Today, we’re focusing on some emerging trends that we’ve observed in independent watchmaking over the last five years. Laying out what has changed will help us better understand where things are heading in the future.
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What makes an iconic watch? With this series on icons in modern independent watchmaking, we’re going to shed light on some of the aspects that define these timepieces, above and beyond the metal. And what better place to start than Urwerk’s UR-103, the brand’s first serially produced timepiece that laid the foundation for an extensive catalog of marvels in modern horology.
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Where De Bethune blurs the lines between traditional and modern, Horological Alchemy blurs the lines between a history of watchmaking, a philosophical exploration of the discipline, and a memoir. We’re going to walk through some of the more fascinating aspects of Flageollet’s musings on watchmaking.
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That’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.
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For 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.
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When Martin Frei of Urwerk comes to town, it’s always a great time! We fittingly close off the year with a bang and a preview of Urwerk’s novelties including the UR-120, UR-100 UV and a throwback piece to come in 2023.A very special thank you to Martin Frei, Yacine Sar, and Phil Ogle of Urwerk, Antoine Abeddy from our partners at Date & Time and all our friends who attended and made it a special evening.
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A four part, four city collector series gathered around our love of boutique and independent watchmaking.
A four part, four city collector series gathered around our love of boutique and independent watchmaking. We continue the EsperLuxe & Friends series in Boston with our friends.
With 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.
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Auction season is in full swing with Phillips The New York Watch Auction: Seven on December 10-11. This will be another great event for indies with the auction catalog marked by timepieces from Kudoke, F.P. Journe, De Bethune, MB&F, Andersen Genève. Amongst the lots, there is an exceptional unique piece from Urwerk – the UR-102 “ArtForTime.” Donated by the brand with proceeds going to the Swiss Institute to support contemporary art and artists, the reloaded UR-102 was created in collaboration with Cooper Jacoby.
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A four part, four city collector series gathered around our love of boutique and independent watchmaking.
A four part, four city collector series gathered around our love of boutique and independent watchmaking. We continue the EsperLuxe & Friends series in New York City with our friends and special guest Vianney Halter.
An unimaginable reality not long ago, the question is, how did time-only watches ascend to such heights that they regularly attain grail status amongst collectors? What factors drove the rise of “simple” timepieces to the top?
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It’s that time of the year again – the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG) is around the corner. An annual award ceremony for the luxury watchmaking industry, the event crowns the year’s best timepieces across 15 categories. With many independent watchmakers in the mix, we have had the privilege to handle some of the watches amongst the short-listed nominees.
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A four part, four city collector series gathered around our love of boutique and independent watchmaking.
We continue the EsperLuxe & Friends series in Miami with our friends from NovelaWatch. Hosted by the gracious team at Car Barn Miami, we had the pleasure of sharing our love for independent watchmaking and showcasing a curated selection of timepieces.
Though this first attempt will be far from perfect, I’d like to flesh out the idea that not all finishing is created equal, and nor should it be. Haute finishing should exist as a concept alongside haute complications, primarily to act as guidance for collectors to see who is going above and beyond with their finishing work.
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A four part, four city collector series gathered around our love of boutique and independent watchmaking.
We kickstarted EsperLuxe & Friends in Chi Town where we had the pleasure of presenting on independent watchmaking and showcasing a curated selection of timepieces.
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We were fortunate to be there and film some great interviews and cover some amazing new releases from Urwerk, AkriviA, MB&F, De Bethune, and Czapek.
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While many of the brands occupied beautiful, terraced hotel suites at the Beau-Rivage Hotel overlooking Lake Geneva, attendees mingled freely across hotel cafes, lobbies, on the sidewalks, and in the Pavilion event space next door. After years of relative social isolation, few take these gatherings for granted – no one bemoans the long days and whirlwind of meetings, meals, and events.
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Back from our trip to Geneva Watch Days, it was a pleasure to meet old friends, make new ones, and see dozens and dozens of amazing creations from independent watchmakers and brands.
In its third installment, Geneva Watch Days has a very different vibe than Watches & Wonders or BaselWorld in the past. Geneva Watch Days is more open to the general public and everyday collectors.
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Fortunate for all of us, this year’s release at Geneva Watch Days is another stellar example to add to MB&F’s catalog – the Legacy Machine Split Escapement EVO. Released (very quietly) earlier this year in a limited 10 piece run to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the UAE, this is the Split Escapement EVO’s first global release in icy-cool light blue dial plate and gray subdials.
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