Seiko has unveiled a dress watch as this year’s special edition created in partnership with tennis legend Novak Djokovic. Mr Djokovic has been a brand ambassador for Seiko since 2013, and every year the watchmaker has created a timepiece designed for different aspects of his life. This year, the Premier Novak Djokovic Special is designed […]
Posted inNEWS, UK
Beaverbrooks offers British watch brand Olivia Burton in 16 stores
Olivia Burton has launched at 16 Beaverbrooks stores across the UK this year and is enjoying significant success, according to its co-founder. The British-owned fashion watch and jewellery brand is on sale at Beaverbrooks Westfield White City, Westfield Stratford and Manchester Arndale Centre as well as regional stores including York and Norwich. Jemma Fennings, co-founder of […]
Posted inNEWS, UK
Elliot Brown retailers take to the water on Clipper sailing day
Elliot Brown took a group of its UK retailers on a sailing day yesterday in order to demonstrate its rugged watches in their natural environment. The brand’s partners took to the waters of the Solent, off Portsmouth harbour, in Clipper round the world racing yachts. Elliot Brown has been the official timekeeper of the Clipper […]
Posted inNEWS, UK
Maurice Lacroix appoints official after sales care centre for the UK
Luxury Swiss watch manufacturer Maurice Lacroix has appointed Bond Street Watch Servicing as its official after sales care centre. Bond Street Watch Servicing offers after-sales servicing, repair and polishing to several Swiss watchmakers. It offers services ranging from battery or strap replacements right up to servicing annual calendar, split-seconds chronograph or perpetual calendar movements. By teaming up […]
Posted inLEAD STORY
BREAKING NEWS: Swiss court rules against Swatch and in favour of Cousins
A court in Bern has declared that the claim Swatch brought against Cousins is inadmissible under Swiss Law, and has dismissed the case. But Swatch Group still has the chance to appeal, if it chooses. The case, which dates back over two years, concerns a parts embargo issued by Swatch Group that prevents Cousins distributing its […]
Posted inEDITOR'S CHOICE, LEAD STORY, NEWS, UK
Fossil Group switches from brand-by-brand selling to focused retailer support
Fossil Group hosted its AW17 market month in June and introduced a corporate restructuring that puts retailers’ requirements at the heart of its sales, marketing and merchandising. Retailers visiting the Milton Keynes headquarters were told that they will no longer need to speak to different executives representing each of Fossil’s watch brands. Instead, they were […]
Posted inINTERNATIONAL, NEWS
Urban Jürgensen combines modern and historic craftsmanship in its new headquarters
Urban Jürgensen is moving to new premises in Bienne. The new headquarters, which was built in the late 1920s and retains much of its historic hand-crafted detail, is said by the watchmaker to be the perfect home for a brand that is defined by the word authenticity. The four storey former mansion offers approximately 600 […]
Posted inNEW PRODUCTS, NEWS, UK
Storm introduces crystals and eye-catching colours to new Zuzori collections
Storm has a reputation for offering the industry’s most colourful watch collections and its Zuzori is no exception. The family (pictured above), which is offered with or without crystal details, has a sleek edge-to-edge glass design that gives a panoramic window into the bold coloured dials. The retail for a silver-coloured case version is £99.99 […]
Posted inINTERNATIONAL, NEWS, UK
Anthropologie lists Cluse and Lola Rose watches on its global website
US fashion retailer Anthropologie is preparing an online launch for fashion watch brands Cluse and Lola Rose. Both watch brands are represented by UK distributor Peers Hardy. Anthropologie, which has 200 stores worldwide, but none in the UK, has an international reputation for picking winners in fashion, and will give confidence to UK retailers working […]
Posted inEDITOR'S CHOICE, LEAD STORY, NEWS, UK
George Daniels pocket watch stars at Sotheby’s English watchmakers auction
Sotheby’s will complete its series of auctions focused on celebrating English watchmaking with a July 6 sale dedicated to George Daniels, Britain’s most acclaimed horologists of the past century. The sale, named Part IV: George Daniels: Twentieth Century Innovator, is dedicated to the innovator, and will also sell a range of pieces dating from the 17th century […]
Posted inJOBS, NEWS, UK
JOB OF THE DAY: Beaverbrooks searches for sales consultants for new Guildford store
Beaverbrooks is looking for engaging, sales-driven individuals to join the business as retail sales consultants at its brand-new store located in Guildford. “We’re thrilled to be recruiting for our sales team in time for this exciting new opening which provides an excellent opportunity for passionate, customer-centric people to come and join the Beaverbrooks family,” the company says. […]
Posted inINTERNATIONAL, NEW PRODUCTS, NEWS
Jean Marcel includes secret message on its ultra-thin Somnium
Jean Marcel, an independent German watchmaker specialising in low-run collectors’ pieces, has introduced an ultra-thin mechanical model named the Somnium Collection. With a total height of just 6.8mm, the Jean Marcel Somnium is among a new breed of ultra-thin mechanical watches that have the same functionality and reliability as larger pieces. The 43mm steel watch houses […]
Posted inEXHIBITIONS, INTERNATIONAL, NEWS
Success of specialist watchmakers’ show suggests Swiss industry is holding steady
The EPHJ-EPMT-SMT trade show can be viewed as a marker on health of the Swiss watchmaking industry, and this year’s event demonstrated resilience as participation in the professional watchmakers’ exhibition remained solid. As the doors to the EPHJ-EPMT-SMT trade show closed, the organisers took initial stock of the satisfactory picture emerging for the 2017 event. “The […]
Posted inNEW PRODUCTS, NEWS, UK
Blancpain reissues Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe in black 38mm edition
Blancpain has added a 38mm model to its Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe family. Bathyscaphe diving watches were first introduced in the 1950s, and reissued in 2013 as a 60th anniversary launch that took on vintage elements of the original. The 2017 model has a steel unidirectional bezel with black ceramic inserts and hour-markers in an alloy trademarked as […]
Posted inLEAD STORY, NEWS, UK
Beaverbrooks opening two new stores in 2017
The mid-market has been a tough space to trade in over the past 18 months, but Beaverbrooks has managed to maintain turnover at £119 million in 2015 and 2016 through a rigorous focus on performance in each of its 69 stores. That network is set to grow by two doors this year as the group […]
Posted inINTERNATIONAL, NEWS, Research, UK
UK continues to outperform Europe for sales of luxury goods to tourists
The UK is still Europe’s fastest growing market for tourist spending on luxury goods according to the latest Global Blue European Tax Free Shopping (TFS) sales performance report. The month of May is particularly important for retailers selling to Chinese visitors, and tourists from the Asian powerhouse have been beating a path to Britain. In the […]
Posted inNEW PRODUCTS, NEWS, UK
Certina makes a splash with certified divers’ chronometer for just £375
Certina has introduced a COSC-certified divers’ chronometer that will retail for just £375. The Certina DS Action is a three-hand quartz model with water resistance to 200m. Inside the 41mm polished or brushed steel case is the Precidrive movement that Certina now uses across its collections. The watch has a deep-blue dial behind Super-LumiNova-treated hands […]
Posted inNEW PRODUCTS, NEWS, UK
Breitling takes Superocean divers’ watch to new depths
Breitling has introduced a special edition of its Superocean that can be used at depths of 1000m underwater. The Superocean 44 Special, which is offered in black or blue versions, has a twin-gasket screw-locked crown and a security valve that balances pressure differences inside and outside the case. Large luminescent indications and baton hands give divers […]
Posted inEDITOR'S CHOICE, NEWS, UK
Three Kate Winslet Longines watches for sale in charity auction that ends this week
Longines and its brand ambassador Kate Winslet have unveiled a limited edition timepiece that will benefit the actress’s charity foundation Golden Hat when it goes on sale. Only five pieces of The Flagship Heritage by Kate Winslet will be made, with a portion of the money raised from their sale going to the Foundation, whose mission […]
Posted inNEWS, UK
West London dealer jailed for stolen watch sales worth over £1 million
A watch dealer from West London has been jailed for 18 months for selling hundreds of stolen luxury watches. Nadeem Tayyab Malick, who is listed on Companies House as the only director of Quality Marque Watches in the London suburb of Northwood, was arrested on 21 March 2016 by officers from the Met’s Flying Squad after he […]