The original Eichi, created in 2008, and its successor Eichi II, 2014, won high praise worldwide for their simplicity of design, the exquisite finishing of the movements, the innovative torque return system and, most of all, for the hand-painted, pure white porcelain dials. 

Breitling’s new wristwatch is the expression of its continuing history as an internationally recognized manufacturer of precise, robust, and extremely reliable timepieces for aviation. In this sense, the Navitimer 8 Automatic has links to onboard clocks and an pilot’s wristwatch, which made history from 1940 onwards. The Reference 768 underlined the expertise that the Huit Aviation Department has consistently demonstrated since its founding in 1938 with its clear readability, usability, and reliability under any circumstances. Naturally, this version of the Navitimer 8 Automatic is also packed with positive features. It appeals to timekeeping purists who only want to read hours, minutes, seconds, and the date off their blue or black dial. The chronometer certification is a guarantee of precision, which must be passed by every single Breitling Caliber 17 without exception. The maximum running deviation tolerated is between minus four and plus six seconds in a 24-hour period. This makes this 41 millimeter chronometer with a ball-bearing rotor winding on both sides, over 40 hours of power reserve, and four-hertz balance frequency 99.99 percent accurate in a day consisting of 86,400 seconds. 

Hermès is happy to credit the designers who create its watches. The Heure H was born in 1996 from the imagination of Philippe Mouquet, one of the Parisian brand’s top designers, who has also created leather goods, jewellery, tie prints and scent bottles. His main focus, however, is watches. The Heure H, his first watch design, was based on the bold idea of making a watch case in the shape of Hermès’ unmistakeable initial letter H. It was a master stroke, a hugely successful move, and helped to make the model a Hermès classic.

When a steel frame weighing over 1,000 tonnes, supporting 14,600 cubic metres of concrete and 2,650 square metres of glass partitions has to bring life to micro-components weighing just a few milligrams, while providing a working environment of the highest quality for the 240 employees who work there each day, that’s quite a challenge. But it seems to have succeeded. It might have been years in the planning (the 20,000 m2 plot of land near Schaffhausen was bought in 2012), but construction of the 13,500 m2 “Manufacturzentrum” took just 21 months. That’s quite an achievement in itself, given that renovating a luxury boutique on the Bahnhofstrasse or the Rue du Rhône can typically take longer. Eighty companies were involved in the construction, but at the heart of the project were Christoph Grainger Herr and his teams, who had input into the design, planning and execution, taking aesthetic decisions and choosing the materials.

The Grande Seconde Moon is a Grande Seconde of which the brand’s signature figure 8 dial incorporates a moon phase with date nestled inside the off-centered large seconds hand at 6 o’clock. The new Grande Seconde Moon combines the day-to-day practicality of precise hour, minute, seconds and date displays with the poetry of a 22-carat gold Moon Phase. 

The world’s first police force dates back to pre-Urban Jürgensen but post-Jaquet Droz. The “Bow Street Runners” were founded in London in 1749 by John Fielding and paid for by public money. Almost 250 years ago, Fielding already knew that information would be key in the administration of justice. He kept records of suspects and stolen property, including a “watch book” that listed the manufacturers’ names and serial number of stolen watches. These could be circulated to pawnbrokers around London to prevent the thieves from selling on these stolen goods.

There’s something for (almost) everyone. As we approach the end of June, watch companies are already focusing on the models they are going to be promoting throughout the summer. For most of them, it’s the watches they launched at Baselworld. But not in every case. There are also some models designed specifically with the warmer months in mind. Hublot, for instance, a few weeks ago unveiled a Big Bang Unico Teak Italia Independent, in Capri, with Lapo Elkann. The watch bezel is made of teak, and it has a carbon kevlar strap to give it a nautical touch.

Zucchero, Massive Attack, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Iggy Pop, Deep Purple and Billy Idol are just a few of the big names that will have crowds dancing along the shores of Lake Geneva between 29th Jun and 14th July this year. For its 52nd edition, the Montreux Jazz Festival reaffirms the foundations for its success: quality of the programme and an unparalleled proximity to the artists.

Power reserve is one of the features that defines the characteristics and limitations of a watch. It determines the maximum amount of time it can go without winding, or in other words, how long it will continue to run when taken off the wrist (in the case of an automatic calibre, where the wearer’s movement continually tops up the power) or between windings (for hand-wound watches, where energy has to be supplied at set intervals). Power reserves have evolved significantly, in line with wearing habits.

By embodying the values of high jewellery, these Rendez-Vous Celestial models complement a collection first created in the Manufacture’s workshops in 2012. Fruit of watchmaking expertise and its characteristic Rare Handcrafts “Métiers Rares®”, these timepieces feature high-precision automatic movement, precious gem-setting, refined finishes and confident aura of its floral numerals.

In 2009 Patek Philippe ended their 122 year relationship with the Geneva Seal. At that time the seal had become an antiquated certification content with only geographic location and finishing techniques.  With the watchmaking world moving ever forward it seemed as if standards of old were being left in the dust with new, stringent requirements taking over. But in 2012 the Geneva Seal requirements were updated to be far more strict and relevant for our time. With these upgrades the question is raised, which is superior?

As a leader in the shaping and industrialisation of materials, Hublot breaks the glass ceiling with its new “All Black” Big Bang MP-11 featuring a 3D carbon case. Composed of polymer matrix with three-dimensional fibres, previously not used in watchmaking, this ultra-light material has been reinforced with three-dimensional fibre woven resin, shaped into a case inspired by a race engine. Equipped with 7 series-coupled barrels, this mechanical architecture offers a view of the 7 series-coupled barrels and the in-line power reserve indicator.