Alexander Stilcken

A good reputation is easily lost, but takes far longer to build. So when Jaeger-LeCoultre is often – and fondly – referred to today as the ‘watchmaker of watchmakers’, it may sound like a well-worn phrase, yet there are countless reasons and decades of history behind it. The current Polaris collection, including recent additions such…

The significance of a 'Royal Warrant' – the distinction of being a royal purveyor – can be felt not only in museums. When King Charles III recently withdrew this status from the chocolate company Cadbury after 170 years, it caused quite a stir. After all, Cadbury is considered one of Britain’s strongest brands. However, according…

Beauty, as the saying goes, is always in the eye of the beholder. On the other hand, there are fixed parameters for the quality of a timepiece. In the Chopard L.U.C Qualité Fleurier 20th Anniversary Edition, both come together: The not-so-subjective refinement of a timeless design, as well as a watchmaking excellence that has impressed…

A look at one's own past is part of the marketing basics of pretty much every watch brand. Hardly any other manufacturer can look at a history like Breguet. During his lifetime, Abraham Louis Breguet was probably the most important watchmaker of his time, and he is still the most famous today. However, the newly…

The Greek philosopher Heraclitus is credited with the observation that nothing is as constant as change. This thought resonates when looking at the new products presented by Patek Philippe. Because what Thierry Stern is presenting at Watches & Wonders is three hundred percent in the Patek Philippe tradition, and at the same time demonstrates a…

Mangas here, sushi there. Zen Buddhism meets street style, and the crowds of Tokyo's Shibuya district meet the snowy dreamscapes of Hokkaidō. There's no doubt about it: viewed from afar, Japan conjures up a wide variety of associations. Clichés mingle with nostalgia, but in the end, what unites them all is the conviction that faraway…

Why not start the watchmaking year with a bang? This seems to have been the thinking at Vacheron Constantin, which launched the steel version of the Historiques 222 a good three years ago following the premiere of the yellow-gold 222, which already confirmed the desirability of this high-end sports watch with integrated bracelet once and…

As always, Chopard's latest creations are well worth looking at in detail, as they offer a glimpse into what the brand is calling the aesthetic future of the company. Seamlessly blending refined elegance with the precision of guilloché craftsmanship, the latest timepieces set a new standard for timeless sophistication. The L.U.C Lunar One and the…

They love watches and make no secret of it. Our horology experts Philippe and Alexander talk about their favourite subject: Patek Philippe. Alexander: We both had the pleasure of attending the launch of the new Patek Philippe ‘Cubitus’ models in Munich last week. The excitement couldn't have been greater. All around the world, but also directly…

First of all, congratulations. Having a launch like this after 25 years is something very, very special. What does the launch of this watch mean to you?  Thierry Stern: Well, for me, it's always exciting, because, as you mentioned, it's not something that happens often. Of course, launching a new family is part of life,…

The watch industry has something of a penchant for superlatives, but it would be no exaggeration to say that this is, in many ways, the most exciting new product of the year: the Patek Philippe Cubitus. For the manufacture, it is the first new watch collection in a quarter of a century – the predecessor…

Vacheron Constantin makes no secret of the significance of its Patrimony collection for the maison. The name itself, ‘Patrimony’, speaks to the brand’s heritage, evoking a deep legacy of history, emotion, responsibility, and a commitment to carry that legacy forward. When the horology house from Geneva first decided to launch the collection twenty years ago,…