Worldtempus

A letter from our editor that goes well beyond watchmaking.

Written by Anders Modig Davin, this piece takes Blancpain's centennial tribute to Marilyn Monroe as a starting point for a broader reflection on truth, transparency, and honor in the watch industry and beyond.

Blancpain is singled out for being upfront about what is known and unknown regarding Monroe's original timepiece, a welcome contrast to an industry that has not always treated its own history with the same honesty. The most striking example in the piece: a historical brand that engraved a pocket watch in the 21st century to make it appear historical.

At a moment when truth is being reshaped across business, politics, and media, Anders asks a simple question. Could we do better?

Full article on WorldTempus.com : https://en.worldtempus.com/article/business-news/letter-editor-truth-matters-82788.html

A. Lange & Söhne has a habit of setting the standard for what a grand complication should look like. The Lange 1 Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar "Lumen" may be the clearest statement of that ambition yet.

In a piece by Victoria Gomelsky, WorldTempus covers the new 41.9mm platinum watch, limited to 50 pieces, that unites a tourbillon with stop-seconds and a perpetual calendar with peripheral month ring and instantaneously switching displays under a smoky sapphire dial. The stop-seconds mechanism, patented by the manufacture in 2008, allows the tourbillon to be set to the exact second simply by pulling the crown.

The finishing is exceptional. Black polish, applied by hand, covers the tourbillon cage, c**k, and intermediate-wheel c**k. The self-winding calibre L225.1 pairs an 18-karat white gold rotor with an external platinum centrifugal ring for a 50-hour power reserve.

"It's basically all in. There's nothing missing." Wilhelm Schmid, CEO.

Full article on WorldTempus : https://en.worldtempus.com/article/watch-knowledge/lange-and-sohne-goes-all-its-newest-grail-watch-lange-and-sohne-82724.html

Kross Studio is no more. The brand founded by Marco Tedeschi in 2020 is transitioning to his own name, and the reasons behind that decision reveal a great deal about where independent watchmaking is heading.

In a piece by Anders Modig Davin, WorldTempus sits down with Tedeschi to unpack an ecosystem that now includes three distinct pillars: Marco Tedeschi for his own watches, Kross for collaborations extending beyond entertainment, and a manufacture in which Chanel holds a 30% stake. That manufacture produces watches, components, and ébauches for some of the industry's biggest names, including Swatch Group, Richemont, LVMH, and Audemars Piguet.

The latest piece is the MT1.1, an evolution of the MT1 featuring a hand-wound central tourbillon, a new power reserve indicator, a three-part case with removable bezel, and a lead-free nickel silver movement. Around 100 pieces will be produced in 2026.

Looking further ahead, Tedeschi has a plan for 12 movements over the next 20 years, covering perpetual calendars, chiming watches, and entirely new mechanisms. "Form follows the movement" is the guiding principle.

Full article on WorldTempus : https://en.worldtempus.com/article/business-news/marco-tedeschi-wont-get-kross-82794.html

Few watches carry as much history as the TAG Heuer Monaco. Fewer still earn a new chapter as compelling as this one.

In a piece by Simon de Burton, WorldTempus covers the Monaco Speed 12, unveiled at the Formula 1 Louis Vuitton Grand Prix de Monaco. The watch adapts the Spin Time movement, originally created by Michel Navas and Enrico Barbasini for Louis Vuitton, into TAG Heuer's Calibre TH84-00. Twelve miniature pistons, brushed and sandblasted, engraved with lacquered black Arabic numerals, rotate in sequence to indicate the hours as a dashboard-inspired minute hand completes each rotation.

The 40mm titanium case features a square sapphire bezel, sapphire caseback, and four DLC-treated open-worked arches suspending the movement at each corner. A black rubber strap with embossed textile pattern and red stitching completes the automotive references.

Full article on WorldTempus : https://en.worldtempus.com/article/business-news/tag-heuer-monaco-speed-12-born-grand-prix-tag-heuer-82793.html

50 years after the ISO 3159 standard defined what a precision chronometer is, COSC is taking its expertise beyond the lab and into the hands of watch enthusiasts.

At Watches and Wonders 2026, the Official Swiss Chronometer Testing Institute let visitors test their own watches, discover the surprising effect of magnetism on movement accuracy, and experience firsthand how gravity alone changes the way a movement runs depending on its position. A 92% of surveyed visitors confirmed that independent certification is an essential reference when choosing a watch.

Worth knowing: COSC is a non-profit, public interest organization. And in 2026, it introduced a new higher-tier certification called COSC Excellence, with tighter tolerances and a five-day test on the complete watch, not just the movement.

Missed them at Watches and Wonders? COSC will be at Geneva Watch Days from September 2 to 6, at the lakeside pavilion.

Full article on WorldTempus : https://en.worldtempus.com/article/watch-knowledge/cosc-bringing-precision-people-cosc-82780.html

Five watches. One race. The beginning of something.

In a piece by Simon de Burton, WorldTempus covers Cvstos's arrival in IndyCar as the official timekeeper of Juncos Hollinger Racing. The partnership was unveiled at the 110th Indianapolis 500, where Rinus Veekay brought his number 76 car home in sixth place, just over a minute behind winner Felix Rosenqvist.

The Racing Carbon watches created for the occasion feature Cvstos's signature tonneau case with forged carbon bezel and centre, a black PVD semi-skeletonised dial, and acid green details echoing the team's distinctive livery. The caseback carries a titanium oscillating weight shaped like an IndyCar wheel, along with the team name and Veekay's race number.

Only five examples exist for now, but Cvstos Managing Director Stefan Kunz has hinted at a limited edition available to fans later in the season. Ten races remain in the 2026 IndyCar championship.

Full article on WorldTempus : https://en.worldtempus.com/article/new-watches/cvstos-enters-fast-lane-indycar-cvstos-82779.html

The World Cup starts next week in the US, Canada, and Mexico, and we have a lot to unpack from a watch world perspective.

Yesterday, WorldTempus published an exclusive interview with Didier Deschamps, head coach of France and Hublot ambassador. France enters the tournament as the world's top-ranked team, with Kylian Mbappé, another Hublot face, leading the squad. Their first match is against Senegal on June 16. The winner of the tournament will be known on July 19.

For the first time, however, the FIFA World Cup has no official watch sponsor or timing partner. Hublot held that position until the end of 2025. The role has been filled, loosely, by Axia, a brand founded in New Jersey in 2018 that produces the official licensed watches of the event, starting around 600 CHF. Individual endorsements are alive and well though: Breitling with Erling Haaland, Audemars Piguet with a Leo Messi Royal Oak edition. But the main partnership is up for grabs.

On the market side, Richemont's FY2026 results showed 11% growth at constant exchange rates, and while Swiss watch exports are down 3.9% since the start of 2026, the comparison with 2024 rather than the artificially inflated April 2025 figures paints a more encouraging picture. The US, France, and Singapore are up. China and Hong Kong's decline is slowing.

Full article on WorldTempus.com : https://en.worldtempus.com/article/business-news/letter-editor-football-and-geopolitics-82787.html

On the centennial of Marilyn Monroe's birth, Blancpain unveils something quietly extraordinary.

The Ladybird Tribute is a capsule collection of seven unique high-jewellery watches, each corresponding to one letter of the name MARILYN, inspired by a deeply personal object: Monroe's own Blancpain timepiece, rediscovered at auction in 2016.

Rachel Silvestri traces the story behind the collection, from the golden age of American art deco to the 18-carat white gold cases set with 85 diamonds that bring it into the present.

Seven pieces. One icon. A chapter of watchmaking history that almost disappeared.

Read the full article on WorldTempus: https://en.worldtempus.com/article/new-watches/blancpain-brings-marilyn-monroes-watch-back-blancpain-82767.html