video
Roman Sharf and Adrian Taskin criticize forced buying bundles used by some watch retailers, where customers must purchase less-desired watches or jewelry to gain access to sought-after models. They discuss the risks of these arrangements, argue that the secondary market can be a better alternative, and question the
The secondary watch market’s recovery hit a speed bump in October, with the WatchCharts Overall Market Index falling 0.8%. Rolex declined 1.1%, Patek Philippe slipped 0.4%, and Audemars Piguet edged up 0.2%. That does not erase the broader recovery: the overall index remains 7.5%
News
The Patek Philippe Museum in Geneva celebrates its 25th anniversary in 2026. Founded by Philippe Stern and inaugurated in 2001, it houses about 2,500 watches, automata, precious objects and enamel miniatures, tracing five centuries of watchmaking and Patek Philippe’s history since 1839. The museum has welcomed more than
Seiko’s sales soar, watchmaking gets artistic, and a blue balloon dog faces the bidders.
Subdial heads west, Fossil finds its footing, and an $80,000 Freak meets a $20,501 reality check.
A $203 million auction weekend, independent watchmaking’s creative roots, and the many ways a watch earns its price.
Geneva’s record auction, independent watchmaking’s creative pulse, and a Vacheron that puts its calendar on display.
From Geneva’s biggest winners to the watch you might design yourself, today’s BuyingTime explores what makes a timepiece matter.
Independent watchmaking builds its future, Subdial accelerates, and a freshly serviced Lange brings substance to the auction block.
News
On November 10, 2026, the Vacheron Constantin Concours d'Élégance Horlogère jury selected winners in seven categories from 34 finalists at Geneva’s Hôtel Président. Organized by Phillips in association with Bacs and Russo, the competition celebrated watches dating from 1926 to 1976, with provenance and personal history central
News
Most of Richemont’s Specialist Watchmakers returned to growth in the six months to September, with sales rising 10% to €1.7 billion at constant currency. Vacheron Constantin, Jaeger-LeCoultre and A. Lange & Söhne led the gains. Growth accelerated from 10% in the first quarter to 12% in the
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Rado has built its identity around material innovation, earning a reputation as the “Master of Materials.” Its plasma high-tech ceramic illustrates this focus: white ceramic is transformed in a specialized furnace at temperatures approaching 20,000°C, creating a metallic appearance without metal coatings or plating while retaining ceramic’
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The Hour Glass’ IAMWATCH symposium in Singapore brought together leading independent watchmakers, established maisons and emerging talent to showcase new pieces and discuss the sector’s future. Special editions highlighted inventive complications, fine hand-finishing and artistic techniques, from Mathieu Cleguer’s proprietary escapement and Raúl Pagès’ mother-of-pearl
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Phillips New York Watch Auction: XV features 196 lots scheduled for December 5–6, including 12 watches with pre-sale estimates above $1 million. With combined low estimates of about $25.4 million, the sale would need to average more than 4.42 times its minimum estimates—and exceed $572,
review
Studio Underd0g’s 04SERIES Calendar is the British brand’s first calendar watch and fourth collection, offered in four vivid colourways with highly reflective satin-polished dials. Its display combines a moonphase, retrograde pointer date and manually adjusted weekend indicator, while the stainless-steel case comes in 37mm and 38.
events
Sotheby’s will present The Human Touch in Zurich from November 23 to 28, bringing together automobiles, watches, jewellery and collectibles to celebrate the people and skills behind luxury craftsmanship. The exhibition highlights traditional expertise at a time when automation and technology are reshaping luxury manufacturing. Morgan Motor Company’s
review
The A. Lange & Söhne Saxonia Annual Calendar pairs a practical annual calendar with a compact 36 × 9.8mm white gold case and an argenté dial. Its clear layout features an outsize date, day and month displays, and a moonphase indicator with a blue disc, 428 stars, and a white
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A. Lange & Söhne has revived the Saxonia Annual Calendar in a more compact 36mm white-gold case. The updated watch features refined dial details, an argenté dial, and a moon-phase display. The new automatic Calibre L207.1 provides a 60-hour power reserve, while a practical pusher advances
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The five standout surprises of 2026 span unexpected launches, inventive engineering, playful design, and vintage-inspired styling. Jaeger-LeCoultre unveiled its Master Control Chronometre collection at Watches and Wonders, while the affordable DWC Terra became a major success with its carabiner-inspired form. Berneron’s Mirage Miroir introduced a specially
News
Richemont reported first-half fiscal 2026 sales of EUR 12.3 billion, up 17% at constant exchange rates and 16% at actual rates. Operating profit rose 33% at actual rates to EUR 3.1 billion. Jewellery Maisons, particularly Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels, led growth with sales increasing 18%
New Watches
Brellum’s Duobox 39 TC Moonphase Chronometer brings the brand’s triple calendar and moonphase complication into a compact 39mm steel case, alongside a 12-hour chronograph. Its blue sunray dial displays the day, month, date, day/night indicator, and moonphase, while domed sapphire crystals, 100-metre water resistance, and
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The 2026 Grand Prix de Haute Horlogerie de Genève felt more accessible and inclusive, with higher production values, English used for the first time as the ceremony’s main language, and a global mix of watchmaking figures. Nearly 200 brands submitted more than 300 pieces; the GPHG Academy selected 84
podcast
Nicholas Bowman-Scargill and watch journalist Chris Hall discuss Being Fearless, a book chronicling the first decade of Fears’ modern history since Nicholas revived the brand in 2016. They describe the challenges of building the business, from assembling its first Redcliff watches and transporting trade-show displays in borrowed cars
Newsletter
Seiko’s sales soar, watchmaking gets artistic, and a blue balloon dog faces the bidders.
Feature
Being Fearless: The First 10 Years of Rebuilding a Watch Company is a 176-page book by British watch journalist Chris Hall, published by Bristol Books CIC to mark ten years since Nicholas Bowman-Scargill revived Fears in 2016. Founded in Bristol in 1846, the family company closed in 1976
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Watches of Espionage has released Watches of Espionage: Tools of the Trade, a book featuring more than 500 pages of original reporting, photography, and stories about over 160 watches from 40 brands. Organized around issued watches, unit watches, private purchases, and spy gear, it focuses on the people and experiences
New Watches
Fortis expands the Novonaut N-42 collection with three TR models featuring fully luminous LumiCast X1 dials in Halo Black, Halo Blue, and Halo Green. They retain the 42mm stainless steel case, 200-meter water resistance, bidirectional timing bezel, day-date display, and Valjoux-style sub-dial layout, while matching
New Watches
Rexhep Rexhepi’s personal, unique platinum Chronomètre Contemporain II features a textured sage-green enamel dial with ivory indices and diamond markers. Its shifting grey-green tone and subtle depth distinguish it from other CC2 versions, while reflecting the muted olive palette often associated with Rexhepi and his workshop. The
New Watches
Zenith’s G.F.J. Calibre 135 Double Signed with J.N. Shapiro pairs the historic chronometer movement with the California watchmaker’s traditional guilloché craft. Its 39.15mm rose gold case frames a silver dial hand-cut with barleycorn, basketweave, and Shapiro’s Infinity Weave patterns, complemented by rose
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The 2026 military and tactical watch lineup ranges from faithful historical reissues to modern tools with specialized features. Ten selections include the Marathon U.S. 250 Anthracite Navigator, Squale 2001 Marina Militare, Hamilton Khaki Field Mechanical 250, Sinn EZM 19, Benrus Type 3X, Bulova A-11 Jimmy, Marathon Titanium SAR,
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Seiko remains capable of making distinctive, appealing watches, including the Turtle, Seiko 5 GMT, and Marinemaster. What has changed is the value equation: prices and expectations have risen, while familiar compromises—such as uneven accuracy, bracelet quality, and quality control—are harder to overlook on more expensive models. The brand’
New Watches
Vario’s Futurist Tantalum Edition reworks the brand’s angular, 1970s-inspired design in dense tantalum, known for its bluish-grey lustre and challenging machining process. The 39mm case is 10mm thick, offers 100 metres of water resistance, and pairs brushed surfaces with polished bevels and the signature faceted sapphire
review
The Anders & Co AC3 Lago marks the brand’s first move from round cases to a rectangular design. Its slim 316L stainless steel case measures 27.75mm by 38.10mm and is just 6.3mm thick, with brushed and polished surfaces, a curved sapphire crystal, and 50 metres of
video
Adrian Barker examines the TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional 300 Sundowner 2, a limited-edition collaboration with Time and Tide. The mechanical watch features a Grade 2 titanium case and an 80-hour power reserve. The Sundowner 2 also has distinctive aesthetic updates compared with earlier models. The overview highlights its
video
Chris and Julien discuss new watch releases, including a Hublot, a Porsche Design model, and Rolex’s “Seasons” Daytona collection. They also review Julien’s new Martin Design watch. The conversation turns to whether the market is moving away from hype, as interest in complications and value for money appears
video
John Reardon speaks with auctioneer Geoffroy Ader about his career, from growing up in a Parisian auction family and working at Antiquorum and Sotheby’s to becoming an independent watch expert. They reflect on landmark sales, including the Time Museum collection and Henry Graves Supercomplication, and discuss Ader’s belief
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Fratello’s Nacho, RJ, and Daan discuss the small details that can undermine an otherwise excellent watch. Their pet peeves include poor-quality leather straps, cheap folding clasps, badly designed date windows, and missing antireflective coatings. Though these issues may seem minor, they can affect a watch’s appearance, comfort,
video
The video presents a selection of 12 understated luxury watches spanning three price ranges. It highlights models from Nomos, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Zenith, and Vacheron Constantin. The watches are framed as quiet luxury, emphasizing a refined, understated style across different budgets.
video
The video previews a varied lineup of watches, from an MB&F with a disassembled movement to two models with retrograde complications. It also highlights a starry-dial Lange and an unusual Gerald Genta. The featured Subdial first is a new platinum Andersen Genève Communication 45, “En Route To
News
A. Lange & Söhne has opened its first Latin American boutique at Kogan Luxury House in Polanco, Mexico City. The historic colonial-style home has been renovated into an intimate lounge that blends exposed brick and wooden beams with contemporary brand details. Its Experience Library features watchmaking tools and artifacts,
New Watches
The Ulysse Nardin Freak S Purple Enamel pairs an avant-garde mechanical design with traditional watchmaking craft. Its titanium case houses a purple guilloché-flinqué enamel hour disc made in-house by Donzé Cadrans, beneath a movement that rotates to display the time without conventional hands, a dial, or a
New Watches
Czapek & Cie has introduced the Faubourg de Cracovie Crossroads Lightning, a motorsport-inspired chronograph limited to 18 pieces. Its black hand-guilloché dial features silver chronograph counters, red accents, a gradient tachymeter scale and design details drawn from Swiss GT driver Jacopo Mazza’s racing helmet. The 41.5mm
New Watches
The second-generation Trilobe Une Folle Journée retains its distinctive time display, with three off-centred rings for the hours, minutes and seconds rotating counterclockwise around a fixed pointer. Its redesigned barrel-shaped case has integrated lugs and sharper lines, measuring 40.3mm across and 18.25mm thick, with a
New Watches
The Ulysse Nardin Freak S Purple Enamel is a 50-piece limited edition combining a 45mm titanium case with a purple enamel dial made using guilloché-flinqué and crafted by Donzé Cadrans. Staying true to the Freak design, it has no conventional hands or crown: the rotating movement indicates the
review
The Vander Avort Lovon is the Belgian brand’s debut watch, offered in 18K rose gold or palladium-alloyed white gold with seven guilloché dial variations, each limited to five pieces. Its 40.9mm case features hand-engraved lugs and a distinctive crown, while the automatic VA01 movement, made by
News
Seiko Group reported record first-half results for the six months to September 2026, with sales up 22.3% to ¥196.3 billion ($1.2 billion) and operating profit rising 86.5% to ¥31.4 billion ($197 million). Watch sales grew 24.2% to ¥122.4 billion ($767 million), while
New Watches
Christopher Ward and Mr. Jones have collaborated on the C1 Bel Canto Lucia, a colorful, storytelling-focused take on the chiming watch. Inspired by Donizetti’s opera Lucia di Lammermoor, its dial depicts a bird in a garden: the bird’s beak indicates whether the chime is on, while its
New Watches
Takashi Murakami has launched Time Objects, a watch brand devoted to exploring time through Swiss haute horlogerie. Its first creation, the Skull Flowers Cylindrical Jumping Hours Tourbillon, combines a Grade 5 titanium skull case with Murakami’s rotating flower motifs, while displaying the hours on a cylinder and the minutes
New Watches
Ateliers Associés, founded by William Massena and Louis Westphalen-Lemaitre, supports independent watchmakers with funding and shared technical and commercial expertise in exchange for minority stakes. Its first partner is French watchmaker Mickaël Gaspar, whose decade-long project, the Souscription, aims to make mechanical watchmaking’s workings visible and understandable.
podcast
Nacho, RJ, and Daan discuss the small details that can undermine an otherwise excellent watch, from poorly finished components and uncomfortable clasps to bad straps, awkward date windows, and missing antireflective coatings. Their conversation highlights how these design and wearability choices shape the overall experience. The episode also features a
review
The Shinola Duck Automatic is a 38mm everyday sports watch with a skindiver-inspired design, 100 meters of water resistance, a rotating bezel, and a screw-down crown. Standard models use the Japanese Miyota 9015 automatic movement, offering a 42-hour power reserve and performance comparable to common Swiss calibers.
New Watches
Petermann Bédat’s Reference 2914 is the independent watchmaking duo’s first chronograph-only watch, adapting the split-seconds model into a more compact monopusher design. Its 36.5mm platinum case features soldered lugs, a polished concave bezel, a box-shaped sapphire crystal, and a snap-on caseback. The semi-
review
The RZE Seeker is a lightweight, compact everyday watch built around a solar-powered Epson AS01 quartz movement. Its 38mm Grade 2 titanium case, three-hand dial, 100-meter water resistance, and lack of a date prioritize comfort, legibility, and low-maintenance use. Three versions offer Spruce Green or Carbon
auctions
Phillips’ Hong Kong Watch Auction XXIII, scheduled for November 21–22, 2026, features tourbillons spanning historic pocket chronometers and contemporary wristwatches. Highlights include Audemars Piguet’s KAWS Royal Oak Concept, an early shock-resistant Richard Mille RM002, Théo Auffret’s Tourbillon à Paris, Beat Haldimann’s central flying tourbillon, and
Newsletter
Subdial heads west, Fossil finds its footing, and an $80,000 Freak meets a $20,501 reality check.
