GMT 92 paper version - Summer

Are you interested in Haute Horlogerie? Are you a watches aficionado? Since 2000, GMT  Magazine tells you more about the inside of watchland.

GMT No 92 - Summer

Plain sailing

Our magnificent watchmaking sector has not escaped the current economic turmoil, caught between the proverbial (American) rock and (Chinese) hard place, a situation obliging the vast majority of brands to trim their sails... The
industry leaders we interviewed, who are no strangers to weather warnings, know how to adjust course when the
skies look threatening. Two of them operate in the accessible luxury segment, which is highly prized and strategic amid stormy seas, when customers tend to avoid excessive spending: Baume & Mercier and Frederique Constant. While not always plain sailing, the history of watchmaking has been consistently turned towards the ocean. Among the major
Maisons commemorating a jubilee this year, Breguet – which is celebrating the 250th anniversary of its founding – has always enjoyed close ties with maritime feats. Its new CEO talks about the new horizons opening up for the brand.
Our editorial team has chosen an aquatic theme for the magazine’s main feature – perhaps with upcoming vacations in mind? The watchmakers whose ingeniously complicated creations we analyse in our Tech Insights section certainly deserve a holiday. Their latest accomplishments notably include the perpetual calendars introduced at Watches
and Wonders; the revival of the legendary Zenith G.F.J. Caliber 135 evaluated on our test bench; the extraordinary automata by Van Cleef & Arpels; the RM4301 splitseconds tourbillon chronograph symbolizing the symbiosis between Ferrari and Richard Mille; as well first and foremost TAG Heuer’s Monaco SplitSeconds Chronograph I F1® that is both
gracing the cover of this magazine and spearheading TAG Heuer’s grand return to Formula 1. At the end of the summer, on the shores of Lake Geneva, Geneva Watch Days are gearing up for their sixth edition with a record number
of exhibitors of all sizes. Is this a good omen? The unmissable GMT party will this time be dedicated to the magazine’s 25th anniversary. Sincere thanks to our wonderful watchmaking community for inspiring us in all that we do!

BRICE LECHEVALIER I Founder and Editor-in-Chief