Phillips auction battle of Swiss vs. Japanese handmade haute horology – which is better value?
Last night saw the Phillips’ and Blackbird thematic auction Retrospective: 2000 – 2020 play out, with some truly incredible watches reaching truly incredible prices. Two that I wanted to focus on were a pair of watches that are at the same time very similar and very different. Both are handmade. Both are three-handed dress watches in precious metal. Both could be argued as examples of the finest watchmaking from their respective countries. However one is from Switzerland, and the other is from Japan. I am of course talking about the Philippe Dufour Simplicity 20th Anniversary No. 00/20 and the Seiko Credor Eichi II in platinum. Despite being produced on different sides of the globe, both of these watches have a story that is more intertwined than you might expect. It is well documented that Mr. Dufour himself was a teacher to the master watchmakers at the Micro Artist Studio at Seiko’s factory in Shiojiri. Specifically sharing his knowledge of movement decoration and how to make watches that would have longer lives on the wrists of their owners. In this sense, it is a story that is already set up with Philippe Dufour as the master, and the watchmakers of the Micro Artist…
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It feels like a lifetime ago that I was heading home from the DOXA Australia Launch Event to pack my bags for Dubai Watch Week 2019. Since then, the global pandemic put a stop to any in-person watch events (with the exception of the LVMH Watch Week and more recently at a socially distanced Geneva Watch Days), which included the demise of the longest-running watch event in the world – Baselworld. But the youth of Dubai Watch Week gives it an advantage against the traditional trade show. Flexibility. And this year the organisers of Dubai Watch Week are demonstrating their dynamism with the Horology Forum 2020 to be held virtually. The Horology Forum 2020 began last night in earnest, with a panel debating the nature of the grey market. RedBar founder Adam Craniotes said in the session, which can be viewed at the link below, that “the grey market is a creation of the brands, and they need to address it, instead of kicking the can down the road.” The final session is to be held on November 9. Last year’s speakers included Jean-Claude Biver, Mohammed Abdulmagied Seddiqi, Aldis Hodge, Fabrizio Buonamassa Stigliani and even @shameonwrist, and this year the line-up…
Against all odds. That was spirit of the conversation I had with Paxton Wong a couple of weeks ago, when we were discussing what he had planned for WatchFest 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic wasn’t a reason to cancel the event this year, it was the reason it had to go ahead. Not just because Paxton wanted to keep his 2019 promise of “bigger and better” for 2020, but because the Australian watch industry has been terribly affected by local lockdowns, and WatchFest 2020 was the perfect opportunity to rally the community. WatchFest 2020 ran over four days last week and was held predominantly over Zoom to allow as many people to attend as possible, considering the challenges of current travel and the remaining need to socially distance. “Zoom?!” you might scoff. But these were no normal Zoom sessions, with Bell & Ross kicking the event off with a cooking class from Australia’s beloved celebrity chef, of My Kitchen Rules fame, Manu Feildel. Perfect steaks were seared and enjoyed. Other virtual highlights included a session with the Omega Head of Product Management, Gregory Kissling, who offered one of the world’s first presentations of the new Omega Speedmaster ‘Silver Snoopy Award’ 50th…
Last year, a national get-together for watch lovers was launched by a well known Sydney-based collector, Paxton Wong. He called it ‘WatchFest’. And, despite every possible obstacle, the show will go on again in COVID-stricken 2020. Because, well, community. That’s what it’s all about, isn’t it? There’s no doubt that both the international and Australian watch markets have been badly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Tourism has almost totally evaporated, and foot-traffic through watch boutiques has significantly reduced due to population lockdowns and social distancing measures. And these impacts aren’t just felt by the larger luxury groups such as LVMH and Richemont. The abrupt decline has been felt even more acutely by smaller local businesses, too. That’s why Paxton Wong has decided to push ahead with WatchFest Australia 2020. Not just to celebrate horology in Australia, but to rally support for businesses in the local Australian watch market. “I originally started WatchFest because we need to put Australia on the map,” said Paxton when I spoke with him recently. “The watch community is such a good one in Australia. It doesn’t matter if you’re wearing a Casio or a Patek Philippe, the community is welcoming and I wanted to bring…
Wow, so that was an experience I didn’t expect to have in 2020. A few days in Geneva, yes. But in August, with the sun out and zero time spent in Palexpo halls? Nonetheless, wherever there are new watch releases, Time+Tide is always on the ground. In no particular order, here are what I thought were five of the best watches at the Geneva Watch Days exhibition. Girard-Perregaux Laureato Infinity 42mm The new Laureato Infinity 42mm really floated my boat this week. GP’s Laureato sports watch is probably my favourite line out there, so I always get a buzz seeing a new iteration. And 2020, for all its other misgivings, didn’t disappoint. I like the Laureato for its no-nonsense dial and sleek hexagonal bezel, and to have it in black onyx with rose gold markings is a winning evolution. Not many luxury sports watches can be dressy but, once again, the Laureato has proved it can. Bulgari Aluminium Chronograph Few chronographs have taken my fancy this much of late, but it’s the combination of the playful spin on a late ’90s piece and the sexy rubber strap with aluminium links that’s done it for me. At a significantly lower price point…
Is your feed currently flooded with the Grand Seiko “Nature of Time” Exhibition in New York City? There’s a reason for that. Taking place Downtown in the SoHo area, in partnership with Watches of Switzerland, this event has completely raised the bar for watch pop-ups. As thoughtful in design as the watches themselves, the exhibition provides fans of the brand (both old and new) a completely immersive and spacious display of some of the best – and rarest – models the brand has to offer. According to Grand Seiko, the unique Nature of Time Experience was inspired by Japan’s spring and the fleeting beauty of the sakura cherry blossoms (which are also the inspiration for the dial of the SBGA413 Spring model, which you can see here). Grand Seiko has also worked to incorporate the ancient Japanese philosophy of mono no aware – appreciate the beauty of ephemeral things – to create one of the best and most beautiful brand experiences I have had the pleasure of visiting. If I am being totally honest, I really felt like I was in a space that was more than just a point of sale. It was more akin to a museum. The…