BREAKING NEWS – Richemont Announces Resignation of Georges Kern (Head of Watchmaking, Marketing and Digital)

In the past months, there have been some massive shakeups at Richemont (Compagnie Financière Richemont SA), which abolished CEO Role, and appointed IWC’s Georges Kern as Head of Watchmaking and Montblanc’s Jérôme Lambert as Head of Operations. A few weeks later was the “Big Reshuffle“, with 4 CEOs (Jaeger-LeCoultre, Vacheron Constantin, Piaget and Dunhill) leaving – voluntarily or not. Earlier today, 14 July 2017, Richemont announced the resignation of one of its key elements, Georges Kern, the recently appointed Head of Watchmaking, Marketing and Digital and ex-CEO of IWC.

9 years ago

BREAKING NEWS: Richemont announces resignation of Georges Kern, Head of Watchmaking, Marketing and Digital

In a short statement published on their website, Richemont has announced that Georges Kern has resigned, effective immediately. Kern, long time CEO of IWC was promoted to the prominent position of ‘Head of Watchmaking, Marketing and Digital’ for the entire Richemont group just four months ago. He has been seen by many as one of the leading figures in bringing luxury watchmaking into the digital age. Richemont chairman, Johann Rupert made a statement on the surprise (if not shocking) departure: “Georges has been offered an interesting opportunity to become an entrepreneur. He has had a very successful career at IWC Schaffhausen and we wish him well.” We’ll update you as this story unfolds.

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9 years ago

HANDS-ON: A softer shape – the Bulgari Octo Roma

“When in Rome, do as the Romans do”, rather ironically, is not a saying that appears to be said very often around the watch design department at Bulgari. In the last few years the brand’s unique Octo collection has thrust them to the forefront of watch manufacturing, not only technically – with record-breaking pieces like the thinnest tourbillon, the thinnest minute repeater, and the thinnest automatic movement – but aesthetically as well, with unique eight-sided case designs inspired by the octagonal motifs adorning the domed ceilings of the Basilica of Maxentius in Rome. This year, creating what Bulgari refer to as the “fifth element” of the Octo line, they have released the Octo Roma, with a softer take on this bold, masculine case design. Less square and more round, the 41mm case has been reworked, with its lugs narrowed to 32.5mm, emphasising the circular bezel and greatly reducing the number of facets from 110 to 58. However, the Octo’s iconic case shape is not lost. Instead, the Octo Roma has brought the design back to its purest form, the octagon, but in a more rounded way. Available in steel, 18k pink gold, or a combination of both, the Octo Roma is…

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9 years ago

Introducing the Porsche Design Chronograph 911 GT2RS Exclusive Series and 911 Turbo S Exclusive Series

Goodwood is one of those events that is a must-visit for every petrol head on the planet, and if the weather plays along, it’s absolutely fabulous! Goodwood has three main events during the year: Members Meeting (which marks the start of the racing season), Revival (after summer) and recently, Festival of Speed; the latter was the setting for Porsche to unveil their newest 911 GT2 RS. Now if you wonder what a watch journalist is doing at the Festival of Speed with Porsche (and Porsche Design), then there’s a good explanation for that and yes, it has everything to do with watches. Rather exclusive watches if I may say so, because you can only buy one if you bought either the recently introduced Porsche 911 Turbo S Exclusive Series or the new 911 GT2RS Exclusive Series.

9 years ago

Only Watch 2017 – Unique Bell & Ross BR-X1 RS17 Only Watch, and there’s more than a watch to be auctioned…

This is not the first time that Bell & Ross participates to Only Watch. Indeed, the military-inspired Parisian brand already created several unique watches to be auctioned for this good cause, as for instance in 2011, 2013 and 2015 (see here). This year, B&R will also have a specifically modified model, based on the recently introduced BR-X1 RS17, the result of their partnership with Formula 1 team Renault Sport. So expect some strong racing car inspiration here… and there’s more than just a watch to be auctioned.

9 years ago

LIST: 7 power players who wear budget watches

There is a band of world and business leaders who choose discreet watches over luxury pieces with value tantamount to a home deposit, recoiling at the thought of wearing a watch fashioned in their namesake or brandished as a status symbol. It would be a foolish misstep, however, to underestimate these style sleeper cells; men of influence, they resolutely reign in their domains. Steve Jobs – the late Co-Founder, Chairman and CEO of Apple Inc. Net worth: At the time of his death in 2011, Jobs’ net worth was estimated at US$10.2b Watch: Seiko BCRP St. Steel Back / 33mm / Ref. 6431-6030, c1982 Price: US$180 Jobs’ supremely classic Seiko was sold in 2016 for US$42,500 by US-based auction house, Heritage Auctions, who was consigned the watch by Jobs’ longtime house manager, Mark Sheff. Like his unerring appearances in a black turtleneck and blue jeans, and the barebones of his Californian digs, the watch is a lesson in simplicity, with its white face, black Arabic numerals, black metal bezel, and black leather band with plain pin buckle. By the state of the back of the band, it looks like Jobs wore the watch until it was on its last lap.…

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9 years ago