Girard-Peregaux announced this month that Dominique Loiseau has joined its manufacturing team during the last quarter of 2011. Dominique Loiseau has worked for more than 30 years at the very top of complex horology (one of his creations is the famed Blancpain 1735) and his latest watch, named Loiseau 1f4, is the most complicated automatic watch, with eight patents in its movement.

Last year Gerd-Rüdiger Lang (now 69 years) retired from Chronoswiss, the Munich-based watch company he founded twenty-nine years ago. As his daughter Natalie, also a watchmaker, declined to take over the family business, the fate of Chronoswiss was uncertain. Now it has been announced that Chronoswiss – the entire factory in Karslfeld outside Munich and all employees – have been taken over by a Swiss investor family from outside the watch industry.

Only 3 weeks till the world’s biggest event in the watch and jewellery industry: BaselWorld 2012, that will take place from 8 till 15 March. It is here that you can see the new collections, creations and innovations of the year. The world’s most renowned brands showcase their collections at this international watch fair. The 00/24 team will be there with 8 people for all our editions: 00/24 Horloges in the Netherlands, 00/24 WatchWorld in the United Kingdom, 00/24 WatchWorld in the Nordics and 00/24 WatchWorld in North America.

Juan-Carlos Torres, CEO of Vacheron Constantin, told Dermot Doherty of BusinessWeek that the manufacture sold out its planned 2012 output of 19,000 watches in the first two days of the annual SIHH watch fair in Geneva. He expects a great year with increased revenues for Vacheron Constantin, the oldest Swiss watchmaker with a continuous history of more than 250 years and now part of the Groupe Richemont.

In 2011 DKSH acquired a majority shareholding in Maurice Lacroix, the watch company located in Saignelégier and Zurich. DKSH is a privately held company, principally owned by fourth generation descendants of the founders, and is one of the top 20 Swiss companies. The company, with over 22,500 specialized staff, offers sourcing, marketing sales, distribution and after-sales services for business partners, with a focus on Asia: of its 610 business locations 590 are located in Asia.

Last year TAG Heuer introduced the Mikrotimer Flying 1000, a watch with a mechanical movement with a second escapement (one without a balance wheel) that can measure time to 1/1000 of a second. This year the brand launches again a new concept, the Mikrogirder. This watch measures time to 1/2000 of a second.

Technically not very spectacular news, but the new colours for the Cape cod watches of Hermès look very nice. The brand treats the strap of its small model to a choice of two new shades: the Cape cod Small Size Lime and the Cape cod Small Size Electric Blue. The lime green version is available in a single or double wrap-around versions. The blue shade is also available in both versions, but the Hermès designers gave the single one diamonds which accentuate the case.

It happened last year, on September 8, but it hit the headlines recently. Caroline Gruosi-Scheufele (49), co-president of Chopard (the other co-president is her brother Karl‑Friedrich), was in Hong Kong for the opening of a new Chopard store. During a visit to the ladies’ room of the Four Seasons Hotel’s Harbour View ballroom she took off her ring to wash her hands. Seven minutes later she realized that she had left the ring in the ladies’ room and she raced back only to discover that the ring was gone.

Every year the Digital Luxury Group unveils during the SIHH (Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie in Geneva) the market research results for Haute Horlogerie brands in its WorldWatchReport.

The Report is based on millions of searches by independent and anonymous consumers through the leading internet search engines (Google, Bing, and others) and provides a unique view of preferences and topics of interest.

On January 16 this year Bloomberg, the American journal, paid attention to Cartier, the jewellery maison owned by the Groupe Richemont. In an article by Dermot Doherty, Bernard Fornas, CEO of Cartier, is cited as stating that Cartier is gaining a lot of market share because bigger watches are losing a bit of ground and customers are buying more discrete timepieces such as models of the Ballon Blue collection (introduced in 2007). In uncertain times people go to the authentic brands and not to fashion brands.

Eberhard & Co. celebrates this year its 125th anniversary and the brand does this with some special models, like the Gilda dressed in precious stones. The Floral version of Gilda presents a delicate blue sapphires decoration on the bezel that returns on the dial for a total of 59 stones, contrasting with the steel case and reflecting the blue stitching of the white alligator strap with branded “E&Co.” buckle.

The SIHH is just finished (in our upcoming issue you will find a huge SIHH special) and we’re already looking forward to BaselWorld 2012, that will take place from 8 till 15 March. One of the first pre-Basel novelties that needs to be in the spotlights (or not, because the watch likes darkness…) is the TechnoMarine Night Vision: a watch with a high Superluminova-level.

The Superwatch Award of the Geneva Time Exhibition (GTE), held this month at the Espace Hippomène in Geneva, was divided this time into two categories: Design and Movement. A jury, consisting Geoffroy Ader (Sotheby’s), Elizabeth Doerr (journalist), Axel Kufus (professor of watchmaking), Anders Modig (Plaza Watch) and Jean-Marc Wiederrecht (Agenhor) selected the following winners.

Only a few weeks left untill “the most romantic day of the year” for some of us: Valentine’s Day. And if you already surprised her with a bouquet of flowers, a romantic dinner, a watch (!), balloons and candles or a trip to Venice… maybe this draws your attention: a hand-made golden ring with 365 diamonds, one for each day of the year. And of course, you choose one diamond in a different colour, that remind her of a special day.

In 2011 the Swatch Group recorded sales in excess of CHF 7 billion, for the first time in its history. Gross sales of the Group were CHF 7 143 million, an increase of 21.7% at constant rates in comparison to 2010. The overvaluation of the Swiss franc had a negative impact of no less than CHF 696 million. Watches & Jewellery generated gross sales of CHF 6 312 million (+26.1% at constant rates), thanks to increased sales not only in Greater China but in all other regions and price segments.

This week Franck Muller launched its all new Application available for iPhone and iPad on the App Store. Discover Franck Muller collections including the latest novelties. Locate your nearest boutique and discover the history of the Franck Muller Manufacture.

The prestigious prize for the Best Watchmaking campaign 2011 was awarded to TechnoMarine for its 2011 advertising campaign within the film and cyber category. Organized by Montres Passion, the prize-giving ceremony was held in Geneva on Friday 11th November.

In 00/24 WatchWorld issue 3-2011 we’ve published an article the true craftsmanships of about Vacheron Constantin’s. Most exclusive part of these skills is the service called “Atelier Cabinotiers”. It’s a service that makes Vacheron Constantin (1755) more than unique: producing single pieces, based on the customers wishes, set up to revive the tradition of producing bespoke watches.

In December 2011 00/24 WatchWorld had the exclusive premiere of the impressive Jaeger-LeCoultre Duomètre a Sphérotourbillon. Stéphane Belmont, International Marketing Director of Jaeger-LeCoultre, presented the watch at the manufacture in La Vallee-du-Joux. The Duomètre à Sphérotourbillon is equipped with the Dual-Wing concept, a revolutionary mechanical movement, featuring two separate and independent mechanisms, each with its own source of energy, housed within a single case: one of them responsible for the powering the time indications, and the other for driving an additional function.

Girard-Perragaux and JeanRichard, the two brands of the Sowind Group, will present their new products for the final time at the SIHH 2012 (Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie) in Geneva. From 2013 onward, the two brands will exhibit at Baselworld. The reasons for choosing to leave are not communicated, but the fact that luxury giant PPR controls the Sowind Group and the SIHH is dominated by brands of the Groupe Richemont may have something to do with this change.