New releases – Bravur x Zwift

The Swedish watchmaker born from cycling, and Zwift, the well-known online destination for the cycling community, have collaborated on a limited 100-piece series. The 316L stainless steel case measures 37 mm and features a screw-down crown, with a depth rating of 100 m. The Sellita automatic caliber SW200-2 Power+ offers a power reserve of 68 hours. The central dial surface is textured after Zwift’s volcanic lava world and framed by an outer, snailed hour track with applied indexes. Price: EUR 1,935 / USD 1,195.

1,000,000 VISITORS ! / 1.000.000 DI VISITATORI !

ENGLISH (il testo italiano è in fondo alla pagina)

10e10.ch has just surpassed the one-million-visitor milestone! Not bad for an independent website that’s proudly old-school and resistant to clickbait tactics. Our audience is authentic in every sense of the word. First of all, because we don’t resort to tricks to inflate our visitor numbers. And second, because the passion of our readers is genuine, mature, and well-informed.

We are deeply grateful to all of you, our readers, and we will continue to work hard to earn your following.

 

ITALIANO

10e10.ch ha appena superato il traguardo del milione di visitatori! Non male, per un sito indipendente, orgogliosamente all’antica, refrattario agli espedienti cattura-clic. Il nostro è un pubblico autentico in tutti i sensi. Prima di tutto perché non ricorriamo ad artifici per gonfiare il numero dei visitatori. E poi perché la passione di chi ci segue è reale, matura, colta.

Siamo profondamente grati a tutti voi lettori e continueremo a impegnarci per meritare la vostra fedeltà. 

    

New releases – Corum Heritage Coin

To mark the 250th anniversary of the United States, Corum reinvents its Coin watch in a Heritage Collector collection – fifty unique creations, each dedicated to a State of the American Union, each produced in five numbered examples. The front face, shared across all creations, pays tribute to the American Eagle, accompanied by the inscription “250 Years of Independence.” The reverse, designed specifically for the state it represents, unveils an emblematic landscape, a regional symbol, a founding moment, or a tradition rooted in collective memory. Housed in a 39mm yellow gold case, each watch is powered by Corum’s CO082 automatic movement with a 42-hour power reserve. Price: CHF 46’000 / USD 58,000.

New Releases – Elka N-Series Essence

Limited to 50 pieces, the brand’s new collaboration with Ace Jewelers features a 36 mm stainless steel case with a 10.5 mm thickness, fitted with a chevé sapphire box crystal with anti-reflective treatment on one side, a sapphire exhibition back, and water resistance to 50 metres. The blue sunburst dial carries no hour markers or numerals. The La Joux Perret G101 automatic calibre runs at 28,800 vibrations per hour, features stop seconds, and offers a 68-hour power reserve. It is regulated in four positions to +/- 7 seconds per day and can be viewed through the sapphire case back. Price: EUR 2,180 on leather strap, EUR 2,230 on a stainless steel beads-of-rice style bracelet.

 

Events - Geneva Watch Days

The seventh edition of Geneva Watch Days (GWD) will take place from Wednesday, September 2 to Sunday, September 6. Launched in 2020, the event now brings together 68 brands reflecting the diversity of the contemporary watchmaking scene – independents, small workshops, full-scale manufactures, established brands large and small, and emerging new names. Most activities are open to the public. Click here for the full agenda of GWD 2026.

New releases – Arnold & Son HM London Skyline

 

Commemorating the brand’s 260th anniversary and the 10th anniversary of The Limited Edition, this limited edition of 20 pieces presents a representation of the iconic buildings of London. The miniature artwork upon a mother-of-pearl dial provides a snapshot of historical buildings that become mere shadows after dark, when the contemporary architecture of the ‘Shard’, ‘Gherkin’ and London Eye is revealed thanks to a special Super-Luminova technique. The 39.5 case, available in stainless steel or 18ct red gold, houses the A&S 1001 caliber, an extra-thin movement offering a 90-hour power reserve. Price: GBP 23,500 (gold), GBP 15,000 (steel).

 

 

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.

 

Vintage Rolex library - Part 3: The World of Rolex (1987)

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This is the third and final instalment of the mini-series about documents I could not include in Rolex 1961-2025 for lack of space. I posted instalments 1 and 2 on 16 April and 16 May, respectively.

 

Published in 1987, The World of Rolex details several aspects of the activities performed at the Geneva site. At the time, the latter and Rolex Bienne, the company in charge of designing and manufacturing movements, were still independent entities.

 

“The human touch”. Two pages are devoted to “the skilled craftsman who, patiently, builds the movement.” His hand “must be steady but flexible (…) This masterly touch (…) is the product of years of rigorous training.”

 

“Bringing a dream to life”. The pictures show draughtsmen working at Computer-Aided Design desks. “The Rolex workshops are clean, spacious, quiet and well-lit to offer the watchmaker and ideal ergonomic environment in which to practice his craft.”

 

“The case”. “Forged, machined, polished and repolished, the original block of metal is patiently converted with skill and delicacy into a rugged but elegant case (…) The Oyster case is guaranteed waterproof to a depth of at least 100 m.”

 

“The right training”. The Geneva site houses a training centre “operated for the benefit of the watchmakers employed by the jewellers that are Rolex agents, and its aim is to give them a thorough knowledge of Rolex watches (…) In this way, after-sales service can be obtained with confidence throughout the world.”

ITALIANO

Questa è la terza e ultima puntata della mini-serie sui documenti che non ho potuto inserire in Rolex 1961-2025 per mancanza di spazio Trovi le prime due puntate nei post del 16 aprile e 16 maggio scorsi.

Pubblicato nel 1987, Il mondo di Rolex tratta diversi aspetti delle attività svolte presso il sito di Ginevra. All’epoca, quest’ultimo e Rolex Bienne, società incaricata di progettare e produrre i movimenti, erano ancora entità indipendenti.

“L’aspetto umano”. Due pagine sono dedicate al “tecnico competente che monta pazientemente il movimento.” La sua mano “deve essere ferma ma flessibile (…) Questa perizia magistrale (…) è il prodotto di anni di formazione rigorosa.”

“Trasformare il sogno in realtà”. Le immagini mostrano i progettisti al lavoro nel reparto del design computerizzato. “I laboratory Rolex sono puliti, spaziosi, silenziosi e ben illuminati, in modo che l’orologiaio possa svolgere la propria attività in un ambiente ergonomico ideale.”

“La cassa”. “Forgiato, lavorato e lucidato più volte, il blocco metallico originale è trasformato pazientemente in una cassa robusta ma elegante (…) La cassa Oyster è garantita impermeabile a una profondità subacquea di almeno 100 m.”

“La formazione giusta”. Il sito di Ginevra ospita un centro di formazione “destinato agli orologiai impiegati presso I punti vendita Rolex. Il suo scopo è fornire una conoscenza perfetta degli orologi Rolex (…) In tal modo, è possible garantire un servizio post-vendita affidabile in tutto il mondo.”

    

New releases – U-Boat Classico Polarized Dark Mistery

 

The timepiece’s most distinctive feature lies in a system of polarized lenses that, through the rotation of the bezel, shifts from absolute black to a visible dial. When the latter reveals itself, it appears in a three-level beige tone. The 47 mm case is offered either in satin-finished steel or in a black version enhanced by a DLC treatment. On the left side sits the brand’s characteristic crown cover. The Sellita SW200 automatic movement is visible through a distinctive U-shaped crystal.

New releases – Angelus Tinkler 1958

This tribute to the original repeater model is available in a double limited edition of 15 gold and 25 steel pieces. The 38 mm case houses the in-house A600 caliber, a self-winding movement offering a 70-hour power reserve. By pressing the pusher at 9 o’clock, it strikes the hours and quarters. Each hour is marked by a strike on the first gong. If necessary, the calibre then performs a double strike on two gongs to signal each quarter hour, up to a maximum of three sequences.  

Vintage Ads – IWC (1961)

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‘YES – IT IS … an INTERNATIONAL – technically perfect, unexelled for accurate timekeeping. As dependable as it is handsome – that is the INTERNATIONAL’. ‘International’ is the name publicity used in the 1960s when dealing with the brand now commonly known with the acronym IWC (International Watch Company). The model seen in the left bottom corner of the ad is the De Luxe Automatic Ref. 601, featuring the universally praised in-house movement with date and a 18 ct. gold dial with raised gold numerals and gold hands.

Do you like vintage watch ads? Visit the page about Watch Ads, the one and only two-volume pictorial history of communication and design in 20th Century watchmaking. Do you wish to know more? Watch the video clip about the publication and download the preview of Volume 1. 

The vintage ads presented in this website are not featured in the Watch Ads books.

 

 

ITALIANO

"SÌ – È … un INTERNATIONAL – tecnicamente perfetto, ineguagliato nella precisione. Tanto affidabile quanto attraente – INTERNATIONAL è tutto questo". Negli Anni 60 la pubblicità usava il nome “International” quando trattava la marca oggi generalmente conosciuta con la sigla IWC (International Watch Company). Il modello illustrato nell’angolo in basso a sinistra è il De Luxe Automatic Ref. 601, con il celebre movimento di manifattura dotato di datario e con un quadrante in oro 18 carati con indici d’oro in rilievo e lancette d’oro.    

Ti piacciono le pubblicità d'epoca? Visita la pagina su Watch Ads, l'unica storia illustrata in due volumi della comunicazione e del design nell'orologeria del Novecento. Vuoi saperne di più? Guarda il video sull'opera e scarica l'anteprima del Volume 1.

 Gli annunci vintage presentati in questo sito non appaiono nei due volumi Watch Ads.

New Releases – Van Bergen 1795 Heero

The brand’s first wristwatch features an acoustic complication that strikes the hour and the half hour, sounded by an oversized hammer drawn from the Heero family’s bell-founding past against a substantial gong that runs to the perimeter of the caseback. The 41 mm titanium or white gold case houses an in-house, self-winding ultra-thin caliber co-developed with a Swiss independent movement atelier. The 230 numbered pieces are available in five dial colors, among which the Monaco Red paying tribute to the Principality. Price: € 32,500 (titanium), € 79,000 (white gold).

 

Oyster Story - The Film

 

"Rolex presents Oyster Story. An icon celebrates its 100 years". This ad taken from a Swiss magazine invites readers to watch the 23-minute official film about the story of the brand's most famous timepiece. A pleasant sight for any watch enthusiast ... and a familiar topic for those who have Rolex 1905-1960 and Rolex 1961-2025 in their private library 😉

New releases – M.A.D.2 REDemption

Designed by Eric Giroud and inspired by the ’90s club scene, with its smooth pebble-like case, spinning vinyl-like dial and jumping hours, this edition is reserved for fans of the brand who have participated in at least four M.A.D. Editions raffles but never won. The 42 mm stainless steel case houses a base movement by La Joux-Perret, fitted with the bi-directional jumping hour and trailing minutes module developed by MB&F. The turntable-like winding rotor on the back carries an engraving saluting the perseverance of those fans who didn’t give up: “They say I’m stubborn, I’d say persistent.”