Nearly 50 years on from man-kind’s first steps on the moon, the watch industry is celebrating another monumental achievement, the first watch on the moon. July 20 marked the 48th anniversary of the first human steps on the lunar surface, taken by Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin in 1969. It was in this moment, the […]
Posted inNEWS, UK
Gucci has the eye of the tiger with timepiece offering
International fashion brand Gucci is expanding its watch portfolio with two surprising new offerings. Gucci’s 2017 was one of the most talked about brands at Baselworld when it unveiled Gucci Dive, featuring a tiger motif. On the back of this reaction, the brand has continued to explore tigers with its new Le Marché des Merveilles […]
Posted inNEWS, UK
Husband and wife watch duo enters bespoke market with recreation project
Husband and wife watchmaking team, Craig and Rebecca Struthers, are tackling the bespoke market with their latest edition, Struthers Kullberg. The Struthers founded their business, Struthers London, in 2013, with a background in vintage and antique restoration, beginning with recommissioning thousands of historic watch movements rescued from the bullion industry that they have collected over […]
Posted inNEWS, UK
Independent watch brand launches bid to serve bespoke timepieces
New independent brand Jester Watches is launching on the market with a customisable watch and bespoke service. With metallic dials in ten colours, and cases, bezels and straps in twelve colours, every detail is interchangeable, creating thousands of possible colour combinations. Each component part is available to be purchase individually. The unisex wristwatch can be […]
Posted inLEAD STORY, NEWS, UK, VIDEO
VIDEO OF THE DAY: The making of Tudor’s Heritage Black Bay chronograph
Tudor has released a new video that captures the making of its Heritage Black Bay Chrono. The watch, which landed in stores this month, combines the aquatic heritage represented by the Black Bay family with Tudor’s motorsport heritage. Powered by a manufacture self-winding movement with column wheel and vertical clutch, the 41mm steel case is […]
Posted inNEWS, UK
Saint Honoré re-enters the UK market after a 10-year hiatus
Parisian watch brand Saint Honoré will make its UK comeback through a new and exclusive partnership with ATOZ Distribution. The collaboration comes a decade after Saint Honoré last traded on British shores. A change of strategy led the French watch brand to exit the UK to focus on building an international presence in Asia and […]
Posted inNEWS, UK
Elliot Brown prepares for IJL debut with landmark ladies collection
British brand Elliot Brown will be making its debut appearance at International Jewellery London almost four years on from the company’s launch. The label will showcase its first ladies watch collection, Kimmeridge, which was launched in June; the new limited Clipper Race 17/18 watch, Broadstone Adventurer; and new variations of the brand’s Canford and Bloxworth […]
Posted inNEW PRODUCTS, NEWS, UK
Garmin increases GPS functionality with new aviator watch designed for pilots
Garmin International has launched a new aviator watch that boasts global navigation information, colourful moving maps and connectivity options. Designed with pilots, aviation enthusiasts and aspiring pilots in mind, the D2 Charlie aviator watch features a real-time worldwide weather radar, as well as airport information that includes frequencies, runway information, weather data and more. “As […]
Posted inEDITOR'S CHOICE, LEAD STORY, NEWS, Others, Research, UK
BREAKING NEWS: Swatch Group’s UK sales increase by 23% in 2016
Turnover for The Swatch Group (UK) Limited rose by over 23% to £81.32 million last year as the fall in the value of the pound caused a spike in sales. The currency devaluation following Britain’s decision to leave the EU in June last year created a price advantage of up to 30% for UK retailers […]
Posted inNEWS, UK
Rolex testimonee storms to victory at Royal Birkdale
Rolex testimonee Jordan Spieth has won the 146th Royal Birkdale Open, becoming the Champion Golfer of the Year for the first time in his career. Spieth joins an exclusive list of players to have won the original Major championship in professional golf, including fellow Rolex testimonees Arnold Palmer, Gary Player and Jack Nicklaus, known as […]
Posted inLEAD STORY, NEWS
Swatch Group recovers from 2016 slump with marginal growth in H1
Following a torrid 12 month period, watch and jewellery company Swatch Group has reported a slight growth sales for the first six months of 2017. Group net sales were 1.2% at constant exchange rates, while sales growth figures showed an increase of 2.9% at constant rate in the watches and jewellery segment (excluding production). Sales […]
Posted inNEWS, UK
Reverso timepieces awarded to British polo champions
Jaeger-LeCoultre has honoured the winners of the Jaeger-LeCoultre Gold Cup with four personalised Reverso watches. The Jaeger-LeCoultre Gold Cup is played to decide the British Open Polo Championship and is the premier polo tournament in the world. Jaeger-Le-Coultre’s association with the sport stretches back 86 years, when the Reverso was created to withstand a game […]
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Junghans revives classic Max Bill design for 2017
German brand Junghans has launched its renowned Max Bill collection for 2017, marrying traditional watch making with its signature geometric design. The Max Bill Edition 2017 is available in two variants – offering a lined index dial or a dial featuring the Max Bill typography with Arabic numbers for the hour markers. Both versions are […]
Posted inNEWS, UK
Swiss brand makes UK debut with watch range inspired by British Aviation
Swiss watch brand Aviator is set to land in the UK with a collection of timepieces that celebrate British feats in aviation. The label, which launches in the UK this month, is renowned for paying tribute via design to the spirit of aviation. It has developed a limited edition collection of watches inspired by the […]
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Watchmaker shoots for 2018 FIFA World Cup success
In anticipation for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia Hublot has opened the doors of its latest location in the city. The Moscow-based 120sqm store, which opened one year ahead of the FIFA World Cup kick off, held a ribbon cutting ceremony on Red Square. The brand’s CEO Ricardo Guadalupe, CCO of FIFA […]
Posted inNEWS, UK
Millennials lead the way for watch spending splurge during heatwave
Following a sales lull in May a June heatwave caused a retail spending spike that saw millennials lead the way on watch purchases. Customers between the age of 18 and 25 were pegged as being the most likely to have traded cash for timepieces in June 2017, said Close Brothers Retail Finance in response to […]
Posted inNEWS
Breitling sources confirm rival Richemont’s watch chief is its new CEO
Breitling has appointed Richemont chief of watchmaking, digital and marketing as its new CEO, sources close to the brand have confirmed to WatchPro. His appointment as the company’s new leader comes after his unexpected departure from Richemont last week. Following Mr Kern’s resignation rumours quickly emerged that the Richemont chief was heading for a rival company. […]
Posted inLEAD STORY, NEWS
Patek Philippe to increase prices by 5.5%
Watch giant Patek Philippe intends to raise its prices by 5.5% in the UK, WatchPro has learned. Retailers were notified of the increase this week, with the new price list set to take effect from September 1. Sources told WatchPro that the Swiss brand had cited the “weak pound” for the rise, which is understood […]
Posted inEDITOR'S CHOICE, INTERNATIONAL, NEWS, Research, UK
British imports of Swiss watches rises at fastest rate for two years
Exports of Swiss watches to the UK rose at their fastest rate for two years in June. The Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry recorded a spike of +35.6% of exports to the UK, compared to June 2016, the month of the Brexit vote that sent the pound tumbling. The UK imported watches worth CHF […]
Posted inNEWS, UK
Seiko watch being launched into space is forecast to land in Cambridge
Deryshire-based Jura Watches is sending a £1,500 watch into Earth’s stratosphere using a helium balloon today for space exploration day. It will launch from Carsington Water, Derbyshire, where C W Sellors, parent company of Jura Watches, plans to build a jewellery design centre visitor attraction. Early predictions of the watch landing placed it in Doncaster […]