ny attempt to predict these landmark moments is, of course, a perilous exercise. One thing is certain: history will continue to surprise us. More than ever, the watch industry looks back at models whose future impact, desirability and historical significance could scarcely have been imagined at the time of their release. Some would only reveal their true importance decades later. (Phillips just set the record for the largest watch auction in history, including several exceptional pocket watches.)

Next year, as we celebrate our centenary, we will spotlight these decisive moments, innovations and turning points in a major exhibition – the milestones that propelled watchmaking into another dimension, and that we have had the privilege to cover “live” over the course of a century. Exploring one hundred years of Europa Star is, indeed, about far more than heritage alone: it is above all a fascinating exercise in retrofuturism, revealing with remarkable clarity how these models were perceived as they began their journey.

We had the honour of being the first media outlet to cover the launch of the Royal Oak in 1972, as documented in the “AP Chronicles”. At the time, Gilbert Maillard, then at the helm of Europa Star, was directly involved in the conception of Audemars Piguet’s advertising campaigns. A decade later, from its soft launch on the American market, Swatch was likewise introduced in our pages. Another defining moment for watchmaking, as history would confirm.

When these two models, which ruffled more than a few feathers in their early days, unexpectedly collide, the result is bound to create a stir. Will this become another turning point? Will it popularise new ways of wearing a watch, other than on the wrist? This provocative encounter between watchmaking “for the masses” and haute horlogerie will undoubtedly be studied for years to come in business schools… and perhaps even in history books.