Who doesn’t remember the so many lines of one of the most legendary gangster movies of all time? Yes, we are talking about Scarface. Brian De Palma’s Scarface from Universal Pictures had an incredible impact on entire generations of people all around the world. The year 1980 marked a new decade, a new era, and the most amazing time for us that were born in the 70s. The movie Scarface takes place during the spring of 1980 when the Mariel Boat Lift took place bringing thousands of Cuban immigrants into the U.S.
Experience: Hendrick's Midsummer Solstice Gin with an Armin Strom Edge Double Barrel for Those Longer Summer Nights
On June 21, the midsummer solstice will take place and the days will become shorter, while the nights become longer. This is the day when the Earth's axis is most aligned with the sun, providing us with the longest day of the year. That’s the time when a black PVD watch like the Armin Strom Edge Double Barrel captures the essence of the night dressed in its dark cloak and when a Hendrick's Midsummer Solstice washes away all worries.
News: Presenting the Breitling Superocean Heritage '57 Limited Edition II
Last month Breitling launched the Superocean Heritage ’57 Limited Edition during the brand’s Summit Webcast which, because of the pandemic and lockdowns, was streamed globally. The Summit audience saw its rainbow-inspired design elements as symbols of hope and optimism, and the overwhelmingly positive feedback led Breitling to launch a second edition, this time with a blue dial, limited to 1,000 pieces.
News: Presenting the Piaget Altiplano Tourbillon Infinite Blue Collection
Today, Piaget is unveiling three new watches with a 41 mm case in 18K white gold. The new Altiplano Flying Tourbillon Infinite Blue Collection features a blue color that is reminiscent of the immense night sky above our heads and the mysterious depths of the ocean. These three novelties feature dials that have been designed with a gem-set motif that echoes the Infinite symbol formed by the juxtaposition of the tourbillon carriage and the off-centered hour and minute counter. This Infinite shape is handcrafted in Piaget’s Ateliers de l’Extraordinaire and requires the utmost precision and expertise to cut the shape and set the array of sparkling diamonds.
News: Phillips Watches GWA 11 Features an Unknown Patek Pocket Watch ref. 605 HU and Four Patek Philippe Watches from Mr. Jean-Claude Biver's Collection
Phillips in Association with Bacs & Russo presents additional highlights from The Geneva Watch Auction Eleven, following the earlier announcement of four extraordinary Patek Philippe watches from the private collection of Mr. Jean-Claude Biver to be included in the sale. Taking place at Hôtel La Réserve, Geneva on June 27 and 28, 2020, the double-evening sale will feature over 200 lots including important timepieces that are exceptional in terms of provenance, aesthetics, condition, and rarity
News: Presenting the Grand Seiko Toge Special Edition Exclusively Sold at The Watches of Switzerland
Ever since its first creation sixty years ago, Grand Seiko has enchanted watch connoisseurs with timepieces that offer extremely high precision, supreme legibility, and a uniquely Japanese aesthetic. The brand has revolutionized watchmaking with many innovations including the Spring Drive movement, which offers a seamless seconds-hand motion and accuracy unlike any other mechanical watch, and continues to do so today.
News: Presenting the MB&F L'Epée Starfleet Explorer Clock
Six years after the launch of the MB&F Starfleet Machine, the first clock co-created by MB&F and L’Epée 1839, a new expedition is underway. The space station returns in 2020, in a more compact size and enhanced with bright colors, accompanied by a fleet of three small spacecraft exploring the universe; it rightfully bears the name of Starfleet Explorer. Designed by MB&F, the Starfleet Explorer is an intergalactic spaceship table clock crafted by L’Epée 1839, the last remaining Swiss manufacture specialized in high-end table clocks.
From the Editor: Swiss Watch Exports Strongly Impacted by COVID-19. The U.S. and China are Still Holding Up.
With more than 30,000 cases in Switzerland and 4.3 million cases worldwide, the impact of COVID-19 has hit the Swiss Watch Industry really hard. Swiss watch exports fell sharply in March, by -21.9% equivalent to CHF 1.4 billion Swiss Francs. With exports expecting to deteriorate even more in the month of April —figures to be published at the end of this month—, the steep decline in exports comes mostly from certain countries in Asia like Hong Kong —one of the most important watch markets in the world—, Singapore, South Korea, and Taiwan, and throughout the European Union from countries like the U.K., Germany, France, and Italy which have seen a very steep decline.
Insider: Hublot Classic Fusion Cruz Diez Limited Edition
Available in two different sizes and three materials, the new Hublot Classic Fusion Cruz Diez will for sure satisfy your hallucinogenic needs. Released to honor deceased Venezuelan artist Carlos Cruz Diez, the design of the watch from its dial to its strap is a perfect rendition to the colorful works of art of Cruz Diez who died last year in Paris, France at the age of 95. Cruz Diez was a major protagonist in the field of Kinetic and Optical Art, a movement that encourages an awareness of the instability of reality. His works established him as one of the key 20th-century thinkers in the realm of color.
Experience: The Making of an Audemars Piguet Royal Oak
Our visit to the Audemars Piguet Manufacture was documented almost two years ago here. But today, we are going to show you through our images and some of the videos produced by Audemars Piguet, the making of the iconic Royal Oak. When you walk through the doors of the newest and largest building at the Audemars Piguet manufacture suited up in an electric blue guest lab coat you know you are about to experience how the magic is done at Audemars Piguet in Le Brassus. The making of an Audemars Piguet Royal Oak involves dozens of tasks and a mastery that you only obtain after breaking the rules. To break the rules, you must first master them.
News: Jaquet Droz Grande Seconde Quantième Now in a 41 mm Case
The iconic Jaquet Droz Grande Seconde Quantième is paving a novel aesthetic path with a 41 mm model. The brand has released seven new versions of its Grande Seconde Quantième with a smaller and more compact case at 41 mm in diameter. With a case size now in-between 39 mm and 43 mm, clients have yet another option when pursuing the best fit. This new variation launches with gold and steel cases, Grand Feu enamel, matte black, and sandblasted dials, as well as alligator and calfskin straps.
From the Editor: My First and Last Day at Baselworld. The Demise of the World's Largest Watch and Jewelry Fair.
I still remember my first day at Baselworld like it was yesterday. The first time I attended the fair was back in 2013 just weeks after Watch Collecting Lifestyle was launched. Attending Baselworld had been one of my lifelong dreams as a watch collector. At the end of 2012, my spouse gifted me a trip to attend Baselworld in 2013 as a birthday present. Little did I know at the time, that this would give birth to what is today my full-time job. After my spouse planned the whole trip without sparing anything —premium tickets on KLM and a long stay at the Park Hyatt Zürich—, I decided to take advantage of the trip and put my marketing and media expertise to work and that’s how WCL was born.
Breaking News: Baselworld Will Not Take Place in 2021. The Fair is Finally Dead.
The MCH Group has taken the decision not to hold Baselworld 2021 that had been planned for 28 January to 2 February 2021. "Together with the exhibitors and visitors, we are working intensively on clarifying and discussing the requirements and options for new platforms," says Michel Loris-Melikoff, Managing Director of Baselworld. "We will be making a decision on possible follow-up formats by the summer and will then provide information on the new concept and scheduling."
Watch Goodies: The Ultimate Rolex Daytona Mini Book by Pucci Papaleo. A Must Have for Vintage Rolex Daytona Lovers.
If you consider yourself a vintage Rolex Daytona lover this book is a must have. The 'Ultimate Rolex Daytona' book by Pucci Papaleo —the authority when it comes to understanding and learning about some of the most rare Rolex Daytonas in the world— is a jewel in the world of watch literature. Available in two different formats, the 2000 images in this book tell the story of the Rolex Daytona as never before.
Experience: The Musée Atelier Audemars Piguet in Le Brassus. A Watch Museum Like No Other.
We still remember like it was yesterday, our first visit in 2013 to what is now ‘the old Audemars Piguet Museum’. The original museum was nestled in the historical building where Jules Louis Audemars and Edward Auguste Piguet established the manufacture in 1875 in Le Brassus, Switzerland. The ‘old AP museum’ was very small, intimate, and a space full of charm that transported you back in time. However, it lacked the necessary space to properly showcase a large number of historical pieces in the museum’s collection, and it wasn’t very functional due to its multilevel layout.
News: Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Jumbo Extra-Thin Yoshida Exclusive ref. 15206PT
Audemars Piguet presents a brand new iteration of the legendary iconic Royal Oak Jumbo Extra-Thin in a limited edition of 70 pieces and exclusively available at watch retailer Yoshida in Tokyo, Japan. Since the establishment of their business in 1920, Yoshida set up a store along Koshu Street in Hatagaya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo. In 2020, Yoshida will proudly celebrate its 100th anniversary, and this new AP along with its 18K rose gold version is one of the watches they are presenting to commemorate the occasion. The case back features a special engraving ‘Limited Edition of 70 Pieces’.
News: Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Jumbo Extra-Thin Yoshida Exclusive ref. 15207OR
Audemars Piguet presents a brand new iteration of the legendary iconic Royal Oak Jumbo Extra-Thin in a limited edition of 30 pieces and exclusively available at watch retailer Yoshida in Tokyo, Japan. Since the establishment of their business in 1920, Yoshida set up a store along Koshu Street in Hatagaya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo. In 2020, YOSHIDA will proudly celebrate its 100th anniversary, and this new AP is one of the watches they are presenting to commemorate the occasion.
News: Urwerk UR-100 Gold Edition. The First Piece to be Auctioned to Fight COVID-19.
This new creation is the fourth episode in the UR-100 saga, recounting the adventures of an atypical time instrument written, produced, and directed by Urwerk. The UR-100 Gold Edition pushes the boundaries of technology, design, indications, and functionality. First and foremost, the UR-100 Gold Edition is very slim for a satellite-geared watch with angular contours; it’s an elongated octagon with three notched sides. The form uses subtle asymmetry, taking clues from Han Solo’s Millennium Falcon.
Experience: Lamborghini Urus and an Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Perpetual Ultra-Thin. Two Impossible to Believe Feats of Design.
When the Lamborghini Urus came out, everyone thought it was impossible for a supercar brand like Lamborghini to ever release an SUV that would still feel like a Lambo without losing its soul. In parallel, when the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Perpetual Ultra-Thin was presented as a concept watch under the RD#2 name, everyone thought that such a thin automatic perpetual calendar only 6.30 mm thick would never be put into regular production. Well, Lamborghini and AP have proven everyone wrong.
Watches & Wonders 2020: IWC Portugieser Yacht Club Moon and Tide
The Portugieser Yacht Club Moon & Tide features a tide display that keeps you informed about the next high water. It is possible thanks to a special wheel train that translates the rhythm of the hours into the constantly shifting chronological sequence of high and low water. The Greek mariner Pytheas recognized the link between this natural phenomenon and the moon as early as the fourth century B.C. It is particularly noticeable at the coast that the moon visible at high tide is almost at the same place in the sky again at the next but one high tide.
