With the SIHH 2019 just around the corner, we thought it was the perfect moment to look back at what the 2018 edition of the Geneva Watch Fair, a.k.a Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie (SIHH) had to show… And it had a lot to show. Technical, beautiful, innovative, ultra-complicated or simply well-thought everyday pieces. […]
Our 2018 buying guides have to come to an end. After the top 10 watches below EUR 2,000, followed by 10 watches between EUR 2,000 and 5,000, our 10 prefered watches between EUR 5,000 to EUR 10,000, and finally out top picks between EUR 10,000 and EUR 25,000, it is now time to look at the best of the best, when money doesn’t matter anymore: the best watches of 2018 in the high-end category, all priced above EUR 25,000. Complications, Haute-Horlogerie movements, hand-made decorations… what dreams are made of!
At the SIHH last year, Laurent Ferrier introduced a superb watch, both visually and technically: the Galet Annual Calendar School Piece. Not only it brought a brand-new movement, hand-wound and with a clever annual calendar display but the design, totally in line with our perception of Ferrier, was just beautiful. And there was that pale yellow gold case too… One of favourite “indie” watches of 2018. As part of the Pre-SIHH 2019 novelties, the Geneva-based brand is launching new versions of this watch, the Laurent Ferrier Galet Annual Calendar School Piece Opaline Black & White, with new dial colours and finishes.
This is it, the 2018 edition of the GPHG, known as the “Oscars of the watchmaking industry”, has come to a close and the prize for the best watch of the year, also known as the “Aiguille d’Or”, has been awarded. Once again this year, complications, creativity and Haute Horlogerie have been rewarded. Meet the best […]
Creative, daring, highly technical or crafted to a level that you simply cannot achieve in mass production – there are many reasons why independent watchmaking has been on the rise over the past twenty years. “Indies” are passionate about watchmaking and are often just a little bit crazy. Without massive marketing budgets or product committees, their creations are simply born from dreams, enthusiasm and entrepreneurial spirit. Their ingenuity, vision, diversity or simply their smaller size give watchmaking fans a wealth of unique creations. Today, we take a look at some of the best 2018 creations of the independent watchmaking scene.
Laurent Ferrier is known to be on the simple side of things. Well, at least, when it comes to the design. Indeed, when your 3-hand watches are fitted with a tourbillon double hairspring or a natural escapement (direct double impulse) and a micro-rotor, you can’t be named “simple” anymore. With its latest creation, the most complex in the collection so far, Laurent Ferrier doesn’t break his habits. Meet the impressively clean Laurent Ferrier Galet Minute Repeater.
With this new watch, Laurent Ferrier presents the compilation of its best features: the combination of red gold with a black dial dear to the founder, the regulator display that has been introduced a year ago, the in-house micro-rotor movement and the elegant, stylish Galet Square case. Yet, for the first time, all of them are reunited in a single watch, giving a desirable and well-balanced watch. Meet the Laurent Ferrier Galet Square Regulateur Black.
When thinking of yellow gold, the first thing that may come to your mind is your parents’ or grandparents’ watch. Well, if you feel yellow gold is outdated, it might be time for a change. The status symbol of the 1960s to 1980s is making a comeback. As trends come and go, it fits perfectly in the current vintage craze – just like the unexpected comeback of the 1980s spirit in fashion and music. And interestingly, the way watchmakers use it today makes it look super chic and trendy. Here are 6 of the most notable yellow gold watches introduced recently.
As we’ve already told you several times – and we even discussed this topic in a cool video here – watchmaking is not the only passion of Laurent Ferrier. He loves cars too. So much that he even raced at the 24h of Le Mans and finished 3rd in 1979. No surprise then to see some of his watches infused with motorsport inspiration. Celebrating the London Craft Week 2018, the brand introduces the Galet Micro-Rotor “Montre Ecole” with a great British Racing Green dial.
Following the intense teamwork and understanding that developed between Laurent Ferrier and Urwerk’s dynamic duo – Martin Frei and Felix Baumgartner – to create the Arpal One timepiece for the Only Watch Auction of 2017, the sale of the watch left them with an empty nest syndrome. To counter the blues they were experiencing, they decided to go for an encore and have created four signed watches named LR-UR 2, which, like the Arpal One, will “be sold for the benefit of medical research”. While the shape of the case and the movement are the same as the Arpal 1, the material of the case and finishes are light years apart. The only problem with these four watches is that their parents don’t want to give them a name because they “merely represent the lap of honour of an outstanding team.”