Longines “Ambassador of Elegance” Kate Winslet

Celebrity Ambassadors: Good Marketing Or Terrible Waste? – Reprise

GaryG debates the whys and wherefores of celebrity ambassadors and what they may (and may not) bring to the communication of a watch brand.

Face Off: Arabic Numerals Vs. Roman Numerals, The (Roman) Empire Strikes Back

While the Roman numeral system is built on class and lineage, the Arabic numeral system is built on a combatant sass to attract the masses of all ages. Why does Nus Marek write this? And why for him do all roads lead to Rome? Find out right here.

You know you’re a watch guy if . . . at a restaurant you photograph everyone's watches but not the food

You Know You’re A Watch Guy Or Gal If . . . Reprise

Horophiles are pretty unique people and we have some pretty unique traits and habits. In the theme of Jeff Foxworthy and his “you might be a redneck if” routine, John Keil pokes a little fun at our WIS brothers and sisters (and ourselves). So without further ado, you know you’re a watch guy if . . .

Hermès Carré H with gray and black dials

DNA Approved: How Swiss Watch Brands Are Getting Back On Track – Reprise

What is the most precious element of any watch brand? Its manufacture? Its skilled employees? Its brand ambassadors? Its boutiques? Martin Green thinks that it’s none of those, because the most important asset of a brand is its so-called DNA. Here he explains how brands better used their heritage at the 2018 SIHH.

The Rolex Parachrom balance end stone shock protection in the Caliber 3135

The Number Of Jewels In A Watch Movement Indicates Value, Doesn’t It? A Myth Debunked – Reprise

Seriously, who cares how many jewels their watch has? Watchmaker Ashton Tracy thinks that you’d be surprised how many people care as they’ve been duped by a vintage practice of announcing the amount of movement jewels on watch dials. What is the real story here?

The How And Why Of Patents, Including The World’s Most Famous Watchmaking Patent Granted For Abraham-Louis Breguet’s Tourbillon

Patented inventions are present in every aspect of human life. Electric lighting glows in our rooms due to patents held by Thomas Edison and Joseph Swan; plastic is omnipresent thanks to patents registered by Leo Baekeland; and even ballpoint pens would not be on every desk if Laszlo Biro hadn’t patented them. Elizabeth Doerr takes a look at patents in the watch industry, including the most famous of all: Abraham-Louis Breguet’s patent for the tourbillon.

Code 11.59 By Audemars Piguet: How To Fail At Marketing, AKA To Break The Rules You Must First Master Them

The initial online response to the new Audemars Piguet Code 11.59 collection launched to great fanfare at the 2019 SIHH in January was extremely negative, and even among those who withheld judgment until handling the watches, “lukewarm” seemed to be the general view. Having let the dust settle a bit, GaryG takes a look at the anatomy of what he thinks was a dismal product launch (though not necessarily a dismal product).

Charlie Brown gets some Rolex Submariner retail therapy

Screw The Science And Buy Luxury Watches! – Reprise

Waking up one morning with his coffee, John Keil was scrolling through the headlines on ‘Business Insider’ when he came across a post entitled “Science Says You Shouldn’t Buy Luxury Brands.” With all due respect to author Elizabeth Lang he thought, ‘screw science and buy luxury watches!’

A thought for turbulent times

Keep Calm And Continue Collecting: Advice For An Up-And-Down Watch Market – Reprise

When GaryG first considered an article on this topic some time ago, the title was going to be “How High is Up?” in reference to what, at the time, was the ongoing escalation in the prices of both new and used watches and the flood of higher-end, highly complicated timepieces from makers both large and small. Times have changed, and so has the market. Here is GaryG’s advice.

Longines Heritage Military (photo courtesy Dr. Magnus Bosse)

Fauxtina: A Faux Vintage Faux Pas – Reprise

Ashton likes vintage watches so much that his prized possession is a 1978 Rolex Submariner Reference 1680. Why does he love this watch so much? Not because it looks like it’s from 1978, but because is from 1978. So, he asks, is the current vintage trend something we should all be wholeheartedly embracing?