Understanding Rolex's New Certified Pre-Owned Program
Note: As MIB is usually not about daily watch news, this post will be deleted after 48h This morning, I woke up to a notification from...
From Rolex Hairsprings to French Pastries, Charlotte Ernandez Shows a Delicate Taste of Bienne
“Charlotte’s” quickly became my go-to bakery in Bienne when it opened 2 years ago. And while the fantastic St Honorés and pear tarts are...
How It Took Rolex a Century to Own Its Movement Manufacture
I know, it sounds odd: Rolex is renowned for doing just about everything in-house. Yet, the brand with the crown only acquired the...
Vintage Speedmaster Trends: an Interview with Julien Vallon
Julien Vallon likes to fly under the radar. But those who know Swiss watchmaking circles are well aware of his role as one of its...
The Refreshingly un-Bling Watch Culture in Bienne
There's one thing I personally don't like about the world of watches. It's when watches are about everything but actual watchmaking:...
Bienne Gems, Episode 1: Omega, Bulova and TAG Pre-Owned Finds
Bienne Gems is a new series on this blog, starting today. The aim is to share some neat findings I stumble upon across the city's various...
Interview: Thomas Funder, the Danish Designer Inspired by Bienne to Create His Own Watch Brand
Thomas Funder is based in Zurich. As such, his watches can’t be said to be “made in Bienne”. However, the reason I was so keen to...
A New Gold Coin Makes Swiss Watchmaking and Bienne Artist WES 21 Shine
Swissmint is the company that produces all coins in circulation in Switzerland. While the world has moved to many virtual forms of...
The Original Speedmaster and the Day I Realized I Had a Tacho-Productometer on the Wrist
Like most watch fans, I love Speedmasters. While I only ever own a few watches at a time (compulsive minimalist tendencies), the Speedy...
Rolex in Bienne: Remembering and Fact-checking the First Ever Chronometer Certified Wristwatch
One thing Rolex is famous for, and rightly so, is the precision of its watches. Anyone who has owned a contemporary (and in many cases...
My Everyday (Bienne) Watch: Triple Wristing with the Artworth Brothers
You may have already stumbled upon the Artworth Brothers on Instagram. The 3 young men from Bienne have a following equivalent to 4 times...
Electing the Bienne Watch of the Year
So here we are. Days in Switzerland are getting shorter, cooler and more wet. With the steaming summer we've had, this can actually feel...
Dario Ratti, the Young Watchmaker in the Old Town
Full disclosure: Dario is one of my best friends. But aside from all the reasons why I think he's such a great human being, he's an...
Republishing Brian Ehrmantraut's "Descent Into Hell", 25 Years Later
When I started getting into watches, and realized the passion was turning into an obsession, I wanted to learn more. Not just to manage...
My Everyday (Bienne) Watch: Nesat Demirovski and His Aqua Terra
A new series showcasing the relationship people have with what Bienne does best: their everyday watch. Episode One. Nesat Demirovski is...
12 Cool Bienne Watch Facts You May Not Know
Earlier this month, I asked on Instagram if folks preferred a post about cool unknown Bienne watch facts, or one about what makes Bienne...
Interview: Armin Strom's Claude Greisler
It's not easy for a watch brand to stand out in Bienne. Unique in so many ways, Armin Strom remarkably manages to do so. Combining the...
Confessions of a Watch Addict Moving to Bienne
I moved to Bienne 4 years ago, for reasons unrelated to watchmaking. I work in Zurich, for a "tech" company, and Bienne was the closest...
The MoonSwatch, Anchoring Omega for Decades to Come
Guest Post - For the first time on MIB, a post not written by yours truly, but by a guest author, conveniently also called Alex. Alex is...
Interview: Erich Fehr, Mayor of Bienne
Erich Fehr has been the mayor of Bienne since 2011. Bienne, Biel in German, is a city of 55,000 people and the largest bilingual city in...
Understanding “Speedy Tuesday”, the Watch World Phenomenon Celebrating its 10th Anniversary
A few months ago, like many watch enthusiasts do every week, I posted a photo of an Omega Speedmaster on Instagram with the...
Interview: Doxa CEO Jan Edöcs
Meeting and interviewing Jan Edöcs, CEO of Doxa Watches, was special in two ways. First, he heads a brand that is among the true legends...