The FHS, the Swiss Watch Federation, just released its export statistics for November 2020. These were down 3.2% for the month, confirming the trend of a gradual slowdown of the decline over the past few weeks. This trend is mainly due to China with shipments up 69.5% but other markets are showing signs of improvement. […]
A while ago, Justin Hast contacted me to ask if he could use a particular photo that was taken by Xavier. Of course, was my answer, but what are you going to use the photo for? And in a few words, Justin described what he planned to do. For those who know Justin, he’s really […]
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 […]
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% […]
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 […]
Monochrome is all about watches, of course. The vast majority of what we cover are mechanical wristwatches, although every now and then we’ll highlight something intriguing like the quartz Citizen Calibre 0100 with an accuracy of +/- 1 second per year. In the same vein, we also dip our toes into the world of mechanical […]
To say that these are weird times would be the understatement of the century. As I announced in March, we would continue our coverage on watches, as we usually do, and refrain from discussing the COVID-19 situation. We’re here for watches and hopefully, we’ve been able to bring you a bit of horological solace in these weird times. And because both Xavier and I travelled much less than usual, we’ve even been able to increase our daily coverage from the world of watches. Here’s what you can expect from us in the coming period…
The past 20 years have been a particularly rich period for the watchmaking world. Fortunately, a new book is being published which aims to provide a comprehensive reference for industry professionals as well as for those who simply love beautiful watches. Here’s the Millennium Watch Book. The Millennium Watch Book is a collective work assembled […]
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Swiss watch industry is severe. As countries around the world contend with the health emergency, the economic effects of suspending almost all activity have inevitably impacted the Swiss watch industry and will continue to do so for months to come. With manufacturing coming to a standstill and […]
Every now and then a collaboration between a non-watch company or organisation and a watch manufacturer pops up, sometimes delivering a very interesting new product combining values from all involved. And if it also happens to be a logical joint effort between parties, it may tick all the right boxes. Renowned historic rally organisers HERO-ERA […]