Schwarz Etienne is sort of a hidden gem in the Swiss watch industry. Not only a brand, it is part of a watchmaking group that manufactures watches and movements in-house (including production for third-party brands, such as MING) but also hairsprings (with sister company E2O innovations). The group even manufactures CNC machines to produce watch components. And the […]
58-year-old Thierry Ducret has been teaching watchmaking in the Lycée Edgar Faure in Morteau since 1996. This watchmaking school is one of the most prestigious in France and has trained dozens of skilled craftsmen, working for some of the most exclusive brands… If you are into indie watchmaking, many of the French “Nouvelle Vague” of […]
Fifty-eight-year-old Thierry Ducret has been teaching watchmaking in the Lycée Edgar Faure in Morteau since 1996. This watchmaking school is one of the most prestigious in France and has trained dozens of skilled craftsmen, working for some of the most exclusive brands… If you are into indie watchmaking, many of the French “Nouvelle Vague” of […]
Today we’re talking with someone who bought an MB&F. And while MB&F is already pretty much ‘out there’ with their designs (remember the drop-dead-gorgeous LM1 owned by @winewhiskeywatches), today’s collector got one of the most unusual designs in the world of watches. Today’s collector was not necessarily a long-time watch collector, but he has an eye for the unusual, for the creative side. His name is Todd Searle and his business card states “Creator at Large”. He’s both an author, a content creator and a sales professional. For Todd, it had to be the MB&F Horological Machine HM7 from the first glance. Let’s find out what it was that attracted this collector from Chicago, Illinois, in this bold watch.
Time and time again various attempts have proven it is extremely difficult to launch a new, exciting new brand from scratch, regardless of the technical complexity or segment of the market is focussed on. The most challenging thing is perhaps creating a distinct enough product and reaching out to the right clientele at the right […]
Since its foundation in 1994, Ikepod has always been about design. Megastar designer Marc Newson was the key figure behind the design identity of Ikepod in the 1990s, which is still going strong despite the ups and downs of the brand (see below). Collaborations with artists have also proved lucrative and watches with dials designed […]
Today I’m talking with long-time friend François-Xavier Overstake, aka @equationdutemps. This is not just his Instagram handle, but also the name of his blog about watches, which is probably one of the most important French publications on watches. Besides running his own blog, Francois-Xavier is a moderator on Watchprosite, a large watch forum. At 51 […]
Not everybody will be familiar with the independent Biel-based brand Horage, but with two modular in-house movements under its belt, it might be a name worth remembering. Frustrated by the lack of accessible movements on the market, the founders of the brand decided to approach their watchmaking dream back to front and decided to tackle […]
In Bovet’s cosmos of extravagant complications, the Fleurier 19Thirty might be more straightforward on the mechanical front, offering ‘just’ hours, minutes and small seconds, but it is still faithful to the brand’s lavish execution and dramatic staging. For 2021, the Fleurier 19Thirty appears with a rich red guilloché dial and the hallmark pocket-watch inspired case […]
When revived in 2015, Czapek – a historically-important name, paying tribute to Czech-born Polish watchmaker François Czapek, once the partner of Norbert de Patek – presented a highly classic watch with an elegant twist. Since then, the brand has evolved and now has far more to offer, including a successful take on the luxury sports […]