The Daily Micro-Adjust

WatchPro

The RealReal Resale Report shows second-hand luxuries are first choice for young shoppers

The RealReal's 2026 Resale Report finds the secondary luxury market growing two to three times faster than primary, with 47% of shoppers now weighing resale value before buying new and vintage demand (items 15-plus years old) up 432% since 2020. For watch brands, the takeaway is uncomfortable: the structural shift to resale outlived the 2021 speculative frenzy and keeps punishing labels with weak value retention, while cataloguing, provenance and condition reports become table stakes rather than perks.</parameter> <parameter name="categories">[]

WatchPro

Watch industry accelerates training to tackle skills gap

The industry is racing to close a watchmaker skills gap (Switzerland alone was forecast to need roughly 4,000 new watchmakers by 2026), with Rolex's tuition-free 18-month Dallas training center now absorbing the shuttered Lititz Technicum and Swatch Group spreading WOSTEP-certified programs across the UK and US. But the real UK bottleneck, per the Alliance of British Watch and Clock Makers' Alistair Audsley, isn't school places: it's the missing masters, since 70%-plus of British brands are decade-old micro-businesses founded by outsiders who can hire an apprentice but can't teach one.

WatchPro

The Escapement watch collectors’ festival moves from Abu Dhabi to Las Vegas

The Escapement, the "for collectors, by collectors" festival originally slated for Abu Dhabi this November, is relocating to Las Vegas and pushing to February 5-7, 2027, blaming corporate travel policies to the UAE lingering from the Iran conflict. Organizers led by anonymous Substacker KingFlum are re-confirming up to 50 independent brands (Rexhep Rexhepi and Greubel Forsey as headliners) and say the count could rise given the pull of the world's biggest watch market. The catch for buyers: tickets, on sale early September, will run pricier than Abu Dhabi's $435 general and $1,195 VIP, thanks to Vegas venue and labor costs, though existing holders get refunds plus a code to preserve their original tier price.</parameter> <parameter name="categories">[]

Fratello

Geneva Watch Days 2026: The Biggest One Yet

Geneva Watch Days returns September 2nd-6th, 2026 with 71 participating brands, its biggest edition yet, keeping the decentralized, public-facing showroom format across the city plus central hubs at the Pavilion and Blue Box. The seventh edition's swelling roster (from De Bethune and MB&F to Breitling, Bvlgari and Zenith) confirms GWD's status as the calendar's magnet for independents and a genuine rival to the traditional trade-show model.

WatchPro

What happens if you let fans design their perfect Seiko watch?

Seiko let fans vote on the design of a new Prospex Automatic marking the 60th anniversary of its dive watches, and the winning "Daytime Blue" three-hander (based on the 1965 original, upgraded to 300m water resistance on the Caliber 6R55 with a three-day reserve) comes in a 40mm by 13mm steel case on a bracelet. Production is capped at 4,500 numbered units worldwide. Crowdsourcing the colourway is a low-risk marketing play that turns anniversary hype into pre-baked demand, though the limited-edition tag on 4,500 pieces is generous by Seiko standards.

Worn & Wound

The Autodromo Group C Turbo Sport

Worn & Wound reviews the Autodromo Group C Turbo Sport, an ana-digi quartz sports watch ($450, 38.5mm anodized aluminum case, 11.4mm thick, 50m water resistance, three colorways) styled after turbocharged motorsport dashboards. They praise its comfort, legibility, and singular car-culture design vision, faulting only the too-small, slippery crown, and note the digital display reads more as an aesthetic flourish than a functional draw. For the trade takeaway: Worn & Wound argues Autodromo's value sits not in specs (it undercuts on function versus a G-Shock or Timex at the price) but in owning the motorsport-enthusiast niche no other microbrand credibly captures.

Hodinkee

The Laurent Ferrier Sport Traveller

Hodinkee goes hands-on with the Laurent Ferrier Sport Traveller, a 42mm x 13.3mm grade 5 titanium travel-time watch with slate grey opaline dial, 4Hz automatic (LF275.01) and 72-hour reserve, at CHF 61,000 (about $75,000). The reviewer praises the comfort, "very them" integrated bracelet, and movement finishing, but faults the price against strong competition and notes the LF275.01 uses a lever escapement rather than the brand's signature natural escapement. For the trade, the pointed comparison is that Vacheron's new Overseas "Cardinal Points" lands at $41,000, well below LF, underscoring how price-sensitive the crowded high-horology GMT-titanium field has become.

aBlogtoWatch

Long-Term Review: Is The Apple Watch Ultra 3 Good For Running?

After three months and a lifelong Garmin habit, aBlogtoWatch concludes the Apple Watch Ultra 3 is finally a legitimate running companion: the added Action Button (a 50% bump in physical controls) enables precise workout starts without touching a sweaty screen, and the jump to 42 hours of battery (72 in low-power mode) means charging every other day rather than daily. The detail for trade readers: they note Apple sells more watches annually than the entire Swiss industry combined, and this Ultra 3 review is a reminder of who owns the wrist-time real estate mechanical brands are competing for.

Revolution Watch

Build Your Own Alien With Maison Alcée and MB&F

MB&F and Maison Alcée have released the Nostromo, an Alien-inspired build-it-yourself table clock delivered as 222 separate components requiring roughly 10 hours of assembly, marking the 15th anniversary of the M.A.D.Gallery. Limited to 50 pieces and designed by Maximilian Maertens, it runs a mechanical movement based on enlarged wristwatch architecture with a 14-day power reserve and a switchable hour chime, and ships with a 250-page manual plus QR-linked videos. For MB&F, extending its horological-machine cachet to a kit format leans into the experiential, education-and-play niche Maison Alcée has been quietly building since 2021.

SJX Watches

Patek Philippe In-Line Perpetual Ref. 5236P “Gradient Silver”

Patek Philippe has given its flagship In-Line Perpetual Calendar a new face: the ref. 5236P-011 swaps the outgoing "rose gilt" dial for a vertically-brushed silvered dial with a black gradient toward the edges, paired with a composite strap. The 41.3mm platinum case (11.07mm thick) houses the cal. 31-260 PS QL automatic, and it lands at retailers now for CHF124,800 (US$156,039), roughly 10% above the comparable A. Lange & Söhne, a reminder that the name still commands its own premium at the top of the complications market.</parameter> <parameter name="categories">["complications", "dress"]

Time + Tide

The Fears Brunswick 39 Perpetual Calendar marks a new chapter for the British brand

Fears marks its 10th anniversary and the original company's 180th with its first high complication: the Brunswick 39 Perpetual Calendar, a 39mm x 37mm steel QP (9.4mm thick) with a Silver Mink dial, day/month/leap-year/pointer-date registers, a debut moonphase, and the automatic calibre 55115 (Sellita SW300 base plus a Dubois Dépraz perpetual module) under an 18k gold rotor. Notably a non-limited core-collection reference in the Eminence Collection, it is priced at £26,950/US$28,500/CHF26,484.50, available to pre-order via Time+Tide with deliveries from mid-September. The confident move to launch a first-ever perpetual as a non-limited piece signals real ambition for a small British brand entering high-complication territory.

Also at: Fratello

Monochrome Watches

Bianchet Unveils the UltraFino Tonneau in Full Ceramic

Bianchet extends its UltraFino Tonneau line into full ceramic with two permanent-collection editions: white with dark blue gaskets and cobalt blue movement PVD, or deep blue with black gaskets and black PVD. The 40mm by 47.5mm case is 8.9mm thick, water resistant to 50m, and houses the openworked UT01 automatic flying tourbillon (21,600vph, 60-hour reserve), on a matching ceramic bracelet with an extra rubber strap, priced at CHF 72,500 excl. taxes. After titanium, sapphire and carbon, ceramic is the obvious next flex for a young independent chasing the ultra-thin integrated-sports niche at haute-horlogerie money.

Monochrome Watches

The New Purple IWC Pilot Chronograph 41 Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team

IWC marks the October 11th Singapore Grand Prix with the Pilot's Watch Chronograph 41 Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team: a 41mm grade 5 titanium case (14.5mm thick) with a vibrant purple sunburst dial, PETRONAS green markers and lume, and a double day-date window, running the in-house automatic Calibre 69385 (28,800vph, 46-hour reserve). It comes on a purple rubber strap with EasX Change quick-swap, is not numbered/limited, and is priced at CHF 7,700. An official "team" watch rather than a driver edition is the rarer play for IWC, and pricing it as an unlimited catalogue piece signals the brand wants F1 volume, not just a collector drop.

Also at: Revolution Watch

Worn & Wound

Doxa and Belmont Watches Team Up for the Sub 300 Beta “Frogger” Limited Edition

Doxa has teamed with San Diego's Belmont Watches on the Sub 300 Beta "Frogger," a military-themed diver nodding to the Navy's Frogmen, with a textured dark green dial, orange Doxa Army-style hands, and the line's black-coated bezel and crown. The headline feature is a fully sandblasted case and bracelet, a first for Doxa; specs include 42.5mm diameter, 44.5mm lug-to-lug, 11.95mm thickness, and 300m water resistance, shipping on a sandblasted beads-of-rice bracelet plus a green mil-strap. Limited to 100 units at $2,890, available now on the Belmont website.

Hodinkee

Noah x Timex MK1 Anchor (Live Pics)

Noah and Timex have added to their long-running collab series with the MK1 Anchor, a 36mm field-watch base (42.9mm lug-to-lug, 9.5mm thick) reworked with a silver opaline nautical dial, a red anchor backing the small-seconds subdial, acrylic crystal, quartz movement, and 30m water resistance. It ships with two woven nylon quick-release straps (red-and-navy stripe plus solid navy) at $248, available August 27 at 11am from Noah. Previous editions have sold out fast, so expect this run to move quickly among the streetwear-adjacent crowd Noah reliably reaches.

Monochrome Watches

Awake Adds Storm, Blood Moon, and Lagoon Colours to the Son Mai Frosted Leaf Collection

Awake (a Fitwell partner) extends its Son Mai Frosted Leaf line with three new colorways: Storm (black and orange), Blood Moon (deep red and black), and Lagoon (blue and green), each with Vietnamese lacquer-and-silver-leaf dials taking roughly 15 hours to make. The 38mm steel cases (44.75mm lug-to-lug, 11.5mm thick, 100m water resistance) run the La Joux-Perret G101 automatic (68h reserve) and ship on color-matched Maison Bouveret nubuck straps. Priced at EUR 2,820 including taxes and shipping, part of the standard collection at roughly 100 pieces per year, with deliveries in the last week of September 2026.

Time + Tide

FounderFest: The Dennison ALD Dual Time “Carnaby Blue” is a mod icon in mother-of-pearl

Time+Tide and Dennison have teamed up on the ALD Dual Time "Carnaby Blue," a Mod-inspired take on Emmanuel Gueit's cushion-cased design, with a Union Jack mosaic of blue mother-of-pearl and twin crowns driving two independent Ronda 1032 quartz movements for dual-time duty. The polished steel case runs 35.6mm across, 37mm lug-to-lug and 6.1mm thick, on a blue denim strap, priced at £885 / US$1,090 / AU$1,595 / €845. It debuts at FounderFest on September 19, gets a 24-hour global online window from September 22, then sells exclusively at Time+Tide Studios in London, Melbourne and New York.

SJX Watches

Anordain’s New Model 1 Combines Porcelain Dial and Custom Font

Anordain is branching beyond its signature fired-enamel dials with the Model 1 Porcelain, a 38mm steel watch (11mm thick, 50m WR) with a hand-painted porcelain dial and a bespoke Breguet-inspired font by Amsterdam designer Kia Tasbihgou. It runs the La Joux-Perret G101 automatic at US$2,950, or the custom-decorated A1 at US$3,400; 70 pieces are available now with more made monthly, existing clients getting 24-hour priority. The strategic tell: porcelain lets one specialist output what seven enamellers can't, easing years-long enamel waiting lists and letting Anordain scale without abandoning its artisanal identity.

Also at: Hodinkee · Revolution Watch · Fratello

Time + Tide

The new 100-piece Tiffany & Co. Timer brings a customised Zenith El Primero movement to a new titanium and platinum case

Tiffany & Co. marks 160 years since its 1866 Timing Watch with the Tiffany Timer Titanium Platinum: a 40mm satin-brushed Grade 5 titanium case with a polished platinum bezel, dark blue sunray dial with Tiffany Blue accents, and a customised Zenith El Primero 400 topped by a hand-sculpted 18k gold Bird on a Rock rotor. Limited to 100 pieces, available to order from Tiffany boutiques from September 2026, price on application. It follows the 60-piece platinum Timer released earlier this year, evidence of Tiffany's push to be taken seriously as a horological player rather than a jeweler with a watch line.

Also at: Monochrome Watches

Time + Tide

The new Christopher Ward C60 Trident Biscay looks back across six decades of diving

Christopher Ward has launched the C60 Trident Biscay, a 1960s skin-diver-inspired take on the Trident with box crystals, applied Arabic numerals and 200m water resistance. The line spans steel Automatic and GMT models (39mm and 42mm) and a 39mm marine-grade bronze time-only version, running COSC-certified Sellita SW300-1 and SW330-2 movements with 56-hour reserves, plus the tool-free iLink bracelet system. Available now from Christopher Ward's boutique, with pre-orders at Time+Tide Studios; from £1,330/€1,740/US$1,870 (Automatic), £1,430/€1,850/US$1,995 (GMT), £1,495/€1,950/US$2,095 (Bronze).

Monochrome Watches

The New Formex Essence 39mm Automatic COSC, Upgraded Where It Counts

Formex is refreshing its best-selling Essence 39mm with the new Essence 39mm Automatic COSC, swapping the old SW200-1 for Sellita's new SW200-2 Power+ COSC (65-hour reserve, up from 42), adding a screw-down crown and a Dexel-developed butterfly clasp with tool-free 3mm on-wrist adjustment. The 39mm steel case (45.5mm lug-to-lug, 10.5mm thick, 100m water resistance) comes in Blue, Alpine White, and new Radiant Bronze dials. Prices start at CHF 1,470 on a strap and CHF 1,570 on bracelet, with orders opening August 27, 2026 and deliveries from October.

Also at: aBlogtoWatch · WatchTime

aBlogtoWatch

The SUPERLATIVE Podcast: Montrichard Group CMO Oscar Chabrat On Watch Business & The Future Of Microbrands

Ariel Adams hosts Praesidus founder and Montrichard Group CMO Oscar Chabrat on the Superlative Podcast to unpack how a B2B manufacturer became a full-stack production-and-marketing operation, the realities of movement lead times and outside manufacturing, and where microbrand economics are heading amid aggressive luxury pricing and the decline of fashion watches.</parameter> <parameter name="categories">[]