If you’ve ever travelled to Shanghai or Thailand, you might be familiar with the ease of acquiring a convincing fake Rolex for pennies on the dollar. Asian counterfeiters (particularly in Guangdong Province, China) often have access to the original machines used for cases, bracelets, and so on (not for Rolex specifically), as some Swiss brands […]
In just a week’s time, the madness that is the 2026 Formula 1 season will kick off in Melbourne with the Australian Grand Prix serving as the opening event of 24 rounds of racing. And this year it’s really anyone’s guess as to what’s going to happen over the 24-race-long season. We have very few […]
We’re less than two months away from the main event of the year for the watch industry… On April 14th, 2026, it will be time for Watches and Wonders Geneva 2026, a giant fair that will gather well over 60 brands, including returning ones such as Audemars Piguet. Something that has become more than a […]
In a recently published open letter, the Swatch Group AG criticized the most recent Morgan Stanley "Swiss Watcher" industry report in a letter to the investment bank's management, calling some of the data presented in the analyst report "erroneous and questionable." The Swatch Group letter, addressed to Morgan Stanley Investment Management and linked below, says the report rankings and estimates of sales and production figures for the top 50 brands in the Swiss watch industry make "questionabl
Abraham-Louis Perrelet made his mark in watchmaking history with his work on automatic winding. The modern Perrelet brand is recognised for its patented Double Rotor and Turbine watches, which feature hypnotic spinning rotors on the dial. Much less theatrical, Perrelet’s Weekend collection offers more traditional dress watches in 39mm cases with a subtle retro vibe. […]
Congratulations: you have made it to yet another Friday. By way of proffered back-pats, how about a Bring a Loupe instead?A bit of a scorecard for my first two weeks at BAL: Last week's Zenith S58 remains available (and now listed as "Hodinkee Featured" in the tile), as does the burl wood Datejust, though the Waltham 100 sold (presumably for near its $200 asking price), and the Tudor 4453 sold for 480£ (not including the 23% premium). Interestingly, someone believed last week's Buyer Beware Co
What We KnowEach year, Panerai offers a special experience for its top collectors, available only to those who buy the year's "experience watch." For the first time, the experience is available to buyers who pick up a set of watches sold together. By buying these two Radiomir releases, customers will also be brought on a trip through Panerai's Italian history, tracing from their century-old boutique in Florence, then on to the historical meeting grounds and diving locales, a diving trip at the
Long associated with pilot’s chronographs and robust instrument watches, Tutima has, over the past decade, built a compelling “classical” collection. The Patria line, introduced in the early 2010s and coinciding with the brand’s return to Glashütte, offered refined cases, restrained dials and, most notably, beautifully executed hand-wound movements rooted in Saxon tradition. Following earlier executions […]
Since becoming the official timekeeper of the MotoGP championship in 2001, Tissot has connected itself firmly to the sport through trackside timing systems and watches that speak the design language and mechanical intensity of motorcycle racing. The T-Race MotoGP collection was first introduced in 2003, and the brand has since created many motorsport-inspired references, with […]
Since its introduction in 1998, the classic IWC Portugieser Chronograph (ref. IW3914) has barely evolved visually. It has only undergone a technical upgrade in 2020, with the introduction of a new generation featuring a manufacture calibre inside (ref. IW3916). And that consistency in the design and overall sporty-chic, nautically-inspired spirit is what makes this watch […]
What We KnowRessence, with its futuristic sci-fi approach to telling the time, doesn't always come to mind when thinking about métiers d'art. After all, Ressence is a brand centered around an incredibly modern industrial aesthetic, which seems at odds with painstaking human-centered craft that often celebrates perfection within imperfection. But when done right, pairing these two ideas together spells a home run. The Ressence Type 8 'Indigo' from 2024 for Japanese retailer Shellman comes to mi
Some watches feel like they’ve always existed. And yet, the Raymond Weil Millesime Small Seconds 39mm, a watch part of a successful collection launched in 2023, has nothing to do with history. It’s just a design exercise, but one done right. Since its introduction, the collection, which now also includes a more compact 35mm version, […]
Founded in 1875, Audemars Piguet has a rich and complex history, with many chapters yet to be explored. Sébastian Vivas, who has been director of the Audemars Piguet Museum since 2012, will explain how the small Heritage team organizes, enriches, and studies the brand's archives and historical collections. Some research reveals surprises that require a thorough review.What is the genesis of the Musée Atelier Audemars Piguet? What are the main principles behind restoration? What guides the bran
A compact evolution of Ressence’s signature pebble-shaped case designs and original display of the time that circles around the dial like planets orbiting the Sun, the Type 9 is the brand’s smallest, lightest and most accessibly priced watch to date. Given its minimalist display and compact (wearable) proportions, the Type 9 has been singled out […]
What We KnowIWC just launched a surprising novelty, and it isn't even Watches and Wonders yet. Today marks the brand's introduction of a limited-edition run of its classic Portugieser Chronograph, this time in Ceratanium. It's a subversion of what I typically think of as IWC's dressier chronograph option, this time with a sleek all-black look thanks to ceramicized titanium and blacked-out details across the dial.The case is 41mm in diameter with a height of 13.1mm, and it does away with any po
German indie watchmaker Stefan Kudoke expands the HANDwerk collection with the Kudoke 3 Nocturne, keeping the core concept intact but changing its expression, much like the Nocturne edition of the Kudoke 2. This new variant builds on the Kudoke 3, previously available in various executions, including Sky Blue, salmon, and the Flakes edition with the […]
Whatever reasons exist for creating a watch, be it heritage, technical or design-led necessity, the Studio Underd0g x Time+Tide Hand Delivered Pizza Duo exists for a much rarer, if not unique, reason: because a joke went too far. What began as an April Fool’s prank in 2023, a pizza-themed Studio Underd0g teased by Time+Tide, unexpectedly […]
Among the incredible variety of materials used to decorate dials, mother-of-pearl is an all-time favourite. Obtained from the inner lining of oyster and mollusc shells, mother-of-pearl is a captivating, naturally iridescent material that adds a unique shimmer to dials. Working with GT Cadrans, a specialist Swiss dial manufacturer, Czapek embellishes its Antarctique S and Promenade […]
For half a century, Citizen has led the field in light-powered timekeeping, pioneering Eco-Drive in the 1970s and proving that a watch can be powered by any light—sunlight, desk lamps, even the glow of a city at night. What began as an energy solution became a philosophy: practical innovation, refined design, and real-world longevity. On Wednesday, March 18th, from 6:30–8:30 PM, Hodinkee and Citizen invite you to the Citizen Flagship Store to celebrate the legacy of the Eco-Drive movement. To
This week on The Business of Watches, we go behind the scenes with the man who compiles and crunches the numbers for the Morgan Stanley Swiss Watcher report, the most influential and widely read annual financial league table in the industry. Oliver Müller has been in the sector for some three decades, beginning his career at Omega before executive roles at a series of brands, including Laurent Ferrier, where he served as Chief Executive Officer. He's now a consultant to the industry and has he