Philippe Dufour is setting salerooms alight; WatchBox has invested in De Bethune; Chrono24 has secured LVMH-backed funding; Watchfinder is presenting all the James Bond watches in its Paris showroom; Richard Mille has launched a certified network for its pre-owned watches… for watch fans, the moving and shaking is on the pre-owned market.
For the 100th anniversary of the American 1921, Vacheron Constantin has recreated the original watch using only techniques and tools from a century ago. The fifteen-month project began with a deep dive into the Manufacture’s archives and its stock of period components.
Dials sporting Pac-Man characters or in marshmallow pink… on watches priced considerably higher than an arcade game or a packet of candy. Fine crafting meets pop imagery: a paradox that echoes changes to our era and to our relationship with luxury.
For women or for men, a watch is still a watch. As consumers reject traditional gender divides, more brands are emphasising why their watches can be worn by both sexes.
The son of a diplomat, born in Great Neck, New York, Christopher Lambert (and his kilt) charmed the world with Highlander, a tale of immortals that’s now a cult classic.
Consumer demand for sustainability has sent brands in search of alternatives to animal leather. This includes watchmakers, which are introducing straps in plant-based biomaterials.
When Pierre Hermé talks watches, he does so with great appetite as well as a distinct admiration for the expertise, creativity, research, precision and aesthetic of a profession that has much in common with his own passion: pâtisserie.