#Conversation: Brice Lechevalier, Editor-in-chief GMT

[00:00:00] That unparalleled feeling of meeting an old friend and catching up on your shared love

[00:00:12] for watches is something special. Amidst all the chaos, I was lucky enough to find 30 minutes

[00:00:19] in wonders.

[00:00:20] Hello and welcome to another episode of Luxe Insider with me your host Anita Khatri. Today

[00:00:32] in the finale episode of our Watches and Wonders 2024 series, I have the pleasure of sitting

[00:00:39] down with an old friend and industry expert, Brice Lachevelier. Brice is the editor-in-chief

[00:00:47] skippers, publication he co-founded in 2000 and 2001 respectively. And is a true connoisseur

[00:00:55] of the watch world. Without further ado, I am excited for you to tune into our conversations.

[00:01:05] Let's dive in. Thank you Brice for joining us on Luxe Insider with Anita Khatri. Thank

[00:01:11] you so much for your time.

[00:01:13] Thank you very much Anita for having me. We have known each other for such a long

[00:01:17] time, it's a pleasure to be here with you.

[00:01:19] Yes and we after, it's like a fag end of the exhibition and we are exhausted I am

[00:01:27] aware so you know, appreciate your time. So what have you seen Brice? Since you

[00:01:33] have been a veteran in this industry, what have you seen? The trends, is there

[00:01:38] any piece that caught your attention?

[00:01:42] Well a lot of pieces because we have seen so many beautiful things this year. You can't

[00:01:47] say really that there is a trend, because well the only thing which stood out maybe

[00:01:55] was a number of skeleton pieces, a bit higher than usual and maybe a lot of green

[00:02:02] dials but or else you couldn't really see I mean there were simple easy to wear

[00:02:09] watches but also we've seen the most complicated watch in the world this week

[00:02:15] and maybe this was well this was quite an achievement with Vacheron Constantin.

[00:02:21] Sure. It was the first day of the week where they showed us this.

[00:02:30] Berkeley's complications. Yes 63 complications, 2877 components.

[00:02:42] And it took them 11 years to develop.

[00:02:44] Yes so it's huge and it's also a beautiful story between a watch collector and a brand

[00:02:51] and so I think it was really interesting to start the week with this piece because

[00:02:58] it's also world first. With the Chinese perpetual calendar. Exactly I can see that you were

[00:03:08] at the manufacture of Vacheron Constantin as well in the beginning of the week.

[00:03:12] I was at the booth and I did, I was very impressed with the piece so I went, I spent

[00:03:19] some time and understood all of that but I don't know Breeze, I felt there are more

[00:03:28] brands who are focusing on doing smaller sizes. Yes true. And I also found that 39mm seems to be

[00:03:36] the favorite of everybody so these were the two things that strike me. It comes to skeleton

[00:03:43] watches yes there are skeleton watches. I also felt that brands have all of them have stuck

[00:03:48] to roots, their roots. They have done fabulous pieces they have done interesting pieces but

[00:03:55] nobody has actually done something which is you know something which is out, something which is

[00:04:02] not, it's everybody's grounded to their roots and they're taking the inspiration from there.

[00:04:07] Would you agree with? Well I agree with the smaller sizes and even a brand like Doxa

[00:04:15] they do quite massive diverse watches and now they came with that brand new T200

[00:04:25] with a 39mm and a 39mm case and a green dial with a very affordable price so this was a

[00:04:35] bit the opposite of the Vacheron Grande Complication. Yeah absolutely. But it illustrates

[00:04:43] two trends smaller size and also green dials. Yeah green dials yeah green is everywhere that's

[00:04:51] no doubt about it but then there are some brands like IWC they have done some dune

[00:04:57] they have some nice colors which is dune there's some fresh blue which is beautiful

[00:05:02] I think IWC's Portuguese eternal calendar is also something spectacular. You have Minerva

[00:05:10] at Mauvla also which is spectacular yeah watches have been very very interesting

[00:05:18] I do not see a specific trend other than that green was in even last year I think.

[00:05:25] Right with the pastel pastel soft colors. Yes pastel colors yes. So and also at Patek they

[00:05:34] they had they've got now these new pastel dials which are really nice really enjoyable

[00:05:41] to look at. And they have it in denim strap yes even more world world it's a world time

[00:05:49] which is in denim strap it's unreal but yeah it's true. For Patek it's quite unexpected

[00:05:56] yes. Yes right. So we will see because some watch collectors are a bit doubtful about it.

[00:06:03] Is it? Yeah I heard I heard some voices which are not totally in line with

[00:06:12] this special strap but we will see usually Patek they don't make mistakes so.

[00:06:19] What else what other voices have you heard which you can tell me now it's like

[00:06:26] which I may have not heard. Well this year is very specific in Geneva it's the first time

[00:06:35] you've got so many brands which are exhibiting exactly because you've got 54 brands here here

[00:06:40] in watches in order you've got 45 brands at Borivache hotel yes you've got around 50 brands

[00:06:47] in time to watches at the head and you also have another 20 25 brands exhibiting a bit

[00:06:53] everywhere in the city. There was also a big popular movement I mean a lot of enthusiasm

[00:07:01] in the street on Thursday night during the official I went through I went through the crowd

[00:07:07] because I couldn't attend and just to see to witness what it was like so and people in

[00:07:14] Geneva they are really happy about this for once there is something going on for the public

[00:07:19] during the watch fairs and also brands here exhibitors they were quite

[00:07:27] happy with this initiative of watches in wonder and there is like an emulation everywhere

[00:07:32] in the city professional private so maybe it's a bit early to say but I think

[00:07:39] they managed to do something really enjoyable and interesting with a lot of content for

[00:07:46] all kind of publics I didn't know that they did this because it was for the end public

[00:07:53] that you know during watches and you wonder is there something for even the end public it's

[00:07:58] called in the city and that's for the public and today and tomorrow and on Monday the public

[00:08:05] can come in watches in order as well okay so there were both activities and an educational

[00:08:12] program in the city which watch is free free to enter and here today it's available I mean

[00:08:19] the public can access they've got to pay something to the end yeah that's a ticket

[00:08:22] public can access so I think this is very important and we will have to wait for the

[00:08:29] feedback of the exhibitors because in the end they pay they finance for everything correct

[00:08:35] but I think I've got the feeling that there is a good mood positive positive

[00:08:41] welcome of that new dimension do you miss Basel

[00:08:50] I miss at times but I just was very keen to ask you because we come from the same

[00:08:57] scenario so now what I miss from Baselworld is when everyone comes out of the fair at night

[00:09:05] and gathers on the messerplatz and everyone has a beer and can talk to one another and

[00:09:13] exactly networking and casual relax and this was something which was very special and

[00:09:20] enjoyable in Baselworld after the fair when you can mix with everyone true and here this

[00:09:27] is the only thing which is missing and maybe it will come yeah I'm sure I'm sure they're going

[00:09:36] to listen to this and get that feedback maybe maybe we will make we will make a big GMT party

[00:09:42] to get everyone together oh wow that's even interesting great which is your personal favorite

[00:09:48] watch that you saw this time favorite watch well I've got a favorite I've got several

[00:09:53] favorite watch favorite watches depending on the category okay so there are some

[00:10:02] pieces which got you impressed the most like you know we've seen so many watches right from

[00:10:11] auris mobla ravenbiel langisone you know piaget panerai yes I know well maybe if we look it that

[00:10:22] way we had the most complicated watch with the baselworld which is also huge pocket watch yeah

[00:10:30] uh and on the other side we had the thinnest watch in the world yes with the octo finissimo

[00:10:39] of bulgari 1.7 millimeters so 1.7 millimeters yeah and it's almost like this yes

[00:10:50] and it weighs hardly any grams I don't recall how many but it was very light super light yes

[00:10:56] and this is a complication in itself when you manage to make a cost 35 movement in a 1.7

[00:11:04] millimeter case absolutely that's uh that's something really really incredible even piaget

[00:11:11] with the altiplano ultimates it's two millimeters yes with flying tourbillon so this is also very

[00:11:20] impressive yes so this is one style and this is an achievement because if you manage to do that

[00:11:28] it means uh you are I mean you've got an incredible savoir-faire now how but we were

[00:11:35] talking about skeleton watches yeah so uh the streamliner skeleton tourbillon okay it's the

[00:11:43] first skeleton watch for mother you know mother they do normally beautiful colorful dial and

[00:11:49] for the first time they come with this skeleton uh skeleton tourbillon watch in their

[00:11:56] streamliner collection with which is a very very uh sought after collection collection by

[00:12:05] the watch collector the streamliner so this I like it a lot and mother what they do it's a

[00:12:11] niche independent brand but coming bigger and getting bigger and bigger and very successful

[00:12:17] very interesting very intelligent the way they they built their collections yes that's true

[00:12:26] and the team is fantastic I think it's also very important that you have the strength

[00:12:34] you have a strong brand you have beautiful products and you have a good team when you

[00:12:42] are in the industry uh the three are as important I mean each each part the team

[00:12:51] the product the brand everything is as important of the other so this was quite cool also

[00:13:02] almost the same category of niche independent brands though they have a much smaller

[00:13:07] production the betune they also came with a grand complication on two faces of the watch

[00:13:16] so and beautiful not too not too thick um see this was really really so this is something to

[00:13:23] to discover but uh I think I've got to go through my notes because we've seen

[00:13:28] uh we saw 15 20 25 watches did you see all this now there's a freak freak yes no mad

[00:13:37] freak is no mad yes it is also having two oscillators yes it's one moment it has one

[00:13:43] vertical differential yes which is inspired from the auto industry and I believe it is

[00:13:51] it's a fabulous piece I don't know how many components 69 components if I'm not mistaken in

[00:13:55] that and it has I think yeah I think 69 components I am sure all that maybe maybe

[00:14:02] yeah as a freak yes yeah but it's it's a great piece even that I think even tag work did a good

[00:14:09] good amount of pieces which were very very interesting tag work even even the carrera the

[00:14:15] monaco that's fabulous isn't it you mean the rattrapante yeah yes even parmigiani for that

[00:14:23] well I mean parmigiani is so elegant what they do yes very pure it's like parmigiani purity to

[00:14:31] me it sounds that's true it's and again with pastel yes pastel colors yes and it's so sober

[00:14:42] they have a model they call it the no date yes the no date because it's only two hands

[00:14:49] but when you look at it you you fall in love it's so beautiful tag o year there is something

[00:14:57] tag o year is very very dear to me and I see that you're wearing a dagger one of the most

[00:15:05] successful and important brand in the world so you know today it's a 20 I mean this year

[00:15:11] 24th anniversary of gmt okay gmt magazine congratulations and thank you very much

[00:15:18] and tag o year they do a lot of watches they've got a big production and they agreed

[00:15:25] to make a limited edition of 24 carrera twin time gmt numbered one to 24 for the 24th

[00:15:34] anniversary of gmt so it was really really that's fabulous that's the watch you're

[00:15:39] wearing yes this is my own we've just launched it this week during watches in wonder oh you launched

[00:15:44] only this week yes so it is a the color of the dial is unique it's only it's only for

[00:15:50] it's like it's like a little bit of chocolate brown but it's not exactly brown as well as

[00:15:56] bronze chocolate depends on the light actually yes that's true and there is a 24 very small

[00:16:02] on the dial gmt very small in the dial because it's a gmt function this is why they

[00:16:08] decided to do that oh there's gmt function okay yes there is a third hand underneath right

[00:16:15] yes and normally with the arrow normally the color of the hand is red and here they made it

[00:16:23] blue so it's small details but very enjoyable and the watch is very elegant simple but only 24

[00:16:32] fabulous this is cool yes i'm very thankful to tagoya and how's the price so

[00:16:39] the standard model the carrera twin time it cost 3700 okay if you buy it in the boutique

[00:16:48] and here special edition it's only 3900 so it's slightly above the standard price which is

[00:16:56] really really i mean which is great because it's the first time they have a limited edition

[00:17:01] of 24 pieces it's numbered right engraved in the back yes really cool so we are really happy to

[00:17:10] unveil it this week congratulations once again and what about Cartier reflection did you see

[00:17:17] Cartier reflection yes well Cartier they are strong on so many pillows true

[00:17:24] they launched 77 or 66 i'm not sure i don't remember how many pieces they launched all i

[00:17:32] remember is a reflection left an impression on me so i do remember reflection and then of course

[00:17:41] like you i have to also look at my notes to figure out who has done what because there

[00:17:45] have been so many brands so many things that we have done Chopin Chopin also has so many

[00:17:51] things that they we discovered Chopin they made an excellent job also in so i don't know if

[00:17:59] you saw the luk forest green i didn't see it i was unfot like it was my bad luck i didn't see it

[00:18:10] i saw the other pieces or actual pieces but i didn't see it okay so tell me more about

[00:18:15] the luk forest green it's green again beautiful very elegant very classic

[00:18:22] and with her i mean from an aesthetic point of view i think it's a success and also it has a

[00:18:31] look movement inside so you've got both aesthetical and technical stuff i mean sides which are

[00:18:39] which are really well made so Chopin they made a good good good collection this year

[00:18:50] so did zenith i don't know whether you saw zenith defy collection and the color and the alf

[00:18:55] remoro of course but they also have a green in the in their collection with of orange we've

[00:19:01] got green everywhere yeah we got green everywhere surrounded everywhere by green yeah zenith yes

[00:19:07] they made they unveiled a beautiful diver super dive super defy divers yeah defy divers i don't

[00:19:14] remember very colorful very colorful one is orange and one is the extreme diver revival diver

[00:19:22] is the orange color yes and extreme divers with blue and other colors did you see that

[00:19:29] there are many brands playing around with material as well yes you're right so there

[00:19:33] are a lot of materials that i saw ceratec carbotec a new a lot of new materials at the same time

[00:19:39] we'll have to go through my notes because they all have different names sometimes mixing

[00:19:45] a concept of materials correct between ceramics carbon titanium gold titanium and a lot of

[00:19:51] titanium with a lot titanium has always been a favorite for the watchmakers and it naturally

[00:19:57] it is because of this obvious reason it's light in weight and easy to work but panera

[00:20:04] launched a new material also yes panera also launched a new material for their submersible

[00:20:12] because they are involved with the americas cup this year with luna rossa yes and they took

[00:20:18] innovation from from what else they made a lot of innovation in the materials

[00:20:26] correct there are some other brands but yeah it's a field which is always interesting for

[00:20:31] brands it's light it's more resistant so for the for the clients for the consumer it's also

[00:20:37] interesting to know about that overall what you felt about the exhibition though about

[00:20:43] about the entire watches in monday's 24 this year what you felt well you're exhausted i know

[00:20:50] but beside the exhaustion what else you felt oh no no this doesn't matter next week it

[00:20:55] will be over a couple of good nights good for you i will have to go home and maybe be relaxed

[00:21:01] we have another massive thing happening in the country so yes so overall um well we can see a

[00:21:08] lot of creativity and we can also see that there is a light slowdown in the consumption

[00:21:18] and is it yes you see the slowdown oh well we can hear it from retailers and we can hear

[00:21:23] from the brands where in europe in america or your overall in asia also overall but but we can

[00:21:31] i mean i also heard a lot of brands saying they've welcomed a lot of indian people

[00:21:36] a lot more indian people than before but overall yes there is a smaller decrease

[00:21:43] in the demand on the watch market in the last three months in the last four five months

[00:21:48] four five months last year has been fabulous for them yes well last year was a record but now

[00:21:55] yes we could hear that retailers were a bit more cautious okay they like watches but they

[00:22:01] don't order as many as expected oh is it well i don't know this is what we've learned on

[00:22:07] several boots so hopefully it won't last yes but i am also pleased from whatever years

[00:22:15] that we have been in this industry we have also seen that everything which is going up steadily

[00:22:20] you know or remain going up it has to have a a balance you know an effect which is in economics

[00:22:27] it will probably ease down and maybe even go down yes ups and downs ups and downs but we don't

[00:22:33] know whether it will go down i personally feel coming from india i feel the next four five

[00:22:39] years belong to india for sure and i don't know whether next 10 years i can say but definitely

[00:22:45] for four five years india is going to boom but if you had to pick up one or two watches for

[00:22:52] yourself from watches and wonders which it would be uh i've already picked up one tag yes

[00:22:59] and this will be your next one the next one uh i will probably go to edge mozer edge mozer

[00:23:06] yes fabulous and probably their citrus pioneer model which has a very very very colorful dial

[00:23:16] it's uh it's very joyful when you see it then you smile

[00:23:22] fabulous this is the one i would probably go for okay good i hope you get it

[00:23:30] uh i will ask uh i will ask them and see when there is no emergency but i in fact forgot just

[00:23:38] now when you're speaking to me i forgot about herbes what do you have to say on our mess

[00:23:43] i was also known such a fabulous watch it was it's a tourbillon ah yes which was that watch

[00:23:50] are so central tourbillon yeah are so central tourbillon i don't know it was

[00:23:56] it was very nice watch maybe the minute repeater yeah minute repeater you're right 24 pieces yes 24

[00:24:03] pieces wasn't that also very very impressive piece now since i asked you which watch you would

[00:24:08] buy that time i got myself thinking as to if you had to ask me which watch i have to buy

[00:24:14] it got me thinking and then i recalled hermes hermes and you saw they also launched this new

[00:24:19] collection new collection yes it's both round and square exactly it's very well uh i mean it's a

[00:24:26] case is very interesting yeah interesting did you find it interesting yes i like it you would

[00:24:30] buy that uh well for my for my love yes yes absolutely i agree because it's more it's more

[00:24:37] ladies watch i mean they don't say don't classify it as ladies watch it's uh it's men

[00:24:43] and actually apparently they are men ordering it men ordering the the cut yeah apparently yes

[00:24:50] okay 39 millimeter you've got probably needs probably not the set version but um uh yes

[00:25:00] the hermes cut is cute yes and i don't know whether you got a chance to go to the lab

[00:25:06] i went to the lab and i kind of discovered there are all startups yes and interesting things

[00:25:12] like you know tracking your watch how to keep your watch it's very good that was i i found it

[00:25:20] very impressive yes for the collectors that's part of the ecosystem ecosystem of watches and

[00:25:26] wonder yes i think it's good what they try to how they try to put some cultural dimension into

[00:25:34] into the fair anything that you would like to ask me and then i mean what did impress you

[00:25:41] in particular during that which during that what would you remind as your best souvenir of the fair

[00:25:49] best winner of the fair yes is talking to you right now

[00:25:55] well i think uh i just love the creations that i've seen this time i would say that

[00:26:02] not one minute which was invested in any of the watches is a waste no it was fabulous so

[00:26:10] for me that's that's something which is very i'm very content and happy about it if you ask me

[00:26:18] how many pieces impressed me we have already spoken about that i've spoken about which piece

[00:26:23] we are impressed but i also would like to mention about edgy of vacheron constanta

[00:26:29] i think that concept watch which they have done is also very very impressive and edgy

[00:26:35] collection itself in in a very lilac color the purple color was also very impressive i

[00:26:43] i love that watch as well yeah i think there are so many watches that i cannot stop talking

[00:26:48] to you right from zenith to tag to khatia to panerai to piya je to mobla to i know it just

[00:26:59] goes on but yes i must say that edge mozer is interesting i also found manufacture royal

[00:27:05] very interesting so i cannot forget that i i like watches from and david guton the owner

[00:27:12] of the founder of the brand is so such a nice guy yes you know david yes i don't know

[00:27:18] i don't know yeah yeah he's such a fantastic guy as well okay thank you anita my pleasure

[00:27:25] thank you i came here for you today thank you thank you in the watch is in wonder

[00:27:31] i really appreciate and enjoy the rest of your stay in switzerland thank you so much

[00:27:40] you take good rest my pleasure for next week and then of course we are in touch with each other

[00:27:45] okay doc and say bye to the public in india bye bye india thank you breeze thank you my

[00:27:52] pleasure that was all from my conversation with breeze la chavalier i hope you enjoyed it as

[00:28:00] much as we enjoyed chatting that wraps up our coverage from watches and wonders 2024

[00:28:06] i'll be back soon until then goodbye and stay tuned for more on lux insider with anita khatri

[00:28:14] stay connected with me on my instagram and youtube channel