Audemars Piguet Replica WatchesBrandsWATCHES A Year of Firsts: Expanding the World of Watch Collecting by magzhen 2025年2月28日 written by magzhen We’ve had the most incredible year at The Watch Collectors’ Club, containing many firsts and some fantastic events that our Members couldn’t have got access to anywhere else. This included; a private tour of the Breguet exhibition at the Science Museum, three days of guided itinerary during Watches and Wonders week in Geneva, tickets to the Treasure House Show with Somlo London, VIP events with Piaget and Van Cleef & Arpels, a watchmaking introduction, a visit to Frodsham, and many more! Stuart, MD of Breguet London taking us on a tour of the fantastic Clockmaker’s Museum in London to see the Special Breguet Section In 2024 we’ve hosted 50 in-person events and at least one online event every month. We held our first watch show in Manchester in November which brought together 24 fantastic brands and 350 attendees for a wonderful day exploring the very best of British Watch Design. We held our first joint event with a Car Club and would love to host more. We even went to London’s famous Ace Café to talk all things automotive. We’re always on the look our for new and interesting venues to use and widen the access and accessibility of this great hobby. Our regular series of Meetups in London this year were enhanced by special guests such as Leslie from Vintage Watch Room, showcasing a fantastic array of vintage timepieces all under £1000, and Max Van Brauge from Van Brauge watches who gave us deep insight into his design process and the considerations that go into creating a watch range from scratch. In October we held our first Swatch-themed meetup with over 40 Swatches brought along to explore the wacky designs from this fantastic company. A selection of the Swatch Watches brought along to our Swatch Meetup in October this year. Our online events featured great interviews with Founders from different businesses in the watch industry as well as noted Professor of Business Pierre Yves-Donze, whose talk about the history and development of the industry was fascinating. Watch it on YouTube here. We also love talking to Designer Max Resnick, whose portfolio is already stunning and we can’t wait to see what he does in future. Catch that here. Don’t miss our next online event in January with Watchmaker, Historian and Author Rebecca Struthers on Monday 20th January at 8:00PM. Sign up here to take part and ask your questions! In April we took our first trip overseas, hosting members during the fantastic Watches and Wonders week in Geneva. We arranged exclusive show and tell events at the show, hosted collector dinners, and organised a private tour of the Patek Philippe Museum. We had an amazing time and in 2025 we’ll be back for four days of watch-related fun. If you want to come along you can sign up for information here. The Members who joined us for last year’s successful trip to Geneva during Watches and Wonders week, following our tour of the Patek Philippe Museum We hosted brand events that were a fantastic opportunity for our Members to get up close and personal with some incredible watches. Notable highlights included our first events with Panerai and Piaget, where the quality of the High Horology on display was greatly appreciated by everyone who came along. These events break down the barriers for people to access great watchmaking, and we help guests learn more about all kinds of watches. Our first event with Tissot was a great example; our event in their Covent Garden boutique was a huge success this summer. We had a great time at Breguet and Bell & Ross, with many owners coming along to share their collection. Co-Founder Hamish and two Members looking at the watches at Tissot Covent Garden this Summer We held our first Watch Show this year and it was a huge success, encouraging us to do more next year to take great watch brands around the UK. While we were nervous about putting on such a large event, the feedback we got was fantastic, with plenty of watch sales leading to happy brands, and heartfelt thanks from the attendees for doing something outside of London. In 2025 we will run at least 2 similar shows, with The Glasgow Watch Show coming on May 10th and The Manchester Watch Show 2025 on November 8th next year. We’d love to see you at one of them! The attendees and brands having a great time at The Manchester Watch Show in November We finished the year in style with a host of events in London in partnership with The Limited Edition, the UK’s leading retailer of Independent High Horology Brands. These events are an awesome way to meet passionate brand founders and get up close to some incredible High Horology machines. Our final event was something completely, different, an Awful Watch Party. This was a bit of fun asking people to bring the most Awful watch they could find under £50. Held in London’s hip Shoreditch neighbourhood, we had an end-of-year celebration to remember and it was great to see our community come together over such a crazy selection of watches, none of which were remotely wearable in public! The Winner of the Most Awful Watch competition at the Awful Watch Party We can’t wait to start again in 2025 and our calendar is already filling up. We offer unrivalled access while maintaining a relaxed, fun and friendly atmosphere. We’ll be running more events outside of London and continue to create innovative new watch events. If you’d like to be a part of this community please sign up, Membership costs from just £75 and includes a great range of benefits and access to an active Discord Community. We hope to see you at one of our Events soon. The post A Year of Firsts: Expanding the World of Watch Collecting first appeared on The Watch Collectors’ Club. 2025年2月28日 0 comments 0 FacebookTwitterPinterestThreadsBlueskyEmail
Audemars Piguet Replica WatchesBrandsWATCHES The Best Sources of Watch Data Online by magzhen 2025年2月28日 written by magzhen 26 February 2025 The Best Sources of Watch Data Online There are many places to learn about watches online, including magazines like Hodinkee, Blog Pages like our own, and thousands of videos on YouTube. They are not all useful! This Blog Post will help you understand more about how to find high-quality data about all kinds of watch online, and help you learn what to trust when researching the watches you love. This post is sponsored by Coveted, a new and highly comprehensive watch database, where you can discover, rate, and review luxury watches. You might want to research a vintage watch before you purchase it like this Breitling Chronomat from the early 1960s A Short History of Watch Websites The internet was established in the mid-1990s and almost as soon as it became widely used, enthusiasts of different kinds started to share their passion and knowledge for their hobby on Forums. The watch world was no different and forums such as Rolex Forums and Timezone gave watch lovers the chance to find each other to share their collections and knowledge. Over the last 30 years, both broad and specialised forums were established to cover almost every part of the watch world. Many remain active and great sources of answers to difficult to answer questions about a rare or unusual watch. In the early 2000s various watch blogs became well established and then grew into large online magazines. Three famous examples are Fratello, Hodinkee and A Blog to Watch. All three remain extremely popular and are now well-monetised media businesses. Traditional magazines such as WatchPro and Europa Star built good websites to match their print advertising. Other enthusiasts began larger projects to help watch lovers find the information they were looking for, especially about vintage, historical and rare timepieces. These come in a few different forms. There is a specialised watch wiki built by a German group that mimics WIkipedia, called Wiki-Watch. There are two large databases of watch movements, or calibres; Calibre Corner and Watch Base These sources are quite clunky and are entirely dependent on the good will of the contributors, but have enormous depth. Finally, buying platforms like eBay and Chrono24 grew in dominance to establish a place as the largest place to go and research sales prices for pieces, with the majority being modern on Chrono24, but eBay have a very long tail of older watches also. Specialist watch dealers have begun to create much more detailed sales postings for High-End watches, adding to the knowledge available online for example at A Collected Man or Watch Brothers London. This is a vintage Piaget Dress watch. Deep research into the watch before purchase would be very sensible to avoid mistakes. Today’s Technology Modern web technology is much superior to that used to build many of the information sources above. Using tools such as hyperlinking, embedding other website snippets and videos, and using Artificial Intelligence to carefully curate and present information on the technical details and history of watches can provide a more comprehensive set of information. Coveted is a new platform based in California that aim to do all this and more. Starting with the largest and most famous luxury watch brands, they’re building a detailed “one-stop shop” for all the top watch brands, and it includes a comprehensive and automatically updated model catalogue. The founding team are long-term watch collectors and they’ve used this knowledge, plus user feedback, to build the site and its capabilities. A good example is this detailed and comprehensive page about Patek Phillipe. The Coveted Search bar Conclusion We at The Watch Collectors’ Club have always been excited to see people trying new ways to bring information to watch enthusiasts, as we think that many of the historic websites are a poor experience and most Magazine websites are too advertising-driven. We look forward to seeing the team at Coveted continue to build the database and evolve the product. We encourage you to check it out and let us know what you think! 2025年2月28日 0 comments 0 FacebookTwitterPinterestThreadsBlueskyEmail
Audemars Piguet Replica WatchesBrandsWATCHES From ancient water clocks to modern craftsmanship: the millennium inheritance and rebirth of Chinese watchmaking industry by magzhen 2025年2月2日 written by magzhen A watch is not just a timekeeping tool, but a crystallization of craftsmanship and culture. Did you know? The history of watchmaking in China dates back over a thousand years, from simple sundials to complex mechanical clocks, and now to the emerging independent watchmakers. The story of Chinese watches is full of surprises and twists. Today, we will take you through this history, exploring the evolution of China’s watchmaking industry and how it inspires modern watch enthusiasts—whether you seek luxury or value for money. The Origins of Chinese Watchmaking: From Farming to Mechanical Wisdom China’s tradition of timekeeping began with the needs of an agricultural society. As early as ancient times, people used sundials and water clocks to track the seasons and ensure smooth farming. Although these simple tools were primitive, they laid the foundation for later mechanization.By the Han Dynasty (1st century AD), the scientist Zhang Heng invented the Huntian Instrument. While this device was primarily an astronomical model, it demonstrated China’s early exploration of mechanics. Later, during the Tang Dynasty (8th century AD), the monk Yi Xing took this concept to new heights. The waterwheel escapement device he designed is considered the ancestor of modern clock escapements, predating European verge escapements by several centuries.By the Song Dynasty (11th century), Su Song’s Water-driven Astronomical Clock Tower became the pinnacle of China’s watchmaking history. This 12-meter-high giant clock tower not only kept time but also displayed celestial phenomena and even chimed the hours with an automatic mechanism. Its exquisite design is still awe-inspiring today, though the original was destroyed in wartime, leaving only the blueprints to be passed down. The fusion of Ming and Qing dynasties: Chinese watch craze under European influence In the mid-16th century, European clockmaking technology was introduced to China through merchants and missionaries. By the end of the Ming Dynasty, craftsmen in places like Zhangzhou, Fujian, began to replicate these imported clocks. A Ming Dynasty poet once wrote in his travel journal, “The people of Zhangzhou can recreate the European timepieces, truly a marvel of craftsmanship.” This marked the transition of Chinese watchmaking from learning to innovation.During the Qing Dynasty, clockmaking reached its golden age. The emperor established clock workshops in the imperial palace (now housed in the Palace Museum), specializing in the creation and repair of exquisite timepieces. From gold-engraved pocket watches to striking wall clocks, these works were not only functional but also became pieces of art. By the late Qing, as demand grew among the general public, clockmaking workshops sprang up everywhere, and China’s watchmaking industry gradually became more accessible to the masses. The starting point of modern watchmaking: the “Five Star” breakthrough in 1955 Although China has a long history of clockmaking, modern watchmaking started relatively late. It wasn’t until 1955 that four watchmakers—Mr. Jiang, Mr. Sun, Mr. Wang, and Mr. Zhang—crafted China’s first lever escapement watch, the “Five-Star,” with a budget of just 100 yuan in a simple workshop. This watch, made up of 140 components, marked the end of the era when “China could only repair watches, not make them.”Want to experience a modern, affordable version of classic design? Click here to explore: ➡ https://luxrepwatches.com/This breakthrough gave rise to several well-known watch factories, such as the Tianjin Seagull Watch Factory (1955) and the Shanghai Watch Factory (1956). These factories initially focused on affordable and durable everyday watches but laid the foundation for the development of high-end watchmaking in China. Contemporary independent watchmaking: a fusion of tradition and innovation Qiao Dayu: The Pioneer of the Tourbillon in Asia Qiao Dayu was born into an artistic family and became fascinated with mechanical watches at the age of 12. In 1970, he created his first homemade watch at the Suzhou Watch Factory. Later, he moved to Hong Kong to study pocket watches and eventually published The Time in Your Pocket. In 1991, he crafted Asia’s first tourbillon watch using traditional tools and joined the AHCI (Academy of Independent Horologists). His “Mysterious Tourbillon,” with a sapphire-hidden frame, features a unique design filled with Chinese cultural charm.Unique highlight: Qiao’s watches never imitate European or American styles but instead incorporate elements of calligraphy and engraving, showcasing a deep cultural heritage. Tan Zehua: The Explorer of Movement Innovation Tan Zehua began learning watchmaking with his father at the age of 13 and opened his own workshop in 1980. He developed four unique movements, including a 10-day power reserve and a dual-axis escapement mechanism. His design inspiration often comes from traditional pocket watches, yet it is adapted to modern wristwatches. He joined the AHCI in 2019.Technical highlight: Tan’s movements focus on slimness and precision, with the dual-axis escapement being a patented innovation. The future of Chinese watchmaking: the transition from utility to luxury Today, Chinese independent watchmakers are reshaping the global perception of the watch industry. Large factories like Seagull have introduced limited edition tourbillons, while independent watchmakers are gaining attention with their personalized designs. They have proven that “Made in China” is not only affordable but also high-end.For watch enthusiasts, this is great news: no matter your budget, you can find options that combine both quality and style. Looking to own a watch with both historical charm and practicality? Take a look at these affordable luxury modern designs.Explore more affordable luxury watch inspirations, click here: ➡ https://luxrepwatches.com/ 2025年2月2日 3 comments 4 FacebookTwitterPinterestThreadsBlueskyEmail