The Grand Seiko Hi-Beat 36000 GMT was awarded the “Petite Aiguille” prize for best watch under 8,000 swiss francs by the jury of the 2015 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève

Grand Seiko: Already Big In Japan And Getting Bigger Near You (Archive)

Seiko’s story is much more complicated than most people might think. This is a manufacturer that doesn’t follow trends, but has created a few of its own, capitalizing on various types of expertise and knowledge that were the mother of necessity for a manufacturer located so far away from the established centers of watchmaking in Europe. Grand Seiko is the most appealing line to connoisseurs of fine watchmaking, and we look at it in some depth here.

Wristshot of Aldus Hodge wear a Greubel Forsey Double Tourbillon 30° Technique Sapphire at the 2017 Academy Awards ceremony

Aldis Hodge’s Personal Photos Of The Greubel Forsey Double Tourbillon 30° Technique Sapphire At The 2017 Oscars

It’s not all that often that you get to see a behind-the-scenes, actors-eye view of the Academy Awards. But that is exactly what Aldis Hodge gifted his Instagram fans on Oscar night. And the ‘Hidden Figures’ actor was rocking the Greubel Forsey Double Tourbillon 30° Technique Sapphire on his wrist!

The Geneva Seal is visible at 3 o'clock on the movement of this beautifully finished Chopard L.U.C. Perpetual Chrono

Point Of Reference: The Standards Of The Geneva Seal

The Geneva Seal is very old, having been proposed on November 6, 1886 by the Grand Council of the Republic and Canton of Geneva as a way to certify a level of quality for which the canton was becoming known. Every piece produced with the Geneva Seal is equally outstanding, so let’s have a look at what goes into attaining this coveted seal.

Australia

2,000-Kilometer Australian Road Trip With Two Friends: Ulysse Nardin Dual Time And De Bethune DB28

I’m an expat Aussie who has now lived longer out of Australia than in, but in a few years my (Swiss) wife and I are planning on moving from Switzerland to Airlie Beach in North Queensland, Australia. In September 2016, I flew to the region for a week’s worth of face-to-face meetings to help lay the groundwork for our move.

It was a tight schedule, especially as I was sure to be suffering from jetlag, but it was doable. Especially with the Ulysse Nardin Dual Time on my wrist to help keep track of time there and at home.

The Macallan whiskey mechanical hip flask by Urwerk

Make Mine A Double! The Macallan Whisky Mechanical Hip Flask By Urwerk (With Video)

Fine watch and fine whisky, for many the two go together like single malt birds of a feather. Urwerk founders Felix Baumgartner and Martin Frei have been known to enjoy a smooth amber tipple or two, and as discerning gentlemen with discerning taste in haute horlogerie, it’s perhaps not surprising that Baumgartner and Frei also have discerning taste when it comes to whisky: single malt by The Macallan.

Patek Philippe Calatrava from the Bonham's Jackie Collins auction

Novelist Jackie Collins Was A Surprising Lover Of Fine Watches As Bonhams Auction Reveals

In the 1980s you may have read perhaps a few entertaining books by Jackie Collins, who passed away on September 19, 2015 at the age of 77. She was a very wealthy woman after 47 years of publishing bestselling romance novels, and now Bonhams is set to auction her estate of 1,000 lots for an estimated total of $3 million on May 16 and 17, 2017 in Los Angeles, and there are a few interesting watches included. In fact, I’d say surprising watches.

Clock in the lobby of the Waldorf Astoria hotel, New York

The Fantastic Clock In The Lobby Of New York City’s Waldorf-Astoria Is Pure History

While passing through New York City recently, I decided to duck into the historic Waldorf Astoria hotel to have a look at its famous lobby before the hotel closes for construction at the end of February 2017. And what I found was a historical clock with electrifying presence.

Chanel Premíère Camellia Skeleton Set

Chanel Introduces Première Camellia Skeleton With Manufacture Movement

The Chanel Première line celebrates its thirtieth anniversary this year, and it does so with more imaginative mechanical style than usual. The new Premíère Camellia Skeleton features the brand’s second in-house movement with camellia-inspired bridges within a Place Vendôme-inspired case.

Ulysse Nardin Innovision 2 on the wrist

Diving Deep Into The Technology Of The Ulysse Nardin InnoVision 2

I could wax poetically about how amazing and interesting the Ulysse Nardin InnoVision 2 is, however I think a detailed breakdown of just what exactly is inside the InnoVision 2, how it is all made, and what it might mean for the future of Ulysse Nardin is better. So let’s get into it!

Richard Mille RM 35-01 Rafael Nadal

Exotic Timepieces At Christie’s Dubai Auction, Including Unique Boucheron Hawk Powered By Girard-Perregaux Three Bridges Tourbillon (Updated With Results)

Many watch auctions appear to be dominated by notable sales of Rolex and Patek Philippe timepieces. And I’ve nothing against those two lovely brands, but the world of big auctions is becoming ever more monotone. Here are some genuinely exotic, decidedly out-of-the-ordinary timepieces currently on offer at Christie’s Important Watches auction, which takes place in Dubai on March 19, 2017.