The Watch Photo Awards, which were launched in the spring, reward the best watch photos submitted on a different theme every month, from May to October 2018.  At the end of each monthly competition, the WPA jury selects ten photos, according to the criteria of creativity, relevance to the theme and technical proficiency. These ten photos are published by the WPA’s media partners. The public then votes for the best of those ten.

It is a sign of the times that Breitling decided to launch a new collection not at a major trade fair, nor even in Switzerland, but at a swish event in London attended by selected journalists and the ever-present influencers. Undoubtedly the most important announcement at this event was the return of a name familiar to those who know Breitling’s history: the Premier.

Van Cleef & Arpels will no longer be present at the SIHH, which is why the Parisian jeweller is unveiling its new creations in a somewhat offbeat manner, without regard to any particular schedule, at exclusive sessions. The theme for 2019 is the next chapter of a story that Van Cleef & Arpels loves to tell, featuring one of its favourite narrative themes: poetic astronomy. These exceptional new pieces belong to a family of twelve watches named Lady Arpels Zodiac Lumineux.

Roger Dubuis is convinced that women are as keen as men to wear daring and technical calibres. The brand sees woman as someone sensitive to both aesthetics and technology, setting her own goals, writing her own rulebook and standing out from the crowd. Like Roger Dubuis women, shooting stars are oblivious to the rules, which is why they have been chosen to confer a feminine look at the Excalibur Single Flying Tourbillon - Shooting Star. Enriched with alternative techniques, this timepiece is available in a choice of blue, white and pink interpretations, all issued in eight-piece limited editions.

Following the result of the race at the Mexico Grand Prix in Mexico City, Hamilton’s score in the Drivers’ Championship places him beyond the reach of his competitors in the final races of the season. IWC has been the “Official Engineering Partner” of Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport since 2013. 

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.