You won't believe these watches

Well, hello. It's Chris. It's time to talk watches again [View in browser]( [Bloomberg]( Hi there! It’s [Chris Rovzar](, editor of Pursuits and chronicler of cool timepieces. I’m currently lining up my schedule of product previews at Watches & Wonders, the annual trade show in Geneva which is somehow timed every year to ensure that I spend my birthday on an airplane. :-( Nevertheless, I’m excited to see the new offerings from many of the big brands—last year Rolex made a splash with a GMT for lefties, and I loved a [gorgeous green perpetual chronograph calendar]( from Patek Philippe. This Rolex GMT-Master II has a crown on the left side, making it easier to wear on your right wrist. Source: Rolex But one of the things I always love best about trade shows is learning about watchmakers I know less well. I’ve marveled at the liquid smoothness of [Ressence watches](, and daydreamed about how cool it would be to own one of the Gattaca-esque, extremely limited units from [Laurent Ferrier](. [Louis Moinet]( makes Steampunky pieces with racing complications that you can customize to your delight, and every time I stop by an [Urwerk]( booth they hand me something that I swear is from the future. People often ask me why I like watches so much, and I say, “Watches are so much more than you think!” TIME FOR A QUICK DIGRESSION: I’m going to start a Watch Club for Bloomberg Pursuits readers, which will have a newsletter featuring exclusive watchmaker interviews and which will also offer access to private events and previews. It’s gonna be informal for now, but if you want to be added to the list, please shoot an email with your name and address to [AskPursuits@bloomberg.net](mailto:askpursuits@bloomberg.net?subject=Watch Club). Thanks! It’s the smaller brands, which don’t have a century’s worth of Swiss watchmaking history and aren’t backed by huge corporations like the Swatch Group, LVMH or Richemont, that are the focus of [a big package from Bloomberg Businessweek last week](. Geneva-based writer [Andy Hoffman](, an expert on the Swiss watch industry, uses the example of Horologer Ming to demonstrate how some of a group of creative entrepreneurs has started a range of new companies in recent decades that are creating their own design codes. The Ming 17.06 “Copper.” Source: Ming Thein Just five years old, Horologer Ming is based in Kuala Lumpur, but uses Swiss manufacturing to make its pieces. The watches use luminescent materials in an innovative, strikingly simple way. Since the brand was first created by photographer and private equity guy Ming Thein and his friends, it has grown in popularity and its small batches of watches regularly sell out. (They’re priced in the range of $3,000 to $10,000.) And Ming is not alone. A lot of independent brands have seen soaring interest in the past few years, due to a confluence of factors. First, the pandemic kept people at home and put a little extra discretionary cash in some bank accounts, which boosted interest in timepieces generally as new fans began to research the field and buy small luxuries that felt indulgent and personal. This growing enthusiasm from new collectors, plus a wave of speculation from people in crypto community, who began trading watches for bragging rights and profit, put a crunch on the blue chip makers like Rolex and Patek. It was difficult to buy the most-coveted models at retail, and secondhand prices skyrocketed (although that [has since abated](). This also encouraged enthusiasts to explore brands they might not have known as well before, because the old faithfuls became unattainable. MB&F’s Horological Machine No. 1 in 18-karat red gold. Source: MB&F “Right place, right time,” says Thein, 36. “But we’re also aware of the work we put in to make the product as good as we can possibly make it.” Thein’s point is so right on. It’s true that these independent brands, like all watchmakers, benefitted from certain market conditions in the past couple of years that brought them more attention. But the reason this interest transferred into profits is that these companies were already out there making wonderful timepieces. They were ready to go. (And most of them already had dedicated fan bases.) I admit that Andy’s article exposed me to some companies I really hadn’t known before, so I suggest even the most ardent watch aficionado go read it. Some of them are very expensive, I’ll warn you. But I have my eye on [an $995 Baltic GMT]( that  shouldn’t break the bank for whichever one of you out there wants to buy it for me for my birthday. I’ll just pick it up when the plane lands, thanks. Connect with Chris on [Twitter]( or [Instagram]( [Independent Watchmakers Surge as Rolex, Patek Remain Unattainable]( Horologer Ming is just one of the many brands that’s getting a moment in the sun. [Why People Wait Years for $100,000 Watches That Look Like Spaceships]( Max Büsser and his band of revolutionaries made products they themselves wanted—and built a huge fandom on the way. [Why Collectors Clamor for Jeweler Emmanuel Tarpin’s Natural Wonders]( The Parisian artist’s one-of-a-kind pieces are as captivating as nature itself. [Omega Speedmaster Price Rises as Owner Swatch Follows Rolex Move]( Luxury watch conglomerate Swatch Group takes a price-hike page from Rolex. [Billionaire Ackman Invests in Bremont in Boost for UK Watchmaker]( The activist investor looks to expand in the fast-growing US market. Hey, do you want to see a show? The company of &Juliet Photographer: Matthew Murphy As much as I love watches, I love going to the theater even more. So allow me a moment to plug my list of the best shows to see this winter: - [Some Like It Hot]( is my recommendation if you want a silly, joyful, jazzy tap musical. It doesn’t make you think too hard, but it is entertaining from beginning to end.  - If you want to take a chance on a smaller show, see [Kimberly Akimbo](, a sweet musical about a teenage girl who has a condition that puts her in the body of of a 72-year-old woman (played masterfully by the wonderful Victoria Clark).  - And if you are looking for a big, blazing show that will blow the roof off with some of your favorite pop songs, definitely don’t miss [&Juliet](, the jukebox musical featuring the songs of mega-producer Max Martin. Fun fact about one of my favorite songs, “I Want It That Way,” which is featured prominently in &Juliet: After Martin and co-writer Andreas Carlsson finished the lyrics and the Backstreet Boys laid down the track, they had an issue with the fact that the lyrics make NO SENSE AT ALL. So they re-wrote the song so that it was logical, and the results were… [tragical](! Once the words made sense, the song wasn’t good any more. So they went back to the original nonsense lyrics and that’s the song we know and love today. [The Best Shows to See in New York City This Winter]( [The 10 Best Shows to Go See in London This Winter]( You had some questions! Several of you wrote in through our Instagram account (which you should all follow, [@bloombergpursuits]() to ask questions about watches. Here are some answers. How do you store your watches? I have a few [watch rolls]( in a drawer in my closet where I keep everything from my $300 Bulova Computron ([it’s like if cocaine was a watch!]() to my Bulgari Aluminum automatic. I don’t own a watch that costs more than $5,000 so I don’t have a safe, but I was at the emporium [Wempe on Fifth Avenue]( this week, and I saw some very very cool watch-winding safes—including one that looks like a mirror until you open it that I’m told they just installed in the home of a major TV star. One day I’d love to own enough crazy watches to install one in the walk-in closet that I also don’t have yet. A watch safe hidden behind a mirror, at Wempe in New York City. Photographer: Chris Rovzar/Bloomberg Is there a discreet luxury watch? Yes. There are plenty. I like the [H. Moser & Cie Streamliner]( sports watches if you want something that’s akin to the Patek Philippe Nautilus (but you don’t want to have to worry about it [getting stolen off your wrist](). And I always say that the aforementioned [Laurent Ferriers]( are the way to go if you want to own a watch that’s better than your boss’s—but without your boss knowing it. Lastly, I own a [Nomos](, which I think makes some of the most simply perfect watches out there. And they’re very modestly-priced. Do you really think high-end independent watches are the answer to the problem of unavailability? There are so few of them. Good question. I don’t think you are going to solve the problem of scarcity by trying to go out and buy watches from [Greubel Forsey]( and [F.P. Journe](. Even if you can find one to buy, you’re going to pretty quickly run up against scarcity… in your bank account. So no, don’t only look at the high-end independents. But there are plenty of independent brands at many different price points, from brands all over the world. I love [Bremont in the UK](, for example, which just got backing from Bill Ackman and has watches at reasonable entry levels. [Andy’s story]( has lots of other ideas on this topic. And if you’re going to read just one thing... Don’t miss [this very, very useful guide]( to the best credit cards for travel for 2023. Start booking those trips and getting points for more trips! New for subscribers: Free article gifting. Bloomberg.com subscribers can now gift up to five free articles a month to anyone you want. Just look for the "Gift this article" button on stories. (Not a subscriber? 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