The Transfer Window is Swinging WIDE OPEN

At House of Brands...

Freshly returned from Geneva, let's just say the multiple reincarnations taking place at the freshly minted "House of Brands" was a topic much discussed by Watch Town's cognoscenti. Curious to relate - fan boys and girls had nothing but sunshine for these re-re-re-releases. Gallet had actually been operating, albeit poorly, up until very recently, so this cannot really be placed in the class of a UG lift.

For those of us in Watch Town's Fourth and Fifth Estates, let's just say we are divided. Those who crave to maintain their invitations for comped travel with celebrity "squadies" will no doubt bark like the trained seals they have come to be, waiting to be fed the tasty sardine that is a luxury press junket. For the rest of us...

Well, while I do appreciate the operating policy of not intentionally trying to "yuck someone's yum", I have to look at this through a bigger lens. While Breitling is certainly a brand most folks are aware of, it continues to lean heavily on celebrity "chums of the brand" while the prices climb relentlessly upward. And many folks are starting to ask if the juice is worth the squeeze. I'm not saying it is, or is not. I have my eye firmly on getting a Breitling Montbrillant Eclipse so although I'm not a fan boy, I appreciate a fine watch when I see one.

So then we get onto the now churning debate as to whether or not Universal Geneve has been priced appropriately. Well, the word around the campfire in Geneva (at least as spoken by those not fearful of being uninvited next year) was a fairly firm no. But then in fairness, it is a deeper question as to whether or not we (the press and employees of other brands) are really in a demographic that will matter in terms of sales. Probably not.

As for Gallet? Not unlike poor Yorick, I knew it. It was a brand bought by someone who then hired someone else to run it. It produced (if memory serves) a chronograph or two that were priced at dollar amounts not usually requested without the aid of a pistol and a getaway car. One abortive BaselWorld appearance in old Hall 2 was the high point.

And so now we have another "squad" set to be unleashed to put this all in motion.

Per World Tempus, Mr. Kern shared the following -

https://en.worldtempus.com/article/new-watches/house-brands-executive-leadership-breitling-82548.html

In the context of the creation of our House of Brands which includes Breitling, newly launched Universal Genève and upcoming Gallet, we have decided to further strengthen our executive leadership team and organization to drive continuous strong development of all three brands.

As CEO of House of Brands, I welcome Jean-Marc Pontroué to support the development of House of Brands as newly appointed CEO of Breitling. With an extensive career in the luxury watch industry at Montblanc and as CEO of Roger Dubuis (since 2011) and Panerai (since 2018), he brings long-standing experience in retail, wholesale and marketing.

Grégory Bruttin continues to build on the momentum created by the recent successful brand relaunch of Universal Genève and is appointed its Managing Director.

Erwan Rossignol is preparing with his team the relaunch of Gallet by the end of August 2026 and is appointed its Managing Director.

Antoine Loron (34) assumes newly the role of President of Breitling USA and Canada and joins the executive leadership board of Breitling and its product committee. His appointment follows a fast-tracked sales career first in our headquarters and his outstanding entrepreneurial successes in the Caribbean and Latin America. He will build on the strong foundations achieved by current President USA and Canada, Thierry Prissert, who has driven exceptional growth over the past fifteen years by successfully elevating our wholesale channel, establishing an extensive boutique network and securing our global NFL partnership. Thierry Prissert will continue to support Breitling’s brand expansion and the introduction of Universal Genève and Gallet in the American market and transition to chairman of the House of Brands USA board.

Renato Meier, currently Marketing Director of Breitling USA and Canada, having achieved strong momentum in marketing activations in the region, succeeds Antoine Loron as Managing Director of Breitling LATAM.

Together with our excellent current executive leadership team, we are well positioned to develop the full potential of our House of Brands. All changes will take effect in May 2026.

Georges Kern, CEO House of Brands.

As with all comings and goings in Watch Town, we won't really know anything until the dust settles, but we wish Mr. Kern and his squad good luck and Godspeed.

The London Air Ambulance Charity GMT

From Bamford London -

Courtesy of Bamford London

This is a very special watch to recognize and support a very special cause. 

So we'll let the folks from Bamford London tell it in their own words -

Bamford London is proud to announce the launch of a special GMT timepiece, created in support of the London's Air Ambulance Charity. For every London's Air Ambulance limited edition purchased, Bamford Watch Department will donate 22% of the ex vat sale to London's Air Ambulance Charity.

The watch has been thoughtfully designed to reflect the distinctive colours and identity of the life saving service. A distinctive design feature sees the traditional sweep seconds hand replaced with a replica of the helicopter's rotor blades, a subtle yet powerful tribute to the aircraft at the heart of the charity's life saving operations. At the base of the dial, a custom white medical cross houses a subtle helicopter silhouette, keeping the mission of the charity front and center.

The watch is housed in a robust black steel case, powered by a Swiss automatic GMT movement. This allows tracking of a second time zone via the internal bezel and dedicated GMT hand.

This special edition comes fitted as standard on a highly durable and vibrant Red Cordura Strap to perfectly complement the dial.

It is a pre-order item, priced at £1,800.00

Here are the pertinents, straight from Bamford -

• TYPE: Automatic GMT watch with internal rotating bezel
• MOVEMENT: Sellita SW330-2, 25 Jewels, 28,800 Vph, 56 hour power reserve
• FUNCTION: Self winding mechanism with ball bearing, 3 O’Clock date position with quick date setting, second time zone by central hand
• CASE MATERIAL: Black PVD Steel, Sapphire Crystal glass with antiglare
• CASE DIAMETER: 40 mm
• CASE THICKNESS: 11.7 mm
• CASEBACK MATERIAL: Black PVD Steel
• WATER-RESISTANCE: 100m / 10 ATM
• LUG WIDTH: 20mm
• LUG TO LUG LENGTH: 46.5mm

Geneva, Baby!

Finishing up my packing, and heading to Logan to catch the next hop to Zuric, then Geneva.

Anyone who will be in town, please come and see us (Ollech & Wajs) at Time to Watches from Tuesday through Sunday.

It's on like Donkey-Kong!

The Transfer Window Has Opened -

At Corum...

Courtesy of Corum

This is not exactly "new" news, but relevant as we are on the cusp of the Geneva shows. The talk around the campfires on the outskirts of Watch Town is not as rosy as anyone would like it to be. So let's shake the Magic 8 Ball to see if we can get some clarity on this murky situation.

Will there be more attempted management buyouts?

So there you have it!

Watch Town is at a crossroads. And I am quite certain that the Watches and Wonders braintrust are starting to get the squirts. Attendance is already in question, a few not insignificant brands have decided to take a pass this year, and whether or not the orders will be rolling in? Let's just say the Magic 8 Ball got this one right ; )

Whether Lambert will succeed in buying out his employer and whether more brands will follow suit remains to be seen. One thing is painfully, abundantly clear - the market is getting tight.

So Geneva, here we come!

The Emperor is Butt Naked

All the talk this AM seems to be about the re/launch of Universal Genève. And let's just say, it's not all good...

Shamelessly borrowed from the worldwide infoweb

On the one hand, industry insiders (i.e. people who are never going to take out their own credit card to purchase a UG) are all patting their chum Mr. Kern on the back telling him how shrewd and clever he is.

And then we have, well, let's just say more than a few loyal fans who have been waiting for the new UG not unlike a 6 year old waiting for Christmas, who are now collectively recoiling at the price tag. For my part? In all honesty, Universal Genève never really turned my crank. It's perfectly nice, but nothing I've laid awake at night yearning for. So I don't have a dog in this particular fight.

For more than a few dollars more...

let's see what a shit ton of money will get you.

 

The Polerouter can be yours for a meare CHF 14,000 -

Courtesy of Universal Genève 

Let's put that into perspective... 

Actually, I can't. It is simply a stupid amount of money for what it actually is.

How about a chronograph?

Courtesy of Universal Genève 

A steal at CHF 15,500! 

As is the case with all things in Watch Town, we will have to wait and see. But when you take into consideration the ridiculously large sum that was paid to buy the brand out of mothballs, you might understand the desire to see at least some ROI. With that said, for those of us in the lower 48, you can do a lot with $19,622.81 (current conversion per XE as of 6:13 AM, Friday April 10). But then again, your kids don't need to go to college, you can take public transportation, and do you really need both kidneys?

The BR-03 Skeleton Steel

From Bell & Ross -

Courtesy of Bell & Ross

This is the latest in the BR-03 range.

Priced at $5,900.00, this is a preorder item scheduled to start shipping at the end of this month.

The case is of stainless steel and measures 41 mm in each direction. 

Courtesy of Bell & Ross

Here are the pertinents -

Movement: Automatic mechanical movement. 54-hour power reserve.

Functions: Hours, minutes and seconds.

Case: 41 mm wide. 9.65 mm thick. Satin-finished and polished steel.

Dial: Skeletonised with transparent panel. “Baignoire-style” applique indexes and numerals filled with white Super-LumiNova® X1 (green glow). Skeletonised hour and minute hands filled with white Super-LumiNova® X1 (green glow).

Crystal: Anti-reflective sapphire.

Water resistance: 100 metres.

Strap: Black rubber and ultra-resilient black synthetic fabric.

Buckle: Pin. Satin-finished and polished steel.

The Ultimate Easter Egg!

Today is Easter. In truth, I am not particularly religious. But what I do remember about Easter was waking up early (even earlier than Christmas or my birthday) because once each year, on a Sunday morning...

the Hunger Games would take place in the Henderson household. And as I've come to learn, it's not really Easter until somebody cries ; )

Eggs of chocolate, peanut butter filled, jelly beans of every description, and for each of the three of us, a stuffed plush bunny. I do remember once getting a stuffed duck - although I don't think that singular event as an 8 year-old set my path to the University of Oregon, but you never know...

Courtesy of Holthinrichs

This is the LAB Series 1.S (the "S" is for small second). It is a thing of beauty. And in many ways, it is the ultimate Easter Egg to come out this year - full of unexpected awesomeness! Ten years is both a long time and can pass in a flash. 

And looking at these two latest offerings from Holthinrichs it is clear that he has firmly established his grammar in WatchTown.

Courtesy of Holthinrichs

There will be 100 pieces, and shipping will start this summer.

Here are the pertinents -

Case
Material 

Titanium grade 5 - 3D printed
Finish 

Selectively hand-finished brushing contrasted by raw & polished surfaces
Measurements 

Diameter 38.5 mm 

Thickness 7.8 mm

Thickness including crystal 9.85 mm

Lug-to-lug 46 mm

Dial
Material In-house made domed copper-oxide patina dial

Hands
Material Nickel plated base metal
Shape Signature shape hands with diamond tooled chamfers

Movement
Caliber Sellita SW360

Finishing Top grade featuring our own hand-carved and heat-treated rotor

Strap
Material Rooster feet leather cognac

Buckle 

Holthinrichs Titanium Grade 5 buckle and pin

The SB10 Jumping Hour Black Sapphire

From Sartory Billard -


Courtesy of Sartory Billard

This is the latest from long time friend of the blog, Armand Billard. Above is the SB10 Jumping Hour. And yes, I want one! The case is of stainless steel measuring 39.5 mm in diameter. The movement is from La Joux-Perret.

The hour is displayed in the large aperture at 6 o'clock. 

The minutes are, another story ; )

Courtesy of Sartory Billard

In their own words:

Minutes in orbit

The minutes are indicated by a sapphire disc completing a full rotation every sixty minutes. Around the cabochon, a peripheral ring coated with Super-LumiNova BGW9 traces the passage of time.

A red marker moves along this luminous ring, indicating the minutes with precision and clarity.

But it is at night that the SB10 reveals another dimension. The ring glows in a vivid turquoise, forming a continuous halo around the cabochon. The light appears to float, suspended around the central material.

Time is no longer simply read, it becomes an atmosphere: a slow, silent, almost hypnotic rotation, a luminous circle in motion, a small celestial phenomenon on the wrist.

Here are the pertinents, straight from SB HQ:

Reference: SB101SBLSA

Case: Stainless steel, 39.5 mm, alternating polished and brushed surfaces
Thickness: 11,5 mm
Lug to lug: 44 mm

Cabochon: Smoked sapphire

Movement: Swiss-made La Joux-Perret automatic movement, 55-hour power reserve coupled with a patented jumping hour movement

Water Resistance: 80 Meters

Bracelet Options:
– Sartory-Billard black rubber strap
– Sartory-Billard stainless-steel bracelet with alternating brushed and polished links, equipped with quick-release pins for easy strap changes

The BR-X3 Tourbillon Micro-Rotor

From Bell & Ross -

Courtesy of Bell & Ross

Limited to 25 pieces, and priced at €89,000.

Here are the pertinents -

Movement:
BR-CAL.389. Automatic in-house mechanical. 52-hour power reserve.

Functions:
Hours and minutes, off-center at 2 o'clock. Flying tourbillon cage, at 5:30.

Case:
Width 40 mm. Thickness 9 mm. Polished and satin-finished steel. Custom polished and satin-finished bridges.

Dial:
Skeleton. Small smoked sapphire dial. Rhodium-plated hour and minute hands.

Glass:
Sapphire with anti-reflective coating.

Waterproof rating:
50 meters.

Bracelet:
Grey alligator leather.

Buckle:
Folding. Polished and satin-finished steel.

The SIGNATURE LAB 1.GMT

From Holthinrichs Watches -

Courtesy of Holthinrichs

This is the latest from the team in Delft. And it represents something completely new in terms of functionality - a GMT complication.

Courtesy of Holthinrichs Watches

This is part of a two-part release, but I like to "extend the magic" here at Henki Time, so we'll stick with the GMT for today ; )

The case is 3-D printed titanium, measuring 38.5 mm in diameter (9.8mm thick). The dial is also crafted by Holthinrichs and is domed and adorned with copper-oxide patina. The movement is Sellita's SW330-2 (GMT). The strap is crafted from rooster foot leather in a burgundy finish. Priced at 6500 Euro (not including VAT) it is a steal - at least in my opinion ; )

More information here -

SIGNATURE LAB 1.GMT

The GMT Forged Carbon

From Bamford London -

Courtesy of Bamford London

Here are the pertinents, straight from Bamford -

A New Club Campus in Rose

From NOMOS -

Courtesy of NOMOS

In the interest of full disclosure, NOMOS makes very fine watches. I've no doubt the designers and watch makers are wonderful people. The folks who make up their marketing and PR departments? Well, if you don't have anything nice to say...

So let's stick to the watches today, and maintain the general good humor ; )

This is the Club Campus full rose, and I kinda' like it -

Courtesy of NOMOS

It is available with either a sapphire display back, or solid stainless steel case back.

Courtesy of NOMOS

The movement is the hand-wound DUW 4001 caliber -

Courtesy of NOMOS

Here are the pertinents -

Ref.720

Case:

stainless steel, screwed
stainless steel back 

Crystal: 

domed sapphire crystal glass

Winding:

manual

Dimensions:

diameter 38.5 mm
height 8.4 mm
lug-to-lug 48.9 mm

Water resistance:

10 atm (suitable for swimming)

Dial:

rose

Hands:

rhodium-plated, with superluminova inlay in white (blue luminescence), seconds hand neon orange

Strap:

Vegan velour remborde anthracite lug width 20 mm


Caliber:

DUW 4001
manual movement 

height2.6 mm

diameter10 ½ lines (23.3 mm)

Power reserve up to 53 hours

Jewels17

The BR-05 Blue Diamond Eagle

From Bell & Ross -

Courtesy of Bell & Ross

This is the latest addition to the BR-05 family, the BR-05 Blue Diamond Eagle.

Courtesy of Bell & Ross

This is a pre-order item. Price is 4900€

Here are the pertinents, straight from Bell & Ross -

Movement: Automatic mechanical. 54-hour power reserve.

Functions: Hours, minutes and seconds.

Case: Width 36 mm. Thickness 8.7 mm. Polished and satin-finished steel. Screw-down crown. Crown guard. Case back with laser-engraved representation of the constellation Aquila.

Dial: Blue aventurine plaque representing space. The hour markers are replaced by diamonds. The constellation Aquila is reproduced by seven diamonds.

Glass: Sapphire with anti-reflective coating.

Waterproof rating: 100 meters.

Bracelet: Polished and satin-finished steel.

Buckle: Folding. Polished and satin-finished steel.

The Transfer Window Opens (for the FOURTH TIME IN TWO YEARS)

At Tag Heuer...

Courtesy of Tag Heuer

In the interest of transparency, I have about as much interest in the machinations of Tag Heuer and the LVMH watch stable writ-large as I do in hemorrhoid treatment. Actually, that's not fair. If and when I do develop hemorrhoids I suspect I will have more than a passing interest in the healing properties of Preparation H. But as they say, sometimes you have to lance a boil, and as this is outlet that talks about watches (allegedly), I guess we have to give "mighty Tag Heuer" some air time.

Okay, let's get to the heart of this. I have no doubt that the new person in the hot seat is probably more experienced and capable than the winners of the Arnault Family DNA Olympics. And add to that, Ms. Goasglas has been with Tag Heuer since 2018, and held some pretty big jobs with them. And it doesn't hurt that she is French, because although HQ is in La Chaux-de- Fonds, the real marching orders are coming from an arrondissement several train stops North by Northeast.


The timing is a wee bit quirky as well, why hold off for May 1? There is a little event that some people say is even more prestigious that The HYPE NYC ; )

The real question is this - what the f&*k has been going on at Tag Heuer and LVMH's watch division? Hublot has become an afterthought, and Zenith is starting to operate from the Sunk Cost Trap theory of business -

https://www.henkitime.com/2017/04/the-sunk-cost-trap.html

So what I'm driving at is this: for all his faults - and he has more than his share, the LVMH watch brands (Hublot, Tag, and Zenith) under Jean-Claude Biver's oversight at least seemed to know what they were doing. Or in Zenith's case what they were trying to do.

Regardless of the heroes and zeroes of the (recent) past, we at Henki Time wish Ms. Goasglas bon chance and Godspeed.
Tag Heuer may just be a dog that won't hunt, but we shall see.

Time "Presses" On!

Okay, in fairness, J. PRESS always had a lot of Ivy street cred. Way back when the dinosaurs still roamed the earth (1991) a young Henki arrived fresh from his undergraduate studies at the University of Oregon in Harvard Square where he worked at Kinko's with dreams of somehow getting into publishing while (poorly) managing the Kinko's Professor Publishing program at Harvard University. Unbeknownst to me and thousands of other "Kinkoids" around the lower 48, Kinko's Professor Publishing was about 3 months away from the terminal sort of body-blow that you just don't bounce back from. An academic publisher sued (and won) over fair use. Basic Books, Inc. v. Kinko's Graphics Corp. I saw the writing on the wall, slung my hook, and a little over a year later was living and working in Tokyo. The publishing world's loss was English Teaching's gain ; )

But for a brief, shining moment I roamed the campus trying to convince professors (and more often graduate teaching assistants) of the virtue of letting us photocopy their materials and sell them as bound compendiums to their students. This also led to a fair bit of free time which I dufifully spent around Harvard Square, starring into the store windows of the shops I could not begin to afford to shop in. The Andover Shop (which is still there), and J. PRESS.

Courtesy of J. PRESS and Bamford

So it was with a very large amount of curiosity that I opened my email today to find an announcement of (I believe) the first horological collaboration of what I am calling the "Jack Carlson" era of J. PRESS. 

Courtesy of J.PRESS and Bamford

And well, it's a bit special!

Courtesy of J. PRESS and Bamford

Here are the details, straight from the source -

Order Window: 3/12 - 3/26

Estimated Shipping Schedule: Bamford will begin making these watches once the order window closes on 3/26.  We expect to begin shipping orders from New York the second week of May.

A new way of thinking about a watch dial’s geometry: twelve pennant-shaped slices, emblazoned not with numerals, but with letters spelling out the name of each hour, formatted as they would be on a collegiate pennant. That is the concept behind the limited-edition J. Press x Bamford London B80 Watch.  These watches will be limited to one hundred units, and each will be numbered.

• Powered by Sellita SW300-1
• 25 jewels
• 28,000 vph frequency
• 56-hour power reserve
• Self-winding, Time only
• Hand-brushed, polished titanium case
• Matching titanium caseback
• Width: 39mm; Thickness: 10.5mm
• Sapphire crystal with anti-glare coating
• 100m (10 ATM) water resistance
• 20mm lug width; 48mm lug-to-lug length
• 5-year Warranty from date of purchase
• Presentation box crowned with detachable limited edition Bullion Wire J. Press Blazer Badge

George Bamford writes, "I have long loved and admired what (J. Press Creative Director and President) Jack Carlson has done and when he talked to me about this idea, I was blown away.  Producing something unique for them to embody this amazing brand is a privilege and working with him and diving into the archive of the brand is something that I feel very lucky to have been able to do. I feel excited doing this on one of our Bamford London watches especially with the Bamford 80 as I think it really does create the right canvas for this stunning dial."

# JWC8001SJ