Breitling to Leave Baselworld 2020, Tudor to Have its Own Booth - Monochrome Watches
Baselworld has been through difficult times recently, drawing criticism and seeing more than half of the exhibiting brands leaving the show. The main announcement was, of course, when Nick Hayek decided that the whole Swatch Group was leaving the 2019 Edition – which we now know to be a definitive decision. While the 2019 edition was certainly better than some expected, the situation remains uncertain for the show, which sees yet another big brand leaving Baselworld 2020: Breitling.In a press release sent earlier this morning, Breitling, in the words of its CEO Georges Kern, explains that the brand will “concentrate on (its) global Summit format with subsequent local roadshows in 2020“. The main reason for leaving Baselworld has to do with the new timing of the show, which will now occur just after the SIHH, from 30 April to 5 May 2020 – dates that “cannot be reconciled with our scheduling,” says Kern. The new format allows for more flexibility and p

Introducing The Redesigned Arnold & Son Ultrathin Tourbillon Skeleton
Pulling out all the stops before Watches & Wonders 2024, watchmaker Arnold & Son presents two skeletonised models powered by one of the world's thinnest flying tourbillon movements, now dubbed Ultrathin Tourbillon Skeleton. While these new models have been treated to some design tweaks and a new tourbillon carriage, these editions of the Ultrathin Flying Tourbillon Skeleton are similar to Arnold & Son's 2016 UTTE Skeleton. Available in rose gold and platinum, each metal is limited to 28 watches.In the exclusive world of ultra-thin manual-winding tourbillon models, Arnold & Son was the uncontested champion of ultra-thin in 2013. The brand's UTTE (Ultrathin Tourbillon Escapement) boasted an incredibly thin movement of 2.97mm (A&S8200) and a case height of 8.34mm. However, one year later, Arnold & Son's pole position was debunked with the launch of Bulgari's Octo Finissimo Tourbillon with its 1.95mm movement. Ad - Scroll to continue with article

Omega Watches Launches Its Online Boutique in Europe
In tune with the times – and also with the current situation, with most brick-and-mortar shops closed – Omega goes digital and now offers the possibility for European collectors to purchase most of its watches online, via a newly opened boutique on its official website. This means that you can now order your Speedy or your Bond watch from home, and directly from the brand.The concept of an online boutique isn’t new to Omega Watches since the brand has been operating digital sales in the US and UK markets for a couple of years now – the US market benefited from the brand’s first online boutique back in 2017. Relying on this existing and successful track-record, the brand has decided to open its online boutique to the European market, with a wide selection of watches from the Speedmaster, Seamaster, Constellation and De Ville collections. Ad - Scroll to continue with article

First Look: The New Alpina Alpiner Extreme Chronograph
The Alpiner Extreme collection is Alpina's take on the hyper-popular category of sports watches with integrated bracelets. Relaunched in 2022 with a robust cushion-shaped case and a textured dial, the first model took many by surprise with its regulator dial, a throwback to a popular and massive 48mm Alpina model known as the Avalanche Regulator of 2005. Following hard on the heels of the Regulator, Alpina introduced a more straightforward automatic with time and date. Today, the Alpiner Extreme collection welcomes a third and appropriately sporty model with the launch of a chronograph. Ad - Scroll to continue with article Renowned for its rugged all-terrain watches for outdoor adventures, Alpina's founder, Gottlieb Hauser, laid down the four fundamental pillars of a sports watch in 1938. Known as the Alpina 4 concept, a sports watch should be anti-magnetic, sho

Th CIGA Design Blue Planet Titanium is a GPHG award-winning watch.
It is time for us to start adjusting our perception of Chinese watchmaking. It is no longer ‘just’ about cheap labour and (mildly put) unoriginal designs. Instead, some watchmakers are shifting into intriguingly original mechanical creations and occasionally Haute Horlogerie levels of watchmaking. One such brand hard at work to change the perception of the Chinese watch industry is CIGA Design, a young company with quite a track record. The name popped up for the first time last year when the Blue Planet was pre-selected for the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Geneve Challenge Award (which it ended up winning!). Now, a year later, we’ve finally had a chance to enjoy a hands-on with the fascinating CIGA Design U-Series Blue Planet in titanium and determine if it is any good.?CIGA Design is not a traditional watchmaking company but more a design studio that happens to create and sell watches. The company was founded in 2016 by Zhang Jianmin and is located in Shenzhen,