The Romain Jerome Batman DNA shines the bat signal at night

Lighting Up With Lume At Baselworld 2015. Warning: Sunglasses Advised!

The bright spotlights of Baselworld 2015 lit up a plethora of eye-catching watches of every shape, color, and complication. However, it was only when the lights were turned down or off that a few of the timepieces showed that their dark sides were actually quite bright. Here are a few of the best lume-outfitted watches from Baselworld 2015 from Patek Philippe, Romain Jerome, Chopard, Valbray, Bell & Ross, Bulgari, and Glashütte Original.

Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Grande Complication à Triptyque

The Twelve Watch Days Of Christmas

You may be familiar with the old Christmas diddy “The Twelve Days Of Christmas.” Let me sing you the final verse of this song, including what my true love gave to me on the twelfth and final day, in horological terms…

Hands, hand-made: the Voutilainen Observatoire

Does Hand Finishing Matter? A Collector’s View Of Movement Decoration

Many of you are likely to have come across at least a few heated discussions of “finishing,” a topic that seems to fascinate, and divide, watch enthusiasts. Like many people, my starting point for serious watches was with a well-priced brand long known for its expertise in developing movements, justly viewed as offering good value for money – but not necessarily for the refinement of its movement finishing, at least on its less expensive pieces. What have I learned since then?

Patek Philippe Calatrava Reference 2508

Calatrava Reference 2508 At Christie’s Patek Philippe 175th Anniversary Auction

Christie’s is holding an auction on November 9 called the Patek Philippe 100. One watch is lot number 65, a Reference 2508 Calatrava. What makes this particular time-only Patek Philippe so special? Is it its condition? Its provenance? Its perfect dial and case? Its rare hands? Or perhaps all of the above?

Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime (prototype)

Patek Philippe’s 175th Anniversary Is A Swirl Of (Grandmaster) Flash And Emotion

To stay on top of your game, you must continue to better yourself again and again. And this Patek Philippe has certainly done with the presentation of watches created in honor of the esteemed brand’s 175th anniversary. The fill of models is exceptional: beginning with the extremely limited and highly complicated Grandmaster Chime and continuing through a gorgeously engraved Jump Hour model.

Dawn on the lake by Anita Porchet for Patek Philippe's 175th anniversary

Dawn On The Lake: Celebrating Patek Philippe’s Grandiose 175th Anniversary With Art And Collaboration

Patek Philippe’s 175th anniversary celebration, which took place on October 13, 2014 at the brand’s impressive factory in Geneva, was a firework of artistic expression. From the unique oeuvres that Patek Philippe calls its Rare Handcrafts, I’d like to single out the piece called Dawn on the Lake, by master enameler Anita Porchet.

Patek Philippe 5304R Grand Complication

175 Years Of Heritage And Legacy: The Patek Philippe 5304R Grand Complication

Patek Philippe’s 5304R comes across as a good-looking watch with a casual, complicated skeletonized dial from the front. There is nothing ostentatious about it, nothing that screams for attention. Instead there it sits on your wrist, like a gentleman in a top hat, politely saying good evening to any who should glance its way.

A close up look at the dial of the Patek Philippe Advanced Research Reference 5550P Perpetual Calendar

Behind The Lens: Patek Philippe Advanced Research Reference 5550P Perpetual Calendar

Welcome to the second installment of “Behind the Lens.” This time, our subject is the Patek Philippe Advanced Research Ref. 5550P, a truly lovely perpetual calendar with some interesting technical twists.

The Breguet Reine de Naples

The First Wristwatches From Breguet, Hermès And Patek Philippe Were Made . . . For Women

Early American historian and Harvard professor Laurel Thatcher Ulrich titled her 2008 book ‘Well-Behaved Women Seldom Make History.’ Ulrich would probably be very interested to know about three famous Swiss and French brands whose very first wristwatches were made for – and in a way by – women. Their watches have made history.

Delaneau oven-fired enamel seahorse and coral

Give Me Five! Ladies’ Watches From Baselworld 2014

The last few years have seen a slow but steady increase in the number of ladies’ watches with both serious artistically decorated dials and cases and high-quality mechanical movements.

Here we highlight just five of the stunners that caught our eyes from Patek Philippe, Blancpain, Bulgari, Breguet and Delaneau.