New releases - Maurice Lacroix Aikonic Master Triple Retrograde

The 43 mm stainless steel case features a brushed and polished ceramic bezel with sandblasted black ceramic claws. It houses the brand’s ML291 movement, which offers a triple retrograde indication – GMT, day and date. The anthracite vertical brushed dial features anthracite counters with silver powder printings, rhodium circular brushed bridges and anthracite external flange with silver powder printings. Retail price : 6'450 CHF.  

 

Historic Watch Fairs - Basel 1932

 

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The picture above brings us back to 1932 and the second edition of the Basel Watch Fair. This booth showcased the products of the Watchmakers Community (Collectivité des fabricants d’horlogerie) from La Chaux-de-Fonds, an influential group that included fifty manufacturers and accounted for half the national output.

The talk of the town was about two kinds of timepieces in particular – the digital models (above) that enjoyed a growing popularity after their launch in 1931, and a couple of newly patented automatics, among which the Wig-Wag (below).

 

ITALIANO

La foto in alto ci porta indietro nel tempo fino al 1932 e alla seconda edizione della Fiera di Basilea. Questo stand esponeva i prodotti della Comunità dei Fabbricanti (Collectivité des Fabricants d’horlogerie) di La Chaux-de-Fonds, importante gruppo che riuniva cinquanta aziende e rappresentava metà della produzione nazionale.
Le novità sulla bocca di tutti erano due orologi in particolare: i digitali (foto al centro), che godevano di crescente popolarità dopo il loro debutto nel 1931, e un paio di automatici appena brevettati, tra i quali il Wig-Wag (sopra). Il lettore di Orologi da polso 1900-1959 trova i dettagli alle pagine 139 (Wig-Wag) e 154-155 (digitali).

New releases - Formex Aria Manufacture Chronometer

This 100-piece limited edition marks the debut of the in-house FX01 micro-rotor movement, co-developed with Horage and COSC-certified. 6.9 mm thick, the 40 mm Grade 5 titanium case is fitted with an integrated bracelet, for a total weight of just 78 grams. The dial is stamped from a single piece of brass, lacquered and finished with a matte surface, and available in three colors. The matt navy of the Denso Blue version contrasts the color of the luminous material and surface finishes of the rose gold-colored hands and applied indices. Price: EUR 7,600, USD 7,900.

New releases – Schwarz Etienne 1902 Synergy by Peter Speake

The brand’s latest “co-authored” timepiece is dedicated to the Manufacture’s power reserve complication. This interpretation by the English watchmaker features a multi-level dial construction conceived to enhance depth and create a floating effect through shaped sapphire crystal. The 39 mm Grade 5 titanium case houses the Manufacture manual calibre with twin barrels MSE 311.00, offering a 120-hour power reserve.

 

Vintage boxes - Longines (1950s)

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Longines presentation boxes were among the richest in information. The English text printed inside the lid suggests that the relevant timepiece was meant for the leading market of the time, that of the United States - “The world’s most honored watch – 10 Worlds Fair Great Prizes – 28 Gold Medals Awards – Classified “first” by the Great Government Observatories – Official watch for Championship Sports the world over – The premier watch of Aviation, Exploration, & Science”. Both sides of the lid feature some of the medals mentioned in the text. A color catalog of the time is shown above the box.  
Do you like vintage boxes? Then The Museum Collection is a must-read for you. The book about 100 milestones of 20^th Century watchmaking features a wide selection of presentation boxes in the Appendixes. Watch the video clip about the publication and download the 15-page preview.
The vintage boxes presented in this Blog are not featured in The Museum Collection.

ITALIANO
Le scatole Longines erano tra le più ricche d’informazioni. Il testo inglese all’interno del coperchio indica che questo esemplare era destinato al mercato più importante dell’epoca, quello americano. “L’orologio più premiato del mondo – 10 Gran Premi nelle Fiere Mondiali – 28 Medaglie d’Oro – Classificato “primo” dai Grandi Osservatori Governativi – Orologio ufficiale dei grandi eventi sportivi in tutto il mondo – L’orologio preferito dall’Aviazione, dall’Esplorazione e dalla Scienza”. Su entrambi i lati del coperchio sono riprodotte alcune delle medaglie citate nel testo. Sopra la scatola appare un catalogo a colori dello stesso periodo.

Ti piacciono le scatole d'epoca? Allora The Museum Collection è la lettura che fa per te. Il libro (in inglese) su 100 icone dell’orologeria del Novecento contiene un’ampia selezione di scatole vintage nelle Appendici. Guarda il video sull'opera e scarica l'anteprima di 20 pagine del Volume 1.
Le scatole vintage presentate in questo Blog non appaiono in The Museum Collection.

New releases – Awake Son Mài – Guilloché main

These three limited editions of 200 pieces each bring together two crafts spanning two continents – the Guilloché Main, perpetuated in Italy by the Renzetti family using 19th-century machines guided by human skill, and the Vietnamese art of Son Mài lacquer, applied in multiple ultra-thin layers and subsequently polished. Inspired by the colors and reflections of celestial phenomena, the Sunset, Alba and Borealis models feature 38 mm stainless steel cases that house the automatic La Joux-Perret Caliber G101, offering a 68-hour power reserve. Price : € 2,650 excl. taxes.

 

New releases - Niton Prima

Designed as a contemporary interpretation of the brand’s heritage, this timepiece connects past and present through the brand’s signature jump-hour display, registered in 1928, a shaped movement crafted to Geneva Seal standards, and an architecture echoing historic creations. The inaugural Souscription series, limited to 19 pieces in platinum and 19 in rose gold, has been fully allocated. Niton is now transitioning into a small production series for the end of the year, representing the total capacity for 2026.