I always ask myself (and extend this to you, Tony) - why is Piaget not covered more by the media? They are doing outstanding work with the Polo line, launch of the Warhol line and now the watch inside the pebble. They beautifully marry the jewelry workmanship with watchmaking (their movements are super thin resulting in highly wearable pieces). Yes, I’m a big fan (and owner) who doesn’t understand why they don’t get more respect.
ha, I can link a few articles where i was accused of being too effusive of Piaget back on Hodinkee. I think they get a lot of coverage, and also credit for inspiring everything from the current trends of stone dials to 'geezer' watches to Dennison.
But if I accept the premise of your question, perhaps I'd say that it's because Piaget is one of the houses that is half jewelry half watchmaking (with origins as a watchmaker), that can sit outside the comfort zone of traditional watch media.
I will agree that the Warhol line, still relatively new, has been a bit underappreciated. The launch limited edition with a mosaic of stones is rad.
Maybe it’s good for me to appreciate them in my corner and enjoy it. Though I feel other watch collectors are missing on some outstanding work.
Thanks for sharing your view, I didn’t think about your point about watch media having hard time covering Piaget, Van Clef & Arpels and other jewelry forward brands. Now that I think about it some media brought in experts in jewelry and fashion to help bridge this gap.
It's because for men their watches are unwearable in 99.9% of situations, unless you are the 0.01% or idle rich or instagram crowd.
They make great watches that are sadly too good for nearly all of those who can afford them. And for those who can appreciate them for the design, wearing it veers closely imo to cosplay.
I mean, yes, as a piece of art the Piaget sodalite Polo hits the mark, but how is any working schmuck like me going to wear that watch on a weekday, or on most weekends? Or to buy groceries?
Polo is not the only line that’s great - honestly, I can imagine wearing the YG Altiplano in most situations - office, home, out with friends. And switch to Gshock for gardening or exercise.
I disagree, the Polo line is a great example of watch for every situation. I have been wearing Polo Filed for a few years now and it’s perfect fit in almost every situation. With the quick change straps it can be dressed up/down as needed. And I don’t accept the critique that it’s Aquanaut cosplay, I own both and prefer the Piaget for versatility. Yes, some of the new models require self confidence, but let’s admit it watches are jewelry.
fwiw you 2 are talking about different watches—agree the Polo S is a good everyday watch. the Polo79 is a piece of jewelry. a beautiful piece of jewelry but no doubt something most aren't wearing everyday.
Agreed, I’m admiring Polo 79 from a distance. They are nice pieces, definitely only ballers can wear daily. Enjoying Polo Field which is a more pedestrian watch for every day.
The Black Bay 58 GMT debuted in 2024 and cost $4600 on the oyster bracelet with the T Fit clasp. The same watch in 2026 with a minor case tweak cost $5525 which is a 16.8 per cent increase.
Tony, at what point will buyers realize that many of the price increases do not correspond to quality increases and are simply the brands way to increase profits without giving more watch. Will it come from massively depreciated watches on the secondary market or buyers simply priced out of new watches from their favorite brands???
I think buyers are already realizing this, yea? talk of prices is perhaps the dominant narrative right now, whether it's Tudor (I mentioned the change in the BB58—I remember buying for $3500 and it's now $5.5k, 7 years later. a better watch, but it'd better be!), or another $100k unproven indie.
And yes, I think one of the underappreciated boosts the secondary market has gotten is the rise of primary market prices. Kingflum and I mentioned this on the pod, how retailers are advertising 'certified preowned' watches that are really brand new, with manufacturer warranty for 25% off msrp.
I realize that collectors are talking about this and it is being reported. What i am thinking about is what the watch industry (brands) are going to do about it. Based on history, they don’t tend to lower prices. They try to move inventory in many way they can to justify and make sales. In the long run, that could really hurt brands as we have seen watches at COSCO when the brands totally lose a realistic pricing level.
Do you see them scaling back increases? I see them moving folks to lower cost options or greatly depreciated inventory in the grey market.
Any brands leave you concluding “they are about to be a thing” based on the reaction of you and your peers? Any brands that seemed to have worsened or confirmed a bleak future (*cough* Omega)?
It's hard to judge Swatch Group brands, including Omega, since they don't really have a presence during this week (which is a decision we could certainly scrutinize). I am curious what will happen with Chopard L.U.C. It's this niche of indie-quality watchmaking in a much bigger watch and jewelry brand. Enthusiasts have been talking about it for a while, but I think its design/aesthetic has caught up with the movement making in the past few years. Curious how they can carve out L.U.C to give it more exposure.
It's hard to say any of the W&W brands are 'about to be a thing,' as they're spending millions on an event already, but:
-Moser had a big booth at W&W for the first time, the size of IWC or JLC instead of Armin Strom or Trilobe. An F1 driver was there. The 34mm streamliner is nice. It feels like they've arrived as a mainstream player.
-After some really solid 2025 releases (Solaria, complicated clock), Vacheron had another great slate of releases aimed at a broader market.
-Lange has gotten some flack from collectors but the products are as always excellent and the last two years they've released watches with very un-Lange proportions.
Most of the indies I met with I don't think of as 'brands' yet, but watches from Cleguer and Proz were nice. I generally approach the microbrand market with some skepticism and wonder if any will break through to a larger market. Ming is an exception that does plenty of impressive product development on its own. I saw the polymesh bracelet for the first time, it's awesome.
Why do you think UG had an early embargo for their new lineup? It got ahead of all the noise, but then they seemed to get lost in the noise. Among all the media coverage of W&W, I didn’t see many folks get hands on with UG and I’m surprised with the lack of opinions overall. I guess I just expected them to be the talk of the town
UG (along with Breitling) are not a part of Watches & Wonders. So they released their watches the week before the show, and then had an event the evening before the show officially started. Some people made appointments to get hands-on with the watches throughout the week, but it's tough to get leave the obligations of the main fair to see UG. (for example I went to the event, and got to see some of the watches, but ultimately you get limited time).
Most of us saw UG in person for the first time just a few hours before Rolex, Patek, and most of the other embargos lifted at midnight Swiss time, and that's when those brands are going to dominate the conversation.
In Geneva, I think they were the talk of the town. Reviews seem pretty mixed, which is perhaps why people are staying away from complete write-ups for now.
While you were at VC, did you have a chance to look at the Tribute to Great Civilizations pieces? If so, what are your thoughts? Are they worthy and unique examples of metiers d’art, gimmicky, or something else entirely? How does their quality and execution compare with HH metiers d’art pieces from other makers?
Sadly not—I went on Tuesday (Vacheron a favorite of mine so I always try to go first day!). Oddly, VC released those pieces on Thursday, so they weren't available for me to see. I've seen just a couple VC metiers d'art pieces and they're probably second to none (based on my admittedly limited experience in this category).
like for these, they used stones from the region of the civilization. for example, the Egptian ones use limestone sandstone from Sinai. It's impressive stuff even just on an intellectual level.
Did you have the opportunity to try to new Chopard XPS in blue? Given limited availability of the 1860, it seems like a great value proposition for the same movement with a diff finishing.
yes! it's a great watch, Sadly I didn't take photos because I wanted to get the 1860. But I also like the green dial XPS from a few years ago. I've always thought the pieces are oddly accessible for what they are. COSC, microrotor, 7mm thick, $13.5k. I mention it somewhere below, but much more compelling than, say the new Polerouter. The dial's a little flat but I like the sector design.
I spoke with them about the XPS actually Tony, and it’s positioned there specifically to make LUC accessible with only minor tradeoffs, i.e. flatter dial, not the gorgeous guilloche, and no Geneva seal on the movement iirc. I love and respect the ethos of this firm and the founding family a lot, as you know.
Thanks for your coverage this week, always great to benefit from your own vantage point. I will attend tomorrow and interested to see the VC Cardinal Points more closely. Could you share a wrist shot? I have similar wrist size as you so interested about what you considered too big
Tony - this is all awesome. Thank you! Question as this is something I've been thinking about quite a bit lately. With all of the big maison releases as well, as, all of the indies, which feel voluminous these days, where does this put the customer... someone like me, who buys maybe 1-2 bigger watches a year and a few smaller ones... It is starting to make me feel like I do not want to commit to the purchase as I have FOMO on something that could be coming down the pipeline. With so many new releases, I'm scared of committing. Not sure if this is coming across the right way but would love to get your take.
Yea, I relate to that. The speed of releases has become rapid, and there are all these shows that put constant pressure on brands to deliver. For example, I saw some discourse that this year's releases were soft or that Rolex was disappointing. I truly don't get that argument. I've gone to four Watches & Wonders and Rolex has released 2 entirely new collections, one with a new escapement (1908 and Land Dweller) in that time.
Anyway, to answer your question more directly. When I feel like I might have FOMO, I ask myself if it's because there's something about the watch available right now that I'm not 100% on. If it's new, do I really love the dial color? Is it .5mm too thick? If it's vintage, am I compromising too much on condition? If the answer's yes, then it's best to wait for the right one. OTOH, if you do feel like you truly love it, you can't let brands or advertising or the market induce FOMO because there will always be another watch. Easier said than executed, of course.
Well said - frankly, I've been trying to figure out the space of independents which is a rathole of ratholes. Unfortunately, the 'souscriptions' are usually 10 watches and they are 12-24 months from production. I'm having a hard time committing to one as I know there are many more coming and unfortunately for me, I cannot do them all as my wallet doesn't stretch that far. A good problem to have, I guess, but it's truly real.
maybe the new lange if i were in the market for an upmarket calendar watch (which is not right now). the price could make it a tough comp to some neovintage QPs, but the lange has a better case and is finished better anything not named Patek, and it seems 3940s are all 75k+ now!
on the accessible side, the new white dial on the nomos world timer is excellent. that's a great watch, all the previous dials were like 85% there for me, this is the first one that feels like it might be 100%
copying an answer from below about the PF: top 5 for me too! I thought it was reasonable on my wrist (~6.5 in). I just added a photo to the article where you might be able to see the profile slightly better. No doubt it's thicker than the PF GMT Rattrapante, but the lugs are relatively short and also downturned, so it curves around the wrist nicely. The bracelet links are also short so it drapes well, all helping with the thickness you perceive. In all, I was pleasantly surprised by the package, I had expected it was going to feel bigger.
the last question is funny...they very much position this as their philosophical approach to complications. can calendars be 'hidden'? how can one hide a minute repeater, which is already basically hidden? world timer??
ha, the rolex tote has that 'jubilee' pattern (which is apparently close to itailan designer Boetti’s patterns?); alpina was giving away a 'gameboy' (really a cheap imitation) with a few games including super mario loaded onto it, and parmigiani always gives away a quality leather good.
goodie bags have been dialed back a lot the last 5 years (a good thing in my eyes), and perhaps a sign of the times
Is it just me, or did Rolex promote its off-catalog in a bigger way this year? Feels like >50% of Rolex coverage was on the pseudo-enamel Daytona (and, to a lesser extent, the jubilee gold day date). Didn't feel that way in past years, even when they released the Le Mans. I wonder if this is a deliberate tiering strategy by Rolex, shifting off catalog into its own collection (versus just being gem set versions of existing watches aimed at... whoever buys gem set Rolexes).
Also - who do you think UG is aimed at? Like the people who recognize the brand probably would prefer the vintage pieces. How do they get people excited, versus getting stuck in that upper-middle market no-mans land?
Totally true. The rumor was the YG Le Mans, also off catalog, wasn't even supposed to make its way into media and someone posted it by mistake. Totally the opposite of this year, when Hodinkee and others had entire youtube videos dedicated to the enamel Daytona. Yes, feels likes deliberate strategy. Especially alongside the special OPs, which while not off catalog, will be similarly difficult to get and have a have a similar strategy.
I think the issue is UG is targeted at that, as you call it, upper middle market no man's landed where JLC and others sit. More expensive and more available than Rolex (while also offering products that can be easily compared). That said I think the Compax is a compelling watch even for the price, the Polerouter less so.
I'll likely cover UG more in a newsletter since I've gotten 3-4 questions about it.
UG *could* be useful to dealers. But am not sure how Kern will choose to distribute it.
A ton of Rolex ADs also stock Breitling - and it's useful, because you are not supply constrained. But it typically comes in at a lower price point that Rolex. With UG, you can potentially upsell. But Breitling is going to need to provide a ton of support. Events, advertising, etc. Otherwise, you are in that JLC / Zenith / Blancpain bucket.
There probably is room. None of the brands in that bucket have mindshare. Like I think more people would recognize Zenith as an old TV brand than a watch manufacturer. But how much money does Kern want to bet?
I've heard that the plan is to keep UG separate and open UG-owned boutiques. Perhaps some could be operated by local partners, but still UG monobrand, not sure. As many as 30 in the next few years. The first is under construction in Geneva and opens in September.
Do you think Tudor and other brands held back at all this year due to the economic and industry concerns? Essentially holding back big releases until they feel it can sell super well at their price range?
Tudor and probably Rolex certainly seem to have more to come. Others, not so sure. Lange always saves some releases for their anniversary and Newport Concours in the fall. Seems like JLC, Vacheron, Piaget, Cartier, and others released watches that will be a heavy commercial focus for the rest of the year. Some brands will have more at Geneva Watch Days. I thought 2025 was a really solid year of releases at W&W, this year was a little more low key.
but yes I also think there is so much uncertainty since tariffs and then now with the middle east that some brands are taking a wait-and-see approach.
Been trying to think of a good question about the show for you…maybe not really specific to the show, but do you think Cartier is ultimately doing themselves (or at least their wider customer base) a disservice by gatekeeping some of their nicer designs behind the Priveé line? As somebody who thinks the Normale is one of their better designs, but maybe only has Tank Louis money and not Privee money, it kind of turns me off to buying a regular Tank. (Not expecting a $20k Crash anytime soon of course).
i have long wished that they had a standard, manual-wind, yellow gold Tank Normale, Louis, Tortue, etc., available, similar to what they did with the Louis Cartier collection of the 1970s. But this doesn't seem to be the strategy, they seem pretty content with keeping the Prive as super exclusive and leaving an Americaine, Santos, Santos-Dumont, etc. as the more accessible options (and cycling through various 'one-offs' for those models, some of which I quite like). Historically it has seemed to work, though I wondered in an article this year if the Prive had run its course and if they're not going to add any net-new shapes this year, perhaps it is, which means it's time to do a broader reevaluation of the strategy.
Is the watch industry due its moment akin to the (European) car industry after Covid, when brands realised it no longer made sense to head to PAL EXPO to all launch new product at the same time? The Nomos world timer was one of the most notable release of last year, yet their new dial iteration, which will arguably appeal to more people, barely get a mention (at least not on HODINKEE)
this can be argued both ways, swatch group has obviously decided that the event defeats the purpose. increasingly, i wonder if the purpose of the event is the event itself ,and not to...sell watches, and thus not ultimately accomplishing the goal for most of these brands. a few brands—rolex, cartier, etc.—get the bulk of the press/attention and others are fighting for scraps. hodinkee probably published 60 articles this week. articles and releases get buried, like the nomos.
however, it looked like trade shows might die after covid but W&W and its offshoots are getting bigger every year. so i do not think it is going anywhere soon and indeed i wouldn't be surprised if a big brand like breitling (along w/ Gallet/UG) joined next year
Not a question but I appreciate your view Tony, that sometimes a bigger size for a watch does make sense. Count me in the hot take camp of the Aquanaut modern making more sense as a 42 with the white gold models, than a 40 5167.
I always ask myself (and extend this to you, Tony) - why is Piaget not covered more by the media? They are doing outstanding work with the Polo line, launch of the Warhol line and now the watch inside the pebble. They beautifully marry the jewelry workmanship with watchmaking (their movements are super thin resulting in highly wearable pieces). Yes, I’m a big fan (and owner) who doesn’t understand why they don’t get more respect.
ha, I can link a few articles where i was accused of being too effusive of Piaget back on Hodinkee. I think they get a lot of coverage, and also credit for inspiring everything from the current trends of stone dials to 'geezer' watches to Dennison.
But if I accept the premise of your question, perhaps I'd say that it's because Piaget is one of the houses that is half jewelry half watchmaking (with origins as a watchmaker), that can sit outside the comfort zone of traditional watch media.
I will agree that the Warhol line, still relatively new, has been a bit underappreciated. The launch limited edition with a mosaic of stones is rad.
Maybe it’s good for me to appreciate them in my corner and enjoy it. Though I feel other watch collectors are missing on some outstanding work.
Thanks for sharing your view, I didn’t think about your point about watch media having hard time covering Piaget, Van Clef & Arpels and other jewelry forward brands. Now that I think about it some media brought in experts in jewelry and fashion to help bridge this gap.
It's because for men their watches are unwearable in 99.9% of situations, unless you are the 0.01% or idle rich or instagram crowd.
They make great watches that are sadly too good for nearly all of those who can afford them. And for those who can appreciate them for the design, wearing it veers closely imo to cosplay.
I mean, yes, as a piece of art the Piaget sodalite Polo hits the mark, but how is any working schmuck like me going to wear that watch on a weekday, or on most weekends? Or to buy groceries?
Polo is not the only line that’s great - honestly, I can imagine wearing the YG Altiplano in most situations - office, home, out with friends. And switch to Gshock for gardening or exercise.
I disagree, the Polo line is a great example of watch for every situation. I have been wearing Polo Filed for a few years now and it’s perfect fit in almost every situation. With the quick change straps it can be dressed up/down as needed. And I don’t accept the critique that it’s Aquanaut cosplay, I own both and prefer the Piaget for versatility. Yes, some of the new models require self confidence, but let’s admit it watches are jewelry.
fwiw you 2 are talking about different watches—agree the Polo S is a good everyday watch. the Polo79 is a piece of jewelry. a beautiful piece of jewelry but no doubt something most aren't wearing everyday.
Agreed, I’m admiring Polo 79 from a distance. They are nice pieces, definitely only ballers can wear daily. Enjoying Polo Field which is a more pedestrian watch for every day.
The Black Bay 58 GMT debuted in 2024 and cost $4600 on the oyster bracelet with the T Fit clasp. The same watch in 2026 with a minor case tweak cost $5525 which is a 16.8 per cent increase.
Tony, at what point will buyers realize that many of the price increases do not correspond to quality increases and are simply the brands way to increase profits without giving more watch. Will it come from massively depreciated watches on the secondary market or buyers simply priced out of new watches from their favorite brands???
I think buyers are already realizing this, yea? talk of prices is perhaps the dominant narrative right now, whether it's Tudor (I mentioned the change in the BB58—I remember buying for $3500 and it's now $5.5k, 7 years later. a better watch, but it'd better be!), or another $100k unproven indie.
And yes, I think one of the underappreciated boosts the secondary market has gotten is the rise of primary market prices. Kingflum and I mentioned this on the pod, how retailers are advertising 'certified preowned' watches that are really brand new, with manufacturer warranty for 25% off msrp.
Hi Tony,
I realize that collectors are talking about this and it is being reported. What i am thinking about is what the watch industry (brands) are going to do about it. Based on history, they don’t tend to lower prices. They try to move inventory in many way they can to justify and make sales. In the long run, that could really hurt brands as we have seen watches at COSCO when the brands totally lose a realistic pricing level.
Do you see them scaling back increases? I see them moving folks to lower cost options or greatly depreciated inventory in the grey market.
Or, at what point will we all just buy lightly used pre-owned pieces or vintage watches instead
Any brands leave you concluding “they are about to be a thing” based on the reaction of you and your peers? Any brands that seemed to have worsened or confirmed a bleak future (*cough* Omega)?
It's hard to judge Swatch Group brands, including Omega, since they don't really have a presence during this week (which is a decision we could certainly scrutinize). I am curious what will happen with Chopard L.U.C. It's this niche of indie-quality watchmaking in a much bigger watch and jewelry brand. Enthusiasts have been talking about it for a while, but I think its design/aesthetic has caught up with the movement making in the past few years. Curious how they can carve out L.U.C to give it more exposure.
It's hard to say any of the W&W brands are 'about to be a thing,' as they're spending millions on an event already, but:
-Moser had a big booth at W&W for the first time, the size of IWC or JLC instead of Armin Strom or Trilobe. An F1 driver was there. The 34mm streamliner is nice. It feels like they've arrived as a mainstream player.
-After some really solid 2025 releases (Solaria, complicated clock), Vacheron had another great slate of releases aimed at a broader market.
-Lange has gotten some flack from collectors but the products are as always excellent and the last two years they've released watches with very un-Lange proportions.
Most of the indies I met with I don't think of as 'brands' yet, but watches from Cleguer and Proz were nice. I generally approach the microbrand market with some skepticism and wonder if any will break through to a larger market. Ming is an exception that does plenty of impressive product development on its own. I saw the polymesh bracelet for the first time, it's awesome.
Why do you think UG had an early embargo for their new lineup? It got ahead of all the noise, but then they seemed to get lost in the noise. Among all the media coverage of W&W, I didn’t see many folks get hands on with UG and I’m surprised with the lack of opinions overall. I guess I just expected them to be the talk of the town
UG (along with Breitling) are not a part of Watches & Wonders. So they released their watches the week before the show, and then had an event the evening before the show officially started. Some people made appointments to get hands-on with the watches throughout the week, but it's tough to get leave the obligations of the main fair to see UG. (for example I went to the event, and got to see some of the watches, but ultimately you get limited time).
Most of us saw UG in person for the first time just a few hours before Rolex, Patek, and most of the other embargos lifted at midnight Swiss time, and that's when those brands are going to dominate the conversation.
In Geneva, I think they were the talk of the town. Reviews seem pretty mixed, which is perhaps why people are staying away from complete write-ups for now.
That answers that! Sounds like the jury is still out. Looking forward to more hands-on content with these
While you were at VC, did you have a chance to look at the Tribute to Great Civilizations pieces? If so, what are your thoughts? Are they worthy and unique examples of metiers d’art, gimmicky, or something else entirely? How does their quality and execution compare with HH metiers d’art pieces from other makers?
Sadly not—I went on Tuesday (Vacheron a favorite of mine so I always try to go first day!). Oddly, VC released those pieces on Thursday, so they weren't available for me to see. I've seen just a couple VC metiers d'art pieces and they're probably second to none (based on my admittedly limited experience in this category).
like for these, they used stones from the region of the civilization. for example, the Egptian ones use limestone sandstone from Sinai. It's impressive stuff even just on an intellectual level.
Did you have the opportunity to try to new Chopard XPS in blue? Given limited availability of the 1860, it seems like a great value proposition for the same movement with a diff finishing.
yes! it's a great watch, Sadly I didn't take photos because I wanted to get the 1860. But I also like the green dial XPS from a few years ago. I've always thought the pieces are oddly accessible for what they are. COSC, microrotor, 7mm thick, $13.5k. I mention it somewhere below, but much more compelling than, say the new Polerouter. The dial's a little flat but I like the sector design.
I spoke with them about the XPS actually Tony, and it’s positioned there specifically to make LUC accessible with only minor tradeoffs, i.e. flatter dial, not the gorgeous guilloche, and no Geneva seal on the movement iirc. I love and respect the ethos of this firm and the founding family a lot, as you know.
Thanks for your coverage this week, always great to benefit from your own vantage point. I will attend tomorrow and interested to see the VC Cardinal Points more closely. Could you share a wrist shot? I have similar wrist size as you so interested about what you considered too big
added one to the article above. cool watches!
Tony - this is all awesome. Thank you! Question as this is something I've been thinking about quite a bit lately. With all of the big maison releases as well, as, all of the indies, which feel voluminous these days, where does this put the customer... someone like me, who buys maybe 1-2 bigger watches a year and a few smaller ones... It is starting to make me feel like I do not want to commit to the purchase as I have FOMO on something that could be coming down the pipeline. With so many new releases, I'm scared of committing. Not sure if this is coming across the right way but would love to get your take.
Yea, I relate to that. The speed of releases has become rapid, and there are all these shows that put constant pressure on brands to deliver. For example, I saw some discourse that this year's releases were soft or that Rolex was disappointing. I truly don't get that argument. I've gone to four Watches & Wonders and Rolex has released 2 entirely new collections, one with a new escapement (1908 and Land Dweller) in that time.
Anyway, to answer your question more directly. When I feel like I might have FOMO, I ask myself if it's because there's something about the watch available right now that I'm not 100% on. If it's new, do I really love the dial color? Is it .5mm too thick? If it's vintage, am I compromising too much on condition? If the answer's yes, then it's best to wait for the right one. OTOH, if you do feel like you truly love it, you can't let brands or advertising or the market induce FOMO because there will always be another watch. Easier said than executed, of course.
Well said - frankly, I've been trying to figure out the space of independents which is a rathole of ratholes. Unfortunately, the 'souscriptions' are usually 10 watches and they are 12-24 months from production. I'm having a hard time committing to one as I know there are many more coming and unfortunately for me, I cannot do them all as my wallet doesn't stretch that far. A good problem to have, I guess, but it's truly real.
Any new releases make it onto your wish list?
maybe the new lange if i were in the market for an upmarket calendar watch (which is not right now). the price could make it a tough comp to some neovintage QPs, but the lange has a better case and is finished better anything not named Patek, and it seems 3940s are all 75k+ now!
on the accessible side, the new white dial on the nomos world timer is excellent. that's a great watch, all the previous dials were like 85% there for me, this is the first one that feels like it might be 100%
Share more thoughts on the PF chrono, thickness, how well it wears on wrist. Where does PF go from here? What complication is left to hide away
copying an answer from below about the PF: top 5 for me too! I thought it was reasonable on my wrist (~6.5 in). I just added a photo to the article where you might be able to see the profile slightly better. No doubt it's thicker than the PF GMT Rattrapante, but the lugs are relatively short and also downturned, so it curves around the wrist nicely. The bracelet links are also short so it drapes well, all helping with the thickness you perceive. In all, I was pleasantly surprised by the package, I had expected it was going to feel bigger.
the last question is funny...they very much position this as their philosophical approach to complications. can calendars be 'hidden'? how can one hide a minute repeater, which is already basically hidden? world timer??
Top 3 brands with the best goodie bags?
ha, the rolex tote has that 'jubilee' pattern (which is apparently close to itailan designer Boetti’s patterns?); alpina was giving away a 'gameboy' (really a cheap imitation) with a few games including super mario loaded onto it, and parmigiani always gives away a quality leather good.
goodie bags have been dialed back a lot the last 5 years (a good thing in my eyes), and perhaps a sign of the times
Is it just me, or did Rolex promote its off-catalog in a bigger way this year? Feels like >50% of Rolex coverage was on the pseudo-enamel Daytona (and, to a lesser extent, the jubilee gold day date). Didn't feel that way in past years, even when they released the Le Mans. I wonder if this is a deliberate tiering strategy by Rolex, shifting off catalog into its own collection (versus just being gem set versions of existing watches aimed at... whoever buys gem set Rolexes).
Also - who do you think UG is aimed at? Like the people who recognize the brand probably would prefer the vintage pieces. How do they get people excited, versus getting stuck in that upper-middle market no-mans land?
Totally true. The rumor was the YG Le Mans, also off catalog, wasn't even supposed to make its way into media and someone posted it by mistake. Totally the opposite of this year, when Hodinkee and others had entire youtube videos dedicated to the enamel Daytona. Yes, feels likes deliberate strategy. Especially alongside the special OPs, which while not off catalog, will be similarly difficult to get and have a have a similar strategy.
I think the issue is UG is targeted at that, as you call it, upper middle market no man's landed where JLC and others sit. More expensive and more available than Rolex (while also offering products that can be easily compared). That said I think the Compax is a compelling watch even for the price, the Polerouter less so.
I'll likely cover UG more in a newsletter since I've gotten 3-4 questions about it.
UG *could* be useful to dealers. But am not sure how Kern will choose to distribute it.
A ton of Rolex ADs also stock Breitling - and it's useful, because you are not supply constrained. But it typically comes in at a lower price point that Rolex. With UG, you can potentially upsell. But Breitling is going to need to provide a ton of support. Events, advertising, etc. Otherwise, you are in that JLC / Zenith / Blancpain bucket.
There probably is room. None of the brands in that bucket have mindshare. Like I think more people would recognize Zenith as an old TV brand than a watch manufacturer. But how much money does Kern want to bet?
I've heard that the plan is to keep UG separate and open UG-owned boutiques. Perhaps some could be operated by local partners, but still UG monobrand, not sure. As many as 30 in the next few years. The first is under construction in Geneva and opens in September.
Hi Tony,
Do you think Tudor and other brands held back at all this year due to the economic and industry concerns? Essentially holding back big releases until they feel it can sell super well at their price range?
Or was that everything they intended to release?
Tudor and probably Rolex certainly seem to have more to come. Others, not so sure. Lange always saves some releases for their anniversary and Newport Concours in the fall. Seems like JLC, Vacheron, Piaget, Cartier, and others released watches that will be a heavy commercial focus for the rest of the year. Some brands will have more at Geneva Watch Days. I thought 2025 was a really solid year of releases at W&W, this year was a little more low key.
but yes I also think there is so much uncertainty since tariffs and then now with the middle east that some brands are taking a wait-and-see approach.
Been trying to think of a good question about the show for you…maybe not really specific to the show, but do you think Cartier is ultimately doing themselves (or at least their wider customer base) a disservice by gatekeeping some of their nicer designs behind the Priveé line? As somebody who thinks the Normale is one of their better designs, but maybe only has Tank Louis money and not Privee money, it kind of turns me off to buying a regular Tank. (Not expecting a $20k Crash anytime soon of course).
i have long wished that they had a standard, manual-wind, yellow gold Tank Normale, Louis, Tortue, etc., available, similar to what they did with the Louis Cartier collection of the 1970s. But this doesn't seem to be the strategy, they seem pretty content with keeping the Prive as super exclusive and leaving an Americaine, Santos, Santos-Dumont, etc. as the more accessible options (and cycling through various 'one-offs' for those models, some of which I quite like). Historically it has seemed to work, though I wondered in an article this year if the Prive had run its course and if they're not going to add any net-new shapes this year, perhaps it is, which means it's time to do a broader reevaluation of the strategy.
That said…I may have put my name down for the Ghost when it’s available, so maybe I’m full of it. 😆
haha see it's working!
Is the watch industry due its moment akin to the (European) car industry after Covid, when brands realised it no longer made sense to head to PAL EXPO to all launch new product at the same time? The Nomos world timer was one of the most notable release of last year, yet their new dial iteration, which will arguably appeal to more people, barely get a mention (at least not on HODINKEE)
this can be argued both ways, swatch group has obviously decided that the event defeats the purpose. increasingly, i wonder if the purpose of the event is the event itself ,and not to...sell watches, and thus not ultimately accomplishing the goal for most of these brands. a few brands—rolex, cartier, etc.—get the bulk of the press/attention and others are fighting for scraps. hodinkee probably published 60 articles this week. articles and releases get buried, like the nomos.
however, it looked like trade shows might die after covid but W&W and its offshoots are getting bigger every year. so i do not think it is going anywhere soon and indeed i wouldn't be surprised if a big brand like breitling (along w/ Gallet/UG) joined next year
Not a question but I appreciate your view Tony, that sometimes a bigger size for a watch does make sense. Count me in the hot take camp of the Aquanaut modern making more sense as a 42 with the white gold models, than a 40 5167.
haha! idk man i love the 5065. which i guess makes this a true hot take
I accept the 5065 and 5165 as makes sense sizes too! Just not the 40