The Watchmaking world finally got its own ‘Wikipedia’ of watchmaking. The first universal and multilingual encyclopedia dedicated exclusively to the world of watchmaking will be unveiled on Tuesday, August 30th, 2022 at 10 am CET —Geneva Time— in Geneva, Switzerland, during a press conference in the Geneva Watch Days 2022 Pavilion. Open to everyone, from big companies and watchmakers to the general public, neutral, and independent digital platforms.
Introducing: Bianchet Tourbillon B1.618 Openworked Carbon Orange
The genesis of Bianchet dates back to 2017 when Rodolfo Festa Bianchet and his wife Emmanuelle Festa Bianchet decided to launch the watch brand. Rodolfo, is a successful fintech entrepreneur and the former CEO of Riflexo —a software firm based in Turin that developed the first online trading application for mobile phones.
From the Editor: Watch Theft is on the Rise Globally. As a Victim, I Tell You What to Do to Protect Yourself.
Watch theft is on the rise around the world and almost every week I get to see posts on Instagram about someone being robbed. This morning, I woke up to the video making the rounds on social media of a gentleman driving a Bugatti in London while two individuals in scooters smashed his window. In cities like London, Barcelona, Rome, Miami, Las Vegas, Mexico City, Bogota, Saint-Tropez, and Mykonos just to name a few, it is no longer safe to walk around with a nice watch on your wrist.
From the Archives: Because Every Watch Has a Story. 'Dad's Missing Watch' by Matt Jackson.
Today, we start a new installment called 'Watch Stories', because every vintage watch, passed down family heirloom or preowned watch comes with a little bit of history. Unlike the rest of our content, these stories are shared and written by the actual watch collectors owning these watches. For these new section, our involvement will be limited to photographing the watches in their full glory and to editing, proofreading and style correcting the write-ups.
From the Editor: 20 Watch Pics That Will Make You Want to Buy Every Watch in Them
Watch pictures are one of the most important things when making the decision of buying a watch before seeing it on metal. You and I have drooled a million times over the thousands of watch pics that are posted on Instagram on a daily basis, across watch publications like mine, or throughout the most visited watch fora. Many of us have purchased watches from listings online just because the pictures were that good. Ultimately, there is a saying that says: “A picture conveys more than a thousand words.”
Experience: Dubai with a Vacheron Constantin Overseas Perpetual
In proper WCL style, a trip to Dubai is not complete unless you’ve stayed at what is referred to as the most luxurious hotel in the world. The Burj Al Arab Jumeirah —not to be mistaken with the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world— is not only one of Dubai’s most photographed buildings but also an iconic white sail-shaped building that hides a level of luxury accommodations and decor splendor within its walls, that has no parallel.
Watch Auctions: A. Lange & Söhne 1815 Chronograph 'Hampton Court Edition' to be Auctioned by Phillips. Benefiting The Prince’s Trust Charity.
At the Concours of Elegance 2022, A. Lange & Söhne will present a one-of-a-kind version of the 1815 Chronograph that will be auctioned off in Geneva by Phillips in Association with Bacs & Russo on November 6, 2022. The proceeds of the unique timepiece, featuring a solid-silver dial and a hand-engraved hinged cuvette, will go to The Prince’s Trust, a youth charity set up by HRH The Prince of Wales.
From the Editor: What is in Reality a Handmade Watch?
Many watches out there claim to be handmade but only a few can make that cut. The Greubel Forsey Hand Made 1 is one of them. With 95% of this timepiece —including the hairspring— made using only hand-operated tools and 6,000 hours of work —three years of man-hours—, the Greubel Forsey Hand Made 1 is in reality as handmade as a watch can get. A handmade watch requires to be made mostly by hand or utilizing processes that are hand operated, I’d say to at least 70%.
Experience: Fauré Le Page Back Up 32 Paris Blue Backpack. Perfect Match to a Patek Philippe 5524.
It is no secret that here at WCL we love all things Fauré Le Page. The latest addition to the collection is their new backpack called the Back Up 32 Paris Blue Ecailles Canvas. Available in three different sizes, the 32 is the largest one, this backpack is one of the nicest items we’ve gotten from Fauré Le Page. The backpack usually comes in steel grey —black—, empire green, red ivress, or Paris blue. Measuring 32 cm —12.6 inches— in width at the base by 34 cm —13.8 inches— in height and 11.3 cm —4.3 inches— in depth, the Fauré Le Page Back Up 32 Paris Blue is perfect for daily use or when you are traveling around the world in style.
Insider: Hublot Big Bang Sang Bleu Titanium. What Makes this Watch Special?
When Hublot released the Big Bang Sang Bleu we called it a horological multifaceted wrist sculpture because it doesn’t tell the time in a conventional way and its multifaceted case is more of a sculpture than a watch case. Similar in looks to the Hublot Orlinski collaborations, the Sang Bleu has gone above and beyond when it comes to the design of its case.
From the Editor: Will Panerai Ever Be, What it Once Was?
Long gone are the days of the sturdy and historical legendary-looking Panerai watches that I originally fell in love with, but regardless, I still have much appreciation for the brand. I really hope that sooner rather than later, Panerai takes a slight turn and brings back more of the historical aurae of the legendary watches like the Bronzo PAM507 or the L’Egiziano PAM341.
Experience: AP Royal Oak Offshore Diver in the Cayman Islands. Nothing Beats a Watch in its Element.
A week in the Cayman Islands is always wonderful, specially when you stay at the Ritz-Carlton located in the heart of Seven Mile Beach in Grand Cayman. During our stay we enjoyed lenty of water activities including interacting with stingrays, smoking a handful of Habanos —Montecristo #4— and simply enjoying the good life. Summers spent by the beach in the company of a good timepiece is always something we really appreciate to the fullest.
From the Editor: Here's Why I am Done Buying Any More Watches. Most Likely Forever.
It’s been a while since I started doing my own introspection about watch collecting and with the current state of the industry, I have finally reached a point where I get very little pleasure out of buying a new watch, whatever that ends up being. I’ve been collecting watches for the last 32 years and I’ve owned almost everything that I never even imagined I would own one day.
From the Editor: Celebrating Swiss National Day with a Philippe Dufour Simplicity
I can’t find a better way to celebrate Swiss National Day today August 1, 2022, than with one of the best watchmakers of our time and an independent watchmaker. The legend Philippe Dufour is a modern watchmaker that has been adhering to the most traditional and classic watchmaking codes since he founded his brand. A creator of some of the most coveted timepieces today, his watches feature clean, classic lines powered by the highest-end in-house movements with superb finishing and incredible hand polishing.
Introducing: Ulysse Nardin Diver Chrono Great White. Supporting Shark Conservation.
Ulysse Nardin raises its devotion to shark conservation around the world to the next level with the release of the new Diver Chrono Great White. Ulysse Nardin has always had sharks on its radar and proudly announces its increasing support of a new fleet of shark conservation initiatives and partners by donating 1% of annual sales of all “shark watches” to support non-profit organizations focused on sharks.
Introducing: Panerai Luminor Luna Rossa PAM1342
Produced in a special edition of 1,500 pieces, the new Panerai Luminor Luna Rossa PAM1342 exhibits a bracingly fresh character, offering a modern interpretation of nautical style; the unexpected palette of white, gray, and red is the foundation for the versatile and understated watch.
Experience: Macán Rothschild Vega Sicilia. An Understated Wine Like a Platinum Offshore.
Much like watches, some amazing wines are not necessarily those that everyone knows and only those that really know will recognize certain names, just like they’ll point out watch references or the metal composition of certain particular timepieces. When it comes to the AP Royal Oak Offshore 44 in platinum, only if you really know, you’ll be able to call out its platinum nature and the same happens with the Macán wine by Vega Sicilia.
Insider: Roger Dubuis Excalibur Spider Huracán Black DLC Titanium 45mm
Taking inspiration from the Lamborghini Huracan, the watchmakers at Roger Dubuis have developed a few incredible timepieces brimming with racing design codes from this partnership. The Roger Dubuis Excalibur Spider Huracán Black DLC Titanium with a 45mm case and its calibre RD630 with its 12-degree inclined balance wheel features a strut-bar-designed bridge recalling the ones of the V10 engine of the Lamborghini Huracán supercar.
Experience: Cinco Jotas Iberico Ham & Alion. The Patek of Jamones and the Small Child from Vega Sicilia.
Just like Patek Philippe is at the pinnacle of watchmaking, the same goes for Iberico hams and Cinco Jotas —the five Js. With Joselito ham only a small notch above Cinco Jotas, when it comes to the pinnacle of Iberico hams from Spain, Cinco Jotas is the authority. Faithful to its origins, Cinco Jotas makes one of the finest acorn-fed hams in Spain and the company has maintained the purity of the 'Pata Negra' —black hoof— Iberian pigs they use, flawlessly.
Watch Goodies: Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar Wall Clock. The Ultimate Objet d'Art.
The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar Wall Clock is the ultimate watch goody and one of the most coveted clocks out there. Released by AP as a super-sized version of the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar ref. 26574 in stainless steel with a silvered dial, this amazing clock features a stainless steel case measuring 16 inches —40 centimeters— in diameter and 3.5 inches —8.9 centimeters— in thickness. This clock also features a very complex quartz mechanism that controls all the perpetual calendar indications as well as a secondary mechanism that controls the time-keeping function.
