An application was submitted by Switzerland and France to UNESCO in 2019. This is now official, Swiss and French mechanical watchmaking practised for centuries in the Jura mountain region has been inscribed on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, which celebrates well-known traditions, art forms and practices. The listing refers to […]
Parmigiani Fleurier and the Armani Group have just announced their collaboration for the creation of a new Giorgio Armani Fine Watches collection, which will be on sale from November 2021. Although Giorgio Armani has been a long-time partner of the Fossil Group – the partnership between the Fossil group and Giorgio Armani was extended for […]
France has a long watchmaking tradition and its ties with Switzerland are rich and vibrant. Watchmaking really developed in Switzerland after the French Huguenot refugees brought their watch- and clock-making skills in Geneva. The quartz crisis has crippled the French watch industry and today, watchmaking and watch production in France is at an almost standstill. […]
A few weeks ago, a Philippe Dufour Simplicity “20th Anniversary” was the highlight of the Phillips “Retrospective 2000-2020” Geneva auction. The watch – marked 00/20 – hammered for over CHF 1.3 million. Admittedly, Philippe Dufour is one of the most respected craftsmen of the industry, and his watches are regarded as the ultimate expression of […]
In the light of the uncertainty provoked by the current health crisis, most of the major fairs of 2020 were cancelled – including the two heavyweights that are Baselworld and Watches & Wonders, the latter having held a digital edition already in April 2020. For 2021, afraid of the (non) evolution of the sanitary situation, […]
This is it, the 2020 Oscars of the Watchmaking industry, the so-called Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève or GPHG 2020, is about to begin and the best watches introduced during the year are about to be awarded. From ladies’ watches to chronographs and exceptional mechanical proposals, the entire spectrum of watch production is covered. For […]
Tonight, as every year, is the celebration of watchmaking, watchmakers and watches in general… It is the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (or GPHG 2020) – the Oscars of the watchmaking industry. Several categories are represented (ladies, men, complicated and even affordable watches) and the best watches of the year will be awarded the coveted […]
2020 will be remembered as a traumatic year and a turning point. The COVID-19 pandemic has been a world changer. As far as luxury watches are concerned, the outbreak of coronavirus has shaken fundamental aspects of the industry. Undeniably, it has been and still is an annus horribilis, with Swiss Watch exports plunging by 28.3% […]
Switzerland-based luxury conglomerate Richemont Group has just issued its trading update for the six months ended 30 September 2020. As expected in these uncertain times, sales are down. COVID-19 impacted activities but the situation has improved over the past months helped by Chinese demand. For the half-year, sales decreased by 26% at actual exchange rates […]
With the development of e-commerce and as the trend for vintage watches consolidates, the market for second-hand luxury watches is growing fast. A survey by the Boston Consulting Group published in September 2020 reveals that “the market for secondhand hard luxury items – primarily watches and jewellery – is worth about €21 billion worldwide and […]