News Of The Week: May 12th 2026

News Of The Week: May 12th 2026

Hello and welcome to the Fourth Wheel’s weekly news bulletin, which this week has been negatively impacted by downward productivity trends brought on by a surplus of deadlines and a shortfall in useable employee-hours. I’m sorry, I seem to have swallowed a corporate report. I’ve been too damn busy, is what I’m saying, and this week’s podcast is brief as a result. What I have found time for, because how could I not, is the now-confirmed but as yet unseen collaboration between Audemars Piguet and Swatch. Well done all who’ve seen it for not leaking - although as I mention on the episode, in the age of generative AI it almost doesn’t matter. I have a few thoughts, predictions and laments on this subject; I suspect next week I’ll have to talk about it again but after that maybe we will move on. There is a tenuous parallel with the Baltic x SpaceOne, which has been unfortunately overshadowed by a watch that hasn’t even been seen yet, but you’ll have to listen to find out where I’m going with this particular thought. Elsewhere I feel compelled to give the briefest of mentions to Ming’s ‘Peep Show’, and have an oh-so-predictable update on the Swatch Group AGM which took place today. Links discussed in today’s episode: * AP x Swatch is confirmed [https://www.instagram.com/reels/DYF_FjbNC_Y/] * Baltic x SpaceOne is terrific [https://baltic-spaceone.com/en] * Ming is hitting the mark [https://www.ming.watch/featured-product/ming-29-06-peepshow]again [https://www.ming.watch/featured-product/ming-29-06-peepshow] * Swatch Group’s board is entirely predictable [https://www.swatchgroup.com/en/investors/ordinary-general-meeting-shareholders] Thanks for listening. I’ll see you back here next time for more. Chris Get full access to The Fourth Wheel at www.thefourthwheel.co.uk/subscribe [https://www.thefourthwheel.co.uk/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

News Of The Week: May 5th 2026

Hello and welcome to the Fourth Wheel’s weekly news bulletin, which this week delivers something close to my perfect vision of what this is all about. Not saying I was perfect, not at all, but the blend of news is just right: some new products (good and bad), some corporate intrigue, some speculative fun and some solid industrial underpinnings. I begin, however, with a few minutes on the Met Gala, but don’t let that put you off. It dominates the horological media sphere for about 24 hours, and since that coincided with the hours in which I was recording, I decided to give it just a few minutes of my time. Don’t worry, I haven’t descended into ‘who wore what’ - but I also don’t think that ignoring it, and similar phenomena, is going to get us anywhere either. It’s here to stay and it provides insight into the thinking of the people running our favourite brands. Plus we have some fun talking about Mark Zuckerberg’s ongoing quest for a personality. The lead item this week is Swatch’s next collab, which is being heavily teased and may, or may not, leak at any time. So I wanted to get a prediction out there just in case, even though I know it will be hilariously wide of the mark. At parent company Swatch Group, those pesky investors just won’t keep quiet, and with the group’s AGM next Tuesday there has been a flurry of stories in the business press about reform at board level. As well as relaying the bare facts of the news, I spend a few minutes analysing what this might mean for the brands, i.e. for people like us who care most of all about the watches they produce. In terms of new watches, it’s a tale of two halves as I confess myself perfectly pleased by Baltic and Tudor, both of which brought out motoring-related watches, and find deal-breaking gripes in the new launches from Naoya Hida (one of them, anyway) and Moritz Grossmann’s new Tefnut. Last but not least, did you know that La Joux-Perret is on track to grow its movement production by 50 per cent in the next two years? Better still, by the time its new factory is online, it will be making a colossal 40 times as many calibres as it was in 2019. Recent investment from LVMH is, it would seem, having an immediate result. Links discussed in today’s episode: * Mark Zuckerberg at the Met Gala [https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/04/style/mark-zuckerberg-met-gala.html] * Ethos Foundation urges change at Swatch Group… [https://www.ethosfund.ch/en/swatch-group-ethos-supports-essential-governance-reforms#] * …as does ISS (no, not the International Space Station) [https://se.fashionnetwork.com/news/Swatch-group-investor-battle-heats-up-after-iss-backs-activist,1827262.html] * My coverage of Steven Wood vs Swatch Group in TFW [https://www.thefourthwheel.co.uk/p/issue-155-swatch-group-under-fire] * Swatch’s Social Teasers [https://www.instagram.com/reel/DX7liLeEbds/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==] * Naoya Hida’s new releases [https://naoyahidawatch.com/new-release2/?lang=en] * The new Moritz Grossmann Tefnut [https://en.grossmann-uhren.com/press-releases/tefnut-silver-plated-by-friction/] * Baltic x Tour Auto 2026 [https://baltic-watches.com/en/products/rally-timer-tour-auto-2026-limited-edition] * Tudor’s Black Bay Chrono Carbon 2026 [https://www.tudorwatch.com/en/watch-family/daring-watches/m79377kn-0003] * La Joux-Perret’s new factory plans [https://www.bilan.ch/story/la-joux-perret-une-nouvelle-manufacture-prevue-a-la-chaux-de-fonds-160451792417] Thanks for listening. I’ll see you back here next time for more. Chris Get full access to The Fourth Wheel at www.thefourthwheel.co.uk/subscribe [https://www.thefourthwheel.co.uk/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

News Of The Week: April 28th 2026

Hello and welcome to the Fourth Wheel’s weekly news bulletin, in the week I have decided marks the real post-Watches & Wonders lull. Nevertheless there is still news, and in my dedication I have roused myself from the horological food coma to deliver it straight into your ears. In this week’s episode I touch on Anoma’s A1 core collection, i.e. the news that the brand is moving away from drop-based launches to maintaining something close to a permanent stock (if they don’t all sell out like a drop, that is). I explain how the House of Brands (that’s what we’re calling Breitling, Universal Geneve and Gallet, if that wasn’t on your radar) is going to be run, and address a little tiny room-based elephant when it comes to UG. I also discuss the news that Timothee Chalamet has invested in Urban Jurgensen and what that might mean, and wax lyrical over the bright, preppy, Marc Newson-designed travel clock for Jaeger-LeCoultre. I think we have just about reached the point where the words ‘travel clock’ don’t summon cruel memes, and this is one I would love to own. I also forgot (post-W&W, you see…) to touch on the latest FHS export statistics, the real standout - and potentially troubling, with the caveat that this is just one month’s worth of data - fact from which was that watches in the highest price bracket the FH tracks were down 0.5 per cent. Yes, that’s basically flat, but flat is not good news. On a side note, the FH could really do with adding a segment for watches at CHF 10,000 and above, since that’s where all the profit is coming from anyway. But I digress. See you back here next week for more news, and see you on Friday for this week’s newsletter. I’ll be giving a little time to some of the overlooked watches from W&W, because (to really torture the metaphor) at any buffet, there are always dishes that might not appeal at first sight yet prove both delicious and nutritious. Ok, I’ll stop. Take care out there. Links discussed in today’s episode: * Anoma A1 Core Collection [https://anomawatches.com/products/a1-core] * Timothee Chalamet invests in Urban Jurgensen - it even made Yahoo News! [https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/celebrity/articles/timoth-e-chalamet-named-ambassador-211011777.html] * Universal Geneve’s boutique-in-waiting [https://www.universalgeneve.com/en/stores] * Jaeger-LeCoultre x Marc Newson [https://www.jaeger-lecoultre.com/gb-en/clocks/atmos/memovox-travel-clock/memovox-travel-clock-by-marc-newson-q614t020] * FHS Stats for March (not actually discussed in the episode, as mentioned!) [https://www.fhs.swiss/scripts/getstat.php?file=comm_260303_a.pdf] Thanks for listening. I’ll see you back here next time for more. Chris Get full access to The Fourth Wheel at www.thefourthwheel.co.uk/subscribe [https://www.thefourthwheel.co.uk/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

News Of The Week: April 21st 2026 - The Best of W&W

Hello and welcome to The Fourth Wheel’s weekly podcast. This week’s episode is special for two reasons. First, it’s a Watches & Wonders round-up, so it’s longer than usual (although I’ve done my best to talk quickly!) and secondly, as you will have noticed, it’s a video. Don’t expect this to become the norm just yet. But seeing as this week’s news is entirely concerned with new products, and for once I happen to have a phone full of images, I thought I’d throw a few of them together so you can see what I’m talking about. It’s rough and ready, I know that. There is also a chance I’ll have messed it up in some small but important way, because it was a last-minute decision. But if you liked it, hit that button, leave a comment, share it in your WhatsApp groups and so on. This run-down of my favourite watches from W&W splits into two groups: updates to existing models and watches that do something more substantially new. It’s a loose division but a useful one; a huge amount of what was shown in Geneva belongs in the first category, but that’s always the case and as I say in the episode, to expect otherwise would be unrealistic. I missed a couple of watches out by accident: I probably should have mentioned the Bulgari Octo Finissimo 37mm and Girard-Perregaux’s minute repeater. The latter had probably the best hand-finishing on a ‘mainstream’ watch that I saw all week, for what that’s worth. Apart from them, though, I think the list is pretty good. It covers brands big and small, old and young, expensive and relatively affordable. Tudor and Rolex both get a mention, as do IWC, Oris and Bremont, but the brands I dwell on longest are Parmigiani, Vacheron Constantin, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Chopard and Ressence, which probably says something about where the balance of power and influence rests at the moment. There will be more to say about many of these watches - hopefully some more in-depth reviews, and certainly some more work to be done around what the year’s watches tell us in a larger sense. The industry is obsessed with power reserves, and micro-rotors, and platinum: the latter is probably easiest to understand, given its position at the top of our perception of luxury but relatively low price against gold. But for now, let’s enjoy a good old fashioned list. Some of them boast innovation, others beauty, and some of them just sparked joy. I wonder how many are on your own lists too. Get full access to The Fourth Wheel at www.thefourthwheel.co.uk/subscribe [https://www.thefourthwheel.co.uk/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

News Of The Week: April 8th 2026

Hello and welcome to the Fourth Wheel’s weekly news bulletin, back in your podcast apps after a couple of weeks when life prevented me putting an episode together. This week, things are starting to really simmer ahead of the full-on news explosion that will be Watches & Wonders next week. I’ve got four items to discuss. The first is some newly-announced rule changes to the GPHG. I was, as ever, pointed in my remarks when I wrote about the awards last week, so in the interest of giving credit where it’s due, I wanted to applaud these (small) steps towards addressing some long-standing criticisms of the ceremony. There is also one significant rule change that wasn’t mentioned in the press release, and it could really help smaller watch brands. You’ll have to listen to find out! Second, we could hardly overlook the return of Universal Geneve; as I say on the podcast, this is how you do a brand launch properly. Three years, countless millions and plenty of warm-up marketing set the stage, and with expectations high, my view is that UG has surpassed them. The breadth of the debut collections is impressive, but more importantly so is the ambition and bravery on show within them. I think they have correctly identified a lack of bold personality in mainstream watchmaking between £10,000 and £50,000 and have at least a couple of models that deserve to steal market share. Thirdly, I wanted to talk about the RRCHF, but acknowledge that in one news round-up, without having seen the watch, I can’t dive as deep as I’d like. Next week I’ll see the watch in person and I’ll be sure to share some thoughts and insights as a result. Also, because I’m an inveterate party-pooper I also sound a note of caution about hailing everything Rexhep does as industry-defining. It’s a lovely watch; it does not re-make the horological universe from the ground up. Last but not least I was thrilled to be able to revive the New Indie Watch Brand of the Week feature, and with a story of substance to boot. Bonniksen, a storied Danish name long since consigned to the history books, has been revived with care and reverence by two young guns named Jason Chevrolat and Maximin Chapuis, and their debut watch will be the Naissance d’un Montre 4. That is what’s known as doing things the hard way. This Friday I will have a report from my visit to Dominique Renaud’s atelier, and an exclusive interview with CEO Michel Nieto. Equal parts hardcore geekery and brand strategy, there’s plenty to learn from this one. And Lego, too. That will hit your inboxes at 10:10 UK time - paying subscribers get the full story. What are you waiting for? Links discussed in today’s episode: * The new GPHG rules [https://gphg.org/en/gphg-2026/rules] * Universal Geneve [https://www.universalgeneve.com/en] * The RRCHF [https://www.rexheprexhepi.com/collections/chronographe-flyback-platine] * Ben Clymer’s write-up [https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/the-rexhep-rexhepi-chronograph-flyback-rrchf] * Bonniksen [https://bonniksen.com/] * Naissance d’un Montre 4 [https://timeaeon.org/projects/nm4-carrousel/] Thanks for listening. I’ll see you back here next time for more. Chris Get full access to The Fourth Wheel at www.thefourthwheel.co.uk/subscribe [https://www.thefourthwheel.co.uk/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]