All Entries in the "Featured Articles" Category

WOW TIME: Parmigiani Bugatti Super Sport

In 2004 Parmigiani’s Bugatti Type 370 wowed the watch world with its horizontal, engine block-inspired movement layout. Fast-forward to 2010 and its wow time again at Parmigiani. WatchTime attended the launch of the wild new Super Sport, fittingly held during Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance weekend. We have exclusive photos of the launch, the watch, and the latest Bugatti Veyron whose name it shares.

The Man Behind the Brand: Pierre Jaquet-Droz

Pierre Jaquet-Droz was a real devil.

Or at least people thought so. In 1758, Jaquet-Droz, whose name lives on in the high-end mechanical-watch brand owned by the Swatch Group, scared so many people with his mysterious, other-worldly machines that he was suspected of witchcraft.

WatchTime’s New York ‘Inside Basel-Geneva’ Event Sold Out

WatchTime’s “Inside Basel-Geneva” event in New York City, which will be held on Sept. 14, is sold out. WatchTime is putting names of people wanting to attend on a waiting list, said publisher Wolfgang Blum, but tickets to the event are no longer available.

Thunderstruck
MB&F’s latest horological machine arrives like a bolt from the blue.

It started with the figure-eight-inspired central tourbillon HM1. Then came HM2, with flying buttresses and porthole dials. HM3 followed with rotating cones providing the time. Earlier this year came a redesigned HM3 with cones resembling the bulging eyes of a frog. Now, MB&F rolls out its latest model, the HM4, which makes its predecessors look downright conventional by comparison.

Time Test: Tag Lines

How well do you know your tag lines? We’ve chosen 15, and your goal is to match them up with their brands. Whether you’re dedicated to perfection or living your passion, embrace some adventure and begin your own tradition with this quiz. You’ll be tested beyond endurance, but we’re sure others will follow. Answers appear at the end.

Swiss Watch Industry Loses “Just” 4,200 Jobs

It could have been worse. Last year, Swiss watch companies eliminated “only” 4,200 jobs, compared with the more than 5,000 that some officials had predicted. Employment is now 49,097, a decline of 7.9% from 2008, and nearly the same as in 2007. Manufacturing jobs were hardest hit, declining 9.8%, to 36,275.

Timex to Close Vincent Bérard

The Timex Group’s grand foray into the high reaches of the luxury mechanical watch market is ending. Swiss media are reporting that Timex is shutting Vincent Bérard S.A., the La Chaux-de-Fonds-based manufacturer of luxury mechanical watches, that it acquired in 2006. While neither Timex nor the Vincent Bérard firm has made any official announcement, sources close to Timex have confirmed to WatchTime that the Swiss reports are true.

Omega Man
Insights and Observations from Dr. George Daniels

At Baselworld, a small group of watch publications, including WatchTime – the only U.S. representative, was granted an interview with Dr. George Daniels, the legendary British watchmaker and creator of the co-axial escapement. At 84, Daniels still plies his trade, developing technology for Omega and creating his own watches, most recently with his former apprentice, British watchmaker Roger Smith. What follows are excerpts from the interview.

The Big Inside Basel/Geneva West Coast Report
The Miami Show is July 14!

Inside Basel/Geneva 2010 kicked off with two West Coast shows that played to full houses as collectors and enthusiasts came out to see the newest watches and to meet the record number of exhibiting brands. Don’t forget that the Miami show is July 14. There are still a few tickets left, so check out the West Coast shows in this article, then head over to the sign-up page and come on down!

TIME TEST: It’s Automatic

How much do you know about self-winding watches, past and present? Sharpen your pencil and set that cerebral rotor a’spinning. Answers, as usual, appear at the end.