Each week, EWC will be gathering horological industry news, cultural conversations and moments surrounding our favorite topic: timepieces. Happy Friday; here’s what’s on our watch. 

From the final F1 race of the season (Max Verstappen may have won the race, but Lando Norris squeaked by winning the season by two points) and the flurry of paddock wrist sightings, to Jay-Z and his Patek Philippe 2499 sitting courtside at the Lakers, to our favorite Max (Büsser) on 60 Minutes, it’s been quite a week of watch spotting and talking. Thankfully, the releases slowed a bit. Let’s round it up.

New releases

On a date that is significant to both the manufacture and Germany as a whole, December 7, A. Lange & Sohne introduced the Lange 1 Daymatic Honeygold. The Daymatic model is a self-winding interpretation of the iconic Lange 1, bringing an automatic movement to the classic design. This most recent model is presented in the brand’s proprietary Honeygold alloy, in a warm gold tone that feels at home paired with the rich brown dial. In true Lange fashion, the exquisitely finished movement is proudly shown via a display caseback.

Continuing the chocolate vibe, Angelus released two new additions to their Chronodate line: the Chronodate Gold & Chronodate Titanium Moka Editions. The warm mocha-brown dial on each either complements the red gold case version or subtly contrasts with its titanium case counterpart. The case is interesting, composed of a carbon composite that allows Angelus to pair the case structure with other materials. They feature a small seconds counter at the 9 o’clock position and a 30-minute totalizer at the 3 o’clock position, and the hands and applied Arabic numerals are luminous, making these two timepieces particularly legible in any light.

Czapek rounded out its anniversary celebrations with its latest release, the Quai des Bergues “Sursum Corda”. The piece is a tribute to the brand’s roots, with a focus on simplicity and beautiful execution. It has a white Grand Feu enamel dial with black roman numeral indices and blued hands with a Fleur de Lys motif. The piece celebrates both the 180th anniversary of the founding of the brand and the 10th anniversary of its revival.

Nomos presented two new dial versions of its Club Sport Neomatik Worldtimer, the Roam and Reverie versions, both with champagne-colored dials and available in limited editions of only 175 pieces each. Roam has blue, green, and orange accents, while Reverie has sand, ochre, and burgundy accents on the dials. They’re both powered by an in-house movement, DUW 3202, which is only 4.8mm thick, a feat which was achieved by integrating the worldtimer complication into the gear train. And for those who like to peek through the caseback, Nomos has provided something extra to view: a rotor decorated with a globe, for the true travel aficionado among us.

Konstantin Chaykin released the latest model in their Wristmons collection, the Venus, in collaboration with its retail partner in Italy, GMT Milano. The watch is inspired by Botticelli’s iconic painting, The Birth of Venus. This interpretation of Chaykin’s playful take on timekeeping flips his Joker watch movement upside down, displaying the moonphase at the top as the face of Venus, and placing the hour and minute indicators at the bottom, represented as the goddess’s breasts. A guilloche pattern on the dial represents her hair. Intrigued by the unique display of time, but nonplussed by the subject matter? Take a look at another version of this timekeeping display, Konstantin Chaykin’s Joker.

Racing time

The final race in the 2025 Formula 1 season brought out the wrist heat from drivers and fans alike.

On the podium, Verstappen, winner of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and second in points overall for the season, wore a TAG Heuer Monaco Chronograph, while third place finisher and overall season champion Lando Norris wore a Richard Mille RM 72-01 Automatic Winding Lifestyle Flyback Chronograph White Ceramic. McLaren's Oscar Piastri, in third place for the overall season, wore a Richard Mille RM 67-02 Automatic Winding Extra Flat McLaren Carbon TPT.

In the audience and on the red carpet, three-time Grand Slam tennis champion Stan Wawrinka sported his namesake NORQAIN Wild One Skeleton Stan the Man Limited Edition and four-time Grand Slam winner and world number 2 men’s tennis player Jannik Sinner sported a Rolex Cosmograph Daytona Everose Gold. Formula 1 legend Sir Jackie Stewart was spotted in a Rolex Cosmograph Daytona “Le Mans” in yellow gold, and red carpet Glambot staple Cole Walliser appeared in style in an F.P. Journe LineSport Centigraphe in titanium.

Meanwhile, in Los Angeles, Jay-Z attended a Lakers game with his daughter Blue Ivy wearing a custom version of a Patek Philippe 2499.

Watch business around the world

The United States and Switzerland solidified their agreement to drop the tariffs on goods imported from Switzerland into the US from 39% to 15%, retroactive to November 14, when the agreement was initially announced. No immediate reversal to price increases that had been announced prior to the agreement were seen from any Swiss brands, but rumors of price increase reversals immediately appeared on social media after the announcement.

The long-running CBS program 60 Minutes aired an in-depth segment on watchmaking, outlining the skills, workmanship, and craftsmanship involved in the creation of high-end timepieces. Brands such as Richard Mille, Patek Philippe, MB&F, Jaeger-LeCoultre and Philippe Dufour were featured, with in-depth interviews and demonstrations of fine watchmaking. The most whimsical moment occurred when Philippe Dufour demonstrated multiple watches chiming concurrently, which were all designed to chime together to resemble the sound of cow bells in a field. Watch the entire segment here.

Phillips in association with Bacs & Russo achieved a record $43.5 million dollars in its recent New York Watch Auction: XIII. This result included the sale of acclaimed director Francis Ford Coppola's unique F.P. Journe FFC watch, which was sold for $10.8 million, the highest price at auction to date for an independent watch.

On December 11 at the Clockmakers’ Museum in London, a celebration of student watchmaking was led by Master Robert Wren of the Worshipful Company of Clockmakers, featuring two important clocks from watchmaking students Ted Cliffe of the Birmingham City University’s Horology department and Simon Wibberley of West Dean College in Sussex. The exhibition is part of the permanent collection of the Clockmakers’ Company on the second floor of the Science Museum in London and showcases the main horological training centers in Great Britain. It will feature examples of student watchmaking on an ongoing basis.