Xavier Markl's Top 10 of the SIHH 2017
The SIHH 2017 was my 19th attendance to the Geneva-based fair. What a pleasure to tour the inescapable Geneva Haute Horlogerie rendez-vous, which has been great vintage indeed! Here's my top ten favorite watches, after over 2,000 pictures shot. These are presented without specific order, focusing on gents watches (no mention therefore of the magnificent jeweled watches from Cartier, Piaget or Van Cleef and Arpels). A tough choice but as we had to pick ten, here we go with my personal highlightsGreubel Forsey Grande SonnerieThe grande sonnerie and petite sonnerie hold a special place in the world of Haute Horlogerie. There is only a handful of watchmakers capable of manufacturing such works of arts, often regarded as the ultimate horological complication. Robert Greubel and Stephen Forsey are adding a 24-second inclined tourbillon to their impressive Grande Sonnerie. The power-hungry strike-work mechanism is powered by its one barrel wound by a micro-rotor to fulfill its function for lo

Hands-On Green Ceramic AP Royal Oak Concept Flying Tourbillon GMT
For many of us, a concept watch is designed to show off a brand's technical skills and potential direction for the future. Like the concept cars the idea was borrowed from, concept watches tend to be cutting-edge, humongously complex, far-out timepieces that are eventually toned down and evolve into tamer commercial editions or never see the light of day. At Audemars Piguet, the first Royal Oak Concept watch was unveiled in 2002 and, in an unusual turn, evolved into a full-fledged collection known as the Royal Oak Concept. One of its members, the Flying Tourbillon GMT, is back in the limelight with a new green ceramic bezel - a first for this collection -, green accents on the openworked dial and the imposing 44mm titanium case built like a rampart to protect the in-house movement.Royal Oak ConceptTwenty years ago, AP celebrated the 30th anniversary of its iconic Royal Oak with the launch of a 150-piece limited edition inspired by a concept car. Not to be confused with the beefed-up Ro

Hands-On - 2022 Hublot Big Bang Integral Time-Only Collection
Introduced over 15 years ago, the Hublot Big Bang and its art of fusion concept have given birth to countless variations in all manner of sizes, material or complications. The versatile, ever-evolving Big Bang is often bold, aggressive or polarizing. As its name suggests, it is not meant for the faint of heart Presented on the occasion of the LVMH Watch Week 2022, the Big Bang Integral Time Only uses a different design grammar, refocusing on what is the essence of the luxury sports watch with integrated bracelet, yet with all classic Hublot elements.Introduced in 2020, 15 years after the creation of the model, the Integral was the first Big Bang to be fitted with an integrated metal bracelet. Powered by the Unico movement, the original chronograph model was already an interesting departure from the brand's traditional styling. The Big Bang Integral Time-Only goes one step further, reconnecting the Hublot iconic design to the archetypal luxury sports watch with an integrated bracelet. S

2020 TAG Heuer Connected Watch and Interview with Frederic Arnault
Today, TAG Heuer launches a new Connected watch and we sat down with Frederic Arnault, TAG Heuer's Chief Strategy and Digital Officer, to talk about the new Connected Watch. How does it fit in the entire TAG Heuer line-up and what are the possibilities? One thing seems clear, TAG Heuer is able to use its 160 years of watchmaking experience to create a well-designed, ergonomic and good-looking wristwatch. This time without mechanical content but with state-of-art technical content and the latest software. Frederic is confident that both mechanical and connected can successfully coexist and thrive within one of the most recognized, historic Swiss watch brands. ?TAG Heuer introduces the third-generation of its Connected Watch, and since the brand pioneered the luxury connected watch segment back in 2015, it has now accumulated a significant background in this field. This third-generation mixes classic TAG Heuer watchmaking elements and an up-to-date digital experience with more functional

Louis Erard Excellence Regulator Gradient Dials // Hands-On, Price
Louis Erard's Excellence collection is populated with regulators, a historic display that had fallen into disuse but that is becoming more and more prevalent in watchmaking today. Usually reinterpreted in classic design codes, Louis Erard is determined to show the regulator in a new light and has invited external designers to jazz things up. We've already seen Alain Silberstein's zany colourful Bauhaus take on the regulator and Eric Giroud's sleek minimalist contribution. Now it's time for the more classic Excellence Regulator model to get a makeover with the incorporation of gradient dials in three on-trend colours: green, blue and grey.Regulator clocksAlthough regulator clocks gradually faded into disuse, they were originally developed in the mid-18th century as master clocks to offer the most accurate time readings available. The distinctive feature of regulators was the separation of minutes, hours and seconds. The minutes became the true protagonists of the dial read with a large