Amidst numerous sailing events and the launch of a brand-new Christophe Claret watch for ladies, there were a number of other events over the past month that touched on the world of watchmaking in different ways, from those related directly to the activities of GMT Publishing to the familiar fields of motor racing and rather more unusual subjects, such as the battle of Waterloo.
The latest issue of GMT magazine was published last month [/article/industry-news/gmt-ete-le-bonheur-au-poignet-2449554], containing a special supplement on the Geneva Watch Tour. To coincide with the start of the tourist season in Geneva, the Geneva Watch Tour also opened a photography exhibition at the Cité du Temps showcasing 24 images that capture traces of watchmaking DNA in the the city’s architecture. You can see the photos in our gallery and individual prints are available to order.
Since the fit between automobile and watches is so perfect, a number of brands have associated themselves with the great “concours d’élégance”. The most recent of these was the Concorso d’Eleganza Pininfarina, which was held on the lawns of the Castello del Valentino near Turin. The event’s natural watchmaking partner was Bovet, since the manufacture has been a partner of Italian design house Pininfarina for the past five years and its Ottanta tourbillon was born from the partnership. Bovet’s owner, Pascal Raffy, attended the Concorso d’Eleganza Pininfarina in person to hand over the winner’s trophy together with personal friend Paolo Pininfarina.
Switching from the peaceful lawns of a castle to the high-octane environment of the racetrack, Cvstos announced an interesting new partnership. Teaming up with a motor racing team is nothing new in the world of watchmaking, but the new partnership sees Cvstos sharing the exposure with men’s lifestyle magazine Leon in the Super GT series.
The bicentenary of the Battle of Waterloo may seem a more unlikely event to draw in watchmakers, yet Breguet, which counts the Bonaparte family among its customers, played an important part in the anniversary celebrations as a major private sponsor of the conservation of Hougoumont Farm.
