The Roundup: the “New York or Nowhere” 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.
This month, New York City is the place to be. Next week, the city will be buzzing with the watch industry’s finest from all around the globe for the annual WatchTime and WindUp fairs, each marking their monumental 10th anniversaries this year. With these main events anchoring the week, a whole host of brands, auction houses, and industry staples are building off their momentum with activations, previews, and panels.
On Your Mark, Get Set…
This past week, a few brands are getting ahead of the curve. Over the weekend A. Lange & Sohne released two new timepieces at the season’s last Concours of Elegance event held just a few hours north of NYC in Newport, Rhode Island. Here, the German Maison introduced two new versions of its Saxonia Thin, one in the brand’s own Honeygold and the other in platinum with both editions featuring stunning onyx dials.
In addition, Panerai has unveiled its “Depths of Time” historical exhibition, hosted at its flagship boutique in Manhattan. The showcase offers a rare behind-the-scenes look at Panerai’s heritage with never before seen archival materials, technical drawings, historical instruments and more. For the opening night, Panerai’s CEO Emmanuel Perrin and CMO Alessandro Ficarelli proudly welcomed guests for this exciting experience.
Better Together
Other new watches touched down this week, including two playful collaborations. The first comes from Hublot in partnership with the American artist Daniel Arsham. The MP-17 Meca-10 Arsham Splash Titanium Sapphire blends Hublot's Art of Fusion concept and Arsham's unique vision resulting in a wearable sculpture. TAG Heuer also announced a partnership with New Balance for its connected line, introducing the Connected Caliber E5 alongside a special edition New Balance version that comes paired with special edition New Balance running shoes.
Girard-Perregaux and Jaeger LeCoultre also dropped new watches this week. Celebrating the iconic Laureato’s 50th anniversary, Girard-Perregaux debuted a stunning homage to the original with a two-tone yellow gold and stainless steel design in perfect 39mm proportions. Jaeger-LeCoultre presented two new models putting the Maison’s expertise in mechanics and artistry on full display with the Master Grande Tradition Calibre 948 and Master Hybris Artistica Calibre 945.
The More You Know
On the auction circuit, there are a few important pieces coming up for grabs that you should know about. First, on the heels of the recent Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix, IWC Schaffhausen, Laureus Sport for Good, and Bonhams are teaming up for a unique auction. Up for bidding is one of a limited edition of 100 pieces of the Big Pilot’s Watch Shock Absorber XPL. This particular watch was personally worn by Toto Wolff during the Singapore Grand Prix, where Mercedes driver George Russell took first place.
Coming full circle, Sotheby’s inaugural Important & Fine Watches Auctions at the iconic Breuer Building in New York will have watch enthusiasts flocking to the city once again this December. The sale is set to feature three previously unknown Patek Philippe timepieces. These include two double-movement masterpieces from 1924 and a historically important paper weight clock that is one of only three known examples, alongside those made for the legendary collectors James Ward Packard and Henry Graves Jr.