Rolex acquires Bucherer

In news that took the industry by surprise, Rolex announced on Thursday that it has taken over Bucherer, one of the world’s largest watch retailers. In a statement, the Swiss luxury watchmaker says Bucherer will retain its name and continue to operate independently.

The takeover means Rolex will now own one of the biggest retail networks outside of Hong Kong and China.

The purchase was prompted by the decision of Bucherer’s third-generation owner Jorg Bucherer, 86, to sell the business in the absence of direct descendants. Its integration into the Rolex group will be effective once the Swiss competition authorities approve the deal.

“This move reflects the Geneva-based brand’s desire to perpetuate the success of Bucherer and preserve the close partnership ties that have linked both companies since 1924,” says Rolex in the statement.

“The Rolex group is convinced that this acquisition is the best solution not only for its own brands, but also for all the watch and jewellery partner brands, as well as for all the employees of the Bucherer group.”

Bucherer was founded in 1888 in Lucerne, Switzerland, by Carl-Friedrich Bucherer. It has been retailing Rolex since 1924, with nearly two-thirds of its annual sales of almost two billion Swiss francs (S$3.06 billion) coming from the sales of Rolex and Tudor (Rolex’s sister company) timepieces.

Grand Seiko celebrates its ground-breaking Caliber 9S with two new models

It has been 25 years since Grand Seiko debuted its Caliber 9S, a landmark high-frequency movement which helped to solidify the brand’s reputation for accuracy. Since then, it has spawned many other movements boasting different mechanical prowess and intricacies.

To celebrate the Caliber 9S’ 25th anniversary, the Japanese luxe watch brand has released two new GMT timepieces in its Sport and Elegance collections. Both watches pay homage to the gloriously beautiful expanse of sky above Mount Iwate in Iwate prefecture, Japan, where the brand’s team of artisans assembles all its mechanical watches by hand. The view of the sky above Mount Iwate is visible from the Grand Seiko workshop.

The Sport Collection GMT watch (ref. SBGJ275) has a gorgeous blue dial depicting a spray of clouds over Mount Iwate at daybreak. 

Limited to 2,000 pieces, it is fitted with the Caliber 9S86, which has a frequency of 36,000 vibrations an hour, resulting in an accuracy of +5 to -3 seconds a day. The sapphire case back offers a view of the intricate movement, including the titanium oscillating weight rendered an eye-catching blue through an anodic oxidation process.

The Elegance Collection model (ref. SBGM253), meanwhile, boasts an azure blue sunray dial mirroring the splendid hue of the sky as seen from the peak of Mount Iwate. Limited to 1,700 pieces, it is fitted with the 9S66 GMT movement, which also has a titanium oscillating weight but in the darker Grand Seiko shade of blue.

Price: US$7,600 (S$10,315) for SBGJ275; US$5,600 for SBGM253

Tudor and Cortina stage The Spirit Of Daring Adventure exhibition

Tudor has teamed up with watch retailer Cortina to stage a pretty cool exhibition in the atrium of Paragon shopping mall. The Spirit Of Daring Adventure showcase offers a fascinating peek into the Swiss watch brand’s history and the inspiration behind many of its most iconic timepieces.

Besides showcasing an array of models, the 268 sq m space features some head-turning exhibits, chief of which is a reproduction of the M29 Weasel, a tracked vehicle used during the British North Greenland Expedition from 1952 to 1954. The 30 scientists on the expedition were outfitted with Tudor’s Oyster Prince – the brand’s first automatic and waterproof watch – as they studied the climate, geology and glacial activity in northern Greenland.

In 2022, Tudor celebrated the 70th anniversary of the expedition and the Born To Dare spirit of these adventurers with the release of the Ranger line.

Another highlight is an interactive biking area, which allows visitors to undertake the Tudor Time Trial Challenge Crans Montana and cycle along a virtual route, complete with stunning scenery and challenging terrain. Tudor has brought the spirt of derring-do into the world of cycling through its partnership with Swiss professional road-racing cyclist Fabian Cancellara.  

There are limited guided slots to the free exhibition, which is open from 10am to 8.30pm and ends on Sunday. To book a slot, go to str.sg/iSqh

Padel player Fernando Belasteguin joins Richard Mille family

Swiss luxury watchmaker Richard Mille has welcomed a new addition to its family of brand partners, which includes Spanish tennis pro Rafael Nadal and Malaysian actress Michelle Yeoh – professional padel player Fernando Belasteguin. 

Ranked world No. 1 from 2002 to 2017, the Argentinian is a legend in the sport – a cross between squash, tennis and badminton – which was invented in Mexico in the 1960s. He claimed no fewer than 230 of the 286 finals he played, a feat quite unparalleled in any other sport.

“The ball goes very fast, but the key is not so much the speed but the concentration. On the court, I am totally in the zone,” says the sportsman, affectionately known to many as Bela. 

By joining the Richard Mille family, he hopes to grow the popularity of padel. According to the International Padel Federation, more than 25 million people play the sport in over 90 countries. In 2020, the sportsman also founded the first Bela Padel Centre, a padel-specific sport complex in Alicante, Spain.

Longines expands HydroConquest line with GMT watches

Longines is expanding its HydroConquest collection by introducing eight new models with a GMT complication, a first for the line since it was introduced in 2007 as the brand’s modern dive watch. The GMT function allows the time to be displayed simultaneously in two time zones. 

The new range comes with four dial colour options – black, blue, green and brown. The heart beating in these 41mm iterations is the new Longines caliber L844.5, an ETA-based movement with a silicon balance spring and components fashioned from non-magnetic materials.  

Water-resistant to 300m and with a 72-hour power reserve, the watches have a stainless steel case with a unidrectional ceramic bezel. The hour hands boast a gilt or silver finish and are coated with SuperLuminova, making it easy to tell the time in the dark.

They come with a stainless steel bracelet with redesigned H-shaped links and a micro-adjusting clasp, or rubber or Nato-style straps in colours complementing the dial.

Price: $4,030 to $4,160