Wong Mei Ling, managing director (Singapore) of The Hour Glass One of the most sought-after timepieces this summer is the Rolex Cosmograph Daytona. It is one sports chronograph that needs no introduction. And in the new everose gold version enhanced with a black monobloc cerachrom bezel, the new Daytona will not only appeal to men, but women too. Ditto for Patek Philippe Ref. 5270 – a fine example of Patek’s ability to create what is arguably the world’s finest perpetual calendar chronograph. The flared lugs on this new execution lend it a vintage, old school look. As for something sportier, the Hublot King Power Oceanographic 4000 is the piece du jour. A powerful piece, it gives the wearer a natural state of strength and confidence.
Ong Ban, chief executive officer, Sincere Watch Limited
Iconic models like the Rolex Explorer and Patek Philippe’s perpetual chronographs have been relaunched with even greater product enhancements, while retaining all heritage attributes. On the technical aspect, the level on workmanship in complicated movements has been raised another few bars, particularly in pieces from Franck Muller. Which is why generally, horological fans are delighted with the improvement in the treatment of details of pieces this year. That also explains why the Patek Philippe Ref. 5270, Franck Muller Giga Tourbillon and Rolex Yachtmaster II in rose gold/steel rank among the top pieces this summer.
Kelvin Lim, general manager, Dickson Watch & Jewellery
Most customers preferred something that is classic or more lasting, especially when many companies decided to go back to basics to meet the market demand, particularly from Asia. And the brands’ tradition and legacy are emphasised too. For us, Chopard Happy Sport continues to dominate the ladies’ market. Women find the free-flowing diamonds on the dial memorable and fun – a huge draw for them. Omega and Rolex are perennial favourites too: the former for its Constellation – its unique claws and bezel make it one of the most visible status watches in the Asia – and the latter for its Lady Datejust. Honestly, if the Rolex Lady Datejust were a brand by itself, it would probably be one of the largest selling brands in the world.
USA :
Denis Boulle, de Boulle, (Dallas, Texas): Our Patek Philippe and Rolex sales continue to thrive and grow. Sales of some of our other lines are also continuing to grow. It appears that in uncertain times people are continuing to purchase fine quality watches for the same reasons they are investing in diamonds and gold. We believe our wealthier clients can justify spending money on these items since they see that it has long term potential to retain and grow in value in these uncertain times. The three top watches this summer were the Patek Philippe 5960p in platinum, the Rolex steel Submariner and the Breguet Marine.
Robin Levinson, Levinson Jewelers (Fort Lauderdale, Floride): the bestselling watches this year are IWC, Panerai always and Jaeger-LeCoultre. Franck Muller has been selling well for women and men and Hermes, which is new for us, is flying out the door. The three top watches for the summer were: the IWC Yacht Club rose gold with the anthracite dial. Large size, fits flat to the wrist and the color combo of the dial and rose gold is awesome; the Franck Muller rose gold Mariner with black dial and blue numbers; and the Hermes ladies Cape Cod double tour strap numbers; and the diamonds.
Jeremy Oster, Oster Jewelers (Denver, Colorado): This year Audemars Piguet, Ulysse Nardin and Hublot are our leading brands. This is not surprising as all three of these brands are firmly established top-tier manufacturers and each has a clear and well-defined identity which has been consistent. Additionally, each of the three brands has been proven to the consumer over a great many years and has cultivated a passionate following amongst collectors. We are also seeing that our customers are giving more thought to their purchases than ever before and doing more research.
Greg Simonian, Westime (Los Angeles, Californie): The top three selling watches of 2011 so far, in alphabetical order, are: Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore; Hublot Big Bang; and Richard Mille RM 011.
ITALY
Marco Dragoni, Great Master of Time (Milan and Porto Cervo) : Harry Winston is clearly the leader in our two points of sale, with men opting for the Z6 or the Ocean, and women for the Premier collection. In both Milan and Porto Cervo, the J12 by Chanel comes next, and particularly the new Chromatic model. The more international clientele on the island of Sardinia tends to favour large-size but not necessarily classic models, such as pieces by Urwerk that especially attract American customers. In Milan, connoisseurs greatly appreciate FP Journe.
Fabio Bertini, Pisa Orologeria (Milan) : Our company offers only high-end brands, with sales clearly dominated by Patek Philippe and Rolex. In periods of crisis, customers tend to turn to safe long-term investments. Behind these champions comes a group of frontrunners composed of Audemars Piguet, Jaeger-LeCoultre, IWC, Panerai and Vacheron Constantin. The last quarter was clearly driven by Chinese customers, who tend to favour gold watches.
Nino Rapisarda, Orologeria Rapisarda (Catania and Taormina) : While the extreme high-end segment is in greatest demand among the Russian customers in our boutique, who primarily focus on Cartier for women and Ulysse Nardin for men, the segment just below features IWC (chronographs and the Portofino collection) vying with Omega (Seamaster and Speedmaster), Chanel (the J12 models) and Panerai. Generally speaking, the average price of the medium-range segment has dropped, with Longines (Héritage and HydroConquest) and Hamilton (Jazzmaster) asserting themselves strongly.
