Editorial

Blancpain’s history begins in the village of Villeret, where it was founded in 1735 by Jehan-Jacques Blancpain, a schoolmaster turned watchmaker. With this founding year, Blancpain claims the right to be the oldest watch brand in the world. The horology house’s Villeret collection embodies this long and successful corporate history of traditional watchmaking while attesting to the…

July 14, 2016, was a particularly memorable day for Yves Piaget, the fourth and final direct descendant of the founding family of the eponymous watch and jewellery manufacture. For the launch of the Piaget Polo S, he returned to the place where he caused a sensation with a spectacular campaign in 1985, when he was…

Over a century after the creation of its ultra-complicated Universelle pocket watch, Audemars Piguet is introducing a new interpretation that marks the first ever ultra-complicated self-winding wristwatch, the RD#4, to emerge from the watchmaker. Appearing in a Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet case, the highly complex watch is impressively ergonomic and highly contemporary. The history…

Surely no horology house has ever entered into the vintage watch business in such a charming way: Jaeger-LeCoultre is introducing The Collectibles, a watch 'Bible' featuring its 17 most important models, dedicated primarily to the manufacture's collectors. But that's not all. Behind The Collectibles is another idea: offering up watch enthusiasts a carefully curated selection…

Can a watch manufacture become any more sovereign than this? The soon-to-be-instated King Charles III of England is the owner of a Parmigiani Fleurier. King Charles has long worn the watch, but now, as a prince becomes a king, his choice carries even more weight: the British crown puts his trust in Parmigiani Fleurier. Meanwhile,…

It’s been another extraordinary year for us all, and the watch world is no exception. That is why the Swisswatches team sat down once more to comprise a list of our top watches of 2022. From anniversary models to world records, we are presenting you 24 special highlights to emerge from the ever-surprising Swiss watch…

‘Belle Haute Horlogerie’ encapsulates what Vacheron Constantin has stood for ever since its founding in 1755: the pursuit of watchmaking in its highest form and the commitment to continually perpetuate the knowledge and know-how gathered by generations of master watchmakers. In its over 250-year history, Vacheron Constantin has unremittingly created not only fine timepieces, but…

Editor Catherine Bishop takes the new Panerai Luminor Due Luna editions for a spin. The watches mark the first time that the Luminor Due has integrated a complication – and what better way to start than with a moonphase? New moon, waxing crescent, first quarter, waxing gibbous, full moon, waning gibbous, third quarter, waning crescent…

Omega is known for its moonwalking Speedmaster, deep-diving Seamaster and sporty, elegant Aqua Terra. Stylish, historic, reliable: that's the best way to sum up Omega. But the brand is also known for having produced several significant technologies in the watch industry. With the industrial production of the Co-Axial escapement in 1999 and the introduction of the Co-Axial calibre in…

In this world, markets regulate the price – but they cannot always reflect the true value of a product. This is probably going to be the case starting from November 29, when, as part of Sotheby's Luxury Week, something extraordinary will be auctioned on Sotheby's website until 14 December: a 911 S 2.4 Targa from…

Editor Catherine Bishop discovers the timepieces setting new standards for the Swiss watch industry; gains insights from Breitling’s Global Head of Sustainability into the company’s lab-grown diamonds; and recounts a trip to a castle with new Breitling envoy, Hereditary Princess Cleo von Oettingen. A night out with Breitling and Cleo’s Midnight Tales Close to the…

Vacheron Constantin, the oldest watch manufacture to be in continuous production, celebrates its 267th anniversary in 2022 – and its Traditionnelle collection is the embodiment of the company's long-standing tradition. The Traditionnelle line skilfully expresses the sophisticated principles of 18th-century Geneva Haute Horlogerie and finds the right balance between perseverance and contemporary design. The signature…