1. Does A Top-Notch Watch Have To Be Swiss?

The phrase “Swiss-made” is a powerful one that the Swiss watch industry is trying very hard to protect. In 2014, a law was passed to make Swiss-made watches even “more Swiss.” One of the major changes was that 60% of a watch’s manufacturing costs has to be realized in Switzerland – it used to be 50%. But does a good watch have to be Swiss? Well, if one actually studied the history of horology, then it becomes apparent that Switzerland’s neighbors, France, Germany, and England, have all played significant roles in the evolution of clocks and watches. In fact, the same can be said for Japan in the “Far East” as well. It was, after all, Japan that gave us the quartz watch, which almost wiped out Swiss watchmaking. So here are some other watch brands outside of Switzerland that are worth considering.

Source: The Wall Street Journal

2. A Detailed Look at Eric Clapton’s One-Of-A-Kind Patek Philippe Ref. 5004P

Eric Clapton is famous not only for his guitar skills, but also for his love for fine watches. In fact, he is such a big watch fan that Patek Philippe has made special one-off pieces for him. And one of them is this exquisite Ref. 5004P that you see here. The Ref. 5004, being a perpetual calendar chronograph, is already a very special watch, but this particular one is made even more special thanks to its unique blue dial, and also because it was once owned by Clapton. This watch is set to go under the hammer later this month, but before it does, you can have a close look at it here.

Source: Watches by SJX

3. The Vintage Watch Boom

Despite the gloomy economic climate, some vintage watches are doing remarkably well. A look at recently concluded watch auctions in Geneva tells us that demand is stronger than ever with multiple watches exchanging hands at over a million dollars, along with a couple of record-breakers. But this trend doesn’t just apply to high-end vintage watches, we are seeing some increased demand scattered across all types of vintage watches. Why is this so? This article attempts to shed some light.

Source: The Business of Fashion

4. Time is up for above-inflation price rises in the watch industry

Watches prices have increased steadily over the past couple of years, but thankfully, that might be subject to some change soon. It may have taken longer than most of us hoped, but watch executives have come to the realization that this wanton rising of prices is an unsustainable practice, and that more needs to be done if the Swiss watch industry is to remain relevant. Already, we have seen brands like IWC taking swift action – the new IWC Mark XVIII is a great example of that. But more affordable watches aside, will watch brands actually do the unthinkable and lower prices? This article weighs in with some good points.

Source: Financial Times

5. Philipp Man, CEO of Chronext, and his icon, a Patek Philippe Nautilus 5711

If you love sports watches, you’ve probably dreamed of owning a Nautilus Ref. 5711 from Patek Philippe. Designed by Gerald Genta after he worked on the seminal Royal Oak for Audemars Piguet, the Nautilus is a veritable icon of watchmaking. Here, Philipp Man, CEO of Chronext, an online portal for buying and selling watches, shares with us his love of watches as well as how and why he bought the Nautilus Ref. 5711.

Source: Monochrome Watches