To kick off October, I’m happy to say that our Editor-In-Chief has finally had the opportunity to handle and try out the Apple Watch for himself. And even though many things have been said about it, you don’t want to miss our extensive coverage of what is quite possibly one of the most eagerly anticipated products in the history of technology and horology.
Apart from our comprehensive writeup of the Apple Watch, we also pay homage to A. Lange & Söhne, as they celebrate the 20th anniversary of the iconic Lange One and also the 25th anniversary of the reunification of Germany. Next, we turn our attention to watch movement advertising and also discuss the technicalities and nuances surrounding in-house watch movements. And as for new watches, we get up close and personal with the new Nomos Ahoi Atlantik, which has a very nice gilt dial; and also a very exclusive and stunning version of Hublot’s Big Bang Ferrari watch.
To close, we take a look at the Hong Kong watch industry and how companies are returning to Hong Kong in a bid to revitalize it as a manufacturing hub and also analyze how the protests that are ongoing in the city will affect the watch industry as a whole.
1. Apple Watch Hands-On: The Wristwatch Just Caught Up To The 21st Century
Everyone is understandably excited about the Apple Watch. It is, after all, the first all-new product from Apple since the iPad. And from what we have seen so far, it looks pretty nifty. I know what some of you might think of such watches, but I think credit must be given where it is due, and amongst all the smart watches out there, Apple’s seem to be the most considered and well thought out. Our Editor-In-Chief Ariel finally had the chance to spend some time with the watch, and here are his thoughts about the Apple Watch.
Source: aBlogtoWatch
2. Truth In Watch Movement Advertising And Defining Watch Caliber Origins Once And For All
It is said that watch sales people have a saying, “You only need to sell the dial.” For enthusiasts like us, we all know that what lies underneath the dial is just as, if not more, important. I’m referring to the movement, of course. Made up of hundreds of tiny parts, enthusiasts like us can just sit around and talk about movements all day. And one topic that is often a point of contention is in-house movements. Just how “in-house” must be it to earn that designation? Are they truly better than ebauches? And is there any difference between in-house made and in-house designed? Ariel shares his thoughts.
Source: aBlogtoWatch
3. Hublot Big Bang Ferrari Watch Review
If you are a Ferrari owner and you want a watch that best matches you car, your best bet is Hublot. The simple reason being that Hublot is the official watchmaker for Ferrari. Already, Hublot has made a couple of really interesting pieces for Ferrari and one of my personal favorites is the MP-05 LaFerrari watch, which has a bonkers 50 days worth of power reserve. And then there are the various Big Bang Ferrari watches, some of which are actually very nice too, such as this limited edition model specially produced for the Hublot boutique in Los Angeles. The combination of blue and red is simply stunning.
Source: aBlogtoWatch
4. Is Slowing Demand For Watches In Asia Finally Causing Job Cuts At Swiss Manufactures?
If you have been following the watch industry closely, you might know that Tag Heuer is cutting jobs. While job cuts do happen from time to time, it is rare to see it happening at one of the biggest Swiss watch brands. Apparently, this is in response to slowing demand for watches in Asia, particularly Hong Kong, which accounts for a fifth of all Swiss watch exports in value. What does this mean for Tag Heuer going forward, and how does this relate to the rest of the watch industry? We share our thoughts.
Source: aBlogtoWatch
5. Nomos Ahoi Atlantik Hands-On
Nomos is perhaps most famous for its Bauhaus style dress watches. However, last year at Baselworld, the German watch brand announced the Ahoi – their first sports watch. This year, apart from announcing their new Metro watch with in-house Spring System escapement, they also released a new model called the Ahoi Atlantik that has a very handsome (in my books) deep blue gilt dial. I think this is the best-looking Ahoi sports watch yet and you can see why by hitting the link below.
Source: aBlogtoWatch
6. Luxury Watch Industry’s Dilemma In Hong Kong
We cannot stress how important the Hong Kong watch market is to the watch industry on a whole. Already, we mentioned that Hong Kong alone accounts for roughly 20% of the entire Swiss watch exports in terms of value. And Hong Kong is so vital that the Richemont group even started a watch and jewelry show just for them, called Watches and Wonders. Right now, as I’m sure some of you might be aware, pro-democracy protests are taking place in Hong Kong, and it is worth pondering just what kind of implications this could have on the entire watch industry.
Source: aBlogtoWatch