Francois-Henri Pinault, CEO of the French luxury conglomerate, Kering, has recently announced his company’s acquisition of Ulysse Nardin. Famed for its intricate designs, in-house movements, and pioneering in the use of silicon components, Ulysse Nardin is a legend in the Swiss watchmaking industry. According to Pinault, the addition of this brand will not only be highly profitable initially, but will continuously foster revenue for years to come.
Read MoreWithout a doubt, I can surely say I’ve got a keen eye for watches of merit. Today, at Christie’s, I tried on everything from a steel ‘72 Daytona with a once black dial that had wondrously aged into a rich deep-brown tone, to an oddly shaped Serpico y Laino signed Patek that I, honestly, did not even know existed. These watches may break sale records, along with a couple dozen more, but the quality of a wristwatch does not hinge on the number of digits you have to write out in your checkbook to acquire that piece. Naturally, I wandered over to the “no reserve” case to get a sense of what was being offered to guys like me who, let’s just say, haven’t the luxury of throwing down a stack of cash on a new addition to their collection. In this “no reserve” case were some pretty astonishing watches that I would never expect to see...
Read More