1. LVMH – new buy, new models
Luxury conglomerate LVMH had its fingerprints all over the last few months – especially in high horology, from marquee releases to corporate moves. News broke in June that LVMH had entered the Watches and Wonders Geneva Foundation board along with Chanel and Hermès, joining current members Rolex, Richemont Group and Patek Philippe. LVMH also announced on June 25 that it had acquired Swiza, the owner of independent high-end clock manufacturer L’Epée 1839.
For watch enthusiasts, arguably the most exciting headline came from LVMH’s Louis Vuitton. The luxury leather goods maison released new, sleek and elegant time-only editions of the Escale. While the pieces feature the in-house LFT023 movement, also seen in the brand’s watershed Tambour last year, what is most notable about the new Escale editions are the intricate dial and case design details. The 39mm watch has lugs that specifically evoke the metalwork and finish of the maison’s trunk-making heritage, and the dials range from blue or silver stamped textured dials to onyx and meteorite.
2. Richemont’s movements
On July 2, it was announced that Bos would be succeeded as Van Cleef & Arpels CEO by Catherine Rénier, currently Jaeger-LeCoultre CEO, while Vacheron Constantin CEO Louis Ferla will succeed Cyrille Vigneron as the next CEO of Cartier. Both appointments take effect in September.
3. Jay-Z’s Wristcheck moment
But it’s not just the high horology maisons making moves – on July 3, musician and billionaire mogul Jay-Z joined forces with popular luxury watch vendor and media platform Wristcheck as an investor.
4. Big watch moments in sports
In the football world, Real Madrid defeated Dortmund on June 1 to win the UEFA Champions League. Known celebrity watch enthusiast Jay-Z was in attendance at Wembley Stadium, wearing a piece that only he can pull off without raising eyebrows – a Patek Philippe Grand Complication reference 5271/11.
5. Sylvester Stallone Rocky-ing the auction world
Though action star Stallone hasn’t been seen at any major sporting or fashion events recently, he did make a splash auctioning his peerless collection with Sotheby’s in June, fetching a total of US$6.7 million in sales for 11 pieces. On why he chose to sell now, he told Sotheby’s: “It’s not about keeping time, it’s about keeping in step with where you are in life.” Some of the great pieces sold included several vintage Panerais and a Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime.
6. Bugatti’s Tourbillon-dollar baby
Few luxury pursuits are as closely related as horology and exotic automobiles. Though watchmakers tend to draw from racing to inspire timekeeping, hypercar maker Bugatti reversed the formula with the Tourbillon, a successor to the legendary Chiron. Named after Abraham-Louis Breguet’s innovation to minimise the effects of gravity on watch accuracy, the new Bugatti has an analogue instrument cluster made from titanium and skeletonised to weigh just 700 grams, crafted in partnership with Swiss watchmakers.
Jacob & Co. followed up on the collaboration with the hypercar maker with its Bugatti Tourbillon, a fittingly themed watch evoking the V16 engine block into the design, along with a 30-second flying tourbillon, twin power reserves and retrograde hours and minutes to mimic RPM counters common in cars.
7. Colourful summers with colourful pieces
Over the last few months, brands have not let up on releasing cool new pieces for enjoying the sunshine and ocean. To name just a few fun summer releases, Tag Heuer recently made waves by collaborating with Kith to honour the F1 Grand Prix in Miami, reviving a 1990s design that pops with colour. Meanwhile, Horologer Ming dived deep – 600 metres deep, to be precise – to release the beautiful Bluefin in the brand’s signature language with an interior rotating dive bezel, appropriate for all occasions.
Panerai went the durable route and gave us the new Submersible Elux Lab-ID, housed in a distinctly blue, patent-pending ceramised titanium – making the pieces 44 per cent lighter than steel, but 10 times tougher than traditional ceramic.
Speaking of conversation starters, independent watchmakers have doubled down on taking vintage cues to jump-start modern designs. Audemars Piguet recently revealed three stunning Royal Oak Double Balance Wheel Openworked editions, but turned heads with the [Re]Master 02. Featuring a sand gold, asymmetrically rectangular case, the piece pays homage to a release from 1960.
Joining the rectangular, vintage-inspired fray is Hautlence. Known for its signature rectangular cases, the independent brand took it a step further with the Retrovision ‘47, a bright piece inspired by classic radios in honour of its 20th anniversary this year.
Rounding out new square designs these past months is new-kid-on-the-block Toledano & Chan, which debuted its B/1 in May. The 33.5mm integrated steel piece contrasts a brutalist case and bracelet design with a stunning lapis lazuli dial.