Article of the week
The New Patek Philippe Twenty~4 7340/1R Perpetual Calendar

Introduced in 1999, the Twenty~4 collection was Patek Philippe’s first dedicated line of feminine timepieces. The original model featured an Art Deco-inspired manchette (cuff) design, but in 2018, the brand unveiled the Twenty~4 Automatic, which is a round-cased iteration powered by an automatic movement. This year, Patek Philippe elevates the collection further by introducing a perpetual calendar complication, marking the collection's debut in the realm of Grand Complications.
Crafted entirely in 18K rose gold, the watch features a 36mm case with a slender profile of just 9.95mm, making it sit gracefully on the wrist. The case is meticulously finished with a combination of polished and brushed surfaces, enhancing its refined aesthetic. Two dial options are available. The Ref. 7340/1R-001 features a silvery opaline dial with a vertical satin finish, evoking the texture of shantung silk that feature irregular texture, while the Ref. 7340/1R-010 presents an olive green sunburst dial for a more contemporary appeal.

News Raiders Target Breitling Boutique in Basel, Escaping with 2 Bags Filled with Watches

In a recent Instagram post by Breitling CEO Georges Kern, he displayed the aftermath of the break-in at the Breitling Boutique in Basel, Switzerland. This incident took place in the early hours of Tuesday morning (26/3/2024), where thieves boldly rammed into the boutique and made off with a significant number of watches. 

Georges Kern stated in his post that the Criminals robbed the boutique in Basel this morning at approximately 04.30 by crashing their car into the window. Luckily there were witnesses who filmed the incident. According to reports, a silver BMW crashed into the boutique around 4:30 am (Basel time). Subsequently, two individuals came out of the vehicle and swiftly reentered it within minutes, carrying two bags that seemed to contain a considerable number of Breitling watches. 

Witnesses captured the incident in a video, just a short walk from the Swatch Boutique. One person who saw it all go down shared their story on the Swiss news site 20min.ch, along with a video showing the guys jumping back into the car after crashing through the storefront. Although Switzerland is generally considered a safe country regarding theft, it is not completely immune to such crimes, as is the case anywhere in the world. In recent years, there have been several incidents of robberies at boutiques, like what we saw last year when armed robbers fled with €15 million worth of jewelry from a Piaget store in Paris.

Breitling Boutique in Basel before the incident 

This incident has stirred discussions within the online watch community regarding the safety of wearing luxury timepieces during the upcoming Watches & Wonders 2024, the world's largest watch trade show taking place in Geneva from April 9th to 15th. We extend our wishes for Breitling and the boutique staff all safely. As of now, the Basel Police have yet to apprehend the suspects or retrieve the stolen items.


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