Can you remember the last time a watch brand made you laugh? In an industry that is so often criticised for taking itself too seriously, the brands that at least attempt not to do so tend to stand out. This can be manna for a small brand looking for valuable publicity, but sense of humour can be a fickle thing and finding universal appeal can be difficult. The red baseball caps in the style of Donald Trump that Corum distributed at Baselworld last year and the hastily withdrawn “Frankenwatch” presented by H. Moser & Cie. on the eve of the SIHH this year are two examples where the “joke” may have gone too far. 

Although Swiss watch magazine GMT celebrated its 18th anniversary during the SIHH 2018 (see video here), it came out on the first day of Baselworld, which was also the first day of spring. The mechanical and bejewelled creations that decorate its pages are a feast for the eyes of watch lovers. “With its past that is no more, its future which is yet to come and its eternal present, continually vanishing in memories and plans, time is the most prodigious of all machineries,” notes with wonder the French academician and writer Jean d’Ormesson in his book Comme un chant d’espérance (Like a song of hope). We share this vision, as does Carlo Lamprecht who, in 2012, while president of the Fondation du Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève, put forward an initiative to immortalise the art of measuring time by naming it the 12th Art. As an early supporter of these values, GMT continues to promote the 12th Art in the eponymous column of this springtime issue. There, you can find out the qualities watch design shares with the first six arts, as described by the German philosopher Hegel (read more about it here).

Armin Strom announces a new distributor partnership with Swiss Prestige. Swiss Prestige will bring attentive, personalized services and shopping experiences to Asian luxury consumers with a strong human touch.

This year, Breguet is presenting a new interpretation of its Reine de Naples 8908 model, the first timepiece of the eponymous collection launched in 2002. This new version is distinguished by an association between a rose gold case set with  128 brilliant-cut diamonds (approx. 0.77 ct) and a dial partially crafted from Tahitian mother-of-pearl. The ovoid 36.50 x 28.45mm case has a crown set with a cabochon-cut ruby (approx. 0.27 ct) and a sapphire-crystal caseback. It i water resistant to 30 m.

In the wake of the new aesthetic codes introduced in the Marine collection last year, Breguet continues to steer its course of enriching this flagship watch family reflecting the history of the brand and its founder, Abraham-Louis Breguet. It is worth recalling that he distinguished himself at an early age by his inventions, whose usefulness earned rapid recognition by the highest authorities across Europe. Witness his 1814 appointment to the Bureau des longitudes in Paris, where he was the horologist of reference and the only representative of the profession. This role enabled him to contribute to the security and performance of the French Royal Navy by enabling reliable longitude calculations at sea. A year later, he was appointed Watchmaker to the Royal Navy, for which he developed high-precision instruments, notably including indispensable marine chronometers.

Marking its return to motor sport for the first time in more than 10 years, TVR has announced its role as the automotive partner to Rebellion Racing, competing in the LMP1 category of the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) 2018 – 2019 Super Season. Rebellion Racing TVR will make its track debut during the WEC Prologue event at Circuit Paul Ricard on 6 April. 

In the Neuchâtel mountains, horological skills are often passed on within the family. Jean-Henri Berthoud, judge, solicitor and watchmaking-clockmaking expert trained his brother Ferdinand from 1741 to 1745. The young man then set off to complete his training in Paris, scene of the major innovations and inventions in horology, a field already combining science, technical mastery and aesthetics.

Since 1965, Seiko has continuously pushed back the boundaries in diver’s watch technology. In 2018, two landmarks in this illustrious history are honored in new Prospex creations. In 1968, the brand announced Japan’s first hi-beat diver’s and, ten years later, the world’s first quartz saturation diver’s watch was created. Now, these two important watches are remembered in commemorative creations that bring the latest in Seiko’s high technology watchmaking to those who work in and enjoy the underwater world.

Since my article analysing social media trends during the SIHH  proved popular, I decided to use the same approach for Baselworld 2018 and the results are interesting, particularly when put into direct comparison with those of the SIHH.

Alexey Leonov, born in 1934, became the first man in the world to perform a spacewalk, on March 18, 1965. He is also the initiator of one of the most symbolic gestures in all history – an interstellar handshake with his NASA counterpart in 1975, at the height of the Cold War. While Leonov may not be the best-known of spacefarers, often overshadowed by those involved in the moon race, he was a vital pioneer, in whose footsteps they followed. 

Bulgari Octo Finissimo Minute Repeater Carbon

The first watch made entirely out of carbon and the thinnest ever minute repeater actually sounds pretty good, and that’s something of a surprise. Where minute repeaters are concerned, thinness is not usually an advantage. Decent volume needs decent… volume, and the world’s flattest striking movement, made by Bulgari, has so far not been too convincing in its intensity. But a solution has been found, and the answer is carbon. The Bulgari Octo Finissimo Minute Repeater Carbon is the first watch to be made entirely out of carbon, including the dial and bracelet. In the hand, the watch is astonishingly light: 47 grams. The unusual surface of the forged carbon has a unique sheen, a bit like sharkskin. Aesthetically speaking, it’s definitely mission accomplished: this watch doesn’t look like anything else you’ve ever seen, not even an Octo, because of how the material dominates the design. On the wrist it feels very slim, which is to be expected given that it is 6.8 mm deep. And it’s surprisingly easy on the ear. This little slip of a watch produces a remarkably full sound. It’s counterintuitive, but carbon makes an excellent resonating chamber, and it’s not just because of its lightness. The first impressions (and, where a striking watch is concerned, first impressions should always be confirmed in a quieter setting) gave no hint of distortion, crackle or coldness. The sound is full and sustained. It’s a success across the board, including the price tag, which they could have pitched 50% higher, given that there is no direct competition.

In 1897, the "Tête de Vipère" stamp was applied to a chronometer for the first time by the Besançon Observatory. This high-quality metrological guarantee is a mark of the unrivalled precision and excellence of a watch. Abandoned in the 1970s, then relaunched in 2006, the "Tête de Vipère" stamp has since been awarded to just 500 pieces. To obtain this certificate of excellence, each fully assembled watch undergoes a protocol involving 16 days of testing, in five different positions at three different temperatures.

For the first time, Lvcea is presented with the iconic Tubogas bracelet, reminding us of Bulgari’s heritage as a jeweller. Caressing the wrist with exquisite comfort, five new Lvcea Tubogas models bring an everyday modernity to the Lvcea universe. The slinky links of the Tubogas bracelet add a symmetry when contrasted with the round face of the Lvcea.