneva just opened its online auction with a 70-lot offering of the familiar and mainstream (think Aquanaut, Royal Oak, and Nautilus), but also the esoteric and independent, ranging from an Alain Silberstein perpetual calendar made by Svend Andersen to a Seiko Izul “bullhead” chronograph. We round up a few highlights from the sale, which runs from September 5-12, 2024, with the catalogue and bidding available online. Lot 9 – Alain Silberstein Marine Perpetual Calendar by Svend Andersen Part of Alain Silberstein’s Marine series of dive watches, the Marine Perpetual is a COSC-certified perpetual calendar in a case rated to 200 m. It’s equipped with a clever, double-sided perpetual calendar movement developed by Svend Andersen. Built on an ETA 2892, the perpetual calendar has a minimalist display with only the date on the dial that’s decorated in Silberstein’s trademark style with geometric shapes, primary colours, along with a starfish, crescent, and sun. On the reverse is the months and leap year in a single register that is mounted on the periphery of the movement, allowing the rotor to travel below the indicator. The Marine Perpetual was a limited edition of 100 watches, though it is likely fewer were made, since they are rarely encountered. It was one of several collaborations that Alain Silberstein in the 1990s with prominent in...
SJX Watches
Continuing with its regular support for various charities around the world, F.P. Journe has created the Élégante 48 mm Titalyt MAMCO that will be sold to benefit the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art of Geneva (MAMCO) on September 18, 2024. It’s essentially a variation of the stock Élégante with an engraved bezel and a reproduction of Maurizio Nannucci’s 1994 Art on the dial. While the watch is simple, the number will be big. As an example, the one-off Élégante 48 “Pink” raised over US$400,000 for American breast cancer charity in February this year. MAMCO 30 F.P. Journe has long been a supporter of MAMCO via its sponsorship of the Prix Solo at artgenève, an annual art fair organised by the museum. The one-off Élégante was conceived to raise funds for MAMCO’s renovation, which is part of the institution’s 30th anniversary commemoration this year. Founded in 1994 by a group of prominent bankers and lawyers, MAMCO is Switzerland’s largest museum dedicated to contemporary art. Located in a former factory, MAMCO sits across from the Patek Philippe Museum, and a five minute’s walk from F.P. Journe’s manufacture. The Élégante MAMCO is the larger size of the model, measuring 48 mm lengthwise. It has a titanium case coated in Titalyt, which is essentially a ceramic layer created via chemical oxidation. The case is identical to that on the standard model, save for the bezel that is engraved with “MAMCO” and “30”, a reference to the museum...
Fratello
Hello, and welcome to Fratello Talks! Today, we’re talking about Geneva Watch Days 2024. Nacho, RJ, and Lex come together after spending some time in the Swiss capital and recount their experience. They start by giving you a taste of what made this year’s show feel different from the previous three and end up walking […] Visit Fratello Talks: Geneva Watch Days 2024 - Fair Recap And Highlights to read the full article.
Worn & Wound
One of my first and most eagerly anticipated Geneva Watch Days meetings was with Favre Leuba, a brand that I’ve admired for a very long time, even as its modern incarnation felt like a shell of the brand of its vintage heyday. Favre Leuba is a brand with a long history, dating back to the first half of the 18th century, and is perhaps best known for the Bivouac, a watch with an integrated altimeter complication. Ownership of the brand has changed many times over the years, and in recent years the marque was controlled by various holding companies that never did justice to the watches created in Favre Leuba’s best years. This year, however, marks a new start for the brand, under the leadership of watch industry veteran Patrik Hoffmann, who had a long stint at Ulysse Nardin, and later WatchBox. At Geneva Watch Days, they debuted a robust new collection of watches that pays homage to the brand’s history while also looking forward, giving Favre Leuba the best chance they’ve had in years for real success. Patrik Hoffmann at Geneva Watch Days 2024 There are multiple ways to relaunch a brand. You can start small, even with a single watch, and work your way toward building a collection. Or you can go big with something akin to the kitchen sink approach, with varied collections and price points. The advantage, I suppose, of going big is that a brand will get immediate feedback on what works and what doesn’t, but it also seems risky. What if none of it works? Favre Leuba...
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