Watches & Wonders 2025: Daily Episodes Live From Geneva | Day 4

On this week's episode of The Business of Watches, a frank discussion with one of the most powerful women in the world of horology. Hind Seddiqi is the Chief Executive Officer of Dubai Watch Week, an event that's grown and matured to become one of the few truly top-tier events on the watch sector calendar. As CEO of the biennial gathering, Seddiqi oversees the team that decides which brands get to exhibit their wares, which executives and collectors get to speak on the industry panels, and exactly how the massive show is staged, presented, and organized. This year's Dubai Watch Week was the most successful edition yet and marked a new era of international profile for an idea launched a decade ago by the United Arab Emirates retailer Ahmed Seddiqi as a way to showcase watchmaking and inform locals about the industry. Housed in a new, larger, and purpose-built venue near the Burj Khalifa, Dubai Watch Week 2025 welcomed a record 49,000 visitors this year, a 113% increase from the previous edition. The event, marking the 75th anniversary of the Seddiqi family retail empire, saw a wave of collector groups fly in from around the world to attend a show that offers up close and personal access to many of the biggest names in watchmaking, from Max Büsser to Roger Smith, to Rexhep Rexhepi, and the CEO of A. Lange & Söhne, Wilhelm Schmid. Hind Seddiqi says one of her biggest challenges now is preserving the casual, spontaneous, and intimate feel of Dubai Watch Week as demand for a place at the table continues to rise. She talks about Dubai, its torrid growth (and punishing traffic) and the city's increasingly important role in the international economy and how she plans to manage the demands and expectations of a massively popular event. Want to subscribe so you never miss an episode? This new show is being published to the original Hodinkee Podcasts feed, so you can subscribe wherever you find your podcasts, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or TuneIn.Show Notes: 3:08 Dubai Watch Week4:32 Ahmed Seddiqi 5:03 A Rare Look Inside The Incredible Collection Of Mohammed Seddiqi At Dubai Watch Week9:09 Dubai Watch Week Masterclasses10:31 Audemars Piguet "House of Wonders" at Dubai Watch Week 12:15 Dubai population growth (Gulf News) 16:05 Francis Ford Coppola's Personal 'FFC' Sells for $10.755 million, The Most Expensive F.P. Journe Ever Sold17:30 Dubai Mall 20:50 Rolex CEO Says Brand Won't Significantly Expand Own Retail And Will Continue To Work With Authorized Dealers23:15 Top Swiss Watch CEOs Talk Leadership And Strategy Amid Industry Challenges At Dubai Watch Week26:30 Tudor Launches New Ranger In 36MM At Dubai Watch Week  

James Lamdin is a sage voice of reason and experience in the vintage watch market. He's earned those titles through his years in the business. A co-founder of the OG collector meetup RedBar Group, Lamdin went on to found Analog Shift, the vintage and pre-owned dealer acquired by Watches of Switzerland (also the parent company of Hodinkee) in 2020. In a conversation recorded live in front of an audience at UBS House of Craft in New York City in October, Lamdin breaks down the vintage and pre-owned watch market, how we got here, where we've been, and where we're likely going. He also gives plenty of useful insight on what it means for a second-hand watch to be truly authenticated and how collectors need to stay curious to get the most out of their watch-collecting journey. Lamdin proves himself a wealth of knowledge when it comes to used timepieces and what anyone should be thinking about when they're considering buying pre-owned. We had a blast recording this episode, especially taking questions from the audience. Be sure to leave any thoughts, comments, or questions in the comments, and we'll do our best to respond. Show Notes00:30 James Lamdin and Analog Shift 2:00 Bloomberg.com4:15 The Biggest Ever Boom In Swiss Watches is Coming to an End4:45 Watches of Switzerland Group USA Acquires Analogue Shift6:09 Secondary Market Rolex and Patek Price Rise, Fall and Recovery10:00 U.S. Tariffs Impact On Secondary Market 12:11 Under The Radar: American Watches16:00 RedBar Group 20:40 Omega Speedmaster Professional 23:00 Rolex Certified Pre-Owned 25:15 There are not enough watchmakers 35:54 Secondary Watch Market To Top New Sales By 2033 At $85 Billion 39:13 Neo Vintage Watches 41:01 The Military Industrial Complex 44:24 Cartier Tank Americaine Diamond 48:31 Ebay Authentication For Watches  

On this week's episode of The Business of Watches, we're doing something a little different. We're taking your questions, and we've got a special guest as Hodinkee Editor-In-Chief, James Stacey, joins the podcast to help answer your queries on the business side of the dial. We hit a lot of topics, from the best perpetual calendars under $20,000, to rising watch prices, the recent surge in Swiss watch exports to the U.K., and just how popular is Halloween in Switzerland? It's a fun episode, and we hope you enjoy it. Be sure to leave any thoughts or questions in the comments section, and we'll do our best to respond. Want to subscribe so you never miss an episode? This new show is being published to the original Hodinkee Podcasts feed, so you can subscribe wherever you find your podcasts, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or TuneIn.This episode of The Business of Watches is brought to you by Panerai. Click here to learn more about the Luminor Collection.Show Notes:2:30 How Halloween Became Part of Swiss Culture 3:20 William Friedkin's Sorcerer5:20 Simon Brette  5:25 Akrivia / Rexhep Rexhepi 6:10 MB&F 8:05 Sylvain Berneron 9:30 Omega Watches13:00 Omega Speedmaster Professional (White dial)13:30 New Speedmaster Dark Side of The Moon 15:40 Niels Eggerding interview16:20 FC Classic Perpetual Calendar 16:50 Furlan Marri Perpetual One18:00 Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Ultra Thin Perpetual Calendar18:30 Montblanc Heritage Perpetual Calendar 19:30 IWC DaVinci Perpetual Calendar Ref. 3750 (Fratello)19:40 Panerai 22:10 Swiss Watch Export Statistics 29:00 What Richemont and Swatch Financial Results Tell Us About The State of The Swiss Watch Industry35:40 Tissot PRX Powermatic 80 38 MM in Damascus Steel (Hodinkee) 35:45 Longines 35:54 Sinn Watches 

On this episode of The Business of Watches Podcast we drop in on Niels Eggerding, the CEO of Frederique Constant (and sister marque Alpina), at the brand's headquarters in Plan-les-Ouates, Switzerland near Geneva. Eggerding has been in the corner office since 2018 and has steered FC through a series of challenges and triumphs during his time leading the company. The Dutchman has brought more high horology and cool collaborations to the value and volume-driven brand, including perpetual calendars and tourbillons as well as more precious-metal cases. But it's a delicate balance for Frederique Constant as value-priced watches still account for more than 90% of its production volumes. Amid rising input costs and a strong Swiss franc, not to mention the challenge of U.S. tariffs, Eggerding's biggest challenge is maintaining FC's value proposition while burnishing its reputation as a serious watchmaker able to produce high-end timepieces. At the same time, he has to keep delivering sales and profit for the brand's owner, Citizen of Japan.  On this episode of The Business of Watches Podcast, we drop in on Niels Eggerding, the CEO of Frederique Constant (and sister marque Alpina), at the brand's headquarters in Plan-les-Ouates, Switzerland, near Geneva.We hope you enjoy our conversation with Niels Eggerding. Be sure to leave any thoughts or questions in the comments section, and we'll do our best to respond. Want to subscribe so you never miss an episode? This new show is being published to the original Hodinkee Podcasts feed, so you can subscribe wherever you find your podcasts, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or TuneIn.Show Notes:4:10 Frederique Constant Worldtimer 5:00 FC Classic Perpetual Calendar 5:31 Company history and milestones6:00 Vacheron Constantin7:30 Citizen8:30 La Joux-Perret 10:15 LJP solar quartz movement in Tag Heuer 12:30 Manufacture collection 12:45 Highlife collection16:00 New manufacture QP in 40mm case22:00 FC Women's collection23:23 FC Manchette 28:00 U.S. tariffs and watch prices43:00 FC YouTube channel 

On this week's The Business Of Watches podcast, we catch up with Antoine Pin, the Chief Executive Officer of Tag Heuer. He's having quite a year. The brand is in the first season of a new decade-long deal to be the official timekeeping sponsor of Formula 1. It's a high-profile, multi-brand agreement that, if executed correctly, could launch Tag Heuer to a whole new level of visibility. But it also comes at a challenging time for the global economy and the watch industry in general as soaring input costs, a strong Swiss franc, and U.S. tariffs on Swiss goods take a toll on margins and confidence.Pin tells us Tag Heuer has plenty of experience overcoming tough challenges. When the brand launched the first version of its carbon hairspring technology in 2019, there were issues. But the Tag Heuer laboratory didn't give up, and now it's back with a new version, which it says has overcome the problems. We hope you enjoy our conversation with Antoine Pin. Be sure to leave any thoughts or questions in the comments section, and we'll do our best to respond.Want to subscribe so you never miss an episode? This new show is being published to the original Hodinkee Podcasts feed, so you can subscribe wherever you find your podcasts, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or TuneIn.Show Notes: 4:10 Tag Heuer at Geneva Watch Days 6:48 Previous issues with carbon9:00 New carbon spring oscillator solution11:10 Silicon hairspring13:00 Tag Heuer Formula 1 15:15 Cautious production20:00 Tag Heuer Monaco Split-Seconds Chronograph (CHF 155,000) 25:30 Tariffs and price increases 

Georges Kern is emphatic. The Breitling Chief Executive Officer isn't slowing down on plans to expand his company's reach. Even as U.S. tariffs and economic headwinds challenge the industry, Kern is pushing ahead with planned launches of the Universal Geneve and Gallet brands in 2026. He's already orchestrated rapid growth and value creation at the historic Breitling marque since taking on the top job in 2017. Breitling was sold to private equity partners for less than a billion dollars that year. In late 2022, a change in majority shareholder valued the company at more than $4 billion, sources said at the time.  But now with the industry facing a host of economic and political pressures, Kern's expansion efforts are being tested. In a candid interview, he says the luxury watch industry is poised for an eventual rebound. People won't delay purchases forever, he says, and when they're ready, he expects his growing stable of brands to have the right products to match the wants and needs of new clients.Show Notes:Show Notes:5:00 Breitling's deal with the NFL 5:50 Breitling watches6:00 Morgan Stanley LuxeConsult Watch Market Report 7:10 Breitling Emergency 8:00 Breitling Top Time10:21 Breitling Navitimer 15:30 Panerai 18:15 Breitling to Relaunch Gallet22:30 Universal Geneve 26:10 Hermés Bags 27:00 Price of gold 29:40 How the Swiss watch industry is dealing with tariffs 32:20 What's up with watch prices? 34:30 Swiss Watch Exports 35:40 China Watch Market 38:10 Carpe Diem 

Sylvain Berneron is in high demand, and so are his watch designs. Just last week, a 34-millimeter version of his debut time-only watch, the Berneron Mirage, came up for public auction for the first time, and bidding soared beyond the CHF80,000 high estimate to fetch a staggering CHF241,300, including fees. Having previously worked in the automotive industry with BMW, Berneron is a designer who has now chosen watchmaking as the canvas to express himself and his ideas. After departing the big brand corporate atmosphere of Breitling, he's enjoyed significant success so far with his own brand and has just unveiled his second collection - Quantième - and an annual calendar that brings a unique, yet superbly finished, movement architecture to the complication that aims to simplify setting and provide a stress-free experience for the user. Sized at just 38 millimeters in diameter and 10 millimeters thick, the dial design is both stunning and innovative in the way the time and date are displayed, while the platinum case features removable (and replaceable) steel elements that act as bumpers and guards for the precious metal. But this podcast is about business, and Berneron indulged us with a lengthy, candid, and exceedingly in-depth discussion about his plan for building a brand and sustainable company that bears his family name. He tells us why he's set up shop in a Swiss industrial park, the business strategy behind limiting production to less than 25 of each specific watch per year, and why he's turned down creative jobs at Rolex and tens of millions of dollars in financing from potential investors despite having barely a holiday or weekend off for the last half-decade. It's a deep dive into the business strategy and plan of a young, driven, red-hot watch brand that's trying to make it for the long haul. We hope you enjoy. Show Notes:3:20 Berneron Quantième Annuel 4:45 Berneron SA 6:20 Panerai manufacture in Neuchatel 13:00 BMW Research and Innovation Centre13:40 Breitling 18:20 Ben Clymer on founding Hodinkee and a professional life in watches24:00 White label watch manufacturers in Switzerland include companies like Roventa-Henex 25:50 Swiss watch components makers include companies like Acrotec, the biggest supplier 32:15 Breitling Sells Controlling Stake to CVC Capital32:50 Nicolas G. Hayek Sr. 40:20 Building Resilient Teams: What Business Can Learn From Military Cohesion 42:20 Employee Share Plans In Switzerland: A Regulatory Overview47:00 Long-term commercial lease agreements in Switzerland: An Overview49:00 Panerai 51:10 Hands On Review Of The Berneron Mirage59:30 Family Offices 1:11:00 Mountain Survival Tips for Beginners1:12:03 Audemars Piguet Buys Key Supplier1:16:30 GPHG Audacity Prize Awarded to Sylvain Berneron1:17:00 Why Using Your Last Name Is The Last Way To Name Your Company (Forbes)1:18:56 Business Ethics Key Principals (Investopedia) 1:19:02 Simon Sinek 1:21:35 The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People1:23:10 MB&F1:23:20 Simon Brette1:23:25 Xhevdet Rexhepi 1:23:28 Rexhep Rexhepi 1:23:30 Petermann Bédat1:24:50 When Art Is Putting Yourself In Danger (CBC) 1:26:30 The Art of War (Sun Tzu) 1:27:06 Trust The Process (Simon Sinek) 1:31:49 The Transformative Power of Sabbaticals (Harvard Business Review) 1:37:00 Luxury and Socially Valued Behavior (Columbia Business School)1:38:05 Germany's Car Industry Crisis 1:39:00 Hans Wilsdorf Foundation 1:41:00 Inside Rolex (Ben Clymer)1:45:00 Patek Philippe Calatrava Collection1:45:45 Fiasco (Wikipedia) 1:46:20 Batman Two-Face 1:53:00 Fathers Give Watch Collecting Advice (Hodinkee)1:55:20 Christopher Ward1:55:45 Swatch Group 1:58:00 MoonSwatch Phenomenon (Hodinkee)

Welcome to the first episode of a brand new podcast for Hodinkee. It's called The Business of Watches, and it's hosted by me, Andy Hoffman. Each episode, delivered once every two weeks, will feature conversations with authors, CEOs, industry insiders, and fellow journalists as we uncover the business behind your favorite watches and watch brands. Want to subscribe so you never miss an episode? This new show is being published to the original Hodinkee Podcasts feed, so you can subscribe wherever you find your podcasts, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or TuneIn.Episode 01 - Rolex, The Making Of A Status Symbol With Author Pierre-Yves DonzéNotoriously secretive when it comes to its operations and accounts, there haven't been a lot of business-focused books on Rolex, the biggest and most successful Swiss watch brand. At least until now, that is. Academic and professor of business history at Osaka University, Pierre-Yves Donzé is the author of The Making Of A Status Symbol, A business history of Rolex translated and published in English this year.  We wanted to start our new podcast, The Business of Watches, by talking about the most important Swiss brand, and Donzé serves as an ideal guest, explaining the decisions and events that shaped Rolex into what it is today. The episode is full of revelations, from how Rolex dealt with the business challenges of a strong Swiss franc and the arrival of quartz, to how the brand overtook Omega in sales, and the critical role the U.S. has played in the company's history and success. Thanks so much for listening, and be sure to drop by the comments section if you have any thoughts or questions on the episode. We'll be back in two weeks with another episode of The Business of Watches. If you have any questions for an upcoming Q&A episode, please leave them in the comments below. This episode of The Business of Watches is brought to you by Panerai. Click here to learn more about the Luminor Collection.Show Notes: 3:40 The Making Of A Status Symbol, A Business History of Rolex (Manchester University Press)5:25 Pierre-Yves Donzé7:25 Rolex 10:30 Hans Wilsdorf15:00 Rolex Kew A16:01 COSC18:10 Aegler SA and Rolex20:50 UK taxation during WWI24:30 Rolex Oyster case26:00 Panerai 28:05 Rolex company history 1926-194530:50 Rolex Cosmograph Daytona32:00 André Heiniger33:50 Hans Wilsdorf Foundation35:20 Rolex Explorer Ad 1960s (Ad Patina)36:38 J. Walter Thompson 39:20 Arnold Palmer (Rolex Magazine)40:30 Mark McCormack 43:30 Omega 45:00 Placido Domingo 47:00 Rolex Oysterquartz51:26 Rolex Lady-Datejust53:30 Rare interview with Rolex CEO Jean-Frédéric Dufour about Watches and Wonders (NZZ)1:00:30 Rolex Land-Dweller Business History

It's the last day of the show, and James is joined by Malaika, Mark, and Tim to discuss our general impressions of the show, Tim's experience as a first-timer, and some of the highlights we saw from a day full of meetings with Sinn, Bulgari, Laurent Ferrier, Parmigiani, and more. We hope you loved the episodes, and if you want more podcasts about the fair and all the new watches, let us know in the comments.

For the team's third day at Watches and Wonders, James is joined by Rich, Malaika, and Tim to talk over our highlights from another full day of fun at the fair. We get into everything from the latest Panerai models and the new (and very bleu) execution of the Chanel J12 to some deeper picks from Cartier and James' experience with a fun and colorful new travel-focused Club Sport model from Nomos.