A century of history of the world’s biggest and most comprehensive watch fair is impossible to sum up in just a few lines. However, that is exactly what I am attempting to do here as the centenary edition of Baselworld approaches in 2017.
Blancpain has been committed for years to raising awareness about the ever-increasing need to safeguard our oceans. The issue is a critical one that affects all of us and immediate action is required, so it is always good to see a brand taking the initiative to help protect our environment. This program is all the more meaningful given Blancpain’s historical connection with diving, going as far back as 1953 with the launch of the first modern diving watch, the Fifty Fathoms, which is now introduced in 38mm during the inauguration of the Blancpain Ocean Commitment exhibition in Zurich*.
Please join our Quill & Pad round table discussion, where we talk about what we did and didn’t like at the 2017 SIHH (Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie). And get ready for a cornucopia of beautiful photos and colorful opinions!
The Time Aeon Foundation, driver of the Le Garde Temps, Naissance d’une Montre project, will present its second project at the 2017 edition of SIHH, which involves a collaboration with the recently announced boutique brand Oscillon.
In honor of the upcoming 27th edition of the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie (SIHH), which opens its doors on January 16, 2017, we present you with an overview of 35 new models that have already been revealed – at least electronically.
This is the second year in a row that I’ve had the opportunity to attend the November watch auctions in Geneva. On last year’s trip, a good friend and I had the pleasure of participating in several events organized by Patek Philippe as well as the biennial OnlyWatch auction. This year, we returned for the previews and salesroom action at major houses including Phillips, Christie’s, and Sotheby’s.
After just two editions, Dubai Watch Week has already worked its way high onto my list of horologically inclined events. The reason is simple: the organizers of this show, Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons, have set out to make Dubai Watch Week more of a cultural exchange on the topic of watches than a hard sales event.
You might think that a boutique is… a boutique, meaning that in the end, the goal is to discover and buy watches. Well, this conception was true until a few years ago. However, today this perception might be slightly different and collectors, enthusiasts or newcomers have different wishes and want a different experience. While opening a new boutique Rue de la Paix, in the heart of the Paris’ watch heaven, Glashütte Original had this in mind. Today, we’d like to share with you the new approach wanted by the brand, based on education, understanding and didactical experience.
This year, 2016, marks the 60th anniversary of the Rolex Day-Date, the watch that is often referred to as ‘President’s watch’. In March of this year Rolex showed us the Day-Date 60th Anniversary Edition Green Dial, and we took that opportunity to A) show you that great-looking timepiece and B) to tell you everything about the Day-Date’s history. Originally introduced in 1956 the Day-Date has only been made in precious metals (besides a few one-off exceptions, like this one), and it quickly became the epitome of the luxury watch for successful people. For this entire year the Rolex Day-Date exhibition has traveled the world and now arrives in my home town, The Hague, Netherlands. Time for us to have a look at a rather extraordinary traveling exhibition, that is now on display at Schaap & Citroen in Den Haag, our local Rolex dealer.
A few days ago, right from the Miami Contemporary Art week, TAG Heuer and its CEO, Jean-Claude Biver (also President of the LVMH Watch Division), announced the appointment of American street-artist Alec Monopoly as Art Provocateur for the Avant-Garde brand. Well, as you may have seen already (it was all over social medial feeds), some reacted quite fiercely to this announcement, judging the collaboration rather irrelevant. However, we were there and we took the time to sit down with Mister Biver and Alec Monopoly, to understand what was behind this appointment. And we can tell you that first, it’s far from being a stupid idea, then it’s a real first in the industry and finally, it’s a great idea for an industry that faces a lack of creativity.