Watches and Wonders Geneva came to a close on Monday April 15, 2024, “setting both new records and a positive tone for the industry overall.” Watches and Wonders took place in Geneva from April 9 to 15, 2024. Some facts about this year’s event (provided by the organizer): The event managed to attract over 49,000 unique visitors between April 9 and 15 (+14% vs. 2023), including 5,700 retailers and 1,500 journalists, who all came to see the new introductions from 54 brands. Of the 19,000 tickets made available to the public (vs. 12,000 in 2023), once again 25% were sold to under-25s, with an av ..read more

Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Master Ultra Thin timepieces need little introduction in the realms of high horology. As dubbed in the name, the most classic collection of the traditional Maison is distinguished by slim cases, sophisticated dials and, most importantly, bespoke movements entirely designed and produced in-house. It comprises of some of the most sought-after complications, grand and small, in gold and stainless steel cases. Among them is the Master Ultra Thin Perpetual Calendar, which is unveiled in a new generation at this year’s Watches and Wonders. The latest executions feature a subtly m ..read more

Watch enthusiasts often have varied preferences when it comes to the inclusion of a date function on their timepieces. For some, a date function is a practical addition that enhances the utility of the watch. It provides quick access to the date without needing to pull out a smartphone or look for a calendar. This can be particularly useful in professional settings or during travel. On the other hand, purists might prefer a watch without a date function. They often appreciate the clean, uncluttered aesthetic that a no-date watch offers. This motto rings also true for the new Tonda PF Micr ..read more

It was about time that Zenith finally completed its current collection with a watch that deserved to be called a diver: After a comparatively long hiatus, the Swiss brand has returned to “the deepest depths with the new Defy Extreme Diver, as well as a remake of one of the most sought-after vintage Zenith diver’s watches, the Defy Revival A3648.” The modern Defy Extreme Diver comes in two dial executions with a 42.5mm angular case that is crafted in titanium (Grade 5), a metal that not only boasts a significant weight-to-strength ratio but is also highly resistant to corrosion. In a ..read more

It was 30 years ago that the Glashütte-based luxury watchmaker presented the first four timepieces since it had been re-founded – each with a bespoke movement that had been specially developed in-house, the Lange 1, the Arkade, the Saxonia, and the high-end complication Tourbillon Pour le Mérite, which featured a rare fusée-and-chain mechanism. The next chapter in this unparalleled success story of the renaissance of traditional Saxon fine watchmaking was marked by the legendary Datograph, a chronograph introduced five years later that was also developed under the aegis of Günter Blümlein (194 ..read more

IWC Schaffhausen is relaunching its entire Portugieser collection and adds three new dial colors at Watches & Wonders 2024. Hit the play button for a quick introduction: The horological headliner is undoubtedly the new Portugieser Eternal Calendar (Ref. IW505701), a watch that can calculate leap years correctly until at least the year 3999 (sinceit has not yet been officially decided whether the year 4000 will be a leap year or not). IWC Portugieser Eternal Calendar (Ref. IW505701) A newly engineered 400-years gear ensures that the calendar automatically skips three leap years over four c ..read more

Should you happen to be in Zurich, Switzerland, these days: the Kunsthaus (which is only a couple of minutes away from the must-see Beyer Museum at Bahnhofstrasse) is hosting an exhibition about the various aspects of time until January 14, 2024. For those unfamiliar: the Kunsthaus Zürich is home to one of Switzerland’s most important art collections, with around 4’000 paintings and sculptures as well as 95’000 prints and drawings from the 13th century to the present day. While around 1’000 art works are on permanent display, the special exhibition can be visited until January 14, 2024. “Fro ..read more

When I first got to see press pictures of the new 2067 and 2057 from Breguet, I was pretty sure that I wouldn’t be the one to fall in love with the “mint green shade” featured on the Arabic numerals, hands and bezel of the 2057. After having seen and briefly worn one last Wednesday, it turns out I will have to change my hypothetical order from my initial favorite, the 2067, to the military-inspired version: Mind you, the press pictures I had received from Breguet couldn’t have been of a better quality, but they just did not show the, for the lack of a better word, “full picture,” which includ ..read more

With the B2B part of the undoubtedly “largest watchmaking event of the year” just having wrapped up (this weekend is reserved for the public), it is about time for a first (but definitely not last) summary of the 2023 edition of Watches & Wonders (March 27-April 2, 2023). The good news first: in my opinion, the show was as great as it was impressive: Sieh dir diesen Beitrag auf Instagram an Ein Beitrag geteilt von Roger Ruegger (@rruegger) On top of that, the Swiss watch exports had just risen to a very high level (2.2 billion francs), people were visibly optimistic and happy to reconn ..read more

After the success of the first edition of Watches and Wonders Geneva in 2022, Rolex, Richemont and Patek Philippe have decided to create the Watches and Wonders Geneva Foundation (WWGF), a not-for-profit foundation based in Geneva, established in September 2022.  According to the trade show, the mission of the foundation is “to promote watchmaking excellence throughout the world and to organize either in-person or digital watch and jewelry exhibitions, in Geneva and other places.”  The WWGF will be managed by a foundation board, with Jean-Frédéric Dufour serving as ch ..read more