Gary Neville joins Swiss watchmaker Norqain’s board ahead of UK launch Retail Gary Neville has joined the board of Swiss watchmaker Norqain as it prepares to launch in the UK. The former Manchester United and England footballer now works as a TV pundit as well as having a portfolio of business interests. They include two hotels in Manchester as well as a property development company and hosting [...]
H Samuel and Ernest Jones owner cuts loss despite £40m sales hit Retail The company behind high street jewellers H Samuel and Ernest Jones significantly cut its loss despite sales falling by almost £40m during its latest financial year. The Birmingham-headquartered business has reported a pre-tax loss of £483,000 for the year to 3 February, 2024, down from the £8.9m loss it posted in its prior 12 months. [...]
Watchfinder continues in the red as sales tick below £100m Retail Watchfinder continued to make a heavy loss during its latest financial year as its sales dipped below the £100m mark. The London-headquartered business, which sells second-hand watches, has reported a pre-tax loss of £12.6m for the 12 months to 31 March 2024. The figure comes after the firm also lost £12m in the prior year. [...]
When it comes to luxury watches, the 1990s are back, baby! October 20, 2024 It’s an observation likely to provoke a torrent of below-the-line abuse in watch nerd circles. But here we go: luxury watches as we know and love them owe their existence to a surprisingly modern confluence of circumstances. While the mechanics inside still tick to the tune of 200-year-old technology something happened in the decade that’s [...]
The latest watch news from Swatch, Saint Laurent and more October 20, 2024 The latest goings-on in the world of haute horlogerie, from a back-to-the-future 1970s LED digital to Swatch’s new Mission on Earth range and an actually-futuristic LED analogue DIODE TO JOY In the early 1970s, Girard-Perregaux took it upon itself to develop (at huge cost) its own battery-powered movement, the Calibre 350. Appropriately, the 350 launched [...]
The reinvention of watch firm Hublot, from sci-fi artistry timepieces to sapphire and titanium October 19, 2024 Introducing brave new disciplines to Hublot’s universe is the sci-fi artistry of Daniel Arsham, reports Alex Doak This issue’s ‘Watching the Watchmen’ feature charts the 1990s multi-pronged reinvention of the ’luxury timepiece’ as we know it, and Hublot is a key player. Admittedly, its porthole case and rubber strap was a tough sell on launch [...]
Rolex: Sales at luxury watch maker rise time after time October 10, 2024 Sales at the UK arm of Rolex rose by almost £80m during 2023, for the 17th consecutive year. The London-headquartered division has reported a turnover of £685.2m for the 12 months, up from the £608.1m it achieved in 2022. Newly-filed accounts with Companies House also show that its pre-tax profit increased from £59.4m to £65.8m [...]
Far East sales sparkle at diamond jeweller and luxury watchmaker Graff September 18, 2024 A surge in Far East sales more than offset a decline in US revenue at diamond jeweller and luxury watchmaker Graff during its latest financial year, it has been revealed. The London-headquartered business has reported a revenue of $842.2m (£637.5m) for 2023, up from the $724.8m (£523.6m) it posted for 2022, newly-filed accounts with Companies [...]
Top hire for British luxury watch brand Christopher Ward September 9, 2024 Luxury watch brand Christopher Ward has appointed an advertising and marketing veteran as its new chief operating officer. Sarah Baumann will join the Maidenhead-headquartered brand on 23 September, having most recently been managing director of social media and influencer agency, The Wild by Jungle from February 2023 to March this year. Prior to that, she [...]
Profit slashed in half at Swiss watch brand Swatch September 6, 2024 Profit at Swiss watch brand Swatch was cut by more than half during its latest financial year despite its sales increasing further past the £200m mark. The London-headquartered division has reported a pre-tax profit of £11.1m for 2023, down from the £23.6m it posted for 2022. According to newly-filed accounts with Companies House, Swatch has [...]