Industry Richemont Confirms Sales Growth in Q4 2021
Following the announcement a few months ago of its strong performance over the 6 first months of its fiscal year, Richemont today released its sales figures for the third quarter ended 31 December 2021 – remember that Richemont closes its books on 31 March – and once again confirms the trend seen over the past year, with recovery of sales in mind following the massive drop due to the pandemic. With sales up?by 32% at constant exchange rates compared to the same period last year, and?third-quarter sales up by 38% compared to 2019, it even surpasses the pre-pandemic levels (also driven by the integration of new businesses, however).?Overall, all business areas and all regions show double-digit sales growth, with the strongest performance from the Americas and Europe, rebalancing regional sales mix. Indeed, in Europe sales are up by 42% at constant exchange rate compared to the same period last year, and up by 12% compared to numbers of pre-pandemic. Europe this become the sec

Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra | The Battle of Luxury Daily Beaters - Part 1
Let's face it; watch collectors are not the largest demographic out there. Yes, thankfully, there are plenty of you to keep the industry ticking and our webpage alive and well, but most men are confessed “monowatchmen”. By this, I mean that most men will probably own one good watch during their lifetime, perhaps two. If you are a monowatchman, you've come to the right place. Today we will be looking at a solid candidate for the one-watch-men of this world, a 3-hand and date watch that you can wear day in and day out. Let’s start our “Battle of Luxury Daily Beaters” with the Seamaster Aqua Terra 150m by Omega.Omega's Aqua Terra 150m is a perfect “all-rounder”, sporty without being a monolithic tool watch, rugged enough for a game of football – European, not American – smart enough to wear to the office and with an engine on board that surpasses most players in the field. The Seamaster Aqua Terra we have today is the 41mm steel versio

Hands-On - The Blancpain Fifty Fathoms 70th Anniversary Act 1
Renowned as the blueprint for modern dive watches, Blancpain's archetypal Fifty Fathoms of 1953 is coming up for its grand 70th birthday. As an essential player in the development of scuba diving and the watch chosen by elite diving corps worldwide, the heyday of the Fifty Fathoms spanned from the mid-1950s to the early 1980s. Following a period of dormancy, Marc A. Hayek, Blancpain's CEO, decided to revive the Fifty Fathoms in 2003, coinciding with its 50th anniversary. Three series of 50 watches were unveiled in 2003, marking the definitive return of this icon. Today, 70 years after the debut of the Fifty Fathoms and 20 years after its rebirth, Blancpain kicks off a year of celebrations with a new 42mm model offered in three series of 70 pieces each, available for pre-order on Blancpain's website in January 2023.ClarificationIt might seem a bit confusing that there are three series of one watch (a total of 210 watches). However, each series is reserved for a specific region of the wo

Book Review: The Millennium Watch Book Travel Watch Edition
Following the previous 4 editions - The Millennium Watch Book, Tourbillon Watches, Divers Watches and Chronographs - GMT Publishing now releases a fifth opus in their The Millenium book series. This 2024 edition is dedicated to travel watches (displaying additional time zones), a highly practical and purposeful function for globetrotters, frequent travellers and those doing business around the world.Just like the previous volumes, this fifth sequel of The Millennium Watch Book is presented in a hard XXL coffee-table format. This 200-page opus is lavishly illustrated with some 1,000 photos. Besides essential information about travel watches and their functionalities, it brings together a selection of 50 essential travel watches produced since 2000. Gracing the cover of this year's edition is the latest evolution of one of the most iconic world timers - the Patek Philippe Universal Time 5330. Ad - Scroll to continue with article

Introducing: Hanhart Resuscitates its White Pilot with the 417 ES Moby Dick
Hanhart, the German brand that started life in Switzerland as a manufacturer of stopwatches before relocating to Germany in 1902, gained renown as a producer of Flieger (pilot's) chronographs. In the mid-1950s, Hanhart built the 417, the first pilot's chronograph for the German Armed Forces, with an emphasis on robustness, reliability, and readability. In circulation until 1963, the 417 was retired, allowing Hanhart to focus on stopwatches. But there was another lesser-known Hanhart 417 waiting in the wings, known among collectors as the Moby Dick. Identical in build to the 417 but with a white dial, the Moby Dick was adopted by admirals and doctors in the navy and, given its scarcity, had become a coveted collector's piece.The vintage watch that was used as an inspiration for the new 417 ES Moby DickIn 2020, Hanhart reissued the legendary 417 pilot's chronograph. While the case and dial faithfully respected many traits of its ancestor, the modern version of the Hanhart 417 ES reflecte