What I’ve always respected about the Swiss watch industry is it is the ultimate example of the saying, “When the going gets tough, the tough get going,” highlighting its collective resilience and determination. Let’s not forget that two years into World War II, Patek Philippe launched the early 20th century’s two most important wristwatches: Ref. 1526, the world’s first serially produced perpetual calendar, and Ref. 1518, the world’s first serially produced perpetual calendar chronograph. Or that, in the throes of the Quartz Crisis, Audemars Piguet launched the world’s first integrated bracelet sports-chic watch in 1972 with the Royal Oak, and then the world’s thinnest automatic perpetual calendar, Ref. 5548, in 1978. Similarly, 2025 was expected to be a bumpy ride, thanks to the residual fallout from the hype years, compounded…
