With the rise in popularity of independent watchmaking though, we’ve seen a series of knock-on effects that directly impact the market and the experience of collectors – wait times on delivery can be years, resale and auction prices regularly shatter records, and value-mindedness is central in deciding on what to purchase. Today, we’re laying out our thoughts on the status of the indie watch market – what we expected, where the market is now, and where it’s headed.
Read MoreThat’s what we’re digging into today, the challenges that pushed watchmakers and creatives in independent watchmaking the most. We spoke with two watchmakers, Jean-François Mojon and Sylvain Pinaud, as well as one of the chief creative minds amongst independents, Max Büsser, to hear their input on what challenges they face.
Read MoreFor collectors and enthusiasts, last year was a strong indicator that creative momentum is building amongst indies. Looking back on the last 12 months, we should be excited for what’s in store for 2023. Before we move on from last year, our team gathered to name some of our favorite timepieces from 2022. Here’s our picks and why.
Read MoreWith the arrival of MB&F The First Fifteen Years, it's a rare opportunity to immerse oneself into the company and its creations in a comprehensive way. The catalogue raisonné, usually reserved for an artist’s corpus, is a fitting format given the burst creativity that MB&F has brought forth across dozens of timepieces and 20 in-house calibres. Writers Suzanne Wong and William Messena do not disappoint in their handling of the MB&F story. Less of a book review and more of a love letter, we wanted to cast a spotlight on some things that stood out in between the lines.
Read MoreOn the surface, many readers will already be somewhat familiar with Rexhep's story. As a Kosovar-Albanian, he came to Switzerland at the young age of 12 and went directly into a watchmaking apprenticeship at Patek Philippe. With raw talent and determination, he paved onward to work with F.P. Journe before launching his own brand, AkriviA, in 2012.
Read MoreEvery beginning is improbable, the result of chaotic circumstances coming together at the right moment and time. In the case of Svend Andersen and his long, illustrious journey as an independent watchmaker, some spirited New Year's celebrations in his youth put the young watchmaker on the map.
Read MoreStealth spaceship by day, luminescent installation by night, the UR-220 SL Asimov is the third variation of the 220 collection. Under the impetus of designer and URWERK co-founder Martin Frei, the model has undergone subtle changes in materials, colours, finishes and aesthetic characteristics. Against a predominantly black carbon backdrop, the UR-220 revisits a fascinating play on contrasts and luminosity.
Read MoreWhen we started working on this article, the initial intention was to write about the origins and motivations behind the creation of AHCI, the Académie Horlogère des Créateurs Indépendants. What we didn’t expect to learn though; the origins of AHCI are directly connected to how modern luxury watchmaking came to be defined by high complications in the fallout of the Quartz Crisis. The story of the evolution, or revolution, in fine watchmaking revolves round independent watchmakers.
Read MoreThere’s been a lot happening over the last few weeks in the watch world. With Watches and Wonders 2021 bombarding our Instagram feeds with new novelties day after day, it’s a really fun time for the watch community. Coming out of the whirlwind few weeks now, we wanted to take a step back and shed light on the releases that caught our attention the most. Let’s get right into our favorite releases from the last few weeks.
Read MoreSpring has sprung and De Bethune continues to expand its colour palette with a new hue on the dial of its DB27 Titan Hawk! A variation in tone that gives this chronometer a new glow and reinforces its contemporary inspiration.
Available in a limited edition of 10 numbered pieces.
Read MoreRex is the name given to the latest iteration of Urwerk’s UR-100 collection. It carries both Urwerk’s genome in its satellite hours and that of its namesake in the primal texture of its reinforced hide of bronze. The UR-100V T-Rex is decidedly a creature you’ll want to tame.
Read MoreURWERK, has put into orbit a newcomer in its UR-Satellite collection: the UR-220 “Falcon Project”. With its manually wound movement and control board on its back, the new UR-220 goes back to URWERK’s earlier technologies in a case that is sleeker, more ergonomic and as stunning as ever.
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