Tailor-made production has long been a powerful social status symbol, a sign of taste and of means. But like everything related to commerce, it is gradually coming within reach of a broader public. The trend is obvious in men’s fashion, where jackets and shirts cut to the wearer’s exact measurements have moved on from being exceptional objects to now-affordable pleasures. Based on sophisticated data systems, workshops located in countries with low manufacturing costs, as well as by reducing the number of options, the so-called “semi-bespoke” approach has conquered the masculine wardrobe. Now comes the turn of the watch. It all began with multiple strap choices, a simple service offered by a number of brands. Not to mention specialists providing leather in a range of colors, shapes, thicknesses, overstitching, cuts and materials on request. The issue of watches’ uniqueness has now been stepped up a notch.

The 2018 Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping Final will take place at the AccorHotels Arena in Paris with Longines as Title Partner, Official Timekeeper and Watch. This much-awaited competition will start on Thursday 12 April 2018 with Round I, followed by Round II on the next day and the Final on Sunday. The participants of this major event have been accumulating the qualifying points during the regional leagues, notably the Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping Western European League, the Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping North American League and the Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping China League. The brand will crown the new World Champion and present him, along with the second and third, an elegant Longines timepiece.

Could this mark the beginning of a Fine Watchmaking collection for the Bubble? “The tourbillon was designed for pocket watches. On wristwatches, its function is purely aesthetic. With the magnifying effect provided by the Bubble's domed crystal, a tourbillon has never been as present or as powerful on a wristwatch. This novel approach provides us with a glimpse of the possibility of Fine Watchmaking for the Bubble.” That’s how Jérôme Biard, the CEO of Corum, is unveiling the new Bubble Central Tourbillon.

During the 18th century, Couvet, the native village of Ferdinand Berthoud, gradually became an important centre for the production of clocks and watch tools. At the time when these first industrial activities were beginning to emerge, the young man would find conditions in the Val-de-Travers entirely conducive to the blossoming of his exceptional talents.

Exterior

It is difficult to entirely disassociate the 45mm-diameter platinum case from the movement it houses, given their close interconnections. The rotation of the movement inside this watch precludes the use of a traditional winding and time-setting system operated via the crown stem. The Freak Vision is thus manually wound by rotating its case-back, while time-setting is done by turning its bezel after releasing it via a bolt bolt between the lugs at 6 o’clock. There are no hands or dial as such, since the hours are displayed by an index and the minutes by the 60-minute rotation of the entire movement. The overall result is a unique, understated and ergonomic result, while the various operations relating to winding and time-setting inspire a sense of absolute confidence.

In 2017, Graham made quite a splash with its Nose Art watches, which were original, creative, fun, slightly cheeky, but elegant at the same time. Their dials sported knockout pin-up girls in a spirit of 1940s and 50s Americana. What happened last year was far from ordinary, and the implications were much bigger than a successful limited edition would normally entail. Graham had brought its Chronofighter to the attention of a wider public. Up to that point, the XXL-format watch was largely unknown except to a select audience of extreme watch collectors. The Nose Art range changed all that. It was up to Graham to build on the momentum in 2018.

Happy Easter! You’ll notice that we haven’t put all our eggs in one basket. We have been rationing out the mechanical treasures unveiled since Baselworld’s opening day, which this year happened to be the first day of spring. There was an undercurrent of optimism at this year’s Basel international watch fair (from 21 to 27 March), no doubt as a result of the upswing in watch exports since last summer. This warming climate not only left steam on the windows of the world’s top brands holding court in the entrance to Hall 1 (brands belonging to LVMH and Swatch Group, along with Patek Philippe and Rolex); it also infused the rest of the fair, rising even to the three dozen niche independent watchmakers based in the Les Ateliers space. From a pure watch industry perspective, the majority of brands had a successful fair in terms of selling their latest collections to retailers, who were more enthusiastic than last year. Baselworld has therefore proven itself once again, despite criticisms from exhibitors over poor communication on the part of the organisers.

Winner of the Aiguille d’Or (Best in Show) prize at the 2017 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève, the L.U.C. Full Strike is adopting a new grey colour. Its original construction, its case in “Fairmined” 18-carat white gold, the excellence of its Poinçon de Genève finishing, and above all its extraordinary sound, contribute to the exceptional nature of a watch in a league of its own. 

Whether imperial for the bracelet or greenery for the dial, green is associated with nature and renewal, a nod to the latest addition to the Anonimo's Epurato collection. This new line, easily recognizable with the main identity elements of the brand, proposes the marriage of bronze and green in a refined version.

Without water, there is no life. Whether it is the drinking water required as the most basic of human needs or the vast oceans that help to regulate Planet Earth’s climate and provide sustenance for its population, water plays a crucial role in our lives. Yet it is something that we so often take for granted, with little thought for the consequences of our actions on the health of our planet.

The Meydan Racecourse in Dubai, of which Longines is the Official Timekeeper, is one of the world’s top global venues of thoroughbred racing. The Dubai World Cup Carnival hosts a dozen race days from January to the end of March. It closes with the Dubai World Cup, which sees nine races take place during that day, culminating with the eponymous race, claimed this year by Thunder Snow led by Christophe Soumillon.

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.