Jewelry & Watches

SEVENFRIDAYOver the last decade or so there have been a lot of casualties in the world of horology. Small independents that I have personally championed have not been able to sustain prolonged success. That makes the story of SEVENFRIDAY even more impressive in my book. It seems incredible that 12 years have gone by since I originally spoke with co-founder Dan Niederer about the brand's conception. After years of working in the corporate luxury sector, he decided to fly solo and establish his own label. This was a bold move because his vision was to create retro-style cushion watches powered…

UrwerkApproximately 12 years ago I visited the Hour Glass boutique on Sydney’s highly prestigious Castlereagh Street. It was there I got the chance to try on many exclusive pieces from some of the world’s most luxurious ateliers. One of the highlights was the Swiss independent ‘Haute Horlogerie’ brand Urwerk. Until this point, I was unaware that watchmakers were creating these types of magnificent timepieces. The choice of lightweight materials, exceptionally complicated mechanical movements and futuristic facades really set them apart. Fast forward to 2024 and Urwerk have just released another exquisite watch called the UR-150 Scorpion.  UrwerkUrwerk is spearheaded by…

Louis MoinetWhen it comes to watch design there are many different approaches and genres. Generally speaking, most people prefer a more conservative aesthetic. Ultimately that means the classic uncluttered 3 hand design. In terms of horology, this translates into a traditional dress watch that would mostly be worn on formal occasions. However, I personally feel that there is scope to experiment with bolder compositions and contemporary materials without losing the overall essence. I became so fascinated by this subject that I wrote a book entitled ‘Timeless Classics', published this year (2024) by Schiffer Books. One of the brands that inspired…

DwissSeveral years ago I connected with Brandon Gien via networking platform LinkedIn. Based in Sydney, this distinguished gentleman has an amazing CV. Notable accreditations include being a professor of industrial design (University of Canberra, UNSW) and executive director of the Australian Design Council. Impressively he’s also the Chair of Good Design Australia. This organization dates back to 1958 and promotes innovation on a domestic and international level. I had the privilege of meeting Brandon Gien at a design forum in Adelaide and we discussed a very talented watch designer called Rafael Simoes Miranda. Subsequently, his brand DWISS won a coveted…

Louis MoinetSeveral years ago I had the privilege of attending the world watch show in Basel. In 2015 (pre-Covid) Baselworld was the world’s largest watch fair. Anyone who was anyone in the industry exhibited at the show. At one end of the scale, you had corporate groups like Louis Vuitton, Rolex and Swatch who had spent millions on temporary boutiques. Then in the smaller halls, independents only had a desk. Somewhere in the middle was luxury brand Louis Moinet, who occupied a glass meeting-style room. It was there I met the owner and Creative Director Jean-Marie Schaller for the first…

TitantimepieceSteve Wozniak is an accomplished American, electrical engineer, computer programmer, philanthropist, inventor and technology entrepreneur. Most people will be familiar with his name in conjunction with Apple, which he co-founded with Steve Jobs. For a guy with an estimated net worth of over $140 million, you would expect him to wear a luxury timepiece. However, in contrast, Steve favors a very eclectic Nixie Watch from Cathode Corner. I actually own one of these watches and think it’s pretty cool. In my opinion, the deconstructed appearance (with a visible battery) is very distinctive but several design refinements are lacking.  Nevertheless, this…

From JustLuxe content partner iW Magazine For the third anniversary of the Cedric Bellon Sustainable Watches brand, the CB01 comes back in a very special repurposed titanium execution with vibrant dial colours. This is a new collaboration between Cedric Bellon and Watch Angels. The CB01 Small Seconds comes back in repurposed grade 5 titanium execution. According to the philosophy of the CB brand—which only crafts locally, in Switzerland, with locally sourced upcycled, recycled, or recyclable raw materials and components—the case, dial, and buckle are machined out of small segments of titanium bars left over from other productions.  The CB01 TI case profile with…

MB&FGeneva Watch Days is now a prominent event in the horological calendar. Originally the show was launched in 2020 by six Founding Members – Breitling, Bvlgari, De Bethune, Girard-Perregaux, H. Moser & Cie. and MB&F. However, the exhibition has now expanded to 52 different brands showcasing over a hundred exquisite timepieces. Here I noticed a very unusual offering from Konstantin Chaykin called ‘ThinKing’ which is now the world’s slimmest watch. Although still at the prototype stage, the timepiece has a depth of only 1.65mm and requires a special winding tool. I really admire the technical wizardry involved in accomplishing this…

Images and text courtesy of Schiffer BooksApproximately 4 years ago in 2020, I began developing a concept for a special book about modern dress watches for Schiffer Publishing. This is the 7th book I have produced for them so they were receptive to hearing more about my idea. Generally, I prefer huge oversized industrial watches with diameters over 50mm. I feel these styles of timepieces make a very bold statement and present a larger canvas for Avant Garde watchmakers to work with. Theoretically, this works fine with casual attire but has serious drawbacks with formal wear. I discovered this first-hand…

Images: Martin PauliMost people are only familiar with the names Patek Philippe, Rolex and brands within the corporate groups (LVMH, Richemont and Swatch). It’s not really surprising because these companies have astronomical budgets and therefore can afford to pay millions on sponsorship deals. In the last decade brand ambassadors have become big business. Celebrities from the film, music and sports sectors receive huge endorsements to be photographed wearing the latest timepieces. Commercially it makes great sense because ultimately these organizations are in the business of making money. For that reason, it is very challenging for small independents to get any…