Ever since Jean-Claude Biver took over as CEO at the end of 2014, it seems TAG Heuer has a new lease of life. From the vintage re-issue Heuer Autavia, to its sponsorship of the Red Bull Racing Formula One team, the avant-garde watch manufacturer continues to find new ways to stay in the spotlight. This trend?looks set to continue with the unveiling of the brand's latest initiative, the Heuer Globe...
It's now time to lift the veil on the big and truly exciting news we had anticipated further to Jean-Claude Biver's (President of the LVMH watch division) and Julien Tornare's (CEO of?Zenith) press conference last May: a groundbreaking development in the field of chronometry, exploring unchartered territories and challenging the basic operating principle of the mechanical watch regulation, invente...
While times have been difficult for the industry in the last 2 to 3 years (see the 2016/2017 results of Richemont Group), signs of recovery are now more and more apparent. Indeed, Swatch Group’s?Half-Year Report 2017 showed growth (with increase of sales and better profitability). It’s now time for the other?luxury powerhouse, the Swiss-based Richemont group, to announce a massive incr...
This couldn’t really be more of an Italian affair… Since 2012, the two Italian brands Bulgari and Maserati have worked in partnership for the creation of dedicated watches, inspired by the world of luxury and sports cars. The first two editions, a complex Octo Quadri-Retro in 2012 and a bold?Octo Velocissimo?in 2014, were equipped with chronograph movements. However, for their latest j...
While it is commonly?accepted that watches are mainly round – a shape guided by the way time is indicated by hands – exceptions exist. Shaped-watches are not that usual and if some tried, only a few endured. Mastering shapes is something complex, which requires a bit of talent. This year, Chopard is enlarging its L.U.C Collection (the high-end range of the brand) with a montre de forme...
Watches are not always about fancy design, complex movements or stacking dozens of features in a single piece of wrist-accessory. Don’t forget that most customers are looking for THE watch that will be strapped to their wrist on a daily basis, and not the tenth watch in their collection. Sometimes, it’s also good to look at more essential pieces, with a classical, slightly casual look ...
Every single day we see watches from every corner of the industry and from all areas of watchmaking. Whether it be super-complex avant-garde watches or elegance encased in a dress watch, we see it all. But, in all fairness, this comes at a price which usually runs in the thousands. That is exactly what the new Kickstarter-launching brand Rumoe has in mind to tackle: offering their luxurious-lookin...
Today, we are going hands-on with an interesting new watch from a brand we first wrote about in 2016. Back then, Swedish brand E.C. Andersson was running a Kickstarter campaign to fund its first model, the military/marine inspired North Sea. As you may recall, the campaign was ultimately successful, and the first collection sold out. Now, the team are back with their second collection, the North S...
While the brand A. Lange & Sohne was revived in 1994 (with the launch of an entire collection, including the iconic Lange 1), the first brand boutique only opened in September 2007. This means that this Dresden-based store now celebrates its tenth anniversary this year, and in order to pay tribute to 10 years of presence in the superb city of Dresden, A. Lange & Sohne have introduced a lim...
Last week, in celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Cartier Tank, we brought you part.1 of our in-depth look at this modern-day icon. Our focus was on the Tank Normale, the very first Tank ever created, which made its debut in 1917 (or 1919, depending on who you ask). This early model would lay the foundation for what has gone on to become one of the most recognisable watch designs ever, lea...
When the Piaget Polo S Chronograph (and time-and-date too) was unveiled last year in New York, the response was divisive to say the least. Many thought it paid too close a homage to certain other iconic steel sports watches, whilst others welcomed this bold move by Piaget to offer some more accessible models. Now, more than a year on, the dust has settled a bit and (presumably) emotions aren't run...
Today, we are going hands on with a special edition of possibly one of the most legendary pilot's watches of all time, or at the very least, one of the latest versions of it. Officially unveiled a few months ago, the IWC Pilot's Watch MARK XVIII Edition Antoine De Saint Exupery marks another addition to a long-line of military inspired models. It's not a new watch as such, but rather part of an up...
Today we conclude our three-part series on the Patek Philippe Calatrava with a look at the present-day models currently available from the brand. After reading Part. 1 (focussing on the very first model of the collection, the reference 96) and Part. 2 (the most important vintage models), I'm sure you will agree that the humble Calatrava is one of the most iconic dress watches of all time and has p...
Yesterday, we brought you Part. 1 of our History of the Patek Philippe Calatrava, looking back at where it all began: the Reference 96. That original 1932 model has become a design icon, not to mention the basis on which every other Calatrava reference has been modelled. Emphasising the Bauhaus concept of form follows function, the original Ref. 96 provided the blueprint for the ultimate dress wat...
Chopard is unveiling a subtle facelift of the dapper, comfortable and incredibly well-engineered L.U.C XPS. The good news is that it comes in different versions which will suit all tastes and pockets: from the unapologetically smart blued-dialed platinum version to the more affordable steel version, a great opportunity if you are looking for a high-end haute-horlogerie dress watch at an accessible...
Patek Philippe is a brand that needs little to no introduction. In the watch world, it is known for making high quality, highly sought after timepieces of exceptional complexity. In the real world, it is known as one of the most prestigious brands on the planet, an instant indicator of wealth, stature and, of course, good taste. Pioneers of numerous technical advances, including the first perpetua...
The first thing Taiwanese watchmaker elegantsis (the name is intentionally un-capitalized) wants you to know about the new JSK Series is that it is a joint project with US-based JSK Moto, a custom motorcycle design company. JSK makes some outlandishly cool custom motorcycles, so it's no wonder why elegantsis chose them as inspiration for these high-octane statement pieces. Currently on Kickstarter...
The name Czapek, once famed as a partner of what would become Patek Philippe, came back to the forefront of the scene late 2015 with the elegant and well-thought out Quai des Bergues. The watch was awarded the public prize at GPHG 2016, one of the most (if not the most) meaningful industry award ceremony, which is no small achievement. The collection reflects the Czapek ethics to propose finely cr...
As we approach the end of each year, the GPHG (Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Geneve) ceremony takes place in Geneva. The so-called Oscars of the Watchmaking Industry, the gala event celebrates the best watches of the year – the most advanced, the most innovative, and the most creative timepieces – as well as the outright best in show, the Aiguille d’Or. Today we’re able ...
If you were to ask your fellow watch-lovers what they thought was the ultimate, chic dress watch for men (or women), I would be confident in saying that the Cartier Tank – in one of its many variations – would feature very high on the list. Versatile, distinctive and instantly recognisable on the wrist, the Tank is, without doubt, one of the most unconventionally iconic watch designs o...
For the past few years, Longines has been quite active in the field of vintage reissues?and vintage-inspired watches. In fact, there’s an entire collection named “Heritage”, full of watches that pay tribute to the rich past of the 185 years old brand. Some were just fine, some were highly desirable and some were rather disappointing (those date windows…) However, today, it ...
For the average automatic or hand-wound watch, a power reserve longer than 3 days is already quite comfortable. Yet, some watches can do more… A week? Easy. Over 10 days? It exists. But what if your watch was able to run for a full month, without the need for you to wind it? Clearly, this would be massive – and it would be the same kind of useless necessity that is offered by a Bugatti...
Let’s agree on one fact: in the world of watches, 10,000 USD/Euro is a perfect median budget. It allows access to most of the luxury brands, including the most coveted ones, to benefit from proper Swiss quality (and by that I mean watches that really are Swiss Made) and finally, you can even access what drives the passion for watches: in-house or exclusive movements. If 10,000 USD/Euro is al...
Ulysse Nardin’s history is deeply linked to Marine chronometers, yet there’s another speciality, rather forgotten, that the manufacture masters (and which is not that far from Marine watches), the astronomical watches. Some may recall the mid-1980s Trilogy –?Astrolabium Galileo Galilei (introduced in 1985), Planetarium Copernicus (introduced in 1988) and Tellurium Johannes Kepler...
Figure that: the Swiss and Italian Alps, in the middle of August, 7 mountain passes (including the mighty?Passo Dello Stelvio), over 70 classic Italian cars, and a roadbook detailing some 250km of mountain roads… This was the program of “Passione Engadina”, a highly coveted classic cars rally, which is, since this year, sponsored by?Jaeger-LeCoultre. I had the pleasure of being i...
Before you burn me on the stakes, yes, I am well aware this is a quartz watch and we very rarely cover these. This time I am being chauvinistic and taking a break from our self-implied guidelines to bring you a watch for the simple reason it is linked to a young Dutch hero to many of my fellow countrymen, and a rising Formula 1 star; Max Verstappen. Launched in Amsterdam just days ago, here is our...
Few brands can claim to have watches that are so iconic that they are actually known after monikers. and Omega are amongst them – think “Paul Newman”, “Bart Simpson” or “Deep Blue” – but Seiko is also on par in this “nickname game”. Many of their watches have been dubbed with funky sobriquets, as for instance the “Turtle” or...
Over the past few years, Oris have wowed us with several practical, innovative timepieces that harness a utilitarian look, feel and features, with competitive prices. Think about the Oris Big Crown ProPilot Altimeter for instance: a highly practical watch with a hard to ignore bang-for-buck attitude, or the 2013 Oris Aquis Depth Gauge, a simple yet clever development. Today, there is a new kid in ...
This year marks the 15th anniversary of one of the most discreet yet desirable collections in the Omega portfolio, the?Seamaster Aqua Terra. In order to celebrate the occasion, Omega have slightly refreshed the classical model (3-hand and date version), by giving it some more modern details, with new Master Chronometer movements as well as new dial variations. Yet, this 2017 collection will also i...
Bell & Ross has been knocking them out of the park lately, with several vintage-inspired watches that really hit the spot, like the new Vintage Collection and some derivatives, such as the Vintage V2-92 & V2-94 Garde-Cotes and the commemorative BR126 Renault Sport 40th Anniversary. Today, however, we're shifting gears and getting hands on with one of the brand's more futuristic-looking mod...