A year of the rabbit for watch brands?
China, which weighed on watch exports at end 2022, will be the key to activity in 2023, a year that opens with mixed prospects. Will China’s impact on luxury sales be as great as in 2021?
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What next for the pre-owned market?
Once dismissed as a hang-out for unscrupulous traders touting fakes, in little more than a decade the pre-owned watch market has grown to remarkable proportions and is expected to surpass sales of new watches. Consultancy firm LuxeConsult predicts this reversal in roles for 2033.
Bernard Arnault, the world's fourth richest person
Forbes has published its 2011 list of the world's richest people. Bernard Arnault, 61, Chief Executive of LVMH which recently added Bulgari to its portfolio, has climbed three places to fourth position, behind Mexican telecom mogul Carlos Slim (US$ 74 billion / € 52 billion), Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft (USD 56 billion / € 39.5 billion), and Omaha guru Warren Buffet (US$ 50 billion / € 35 billion). As LVMH shares surged +57% last year, Arnault added US$ 13.5 billion (€ 9,5 billion) to his fortune and now has a net worth of US$ 41 billion (€ 28,9 billion).
De Bethune in search of lost quality
Denis Flageollet and David Zanetta, who set up De Bethune in 2002, will tell you that watchmaking lost its soul in the twentieth century. Now their ambition is to "save the concept of the mechanical watch," as the recently-unveiled Tourbillon Regulator demonstrates.
Cartier, the choice of the rich and the rulers
Abundance of brands in fashion, lifestyle and luxury offers plenty of options to choose from. But only few of them stand out and their appeal is crystal clear. Such brands have strong following among the rich and the rulers. That is why King Edward VII said about Cartier that it is “The Jeweller of Kings & the King of Jewellers.” Interview with Cartier President and CEO Mr. Bernard Fornas.
Odd couples
We're accustomed to seeing watchmakers associate their image with big-name personalities from the worlds of sport, film and fashion. Now some are taking a different tack, such as Jaeger-LeCoultre with comic strips, or Parmigiani and poker.
The Charm of Hearing Time
While we don’t have a particular need for the musical watch in contemporary society, the minute repeater delights not only for its artistic complexity but also for its ability to engage time with both sight and sound.
