Hendrick’s Gin is produced by the family-owned William Grant & Sons distillery in Scottland and their gin is distilled at the Girvan distillery that mainly focuses on distilling whiskey. What makes Hendrick’s so unique is their blend of nine botanicals that include Bulgarian roses and specially selected cucumbers. While the rest of their botanicals —orange peel, yarrow, juniper berries, angelica root, and orris root amongst others—…
News: Phillips Watches Sells $30 Million USD at Their Hong Kong Auction XIII
Phillips continues to break watch auction records and set new benchmarks for watches sold at auction. Following their very impressive sale in Geneva which achieved the highest ever sale total for a watch auction in history, Phillips realized over HK$231 million/ $30 million USD at their Hong Kong Watch Auction XIII. Selling for more than 43% of its pre-sale high estimate…
Introducing: De Bethune DB25 Perpetual Calendar Titanium and Green Guilloché
De Bethune is enriching its collection of classic watches with a state-of-the-art interpretation of the perpetual calendar, this time endowed with a gorgeous green dial with guilloché. The De Bethune DB25 Perpetual Calendar is tinged with poetry and combines the finesse of watchmaking with precision mechanics by bringing together moon phase, starry sky, and perpetual calendar in an exceptional timepiece. Inspired by the drum, the round titanium case with a diameter of 44 mm and a thickness of 11.1 mm, with its fine and resolutely classic lines, is subtly raised by hollowed horns, characteristic of the DB25 collection.
Introducing: Ferdinand Berthoud Chronomètre FB 1.4-3 Unique Piece. Inspired by an 18th-Century Armillary Sphere.
The winner of the “Aiguille d’Or” prize at the 16th Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève —GPHG 2016— and a now six-year-old manufacture Chronométrie Ferdinand Berthoud is a very well-known name in the horological world but sometimes forgotten by many. Resurrected by Karl-Friedrich Scheufele, the co-president of Chopard and founder of Chopard's in-house manufacture L.U.C division, Ferdinand Berthoud comes back with the concept of the Chronomètre FB 1.4-3 is inspired by an 18th-century armillary sphere whose movement, created by Ferdinand Berthoud, indicated the time on a glass dial.
Breaking News: HYT Watches Rises Back from the Ashes with David Cerrato as CEO
Kairos Technology Switzerland SA takes over the reins of HYT, acquires all of its assets, and appoints David Cerrato as CEO. A revival and long-term development of the brand are thus assured by a Swiss company. In 2012, the HYT watch brand created a buzz within the watchmaking community with its hybrid mechanical-fluidic technology allowing the time to be displayed using fluids. This unique module is driven by a manufactured mechanical movement.
Introducing: MB&F LM FlyingT Allegra X Bulgari. An Unprecedented Collaboration.
Back in 2010, MB&F partnered with Parisian jewelry house Boucheron to create the JwlryMachine. This time, they’ve joined forces with Bulgari out of Rome. The new MB&F Legacy Machine FlyingT Allegra X Bulgari was initially motivated by mutual professional respect and subsequently evolved into a strong friendship between Bulgari’s Product Creation Executive Director, Fabrizio Buonamassa Stigliani; and MB&F’s Founder and Creative Director, Maximilian Büsser.
Introducing: Greubel Forsey GMT Sport Sincere Fine Watches Special Edition
Collectors wanted it and Greubel Forsey delivered. To highlight the sport’s ethos of its GMT Sport, the Chaux-de-Fonds-based Atelier has developed an even livelier, edgier, and more contemporary version of its GMT Sport in a strictly limited edition for its Singapore-based partner Sincere Fine Watches. For the majority of collectors over at Sincere Fine Watches —Greubel Forsey’s long-standing partner in Singapore—, the answer is orange. It’s a rare color, little used in watchmaking and even more so in Greubel Forsey’s usual palette.
Insider: Breitling Super AVI Collection. Celebrating Four Legendary Planes. (Live Pictures)
Yesterday November 17th, 2021, we gathered at the Commemorative Air Force facility at the Dallas Executive Airport to see the new Breitling Super AVI collection. This new collection celebrates four North American legendary planes with designs inspired by Breitling’s original 1953 ‘Co-Pilot’ aviator’s watch reference 765 AVI. The four legendary planes are the North American Aviation P-51 Mustang, the Vought F4U Corsair, the Curtiss P-40 Warhawk, and the de Havilland Mosquito.
Experience: Artisans de Genève The Honey Pearl Project Nautilus 5711/1R
The Honey Pearl Project is a pure stylistic exercise that follows the Pearl Project created at the beginning of the year. This time, their client wanted to combine the technical aspect of a skeletonized calibre with a unique color and material combination that included his Nautilus 5711/1R in 18K rose gold, a touch of blue and red, and also anthracite grey.
From the Archives: Experience The Patek Philippe Museum. The Most Amazing Horological Museum in the World.
The Patek Philippe Museum is a must-see for any watch collector. Located in the heart of Geneva on Rue des Vieux-Grenadiers 7, this museum holds the largest collection of horological pieces and the most fascinating horological exhibit in the world. The Patek Philippe Museum holds more than 2,200 timepieces within their collection divided into two segments, the antique collection dating from 1500-1850 and the Patek Philippe collection that includes not only almost every single reference ever released by Patek Philippe —including commemorative pieces from their various anniversaries as well as unique pieces— but also some of the impressive Henry Graves Jr.'s timepieces, the Supercomplication 'Duke of Regla', the Calibre 89 and a special exhibit with all the pieces commemorating the 175th anniversary amongst others. Once you make yourself into the museum an air of grandeur fills every corner.
News: The Patek Philippe Museum Celebrates its 20th Anniversary
Inaugurated in November 2001, the Patek Philippe Museum in Geneva houses one of the world’s most important and prestigious horological collections. Some 2,500 watches, automata, precious objects, and portrait miniatures on enamel invite the visitor on a fabulous voyage through five centuries of Genevan, Swiss, and European horological art, as well as proposing a panoramic view of Patek Philippe’s production since 1839.
Breaking News: Greubel Forsey 'Renaissance d'une Montre' Project Coming in 2023. The Rebirth of a Watch.
The ‘Renaissance d'une Montre’ —Rebirth of a Watch— project by Greubel Forsey will be instituted in 2023 and will allow owners of certain Greubel Forsey timepieces to be able to request cosmetic changes to their watches —exterior parts— as well as even the movements in order to provide it with a new aesthetic or new functions and/or indications. Literally, a project that turns watches into evolving timekeepers made for eternity. This is the first time in the history of Haute Horlogerie, that this becomes a reality.
Introducing: Armin Strom Tribute 1 California
The newest interpretation of the Armin Strom Tribute 1 takes its name from the so-called California dials which are distinguished by their alternating Roman and Arabic numerals. The dial, which is offered in five different colors, also features bar markers and a railway track minute ring. With dials in five different colors — blue, light blue, green, burgundy, and black— the new Armin Strom Tribute 1 California is available in editions limited to five per color, meaning that the total edition size for the Tribute 1 California is 25 pieces.
Introducing: Arnold & Son Double Tourbillon Jade
Arnold & Son is celebrating its Double Tourbillon collection with the unveiling of two unique pieces adorned with dazzling green jade and delicate white opal. The two independent tourbillons and two time zones of this rare model have taken on a new face. As the result of high-caliber watchmaking execution, these models are available in either red gold or white gold in a generous 43.5 mm case.
Introducing: Blancpain Air Command Flyback Chronograph Titanium
Inspired by a highly sought-after 1950s Blancpain chronograph that was produced in tiny quantities, the Air Command collection from Blancpain is adding a new watch to its lineup. Featuring a chronograph with a flyback function and a countdown bezel the new model in titanium joins the 18K red gold model reference AC02 36B40 63B as well as the limited edition reference AC01 1130 63A.
News: Audemars Piguet Builds Two New Modular Buildings. Manufacture des Saignoles in Le Locle and The Arc Project in Le Brassus.
Audemars Piguet invests in the future with two contemporary and modular production sites able to adapt to the company’s evolving needs. While the Manufacture des Saignoles recently welcomed its employees in Le Locle after three years of construction work, Audemars Piguet just laid the first stone of its new building, named the “Arc”, adjacent to the Manufacture des Forges in Le Brassus.
From the Editor: Behind the Scenes as a Juror at the 2021 GPHG and the Winning Watches
When I launched WCL eight years ago, I never imagined one day I’d be part of the jury for the most important awards in the watch industry, pretty much the ‘Oscars’ for watches. Last week on Monday, November 1st, 2021, I gathered at the Musée Rath in Geneva, Switzerland along with 29 other jury members to vote for the watches competing at the 2021 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève —GPHG.
From the Editor: Phillips Geneva Watch Auction XIV Sets a Record for the Highest Ever Watch Sale Achieving Almost $75 Million USD
Last week while I was attending the GPHG 2021 as part of the jury and on my way back from visiting the new Audemars Piguet Musée Atelier in Le Brassus —special feature about it to follow—, I decided to stop by the La Réserve Genève Hotel to preview some of the lots that were offered by Phillips for their Geneva Watch Auction: XIV. Honestly, I have never seen so many incredible watches under one tent and I took some candid shots of some of them for your viewing pleasure.
Insider: Baume & Mercier Riviera Baumatic 10616. A Great Comeback of a Seventies Icon.
The Baume & Mercier Riviera was originally created in 1973 as Baume’s way of jumping onto the quartz revolution bandwagon but also as an inexpensive option –slightly similar in looks— to the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak presented in 1972. This year 2021, the Baume & Mercier Riviera has been revived —the fifth generation— by the brand with an almost identical design to the original model but now powered by a Swiss made automatic movement and equipped with a very clever built-in interchangeable strap system.
Insider: Girard-Perregaux Laureato Absolute Infrared. One of the Stealthiest GPs.
To celebrate the opening of their first boutique in China, Girard-Perregaux presented the Laureato Absolute Infrared Limited Edition a few months ago. Today, we bring you our hands-on review of one of the stealthiest GPs out there. This new watch is equipped with a 44 mm case in black PVD Grade 5 titanium and a forged carbon dial with red applied baton indexes.
