https://www.scmp.com/rss/324060/feed STYLE's coverage of the luxury watch and jewellery show in Switzerland en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Many independent brands raised pulses in the watch scene when they showed exciting pieces at the newLes Ateliers area at Baselworld this year. Fiona Krüger, the Scottish designer in the limelight since 2013 for her mechanical, automatic Swiss-made skull watches and other designs for Speake-Marin, Ulysse Nardin and Fabergé, has taken another step into collaborative efforts. Her new collection features guilloche dials from masterful Finnish watchmaker Kari Voutilainen. With strong colours, using... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/watches-jewellery/article/2120875/indie-watch-brands-show-creative-edge-baselworld?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/watches-jewellery/article/2120875/indie-watch-brands-show-creative-edge-baselworld?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 31 Dec 2017 02:04:02 +0000 The emphasis at Rolex is on expanding and updating iconic models with a renewed focus on quality and creativity. The brand’s Oyster Perpetual Sea-Dweller was updated for its 50th anniversary with a larger 43mm case and is powered by the new calibre 3235. The movement boasts 14 patents, including the black Cerachrom bezel insert. The dial features luminescent Chromalight hour markers and hands. In a departure from tradition, a Cyclops lens is at 3 o’clock. The timepiece is water resistant to... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/watches-jewellery/article/2095691/rolex-renews-focus-quality-and-creativity?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/watches-jewellery/article/2095691/rolex-renews-focus-quality-and-creativity?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 05 Jun 2017 02:00:00 +0000 For a heritage watch brand such as Patek Philippe, there was a wealth of inspiration to be had by inspecting a legacy stretching back 178 years. This year, among a host of new models, the brand highlighted the 20th anniversary of the Aquanaut collection, and the 40th anniversary of the Calibre 240, an ultrathin self-winding movement. The Aquanaut, popular for its sporty yet chic style, debuted new versions, including the Travel Time Ref. 5650G Advanced Research in white gold and limited to 500... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/watches-jewellery/article/2095687/patek-philippe-178-year-heritage-has-plenty?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/watches-jewellery/article/2095687/patek-philippe-178-year-heritage-has-plenty?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 02 Jun 2017 02:00:15 +0000 There’s no better excuse for a celebration than an anniversary – and at Omega, it has three. This year, the brand celebrates the 60th anniversary of its launch in 1957 of three sports watches that would go on to become classics: the Seamaster 300, the Railmaster and the Speedmaster. To celebrate this milestone anniversary, Omega rolled out three special anniversary edition timepieces that can be bought either as individual pieces, or as a collector’s limited edition Trilogy set. Each individual... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/watches-jewellery/article/2095685/omegas-1957-classics-released-special-anniversary?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/watches-jewellery/article/2095685/omegas-1957-classics-released-special-anniversary?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 01 Jun 2017 02:00:30 +0000 Setting world records is old hat for Bulgari. The brand holds two for the thinnest timepieces: for its Octo Finissimo Tourbillon in 2014; and for its Octo Finissimo Minute Repeater two years later. This year, Bulgari has set a third mark, for the world’s slimmest self-winding movement, in its Octo Finissimo Automatic. This 40mm watch is now the thinnest self-winding timepiece on the market, at just 5.15mm thick. A new in-house manufacture movement had to be created – the calibre BVL 138. It is... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/watches-jewellery/article/2095680/bulgari-worlds-thinnest-self-winding-watch-adds?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/watches-jewellery/article/2095680/bulgari-worlds-thinnest-self-winding-watch-adds?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 31 May 2017 01:30:15 +0000 Longines celebrated its 185th anniversary at Baselworld by taking watch lovers on a trip down memory lane while offering a glimpse of the future. The watchmaker showed its new Record collection, a line-up of automatic models in classic style. The movement includes a single-crystal silicon balance spring, a first for the brand and certified as a “chronometer” by the Swiss Official Chronometer Testing Institute (COSC). Available in 26mm, 30mm, 38.5mm and 40mm, the new collection is designed for... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/watches-jewellery/article/2095673/longines-juggles-future-and-past-bringing-out-its?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/watches-jewellery/article/2095673/longines-juggles-future-and-past-bringing-out-its?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 30 May 2017 02:48:39 +0000 It’s been less than a decade since British jeweller Graff opened its watchmaking division and the name has already come to be identified with some of the most complicated and technologically advanced timepieces. Continuing to build on collections that wowed the world at last year’s Baselworld, Graff has showcased some striking new models this time round, such as the unique hand-chiselled MasterGraff GyroGraff World pieces. One of the focal points is the new World Night Asia Dial, crafted in a... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/watches-jewellery/article/2095663/graffs-bejewelled-watches-are-art-wrist?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/watches-jewellery/article/2095663/graffs-bejewelled-watches-are-art-wrist?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 29 May 2017 01:31:46 +0000 With the launch of Ref. 7922 in 1954, Swiss watch-maker Tudor laid down the aesthetic and technical foundations of a long line of ergonomic, legible, accurate and robust dive watches. The fact that Tudor was asked by the US and French navies in the1960s to produce tool watches for its sailors serves as testament to the company’s technical prowess and know-how. Since its launch in 2012, the Heritage Black Bay line has been leading the brand’s deep-sea exploration into a new phase. For the second... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/watches-jewellery/article/2095658/tudor-ventures-deeper-launch-more-black-bay-watch?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/watches-jewellery/article/2095658/tudor-ventures-deeper-launch-more-black-bay-watch?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 28 May 2017 10:03:04 +0000 It’s rare for a fashion house to be taken seriously as a horlogerie brand – unless, of course, it’s Chanel we’re talking about. Chanel is just one of a handful of fashion houses that take watches seriously; it has created an impressive list of timepieces. Since launching its first watch – the Première – in 1987, the maison has gone from strength to strength, launching its hit J12 timepiece in 2000, and its first men’s watch – the Monsieur de Chanel – in 2016. This year marks the 30th... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/watches-jewellery/article/2095356/chanel-celebrates-30-years-chic-watchmaking?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/watches-jewellery/article/2095356/chanel-celebrates-30-years-chic-watchmaking?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 27 May 2017 03:02:18 +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 Raynald Aeschlimann is no stranger to the Omega legacy. Since joining the Swatch Group in 1996 as a sales and marketing project manager, he has spent the past 20 years swiftly climbing up the corporate ladder. Last year, he was named as the new president and CEO of Omega, a role which officially started on June 1. He took over from Stephen Urquhart, who served as the president of Omega for 17 years. We caught up with Aeschlimann earlier during Baselworld this year for a quick chat on what it’s... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/watches-jewellery/article/2094804/omega-ceo-raynald-aeschlimann-emphasises?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/watches-jewellery/article/2094804/omega-ceo-raynald-aeschlimann-emphasises?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 19 May 2017 02:31:37 +0000 It wasn’t just tourbillons and calibres that captured the attention of participants at Baselworld this year – carats and cuts of various gemstones were also on display. Credited as the world’s biggest watch and jewellery fair, Baselworld undeniably drew in crowds of hard-to-please jewellery connoisseurs looking for striking pieces that could impress. We take a look at a few of the most breathtaking pieces from Baselworld 2017. Faidee Grabbing headlines this year was a ruby and diamond necklace... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/watches-jewellery/article/2094058/five-jewellery-pieces-turned-heads-baselworld-2017?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/watches-jewellery/article/2094058/five-jewellery-pieces-turned-heads-baselworld-2017?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 12 May 2017 04:15:15 +0000 Patek Philippe revisted some of its most iconic bestsellers at this year’s Baselworld. One of the most talked about new launches includes the Aquanaut Travel Time Ref 5650 G, created in celebration of the 20th anniversary of the Aquanaut collection. The piece, available in a limited series of 500 pieces, features two of Patek’s new innovations – the Spiromax balance sprint made of Silinvar and a compliant mechanism that’s used to set the second time zone in time-zone watches. The flexible... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/watches-jewellery/article/2083123/patek-philippe-revamps-iconic-models-celebrate?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/watches-jewellery/article/2083123/patek-philippe-revamps-iconic-models-celebrate?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Mar 2017 07:30:00 +0000 Baselworld 2017 had a plethora of luxury timepieces to behold, but these 10 surprised and delighted us most: Jaquet Droz – Petite Heure Minute Jaquet Droz Ateliers d’Art is known for its mastery of creating beautiful dials, and this year it presented some serious novelties.   @jaquetdroz combines artistic craftsmanship with exquisite watchmaking know-how. Our favourite is the Loving Butterfly Automaton – check out those butterfly wings! . . . #luxurywatch #baselworld #styletakesbaselworld... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/watches-jewellery/article/2083073/top-10-watches-baselworld-2017?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/watches-jewellery/article/2083073/top-10-watches-baselworld-2017?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Mar 2017 05:30:15 +0000 There are six timepieces at Baselworld that you don’t want to miss: Jaquet Droz: Loving Butterfly Automaton Known for its exquisite automaton works, Jaquet Droz surprised watch connoisseurs with a new launch this year. The Loving Butterfly Automaton features on the Petite Heure Minute dial a fluttering butterfly pulling a cherub in an animated chariot with its wheels, turning it into an optical illusion. The watch took three years to develop. Only 28 pieces available for either white or red... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/watches-jewellery/article/2082418/6-over-top-watches-dazzled-baselworld-2017?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/watches-jewellery/article/2082418/6-over-top-watches-dazzled-baselworld-2017?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Mar 2017 07:00:15 +0000 An independent brand that has been making waves at both SIHH and Baselworld is Christophe Claret. The young brand has a history of producing delightfully whimsical timepieces like the Margot and, most recently at this year’s SIHH, the Maestro. For Baselworld this year it releases the X-TREM-1 StingHD, an update of its dynamic X-TREM-1 timepiece that debuted in 2012. The new piece is made in collaboration with StingHD, a high-end American jewellery brand that specialises in making leather... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/article/2081568/christophe-clarets-x-trem-1-stinghd-baselworld-serves-memento-mori?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/article/2081568/christophe-clarets-x-trem-1-stinghd-baselworld-serves-memento-mori?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Mar 2017 03:30:30 +0000 The hi-tech looking Colt Racer from Breitling makes its debut at Baselworld. Fulfilling all the functions of a tool watch, comfortable, durable, legible, and reliable, this high-performance timepiece with a military background – it’s reminiscent of the MXS-R “Skyracer”, the high-performance plane on the Breitling Racing Team flown by aerobatics rising star Mika Brageot in the Red Bull Air Race World Championship – retains all the qualities of an authentic instrument for professionals and hopes... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/article/2080495/breitling-unveils-its-hi-tech-looking-wonder-colt-racer-baselworld?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/article/2080495/breitling-unveils-its-hi-tech-looking-wonder-colt-racer-baselworld?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Mar 2017 00:30:45 +0000 As an haute couture house developing a strong identity in timepieces, Dior holds quite a unique position with a profile shared by only a handful of other companies. The brand’s star is the Dior VIII Grand Bal, which was introduced in 2011 with a striking feature – a decorative and functional rotor placed on the front of the dial. In movement, it reflects the whirling full skirts of the ball gowns that helped make couturier Christian Dior’s reputation in the 1950s – hence the name. Since then,... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/article/2080475/dior-timepieces-show-exquisite-craftsmanship-and-details-baselworld?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/article/2080475/dior-timepieces-show-exquisite-craftsmanship-and-details-baselworld?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 26 Mar 2017 02:30:30 +0000 Zenith is one of the premium Swiss watch brands which has been in operation since 1865 and today is a subsidiary of the luxury group LVMH (Bulgari, TAG Heuer and Hublot). Zenith produces all watch movements in-house and is famous for the 1969 El Primero calibre, one of the first automatic chronograph calibres. The El Primero is not only the world’s first automatic chronograph but also the first to beat at the highly precise frequency of 36,000 vph. After more than 150 years boasting more than... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/article/2080492/zenith-launches-heritage-146-baselworld-2017?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/article/2080492/zenith-launches-heritage-146-baselworld-2017?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 26 Mar 2017 02:30:30 +0000 Hublot’s Big Bang collection is always fun to view and its newest offerings are no exception. The latest collection, dubbed “Spirit of Big Bang Moonphase”, helped inject Baselworld with a bit of gaiety with four models in bright colours: blue, purple, orange and pink. The vibrant-coloured quartz dials instantly catch your attention – they are too fun to look away. To attain that eye-catching colour, the quartzes were made using a colouring technique that involved ingredients that Hublot will... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/article/2081567/hublot-delights-collectors-its-colourful-spirit-big-bang-moonphase?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/article/2081567/hublot-delights-collectors-its-colourful-spirit-big-bang-moonphase?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 25 Mar 2017 03:30:15 +0000 The latest timepiece to launch at Baselworld this year is the Artelier Calibre 113, a beautiful, clean and elegant timepiece from Oris. The Artelier Calibre 113 is the fourth and latest model from the Artelier collection, following the Calibre 110, 111 and 112. The first timepiece, Calibre 110, was created in 2014 to commemorate the maison’s 110th anniversary. It also marked the first time in nearly 40 years that the brand had created a whole, complete movement. The Calibre 113 is a hand-wound... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/article/2080452/oris-launches-artelier-calibre-113-elegant-minimalistic-timepiece?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/article/2080452/oris-launches-artelier-calibre-113-elegant-minimalistic-timepiece?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 25 Mar 2017 00:30:45 +0000 Diamond company Graff has amazed visitors over the years with some of the most expensive watches. This year, some of the brand’s offerings hark back to nature and, this time, its craftsmanship is stealing the limelight. At this year’s Baselworld, the Graff Princess Butterfly Secret Watch is an example of how the company uses fabulous gemstones and turns them into exquisite timepieces that are stylish, of high quality and a superb show of workmanship. Graff’s artisans have created an intricately... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/watches-jewellery/article/2080509/graff-once-again-produces-masterpiece-graff?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/watches-jewellery/article/2080509/graff-once-again-produces-masterpiece-graff?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 Mar 2017 06:00:30 +0000 Chopard is one of those rare heritage brands that do watches and jewellery well. The crowning glory of the brand’s watch collection is the L.U.C, named after the company’s founder, Louis-Ulysse Chopard, who was also a well-known watchmaker. This year, Chopard presents a new version of its popular L.U.C Lunar One, which first launched in 2005 and has since then evolved into the maison’s signature timepiece. The watch has now been re-imagined as a platinum version, with a 43mm case made out of 950... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/article/2081487/chopards-platinum-luc-lunar-one-worthy-signature-and-its-perpetual?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/article/2081487/chopards-platinum-luc-lunar-one-worthy-signature-and-its-perpetual?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 Mar 2017 02:00:30 +0000 The Speedmastermarks its 60th anniversary this year. It has been one of Omega’s most recognisable models. While it is best known as the first watch to be worn on the moon (strapped onto astronaut Buzz Aldrin’s spacesuit), its roots actually started as a watch for motor racing. This year, Omega revisits the Speedmaster’s heritage with the launch of the Speedmaster Racing Master Chronometer collection. The collection features a stainless steel version with a matt black dial and an 18 ct Sedna gold... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/article/2081511/omega-celebrates-60-years-seamaster-300-railmaster-and-speedmaster?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/article/2081511/omega-celebrates-60-years-seamaster-300-railmaster-and-speedmaster?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 Mar 2017 01:00:30 +0000 Extreme thinness in horology is a complication in itself and Bulgari has pushed the boundaries of its watchmaking skills to meet this challenge. The maison has already scored two successive world records for creating the slimmest timepieces – for the Tourbillon in 2014, and the Minute Repeater in 2016. This year, the watchmaker unveils the Octo Finissimo Automatic, the slimmest ultra-thin self-winding watch on the market to date, measuring just 5.15mm in total thickness, while its self-winding... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/article/2080505/bulgari-launches-slimmest-self-winding-watch-market-octo-finissimo?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/article/2080505/bulgari-launches-slimmest-self-winding-watch-market-octo-finissimo?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 Mar 2017 09:15:45 +0000 Rolex celebrates the 50th anniversary of its iconic Oyster Perpetual Sea-Dweller with a new, larger 43mm-diameter case and a brand new calibre 3235. The professional diver’s watch features the name Sea-Dweller in red, echoing the first model made in 1967. The piece is backed by 14 patents, including the exclusive Chronergy escapement. The new model is also equipped with a Cyclops lens on the crystal at 3 o’clock – a rare addition for the Sea-Dweller models. Adding to their popular Cosmograph... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/watches-jewellery/article/2081506/8-new-rolex-watches-just-hit-baselworld-2017?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/watches-jewellery/article/2081506/8-new-rolex-watches-just-hit-baselworld-2017?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 Mar 2017 07:15:00 +0000 TAG Heuer has made a name for itself as a brand unafraid of change. It was one of the first few watch brands that jumped on the smartwatch wagon, and its newest model is its latest endeavour at merging haute horlogerie with wearable technology. The new TAG Heuer Connected Modular 45 is powered by Intel and operated on Android Wear 2.0. It comes loaded with all the features that we now consider to be the “norm” of smart wearable technology: it counts the number of steps you’ve taken and the... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/article/2080506/tag-heuer-makes-technologically-smart-moves-watch-market?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/article/2080506/tag-heuer-makes-technologically-smart-moves-watch-market?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 Mar 2017 01:30:00 +0000 A sneak peek at some of the timepieces on show at this year’s Baselworld Fair. Bulgari Octo Finissimo Tourbillon Skeleton The Octo collection, unveiled in 2012, is a mainstay of Bulgari’s men’s watches. Recognisable by its eight-sided case and topped by a round bezel, Octo will see several new interpretations this year, notably the Octo Roma and the ultrathin Octo Finissimo models. The new Octo Roma has some updated features, but they are so subtle, one would be forgiven for not noticing... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/watches-jewellery/article/2078765/6-luxury-watches-look-out-baselworld-2017?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/watches-jewellery/article/2078765/6-luxury-watches-look-out-baselworld-2017?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Mar 2017 00:30:45 +0000 Swiss watchmakers, jewellers, and their suppliers are fine-tuning their latest creations ahead of Baselworld, from March 23 to 30. Baselworld has given watch fans and connoisseurs remarkable insights into the world of horology since 1917. It is one of the most important shows in the watch and jewellery industry, as it is the only one that attracts all the key players from watchmakers to jewellers and from diamond, pearl and gemstone dealers through to machines and the supply industry. Last year... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/watches-jewellery/article/2073393/watch-baselworld-offers-horology-and-jewellery?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/watches-jewellery/article/2073393/watch-baselworld-offers-horology-and-jewellery?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 Feb 2017 07:00:15 +0000