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Longines has been May 14, 2026

Photo Report: Watch Spotting At The 152nd Kentucky Derby

Each spring for the last 152 years, 20 of the fastest horses in the country line up to run at legendary Churchill Downs racetrack in Louisville, Kentucky. In the two minutes that follow, the world holds its breath, watching as history unfolds. For the past 15 years, Swiss watchmaker Longines has been the official timekeeper of the Kentucky Derby and, in 2013, became the title sponsor of the Kentucky Oaks, which takes place the day before. It's a weekend of splendor that has transcended the equestrian world, becoming the social event of the season. Longines Spirit Pilot Flyback Chronograph and Primaluna Moonphase. Longines' legacy in the equestrian world predates the derby itself, with the brand producing pocket watches and chronographs featuring equestrian motifs as early as 1869. Their chronographs were later utilized by racecourses towards the end of the 1800s. From there, Longines has been involved in nearly every aspect of competitive horsemanship throughout the 20th and now into the 21st century, from flat racing to Show Jumping, Dressage, and Eventing, serving as the official timekeeper and sponsor of some of the most prestigious competitions in the world. Georgia Benjamin's (@Georgiabenj) watch dial themed hat for the Kentucky Oaks. The Kentucky Derby, which this year boasted its highest viewership in history with nearly 20 million viewers, has been held at the historic Churchill Downs racetrack since its inception. There have been many historic races over the past ...

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Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Monoface “Or May 13, 2026

Hands-On: The Quietly Launched Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Monoface “Or Deco Cocktail”

Last year's launch of a new Reverso Tribute Monoface "Or Deco" in pink gold (with a gorgeous Milanese mesh bracelet) was probably the most outstanding release from Jaeger-LeCoultre in a while. Its time in the sun was somewhat brief, though, as it was a bit upstaged this year by the new Master Control Chronometre line (for which a Hands-On is forthcoming soon, I promise). Yet, at Watches and Wonders last month, the brand showed it could do more with the "Or Deco" platform, introducing three new Reverso Tribute Monoface Small Seconds "Or Deco Cocktail" watches, including two in a new material. Last year's release is still a stunner. You may have missed these new watches. That's in part because the brand is set to make a more complete announcement in a few weeks, with an immersive pop-up of its "Reverso Stories" series from May 21 to May 31 in the Miami Design District, ahead of the opening of a new boutique there this summer. The idea is to focus on rare pieces, including historic high-jewelry models, and to premiere some new Reverso pieces that play into that concept, including this trio. However, before the watches were shipped to South Beach, we got to see them in New York and get to spill the tea, as the kids say, before their Miami feature debut.  The standouts, at least in terms of novelty, are the two new white-gold versions. The framework remains the same, a 45.6 x 27.4 x 7.56mm case, now in white gold, housing a manually wound Jaeger-LeCoultre caliber 822 movement....

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Grand Seiko May 13, 2026

The Business of Watches Podcast: Seiko Watch Corporation President Akio Naito

This week on The Business of Watches, we sit down with Akio Naito, the President of Seiko Watch Corporation. Seiko's Credor brand, the ultra-premium offering showcasing artisanal creations, unique craftsmanship, and design, made its Watches and Wonders debut this year. We discuss Credor's positioning within the Seiko Group and its expansion into international markets. Photo credit: Mark Kauzlarich The biggest challenge for Credor, Naito says, will be increasing production for more markets, as the skills required to produce the timepieces are highly specialized and take years to master. We also get an update on Grand Seiko. Naito says the brand has increased its international sales by more than 15x over the past decade, driven largely by success in the U.S. market. Grand Seiko is continuing to update and improve its offerings, including a new ultra-accurate and ultra-luxurious dive watch in a more compact size that clients have been asking for. We also hear about the growing interest and awareness of Grand Seiko's class-leading 9F quartz movement technology, which is increasingly popular with some clients. But first, Hodinkee Senior Editor Mark Kauzlarich drops in for a fresh analysis on some of the record watch auction results from the spring sessions in Geneva. Pocket watches were hot, Journe was surging, and Patek showed continued strength with a record result for a rare Patek 2523. So what isn't hot right now? Tune in to find out.  There's plenty of watch business and...

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Audemars Piguet Royal Pop Collaboration May 12, 2026

Introducing: The Swatch x Audemars Piguet "Royal Pop" Collaboration Is Here, And It's Not A Wristwatch

What We Know The cat is out of the bag on what is likely to be the biggest watch news of the year. The Swatch x Audemars Piguet "Royal Pop" just launched, ahead of its official availability on May 16, 2026, at selected Swatch stores. There are no wristwatches here, just eight unique pocket watches in two different styles, cased in brightly colored Royal Oak-shaped bioceramic cases, powered by manually wound mechanical SISTEM51 movements. Eight watches, for each side of the iconic Royal-Oak bezel. All the watches are instantly recognizable as Royal Oak-inspired. They have a "Petite Tapisserie" dial and a Royal Oak octagonal bezel with eight hexagonal screws. Every watch comes with a 40mm case (without the clip) and measures 44.2mm by 53.2mm when mounted in the clip. The thickness is 8.4mm. The hands and indices on all watches feature Grade-A Super-LumiNova.  The watches can be dropped in your pocket, worn in the pocket, or popped into a holder attached to a calfskin lanyard (in three lengths), attached to a bag, or placed in a removable stand that lets the watch function as a desk clock. Swatch and AP say this will change the way we wear watches, breaking free from the wrist (suggesting the expected wristwatch collaboration is unlikely at the moment). The new Swatch x Audemars Piguet "Royal Pop" comes in two main variants. There's the "Lépine" style, where the crown is at 12 o'clock on the pocket watch, which come in six varieties: Otto Rosso (pink case and dial with red ...

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Rexhep Rexhepi May 12, 2026

Auctions: The Five Results That Actually Mattered, From The Spring 2026 Auction Season

The watch world hasn't seen an auction season like this in quite some time. Well, ever, frankly. Phillips set multiple records (43 by their count, though many are quite obscure), including a new record for the highest single sale of $96,328,083, besting their result from just last fall. If you add in their online auction, they passed $100 million for the first time ever. Sotheby's smashed the record for the most expensive A. Lange & Söhne ever (for a pocket watch, we might add)—a record that only stood for a few weeks, set during the house's Hong Kong sale. But it wasn't so much the overall numbers that were shocking as the fact of which watches were selling for what prices. So, what the heck is going on? Well, we were watching; some of us from afar, others (Andy Hoffman) in the auction rooms. Instead of focusing solely on broad strokes, let's look at five specific results and why they matter for the market. A Bog-Standard Stainless Steel Akrivia AK-06 is Now a $3.8 Million Watch, 30 Times Its Original Retail Rexhep Rexhepi is the hottest watchmaker of the new, young generation, and it's not particularly close. That's not a dig on his contemporaries, but rather a reflection of the realities of the market, where people are clamoring (to an unbelievable degree) to buy a watch from a man who has made very few watches in the first place, and the few that have come to market reach astronomical prices. There aren't many data points to go off of. Only twelve Akrivia or Rexhep ...

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May 12, 2026

Photo Report: Watch Spotting And Highlights From The Vancouver Timepiece Show

Held on the mountainous slope of Vancouver's North Shore, the Vancouver Timepiece Show offered its second-ever installment this past April. The event offers a true enthusiast-driven platform for a variety of value-driven brands and is part of a now three-show-strong portfolio for Canada's Timepiece Shows, spanning Vancouver, Toronto, and, later this month, Montreal for the first-ever appearance.  Less than a week after the big show in Geneva ended, I hopped on a plane and flew to Vancouver for a very different type of watch show. Held in a bright and airy space in The Shipyards of North Van, the Vancouver show evolved this year, with fewer brands showing but attendance up by about 20%, to roughly 3,000 people over the weekend.  A smaller, more casual show than the Toronto event held in September, the Vancouver Timepiece Show reflects the local watch scene while attracting brands and attendees from a much wider range. Scroll on for highlights from the brands at the show and a good handful of local watch-spotting.  A pastel Halios Seaforth with the 12-hour bezel. Very Vancouver.  Some Marathon wares glowing under UV light.  The newly released Marathon CeraShell Navigator evolves a 40-year-old classic with a new case material that offers improved bezel performance, conventional springbars (vs. fixed), and a lighter weight on the wrist.   Micromilspec continues to impress with versions of their multi-talented Milgraph, seen here as a special 75-piece version called "Proj...

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Ming 29.06 Peep Show What May 12, 2026

Introducing: The Ming 29.06 "Peep Show"

What We Know Want to see a magic trick? No, not the kind the Joker pulls in "The Dark Knight," but instead something pretty cool that Ming has cooked up with their new 29.06 "Peep Show." The watches below look markedly different, but the only thing that's changed is the direction the hands point. When Ming Thein showed me this watch last fall, I immediately got what was going on as he turned the crown. If you were doing the same, you'd see that the guilloché dial with a multiphase color-shifting coating (like on the 57.04 "Iris") slowly fades in and out of visibility, turning from a dazzling view to pitch black as the hands move. Any guesses on how it works? Well, it's kind of a trick question, because the hands aren't actually hands. Instead, they're polarized sapphire discs with a hands made of Super-LumiNova X1 fill. The two pieces of sapphire are linearly polarized, so when they're aligned (on top of each other or directly opposite each other), the polarizer lets light in, and you can see that metal disc with color-shifting treatment. As the hands rotate, you see less and less of the dial until it turns black when the two discs are at 90º to each other. When you learn the effect, it's pretty simple, but it's certainly effective in person. All this is in a 29-series case, which is a bit more reserved than the 57-series case. It's made in lightweight Grade 5 titanium, measuring 40mm by 11.8mm, with a 22mm lug width. The case has a 50-meter water resistance. Inside the ...

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Rolex Releases May 12, 2026

Watch It: Rolex Releases A Film Celebrating 100 Years Of The Oyster

How do you capture 100 years of the Oyster? That's the question at the center of Rolex's new 23-minute film celebrating the anniversary of one of the most important watches ever made. The film opens with incredible archival footage of Mercedes Gleitze swimming across the English Channel, then moves on to archival footage of many defining moments tied to the Oyster's history—speed records, Everest expeditions, deep-sea exploration, and much more. Most will know these stories, but seeing them presented together really captures the full breadth of what the Oyster has represented over the last century. One of the film's most impressive qualities is its sense of scale. Even something like the Daytona—one of the most iconic watches ever made and a subject that could easily support an entire film on its own—is only one small part of the larger story being told here. More than anything, it underscores just how broad and far-reaching Rolex's history with the Oyster really is. From there, the film transitions into the modern era, highlighting Rolex's ongoing ties to sport, the arts, and scientific exploration. It closes with a look at the brand's Perpetual Planet initiative and Rolex's environmental efforts, both in the field and within its own manufacturing operations, including a closer look at how the company is approaching sustainability in watchmaking.  There are also a few fun details throughout. At one point, the film references precision down to "a fraction of a billi...

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Audemars Piguet Are Planning May 11, 2026

It's Official: Swatch and Audemars Piguet Are Planning A Collaboration Watch

Swatch is planning a collaboration with Audemars Piguet, expected to be one of the most significant and talked-about watch releases of the year. Swatch began teasing the tie-up last week with social media posts featuring the distinctive font associated with AP's iconic Royal Oak model and the words 'Royal' and 'Pop.' That led to hordes of speculation online that the brand was preparing a collaboration with AP. And then, over the weekend, the two marques confirmed that indeed they would be releasing the new product on May 16.  Many Swatch boutiques, including its main store in Geneva, are displaying boxes or chests (presumably holding the watch models) promoting the new Royal Pop collab, in much the same way they did with the Omega and Blancpain collaborations ahead of the launches.  An Audemars Piguet X Swatch chest in the window at a Swatch boutique in Geneva. So, what will the Audemars Piguet x Swatch watch be? Well, we simply don't know at this point, but there are plenty of clues suggesting what it could be. The 'Pop' model line from Swatch has been around for decades and has served as a fashion-forward way to reimagine timekeeping and watches. First introduced around 1986, the Swatch 'Pop' watches could be removed from their straps and 'popped' into various accessory holders. These ranged from pocket watch holders, chains, and lanyards to refrigerator magnets and even a RECCO-branded accessory holder/transmitter for avalanche safety.  A current, Swatch 'Pop' pocke...

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Citizen Tsuyosa seconde/seconde/ Collaborations are May 11, 2026

Hands-On: The Citizen Tsuyosa seconde/seconde/

Collaborations are an established part of the modern watch cycle: a new model is introduced, colors follow, maybe a complication is added, and eventually a collaboration enters the mix, often positioned as a moment of creative divergence within an otherwise predictable trajectory. With the Citizen Tsuyosa seconde/seconde/, the brand hits that phase in a way that feels both familiar and slightly off-script. Collaborations are also never entirely expected, yet the best ones have such a natural fit that they rarely come as a genuine surprise. While they can serve to keep a collection feeling fresh, there's a sense that many collaborations struggle to reflect a true meeting of perspectives.  Instead, they can feel like extensions of ideas that brands are already circling, gently guided by an external voice to test whether something slightly unconventional might resonate. Too often, these ideas feel like early expressions that brands later refine and incorporate into their main collections. As such, limited editions can feel like testing grounds, and collectors, whether knowingly or not, become participants in that process. That dynamic can feel slightly hollow, as what was once framed as exclusive can quickly become part of a broader rollout, which is what makes what seconde/seconde/ feels notably different. Because if there's one figure consistently delivering something closer to a proprietary and fully authored take on collaboration, it's Romaric André of seconde/seconde/....

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Cartier Among top-level mainstream Swiss-made May 11, 2026

Business News: The Importance Of Being Cartier

Among top-level, mainstream Swiss-made watch brands, few can match Cartier's performance over the last half-decade. The Paris-based jewelry marque has vaulted ever higher to become the second biggest watch brand by sales, according to analyst estimates from both Vontobel and Morgan Stanley. While the jewelry unit of Cartier remains its primary driver, analysts say estimated sales from the watch division grew about 10% in 2025 to exceed CHF 3 billion, up from less than CHF 2 billion in 2019. What's perhaps more notable is the performance of Cartier's watch division relative to the broader market. As most brands have surfed the undulating wave of the post-COVID boom, followed by a downturn in demand, Cartier's watch unit has outpaced the market while remaining relatively affordable and accessible, with prices averaging about CHF 6,000 per watch and implementing lower price increases than most competitors, according to analysts. That has allowed Cartier to consolidate its position as one of just a handful of high-volume, long-established, and approachable-priced brands that are top choices on mainstream watch consumers' want lists, particularly among younger buyers.  Tortue Chronographe Monopoussoir with oversized "XII". At the same time, Cartier has also grown in standing among watch enthusiasts and collectors, with prices for models on the secondary market gaining 8.6% in a year, according to WatchCharts.com's Cartier index. Auction results for vintage pieces have performe...

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A. Lange & Sohne May 8, 2026

Hands-On: The A. Lange & Söhne Lange 1 Perpetual Tourbillon Lumen

The watches of A. Lange & Söhne very rarely gets a chance to step out of the stoically traditional design language the brand has established since its relaunch in 1994, but one collection from the brand offers a unique respite from it all. Lange's Lumen series is now in its 16th year since the introduction of the Zeitwerk "Luminous" back in 2010, with its inaugural display of smoked sapphire, blacked-out details, and, of course, luminous numerals for the hour and minute discs. But while that model was the first to be executed, the following Grand Lange 1 Lumen in 2012 was the first model officially given the name "Lumen." Last month, at Watches and Wonders, Lange introduced the seventh Lumen in the lineup, with the new Lange 1 Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar Lumen. Following the absolutely bonkers Datograph Perpetual Tourbillon in Honeygold released in 2025 for the Datograph's twenty-fifth anniversary, this new glow-in-the-dark take on the very complicated Lange 1 model marks a pattern of increasing complication (and resulting price points) for the Lumen series. A closer look reveals that there's a lot going on, and for nerds, it's certainly a feast for the eyes. In person, the cold, austere look of the chunky, 41.9mm case in platinum immediately struck me, as it was a welcome return to the combination of a smoky, black look with white metal from the past two Lumen iterations in Honeygold (that Datograph Perpetual Tourbillon and its predecessor, the Zeitwerk). For a design ...

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Tudor Ranger popped up May 8, 2026

Bring a Loupe: A Movado Polyplan, An Impossible Rolex 1680, And A Full Set Patek 3970

William Stafford wrote, "I'd just as soon be pushed by events to where I belong." While I wouldn't claim it is great or wise to have a single line from a single poem weigh too heavily on anyone's life, those dozen words have exerted a monumental pull in my own existence. I'm not by nature much of a planner, and the line offered itself as a little sophisticated rejoinder I could tell myself when confronting my chaotic life, but I also think the wisdom the line offers is useful. And you're sitting there at your computer or on your phone going "Dude, I came here to see watches, not some diatribe about poetry or chaos or whatever," but the line, oddly, has played out in my own life in watches more than anywhere else. If you're familiar with Bring A Loupe as it has existed over the years, you've maybe noticed I include fewer dealer picks than was common in the past, and I am 100% blaming a line from an old poem for that. While I know there's nothing inherently better or worse about buying watches through auctions or dealers, auctions are most interesting to me because of their inherent unpredictability. Over a decade ago, a vintage Tudor Ranger popped up on eBay. It was cheap enough that I wouldn't lose money selling it if I didn't like it, so I bought it. I thought nothing at all of whether I loved the watch, had never had any deep desire for that particular model—it's just what was there, that day. Most of the watches I've fallen hardest for—a '69 Speedmaster on Craigslis...

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F.P. Journe yes he's based May 8, 2026

Introducing: The Baltic x SpaceOne 'Seconde Majeure' – A Jump Hour à Paris (Live Pics)

What We Know French watchmaking is on an absolute tear lately. Even setting aside F.P. Journe (yes, he's based in Switzerland, but he is French), there's a growing list of brands pushing things forward in interesting ways. Two of the more relevant names in this case are Baltic and SpaceOne, the latter a collaboration between Théo Auffret of Auffret Paris and Guillaume Laidet, who has played a major role in reviving some major brands. Both have become important players in the more affordable end of independent watchmaking, but from very different angles. SpaceOne leans heavily futuristic, while Baltic—and Auffret more broadly—tend to stay rooted in classic design. That's what makes the new Seconde Majure from Baltic x SpaceOne so interesting. It feels like the watch someone with more traditional tastes, like me, has been waiting for. The Seconde Majeure might not come as a surprise to everyone. Baltic and SpaceOne were showing the watch around during Time to Watches in Geneva a few weeks ago, and they also sent over a prototype for me to preview ahead of launch. One quick note there: all of the photos I took were with the crown pulled out, so keep that in mind as you scroll through. For everyone else, you might need to catch up pretty quickly, especially since the watch is only available for a very limited time. But what you'll quickly see is that the watch is attractive for something affordable. And remarkably compact. Measuring 38.5mm by 12.5mm with a 47.5mm lug-to-l...

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Naoya Hida May 7, 2026

Introducing: The Armoury And Naoya Hida & Co. Type 4A-2 "Floating Feathers"

What We Know Usually, we only get one round of Naoya Hida & Co. releases each year, as the company manufactures so few watches per year (though that number is increasing) that one round of releases of 10+ models with around 10 watches per model per year is about the maximum. So imagine my surprise when we got a press release about a new collaboration between Hida-san and his retailer, The Armoury, to be released after the initial wave of releases. They've collaborated before (their "Lettercutter" is one of Hida's most beloved watches). This new release, the Type 4A-2 "Floating Feathers," is by far the most unusual and imaginative Naoya Hida watch yet. The watch uses a high-polish stainless steel Type 4 case (36mm by 42.9mm lug-to-lug, 11mm thick) with a central seconds hand, keeping the dial free for artistic expression. Mark Cho, co-founder of The Armoury, and designer Elliot Hammer say that they were inspired by decorative ornithological dials, botanical motifs, and nature scenes.  As ornithology is the study of birds, my thought immediately went to "singing bird boxes," but hey, I didn't make the watch, so no one asked me. Hammer, who travels to Japan often, said he was taken by their attention to space and timelessness, and in the press release says, "if there are feathers, there must have also once been a bird." Rationale for the design aside, Naoya Hida & Co. has the benefit of a talented in-house engraver, Keisuke Kano, and used the bead-blasted Argentium silver di...

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Daniel Roth Extra Plat Returns May 7, 2026

Introducing: The Daniel Roth Extra Plat Returns in Platinum (Live Pics)

What We Know There's just something about the Daniel Roth case that makes for an excellent watch. On the wrist, the ellipsocurvex shape sits comfortably between a round dress watch and a tank, and with the Extra-Plat case (extra-flat, in English) and slightly dropped lugs, it has incredible appeal once you put it on. Which makes it especially hard to convey that in text, but I'll try my best with the newest version that launched today, the Extra Plat Platinum model. I saw the watch a few months ago when the brand also announced the Extra Plat Skeleton, which was impressive in its own way. But I'd been waiting for a white metal Extra Plat since the brand relaunched (even though the price tag was bound to be outside my range).  The Extra Plat Souscription was announced only a little over a year ago, and the new platinum version is already the fourth variant in the lineup (yellow gold for the souscription, rose for the next, the rose gold skeleton, and now this). There are only so many ways you can play with the concept, but the details matter even more because of it. The Souscription, pictured below, had a tonal dial and case with blue printing and hands, a treatment I liked a lot. I actually asked whether the brand planned to take the same approach with the following releases, and the answer, at the time, was no. I think the result is, frankly, a bit more legible. For comparison, I'm showing them all below, and you get a taste of what the front and back look like at the sa...

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Girard-Perregaux World Time Control Shadow May 6, 2026

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...

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Oris Chief Executive Officer Rolf May 6, 2026

The Business of Watches Podcast: Oris Chief Executive Officer Rolf Studer

This week on The Business of Watches, we're in Hölstein, Switzerland, near Basel, at the peach-rose colored headquarters of Oris to talk to Rolf Studer, the brand's Chief Executive Officer. One of the 50 largest Swiss brands by sales, Oris is a true independent, making mechanical watches at fair prices, conveying the brand's unique spirit.  Its history dates back to 1904, with boom times in the 1960s that were kick-started by the tireless legal and lobbying work of Dr. Rolf Portmann, an Oris executive (and honorary chairman today), whose efforts led to overturning the Swiss Watch Statute in 1966 that had prevented Oris and many other brands from using Swiss lever escapements in their watch movements. Oris CEO Rolf Studer. Photo courtesy Oris.  Some 60 years later, Oris is marking that milestone with its Star Edition, an updated version of the Star, the first Oris watch to use a Swiss lever escapement after the law was changed. Portmann and Ulrich Herzog (now the Chairman) went on to lead a management buyout of Oris in 1982, which solidified the company's position as an independent brand. Studer, who has been co-CEO since 2016 and was appointed CEO last month, discusses Oris' positioning and strategy in the current market, where the strong Swiss franc is challenging it and fellow watchmakers. Oris has responded with models that not only offer value to customers but also draw on its storied history and the unique community culture it has fostered. Studer makes the case f...

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Audemars Piguet Observatory-style watch Photo courtesy May 5, 2026

Auctions: Continuing Our Massive 2026 Geneva Spring Auctions Preview: Christie’s and Sotheby’s Round Things Out (Part 2)

There's no shortage of watches this auction season—more than 1,200 lots across the major houses—but volume isn't really the story. At Christie's and Sotheby's, the focus feels different this time around, moving past the hype-driven pieces of the early 2020s and back to some genuinely compelling and surprising watches. Last week, we published part one of our preview—today, we're finishing it up with part two. Christie’s I would argue that Christie's always has one of the more subtle and yet impressive catalogs. There are some truly fantastic pieces here and, as always, we'll start at the top. Lot 134, a unique and absolutely stunningly gorgeous (add all the superlatives you want) two-tone 14k pink gold and steel Audemars Piguet "Observatory-style" watch. Photo courtesy Christie's. If you're looking for a watch that my friend and current "Bring a Loupe" writer Weston Cutter called an "immediate knee-weakener," you need to sit down for this one. Lot 134 is a unique and absolutely stunningly gorgeous (add all the superlatives you want) two-tone 14k pink gold and steel Audemars Piguet "Observatory-style" watch. The watch is powered by a 13-ligne 13VZAS movement that was highly modified for precision as a time-only watch, with a large subsidiary seconds at 9 o'clock and a blank subdial at 3 o'clock. Bold numerals, bold design, it's the kind of thing you dream about if you collect early watches, and the estimate is a hilarious CHF 50,000 to 100,000. It should go for way m...

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De Bethune DB27 “Night Hawk May 5, 2026

Introducing: De Bethune DB27 “Night Hawk" In Collaboration With EsperLuxe

What We Know For me, a De Bethune has to take a cue from Miles Davis. It better be "Kind of Blue." Over at EsperLuxe, the indie retailer outside of Boston, it seems like they agree with me. There are a few firsts in the new DB27 "Night Hawk," at least for the DB27 collection. Normally called the "Titan Hawk," it's previously come in a slightly more straightforward package, with concentric "microlight" circles engraved on the dial, the patented articulating lugs, and the crown at 12 o'clock. But there are many features here that the DB27 hasn't had before. For the first time, a titanium flame-blued "Starry Sky" motif appears on the dial, with stars laid out to mark the date and location where EsperLuxe finalized its partnership with De Bethune in 2021. Not new, but a good look, are the printed silver Roman numerals on the sloping middle dial, the printed railroad track, and the 5-minute intervals. The watch features mirror-polished flame-blued titanium hands with silver tips. The case is polished grade 5 titanium, with a midcase engraved in De Bethune's microlight style. But the kicker is the super-cool (again, first time ever) matte-blue titanium short, articulating lugs.  I know that it's weird to go on and on about lugs, but some of you haven't had a chance to try on a De Bethune. Yes, the case is 43mm in diameter, 9mm thick (which is pretty good, considering it has an automatic movement), but with the hinge on the lugs, the lug can vary in range from about 50mm to 47mm...

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Tudor Monarch It ain't always May 4, 2026

Hands-On: The Tudor Monarch

It ain't always Black Bays and Pelagi at Tudor. At least, not all the time. Since the brand returned to the U.S. market in 2012, Tudor's success has been rooted in the broad appeal of watches like the Heritage Chronograph, the Pelagos, and, of course, the Black Bay. These are heritage-coded, conventional watches that nailed the price point, specs, and aesthetic demanded by the enthusiast market at the time. In the preceding decade, we saw that formula become a playbook as the Pelagos and Black Bay evolved into increasingly specific slices of that original concept. But what about the Tudors that fall outside of the playbook? Remember the North Flag or the Fastrider? What about the Black Bay P01? While the playbook has successfully executed moves for left-side crowns, silver cases, and channel lugs, not all of the brand's explorations into other formats have been smash hits. And it's not merely a question of having a historical footing, sure, the North Flag and Fastrider were quite modern, but the P01 was a functional deep cut from the brand's archives. As a watch brand, a music act, heck, as just about anything in our oh-so-branded world, it can be hard to operate outside of "your lane". That can include what is actually your lane or what has become your lane in the current context of a given brand's media. For 2026 at Watches and Wonders, Tudor stuck to the playbook, offering refinement, additional specs, new bracelets, and the like – except for one watch, the Monarch. A...

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Hodinkee

May 4, 2026

Announcements: Hodinkee Australia And New Zealand Is Live

At Hodinkee, we have always believed that watch collecting is a global language, but one that is spoken with many different local accents. From the paved paths of Geneva to the neon-lit boutiques of Ginza and the steamy streets of New York City, the love for a mechanical heartbeat remains the same, yet the way we live with our watches is shaped entirely by the world around us. Today, we are thrilled to announce the next chapter in our journey: the official launch of Hodinkee Australia & New Zealand. The ANZ watch community has long been one of the most sophisticated and passionate in the world. For years, we've watched from New York as the Aussies and Kiwis became some of our communities' most ardent enthusiasts, known for a taste profile that is as rugged as it is refined. To bring Hodinkee to the region, we have partnered with Switzer Media + Publishing. With over 30 years of history, Switzer is one of Australia's most trusted names in media, already stewarding iconic titles like Harper's BAZAAR, Esquire, and Men's Health. This partnership functions as a local element from day one.  Speaking from my own perspective, with the continued success of Hodinkee Japan, I'm thrilled to be working with Jamie and the team at Switzer Media to offer a more locally relevant and engaging edition of Hodinkee for watch enthusiasts across Australia and New Zealand. The watch community in Australia and New Zealand is engaged, highly knowledgeable, and always an active part of the global c...

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Vanguart May 4, 2026

Introducing: The Vanguart Orb Pink Ceramic (Live Pics)

What We Know If there's a young brand that's certainly made an aggressive push in the realm of industrial-aesthetic haute horlogerie, it's Vanguart. Mark Kauzlarich told the brand's founding story last year, highlighting a team with an absolutely stacked resume in high-end watchmaking. So today, we're taking a look at the brand's newest take on its second watch, the Orb, with its newest treatment—pink ceramic. It's a unique offering in the space, certainly due to its all-pink livery, but also thanks to its collaboration with retailer Material Good for this 25-piece limited edition. The Vanguart Orb Pink Ceramic's exclusivity with the retailer is probably no surprise, given the large push by Material Goods' Yoni Ben-Yehuda to promote the upstart brand through its sales channels. Here, what was originally an aggressive machine in black and silver gets toned down in shades of powdery pink thanks to the inclusion of colored ceramic within the 41mm by 10.5mm titanium case, seen in both the side of the case as well as the function selector pusher in the crown (more on that in a little bit). The accent extends onto the openworked dial of the watch, which is more a three-dimensional city of components that puts the flying tourbillon on full display. The handset, skeletonized and filled with lume at the ends, sits above everything else. Though telling the time probably isn't the strict mission of the Orb, a nicely decorated minutes track sits between strips of pink, color and tex...

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Hodinkee

Breitling CEO May 1, 2026

In Partnership - Video: Ben Clymer, Georges Kern Discuss Universal Genève’s Revival At Watches & Wonders

Universal Genève means a lot to us at Hodinkee. It's been one of my favorite brands since the early days of our publication—one that's been with me through various moments in my career, through my growth in knowledge and passion for vintage watches, and a brand I've watched with anticipation, hoping it would come back. And today, we are sharing a conversation between myself and Georges Kern, former Breitling CEO and recently appointed CEO of House of Brands, which includes Breitling, Universal Genève, and Gallet, to chat over the recent results of a long-term project to bring Universal Genève back to the forefront. I don't think there's been a more hotly anticipated brand relaunch than that of Universal Genève. The announcement that Breitling (now House of Brands) had secured the rights to the dormant brand sent shockwaves through the industry. We—both in the industry at large and at Hodinkee—had high hopes for the relaunch, but the proof would come with the first releases. Let me tell you, I don't think anyone thought Universal Genève would go this far to knock it out of the park. Just before Watches and Wonders 2026, Universal Genève essentially stole the show before it began by launching a few dozen of its most iconic watches in both heritage-styled and reimagined forms. The Gerald Genta-designed Polerouter? Returned, not just in one size but two, and in multiple materials, dials, bracelets, and more. Oh, and a brand-new microrotor (well, three-quarter rotor...

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Vacheron Constantin 6394 May 1, 2026

Bring a Loupe: A Cornavin Diver, A Patek 1593 "Hour Glass," An Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Square, And More

Given that May 1st is celebrated as International Workers Day, it seems almost compulsory to reward yourself with a little mid-day Mayday watch ogling, right? Congrats, Baller, you've done it again. Happy Friday. Scorekeeping last week's picks: the Certina Argonaut chrono went for £1,620, the Vacheron Constantin 6394 for £7,400, the IWC Mark XII for £2,400, and the Cartier Coussin for CHF 42,000. Strays Everyone's encouraged to take a closer look at this, described as an "18k Vintage Vacheron Constantin Geneve Quartz Watch," and let's take a moment to collectively register the fact that, in the pictures, the second hand has clearly moved, so either a) the battery's still got some life in it after all (impressive!), or b) maybe it's not quartz. Mr. Hoffman wrote earlier this week about the Patek 5322G, "[a] chiming alarm in a mechanical watch today is a purely romantic complication that recalls an earlier era." While he presumably wasn't specifically referencing the LeCoultre Memovox, it's certainly what springs to mind when I think of the alarm watches from an earlier era, and if you've made it this far in life without one, here's a pricey way to address that lack.  Photo courtesy Precious Collections. Yes, the dial is imperfect, but look, if you're going to scare the bejesus out of yourself with an old mechanical alarm that sounds like a tattoo machine suddenly buzzing to life on your wrist, don't you owe it to yourself to do so with lots of gold? Finally, if you've w...

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Citizen Eco-Drive Photon Keeps May 1, 2026

Hands-On: The Citizen Eco-Drive Photon Keeps The Brand Ahead Of Their Light-Powered Competitors

A little over a month ago, Citizen celebrated the 50th anniversary of Eco-Drive with a massive bash in New York and a few new releases. The most striking, and unlike anything they had released in the past, was the new Photon. Aptly named, of course, because of the very particles—oh wait, or is it waves?—that power Eco-Drive movements. And before we get any further, these aren't solar watches like most watch movements that could be considered a "competitor" on the market. They are powered by any light around you, whether it's your office lights, home lights, or yes, the big bright ball in the sky that's starting to peek out more and more in New York. If you want to know more about Eco-Drive, our friend Griffin recently published a story about the technology (and its history) here. But this watch requires a slightly different history lesson. If you take a look at the dial below, you'll see it has a very unusual design. It's also out of the ordinary for Citizen, which prides itself on creating watches that can pass for any other watch aesthetically and don't require slits in the dial to transmit light (a problem other brands have struggled to engineer around). The new Citizen Eco-Drive Photons are two watches measuring 39.6mm by 9.9mm with integrated bracelets, all of which are made of Super Titanium with Duratect coating. One features a titanium carbide finish, while the other, with a two-tone dial and case band, uses a DLC finish. Each is limited to 5,000 pieces and ava...

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Hodinkee

Chopard L.U.C 1860 Apr 30, 2026

Hands-On: The Chopard L.U.C 1860 In Aeruse Blue

If there's a watch that seemingly stole the hearts of many collectors this year at Watches and Wonders, it's definitely Chopard's new blue-dialed L.U.C 1860 dress watch. The funniest part is that the new model is really only a dial color change. That's it. And yet, among a sea of new designs and complications, Chopard managed to pull off something much larger than its description on paper, and ended up being one of my personal favorite releases from the show. If you're familiar with the previous, now-discontinued salmon dial version of the L.U.C 1860 released back in 2023, well, chances are you already know much about this watch. But its identical specs are very much a good thing, as I think Chopard has really hit a home run with the 1860 as a proper, compact, and thin (8.2mm) dress watch amongst its larger L.U.C. movement-powered siblings.  The 36.5mm case in Chopard's Lucent Steel alloy is very safe in its design, with smooth, curved lines and a fully-polished, rounded bezel and top lugs. While there aren't any little extra design touches that add any additional flair, the sides are vertically brushed to create a bit of contrast. Is the case boring as a result? Certainly not in my eye, as its subdued character works well in the 36.5mm format and, most importantly, it serves as a very nice frame for a spectacular dial. That dial, produced by Chopard's in-house dialmaker Metalem, is an absolute home run. And it surprises me to say this, given that I typically don't care a...

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Naoya Hida Apr 30, 2026

Introducing: Naoya Hida & Co.'s 2026 Slate Of Releases, Including Two Brand-New Models And Their First Porcelain Dial

What We Know It's spring, which means it's time for Naoya Hida's annual trunk show, where the brand tours the world to showcase its new watches. If you're in town for one of their few stops (like next week in New York), you can treat it like any tailor's trunk show and find out if the watch is a good fit. And every year, Hida-san and his team unveil a few new styles. In fact, you can see the ten releases on offer below. Some are familiar; others have small tweaks (the Type1 is now the Type1E because of the new domed crystal that makes it 10.9mm). But there are three watches that are so distinctly new that it's worth talking about. Let's go in numerical order, starting with a watch that is essentially just a dial revision, but it's a dramatic one at that. The Type2 series has been around for six years now as the brand's central seconds movement, followed by revisions in 2021 and then the coveted collaboration with The Armoury in 2022, called "The Lettercutter." I know a lot of people fought to get that piece, but there's a new Type2C-2 that's going to get some attention. While a big draw for Naoya Hida is the hand-engraved German or Argentium silver dials (in fact, that's where a lot of the price goes), they've pivoted here to their first-ever porcelain dial. The watch, powered by a Cal. 3020CS manually-wound movement with 45-hour power reserve and 4Hz beat rate, is cased in 37mm by 11.4mm stainless steel with a 44.8mm lug-to-lug. The glass is a curved sapphire crystal with...

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Ming Apr 30, 2026

Business News: Watches And Wonders Attendance Climbs Despite Geo-Politics And Economic Challenges As Brands Make Case For Value

The watches that prove commercial and collector successes emerging from Watches and Wonders 2026 will have climbed a wall of worry. There was plenty to fret over heading into the watch industry's largest and most important annual salon this year. The eruption of war in the Middle East challenged travel plans and clouded the outlook for visitors from the region and beyond. Indeed, sales have certainly been impacted in the Middle East, and the question remains how quickly stability might return.The existing bugbears of the watch sector – rising input costs from raw materials, including record gold values, ongoing U.S. tariffs, not to mention the continued strength of the Swiss franc, as well as years of retail price increases – remained omnipresent. All told, these factors could have set the stage for a subdued, cautious event. Instead, the industry converged in Geneva, striking an optimistic and inclusive tone where it worked hard to show it's been paying attention to the demands of clients and customers with new watches that drove home a theme of demonstrating value in often, but not always, familiar packages. With public-facing events including Montreaux Jazz concerts in the Geneva city center, Watches and Wonders emphasized its role as a cultural tent pole for the industry and the Swiss watchmaking region, aiming to be more open and welcoming. The new, more public-oriented strategy certainly paid off as attendance jumped to nearly 60,000 unique visitors, a record for...

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Tudor Black Bay Chrono “Carbon Apr 30, 2026

Introducing: The Tudor Black Bay Chrono “Carbon 26”

What We Know Ahead of this weekend's Miami Grand Prix, Tudor has announced the Black Bay Chrono "Carbon 26," a follow-up to last year's Carbon 25. While Tudor's ties to motorsport date back to the late 1960s with the Tudor Watches Racing Team, its current partnership with the Visa Cash App Racing Bulls team began in 2024, and they have been quick to make the most of it, with two limited editions in two consecutive seasons. The Carbon 25 marked the first limited-edition release from that relationship, with the Carbon 26 continuing the same approach in 2026. At its core, the update centers on a revised color scheme reflecting the livery of the VCARB 03 car. The watch retains a 42mm carbon fiber case with a fixed tachymeter bezel, along with a titanium caseback, crown, and pushers with a black PVD finish. The dial remains "racing white," now with yellow accents and carbon fiber subdials. The carbon fiber case, introduced last year, carries over unchanged. It replaces the steel case used in standard Black Bay Chronographs, while keeping the same 42mm diameter, fixed tachymeter bezel, screw-down crown, chronograph pushers, and overall case profile. Inside is the Manufacture Chronograph Calibre MT5813, an automatic chronograph with a column wheel, vertical clutch, silicon balance spring, and a 70-hour power reserve. It is COSC-certified, and it also meets Tudor's more rigorous standards of -2/+4 seconds per day. The Black Bay Chrono "Carbon 26" is priced at $8,625, produced in a...

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