Editorial: Are Watches a Good Investment?
Beyond their cultural and aesthetic value, luxury and high-end watches have increasingly become recognised as a viable investment asset class, offering the potential for both financial returns and personal enrichment. Indeed, watches can be a way to invest while enjoying the passion for beautiful objects. But the topic can be controversial. Just like any investment, one should navigate cautiously. Investing in watches can be risky and a bit overwhelming for some due to their lack of knowledge. It is essential to carefully evaluate factors such as the brand, the rarity, the provenance, the condition and the market trend.?First and foremost, we are not financial advisors. Predicting trends is not simple. The only thing we can tell you is that if you are eyeing watches to turn a profit, you should take the time to examine and understand each acquisition before committing your hard-earned money. This advice applies to all sorts of investments or asset classes.? Ad - Scroll to co

Baume & Mercier Clifton Baumatic 5 Days / Chronometer - Hands-On Review (Specs & Price)
Last month, we wrote about an unexpected new timepiece from an unexpected source: the Clifton Baumatic from Baume & Mercier. Officially unveiled at SIHH 2018, we had the chance to spend some time getting hands-on with this all-rounder/dress watch and were quite impressed with what we found. The big news was, of course, the introduction of the brand's first proprietary movement, coupled with a very accessible price. Upon closer inspection, however, we discovered there was a lot more to like.Over the last five years or so, in-house and proprietary movements have become very “en vogue”.? Whether that translates into better quality is probably still up for debate. More often than not, an in-house movement is indicative of higher pricing, which seems logical. Building a vertically-integrated manufacture capable of creating in-house movements from scratch is an expensive undertaking and those costs need to be recovered somehow. Right? Ad - Scroll to continue with a

IWC Pilot's Watch Automatic Edition Laureus Blue Ceramic IW328101
IWC has been issuing special edition watches since 2006 to support Laureus Sport for Good, which has over 250 programmes in more than 50 countries. Nelson Mandela is its Founding Patron and said in 2000: Sport has the power to change the world. The goal is to end violence, discrimination and disadvantage, and more than six million children and young people have been reached. IWC has issued all kinds of Laureus editions through the years, including a Portugieser Monopusher Chronograph and Portofino Automatic Moon Phase. This year's pilot's model is highlighted by a blue ceramic case, which is a first for IWC.?The ceramic is comprised of powdered zirconium oxide mixed with other metallic oxides with a huge emphasis on the quality and purity of the raw materials. The result is a dark blue hue that's the signature colour of Laureus editions. It's 41mm in diameter and 11.4mm in height, and comes with a soft-iron inner case for resistance to magnetic fields. A convex sapphire crystal with an

Montblanc 1858 Automatic Chronograph Blue & Compass Bezel - Price
Taking inspiration from an original Minerva monopusher chronograph of the 1930s, the 1858 Automatic Chronograph now comes with a blue dial and a new bidirectional steel bezel inset with shiny blue ceramic. The 1858 Chronograph kills two birds with one stone: it gives you the look of a 1930's Minerva chronograph?but manages to keep the price in check by not equipping the watch with one its upscale Minerva chronograph movements. For that kind of a treat, you’d be looking at something like this limited-edition 1858 Monopusher Chronograph with a Minerva movement and a price that exceeds this model more than four times.?Mountaineering spiritA vintage-style bi-compax chronograph originally introduced in 2018, this new iteration of the Montblanc 1858 Automatic Chronograph comes with a navy blue dial and a blue ceramic inlay on the bezel engraved with the cardinal points. The addition of the bidirectional compass bezel, identical to the bezel we have just seen on the 1858 Geosphere, situ

Hands-on: The TAG Heuer Monaco Skeleton Blue
Changes to the appearance are often a more frequent feature of the TAG Heuer Monaco series than groundbreaking innovation in its mechanics. And over the years the brand almost always successfully implemented the use of new materials and updated designs, with the recent 2023 introduction of open-worked dials to the collection preceding the launch of the timepiece we are reviewing today, the 2024 TAG Heuer Monaco Chronograph Skeleton Dark Blue in DLC Titanium, perhaps the better looking of them by far.The 1969 Heuer Monaco reference 1133B.Since the Monaco chronograph was first introduced by Heuer in 1969, it has appeared in many design variations, always faithful to the original aesthetics of this legendary watch. Monaco’s distinctive looks continue to be recognised by specialists, not just watch and racing fans - Monaco Calibre 11 received a Red Dot Award in the product design category almost 50 years after it was born - in 2017. In the past, Monaco sought to offer interesting tec