The Roundup: the “Back to School” Edition

Each week, EWC will be gathering horological industry news, cultural conversations and moments surrounding our favorite topic: timepieces. Happy Friday; here’s what’s on our watch.

It’s official: we’re heading into Labor Day weekend, kids are getting ready to go back to school, and reality is setting in. Summer is almost over, and we’re feeling the buzz in the news cycle this week. Let’s jump right in.

Taylor Swift Got Engaged and Other Headlines

Photo courtesy of Taylor Swift & Travis Kelce.

In case you’ve been living under a rock, Taylor Swift got engaged to Travis Kelce this week, and frankly, the watch community didn’t care about the ring. It was completely overshadowed by the Cartier Santos Demoiselle on her wrist.

Speaking of football, Breitling revealed its partnership with the NFL with a star-studded event in New York City including Eli Manning, the Dallas Cowboy cheerleaders, and brand ambassador Austin Butler among those in attendance. With the announcement, the brand unveiled two NFL Team Edition collections: the Chronomat Automatic GMT 40 and the Endurance Pro, with each having timepieces for all 32 teams in the league.

Photo Courtesy of Hublot.

In other sports news, the 28^th edition of the Hublot Polo Gold Cup Gstaad went down in the Bernese Alps. The Maison has served as the official timekeeper of the prestigious event for nearly 20 years, with their work beginning back in 2007.

World Firsts at the Auction Block

Photo Courtesy of Phillips.

Next up, one of the most expensive watches to ever sell at auction is returning to Phillips this November. The first stainless steel Patek Philippe Ref. 1518 ever made broke eight figures when it last hit the auction block in 2016. The model will return to Phillips Decade One (2015–2025) sale in less than three months.

Photo Courtesy of Sotheby's.

In addition, Sotheby’s has announced its first marquee auction series in Abu Dhabi to take place this December. Among the standout timepieces is an exceptionally rare and highly coveted Rolex “Oyster Albino” Daytona, Ref. 6263.

Brace Yourself for a Slew of New Watches

Ahead of Geneva Watch Days next week, a few brands are already getting ahead of the curve with new releases. Ming rings in eight years of the brand with a colorful, celebratory new model: the MING 57.04 Iris. Vacheron Constantin expanded its popular Overseas collection with two gorgeous and ultra-thin perpetual calendars. Zenith added a celestial spin to its Chronomaster Sport with a meteorite dial. In addition, Massena LAB teamed up with Vianney Halter for a new limited edition collab called the Old Soul. Last but certainly not least, Parmigiani Fleurier grew its Toric line with a petite seconde edition in two colorways.

Back to Sports

Photo Courtesy of Timothy A Clary/AFP/Getty Images.

Nope, we’re not done with sports news quite yet. The U.S. Open is in full swing in New York City, and, as expected, the watch spotting is top notch. Longtime world number one player and Hublot ambassador Novak Djokovic has been proudly wearing the Big Bang 20th Anniversary All Black. Ukrainian tennis player Elina Svitolina also made Hublot her brand of choice with the Spirit of Big Bang. Current world number one Jannik Sinner has opted for a classic Rolex Daytona, and former American tennis pro Mike Bryan took to the stands also sporting a model from The Crown (a Datejust to be exact). Women’s number one Aryna Sabalenka has chosen an Audemars Piguet Royal Oak. While Italian tennis pro Andrea Vavassori was spotted in something more niche and unique: the Gerard Charles Maestro 2.0.