Baume & Mercier – My Classima

What better gift for someone who loves classic watches than this My Classima, whose name already hints at its styling. This timepiece with its feminine diameter of 31 mm features a pure and simple design, with a polished steel case and pristine white dial decorated with matching steel markers and hands. The date window at 3 o’clock is equally discreet. A midnight blue strap adds a handsome dash of colour. What are you waiting for?

The Accessible Luxury motto lives through each of the 6 new models sporting 40 mm polished stainless steel or rose gold-plated cases and dials featuring guilloché decoration and applied Roman numeral indexes; and makes owning a Swiss excellence-infused timepiece the simplest of tasks. 

Could there be a more symbolic partner for Breitling than Switzerland’s national airline, SWISS? The two companies’ shared values can be summed up in three words: aviation, precision and quality. And all with a Swiss Made label. The partnership was sealed in 2016 when the airline commissioned a new Boeing 777 and made Breitling the “onboard timekeeper” for all Swiss flights. The brand is visible on passengers’ seat back screens and, more significantly, the Breitling Navitimer Swiss Boeing 777, produced in a limited edition of 777, is available exclusively on board SWISS aircraft.

The Defy Classic has made its mark as Zenith’s expression of neo-futuristic watchmaking. With the Defy Classic Black Ceramic, its distinguishing features are brought to life from its nuanced darkness and the sense of volume it conveys through balanced geometry and a visionary architecture – inside and out. Forged from wear-proof black zirconium oxide ceramic, the faceted 41mm case features a combination of polished and satin-brushed surfaces, emphasizing its geometric and contemporary case inspired by the original Zenith Defy collection first launched in the 1970s. The angular, silhouette of the case is softened by the circular bezel that haloes above it.

Following the success of the Tonda Métropolitaine Sélène, launched in 2016, Parmigiani Fleurier presents two new models in rose gold, displaying the moon phases thanks to a movement produced entirely in-house.

To tackle the masterful complication represented by the perpetual calendar, Girard-Perregaux has designed a Laureato that is all about subtle positional shifts arranged in a dynamic equilibrium. Simple to read and easy to adjust, it is the result of an ergonomic approach to operation and wearability pushed to its uttermost limits.

Before earning his diving instructor certificates, first CMAS in 1990, followed by PADI in 2008, Luc Latapie says he was a “Sunday diver” from the age of 12, when he spent his summers in the south of France. So it was only natural that he should look for a diving watch, as an 18th birthday treat. After spending a few months looking around, he was stopped in his tracks by a shop window in Geneva’s Rue du Mont-Blanc. He had just found the watch of his dreams: the Seamaster 1000. It was love at first sight. He didn’t know much about Omega, but he did some research on the model, and quickly discovered that this was the diving watch that had been tested by the legendary Jacques Cousteau, a highly respected figure in the underwater community. Commander Cousteau had attached a prototype of the Seamaster 1000 to the hull of the submarine that, on several occasions between 1968 and 1972, he took down to a depth of 1000 metres. The phenomenal waterproofing of the watch and its association with Cousteau’s expeditions sealed its legendary status and established it as an iconic diving watch. As well as being captivated by the watch’s appearance, Luc Latapie also fell for its history. In his eyes, it was as important and as symbolic as his guitar.

As the Audemars Piguet Dream Team celebrated the end of the Golf season in Dubai, the Manufacture announced the coming year with a glimpse at its 2019 Royal Oak Offshore collection. This included a preview of three new Royal Oak Offshore Selfwinding Chronographs in camouflage colours to be officially launched at the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie (SIHH) in January 2019.

The depth of the Cat’s Eye Majestic, Celestial and Tourbillon's aventurine glass dial irresistibly evokes the Island of Murano. A place that gave rise to masterpieces that were to experience extraordinary destinies in powerful families and royal courts. Air, water and fire are transformed in Murano, by means of preciously safeguarded trade secrets. The aventurine glass (also known as goldstone) was born in the 18th century from mishandling by a glassmaker who accidentally ("all’avventura") spilled copper filings into the traditional mixture of silica, soda and incandescent lime. While initially slow to react, the matter was gradually transformed into sparkling glass studded with golden spangles. 

Breguet joined Race for Water in March for a five-year program, entitled “Odyssey 2017-2021” with a mission for the oceans. This collaboration, announced by Breguet President Marc A. Hayek and Race for Water Founder and CEO Marco Simeoni, started within a long-term strategy. Breguet committed to support the Race for Water pioneering vessel sailing the seas around the world and to contribute to raising awareness among the decision-makers and general public, as well as educating the young generations. 

There are few single addresses in Lausanne or indeed in the surrounding area of Lake Geneva where you can view the collections of Patek Philippe and Rolex together and, if you are an existing customer of either brand, have your watch serviced on site. With just a single exception (the Rolex DeepSea, which requires testing in a specially designed container to check its water resistance to 3,900 metres), A l’Emeraude can handle servicing work for any Rolex watch. Watchmaker Loïc has been trained by on the Rolex base calibres as well as the Daytona chronograph movement and has also attended exacting training courses at Patek Philippe. The second in-store watchmaker, Oliver, who has 12 years of experience at A l’Emeraude, handles all other brands sold by the store. Both watchmakers are also equally qualified to sell watches to customers. 

Armin Strom - Masterpiece Dual Time Resonance

At 59mm wide, Armin Strom’s new Dual Time Resonance is anything but discreet. In its latest configuration, the brand’s revolutionary resonance clutch spring connects two movements powering two separate time zones. There is no need for a seconds hand, since the fact that the two movements are beating in resonance means that they are perfectly synchronized. Instead, the two gauges at 6 o’clock on each subdial show the power reserve for each movement and the central subdial has a handy 24-hour scale.

Skylink celebrates the cosmonaut that changed the face of the globe, in 1975 at a time when the world was in the throes of the Cold War. At 7.20pm on July 17, 1975, two spaceships were docked in space; only the hatch of Soyuz 19 separated Alexey Leonov from Apollo. In opening the hatchway, he also opened up a new world of peace and cooperation; his first interstellar handshake with Commander Thomas Stafford was an unforgettable moment.

IWC has chosen the Goodwood estate, in southern England, as the venue for unveiling the first new products in the run-up to the exhibition. At the same time, IWC is announcing a partnership of several years with Goodwood Aviation. Goodwood Aviation provides an array of aircraft maintenance services and each year handles around 18,000 flights on the Goodwood Aerodrome. The aerodrome is also home to the Boultbee Flight Academy, the world's first official Spitfire flying academy. It's from here that Steve Boultbee Brooks and Matt Jones will embark on the first round-the-world flight in a Spitfire this coming summer. IWC is supporting the "Silver Spitfire – The Longest Flight" project as its main sponsor. The history of this aerodrome is closely linked to that of the Spitfire: between 1940 and 1946, the Royal Air Force's Goodwood airfield served as an extension to the nearby RAF Tangmere airfield.

When we mention innovation in the world of watchmaking, many people instinctively think of smart watches. I know that this may anger some of you, but unfortunately nobody can deny the impact of new technology being transferred on to the wrist. I know that some of you might say that you will never be affected by it, but I seem to have heard such sweet music once before…

OK, let’s begin by stating the obvious. Before you buy a watch, you have to try it on. What??! Seriously? You’ve got to be kidding! Getting an idea of what a watch feels like, how big it is and how comfortable, its different textures, its weight, whether it fits under your sleeve, how it looks on your wrist... But that’s ridiculous. Those ideas are obsolete, outdated, old-fashioned, pre-digital, practically prehistoric! These days, people prefer to buy online, remotely, from the comfort of their armchairs. It’s so much more convenient. It’s open 24/7. It’s tidy. It’s great. It’s the future!