In keeping with the general approach of the Blue Editions collection, the Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe Bucherer Blue Editions gives pride of place to the colour blue. This is even the first Blancpain model to be almost entirely blue. A colour familiar to the brand from Le Brassus, which has been deeply involved in the marine world since the 1950s, having launched the first diving watch, the Fifty Fathoms. The blue of the ocean has also dominated Blancpain’s multi-year financial support for environmental causes as part of the “Blancpain Ocean Commitment” programme.

The sportier a watch, the more likely it is to use some form of luminescent material. Modern SuperLuminova® coatings are typically found in their most copious amounts on diver’s watches, where they help divers to read the time and the all-important dive-time bezel in the murky depths as well as at night. More all-round watches usually have more subtle applications of luminescent material, reserving it for an insert for the hands or hour markers, for example.

The Petrovsky Passage hosted a gala evening dedicated to the 280th anniversary of Jaquet Droz. In the setting of a fantasy garden, the anniversary collection of the haute horlogerie masterpieces was presented to the guests.

Innovation and interactivity are at the heart of a resolutely connected SIHH, which continues its strategy to position itself as a foremost communications platform, geared towards visitors' expectations. 

Longines becomes the Official Partner of Deauville. The agreement also includes a collaboration with the Pôle International du Cheval Longines Deauville and the photo competition la 25ème heure Longines. Besides, Longines has been the Partner of the world-renowned Swiss Alpine resort of Saint-Moritz since 2015 already.

Because it was reserved for a secret elite, the Breitling Emergency has always been something of a secret itself. And yet there’s no real logic to this injustice. Back in 1988, a NATO officer suggested to Breitling’s CEO: “Couldn’t we have a transmitter that can be worn on the wrist in the event of a plane crash or shipwreck? Like a watch?” Ernest Schneider took him at his word: “In a watch?” And that became the brief for the Emergency watch. It became the world’s first watch to contain a transmitter that enabled its wearer to be located by satellite. Was this perhaps the world’s first connected watch?

Chopard unveiled a surprising unique piece L.U.C model at this year’s SIAR in Mexico City dedicated to the “Dia de los Muertos”, using design motifs associated with this celebration. The L.U.C Perpetual T Spirit of ‘La Santa Muerte’ is the second unique piece with grand complication, after the L.U.C Perpetual T – Spirit of the Chinese zodiac model presented in 2017. The L.U.C models represent the highest standard of watchmaking at Chopard. All the stages in their production are carried out in house, from movement design to gold production, case machining and hand decoration right up to the final quality control.

The ideal solution, clearly, would have been a weekend in Florence to try out the Epurato by Anonimo, with photo opportunities against the backdrops of the Santa Croce, the Ponte Vecchio and the Piazza della Signoria. But Anonimo already has plenty of shots of the Epurato in the heart of the city and, anyway, clichés aside, having worn the watch for several days, it doesn’t need any Renaissance architecture to make a statement on the wrist.

Richard Mille opened its largest boutique in the world this month, in New York City. Located at 46 East 57th Street, the 4,200-square-foot flagship becomes the ninth Richard Mille boutique in the Americas. A two-story oasis of sleek contemporary design, bathed in abundant natural light, the boutique represents a new architectural standard for the luxury brand. 

DFS Group (DFS), the luxury travel retailer, is launching the tenth edition of its Masters of Time exhibition this December, with a special anniversary collection that highlights craftsmanship, design and innovation. This year’s exhibition, titled “Masters of Time X”, will be unveiled during a two-day gala weekend at T Galleria by DFS, Macau, Shoppes at Four Seasons, featuring watches and jewellery from some of the world’s most renowned brands including several pieces created especially in celebration of the event.

Mexico's Salón Internacional Alta Relojería (SIAR) fine watch fair took place on October 16th to 18th. Created in 2007, this event is the highlight of the watchmaking year for both South America and the Caribbean, with 40 watch brands in attendance, joined by more than 400 guests from the international media. 

After eleven years of collaboration, Longines is bowing out of its role as Official Partner and Official Timekeeper following its decision not to renew its long-standing contract. The 2018 tournament marked the final chapter in a journey that has united the brand and the Paris grand slam for more than a decade. Throughout that time, a host of joint initiatives have been organised to promote rising young tennis stars, like the Longines Future Tennis Aces tournament, which brought together 20 players under the age of 13 from 20 different countries, and the "Rendez-vous à Roland-Garros in partnership with Longines” tournaments, which gave young hopefuls the chance to win a place in the Roland-Garros Junior Championships.  

Born in the Swiss Alps, Alpina has always shared common values with skiing, a sport in which technical competence, precision, perseverance and respect for the mountains are essential. Official watch supplier of the French Ski Federation since 2016, the brand has shown its commitment and affirmed its support for the FFS and its athletes. Their excellent results in the World Cup and the most recent winter Olympic Games in PyeongChang only served to strengthen the decision to renew the partnership for the next two years.

Hysek, one of the last remaining fully-independent manufactures, is undertaking major revitalisation of its sales network. In both Paris and Geneva, the firm is embarking on remodelling, removals, and optimisation of its retail outlets. 

Browsing Raymond Weil’s watch collections, from the earliest days up to the present, is a little like an eclectic musical history lesson covering everything from Mozart to David Bowie, Wagner to AC/DC. Music has been a source of inspiration for the watchmaker since the brand was founded in 1976. Not only does music resonate through the names of its watches – Fidelio, Toccata, Maestro, Nabucco, Don Giovanni, Tango, etc. – it also guides the brand’s partnerships with famous artists, instrument makers such as guitar maker Gibson, concert halls and international events such as the BRIT Awards. It drove the passion of company founder Raymond Weil, and continues to be an impetus for the third generation of the family, which holds the reins of the brand today and includes some talented musicians. 

In a world that is more and more regulated, provocation makes more and more sense. It helps to put things into perspective and obliges us to think differently, or at least take a look at ourselves. By its very nature, provocation is polarizing – you either like it or you don’t.

I’m surprised to be talking about time zones again for the second time this year (the first time was here), but such are the sensitivities surrounding Brexit, and in particular the thorny issue of what happens on the border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, that an issue like the abolition of daylight savings time throughout Europe inevitably ends up being used in the increasingly bitter feud about Britain’s exit from the European Union.