Time and time again various attempts have proven it is extremely difficult to launch a new, exciting new brand from scratch, regardless of the technical complexity or segment of the market is focussed on. The most challenging thing is perhaps creating a distinct enough product and reaching out to the right clientele at the right […]
Since its foundation in 1994, Ikepod has always been about design. Megastar designer Marc Newson was the key figure behind the design identity of Ikepod in the 1990s, which is still going strong despite the ups and downs of the brand (see below). Collaborations with artists have also proved lucrative and watches with dials designed […]
Today I’m talking with long-time friend François-Xavier Overstake, aka @equationdutemps. This is not just his Instagram handle, but also the name of his blog about watches, which is probably one of the most important French publications on watches. Besides running his own blog, Francois-Xavier is a moderator on Watchprosite, a large watch forum. At 51 […]
Not everybody will be familiar with the independent Biel-based brand Horage, but with two modular in-house movements under its belt, it might be a name worth remembering. Frustrated by the lack of accessible movements on the market, the founders of the brand decided to approach their watchmaking dream back to front and decided to tackle […]
In Bovet’s cosmos of extravagant complications, the Fleurier 19Thirty might be more straightforward on the mechanical front, offering ‘just’ hours, minutes and small seconds, but it is still faithful to the brand’s lavish execution and dramatic staging. For 2021, the Fleurier 19Thirty appears with a rich red guilloché dial and the hallmark pocket-watch inspired case […]
When revived in 2015, Czapek – a historically-important name, paying tribute to Czech-born Polish watchmaker François Czapek, once the partner of Norbert de Patek – presented a highly classic watch with an elegant twist. Since then, the brand has evolved and now has far more to offer, including a successful take on the luxury sports […]
Schwarz Etienne, despite flying a little under the radar, has a lot to offer. Not only does the manufacturer stand out for its vertical integration, but it’s also one of the very few within the industry to independently manufacture all its own components, supplying these to third party brands including MING. Its sister brand, E20 […]
It’s not often that a woman is the interviewee in our Collector’s Series, but today Lung Lung Thun is star of the show! Lung Lung Thun is a 31-year-old securities broker with her own business, working in Hong Kong and Singapore. When she walked past an Audemars Piguet Boutique in Singapore in 2010, looking for her […]
The Swiss Alp Watch Final Upgrade marks the swan song of Moser’s intrepid Swiss Alp watch. Introduced in 2016, the Swiss Alp watch looked like an Apple watch but never needed recharging thanks to its beautiful mechanical heart – a slightly irreverent yet typically Moser way to promote real Swiss-made watchmaking. The last Swiss Alp […]
In this week’s installment of The Collector’s Series, we’re talking with Kelvin Sa about his amazing De Bethune DBS. Kelvin, one of the founding members of the Shanghai Watch Gang (@shanghaiwatchgang), knows a lot about the watch that we discuss today and meeting fellow watch enthusiasts certainly contributes to this. Kelvin Sa, or Mr_Kelvinator on […]