Industry 2021 Marks Record Levels for Swiss Watch Exports
2020 was a very difficult year for the Swiss watch industry with a historic fall of 21.8%, the steepest decline since 2009. Following this sharp contraction of the global watch market, 2021 has seen a recovery from the pandemic and a return to growth, to the point of recording its best year ever! The FHS, the Federation Horlogere Suisse (or the Swiss Watch Federation), has just released export statistics for 2021. At CHF 22,297 million, exports were 31.2% higher than 2020, 2.7% higher than 2009 and 0.2% higher than the highest ever recorded by the industry, in 2014.Following the big hit taken during the pandemic, the watch industry bounced back to growth. Of course, the past two years have been a period of profound changes and the situation differs from one brand to the other. But top players like , Patek Philippe or Audemars Piguet seem to be immune to crisis and are stronger than ever; the surge of independent watchmaking has been remarkable over the past few months; Conglomerates R

ATTACK OF THE CLONES! See What Happens When a Body and Face are CLONED - But the Soul is Nowhere to be Found! - Monochrome Watches
I’m truly sorry to dredge up this subject once again – but I’ve been asked by some highly influential people to pontificate on the sordid subject of ‘so called’ clone watches.A few weeks ago I shared an exchange of messages back and forth with Monochrome-Watches.com Editor, Founder, Head-Honcho and newly-wed: Frank Geelen. This t¨ºte-¨¤-t¨ºte was initiated by a clone' watch Frank saw in the window of an Italian jewelry shop. We then played a little game of yeah – but did you know about THIS one' sending links to auctions for clone watches back and forth. By the time we were done we were both a bit shocked at how many there were and we were also a bit horrified that the companies that created these watches were not fly-by-night organizations, they were generally well-regarded brands in the industry, with serious credentials and credibility at stake! Ad - Scroll to continue with article

Kering Sells Girard-Perregaux & Ulysse Nardin to Management
As we’ve just entered the LVMH Watch Week, the other French luxury powerhouse, Kering (ex-PPR) has just announced the finalisation of the management buy-out of Girard-Perregaux and Ulysse Nardin, thus selling its watch activities to the current management of the brands. Following some talks that started a few months ago, it is now confirmed that Sowind Group SA, the umbrella above GP and UN, is out of the portfolio of Kering. The transaction, which has been conducted by the current CEO of both brands, Patrick Pruniaux, should be finalised this summer.As a reminder, Kering Group is a French conglomerate specialized in luxury goods, majorly owned by Fran?ois-Henri Pinault. Under this umbrella are brands such as Balenciaga,?Bottega Veneta,?Boucheron, Gucci or Yves Saint Laurent. Up until now, the group was also involved in watchmaking. In 2011, Kering took a majority stake in Girard-Perregaux (as well as the now-defunct brand JeanRichard, owned by the same company Sowind Group SA).

Introducing: Ochs und Junior Christmas Edition 2024, Returning the 2008 Classic 36mm Design
Ochs und Junior (in reality, it should be written ochs und junior, no capital letters) was founded in 2006 by Ludwig Oechslin, Beat Weinmann and Kurt Konig – the former being one of the most revered inventors of the Swiss watch industry, the former Director of the International Museum of Horology and the man who conceived the groundbreaking Ulysse Nardin Freak. The very first watch to be presented, back in 2008, was the deliberately simplistic Settimana, a 7-weekday model with only 4 additional components (in typical Oechslin style…) And this year, the Settimana, which is now part of the permanent collection in various editions, goes back to its roots with the ochs und junior Christmas Edition 2024, a strong evocation of the very first edition.If you look at the brand’s collection, you’ll see that the Settimana is of great importance for ochs und junior, representing both its entry-level model but also its most relevant collection. In December 2020, the settiman

A Set Of Unique Ra¨²l Pages Regulateura Detente RP1s With Dials By Master Enameller Anita Porchet - Monochrome Watches
When two masters of their respective crafts meet, it’s very likely greatness will ensue. However, while masters may strengthen each other, it’s difficult to find common ground when crafts might seem at odds. Despite this, a positive and uniquely intriguing outcome is still a possibility. Such is the case with the collaboration of Ra¨²l Pages, the esteemed independent watchmaker, and Anita Porchet, a true master enamelled. Even though the two are long-time friends, it wasn’t until now that they worked on a shared project, which happens to be a uniquely coloured trio of Pages’ brilliant Regulateura Detente.Ra¨²l Pages was recently awarded the 2024 Louis Vuitton Prize for Independent Creatives, for his work on the stupendous Regulatuera Detente. Louis Vuitton is also deeply connected with the work of Anita Porchet, who has decorated many of the watches by the design house over the years. Watches such as the Tambour Moon Flying Tourbillon and the Tambour Opera Automat