Following mixed mid-year announcements, grearly impacted by a series of lockdowns in Europe and Asia, we certainly not expected the world’s leader in luxury to present positive results for the full year 2020. Especially since the soft and hard luxury industries have been greatly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. LVMH just released its 2020 Full Year Results and the French luxury powerhouse ...
Only Watch is a unique initiative created by Luc Pettavino. This charity timepiece auction held every two years brings together the biggest names of the industry to benefit research on muscular dystrophy. The ninth edition of this charity auction, Only Watch 2021, will take place on Saturday, 6 November 2021. Unique timepieces created by over 50 of the world's best watchmakers will be offered to r...
The Octo Roma Carillon Tourbillon marries two traditional complications in a radically contemporary setting. The impressive acoustic and visual show, with a three-hammer chime and tourbillon, takes place on the dial of a very noir' Octo Roma case. The hammers, gongs and tourbillon are exposed on the dial while the mechanics of the impressive new BVL428 manual-winding calibre can be glimpsed at thr...
The Bvlgari Serpenti design has enjoyed cult status since the 1940s, blurring the lines between a piece of jewellery and a watch. As one of the oldest collections in Bvlgari's catalogue, it propelled the company into the spotlight with its unique design inspired by the body and head of a snake. The most recent iterations within the collection include the Serpenti Scaglie introduced in 2009, follow...
Today's high-end watch aficionados increasingly seek unique products; watches that no one else has and reflect their personality. Some brands offer bespoke watches, but companies specialised in watch customisation services are one avenue to exclusivity and personalisation. There are a handful of such companies, but Artisans de Geneve is in a league of its own. This independent workshop does not ma...
Today, three of the LVMH watch brands – Bvlgari, Hublot and Zenith – are releasing part of their new collections for 2021. As part of the novelties presented by Hublot this year, we have new takes on the Big Bang, with classic or complex movements, playing on materials and colours, as well as a new women's watch. Let's get an overview of the 2021 Hublot watches.Big Bang Integral Cerami...
With six world records in six years, the Octo Finissimo legion marches forward to consolidate Bvlgari's ultra-thin watch empire. The Octo Finissimo Chronograph GMT, which smashed the world record as the thinnest chronograph watch in 2019, returns in 2021 with a new black opaline dial and an on-trend sporty black rubber strap. And we’ll have a closer look at it today.a Sextet of Lean Machines...
Three new models join the Divas' Dream collection inspired by the rich plumage and iridescent colours of peacocks' tails. Channelling the flamboyant spirit of Italian divas of the Dolce Vita, the proud and regal peacock is an apt choice. First and foremost a jeweller, Bvlgari translates its bold, colourful world of gemstones into the miniature realm of watchmaking. The new Divas' Dream trilogy ...
Since 2014 Bvlgari has set itself the challenge of producing some of the thinnest watches ever created. Following the thinnest tourbillon watch, the thinnest minute repeater watch, or?the thinnest automatic movement, the Rome-based brand decided to focus on the chronograph complication, and in 2019 it presented the Octo Finissimo Chronograph GMT Automatic, the world’s thinnest chronograph wa...
We all remember the inaugural Octo Finissimo Automatic, a watch that made headlines in 2017 with the thinnest automatic movement on the market. First presented in a monochromatic edition in titanium, followed by sandblasted steel and gold models, it has become a signature watch in the brand’s collection. Last year, it received an update to become the S model – not just a different dial...
A. Lange & Sohne isn’t known for being lazy when it comes to complications and the execution of its watches. It isn’t one of the most revered watchmakers from Germany without reason. We all know that ALS is capable of manufacturing some of the most complex, desirable watches, which include some superb chronographs. Among the special edition models the brand introduced last year to ...
About a week ago, we introduced you to a rather cool watch, the Nivada Grenchen Depthmaster, which marked the return of a highly original and important model in dive watch history. What's even more noticeable is the fact that the name Nivada Grenchen, a niche but cult brand specialized in instrumental pieces, is coming back. Finally, the best news is that the most iconic watch ever produced by the...
I guess you know Robert-Jan Broer, founder of the Fratellowatches online magazine, initiator of #SpeedyTuesday, and the Speedy Tuesday limited editions that OMEGA introduced in the past years. Robert-Jan and I met some fifteen years ago in The Hague, Netherlands, where both of us lived. We were both watch enthusiasts, and we craved more opportunities to talk about watches with like-minded folk. An...
If you have the slightest interest in watches, you’re certainly aware of the collectibility and (insanely high) market value of the Patek Philippe Nautilus. Nothing new here. Produced from 1976 to 1990, the first generation Nautilus – the reference 3700 – is a relatively rare model, as even the steel versions were only made in about 5,000 pieces. A perfect condition steel 3700/1A...
Richemont Group, the luxury powerhouse behind Cartier, IWC, Jaeger-LeCoultre, and more, like most conglomerates operating in the luxury industry, has been dramatically impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic with sales down 16% over the first nine months of its current financial year (April-December 2020). Still, the group has released its quarterly report, concerning sales over the last three months of...
De Bethune launches the DB Kind of Two Tourbillon, a double-sided or pivoting watch with two distinct faces and two distinct moods. A beautiful fusion of past and present, one side of the watch reveals a contemporary design with a tourbillon; the other reveals a more traditional face. Let’s take a closer look at yet another impressive creation by master watchmaker Denis Flageollet and his te...
Today Oris launches a new model in its Carl Brashear commemorative collection, the third bronze watch honouring U.S. Navy Diver Carl Brashear’s indomitable spirit – a watch that is once again based on the Divers Sixty Five design, with multiple evolutions to make it unique. Not only is it the most compact bronze Carl Brashear model to date, but it is powered by a brand-new movement wit...
Stepping into Vianney Halter's workshop in Sainte-Croix is an unforgettable experience. Inside, a wonderful mix of old watchmaking machines are humming alongside aeroplane parts, monumental clocks, books, drawings, engines and raw materials. It is exactly the workshop you have dreamed about, and yet everything is a surprise.A Vianney Halter Classic, with a salmon dial, a watch that perfectly displ...
Unless you’ve been living in a non-connected world for the last two weeks, you’ll know that Omega has just launched a new, profoundly updated version of its classic Speedmaster Moonwatch Professional, now equipped with a new movement – with Co-Axial escapement and Master Chronometer-certified – and with a new design. After looking closely at the two steel models and the hig...
In addition to classic models, with a clearly-defined style and set of functionalities, watchmakers also love to mix genres. What about a perpetual calendar pilot’s watch? Or a sports skeleton timepiece? There’s another combination that feels, at first, a bit unusual but that, however, became more and more popular over the years, a watch combining the resistance and robustness of a div...
The past year has been a tough one for pretty much everyone on the planet. Some saw their business grow at such speed that it was a huge challenge to keep the pace up, while others (unfortunately many more) suffered from an almost standstill of their business. Brick and mortar stores had a very tough time, online flourished. ACE Jewelers are, besides a family business, a pioneer in e-commerce, and...
A few months ago, we introduced to you a new and important model for Panerai, the revamped Luminor Marina 44mm PAM01313. Classic in its execution with a steel case and blue dial, it mostly marked?the comeback of the Luminor Marina collection, with a new direction for this emblematic model. No vintage accents, no complex movement, just a simplified and essential design focussed on functions and mod...
While in 2021 vintage-inspired watches are all over the place, in 2012 the situation was slightly different. There were some homage or revival watches already, but the trend was less obvious. Specifically, if you were in the market for a Speedmaster with retro-styling, the main option was the all-time classic, the Moonwatch Professional (which has just been updated). Despite countless limited edit...
Even after more than 50 years of loyal services, the El Primero remains one of the most fascinating movements to be manufactured. With its column-wheel architecture, its high-frequency, and multiple small but necessary upgrades, it has managed to stand the test of time. In 2019, for its 50th-anniversary, Zenith commemorated this legendary calibre with multiple “Revival” editions of the...
The world of dive watches is immense… so much so that we sometimes forget that during the 1960s there were hundreds of brands and watches available. Some, of course, acquired cult status; some fell into oblivion. Others, however, are still known and collected by a niche group of enthusiasts. We’ve seen this recently with Aquastar, for instance. Another brand that was recently revived i...
It's not uncommon for brands to introduce multiple models at once for a new collection, usually with consistent aesthetics and often differentiated by features. For example, Eugen Wegner recently launched three watches that shared a common design language and included time-only, time and date, and chronograph models. Louis Erard introduced a trio of its own models late last year with the Excellenc...
2020 will be remembered as a traumatic year but also a turning point. The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted virtually all aspects of human life. As far as the watch industry is concerned, it has been severely hit by the sanitary crisis. Swiss watch exports have seen a decline of 23.5% over the 11 first months of 2020. The pandemic is also a catalyst for monumental changes for the watch industry. Man...
Yesterday, we took an in-depth look at the new steel Speedmaster Moonwatch Professional Co-Axial, both sapphire and Hesalite models – with all you need to know in order to decide which model to choose. A strong evolution of one of the most timeless and iconic watches of the industry. In addition to these classic and fairly-priced steel models, Omega also re-introduced the Moonwatch in precio...
The launch of Vacheron's Fiftysix collection in 2018 was a surprise for many of us, marking a clear separation from the brand’s classic collections. Originally positioned as an entry-level collection to attract a younger generation of clients, the Fiftysix touted an automatic three-hand model in steel with an accessible' price tag of EUR 11,000. Although the notion of Vacheron Constantin pro...
This probably won’t come as a surprise to you but… there’s a new regular production?Speedmaster Moonwatch Professional! As far as I can say, this is big news, simply because we’re talking about one of the most iconic and most respected watches ever produced, and a watch that has been in continuous production since 1957. Clearly, Omega wasn’t allowed to mess with this ...