Interview Jean-Christophe Babin on Geneva Watch Days and LVMH Watch Week
Last year, 2020, the planned dates for Baselworld and Watches & Wonders were pretty late in the year. Usually, the SIHH, predecessor of Watches & Wonders, took place in January and Baselworld was often around March. These proved to be good moments in the year for the watch business, as retailers purchased new watches, new inventory, shortly after the Christmas sales and that kept a healthy dynamic in the luxury ecosystem. However now the two major watch fairs were planned for April/May, that important sales moment in January was missing and Bvlgari Group CEO, Jean-Christophe Babin, wanted to do something about that. Within a short timespan, he created the LVMH Watch Week in Dubai, which took place early 2020, and filled the void of a missing watch fair early that year. And when the pandemic put a halt to last year’s Baselworld, it was again Mr. Babin who initiated a new fair, the Geneva Watch Days, which took place just after the summer. The reason for the LVMH Watch Week

Introducing: Longines Heritage Flagship Moonphase Year of the Dragon
The Chinese New Year provides many watch companies with the perfect excuse to produce a special edition decorated with one of the twelve animals of the Chinese Zodiac. This year is the Year of the Dragon, and, for the first time, Longines jumps on the Chinese New Year bandwagon with a limited edition of 888 pieces of its Flagship Heritage model with moon phases. Available exclusively in Asia, the Flagship Heritage features an Oriental red dial with gold accents and a discreetly positioned dragon's head depicted on the caseback.Using the Heritage Flagship Moonphase model makes a lot of sense since the Moon plays an essential role in determining the date of the Chinese New Year. According to the Chinese lunisolar calendar, the New Year usually falls on the second new Moon after the winter solstice, between 21 January and 20 February. This year, the Chinese New Year kicks off on 10 February, and the Dragon will be holding court until the Snake takes over in January 2025. Ad - S

Introducing Farer Automatic Chronograph Series Cobb, Eldridge and Segrave (Specs & Price)
You'd be hard pressed to find a more mature and unique watch company in the world of microbrands than London-based Farer Universal. Their production is predictably limited in number for a small brand, offering a maximum of 300 individual watches within most series (many are limited to 100) and they often sell out in a matter of months. They're known for using a lot of colours and whimsical designs, yet maintain a sophistication and maturity that keep them from resembling expensive Swatch watches. With the exception of their initial quartz line, Farer always releases new watches in a series of three, all having very different dial designs that share a common case. Following up on the 37mm Hand-Wound series released a few months ago, the company just launched three automatic chronographs that continue their distinctive design language - The Cobb, Eldridge and Segrave.We covered their Three Hand Automatics a couple of years ago and recently reviewed their Aqua Compressor Endeavour, and th

In Conversation with Indie Czech Watchmaker Ondrej Berkus
This isn't one of my usual articles in The Collector's Corner. For my first time talking with self-taught Czech watchmaking wizard Ond?ej Berkus (@hodinkyberkus), I wanted a format more intimate than a Q&A (for a look at how well a Q&A can be done, check out Ond?ej's interview with Watch Affinity here). I didn't want to write about how Ond?ej got into watches or about his watchmaking philosophy – I wanted to get to know the man and what drives him. I hope I am able to convey some of the wonders I felt when I spoke with him, and I also hope you enjoy the ride!Special thanks to @jirivratislav for supplying the photos for this article.?Off to CzechiaI look at the windows of the train as we cross the Austrian border to Czechia. It's a dreary day – a thick and oppressive cloud cover hangs in the sky and sheets of rain pour down. It's a flat country out here, a welcome respite from the mountains further west in Austria that seem to glower at you and crowd you in as you dr

Jacob & Co. Astronomia Alec Monopoly (Specs & Price)
As a child of the 1980s, I grew up quite a few years before a little thing called the internet was widely available. Games were plaid off-line rather than online and you'd had to time yourself to watch?your favourite TV show, otherwise, you'd miss it. Growing up I had a few favourite TV cartoons and board games to play. And to my surprise, two of those things have just reared their head in an ultra-complex Jacob & Co in a collaboration with renowned artist and painter Alec Monopoly.?And once again, it is mechanical boldness to the max.Presented as a special collaboration between perhaps the most extravagant independent watchmaker and the famous street artist, the Astronomia Alec Monopoly combines several artistic crafts within the signature Astronomia theme. The four arms of the movement rotate over a sparkling black aventurine base dial, with four unique and handcrafted characters pretty much all of us are familiar with. Ad - Scroll to continue with article