A Peek Inside A Twisted Collector’s Mind (Mine)
Every collector has their quirks. I have many. More than most? I’ll let you decide. For one, I don’t like to call myself a collector. I typically consider myself a “user”, and refer to my accumulation of watches not as my collection but
Bringing Rolex Retail (and More) Back to Bienne: A Conversation with Cédric Schiess, Founder of Art du Temps
parked outside the museum that hosts, almost secretly, the largest public Rolex collection in the world. A few hundred meters away from where the first ever Rolex watches were made, I crossed the road and walked into Art du Temps, the brand new
The Rolex History Book the (French-speaking) Watch World Is Talking About
After reviewing several watches, and even a film, I am about to add a third string to my bow of impostures and share my thoughts on a book I just finished. You have been warned and should only keep on reading at your
Interview with Matthieu Humair, CEO of the Watches and Wonders Geneva Foundation
Matthieu Humair is normally a busy man, but in the weeks building up to Watches and Wonders Geneva 2024, his schedule is denser than ever. Grateful for his time, I wanted to arrive extra early. But when my smartphone kept telling me I
From Swatch Intern to Chief Design Officer at On: Interview with Thilo Alex Brunner
When I first came across On shoes, over a decade ago, I was living in Senegal and visiting the Silicon Valley for work. I was immediately struck by the unique futuristic yet comforting looks. I certainly did not expect that, half a dozen
Branding Bienne: Interview with the City’s Vice-Chancellor Julien Steiner
As the city’s Vice-Chancellor, Julien Steiner has among his prerogatives Bienne’s image as a place to live. Considering how radically the perception of Bienne has evolved over the years, and the role of watchmaking in the city’s reputation, there was a lot to
The Watch Customer Experience in Bienne: Small Things Make a Big Difference
As you may know if you've been here before, I love buying pre-owned watches. The variety, the serendipity, and the story behind each piece are a lot more magical to me than a thick carpet, engineered lighting and unscratched, shiny cases. For that
Interview: Marc Montagne, Author of “Invest in Watches: the Art of Watch Collecting”
While Marc Montagne has become a close friend over the years, I am first and foremost a fan of his (although please don't tell him). We met in 2015 after I reached out as a reader of his fantastic Quora contributions and as
One Watch at a Time, Bienne Secretly Shines Around the World
What do Martin Luther King, JFK, the Dalai Lama, Meryl Streep and Neil Armstrong have in common? They notoriously spent some of the most important moments in their life with a watch made in Bienne around their wrist. Like millions of people over
Why Bienne Can Be Considered the Capital of Swiss Watchmaking
Being the capital of Swiss watchmaking is a title that a few cities can legitimately claim. Geneva, of course, including its suburb Plan-les-Ouates, is home to Rolex and Patek Philippe, the hard-to-dispute champions in their respective categories. It is also where the main
