Story Time

If you haven't noticed, there is something new in the world of watchmaking: a surge of interest in watches, mainly in mechanical ones, all over the world. That has gone hand in hand with the explosion of the internet phenomenon. In short, the web has become a sort of land of conquest for every type of entrepreneurial initiative created by exploiting its possibilities. Among the most evident we find are two drivers: the development of the direct-to-consumer distribution model, cutting out intermediaries, and the crowdfunding phenomenon.

And after innovators like Christopher Ward, who launched his first collection in 2004, there has been a veritable flourishing of watch brand presentations of every kind and type, from the most technical to the most commercial. We have collected 30 of the most significant ones from all over the world: are you ready to discover them with us?

Jewels are those mysterious elements tucked inside our watches, and they have a name that has always aroused suggestive scenarios made of gentleman thieves and golden jet-set atmospheres. In watch movements - jewels have a much more utilitarian function. We will discover why jewels are so essential in a watch and explore their history and craftsmanship, which is still suggestive!

The world of wristwatches opened up in the early twentieth century and has delighted us with countless models produced by thousands of different watchmakers. Some of them have become so iconic that no watch lover can afford to ignore them.

So much that many other manufacturers have decided to "take inspiration" from these icons, in a more or less marked way, to produce their timepieces. To build over the years what has been called the Homage market: watches made by a distinct company that recall, sometimes very closely, other celebrated timepieces. The importance of such a market and the interest of many watch lovers for it are the main reasons why we wanted to offer you a selection of homage watches that take a prominent theme and interpret it in their own way. Are you ready to discover them with us?

When we look at a watch, it seems almost natural not to be concerned about how its dial is protected from dust and shock: that is, by the invisible and reassuring presence of its crystal. Yet, historically, the application of crystals to protect watch dials is a very recent development. And it is part, among other things, of the application of so many other innovations that have made our watches more beautiful and safer.

So, let's examine in this article how crystal made its debut in our watches and how it has evolved over the years to become an integral and fundamental part of making them more efficient, safe, and weatherproof.

The watch seemed destined, like so many other objects, towards extinction. Nowadays, who needs more than a tool to watch the time and little else? Today we have smartphones, computers, and smartwatches. What good is a watch? How important is a high quality watch? 

Yet, the answer has been different than what could be expected. Not only is there great interest in wristwatches, but their sales - and prices - are continuing to rise, so much so that in 2021, the Swiss watch industry had its best year ever. So what's the secret behind these devilish watches that are still wrapped around many wrists?