Breaking: Audemars Piguet Appoints Ilaria Resta As CEO To Replace FH Bennahmias
It was known for some time already that Fran?ois-Henry Bennahmias, the current CEO of Audemars Piguet, was about to step down from his position. As explained in this article of June 2022, Audemars Piguet officially confirmed the departure of its boss at the end of 2023 (at the latest). What remained unknown, up until now, was the name of the substitute. We knew somehow, through rumours and indiscretions, that AP was interested in naming a woman, in order to bring a new vibe to the brand. And now, according to an editorial published a few minutes ago in Le Temps (here, in French), the name has been given. In the very near future, Audemars Piguet will be guided by Ilaria Resta, previously President Perfumery at Firmenich,?a Swiss company in the fragrance and flavour business.?Fran?ois-Henry?Bennahmias, current CEO of AP, who will leave his position at the end of the year.Fran?ois-Henry?Bennahmias joined Audemars Piguet some 30 years ago. He began his career at AP in 1994 and became the m

Hands-On - Piaget Altiplano 38mm Hand-Wound Blue Dial Pink Gold
If there’s one watch that perfectly defines the concept of an elegant, ultra-thin dress watch, it is the Piaget Altiplano. Refined, discreet, mechanically interesting and understated, this icon born in 1957 designed by Valentin Piaget has stood the test of time to become one of the definitive “tuxedo” watches. Already available in a very (too) restrained white and white dial version, this year the brand adds a new pink gold and blue dial version to its collection of Altiplano 38mm Hand-Wound watches. And yes, it remains ultra-thin, ultra-elegant, ultra-Piaget.The story behind the Altiplano starts with the creation of a movement, the Calibre 9P, which is known for being one of the thinnest mechanical calibres ever created. This movement, seemingly simple due to a display reduced to only two hands, was, however, an immense technical achievement: it was only 2mm in height – and back then, there were no CNC machines, computer-aided design or LIGA technologies. Every

OPINION - Joining Forces For The Best? The Tudor / Breitling Mechanical Alliance
Prior to Baselworld 2017, at their annual pre-Basel event, Tudor unveiled the new Black Bay Chronograph. The first thought of?the crowd of journalists present (us included) was?“in-house chronograph movement!” The excitement lasted for less than 5 minutes however, as the announcement was quickly followed?by?the official disclaimer. Indeed, despite the?“MT” nomenclature, this movement is not produced by Tudor, but rather by Breitling, which soon after, announced the launch of a?new 3-hand movement, based on a… Tudor calibre. The question is, is this a good thing or not? It looks like?we’re going to find out with the new Tudor / Breitling alliance.The “in-house” debateBefore going into the details of this recently announced?Tudor / Breitling Mechanical Alliance, it’s worth taking a look back at the notion of “in-house” or “manufacture”, which has been one of the main trends of the last 10 / 15 years. Prior to t

Introducing: The Monochromatic Hublot Spirit of Big Bang Essential Grey
We’ve been raving on and on about the profound use of colour within the watchmaking industry these past couple of months (and years). And yes, there have been countless vibrant, expressive and often quite cool and colourful watches, but what if you’re in the market for something a little less bright and eye-popping? What if you’re looking for something more, let’s say, monochromatic but still want it fit for summer? You’re in luck, as Hublot has just presented a lightweight titanium version of its Spirit of Big Bang in toned-down full-grey attire. This is the new and limited Hublot Spirit of Big Bang Essential Grey.Hublot’s watches are never shy of showing off what they are, as more often than not, the brand likes to play around with colours, textures and materials. A case in point is the recent Nespresso, Sky Blue and Texalium editions of its signature Big Bang. This new Spirit of Big Bang, nestled in between the Big Bang and Square Bang in terms of

Introducing: The Aplty-Named Perrelet Turbine Pink Flamingo
An unusual phenomenon in the watch world, there have been two official sightings of flamingos since the beginning of the year. The first was in January with Tudor's Black Bay Flamingo Blue, named after a mythical, non-existent colour of the Phoenicopterus. The second is Perrelet’s new Turbine Pink Flamingo, appropriately attired in the more habitual pink colour of the wading bird’s plumage. The mesmerising display of the Turbine’s spinning blades has been one of the most successful models in the brand's repertoire. True to its namesake, the dial of the new Flamingo model puts on a dynamic pink and black show inspired by the over-the-top pastel styling of the 1980s hit TV series Miami Vice.Perrelet's patented Double Rotor of 1995, which features a second rotor on the dial connected to the rear rotor in the automatic movement, led to the development of the Turbine concept in 2009. Fitted with a free-spinning upper rotor inspired by the propellers of a jet turbine and ro