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☆ Cuban clock maker keeps on ticking despite economic woes
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

HAVANA, Nov 10 (Reuters) - Cuban watchmaker Ernesto Barrios saw an opportunity to make up for lost time two years ago after authorities lifted a ban on private companies that had been in place since shortly after Fidel Castro's 1959 revolution. "We don't have to import any of our materials," he said. "Years ago there was a great diversity of Russian watches in Cuba and today that watch market is empty," he said. His "Made in Cuba" watches, he said, are on display in various hotels in Havana, as well as in some stores in the Cuban capital. Reporting by Nelson Acosta, editing by Dave Sherwood and Sandra MalerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Ernesto Barrios, Fidel Castro's, Luz, Barrios, Nelson Acosta, Dave Sherwood, Sandra Maler Organizations: Reuters, Thomson Locations: HAVANA, Cuban, Cuba, wristwatches, Havana, Soviet Union

☆ The Return of Manual-Wind Watches
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-09 | by ( Ming Liu | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

The lack of a rotor generally allows manual-wind movements — and, ultimately, their exterior cases — to be smaller, which suits the current trend for small watches. Bulgari also played with size in developing its manual-wind BVL 100 Piccolissimo movement, introduced last year. “Our very important clients were saying that they had so many high-jewelry watches but found it was a pity that the tiny batteries soon ran out,” said Fabrizio Buonamassa Stigliani, the brand’s production creation executive director. A mechanical movement is forever.”The Piccolissimo first was used in Bulgari’s high-jewelry Serpenti Misteriosi watches, but this year it made its way into the new Mediterranea high-jewelry collection, presented in Venice in May. Manual-wind movements highlight a watch’s vintage look.

Persons: Patek, Calatrava, Bulgari, ”, Fabrizio Buonamassa Stigliani, “, Marino Grande, Panerai Locations: Tokyo, Venice, Geneva, California

A tray of Rolex watches are seen on a dealer's stand at the London Watch Show on March 19, 2022 in London, England. Prices for luxury watches are near a two-year low on the secondhand market, reversing a rally that brought timepieces like Rolex, Patek Philippe and Audemars Piguet to record highs during the pandemic. The average price of a watch sold secondhand has fallen 31% since March 2022, according to WatchCharts, a luxury watch price tracker. At the market's peak, the average price of a luxury watch sold secondhand soared to $45,108, with buyers paying up to five times the retail value for in-demand watches. "It was interesting that the price hike mainly happened among three family-owned brands: Rolex, Patek Philippe and Audemars Piguet.

Persons: Patek Philippe, Audemars Piguet, Paul Altieri, Audemars, Tim Stracke Organizations: London, Rolex Locations: London, England, German

☆ The great Rolex recession is here: How the Fed crushed the luxury watch boom
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-30 | by ( Joseph Wilkins | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The WatchCharts market index and has slumped 32% from an all-time high in March last year. When the 'everything rally' was in full swing during the pandemic period, luxury watches were no exception. Preowned watch sales reached $22 billion in 2021 – nearly a third of the $75 billion luxury watch market, according to a report from Boston Consulting Group. The Rolex index is up by more than 55% from five years ago. "Luxury watches have performed well, especially over the long term, in comparison with traditional investment categories.

Persons: Patek Philippe, Audemars, Philippe, Audemars Piguet, Patek Philippes, Piguets, – Organizations: Service, Wall, Rolex, Fed, Boston Consulting Locations: Wall, Silicon

☆ These are the watch brands most popular with Silicon Valley's tech elite
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-29 | by ( Lakshmi Varanasi | Jordan Hart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Insider asked style experts about the most popular watch brands worn by technology titans. Since the pandemic, those in the know say people in the tech industry are fixating more on watches than ever before. Victoria Hitchcock, a fashion lifestylist and personal brander in Silicon Valley, told Insider by email. Unlike professionals in finance who have long seen the value of "a statement," those in tech industry have been characterized — and even mocked — for their fixation on utility and simplicity. With that in mind, here's a closer look at the watches trending in Silicon Valley right now:

Persons: Cartier, Victoria Hitchcock, —, Paul Altieri, Patek Philippe, Jeff Bezos, Bill Gates, here's Organizations: titans, Casio, Omega, Morning, Technology, Rolex Locations: Silicon Valley

☆ This Durable Watch Is Perfect for Your Summer Travels—And It’s $60
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-25 | by ( Jeremy Freed | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +3 min

My immersion in all things Swatch yielded two important outcomes: a new appreciation for the brand’s archive of delightful designs, and a Once Again on my wrist. It’s a great style for everyday wear, but it’s also exactly what I want in a travel watch. The things that make the Once Again special are the same things that make any watch desirable, namely an appealing aesthetic, a unique design and a great story. It’s also lightweight, comfortable and at 34 mm, the perfect size for my wrist. I also know enough about expensive watches to understand that whether it costs $60 or $60,000, the most important thing about a timepiece is how it makes you feel.

Persons: Jeremy Freed, it’s, It’s Organizations: Swatch Locations: Swiss, Tokyo

☆ These Watches Can Be Fruit, Flowers, Fauna or Almost Anything at All
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-23 | by ( Kathleen Beckett | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

We create our own path.”The OriginsThe path of form watches began at least 500 years ago. “There are records from approximately 1500 with watches made in different shapes,” said Simon Bull, a watch historian and consultant in England. “Basically, form watches start with watches in a ball shape, in a pomander shape, made in metal with piercings.”Nathalie Marielloni, vice curator at the Musée International d’Horlogerie in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland, said that, in addition to a watch, the pomander would include some perfume. There also were watches in the form of religious objects, he said. “You get watches in the shape of crosses, you get skulls, memento mori, due to the paranoia that people had about going to heaven or hell.”

Persons: “, ”, Simon Bull, Nathalie Marielloni, Timepieces, Bull, Pierre, Martin Scheult Organizations: Fonds, Metropolitan Museum of Art Locations: England, La Chaux, Switzerland, New York City

Best Apple Watch SE Prime Day dealsDeal icon An icon in the shape of a lightning bolt. Lowest Price Apple Watch SE (2nd Gen) 40mm The second-generation Apple Watch SE is Apple’s new reigning budget smartwatch. Lowest Price Apple Watch SE (2nd Gen) 44mm The Apple Watch SE (2nd gen) punches well above its weight. The Watch SE is compelling against the pricier Apple Watch Series 8 (also on sale for Prime Day). Read more: Apple Watch Series 8 vs Apple Watch SESettling on the Apple Watch SE?

Organizations: Amazon, Apple, Watch, Apple Watch, Apple's Locations: smartwatches

☆ The global economy is slowing down. Just look at the luxury watch market.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-28 | by ( Phil Rosen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Prices for luxury watch brands like Rolex and Patek Philippe have fallen near two-year lows on secondary markets. Bloomberg's Subdial Watch Index has dropped about 19% in the last 12 months. Bloomberg's Subdial Watch Index, which tracks the 50 most-traded pre-owned watches, has fallen roughly 19% over the last 12 months. Meanwhile, the Patek Philippe Nautilus Travel Time has fallen 28%, and the Rolex Daytona 116506 has dropped 25%. President Joe Biden reiterated this week that he doesn't anticipate a recession, but Wall Street firms aren't so sure.

Persons: Patek Philippe, —, Philippe, Jerome Powell, Joe Biden, Michael Gapen Organizations: Rolex, Service, Bloomberg, Philippe Nautilus, Federal Reserve, JPMorgan, Bank, America's

☆ Rolex certified pre-owned watches cost 25% more on average than those from traditional resellers
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-23 | by ( Dominick Reuter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Rolex last month expanded its certified pre-owned watch program from Europe to the US. Every model except the Daytona is at least 17% more expensive on average when certified by the Crown. Used watches that have the official stamp from Rolex currently command a 25% higher price on average across the portfolio, according to data from WatchCharts, a price-tracking platform for luxury watches. The CPO markup does not apply uniformly across all models, however: more popular watches appear to have a lower relative increase than less popular ones. With extremely constrained supplies of new watches and yearslong waitlists for certain models, the CPO program is essentially the only way to buy a Rolex on-demand from an authorized dealer.

Persons: — Organizations: Rolex, Crown, Service, CPO Locations: Europe, WatchCharts

London CNN —Swiss luxury watchmaker Omega says it has been the victim of “organized criminal activity,” alleging three of its former staff members admitted working with intermediaries to sell a fake Speedmaster watch for some $3.4 million dollars. The watch was bought by Omega itself for 3.115 million Swiss francs—25 times the auctioneer’s upper estimated price—at a Phillips auction in in Geneva in November 2021. “OMEGA and Phillips were the joint victims of organized criminal activity involving the selling of this specific watch by auction,” the statement added. “This timepiece is currently a key piece of evidence in the ongoing investigation that must also bring to light the seller of the watch. “The watch was bought by OMEGA for the OMEGA Museum and we understand from OMEGA that it has discovered that the watch is composed of unrelated parts from various sources, and that OMEGA employees may have been involved in assembling the watch.

Persons: “, Omega, Phillips, ”, Giovanni Alegre, “ OMEGA, ” Phillips, Buzz Aldrin, Ryan Reynolds, George Clooney, Rory McIlroy Organizations: London CNN, Omega, Phillips, CNN, OMEGA, OMEGA Museum Locations: Swiss, Geneva, Bienne, Switzerland

☆ 5 reasons G7 Summit 2023 in Hiroshima, Japan matters
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Brad Lendon | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

CNN —This year’s G7 meeting in Japan holds special significance, not only for its location. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida arrives at Hiroshima airport to attend the G7 leaders' summit in Hiroshima, Japan, on Thursday. Together with his wife Britta Ernst, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz boards an air force plane for his trip to Hiroshima and the G7 summit. The biggest challenge for the G7 leaders may be keeping that momentum going. Two of the biggest holders of that debt, Japan and Britain, will be at the table with Biden in Hiroshima.

☆ Here's why Rolex watches are so expensive and how the brand gained its luxury status
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-29 | by ( Dominick Reuter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

With their precision manufacturing, specially sourced materials, and exceptional craftsmanship, Rolex watches have never come cheap, but neither were they out of financial reach for 1960s working professionals in search of perfect timekeeping and technical innovation. "Back then, anybody could afford a Rolex," Hess told Insider. Dealers would buy luxury watches in Switzerland to carry across the border and sell in Italy. That reputation has helped Rolex crush the competition with a quarter of the luxury watch market — more than double that of runner-up Omega. "They all buy the little wannabe Rolex brands in the beginning and finally, when they achieve success, they buy that Rolex."

☆ Rolex is discontinuing its $9,300 'mad scientist' Milgauss watch — and now some resellers are listing it for over $13,000
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-28 | by ( Dominick Reuter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Rolex has quietly discontinued one of its professional watches, the magnetic field-resistant Milgauss. Bob's Watches CEO Paul Altieri told Insider he's holding off selling until prices find a new steady state. The original version was worn by the scientists at CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, in Geneva, Rolex says. It even ranks near last place among the 16 Rolex models tracked on the site. Of course, Rolex could resurrect the Milgauss in a few years, but until it does, mad scientists will have to content themselves with a pre-owned model.

☆ This 26-year-old from Hong Kong is transforming a ‘dinosaur industry’ — one luxury watch at a time
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-24 | by ( Goh Chiew Tong | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

As a young, avid collector of luxury watches, Austen Chu said he was scammed "many times" when he bought timepieces from the secondary watch market. Not only did his obsession with watches help him overcome those bad purchases, the experiences also propelled him to start his own consignment-based platform for luxury watches, Wristcheck. The luxury watch market is what calls a "dinosaur industry" that can be "intimidating" for the younger generation to get into, Chu said. WristcheckBy starting Wristcheck, Chu hoped to provide more transparency and accessibility to his peers. After all, Gen Z is projected to make up a third of the luxury market by 2030, due to a surge in wealth creation and the influence of social media.

☆ OnePlus just unveiled a new concept phone equipped with cryogenic liquid to keep it cool
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( Tasmin Lockwood | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Chinese tech company OnePlus has unveiled a new concept phone at MWC 2023. The OnePlus 11 Concept boasts a new eye-catching cryogenic cooling system. The new OnePlus 11 Concept pairs PC-grade cooling technology with the design of high-end watches. Tasmin Lockwood/InsiderThere's no doubt that the OnePlus 11 Concept was designed to show off the system. The OnePlus 11 Concept has three camera lenses in the same style as other OnePlus 11 models.

☆ Want to beat the market? Go invest in a secondhand Rolex.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-17 | by ( George Glover | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Secondhand watch prices fell 8%, compared with the S&P 500's 19% drop and bitcoin's 65% crash. Rolex, Patek Philippe and Audemars Piguet are seen by watch lovers as the "Big Three" luxury makers, with a 70% market share. But prices for preowned timepieces fell slightly for all those brands in the last quarter of 2022, Morgan Stanley said. Secondhand Rolex prices slipped 5% over that three-month period, led by losses from the popular Daytona, GMT Master II, and Submariner models. "As these three brands account for around 70% of the secondary watch market, their price decline continued to weigh on the overall market."

☆ Swatch positive on recovery in luxury demand from China
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( John Revill | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

SummarySummary Companies Says January sales have exceeded January 2022Company now expects record sales for 2023Stock hits highest level since July 2021ZURICH, Jan 24 (Reuters) - Swatch Group (UHR.S) shares hit their highest level in nearly two-and-a-half years on Tuesday after the world's biggest watchmaker said it expected a recovery in luxury demand from China. The sales growth in January in China reinforces the Group's expectation to aim for a record year in 2023." The outlook sent Swatch's shares to their highest level since July 2021, and was the latest positive signal for the luxury sector at the start of the Chinese Year of the Rabbit. "To reach the record sales number of 2014 Swatch Group would need to have growth of 16% in 2023," said Patrik Schwendimann of Zuercher Kantonalbank. Europe's luxury sector($1 = 0.9192 Swiss francs)Reporting by John Revill; editing by Kirsten Donovan and Jason NeelyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Swatch Group positive about Chinese market recovery in 2023
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( John Revill | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The sales growth in January in China reinforces the Group's expectation to aim for a record year in 2023." Rival Swiss luxury group Richemont last week said it was seeing a "strong retail rebound" in China in the run-up to the Chinese New Year. Swatch, which in July said targeted a double digit sales increase for 2022, said its sales in China fell by 700 million Swiss francs ($761 million) during the year. Overall sales increased by 2.5% to 7.499 billion Swiss francs or by 4.6% in constant currency terms, while net profit rose to 823 million francs from 774 million francs a year earlier. Aiming for a record year implies over 23% sales growth, which is a pretty big call by [CEO Nick]Hayek."

☆ Rolex watches have outperformed gold, real estate, and stocks over the past 10 years, and sellers believe their future value will continue to deliver
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-21 | by ( Dominick Reuter | Lakshmi Varanasi | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Prices for luxury watches like Rolex, Patek Philippe, and Audemars Piguet skyrocketed in 2022. Demand for second-hand luxury watches will likely stay high next year, according to Chrono24 founder Tim Stracke. Around 14% of the platform's sales come from Rolex watches, and 80% of those are pre-owned. "The new programme makes it possible to purchase pre-owned watches that the brand itself has certified and guaranteed. Its aim is to bring added value to the existing supply of pre-owned Rolex watches.

☆ Rolex is starting to sell officially certified used watches
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( Lakshmi Varanasi | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Rolex officially launched a program for certified pre-owned watches in December. Last week, the Swiss company launched a "Certified Pre-owned Programme" for watches that are at least three years old. Now, certified pre-owned watches will be minted with the brand's official insignia as well. Its aim is to bring added value to the existing supply of pre-owned Rolex watches. While prices for second-hand luxury watches have dropped considerably over the past few months, they haven't completely wiped out their pandemic gains.

Residents of the country's fourth-largest city were told to boil water Sunday after pump-driven water system pressure dropped because of an electrical outage, triggering concerns of possible contamination. "We believe the water is safe but based on regulatory requirements when pressure drops below 20 psi we are obligated to issue a boil water notice," Turner said. A power outage Sunday at the East Water Purification Plant caused pressure to drop below 20 psi, or pounds per square inch, the state threshold that triggers boil water notices, Houston Public Works said. Water system pressure can use the weight of liquid to occupy cracks and crevices that might otherwise be exposed to outside incursions, such as urban runoff. "Houston’s water system is different than other systems in that we don’t use water towers to provide pressure to the system," it tweeted.

☆ Crypto startup MoonPay hires Time president to lead its enterprise business
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-28 | by ( Riley De León | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

In this article LTH Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNTKeith Grossman, Time president TIMEPieces Artist Jeremy CowartTime president Keith Grossman is leaving the legacy publisher to take on a new role as the president of enterprise at crypto startup MoonPay, effective December 31. Before his three-plus years at Time, Grossman had held leadership posts at major publishers including Bloomberg and Condé Nast-owned Wired. "I think it's important to separate a bad actor from an industry," Grossman said of the FTX fallout. Crypto's confidence crisisIn the 12 months since bitcoin topped out at over $68,000, the crypto industry, once valued at roughly $3 trillion, has fallen to around $900 billion. Enterprise adoption has been fueling this belief, with companies including Nike , McDonald's , Adidas and Starbucks launching their own NFT collections.

☆ Cambodian PM to give luxury watches as ASEAN summit souvenirs
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/3] A view of the mechanism of a wristwatch intended as a souvenir for world leaders gathering at the ASEAN Cambodia 2022 summit, in this undated image obtained from social media on November 10, 2022. Hun Sen official Facebook page/via REUTERSPHNOM PENH, Nov 10 (Reuters) - Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, an aficionado of luxury watches, will hand out intricate, locally made timepieces as souvenirs for world leaders at an international summit he is hosting this week. "These watches have been prepared and assembled by pure Cambodian technicians, which is part of scientific and technology and developments of Cambodia," Hun Sen wrote of the 25 limited-edition watches. While some Cambodians criticised the extravagance of the high-end gift, others praised Hun Sen for promoting the country's fledgling watchmaking ambitions. Sok Eysan, a spokesperson for Hun Sen's ruling Cambodian People's Party, said there was "nothing political or strange" about the watches.

☆ Insider Life: Airbnb for pools — Ritzy summer camp drama — Exclusive NY club
▼ + stars: | 2021-07-23 | by ( Jordan Parker Erb | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

We spent a day at the exclusive members-only club, where the wealthy escape to homes starting at $2.7 million. Raquette Lake Camp; Tyler Hill Camp; Timber Lake Camp; Camp Modin; Samantha Lee/InsiderStressed-out parents at some of the country's fanciest summer camps are driving staff nuts over their kids' photos. Maximilian BüsserSwitzerland-born Maximilian Büsser left corporate jobs at large watch companies to start his own brand, MB&F. The luxury watch designer, who travels between Dubai and Geneva, is known for producing futuristic-looking timepieces inspired by characters like Captain Kirk, and that sell for up to $500,000. Inside the daily routine of a luxury watch brand founder.

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