From the home of motor racing

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From the home of motor racing     - Editorial
1 minute read
Industry growth and challenges, SalonQP and two watch tributes from TAG Heuer.

WorldTempus was among the first to publish news of the Parmigiani Fleurier Bugatti Type 390 watch last week. As I announced in last Monday’s newsletter, it was one of two major launches during the week. The second was a new incarnation of Jaquet Droz’s automaton watch in the form of the Tropical Bird Repeater. I expect to come back to both of these models in more detail once I’ve had chance to see them for myself over the next month or so.

We look at the state of the watch industry this week from two different perspectives. On Wednesday, Quentin Mayerat shares some of the key findings from the year’s industry report by Deloitte and concludes that things are on the up. The latest figures from the Swiss Watch industry federation also confirm the upward trend. Today, I look at the same Deloitte report from a different angle, pointing out some of the challenges that the industry is facing.

This week I am in the United Kingdom for a couple of days of relaxation punctuated by a watch show and two exciting motorsport-themed events organised by TAG Heuer. Last Friday, while all Formula 1 fans were turning their heads towards the free practice sessions in Mexico, I enjoyed a privileged look behind the scenes at Red Bull Racing HQ in Milton Keynes, where a whole team of engineers crunch data and tune the TAG Heuer-powered cars from the other side of the world. Read all about it later this week, along with news of two new tribute watches from brand.

On Thursday WorldTempus will be at London’s Saatchi Gallery for this year’s edition of SalonQP, where a number of new watches will be on show and some brands will be making their debut (it’s good to see some “Brentry” among so much talk of “Brexit”). Read my preview on the opening day on Thursday for a summary of what you can see at the show.

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