Industry Richemont Shows Strong Results for First Semester 2021
Following a turbulent period, the market for luxury goods is well on track for recovery For the 6 months period ended?30 September 2021, Switzerland-based luxury group Richemont recorded strong revenue growth. At EUR 8,907 million, sales were up 63% at actual exchange rates and 65% at constant exchange rates. Compared to the same period before the pandemic – in 2019 – sales increased by 20% at actual exchange rates and by 24% at constant exchange rates. The operating profit for the period amounted to EUR 1,949 million up 331% year-on-year, and up 67% compared to the same period two years ago.Richemont reports a 67% increase for the sale of its jewelry Maisons (Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels) at EUR 5,097 million. At EUR 1,679 million, sales at the Specialist Watchmakers were 74% higher than in the prior-year period, and 7% higher on a two-year basis. Richemont underlines the growing integration of sales from a multi-brand to a mono-brand environment (Directly operated stor

Seiko Takes Us Back To The Roots of The 5 Sports With The Cool SPRK17 55th Anniversary Limited Edition
When Seiko recently introduced a re-edition of the very first Seiko 5 Sports from 1968, I got quite excited, to be honest. What I was looking at, on paper until then at least, was a faithful recreation of an iconic watch. The Seiko 5 Sports has been, and still is a very important collection to Seiko, and I’m sure pretty much all of us came into contact with one at some point in life. It’s widely considered a gateway mechanical watch, one that introduces loads of people to the world of mechanical watchmaking. And while some might move on, I still love a good Seiko from time to time. And this one seemed a very?good one by the looks of it. So, a quick call to our Seiko contact, a little wait, and here we are, going hands-on with it. And perhaps ruining the surprise; the new Seiko 5 Sports 55th Anniversary Limited Edition SRPK17 is even better in person!As we’ve explained before, the Seiko 5 collection was introduced in 1963, with the beefier Seiko 5 Sports following in 1

Oris Divers Sixty-Five Chronograph Bucherer Blue Editions (Specs & Price)
It was just a matter of time before the regular stainless steel version of the Oris Divers Sixty-Five Chronograph would make its debut. We knew it after seeing the Bronze Carl Brashear model, we just didn’t know how and when… The wait is over, as the first steel edition of the Sixty-Five Chronograph is out, however, it isn’t just an Oris; it is also a Bucherer-themed watch. Meet the new (and cool) Oris Divers Sixty-Five Chronograph Bucherer Blue Editions.The Divers Sixty-Five is Oris’ most successful collection of the last five years. An affordable, well-executed, good-looking diver with a fair amount of vintage elements, it has been praised by many – including us. What started as a stand-alone piece quickly became a full collection, with 36mm, 40mm, and 42mm models and with steel, ‘BiCo’ steel-and-bronze or full bronze versions. Last year saw the first introduction of a complication in this collection, with the limited edition Oris Carl Brashe

The Vintage Corner - The Story of Dugena - Or the Poor Mans Heuer?
“Poor Man's Heuer” is a term often used in the vintage collector's world. It refers to a sport or tool watch that was made in the 1960s and 1970s, with design or style cues from racing Heuer watches, but with another brand stamped on the dial. Whether it's the bright colours to accent the dial and hands, the large oversize cases with radial-brushed finishes or racing car references, these were features originally used by Heuer, one of the most prolific chronograph manufacturers of the last century, which also produced watches under other names. The concept of “Poor Man's Heuer” originated in the online Heuer community as “a joke”, something to call a watch, that while not having been made by Heuer, has the look and feel of a vintage Heuer. And today, we'll look at one of these watches, the Dugena Siffert Chronograph – which certainly has something to do with the Heuer Autavia.This situation occurred way before the brands started engaging with h

Cousteau and the Timepieces of the Calypso team - Part 1 - Monochrome Watches
From a very young age I remember religiously watching the Jacques Cousteau documentaries that were broadcasted on TV every Saturday afternoon. These documentaries were a window in the outside world and they allowed a young child like me to see the yellow flying saucer submarine, the divers wearing sleek yellow Spirotechnique gear, the old man himself diving and giving instructions to his comrade divers. I still remember trying to see the watches that the divers and scientists wore; these idols of my young age gave me the ‘watch bug’ that I have had ever since! In this article we are going to explore the watches that Cousteau and his team used. The list is not final; of course there are some models that might be missing. However, from my research using pictures from the internet and some dedicated blogs and forums we’ve been able to make a pretty thorough list of the watches of Cousteau and his team. Back then, the mechanical divers watch was a tool, not a jewelry item