February 2, 2012 - By Paul Boutros Audemars Piguet’s 1997 launch of the Jules Audemars collection couldn’t have been more spectacular. Introduced to showcase the best of Audemars Piguet’s horological expertise in a round case form, the first model in the collection, the Jules Audemars Grande et Petite Sonn...

March 14, 2012 - Most watch buffs know that it was Seiko that, in 1969,  developed the Quartz Astron, the world’s first quartz watch to make it to market. Fewer, however, know that in that same year Seiko introduced the caliber 6139, the world’s first automatic chronograph watch equipped with both vertical clut...

March 14, 2012 - Until 2006, Minerva was one of a tiny number of Swiss collector brands that still made in-house calibers and were rigorously handmade to an extent rarely seen even among the elite brands. It had a strong following among aficionados, and when it was acquired by luxury watch conglomerate Richemont six...

February 20, 2012 - To most outdoor-loving Americans winter sports are defined by skis, sleds and skates; but to extreme winter sports enthusiasts, anything short of a frozen near death experience isn’t worth a trip outside. The winter sports of speed riding, snow cycling, ice climbing and ice diving attract a breed ...

March 14, 2012 - After 125 years, the Poinçoin de Genève has been upgraded for the 21st Century The Poinçoin de Genève or Geneva Hallmark (it is a stamped ‘hallmark’ rather than a ‘seal’) was created by the Swiss Canton of Geneva over 125 years ago to differentiate their esteemed haute horlogorie timepi...

February 24, 2012 - The first thing everyone noticed about George Daniels was the size of his hands.  How could he possibly make such wonderful watches with those big, clumsy looking hands? But, the hands weren’t clumsy. Daniels’s hands were as fast as a concert pianist’s and as steady as a surgeon’s. Those ha...

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