29 October

The day in brief

The 30th Journée internationale du marketing horloger brings watch market specialists together in La Chaux-de-Fonds today and opens the 12th Biennale du patrimoine horloger.

In the industry, the Convention patronale de l'industrie horlogère suisse takes note of the gradual return of short-time work compensation to normal rules, and Corum becomes the official partner of Horse GP Paris, a new show jumping event that makes its debut on 2 December at the Accor Arena in Paris.

Among the launches, Laurent Ferrier swaps the salmon dial of the Grand Sport Tourbillon for an opaline white with bluish reflections in the Iceberg version, and Bell & Ross dedicates the BR-05 Chrono Snow Rocket, limited to 250 pieces, to the French speed skier Simon Billy.

The Journée internationale du marketing horloger reaches its 30th edition and opens the Biennale in La Chaux-de-Fonds

The Journée internationale du marketing horloger (JIMH) holds its 30th edition today, 29 October, at the Théâtre de l'Heure bleue in La Chaux-de-Fonds, from 9.30 am to 4 pm. Founded in 1997 and chaired by Maria Bashutkina, the day opens the 12th Biennale du patrimoine horloger, which until 1 November opens manufactures, workshops and museums in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Le Locle and Saint-Imier, as the Radar reported on 26 October.

This year's theme is the analysis of the watch market and new ways of carrying it out. In the morning, Karine Szegedi of Deloitte discusses the new geographies of consumption, with a focus on India and Mexico; Léo Trespeuch of the Université du Québec à Montréal analyses the luxury watch customer journey in North America; and Roy Davidoff of Roy & Sacha Davidoff SA presents the collectors' point of view.

In the afternoon, Olivier R. Muller of Luxe Consult discusses competitive intelligence in the age of artificial intelligence, Karthigejan Kangatharan of the University of Neuchâtel presents a study on personalisation and resale intentions in luxury, and Alexandre Olive of the Luxury AI Report closes the programme with a question: whether a brand appears when the buyer asks artificial intelligence. Admission requires the 10 Swiss franc Biennale pass and prior registration.

Find out more on the organiser's website.

Swiss watchmaking "takes note" of the gradual end of the extended short-time work scheme

The Convention patronale de l'industrie horlogère suisse (CPIH) reacted on 27 October to the Federal Council's plan to return short-time work compensation (RHT) to normal rules. This is the Swiss mechanism that compensates hours not worked and allows companies to keep jobs during downturns. The employers' organisation says it "takes note, without surprise" of the decision, announced the previous week by the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO).

The maximum compensation period, normally 12 months, rose to 18 months in August 2024 and to 24 months in November 2025, and since the start of the crisis in late 2023 the waiting period has been cut from three days to one, at the employer's expense. The 24 months remain in force until 31 January 2027. In December, the Federal Council will decide whether to extend the longer limit from February and for how long, and during 2027 it will prepare the return to 12 months, depending on how the economy develops.

For Ludovic Voillat, secretary general of the CPIH, the extension was always presented as temporary, but the measure has been "a very important tool" for many companies to keep jobs and skills. The five associations that make up the CPIH, with more than 500 companies, will discuss a common position. The decision comes at a time of cuts in the Jura Arc: Zenith has opened a collective redundancy procedure that could affect around 100 jobs in Switzerland, as the Radar reported on 23 October.

Find out more on the organisation's website.

Corum enters equestrian sport as official partner of Horse GP Paris

Corum, based in La Chaux-de-Fonds, announced on 28 October that it is the official partner of Horse GP Paris, an international show jumping competition in the CSI five-star category, the highest of the International Equestrian Federation. The first edition takes place at the Accor Arena in Paris and brings together the world's top 40 horse-and-rider combinations.

Horse GP was created by Christophe Ameeuw, founder of the Gucci Masters and, later, the Longines Masters, and aims to bring the competition format of Formula 1 and MotoGP to show jumping. The programme on Wednesday 2 December opens at 2 pm with a display by the Cadre Noir de Saumur, continues at 4 pm with a speed competition over 1.50 m fences that sets the starting order, and culminates at 8 pm with the Grand Prix de Paris, over 1.60 m fences. The organisers expect more than 20,000 spectators and a live broadcast on France TV.

In 2025, the year of its 70th anniversary, Corum returned to 100% Swiss ownership and independence through a management buyout led by Haso Mehmedovic, who joined the company as a watchmaker in 2011 and is now CEO and Chairman of the Board. The official relaunch took place on 1 April 2026 at the historic headquarters in La Chaux-de-Fonds, with 11 new Admiral references, a redesigned case, an integrated bracelet and a new in-house calibre developed with Concepto. According to the brand, Horse GP is the most visible of the partnerships chosen since then.

Corum also justifies the choice on the grounds of equality: in show jumping, men and women compete in the same events and for the same titles, right up to Olympic level, and the brand says it gives equal weight to its men's and women's collections. "Showjumping and watchmaking share a fundamental truth: everything comes down to hundredths of a second, and nothing can be left to chance," says Haso Mehmedovic.

Find out more on the organiser's website.

Laurent Ferrier dresses the Grand Sport Tourbillon in white and blue for the Iceberg version

Laurent Ferrier presented the Grand Sport Tourbillon Iceberg (reference LCF044.T1.C3GC1) on 28 October. It replaces the salmon-dial Pursuit version in the permanent collection. The case, 44 mm in diameter and 13.40 mm thick, and the integrated three-link bracelet are in grade 5 titanium, brushed with polished surfaces. The watch weighs about 118 grams and is water-resistant to 100 metres.

The dial is opaline white with bluish reflections, with drop-shaped indices and Assegai hands in ruthenium-treated white gold filled with Super-LumiNova, and small seconds at 6 o'clock. The tourbillon cannot be seen from the dial side: only through the sapphire caseback.

The in-house hand-wound calibre LF619.01 measures 31.60 mm in diameter and 5.57 mm in height, with 188 components and 23 jewels. The tourbillon makes one turn per minute: by rotating the entire regulating organ, it spreads across all vertical positions the rate errors that gravity causes in the balance, so that they tend to cancel each other out. Laurent Ferrier pairs it with two balance springs mounted in opposite directions. A balance spring does not develop in a perfectly concentric way, so its centre of gravity shifts with each oscillation and exerts a lateral force on the balance staff; with two opposed springs, these shifts compensate each other, which improves isochronism.

The balance has variable inertia, with screws: the rate is adjusted by turning these screws, which change the balance's moment of inertia, without altering the active length of the balance spring. The movement beats at 21,600 vibrations per hour (3 Hz) and has a power reserve of more than 80 hours. The bridges and mainplate are ruthenium-treated with horizontal satin-brushing, the bevels are polished, with 30 inward angles finished by hand, and the tourbillon cage bridge is decorated by hand.

The price remains at 175,000 Swiss francs before taxes, the same as the previous version.

Find out more on the brand's website.

Bell & Ross dedicates the BR-05 Chrono Snow Rocket to Simon Billy's speed record

Bell & Ross presented the BR-05 Chrono Snow Rocket, a limited series of 250 numbered pieces paying tribute to the French skier Simon Billy, world speed skiing record holder at 255.50 km/h, a mark set in 2023.

The steel case measures 42 mm and is water-resistant to 100 metres. The matte white dial has italic numerals, indices, counter rings and chronograph seconds hand in red, and a tachymeter scale on the inner ring. The red skeletonised hour and minute hands are filled with Super-LumiNova.

The automatic chronograph calibre BR-CAL.326 has a 60-hour power reserve and can be seen through the sapphire caseback. The 3 o'clock counter records up to 30 minutes of timing, and the small seconds sit at 9 o'clock.

The watch is available on a satin-brushed steel bracelet or a grooved red rubber strap, and the brand's website lists prices of 6,900 and 7,400 euros, depending on the version.

Find out more on the brand's website.

What deserves attention

In December, the Federal Council's decision on the maximum duration of short-time work from February 2027 will show how much longer companies in the Jura Arc can count on this support, at a time when brands such as Zenith are already resorting to redundancies.

Equestrian sport has long ties to Swiss watchmaking, and Christophe Ameeuw himself organised the Longines Masters for years. Corum now enters this field as an independent brand, a few months after its relaunch, and the debut of Horse GP on 2 December will show whether the Formula 1-inspired format wins over a new audience.

In retail, Bucherer, the retailer owned by Rolex, continues to gain ground, as the Radar reported on 28 October. According to WatchPro, from 1 January 2027 it takes over the Rolex boutique at the Ala Moana Center in Honolulu, until now run by Ben Bridge, a jeweller owned by Berkshire Hathaway, bringing its Rolex stores in Hawaii to four. Ben Bridge now has ten Rolex points of sale, down from 22 in 2019.

Among the launches, Laurent Ferrier changes the dial of its sports tourbillon without touching the price, and Bell & Ross links a limited series to a sporting record, with an automatic chronograph offering 60 hours of power reserve.