When Audemars Piguet announced at the end of September last year that it would return to Watches and Wonders after a six-year absence—AP pulled out when SIHH was replaced by Watches and Wonders—, the watch world took notice. The Le Brassus manufacture had famously departed SIHH in 2019 alongside Richard Mille, declaring its intention to forge direct relationships with collectors through boutique-only distribution and private events.
Perspective: Why Every Serious Watch Collector Needs an Independent in 2026
The current watch market in 2026 presents a peculiar opportunity: while established brands’ pricing remains elevated and allocation scarcity persists for the Holy Trinity and Rolex sports models, independent watchmakers offer increasingly compelling value propositions that serious collectors systematically overlook.
From the Editor: Why Titanium Is the Most Underrated Case Material in Haute Horlogerie
In 35 years of watch collecting, I've watched haute horlogerie's relationship with materials evolve from conservative use of gold and stainless steel to adventurous explorations of tantalum, silver, platinum, ceramics, and proprietary metal alloys. Yet titanium remains systematically undervalued despite offering compelling advantages for complicated watchmaking.
Insider: Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Concept Split-Seconds Chronograph GMT Large Date
The Royal Oak Concept collection has always represented Audemars Piguet's most uninhibited creative expression—a laboratory for horological experimentation where traditional constraints are willingly abandoned. With the Royal Oak Concept Split-Seconds Chronograph GMT Large Date reference 26650TI.OO.D013CA.01, launched in 2023, AP achieved something genuinely remarkable
Perspective: Five Watch Collecting Philosophies. Finding Your Path in 2026.
As we enter 2026, the landscape of watch collecting has never been more varied—or more personal. The question isn't whether to collect, but how to collect. Your approach reveals as much about your values as the watches themselves. Drawing on the exceptional timepieces we encountered in 2025, here are five distinct philosophies that define contemporary watch collecting from our perspective, each offering its own rewards and challenges.
Perspective: Happy New Year 2026
As midnight strikes and our calendars advance, I find myself reflecting on what watchmaking has taught me about time—that it's both our most finite resource and our most renewable. Every January 1st, perpetual calendars advance, taking leap years into account, and all our watches with a date function advance effortlessly..
From the Editor: 2025—A Year of Horological Audacity and Pleasant Surprises
As I reflect on the watches that graced my hands and lenses throughout 2025, what strikes me most profoundly is not merely the technical achievements—though they were considerable—but rather the willingness of watch manufactures to pursue genuine innovation while honoring their heritage. This was a year when the industry's most storied names took meaningful risks, and some of them paid tenfold.
Introducing: Block RG Stealth Tourbillon. Sharpest Geometry in Haute Horlogerie.
Founded by Romas Gimbutis, Block RG draws on decades of expertise in jewelry craftsmanship, precision engineering, and haute horlogerie. Relying on a group of creators who intimately understood the limits of traditional watchmaking because they'd spent years working within them, the brand draws on materials and technologies from the aerospace, high-performance automotive, and defense sectors, integrating lightweight composites and advanced alloys that prioritize performance over convention
Perspective: Greubel Forsey, the Watchmaking Atelier That Redefined Modern Haute Horlogerie
In an industry where heritage and years of history often trump innovation, Greubel Forsey stands as proof that a young manufacturer can reshape the very foundations of horological excellence. Since Robert Greubel and Stephen Forsey launched their eponymous brand in 2004, they've accomplished something remarkable: they've taken the tourbillon—arguably watchmaking's most revered complication—and elevated it beyond Abraham-Louis Breguet's original vision, creating what they aptly call ‘Fundamental Inventions.’
Merry Christmas: Reflections on a Year in Horology
Christmas Day offers something rare in our perpetually connected world—permission to pause. As I write this from my desk, surrounded by the quiet satisfaction of a morning spent with family rather than deadlines, I'm reminded that watch collecting, at its essence, shares this same quality of intentional reflection.
Perspective: Laurent Ferrier's Bespoke Diamond Pavé Pieces. An Independent Manufacture's Advantage.
In an industry increasingly dominated by production quotas, bundle allocations, very little exclusivity with high production numbers, and predictable annual releases, independent watchmakers retain something that major manufactures often sacrifice in pursuit of scale: the freedom to create truly exceptional one-off pieces that reflect individual client desires rather than market research.
Insider: Speake-Marin Dual Time Terracotta. When Orange Meets Independent Horology.
The Speake-Marin Dual Time Terracotta represents a bold departure for the independent Geneva-based manufacture within the Piccadilly collection. With its striking terracotta orange accents contrasting against micro-blasted rhodium bridges and openworked architecture, this dual time complication showcases everything that makes Speake-Marin one of the most compelling voices in contemporary independent watchmaking.
Perspective: Five Great Chronographs Priced Under $15K USD
The somewhat accessible chronograph market under USD 15K delivered exceptional value across 2024 and 2025, proving that serious horological complications don't require six-figure investments. While haute horlogerie commanded headlines with increasingly complex complications, these timepieces demonstrate that discerning collectors can acquire compelling chronographs that combine Swiss manufacturing excellence, thoughtful design, and robust mechanical movements—all at prices that make serious collecting accessible.
Introducing: Porsche Design Chronograph 1 ‘90 F.A. Porsche’ Edition. Alongside a 911 GT3 90 F.A. Porsche, a Sled, and Weekender Bag.
The man who created the legendary Porsche 911 and invented the Chronograph 1 receives tribute through carefully curated items, including the 911 GT3 90 F.A. Porsche, a special-edition Chronograph 1 watch, a bespoke Weekender bag, and a reimagined ‘Porsche Junior’ Sled—each of them limited to 90 examples.
Perspective: Top Ten Watches to Gift this Christmas—Some of My Favorites in 2025.
The 2025 watch releases have showcased an extraordinary collection of horological masterpieces that push the boundaries of craftsmanship, innovation, and luxury. From perpetual calendars and world time complications to elegant dress watches and revolutionary new movements, this year's releases represent the pinnacle of Swiss and German watchmaking artistry. For those seeking the ultimate gift for a discerning collector, here are ten of the most impressive timepieces from 2025.
Introducing: Vacheron Constantin Overseas Self-Winding High Jewellery. Where Sportiness Meets Splendor.
The oldest watch manufacture in the world unveils two spectacular versions: one in 18K white gold ref. 4617V/215G-H039 and another in 18K 5N pink gold ref. 4617V/215R-H040, each absolutely ablaze with 1,430 diamonds totaling approximately 12.58 carats. This isn't simply a watch with stones on the bezel; it is a masterclass in high-jewelry watchmaking that transforms the entire timepiece into a luminous sculpture.
From the Editor: The Million Dollar 'Albino' Rolex Daytona from Sotheby's. Perezcope Breaks the Silence, Again.
The vintage watch-collecting world values a good story when it comes to the origin, rarity, and provenance of a watch offered at auction, and even more so when it’s about a vintage Rolex Daytona. We celebrate provenance, pursue rarity, and invest not only in mechanical excellence but also in the narratives that surround exceptional timepieces.
Introducing: Roger Dubuis Excalibur Spider Pirelli Flyback Chronograph Mexico Edition
Eight years into one of watchmaking's most adrenaline-fueled partnerships, Roger Dubuis and Pirelli are celebrating their motorsport marriage with something appropriately audacious—a flyback chronograph draped in the green, white, and red of Mexico's racing heritage.
Introducing: Richard Mille RM 07-01 Starry Night, RM 07-01 Baguette, RM 07-01 Gourmette, and RM 037 Red Gold
Twenty years is a significant milestone in any relationship, and Richard Mille's two-decade courtship with women's haute horlogerie has been nothing short of a masterclass in understanding that strength and elegance aren't mutually exclusive—they're perfectly complementary. As 2025 draws to a close, the brand is spotlighting its feminine universe with a quartet of timepieces that prove technical prowess and precious beauty can coexist in the same tonneau-shaped case.
Introducing: Angelus Chronodate Gold & Titanium 'Moka' Editions
There's something inherently compelling about the word "mocha," as it evokes richness, warmth, and the perfect balance between sweet and intense. It's precisely this sensory inspiration that Angelus has bottled in its latest Chronodate releases, the ‘Moka’ Editions, where chocolate-tinged dials meet cutting-edge horology in a fusion that's both nostalgically charming and thoroughly modern.
