The luxury sports watch… A genre defined in 1972 with a new category that merged elements from high-end watchmaking and sports watches, watches with integrated bracelets made from stainless steel. And almost 50 years later, it is still the most coveted category of watches, from accessible to ultra-exclusive. While the AP and PP models are […]
When it comes to chiming watches, most of us will immediately think about the ultra-complex and desirable minute repeater. And Jaeger-LeCoultre is no stranger to this complication. However, there are more than repeater watches to sound the time. A simpler, highly practical but rarely seen function is the alarm. Mastered by JLC for 70 years […]
The luxury sports watch segment is one of the most dynamic categories of the industry. Many brands have given us their take on the genre… with successes and failures. The Bvlgari Octo Finissimo is, without a doubt, one of the defining watches of the last decade and has secured an impressive series of world records for […]
We’re talking about a brand well-known for its focus on ‘accessible luxury’, with watches that are not only fairly-priced but also mechanically interesting. Frederique Constant, a fully integrated manufacture, has already brought out 29 calibres, all of them developed, produced, assembled and inspected within its workshops. One of the watches that benefits from this expertise […]
Named after the village in the Joux Valley where Jehan-Jacques Blancpain set up his workshop on the top floor of his house in 1735, the Villeret family of watches is Blancpain’s ambassador of timeless elegance. With a pronounced focus on understated aesthetics, the classic looks of the Villeret are personified by the ultra-thin, time-and-date dress […]
Recently, Porsche (the car manufacturer) revealed the latest version of its 911 Targa, based on the 992 generation. Today, the Stuttgart-based brand unveils a highly exclusive edition of this car, the 911 Targa 4S Heritage Design Edition. Produced by the Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur, it comes with multiple “old-school” references in its design (colours, rims, leather). And […]
Beyond the classical black and silver, colours are trendier than ever in watchmaking. Blue, salmon or even green have been widely used by watch brands to dynamise their timepieces. One colour remains, however, rarely applied to horology: violet. Being the visible colour with the highest frequency (according to the concept of perceivable light), violet proved […]
Launched in 1994, the Omega De Ville Prestige is certainly not the brand’s most striking or most coveted timepiece, overshadowed by the icons that are the Speedmaster and Seamaster. Nevertheless, this classic, elegant watch makes for a nice option if you’re in the market for an all-rounder with an efficient movement and Omega’s usual indisputable […]
Named after illustrious English clockmaker Georges Graham, the brand with the eponymous name was created in 1995 by Eric Loth. To celebrate its 25th anniversary, the brand releases a limited edition of its Chronofighter. Inspired by WWII bomb-timer instruments, this non-conformist chronograph stands out with its distinctive fast action lever, which enables the start/stop of […]
I guess I need to start this interview with an apology. Sorry, this interview is long, very long, comprising close to 3,000 words. However, the conversation with Chris Grainger-Herr, CEO of IWC Schaffhausen, was great and there was just so much to say about the new Portugiesers. We had the conversation two weeks ago, in the midst of the COVID-19 lock-down. Chris was in his office, in Schaffhausen, and the interview was done through a zoom-meeting. It’s weird, not sitting together for a talk, but it is what it is and I guess for the foreseeable future this is going to be the new normal.