At Wimbledon back in 2015, the founder of the boutique Zurich watch brand Maurice de Mauriac Daniel Dreifuss met Stan Smith, the American tennis icon and, as it turns out, keen watch collector. Much to Dreifuss’ astonishment, Smith has one of his own brand’s timepieces affixed to his wrist. A friendship kindles, as do the plans for a collaborative timepiece inspired by the duo’s shared drive for performance.
Maurice de Mauriac’s founder Daniel Dreifuss makes no bones about where he draws the inspiration for his brand’s watches. The former banker’s beautifully hand-crafted mechanical pieces are an unapologetic expression of thanks to the Swiss city of Zurich, more specifically the artisans, craftsmen and suppliers who contribute so much to its ‘cosmopolitan Swissness’. It’s for this reason that a Maurice de Mauriac timepiece is not made in Zurich, but rather made by it.
Each of MHD Watches’ pieces are designed by company founder Matthew Humphries and powered by reliable Japanese Miyota automatic movements. Aged just 21, Humphries was appointed Morgan’s head of design and counts the sensational Aeromax and quirky 3 Wheeler among his creations. Humphries eye for timeless automotive aesthetics directly inspired his watches, many of which genuinely could have been born in the golden era of motorsport.
There isn’t a person alive who’s done more to innovate and bolster the success of the modern watch industry than Jean-Claude Biver. Blancpain, Omega, Hublot, TAG Heuer and Zenith all owe a huge debt of gratitude to Biver, who today serves as non-executive president of the LVMH group’s watch division. Now, Phillips Perpetual is staging a retrospective exhibition dedicated to the charismatic, straight-shooting 70-year-old visionary.
Poised to be offered in steel, rose gold and platinum, Breitling’s new (and somewhat clumsily named) AVI Ref. 765 1953 Re-Edition is a faithful recreation of a much-loved 1950s pilot’s chronograph from its back catalogue. Measuring a reassuringly sized 41mm, the watch’s mid-century aesthetic is bolstered by a highly domed crystal, a screwed-down 12-hour bezel, a matte dial and subtly aged lume on the hands and numerical dial markers.
