Joern Frederic Kengelbach

As soon as the five starting lights on Boulevard Albert 1er turn green at 3 p.m. on 25 May 2025 and the Formula 1 TAG Heuer Grand Prix de Monaco 2025 begins, they will also mark the beginning of a new era in the watch world at the historic race track. In celebration of the…

Is the currently weak watch market perhaps lacking the sophistication to truly captivate top collectors who already have everything? Editor and watch expert Jörn Kengelbach embarks on a journey into the world of Vacheron Constantin’s enamel craftsmanship — and explores why this rare art could play a key role in the watchmaking industry’s spectacular comeback.…

As every good collector knows, the smallest of changes can make a huge difference to watches. Panerai is revising its most important model, the Luminor Marina. The PAM01312 becomes the PAM03312. Same, same, but (totally) different? It's a game-changer, says Swisswatches expert Joern Kengelbach. First impressions: Does the new Panerai suit my wrist? I travelled…

The most important company and watch model anniversaries in 2025 and a (critical) look at the watch industry this coming year. Normally, we like to hold back on speculation at Swisswatches – and for good reason. The watch industry and the pre-owned watch market have experienced a surge in attention over the last five years,…

The Porsche Design Chronograph 1 was the world’s first black wristwatch in 1972. Its most significant comeback followed in 2022.

Everything about the service for Patek Philippe watches: Maintenance, costs, duration and restorations of historically important models.

Swiss watch start-up Norqain earned a spot in the display windows of the prestigious retailer Wempe in remarkably little time. Our editor Joern F. Kengelbach explores this through the lens of the latest 2024 Wempe Signature Collection, created in collaboration with none other than this rising watch start-up, which has been making waves in recent…

As an author who has spent over twenty years writing about mechanical wristwatches, being tucked away for two hours in a shadowy wine cellar in Cologne’s old town with thirty potential watch clients is truly exciting. It’s not just the rare wines they savoured together – including a Bordeaux from 1988 – but the open…

The German manufacture Glashütte Original has firmly earned its place alongside some of the most reputable of Swiss brands. Glashütte Original combines traditional watchmaking and craftsmanship with the almost implausible ability to adapt to new economic, political and cultural conditions. These lines were not written by the author of this text, but by the CEO…

The first German Concours of Elegance – at least the first one to be deserving of the name – is only an hour’s flight from Hamburg, yet travelling through Germany during the summer holidays is inevitably a challenge, as hundreds of thousands of Germans flee the country in search of warmer climes. All the greater,…

Many roads lead to Rome, but only one charmingly uses the eternal city as a turning point. This story demonstrates what it means to have driven the legendary 1000-mile race from Brescia to Rome and back yourself. On the wrist, of course: the Mille Miglia collection from Chopard. Strap in for one of the toughest…

30 years is actually not a very long period in the watch industry, which tends to move in generations. But when A. Lange & Söhne looks back this autumn to October 24, 1994, the collector community won't be able to help but say: a news star is shining bright in the sky. 72 movements have…