Recap – The 5 Watches That Made the Buzz in 2017

The end of the year is close, so it is time, before 2018 starts, to recap what happened in 2017. Yesterday, we looked at the industry and the 5 main highlights of the year. Today, we move back to watches, with the 5 pieces that created most conversations. Controversial, innovative, unexpected or loved… There were some great pieces in 2017 and these 5 are the ones that, for us, should be remembered. Of course, this list isn’t exhaustive. Please share with us in the comment section which watches made an impression on you.

7 years ago

Recap – The 5 Highlights of the Watchmaking Industry in 2017

As 2017 is coming to an end, and before the new horological season starts with the SIHH (as of January 15th, 2018), we thought it was important for you to understand what happened this year in the watchmaking industry. The idea here isn’t to focus on watches, we’ll have another recap article for that. In all fairness, 2017 has been an eventful year. From the game of musical chairs at Richemont to the comeback of growth, let’s make a throwback to the highlights of the watchmaking industry in 2017.

7 years ago

Buying Guide – 6 Great Annual Calendar Watches From Establishes Manufactures

Calendar watches come in a wide variety. Most of them are based on 31-day cycles and require a regular adjustment (5 times a year) to ensure that the correct date is displayed. An annual calendar automatically adjusts the indicated date, mechanically configured to display the different lengths of the months, and they require to be corrected manually only once a year (in the worst case depending on its mechanism). Typically more accessible than the perpetual calendar (which also takes into account leap years) and infinitely more useful than a standard calendar, the annual calendar offers a lot of bang for the buck.

7 years ago

Buying Guide – 6 Great Annual Calendar Watches From Established Manufactures

Calendar watches come in a wide variety. Most of them are based on 31-day cycles and require a regular adjustment (5 times a year) to ensure that the correct date is displayed. An annual calendar automatically adjusts the indicated date, mechanically configured to display the different lengths of the months, and they require to be corrected manually only once a year (in the worst case depending on its mechanism). Typically more accessible than the perpetual calendar (which also takes into account leap years) and infinitely more useful than a standard calendar, the annual calendar offers a lot of bang for the buck.

7 years ago

Breaking News – Phillips Sells Paul Newman’s Paul Newman Daytona for $17,752,500, Being The Most Expensive Wristwatch Ever Auctioned

This is it… This is the big one. The watch that the entire collecting community was expecting to see surfacing one day went under the hammer. This watch, as auctioneer Aurel Bacs explained to us in this video interview, is not only a celebrity’s watch; it represents much more than that. It’s the very watch that created an icon (the Paul Newman Daytona), the very watch that is, in fact, the reason why collecting steel sports watches is now so high. Well, it’s official, Paul Newman’s Paul Newman Daytona has been sold a few minutes ago, for a record price of over 17.7 Million, making it the most expensive wristwatch ever auctioned (and that’s with buyer’s premium).

7 years ago

VIDEO – Aurel Bacs Talks Paul Newman’s Rolex Daytona & Highlights From Phillips New York Auction

While Aurel Bacs’ reputation as an auctioneer was not to be done anymore, he recently managed to impress the watch-collecting community again, by being entrusted with the sale of no less than Paul Newman’s Paul Newman Rolex Daytona. So to say, a Holy-Grail in watch collecting. However, that’s not all. Phillips, in Association with Bacs & Russo, managed to create around this watch an entire and fascinating catalogue, which inaugurates the New York auctions for the Maison. Today, we’re pleased to receive Aurel, to talk Paul Newman’s Paul Newman Rolex Daytona and other highlights from the “Winning Icons, Legendary Watches of the 20th Century” that will take place in New York, on 26 October 2017.

7 years ago

Buying Guide – 6 Dual-Time Watches Launched in 2017 for Modern Travellers

The vast majority of people are comfortable with watches which simply display hours and minutes, but for globetrotters, frequent travellers and those doing business around the world, a dual-time (or so-called GMT in certain cases) watch is highly practical and purposeful for their daily travelling needs. We have picked 6 GMT watches of 2017, with choices to suit every pocket and taste.

7 years ago

Hands-On – The Rolex Datejust 41 in Steel (a.k.a. The Perfect All-Rounder Watch)

An elegant sports-watch? A robust dress watch? A casual watch? Call it the way you want, the Rolex Datejust simply is the definition of the all-rounder, a sort of SUV of the watches that can do everything, that can go everywhere and that can be worn with everything. The Rolex Datejust 41, first introduced at Baselworld 2016 in two-tone, now comes in steel versions, which means that it is now more affordable and even more versatile. This is why we had to go hands-on with the new iterations of this icon (ref. 126300 and ref. 126334), that we’ll name an SUW, a sports utility watch.

7 years ago

Buying Guide – The New Watches of 2017 to Buy with 10,000 USD/Euro

Let’s agree on one fact: in the world of watches, 10,000 USD/Euro is a perfect median budget. It allows access to most of the luxury brands, including the most coveted ones, to benefit from proper Swiss quality (and by that I mean watches that really are Swiss Made) and finally, you can access to what drives the passion for watches: in-house or exclusive movements. If 10,000 USD/Euro is already a strong budget, trust us, it’s probably the best money-spent/pleasure ratio possible. Here are 5 watches launched in 2017 priced around the “10k psychological price point” and that won’t make you feel like you have lost your money (Oh and in fact, we have 6 watches…)

7 years ago

From Hate to Love – A Personal Take on The 2017 Rolex Daytona Gold / Ceramic / Oysterflex

Let’s get straight to the point: I never felt really attracted to the Rolex Daytona. Since the presentation of the automatic version in 1989 (at that time powered by a Zenith-based movement), and until the 2016 Steel/Ceramic 116500LN version, my interest in the Daytona was close to zero. To me it represented kind of an emblematic watch that, on a personal level, never appealed to me. So, what can be the reason why I’ve switched so quickly from hate to love, when seeing the new 2017 Rolex Daytona Gold / Ceramic / Oysterflex (the new references 116515LN, 116518LN and 116519LN)?

7 years ago