Some of the best creations often result from the least expected encounters… However, when two radically different creative minds start to work together, nothing says that the alchemy will develop. More often than not, the connection doesn’t come to fruition. At first, there was seemingly no reason for entities like Baltic and SpaceOne to collaborate. […]
William Stafford wrote, "I'd just as soon be pushed by events to where I belong." While I wouldn't claim it is great or wise to have a single line from a single poem weigh too heavily on anyone's life, those dozen words have exerted a monumental pull in my own existence. I'm not by nature much of a planner, and the line offered itself as a little sophisticated rejoinder I could tell myself when confronting my chaotic life, but I also think the wisdom the line offers is useful.And you're sittin
Louis Moinet (1768-1853) wanted an accurate instrument to track celestial motions and built the Compteur de Tierces in 1815-1816. Endowed with a start, stop and reset function and a balance wheel beating at an impressive high frequency of 30Hz, his novel stopwatch could time events to the 60th of a second. Considered one of the precursors […]
What We KnowFrench watchmaking is on an absolute tear lately. Even setting aside F.P. Journe (yes, he's based in Switzerland, but he is French), there's a growing list of brands pushing things forward in interesting ways. Two of the more relevant names in this case are Baltic and SpaceOne, the latter a collaboration between Théo Auffret of Auffret Paris and Guillaume Laidet, who has played a major role in reviving some major brands. Both have become important players in the more affordable end
There are quite a few brands that link themselves to motorsport, but Lorige is one of the few that has gone completely all-in on the idea. Another good example of that is the latest BL-Endurance Evolution Bleu Asphalte Gold Edition. Founded in 2018 by car enthusiasts Clément Etienvre and Emeric Paraud, the young French-Swiss microbrand […]
Independent Japanese watch brand Naoya Hida & Co. usually plays it discreetly, with only a batch of new releases per year and a highly limited production capacity. Last week, the brand released its entire range of models for 2026/2027, a total of 10 new watches and 7 new references, including a spectacular chronograph, a compact […]
Ever since the return of the brand under the umbrella of La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton (alongside Gerald Genta), Daniel Roth has focused on bringing back the emblematic ellipsocurvex design of Monsieur Roth, as well as the refined execution of earlier creations. Following the debut of the Tourbillon model, available in yellow and rose […]
Longines has long been connected to sport. From its long-standing role as official timekeeper of major competitions to its continued involvement with the Commonwealth Games since 1962, the brand has always been there to measure performance with precision. Following earlier celebratory editions, such as the colourful 2022 Birmingham model, Longines now introduces the HydroConquest Commonwealth […]
What We KnowUsually, we only get one round of Naoya Hida & Co. releases each year, as the company manufactures so few watches per year (though that number is increasing) that one round of releases of 10+ models with around 10 watches per model per year is about the maximum. So imagine my surprise when we got a press release about a new collaboration between Hida-san and his retailer, The Armoury, to be released after the initial wave of releases. They've collaborated before (their "Letterc
The Laureato is Girard-Perregaux’s answer to the integrated luxury sports watch. Born in 1975 as a chronometer-certified quartz sports watch, Girard-Perregaux revived the Laureato in 2016 as a limited edition to celebrate the brand’s 225th anniversary, and later as a collection in 2017. Produced three years after Gérald Genta’s landmark Royal Oak but a year […]
What We KnowThere's just something about the Daniel Roth case that makes for an excellent watch. On the wrist, the ellipsocurvex shape sits comfortably between a round dress watch and a tank, and with the Extra-Plat case (extra-flat, in English) and slightly dropped lugs, it has incredible appeal once you put it on. Which makes it especially hard to convey that in text, but I'll try my best with the newest version that launched today, the Extra Plat Platinum model.I saw the watch a few months
Relaunched in 2019, the Seiko 5 Sport range has grown significantly over the years, to the point where it could become a brand in its own right. Based on a concept of affordability and durability dating back to the 1960s, it started with the inaugural SKX-inspired, dive-oriented models and has expanded to include dozens of […]
Aren Bazerkanian, founder and creative director of Havid Nagan, is one of the few new independent watchmakers who have generated much interest in recent years. Coming from an unconventional background and formed by early exposure to high-end horology, Bazerkanian introduced the HN00 as an inaugural statement in 2022, with bold architectural cases, followed by the […]
Founded in 1959 by Charles Von Büren, Squale is a famed name amongst the fans of professional dive instruments; the company produced its own models and made cases for numerous brands during the golden age of underwater exploration. To mark the return to these origins, last year the brand introduced the Squale 2001, a late […]
Quincy Jones was an absolute king. He was a towering figure in the music industry, leaving an indelible stamp on popular culture through his producing, arranging, and film score work. From early collaborations with Count Basie, Ray Charles, and Frank Sinatra to producing one of the top-selling albums of all time (Thriller by Michael Jackson), not to mention We Are The World, he made the soundtrack for many of our lives. During a well-lived lifetime spanning 91 years, he was rewarded with accol
This week on The Business of Watches, we're in Hölstein, Switzerland, near Basel, at the peach-rose colored headquarters of Oris to talk to Rolf Studer, the brand's Chief Executive Officer. One of the 50 largest Swiss brands by sales, Oris is a true independent, making mechanical watches at fair prices, conveying the brand's unique spirit. Its history dates back to 1904, with boom times in the 1960s that were kick-started by the tireless legal and lobbying work of Dr. Rolf Portmann, an Oris ex
Seasoned divers, like our own Derek, will all tell you that, in our day and age, a mechanical dive watch isn’t truly relevant anymore, having been replaced by diving computers. And yet, either for safety or emotional reasons, many still use an old-school timepiece during their seasons. In the world of classic car rallies, the […]
Part of the Tata Group, an Indian conglomerate with revenues of over USD 150 billion, Titan Watches has been around for a long time and covers a wide range of watches, from everyday quartz pieces to youth-focused lines like Fastrack. More recently, the Indian brand has also been getting more serious about mechanical watchmaking, something […]
At first, this new version of the Black Bay 58 may seem like a minor update, mostly focused on introducing reworked bracelets and details to remain consistent with the rest of the BB collection. Yet, things can be deceptive. In recent years, as the Black Bay collection is more than well established, Tudor has been […]
Over the past decade, the De Bethune DB27 collection has served as the independent brand’s most restrained yet highly technical expression of its watchmaking credentials. Introduced in 2012 with the Titan Hawk, later refined in V2 form and multiplied through editions such as the JPS or green dial variants, the DB27 has consistently combined lightweight titanium […]