Tabla de contenidos para Issue 4 2023 en CROWN

In April 2023, Morgan Stanley’s Swiss Watch Industry Report 2022 was released and noted several significant concerns. Firstly, sales polarisation and premiumisation have continued, something that began at the start of the pandemic and has since been observed in price increases across the industry. The report wrote, “This figure testifies even more clearly to the impact of price increases within the industry and also to a certain insensitivity of the target audience to the variant.” It also noted that the polarisation of brands has become even more evident, with the four biggest groups in the industry holding a massive 75 per cent market share and just four brands (Audemars Piguet, Patek Philippe, Rolex, and Richard Mille) holding over 40 per cent of market share. It further noted that Rolex alone…

The Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG) is rarely controversial, but it has, at times, thrown up a few surprise wins. With a relatively diverse jury (honestly, it’s 2023; you really need to add some Asians into the mix) that includes individuals from every region and field, the nominees and winners not only inform us of where watchmaking is today but also where it’s headed. This year’s winners were announced on 9 November; what it revealed was the triumph of neo-classicism in watchmaking. Here are some of the key winners this year. Aiguille d’Or – Audemars Piguet The Golden Needle grand prize went to Audemars Piguet’s Code 11.59 Ultra-Complication Universelle RD#4. The impressive timepiece recalls the early noughties when watchmakers were battling it out with mega-complication watches. The Calibre 1000…

Aviation is at the very heart of Bell & Ross. Now, in France, if you love aviation, you’ll be fascinated by the Patrouille de France. They are the team that starts the parade on our Day of Independence celebrations. It’s very much the emblem of French aviation, a representation of France abroad, and incredibly prestigious. In the past, we’ve worked with incredible pilots and companies like Dassault, but it was during the pandemic when the authorities were looking for new partners for the Patrouille team, and it was the right timing, so to speak. It’s been a few years, but we’ve grown closer since and gotten to know the team, and it’s a partnership we hope to build on for the long term. At Bell & Ross, we’ve always sought…

When Leica first branched out into watchmaking under the vision of its enthusiastic owner, Dr Andreas Kaufmann, some questioned the wisdom of this decision. After all, this was a camera brand that was very specific in its identity: Leica invented the compact camera, and to translate that into watchmaking was a challenge. Although Leica had partner watches since the 1970s, it never produced its own designs. However, a quick tour of Leica’s cameramaking facilities in Wetzlar reveals many similarities between its primary consumer business – creating beautiful cameras and lenses that create beautiful pictures – and its new Watch Division, headed by Marcus Eilinger and Daniel Blunschi. From CNC machines precisely producing components accurate to the nanometer to using various materials – brass, aluminium, steel, and titanium, a Leica camera…

Over the last 25 years, Urwerk has built exceptional timepieces that explore the varied aspects of timekeeping, from design to chronometry, history, and culture. The Time and Culture watches may seem counter to the avant-garde design philosophy of Urwerk, but they’re inspired by a desire to use watchmaking as a bridge to the past. In fact, this is somewhat related to Urwerk’s own founding as well as the creation of the UR-100V, both of which were inspired by old clocks that today reside in its atelier. (The two clocks have been restored by Geri Baumgartner, co-founder Felix’s father.) The first Time and Culture watch was introduced last year, and Urwerk decided to start with an ancient civilisation: the Aztecs. At the time, chief designer and co-founder Martin Frei explained, “This…

When Abraham-Louis Breguet first created his tourbillon for pocket watches in 1801, it didn’t bring about the immediate revolution in watchmaking that it would likely see today. In fact, it wasn’t until 1806 that the tourbillon became commercialised, and it was even longer before patrons of the brand began requesting tourbillon timepieces. It was also a device that was mostly demanded by male patrons at the time, as watches for ladies were centred on decorative styles and complications such as repeaters rather than precision timekeeping. Today, that gap in ladies’ timepieces has closed, with collectors of female watches demanding great performance and elegance in the watches they acquire. This season, Breguet is reminding us of its notable role in two pivotal watchmaking milestones – creating the first wristwatch and inventing…

Longines’ DolceVita is a relatively young collection dating back to 1997, it’s actually based on a Longines watch design from 1927. For a design that’s approaching its 100th, it’s looking good, especially in its latest Mini form. (Random fact: Longines’ tagline today is inspired by the creation of the DolceVita collection.) The new Mini offers a refreshed design from the 2015 DolceVita design. On the front of the watch, a slightly rectangular dial is framed by a set of long lugs that curve, with two flat cross bars. The surfaces of the watch are polished, with a grooved flat crown. The case is 21.5mm wide and 29mm long, and the bezel-less design creates a more open design for this watch. There are numerous dial executions, starting with its Cosmo dial,…

A. Lange & Söhne • #02-05A Ion Orchard Tel: 6509 1712 Audemars Piguet • #B2-207, The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands Tel: 6688 7595 • #01-03, liat towers Tel: 6836 4918 Ball Watch For enquires, please call 6235 1811 Baume & Mercier For enquires, please call 6510 2767 Bell & Ross • #01-15 Mandarin Gallery Tel: 6884 6471 Blancpain • #B2-237 The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands Tel: 6634 8771 Breguet • B2M-236 The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands Tel: 6638 6006 Breitling • #01-03/04, Palais Renaisance Tel: 6732 8582 Bulgari • #B2-200 The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands Tel: 6634 8313 • Level 1, Takashimaya Department Store Tel: 6735 6689 Cartier • #B1-39A, #B2-38 The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands Tel: 6688 7388 • #01-20, #02-10 Ion Orchard Tel:…

This year has been a riot when it comes to watchmaking. Beginning with the LVMH Watch Week and Watches and Wonders Geneva, right up to the Geneva Watch Days, there have been hundreds of incredible timepieces to admire this year. We break down some of the highlights and major trends that we think made an impression this year and will continue to drive watchmaking in the future. Artistry and Whimsicality Playfulness is something we’re seeing in generous doses this year, and the biggest statement-maker is naturally the Rolex Oyster Perpetual Day-Date 36 with its mindfulness-oriented and emoji-laden displays. The watchmaker has taken what’s typically perceived as a serious and classic timepiece and doused it in Millennial energy, demonstrating that it’s not a staid or predictable brand. Regardless of how one…

Franck Muller has, since the brand’s founding, developed and redeveloped the classic tonneau case in various ways. In the early days, this was the Cintrée Curvex, which later gave way to the sportier, more powerful design of the Vanguard in 2013. A decade later, the Vanguard continues to be a Franck Muller bestseller, especially as smaller case sizes with bold new designs have emerged in recent years, thanks to its Southeast Asian distributor, Cortina Watch. The Vanguard has adapted quickly to evolving watch trends, the latest of which is the slimmed-down and ultra-luxe sports watch. The Vanguard Slim Skeleton offers high jewellery in a sports watch design with a brand-new skeleton movement driving it. The highlight of this watch is Franck Muller’s MVT FM 708-SQ, an ultra-thin and self-winding movement…

The year was 1945, and change was taking place across the globe. But in Switzerland, a change of a different kind was emerging as the founder of Rolex, Hans Wilsdorf, celebrated the brand’s 40th anniversary with a watch that would shake the industry up once more. Just 18 years prior in 1927, the brand presented the first waterproof and dustproof wristwatch, dubbed the Rolex Oyster for its enclosed back that sealed the case completely. Wilsdorf equipped Mercedes Gleitze, a young Englishwoman, with an Oyster watch when she swam the English Channel. After more than 10 hours in the water, the watch emerged in perfect working order. The Oyster Perpetual Datejust was the successor to the Rolex Oyster. Wilsdorf described the watch as a consummate demonstration of watchmaking techniques. Indeed, it…

When Longines announced its Spirit Flyback earlier this year, we expected a titanium model to eventually find its way into the collection. After all, titanium is an ideal modern choice for a tool or field watch today. It’s hypoallergenic, lightweight, corrosionresistant, and highly durable. The Spirit Flyback has been a major launch for Longines this year, given its history of the flyback chronograph, a remarkable tale of invention back in the 1920s. The Spirit, its sibling three-hand model in the collection, also had a similar development process. The new Spirit Flyback comes in grade 5 titanium, which is used in aeronautical and medical industries for its excellent physical qualities. More importantly, the robust metal can be mirror-polished, which really enhances the beauty of this watch. While purists might question the…

If Brunello Cucinelli is this decade’s quiet luxury fashion brand, Parmigiani Fleurier is its horological equivalent. After several tumultuous leadership changes, the brand finally found its perfect fit in Guido Terreni. Playing to its strengths, Terreni has really brought Michel Parmigiani’s vision to life. He’s slimmed down product numbers, shed a lot of excess weight on the brand, and allowed its refined and urbane aesthetics to shine through. There are careful details, but none that disrupt or overwhelm the harmony of the watches. Which brings us to the latest Tonda PF Automatic watches Parmigiani has introduced this season. The Tonda PF is the brand’s luxury sports watch, and the three-hand models come in 36mm and 40mm sizes. Until now, they have been housed in monochromatic metals – warm rose gold,…

Astronomia Revolution Over the last decade, Jacob & Co. has experimented with what we’ll term kinetic watchmaking. That is, developing movements that literally move. The Astronomia started with a rotating movement with arms that hold different components, from the time display to a flying tourbillon regulator. The Astronomia Revolution is the latest version of this design, speeding up the JCAM48B movement’s motion to a brisk minute, with a pyramidcut ruby pointer straddling the time display and a flying tourbillon acting as the running seconds display. Both the pointer and tourbillon rotate on the vertical axis as well. To enable all this motion, the brand has developed a patent-pending remontoir escapement wheel that’s integrated into the tourbillon carriage, releasing energy at the same pace as the escapement itself. This ensures constant…

I first met Christiaan over 25 years ago. The first time we met was when I was still in watchmaking school. He came by to show the class his beautiful brand and products. Later, when I graduated, I asked him if he would hire me. He suggested that I start in Switzerland instead to gain some experience. And so I did that for 20 years before I came to Christiaan van der Klaauw (CVDK). Astronomy is key to the heritage of this company for the last 49 years. You can imagine that when Christiaan created his first planetarium in a wristwatch in 1999, the challenge was huge. He had great experience in making Astronomical Clocks, but putting all those handmade wheels inside a tiny space like a wristwatch is incredible.…

It’s a breezy evening in Cannes, and we’re heading on a charter boat to Île Sainte-Marguerite along with a gentleman carrying a precious Blancpain box that holds a particular treasure beyond that of Jason deCaires Taylor’s Underwater Sculptures. Arriving at the island, we hike up a short trail to arrive at the Maritime Museum decked out with fine gastronomy options, showcases of an iconic diving watch, and a grand stage where, later, Marc A Hayek will reveal the final special edition of the Fifty Fathoms for its 70th anniversary. This is a rare experience: along with incredible panoramic views of all of Cannes, this is the very first (and likely the last) time this space has hosted a private event. The location is truly an apt one. Cannes is where…

Luxury watchmaking has touted the use of innovative, high-tech materials for over 60 years now. Rado and Omega were early applicants in the use of tungsten carbide cases, and IWC was the first watchmaker to make a full ceramic case watch in 1986. The revival of Swiss watchmaking in the late 20th century saw the adoption of ceramics across the industry, along with carbon fibre, sapphire crystal, and many other materials. What’s interesting about ceramics in watchmaking is how much it’s changed and yet stayed almost the same after 40 years of experimentation. Today, coloured ceramics is a breakthrough for watch brands. But coloured ceramics are more commonly used as accents on the watch; black or white ceramics are still the standard. The Corum Admiral Ceramic Corum is the latest…

When it comes to the holidays, a bit of nostalgia is inevitable. So it feels apt that Tissot has dropped for this holiday season a refresh of an old model from the ’30s that recalls the elegance of the era, with a few modern upgrades to the timepiece. The designs of watches and other products from the 1930s were largely shaped by the Bauhaus movement. The school’s doctrine of functionalism focused on simple geometric forms without elaborate decorations or embellishments – an idea that was rather antithetical to watchmaking before the turn of the century. Straight lines and rounded corners were hallmarks of the Bauhaus, and these were also often seen in watches of the era, from Patek Philippe’s Ref. 96 to IWC’s Portugieser and several models from Tissot that…

Avid collectors of high-end watches would be familiar with Philippe Stern, the president of the Patek Philippe from 1993 to 2009 and current honorary president. To celebrate the industry stalwart’s 85th birthday, the Manufacture has just released a special timepiece. Limited to 30 pieces, Minute Repeater Alarm Reference 1938P-001 is a fitting tribute on several counts, but it also comes with an unexpected twist. More on that later. We wouldn’t be exaggerating when we say Patek Philippe owes much of its success today to Stern. For instance, in 1989, the then company director revived the wrist-worn minute repeater on the company’s 150th anniversary with the renowned self-winding Calibre R 27, the first of its kind designed and built entirely in the Manufacture’s own workshops. This reinforced Patek Philippe’s reputation as…

In the fiery aftermath of the Quartz Crisis and the rebirth of Swiss fine watchmaking, new brands like Hublot emerged with a clear vision to explore the future of the industry through a modern lens. Without the baggage of a long history and conservative critics insisting that old codes of watchmaking be followed, Hublot’s founders began by mixing ‘precious’ materials with modern ones. Three decades later, that controversy is now mainstream. Today, Hublot’s cross-pollination of ideas lies in the realm of art, design, and culture with partners like Maxime Plescia-Büchi of Sang Bleu and Richard Orlinski. In classic watchmaking segments, such as jewellery watchmaking, it is giving industry leaders a good run for their craftsmanship. The latest high-jewellery watch from the brand is the Classic Fusion High Jewellery 2023. This…