Top 50 Swiss Watch Brands of 2020 Market Share - Editorial
2020 has been a difficult year for the Swiss watch industry, and for the entire luxury market. As we reported recently, the industry has had to face its steepest decline since 2009, with exports plummeting 21.8% in value, below the level of 2011. Certainly, the COVID-19 pandemic has had a strong impact on the watch industry. However, there was more than just a decline in sales in 2020. As always with a crisis, there will be losers and winners, brands that will collapse and brands that will emerge from the situation even stronger. Thanks to a detailed analysis of the Swiss watch market published by Morgan Stanley Research, in collaboration with Oliver Muller/LuxeConsult, we can now take a closer and more comprehensive look at what really happened in 2020 Increased polarisation, premiumisation, strong resistance of privately owned brands, detailed figures regarding the top 50 Swiss watch brands per market share and turnover and the continuous overperformance (not to say hegemony) of . H

Hands-on Vacheron Constantin Overseas Ultra-Thin Perpetual Calendar (Live pics & price) - and why a QP is relevant in such a sports-watch - Monochrome Watches
The new Overseas collection by Vacheron Constantin, introduced this year at the SIHH, ticks all the right boxes. The watch’ design is pure, inspired, the finish is exquisite, and overall it’s desirable and luxurious… It is actually difficult to find flaws here. Whether we talk about the?normal 3-hander, the Chronograph or the Ultra-Thin edition; when we got to see these new models we are very impressed. There’s one?version that we didn’t show to you, yet, and this is the flagship one: the?Vacheron Constantin Overseas Ultra-Thin Perpetual Calendar. This watch does bring a question to the table: is such a refined movement with perpetual calendar complication useful and relevant in a sport-oriented watch? Is it similar to a 633 bhp twin-turbo W12 engine in a delicate Bentley Continental GT Speed? Let’s just enjoy the beauty of it, please!You’re probably already quite aware of the new Overseas collection by Vacheron Constantin, as it received a rat

The new Kudoke 2 Nocturne (Specs & Price)
Last year a small German brand won the Petite Aiguille category at the GPHG, a category dedicated to watches priced between CHF 4,000 and CHF 10,000. Kudoke is now introducing a new variant of its award-winning Kudoke 2, the Nocturne. The Kudoke 2 is part of the HANDwerk collection in Kudoke's line-up, together with the Kudoke 1. It is a humble yet interesting watch with some very nice touches and of course, quite a bit of hand-finishing.Watchmaker Stefan Kudoke is primarily known for his extensively skeletonized and engraved watches. Yet, the discreet and elegant HANDwerk collection, so far comprised of two different models sharing a common design-language, is not to be overlooked. Both the Kudoke 1 and Kudoke 2 have a lot going on to earn their place in the spotlight.We reviewed the Kudoke HANDwerk 1 extensively last year, which is the more traditional-looking watch of the two. A lovely 39mm wide steel case paired with a traditionally styled dial and a decorated movement inspired by

Business - Analysis of the Swiss watchmaking industry in 2014 - Monochrome-Watches
The?Swiss watchmaking industry is known to be a dream factory. If you’re a collector and a frequent reader of Monochrome-Watches, you certainly know what we mean by that. However, Swiss manufactures are also (actually mainly) businesses, with a unique goal: selling watches, achieving a worldwide recognition and creating value. In order to understand a bit more about this industry that we too often view only from the product side, here are some interesting figures about the year 2014.Let’s start immediately with the impressive numbers. While the production numbers of Swiss-made watches is almost insignificant as part of the entire annual watch production (which includes all vast numbers of cheap quartz watches produced in China), the value created by the Swiss manufactures is imposing. As the graph shows, Switzerland only produces one watch against?fifty?produced in the entire world. When you consider those numbers, just think that this small country is also responsible of m

Interview - Marc Aellen, CEO of Certina, On 2021 Models & Market Forcast
Founded by the Kurth brothers in 1888, Certina can look back on a rich history. Today Certina is a part of the mid-range brands of Swatch Group, which is also the entry-level to mechanical watches. Certina is catalogued in the Sports watch section, with a slight vintage flair. During the presentation of the brand's 2021 novelties in Geneva, we spent some time with the CEO of Certina Watches, Marc Aellen, to talk about the recent evolution of the brand, the growing demand for mechanical models, the impact of the pandemic, the future of the brand and of course the new watches that have been recently presented.Marc Aellen, CEO of Certina WatchesXavier Markl, MONOCHROME – Marc, how did you get into watches?Marc Aellen, Certina – My father was a watch designer in the Neuchatel region. When he passed away in 1998, I was still too young to take over his business. Naturally, growing up in the area, you get to learn and love watches. After I graduated in business administration, I h