WatchTime October 2014

COVER STORY

• DYNAMIC DUO By Jens Koch | Some call it the “Batman” in honor of its black-and-blue bezel. We test the first version of the Rolex GMT-Master II ever to sport this color combo.

TESTS & REVIEWS

• POWER PLAYER By Mike Disher | The Octa Réserve de Marche is an F.P. Journe mainstay. How did it perform in our test?
• THE EYES HAVE IT By Mike Disher | Maurice Lacroix’s Pontos S is a looker. Is the beauty more than skin deep?
• STEELY ELEGANCE By Martina Richter | We compare two steel automatics, the Bulgari Bulgari and the Hermès Dressage, both from brands known for their high style.
• BORN TO FLY By Julia Knaut | The Sinn EZM 10 TeStaF has passed one test, certifying it as worthy of a place in the cockpit. How did it do in its second test, ours?
• DISPLAY CASE By Jens Koch | In the Big Bang Unico, Hublot puts its manufacture movement on display with no dial to hide it. We take a close look.

SPECIAL FEATURE: THE WRISTWATCH CENTURY

• THE TURNING POINT By Gisbert Brunner | The wristwatch fought an uphill battle in the early years of the 20th century. Many saw a watch on the wrist as effeminate and impractical, a flash in the pan. But World War I changed those perceptions, and the wristwatch won the day.
• A WRISTWATCH TIMELINE: THE FIRST 100 YEARS By Norma Buchanan | World War I marked the unofficial birth of the wristwatch era. During the war, unprecedented numbers of soldiers wore wristwatches, and when they returned home they took their new wristwatch-wearing habit with them. In honor of a century of wristwatch wearing, WatchTime presents a decade-by-decade selection of important wristwatchrelated events. The timeline is presented on a 10-page foldout with five decades on the front and five on the back.

FEATURES

• NICK HAYEK AT EASE By Joe Thompson | Overlooking his domain from an office above the Baselworld watch fair, the Swatch Group CEO sat down with WatchTime to discuss the state of the industry and all things Swatch Group. Here he explains why he is upbeat about the U.S., not worried about China, and hesitant to get back in the smartwatch game.
• MISSION: MONTBLANC By Joe Thompson | The Richemont Group looks to former Jaeger-LeCoultre chief Jérôme Lambert to give new momentum to Montblanc. His game plan, modeled on his winning strategy at JLC, includes a steady parade of new, innovative products.
• REVAMPING MOVADO By Jay Deshpande | Movado emerged from the recession with a new strategy and new initiatives, and you can see both in the brand’s watches. With the new Movado Parlee chronograph, the brand hopes to reestablish itself as a design leader. It’s clear that Movado isn’t just about the dot anymore.
• SKELETON CREW By Jens Koch and Joe Thompson | When Swiss skeletonizing specialist Armin Strom decided to retire, the Michel family bought his company and set out to build a brand around his name. Their great challenge was manufacturing their own movements. Together, Serge Michel and Claude Greisler, technical director, have made the dream into reality in very short order. Here’s how.

DEPARTMENTS & COLUMNS

• EDITOR’S LETTER Faulkner, watches and World War I 
• ON WATCHTIME.COM A glimpse at what’s on our site to keep you up to date on the latest watch news
• WORLD OF WATCHTIME See the global reach of WatchTime and its partners
• READERS’ FORUM A reader and a former contributor provide their independent takes on the state of the watch industry and of Baselworld. Check out what they say, then write in to join the conversation. 
• WATCHTALK The top chronometer producers in 2013; the Henry Graves Supercomplication returns; Swiss export results for the first half of 2014; news from Movado, Weiss, and Shinola; the auction of a chronometer from Charles Darwin’s Beagle; Tourneau trains young watchmakers; and more
• TICKER The latest data on global watch sales
• WATCH QUIZ Watches and water: from marine chronometers to the Rolexes that dove into the Marianas Trench
• FACETIME A photo mélange of readers and their watches
• LAST MINUTE In late July, France’s Kering acquired Ulysse Nardin. Here’s why.