https://www.scmp.com/rss/16449/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Motorcycles have long been all about individuality and independence – from the cheap motor scooters packing the streets of Vietnam, the heavy highway cruisers of the United States, temperamental sexy beasts from Italy, transcontinental powerhouses of the Germans, to all of the above, and more, from the Japanese makes. Two wheels allowed freedom, and the demand fuelled growth. But over time, everything became mass-produced and ended up looking the same, rather than individually built. Some of... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/news-trends/special-reports/topics/autos/article/2119667/global-custom-motorcycle?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/news-trends/special-reports/topics/autos/article/2119667/global-custom-motorcycle?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 Nov 2017 08:43:54 +0000 B aselworld 2017 revealed two things in March. The world’s biggest watch and jewellery fair showed how maisons are shifting from the spectacle and splash of the past decade - and that the industry faces challenging times. There were fewer high complications and more simple designs at the show. The ultra-thin Classique 7147 by Breguet is a wonderful example, with a clean face of grand feu enamel and three simple and elegant hands. The seconds sub-dial at 5 o’clock is slightly recessed, adding... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/watches-jewellery/article/2095636/move-towards-realistic-watch-sizes-and-more?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/watches-jewellery/article/2095636/move-towards-realistic-watch-sizes-and-more?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 26 May 2017 02:32:26 +0000 We all love to see the sexy stuff. The bleeding-edge vehicles that draw the crowds at any serious and important car show. But what exactly do they do besides draw crowds and stimulate dreams? And whatever they did before, do they still do it? The term concept car is not fully defined. It can mean anything from something straight off the dreamer drawing board all the way up to relatively finished products a few steps shy of production readiness. Some concept cars are displayed just to gauge... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/tech-design/article/2068753/concept-cars-move-us-between-dreams-and-reality?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/tech-design/article/2068753/concept-cars-move-us-between-dreams-and-reality?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Feb 2017 01:00:30 +0000 It has been a difficult time for the watch industry. The most recent figures released by the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry (FH), which tracks exports out of Switzerland, show 15 straight months of falling numbers. September shows a 5.7 per cent drop, but the trend is flattening. On the retail and consumer end, some large groups have been buying back stock to support their supply chain partners. The Deloitte Swiss Watch Industry Study for 2016 cites Hong Kong as the most important export... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/topics/timepieces/article/2046868/growing-pains-long-term-prognosis-global?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/topics/timepieces/article/2046868/growing-pains-long-term-prognosis-global?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 17 Nov 2016 05:15:30 +0000 The vintage car market has grown steadily and is a great place to park excess liquidity. It is also an environment in which one vintage vehicle can appreciate to stratospheric heights while another languishes in a garage. The move to purchase a classic car requires serious homework, deep insight and local knowledge. The same model and year of car can have widely differing values, and finding the right car and buyer for the idiosyncrasies of the individual vehicles can make the difference. The... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/xxiv/article/2042949/expensive-toys-vintage-cars-bring-lots-fun-and-continue-command?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/xxiv/article/2042949/expensive-toys-vintage-cars-bring-lots-fun-and-continue-command?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 07 Nov 2016 01:45:45 +0000 A few years ago, when the watch industry hit some hiccups, something changed. The independents were being talked about. Not just from themselves, in their small shops and boutiques and workshops. The talk of independents and their importance was in the offices and booths of the big brands and watch groups. Sometimes it was the big bosses themselves, who would say that independent watchmakers were the backbone of the horological world. Or it was friends in the industry who opened up about what... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/watches/article/1892348/watchmaking-goes-beyond-numbers-resolute-independents?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/watches/article/1892348/watchmaking-goes-beyond-numbers-resolute-independents?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 17 Dec 2015 03:45:00 +0000 When you think of watchmaking, the Swiss immediately come to mind. But other European lands have made their mark. German brands and watch companies exist across the same spectrum as the Swiss, with group brands and independent watch companies as well. This ranges from those at the pinnacle of fine watchmaking and craftsmanship, such as A. Lange & Söhne,  to smaller companies such as Sinn and Stowa, owned by individuals that enjoy close communication with  enthusiasts. All have managed to carve... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/watches/article/1891299/german-town-glashuttes-historical-strengths-watchmaking-have?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/watches/article/1891299/german-town-glashuttes-historical-strengths-watchmaking-have?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 15 Dec 2015 04:00:30 +0000 The increasing intrusion of all things digital into our lives could well be killing off many old crafts and objects that once were considered vital. Yet, it is the increased connectivity and advancements in production brought on by the hi-tech age that is helping to give new life to many of these everyday products. One such item is the fountain pen. It was lauded as a wondrous technological advancement centuries ago, but eventually was overshadowed by typewriters, ballpoint pens, computers and... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/article/1845194/fountain-pen-becomes-mightier-ever-range-creative-new-custom-makers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/article/1845194/fountain-pen-becomes-mightier-ever-range-creative-new-custom-makers?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 06 Aug 2015 15:00:00 +0000 Going deep has always presented challenges. It was crucial for divers to keep track of time. Whether they were down there for scientific exploration, military operations or fun, the amount of time underwater needed to be indicated immediately and accurately.  The weight and bulk of dive watches were originally a result of technical demands before they became a badge of honour. Now, there are fully capable dive watches that are sleek and elegant alongside others that revel in their size. Officine... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/watches/article/1768373/jumping-deep-end?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/watches/article/1768373/jumping-deep-end?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Apr 2015 07:15:45 +0000 The night skies have always held a particular fascination for those who have sought to measure time. Besides the joy that can come from gazing at heavenly bodies, there were technical needs that required the ability to plot, time and predict what was going on overhead and when.  In modern times, the night sky that appears on watches as a moonphase display is more a badge of honour for the abilities of the watchmaker and the tastes of the watch enthusiast. This popular complication is far more... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/watches/article/1768372/exploring-night-skies?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/watches/article/1768372/exploring-night-skies?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Apr 2015 04:12:16 +0000 What does the small screen have in store for the future of the watch industry? Now that Apple, the most influential player in the smart-watch arena, has shown prototypes of its upcoming product, the world has what may be the most premium technology able to be worn on the wrist ever to hit the consumer market.  Many are asking how this will affect the traditional watch market. Will there be demand or even use for all the sensors, phone links and web connectivity that the smart watches can... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/watches/article/1768367/smart-moves?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/watches/article/1768367/smart-moves?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Apr 2015 04:04:13 +0000 The amazing little whirlwind that is the tourbillon was a mechanical solution to a vexing problem at the time, coming from the fact that pocket watches were invariably only in two positions. They were either vertical in your pocket or horizontal on your bedside table or desk. This meant that gravitational forces and friction were unevenly distributed and so was the oil used to lubricate these tiny handmade watch mechanisms. The tourbillon was meant to solve this by adding a complex, constantly... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/article/1598018/tourbillon-continues-fascinate?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/article/1598018/tourbillon-continues-fascinate?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Oct 2014 14:45:15 +0000 Ladies and gentlemen, it's time to place your orders as the two major watch fairs have come and gone. However, for many, it may be too late to acquire the timepiece that one yearned for. Many of the limited pieces may well be spoken for already, as acquisition is sometimes more important than cost. The good news for this year is that brands are focusing more on the real world than on the speciality watches into which they put so much time, attention and emphasis in the recent past. There are... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/article/1499094/simply-brilliant?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/article/1499094/simply-brilliant?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 08 May 2014 15:45:15 +0000 Maximilian Büsser doesn't exactly know how his day will begin or, rather, in which direction his one-year-old daughter will take him. When he is in Geneva, he dedicates the first hour of his day to her. "A fun or zen moment, it depends on the day," says the founder of MB&F (Maximilian Büsser & Friends). From there, he launches into creativity as he heads to either the MB&F headquarters or the M.A.D. Gallery in Geneva. Starting the day with passion is a wonderful way to fire up, and Büsser seems... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/article/1457810/time-lord?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/article/1457810/time-lord?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 03 Apr 2014 15:00:45 +0000 Watchmaking icon Vacheron Constantin traces its history back to 1755, but there is far more to the company's horological importance than just date or time. Its founder, Jean-Marc Vacheron went from being a cabinotier, one of the craftsmen of Geneva specialised in particular components and crafts, to opening up his own shop and selling timepieces that bore his own name. He then went on to make his own complication and to produce his first engine-turned dials. His company passed on to his son and... https://www.scmp.com/article/1316745/all-eyes-and-ears-brand?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/1316745/all-eyes-and-ears-brand?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Sep 2013 16:00:00 +0000 Inspiring and utilitarian, Ball Watch has what it takes to make precision timepieces. Its story began when American Watchmaker Webster C. Ball was tasked by the United States railways to help keep the trains running safely, and he began implementing standardisations and systems to ensure all timekeeping was as consistent and precise as possible. His recommendations became the basis of what is now known as the Swiss COSC certification. This single-minded sense of purpose is seen today in the... https://www.scmp.com/article/1000021/crowning-achievement?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/1000021/crowning-achievement?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 03 May 2012 16:00:00 +0000 It's a name steeped in history, and watchmaker John Arnold played an important role in the expansion of the British Empire. John Arnold, from whom Arnold & Son takes its name, was born in Cornwall in 1736 into a family that included watchmakers and gunsmiths. He went on to become a respected and well-travelled watchmaker, with inventions that quickly gained a clientele among those looking for exclusivity, artistry and precision. He and his son produced timepieces for the Royal Navy, explorers... https://www.scmp.com/article/1000004/maritime-history-inspires-new-line?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/1000004/maritime-history-inspires-new-line?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 03 May 2012 16:00:00 +0000 Hublot has never been a company to follow conventional wisdom. While other brands are making more sedate, elegant and classic watches to target a newer market, Hublot continues to make daring watches that go way beyond the need for telling time. The Classic Fusion Extra-Thin Skeleton was launched just before BaselWorld and brought forth a relatively clean and elegant open-worked mechanical look, with the subtle Hublot case acting as frame for the movement. A skeletal tourbillon followed in... https://www.scmp.com/article/1000019/brand-dares-win?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/1000019/brand-dares-win?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 03 May 2012 16:00:00 +0000 Breguet has a history steeped in producing beautiful works of art for very demanding and often distinguished clients. Its Tradition family has always been a bit different from the normal, exposing the mechanical workings by keeping time-telling to a smaller dial, with the rest left open. This year, however, there is an extra reason to go Tradition, with the introduction of a dual-time watch for travellers. The Tradition 7067 GMT, available in white or rose gold, keeps the standard architecture... https://www.scmp.com/article/1000018/family-staying-true-tradition?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/1000018/family-staying-true-tradition?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 03 May 2012 16:00:00 +0000 This bespoke piece from Vacheron Constantin's Atelier Cabinotiers service is playfully serious. Named Philosophia by the owner who commissioned it, the watch reminds us that we should not necessarily be controlled by time. The original idea was based on the thought that we don't always need to know exactly what time it is, that an approximation would be good enough. That would seem to fly right in the face of fine watchmaking and the quest for excellence and precision, especially since the... https://www.scmp.com/article/985156/calling-time?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/985156/calling-time?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 17 Nov 2011 16:00:00 +0000 Patek Philippe, which has long been the provider of unique pieces, has recently been increasing its options for women. Using the hugely popular ladies' Twenty-4 wristwatch as a canvas, the Geneva watchmaker has produced three unique pieces that combine the clean, classic lines of the watch with the brightness of precious stones set in precious metal. These haute joaillerie pieces use the manual hand-wound calibre 16-250, carefully finished by hand, with cases in either 18k white or rose gold.... https://www.scmp.com/article/985145/glittering-trio-women?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/985145/glittering-trio-women?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 17 Nov 2011 16:00:00 +0000 TAG Heuer has produced another world first. The Mikrograph movement was able to mechanically measure and display 1/100th of a second reliably and accurately. It did this using an innovative double-barrel system, and was wound by a circular oscillating weight. This Mikrograph movement, presented in January, represented what was at the time a landmark development in mechanical accuracy. This milestone has since been eclipsed, by no other than TAG Heuer itself, but the Mikrograph at 1/100th of... https://www.scmp.com/article/985140/mikrograph-world-beater?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/985140/mikrograph-world-beater?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 17 Nov 2011 16:00:00 +0000 Maximilian B?sser of MB&F gave up a dream job to set out on his own. His dream job was working with Harry Winston, making watches that were already groundbreaking pieces of creativity and innovation, so you had to wonder what he would actually come up with next. His wristwatches are eye-catching, sometimes controversial and often don't even look like wristwatches. He certainly did what he said he wanted, which was to 'cast off the chains of reality and let his creative spirit soar free'. Take... https://www.scmp.com/article/985142/designer-casts-chains-reality?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/985142/designer-casts-chains-reality?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 17 Nov 2011 16:00:00 +0000 The Herm?s Arceau Le Temps Suspendu wristwatch is playful and fun, and it is also a feat of horological engineering that some said was impossible. It is visually simple: a two-hand watch with a retrograde date subdial in a lower portion of the dial. Yet the development of this mechanism called for the involvement of Jean-Marc Weiderrecht, watchmaker extraordinaire and voted Best Watchmaker at the 2007 Grand Prix de l'Horlogerie de Geneve. As the name suggests, the watch suspends time. It... https://www.scmp.com/article/985154/fun-engineering-suspends-belief?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/985154/fun-engineering-suspends-belief?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 17 Nov 2011 16:00:00 +0000 IWC has launched what it calls its most exclusive and complicated wristwatch. It will only be produced to order for individual clients, as it has a very individual purpose. It gives the customer the sky. The watch is meant to show the night star-filled sky from the buyer's home, or anywhere else on earth. The front of the watch is relatively clean and classic. It shows a Portuguese face, with a tourbillion at 9 o'clock and a sidereal time indicator subdial at 12 o'clock. The reverse ... https://www.scmp.com/article/985146/night-sky-view-simply-heavenly?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/985146/night-sky-view-simply-heavenly?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 17 Nov 2011 16:00:00 +0000 Looking at the mainland market today and trying to figure out where it will go is much like the old story of different views of an elephant giving you different assessments. In this case, however, the elephant would be young, growing quickly, learning more and be different from others around it. Many watchmakers and brands have responded or tried to respond quickly to what they saw or heard, sometimes anecdotally. Many watches were supposedly produced for the Chinese market, but they all seemed... https://www.scmp.com/article/985158/chinese-puzzle?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/985158/chinese-puzzle?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 17 Nov 2011 16:00:00 +0000 Officine Panerai calls the lovely Italian city of Florence its home, as did perhaps the most famous scientist and stargazer in history, Galileo Galilei. The systems and ideas Galileo put into motion became the foundation for modern science, navigation and even time-keeping. Panerai chose to honour this favoured son of Florence with the creation of three instruments that display the high levels of excellence they are able to attain. The most enchanting of these needs to sit on a pedestal, as... https://www.scmp.com/article/985153/visions-greatness-florences-favoured-son?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/985153/visions-greatness-florences-favoured-son?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 17 Nov 2011 16:00:00 +0000 Bernhard Lederer, founder of the company known as BLU (Bernhard Lederer Universe) has always said that ordinary watches had never held any appeal for him. He founded BLU SA in 2000 as an integrated watchmaking manufacturer to specialise in 'exclusive haute horlogerie with a difference'. He now produces a collection that often highlights his love of the beauty and study of the universe itself, and his latest unique piece is very specific in what it is honouring. Named the BLU Only Watch, it... https://www.scmp.com/article/985151/tribute-first-man-orbit-earth-out-world?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/985151/tribute-first-man-orbit-earth-out-world?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 17 Nov 2011 16:00:00 +0000 The Montblanc Collection Villeret 1858 Vintage Pulsographe combines several things that might ordinarily be too much, but it still manages to be clean and classic. The watch face is reminiscent of perhaps the most valuable daily uses for a chronograph. Not something for pilots or divers, but a watch built with a scale meant for doctors. A physician's watch needed to be easily read in any situation and accurate enough to be able to take blood pressure, heart rate and the like quickly and... https://www.scmp.com/article/985149/just-what-doctor-ordered?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/985149/just-what-doctor-ordered?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 17 Nov 2011 16:00:00 +0000 Rounding a tight corner at high speed at night in one of the world's greatest races requires perfect timing. When Andre Lotterer powered an Audi R18 TDI Le Mans prototype across a thin checkered line in the French countryside to win the premier LMP1 Class at this year's 24 Heures du Mans, he was just 13 seconds ahead of the next three cars, all Peugeot 908 factory racers. Such a close finish is a testament to the way Le Mans compresses and distills time. The race takes place on the 13.629km... https://www.scmp.com/article/984252/driven-success?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/984252/driven-success?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 08 Nov 2011 16:00:00 +0000 Chopard lives in a world of duality. It is a long-lived and well-known jewellery company, but has also been and continues to be a watchmaker of vision and commitment. This is a hard thing to accomplish, particularly in a world of horological enthusiasts who look suspiciously at anything that deviates from their passion. But Chopard has been ahead of the curve on many things. The company began making its own movements and producing parts in-house more than a decade before the tightening of... https://www.scmp.com/article/966905/staying-ahead-game?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/966905/staying-ahead-game?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 May 2011 16:00:00 +0000 Change seems to be in the air and this was evident at BaselWorld 2011, where the exhibition halls were a microcosm of a technologically new era dawning on the industry. For one, there seems to be an understanding that balance is the key to survival and the future. The balance must be between technology and heritage, between marketing and an attempt to understand what it is that should be produced, and between playing to watch enthusiasts and giving newbies something to get them started. Gone... https://www.scmp.com/article/966933/balanced-approach-creativity?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/966933/balanced-approach-creativity?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 May 2011 16:00:00 +0000 This BaselWorld saw Patek Philippe release six new Grand Complications. In a particularly important first for the company, two were for ladies. If you break the group down, four include minute repeaters, four perpetual calendars, four moon phase displays, three chronographs and one a tourbillion, which in typical Patek Philippe subtlety, you don't actually see on the front of the watch. The belle of the ball is the 5208P, a Triple Complication that ranks second on the list of the house's most... https://www.scmp.com/article/966917/brands-six-best?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/966917/brands-six-best?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 May 2011 16:00:00 +0000 January saw the horological world converge once again on Geneva for the 21st Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie (SIHH), one of the watch industry's two key annual gatherings. The SIHH is an assembly of luxury brands - 19 this year - that choose to invite friends, family, business partners and media to an event they believe is more controllably and consistently upscale than the mammoth Baselworld fair and its hundreds of exhibitors. The luxury world and the watchmaking community have... https://www.scmp.com/article/739759/its-time-commercial-realism?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/739759/its-time-commercial-realism?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 03 Mar 2011 16:00:00 +0000