Exploring the various iterations of modern, fine craftsmanship through the work of some of Europe’s best artisans and designers, Homo Faber: crafting a more human future [Editor's note: 14-30 September] taps into that “single undercurrent” - in the words of Johann Rupert, chairman of the luxury group Richemont – that connects all that “human beings can do better than machines.”

The new timepieces presented by Hermès combine leather craft with watchmaking skills. The leather marquetry technique calls for a meticulous approach extremely similar to that of assembling a watch movement. On an inch-perfect dial, the Hermès leather artisans compose a variegated work depicting a horse or zebra. Reduced to the format of a round case, these creations flaunt the radiant colours of slim leather fragments carefully selected, cut out and juxtaposed with all the skill and expertise of saddle-making and leather craftsmanship. Made from full grain calfskin, the leather pieces are split to a thickness of around 0.5 mm, before each element composing the motif is accurate cut to its appointed size and shape. One by one, the artisan picks up these fragments and fits them on the dial to form the design. The Arceau and Slim d’Hermès watches set the stage for the art of leather miniature work and feature animal motifs much beloved by the brand.

Longines is the Official Partner and Official Timekeeper of the 36th Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships 2018 in Sofia, Bulgaria. The brand presented its Longines Prize for Elegance to Russia’s Aleksandra Soldatova, who distinguished herself for the grace and charisma she displayed throughout the all-around final. Longines President Walter von Känel presented Aleksandra Soldatova with a Longines timepiece. During this international event the brand highlighted its ladies model from The Longines Master Collection Blue Edition, which was seen on the wrist of its Ambassadors of Elegance, the Russian gymnasts Arina and Dina Averina. 

Holiday preparations in the O’Neil household can often be more fraught than those for Baselworld or the SIHH. But things reached a new level this year when my wife and I realized that our work schedules would not allow us two consecutive weeks of holiday until… November. I was therefore left with a big holiday-shaped hole in my summer that I suddenly needed to fill. My first thoughts were some kind of photography workshop that would allow me to practice my hobby, but research quickly showed that these were few and far between and booked up a year in advance. But browsing through the Internet I also stumbled across Scotland Overland and their promise of a Land Rover Defender with a roof tent that could be hired for wild camping in Scotland.

Throughout the day, many office workers look at the dial of their wristwatch at regular intervals and the date is also very often the focus of interest, as well as the time. That is why there is still a heated debate about the significance of this indication. The same can also be said about the day of the week – maybe not to quite the same extent, but it is still significant. This is why we also give it a very prominent place on the new Breitling Navitimer 8 Day & Date. You could even say that it crowns the black or blue dial of this typical pilot’s wristwatch in the style of the 1930s and 1940s.

I might as well start by stating the obvious: in a war there are deaths, injuries, destruction, blood, horror and then… peace.

After several years of studying and testing, 56 years old Alain Valette, renowned bladesmith and creator of unique knives for some 32 years (autodidact since 1986), unveils his latest creation at the International Forum of Contemporary Knives. Called "Suspense", this knife features a brand new component: a miniature mechanical musical movement with 17 notes.

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.