Features

Welcome to our Features section, a series of articles that cover visits to watch manufacturers, interviews, watchmaking techniques, history of the brands and much more.


GMT, Dual Time, and Worldtimer watches: key differences

November 30, 2024

In the world of horology, timepieces that track multiple time zones are not only practical but also showcase the technical prowess of a watchmaker. Among the most popular complications in this category are GMT, Dual Time and Worldtimer watches. Although they all track time in different time zones, they approach this function in unique ways. Read our quick guide to understanding their features and how they fit different needs.

The essential requirements of a diver’s watch: a quick guide

August 17, 2024

Diver's watches are renowned for their robust design, precision, and performance under extreme conditions. Whether you are a diver or simply a fan of finely engineered timepieces, it is important to understand what distinguishes a watch that meets the official standards for underwater use. Explore our quick guide to discover the essential features that define a professional diver's watch.

The history of Piaget: mastering the arts of watchmaking and jewellery

June 17, 2024

In the picturesque Swiss Jura mountains, away from the bustling cities, lies the origin of Piaget, a brand renowned for its exceptional craftsmanship and timeless elegance. In 1874, at the age of 19, Georges-Édouard Piaget embarked on a journey that would revolutionise the world of horology and haute joaillerie. Read our feature article to discover the key milestones in the history of Piaget.

Interview: Wilhelm Schmid, CEO at A. Lange & Söhne

October 28, 2023

Wilhelm Schmid, the Chief Executive Officer at A. Lange & Söhne, has been serving the Saxon watchmaker since 2011, guiding it towards a path of continued excellence in the world of watchmaking. Read our interview.

From Datograph to Odysseus: A. Lange & Söhne's Chronographs

June 12, 2023

From the acclaimed Datograph to the new Odysseus Chronograph, delve into the A. Lange & Söhne's's rich history of exceptional timepieces. Discover their pursuit of precision and craftsmanship as we highlight key milestones and the evolution of their chronograph collection from 1999 to 2023. Read our feature article.

Precision and tradition: Nomos Glashütte's mechanical movements

March 12, 2023

Founded in 1990, today Nomos Glashütte is the largest manufacturer of mechanical timepieces in Germany. As an independent manufactory, they specialize in producing their own mechanical calibers in-house, boasting the expertise of highly skilled watchmakers. Discover what sets them apart in our feature article.

The history of the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms

December 29, 2022

A true legend among dive enthusiasts, the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms has played an essential role in the development of scuba diving and the discovery of the ocean world since its introduction in 1953. In our article we trace the key milestones of one of the most iconic diver's watch ever designed, the one that set the benchmark for diver's watches. Read our feature article.

Interview: Emmanuel Breguet, Vice President, Head of Patrimony at Montres Breguet

March 25, 2022

A 7th generation descendant of legendary watchmaker Abraham-Louis Breguet, Emmanuel Breguet is  Vice President, Head of Patrimony at Montres Breguet and author of several books. He talked with us about his ancestor and the role of Breguet in the evolution of watchmaking while also sharing some advices for collectors that would like to enrich their collection with Breguet timepieces. Read our interview.

Omega and the Olympic Games, a history of records and innovations

July 25, 2021

Tokyo 2020 finally started and, for the 29th time in history, Omega is serving as the Official Timekeeper of the Olympic Games continuing a unique partnership that started almost 90 years ago. In our article we retrace some of the key milestones of this exceptional journey. Read our feature article.

Interview: Serge Michel and Claude Greisler, co-founders of the Armin Strom Manufacture

January 7, 2021

Founded in the late 1960s by the eponymous Swiss watchmaker that become worldwide recognized as the Master of movement skeletonization, the Armin Strom brand was taken over by Serge Michel in 2006, soon after joined by Claude Greisler. The two friends, one focused to the business side and the other to the technical area, successfully developed Armin Strom in a fully independent watch manufacture maintaining the watch movement at centre stage. Read our interview.

Interview: Anthony de Haas, Director of Product Development at A. Lange & Söhne

June 4, 2020

Anthony de Haas has been Director of Product Development at A. Lange & Söhne since 2004 and is responsible for the creation of all new timepieces, from overall concept to product design. He is also a talented drummer! Read our interview.

Interview: Jean-Francois Mojon, Technical Director at Cyrus and Founder of Chronode

May 22, 2020

One of the most talented and ingenious watchmakers of our times, Jean-Francois Mojon spent 10 years at IWC, heading the quality control and R&D departments, before founding his own company, Chronode, specialised in the creation of high-end mechanical movements for prestigious watch brands. Awarded as “best independent master watchmaker” in 2010 at the Grand Prix de la Haute Horlogerie of Geneva. Read our interview.

Jaquet Droz and the art of minerals

March 31, 2020

All Jaquet Droz watches have a distinctive style with dials that transform wristwatches into art pieces. Different techniques like enamelling, painting, sculpture and engraving are used to enrich them. Jaquet Droz also uses precious stones to decorate the dials of its creations. Adorned by such treasures of the Earth, each watch becomes one-of-a-kind. Read our article to learn more about the art of creating mineral dials.

The history of Bulgari watches

February 21, 2020

Founded in Rome in 1884 by a talented Greek silversmith, Bulgari is known worldwide for its distinctive and bold style which combines innovation with a historic legacy. From the first known examples of Bulgari wristwatches dating back to the beginning of the 20th century to the exceptional world records in watchmaking achieved in the 2014-2019 years, we retrace some of the key milestones in the watchmaking history of the brand. Click here to read our feature article.

Dial making at Glashütte Original

February 7, 2020

The dial is the face of a timepiece and the first thing that catches our attention. The manufacturing of a refined dial is an elaborate process that most of the brands outsource to specialized third-party companies. Glashütte Original is one of the very few watchmakers in the prestige segment to create the dials of its timepieces in-house. Read our article to discover the process used for the creation of the dial of the SeaQ Panorama Date diver’s watch.

The history of TAG Heuer

December 5, 2019

TAG Heuer's heritage is one of the most important of all the Swiss watch brands. Founded as Heuer in 1860, and renamed TAG Heuer in 1985, when the TAG Group purchased a majority stake in the company, the Swiss brand, now part of the LVMH Group, has played a key role in taking watchmaking to new levels of accuracy and performance. Read our feature article to discover the key milestones in the history of the brand.

The style of Breguet

November 11, 2019

The House of Breguet played a fundamental role in the evolution of watchmaking with an impressive number of innovations and inventions. Also in terms of style Breguet defined a timeless aesthetics that makes each timepiece unmistakably recognizable as a Breguet creation and that influenced the entire watchmaking industry. The Breguet style is revealed by a number of details that are special to Breguet watches. In this article we describe some of these key elements.

Our visit to the Omega manufacturing sites in Bienne and Villeret

June 10, 2019

Omega achieved exceptional results in combining watchmaking tradition with cutting-edge technologies and methodologies. We had the opportunity to visit the two main manufacturing sites of the brand: the factory in Villeret where a large part of the mechanical movements are assembled and the new building in the historical location in Bienne where the final watches are assembled and tested for the Master Chronometer certification. Read the complete report of our tour.

The evolution of the Glashütte Original Perpetual Calendar in 20 years

May 3, 2019

Glashütte Original is celebrating the 20th anniversary of one of the most successful models of its collections, the Senator Perpetual Calendar which in 2018 was renamed Senator Excellence due to the introduction of a new-generation movement. This occasion offers us the opportunity to compare the different references that the German watchmaker introduced since 1999 and see how the design of this model evolved through a continuous improvement process. Read the article and compare the models.

Inside the A. Lange & Söhne manufactory in Glashütte

January 25, 2019

For a watch enthusiast, walking along the streets of Glashütte is special. This little town in the Saxony region - about 7,000 inhabitants and 340 metres / 1,120 feet on the sea-level -  has been the capital of German watchmaking since 1845 when Ferdinand Adolph Lange (1815-1875) founded the “Lange & Cie.” manufactory on 7 December. Even better than walking along the streets of the town is visiting the facilities where the A. Lange & Söhne timepieces are manufactured with care. It is with pleasure that we share our report with our readers. Read our report here.

IWC Schaffhausen factories tour: Headquarters and Manufakturzentrum

December 19, 2018

We recently had the pleasure to visit the Headquarters and the new Manufakturzentrum of IWC Schaffhausen and we are now glad to share a detailed report with our readers. Our tour started from the Headquarters in Schaffhausen Old Town, in the premises that were built in 1875 on the banks of the Rhine. The administrative and marketing departments are based here. And it is here that the final assembly of the watches is still performed. We then visited the new Manufakturzentrum, a 10-minute drive from the headquarters. The innovative building brings together the production of movement components, manufacture movements and cases in one place implementing state-of-the-art manufacturing methods and technologies. Click to read the complete report.

Our visit to the Ateliers Jaquet Droz

September 13, 2018

Visiting the Ateliers Jaquet Droz, in La Chaux-de-Fonds, in the Jura mountains, is a unique experience, an immersion in the world of fine watchmaking but not only. In fact, the Atelier de Haute Horlogerie is closely integrated, under the same roof, with the Atelier d’Arts, Atelier Automates and Atelier de Restauration. Discover how Jaquet Droz brings emotion and poetry into the watchmaking art. Click to read our feature article. Click to read our feature article.

Armin Strom, a unique blend of tradition and innovation
June 30, 2018
The Armin Strom brand is an example of how it is possible to be innovative and creative, even bold and daring in some cases, while respecting watchmaking tradition and classic aesthetics. The evolution of the brand has always been aligned to the philosophy and vision of its founder, with the watch movement always taking centre stage. Read more.

Our visit to the Breguet Manufacture

June 11, 2018

Swiss-born Abraham-Louis Breguet established the eponymous watch manufacture in 1775 in Paris, where he had moved at the age of 15 to be apprenticed to a Versailles master watchmaker. Today Breguet watches are made in Switzerland, in the Vallée de Joux, also known as the “watch valley” because it is the centre of advanced mechanical horology. We recently had the pleasure to visit the main production site of the brand in L’Orient, a village near the French-Swiss border at an elevation of 1,013 metres / 3,323 feet. Click here to read our report.

Rediscovering pendulum clocks

March 16, 2018

After visiting a boutique dedicated to pendulum clocks and ancient timepieces, we take the occasion to quickly retrace some of the key events marking the evolution of these fascinating timekeepers, which played a pivotal role in the history of watchmaking. Read our brief history of pendulum clocks.

In pursuit of precision: mechanical resonance and watches

February 23, 2018

In more than two centuries, only few watchmakers - including Breguet,  F.P.Journe, Armin Strom and few others - attempted to take advantage of mechanical resonance to improve accuracy, precision and rate stability of a timepiece due to the challenges of this solution. Read the article to learn more on this physical phenomenon and discover the three main advantages of the sophisticated horological technique based on it.

The IWC Da Vinci and the renaissance of the mechanical watch

December 29, 2017

Basel fair 1985. The IWC booth was crowded and its main novelty was creating a lot of buzz among watch enthusiasts and experts. IWC’s new perpetual calendar wristwatch appeared to be pretty unusual. On the caseband, no correction buttons could be found. But the dial was displaying lot of indications: not only the date, the day of the week, the month and the moon phase but even the year, decade and century! Read our feature article to discover how this watch became a symbol of the watchmaking renaissance of those years.

History of Minerva, from foundation to integration into Montblanc and present day

December 3, 2017

Founded in 1858 in Villeret in the Saint-Imier Valley, Minerva has been a leading specialist in the fabrication of professional watches and chronograph calibres which are still today highly considered among watch connoisseurs. The acquisition by Swiss luxury goods group Richemont in 2006 led to the creation of the Institut Minerva de Recherche en Haute Horlogerie and to the integration of the watch manufacture into Montblanc making it possible to preserve and cultivate the exceptional expertise. Read the history of Minerva.

Great watchmakers: Moritz Grossmann

November 7, 2017

One of the most eminent representatives of German watchmaking, Karl Moritz Grossmann lived from 1826 to 1885 in the Saxon town of Glashütte devoting his entire life to horology and creating exceptional pocket watches, chronometers, and precision pendulum clocks. But Grossmann left an important mark not only with his creations but also as an award-winning technical writer and co-founder of the historically significant German School of Watchmaking. Read our article to discover his life and unique heritage.

The Autavia, brief history of a legendary motorsport chronograph

October 23, 2017

Successfully reissued by TAG Heuer at the beginning of 2017 with updated functions and a proprietary movement, the Autavia was created in 1962 soon becoming one of the most appreciated driver’s chronograph of its era. Read our article to discover the history of this iconic watch through its three generations.

The evolution of the A. Lange & Söhne three-quarter plate

September 26, 2017

The mechanical movements produced by German watchmaker A. Lange & Söhne have many distinctive style elements but one that stands out prominently and has become a real hallmark is the three-quarter plate. What are the reasons that suggested Ferdinand Adolph Lange, the founder of the brand, to develop this technical solution? And which steps brought to the current architecture? Our feature article answers these questions with the help of the original Lange drawings.

Blancpain, the history of the oldest watch brand

September 22, 2017

From founder Jehan-Jacques Blancpain and the start of the business in 1735 to the great successes of the 1950s under the management of Betty Fiechter and his nephew Jean Jacques, who designed the Fifty Fathoms, till our days under the wing of the Swatch Group, we chronicle the history of Blancpain, the oldest watch brand. Click here to read the fascinating history of Blancpain.

Omega military watches during World War II

August 30, 2017

In this summer’s blockbuster movie “Dunkirk”, a watch has an important role on the wrist of the actor Tom Hardy, who plays the character of RAF pilot Farrier fighting an air battle in the attempt to aid his allies stranded on the beaches. Christopher Nolan, the director of the movie, was accurate in the choice of the model to be placed on the wrist of Hardy’s RAF character, the Omega CK2129, a timepiece that was commonly worn by RAF pilots. Discover more about Omega military watches during World War II.

The history of Breguet, Part I & II

July 28, 2017

The history of the Breguet brand spans four centuries and is so rich of inventions and innovations that represents an essential part of the entire history of watchmaking. Given the amount of relevant events that mark Breguet’s history, we will trace the path from the origins to the present days in two articles. The first article covers the entire life of founder Abraham-Louis Breguet while the second one narrates the events from his death to our days. Read the complete history of the Breguet brand.

Our visit to the Glashütte Original manufactory

July 21, 2017

At the end of last May we had the pleasure to visit the headquarters of one of the most prestigious German watchmakers, Glashütte Original. Discover the production processes of a real manufactory, a term which is used in watchmaking to identify a company that is able to create and manufacture watches independently with a high percentage of activities done by hand. Read the full report.

Porsche Design innovations in watchmaking
March 20, 2017
Thanks to the unique cooperation with Porsche motorsports, the latest knowledge and technology from the world of racing can be incorporated into the development of Porsche Design products and timepieces in particular. The history of Porsche Design in the watchmaking industry is rich of remarkable achievements. Read the article to retrace some of the key milestones.

The history of the Richard Mille brand
March 17, 2017
2001: Richard Mille launches his first timepiece creating a new trend in watchmaking. At the origin of his venture a bold vision: applying to watches the techniques and the materials employed in the most innovative sectors, such as in F1 racing cars or airplanes. Discover the history of the brand that in few years was able to create the timepieces which have become the ultimate symbol of wealth and success.

The Hallmark of Geneva, historical origins and modern developments
January 11, 2017
Since 1886, the Hallmark of Geneva - or Poinçon de Genève - certifies the quality of the best timepieces manufactured in the world capital of watchmaking, Geneva. The label adopted various quality criteria that became more and more stringent over time. Today the exclusive seal guarantees Provenance, Precision, Durability, and Know-How. The article discusses the historical background that brought to its creation as well as its modern developments. Click to read.

Breguet, the Type 20 and the world of aviation
December 22, 2016
The name Breguet immediately evokes the highest achievements in the field of fine watchmaking. The brand is instantaneously associated to purely elegant watches equipped with tourbillon, minutes repetition and other sophisticated complications. But Breguet has a strong tradition also in the production of instrument watches and a truly unique tie with the world of aviation. Click here to read the fascinating history of the Type 20, one of most iconic pilot watches ever produced. 

The detent escapement: from marine chronometers to wristwatches
December 17, 2016
Also referred to as "chronometer escapement", the detent escapement can guarantee higher precision than the more common Swiss lever escapement. Nonetheless, for more than two centuries it was not used for wearable timepieces, except for few rare high-precision pocket watches. Who invented it? How does it work? And how was the challenge to implement it in wristwatches finally won? Click here to read the article and find the answers.

A. Lange & Sohne mechanical movements: what makes them so irresistible?
November 30, 2016
Watch connoisseurs are particularly impressed by the A. Lange & Söhne movements and their mechanical complexity but even people without a specific knowledge about watchmaking are immediately fascinated by their aesthetics. What makes these mechanical movements so attractive? Click here to read the article.

Jaeger-LeCoultre inventions and records
November 18, 2016
Jaeger-LeCoultre - or La Grande Maison as it is often referred to - is without a doubt one of the most important manufacturers in the history of watchmaking. With more than 1240 mechanical calibres created since 1833 and 400 patents obtained, Jaeger-LeCoultre keeps demonstrating an exceptional capability of inventing and innovating, always looking for new challenges to push the boundaries of fine watchmaking. Discover with us some of the most remarkable breakthroughs of the Brand. Click here to read the article.

Tiffany in watchmaking history
October 20, 2016
One of the world’s most renowned and celebrated jewelers, Tiffany has an important place also in watchmaking history. From the Atlas clock to Kunz’s patent for luminescent paint, from the typical Art Deco wristwatches for Ladies to the current Swiss-made CT60 Collection, we retrace the path of the iconic brand from 1837 to the present days. Read the article.

The complete history of the Mona Lisa of watchmaking: the Breguet No.160 "Marie-Antoinette"
August 26, 2016
The Mona Lisa of the clock world. The Holy Grail of watchmaking. These are some of the definitions used for the exceptional Breguet timepiece No. 160 that takes the name from Marie-Antoinette, the Queen of France at the time of the French Revolution. Many experts refer to it as to the most important watch ever produced for technological, aesthetic, historical and even emotional reasons. Discover its thrilling history.

Richard Mille's quest for innovation: hi-tech materials
July 4, 2016
Richard Mille’s quest for innovation can be noted in advanced mechanical engineering solutions and new production methodologies as well as in the use of unconventional and often unprecedented materials, often drawn from the worlds of automobiles, aeronautics and sailing. Let’s discover some of these advanced materials and their main characteristics. Read the article.

The history of Eterna: pioneering innovation in watchmaking
May 2, 2016
Eterna has a very important place in the history of watchmaking. Just to mention two facts, consider that it was Eterna that introduced the ball bearings solution that is still used today on automatic movements and that ETA, the largest manufacturer of Swiss watch movements (today part of the Swatch Group), was founded by Eterna. But there’s much more to discover. We invite you to follow us in our feature article.

 

Single-hand timepieces in watchmaking history
April 12, 2016
Although you might consider single-hand watches pretty unusual, mechanical timekeeping started with clocks with just one hand. Discover their fascinating history.

Interview: Stephen Urquhart, President & CEO of Omega
March 11, 2016
On occasion of the unveiling of the new Globemaster line, we had the pleasure to speak to Stephen Urquhart on the new METAS certification, future trends and more. Read the interview.

Urban Jürgensen, a history of talent, passion and dedication
March 2, 2016
From the roots of the Jürgensen watchmaking dynasty to the development of the world's first wristwatch to feature a detent escapement within it. Read the article.

The Tourbillon: history of a watchmaking feat
June 26, 2015
The key events that led to the current advancement of one of the most fascinating horological devices. Read the article.

Richard Mille factories tour
May 3, 2015
The report of our visit to the modern Richard Mille factories in Les Breuleux. Read the article.

Grande Complication wristwatches: three of the best
December 31, 2014
A trip back to the 1990s to rediscover three of the most beautiful Grande Complication wristwatches ever manufactured. Read the article.

A visit to Vacheron Constantin activity sites

November 6, 2014
We recently spent two days visiting the three Vacheron Constantin activity sites in Geneva, Le Brassus and Plan-les-Ouates. Read our report.