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6 days ago | 
thetimes.com | Laura McCreddie-Doak
For a long time the watch world resisted trends. Timepieces were not fashion items but accessories with longevity; metaphorical glaciers, as opposed to the frantic seasonality of the catwalk. Then many brands realised they would have to find ways to add value. Enter the interchangeable strap. Fashion has long understood the value of a small switch-up delivering a big impact.
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6 days ago | 
thetimes.com | Laura McCreddie-Doak
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3 weeks ago | 
gq-magazine.co.uk | Laura McCreddie-Doak
Anyone remotely interested in watches will know that in the past 12 months Bremont, under the new leadership of a watch GOAT in Davide Cerrato, has been copping a fair bit of slack for a new creative direction, all while also quietly going about being a very profitable business.
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1 month ago | 
oracleoftime.com | Laura McCreddie-Doak
With a history as rich, and long, as that of Vacheron Constantin, it’s hard to choose that opening-paragraph story that goes to the heart of the brand; a set-up to explore its unique narrative. When discussing Vacheron Constantin history, do you opt for Georges-Auguste Leschot’s 1839 invention of the pantograph? This machine-made watch parts with such precision they could be interchanged with minimal adjustment.
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Dec 24, 2024 | 
timeandtidewatches.com | Laura McCreddie-Doak
“We don’t have a book for our complications, we have to invent them ourselves,” says Rainer Bernard, head of research and development at Van Cleef & Arpels. He is talking about its Brise d’Ete, a watch that took home the “ladies complication” prize at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genéve (GPHG) in 2024 and which is a mechanical masterpiece. The dial is a garden in summer, with beautiful blue flowers and dancing butterflies.
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Dec 23, 2024 | 
apetogentleman.com | Laura McCreddie-Doak
It’s that time again when we look back at who launched what, and what actually broke through the white noise. It’s certainly been a year of controversies. Not since Audemars Piguet launched Code 11:59 have so many people’s knickers been twisted. However, there have been reasons to celebrate as well. Independent brands have come to the fore. Japanese watch brands and makers are having a moment and Cartier is rising up the ranks of popularity. Choosing just 10 timepieces will always be difficult.
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Dec 7, 2024 | 
timeandtidewatches.com | Laura McCreddie-Doak
On Friday, the 22nd November 2024, in Hong Kong, Phillips hosted an auction house-first. In the WKCDA Tower, situated in the Foster and Partners-designed arts development, West Kowloon Cultural District, a short walk from Tsim Sha Tsui, Phillips held an auction dedicated to a single country – Japan. “We wanted to pay tribute to this market”, explains Thomas Perazzi, Phillips’ deputy chairman and head of watches Asia.
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Nov 17, 2024 | 
timeandtidewatches.com | Laura McCreddie-Doak
We finally have it in writing. Women are massively under-represented in the watch world. Undervalued too if you consider that, despite 43% of the Swiss watchmaking workforce are women – at bench level, certainly not at boardroom – they are paid on average 24.8% less than men. More illuminating, and sometimes depressing, stats like these can be found in the recently released Deloitte Swiss Watch Industry Insights 2024: Spotlight on the female market.
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Oct 12, 2024 | 
timeandtidewatches.com | Laura McCreddie-Doak
Do you know what frequency your watch has? Can you work out from listening to it whether it’s a 18,000 vph model or a more spry 28,800 model? Frequency isn’t something talked about much. It might be there on the specs, but it isn’t something people immediately start explaining when they show off their latest acquisition. Except if it’s a hi-beat, that is. But what exactly does that mean and is it something to brag about? What is a hi-beat watch?
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Oct 11, 2024 | 
thetimes.com | Laura McCreddie-Doak
Orient hasn’t been around on these shores for long, despite being founded in Tokyo in 1950, but it is making a name for itself as the go-to for well-priced mechanical timepieces with a touch of design flair. This gorgeous wine-dark dial is the textbook definition of “classic with a twist”. The Roman numerals being the “classic” part and the off-kilter subdials — one of which is a day indicator — providing that twist. £287.99; orientwatch.co.ukWho wouldn’t want a dress watch named after a cocktail?
