For 2019, Audemars Piguet (AP), with the help of sound artist Jana Winderen, is turning to the oceans and specifically to the sound pollution that we are creating (knowingly or unknowingly) on the oceans and inflicting on its inhabitants. With an exhibition at the Rotunda in the heart of Miami Beach, AP showed us the results of this work and it’s nothing short of breathtaking, sad, while also joyful.

Parmigiani Fleurier is one of these rare jewels in the watch industry. It’s probably a watch brand many reading this likely have never heard of before. And if you go to your local RedBar of watch meetup, you’d be hard press to see one in person. However, as I have written before, this is a sleeper brand with some incredible models for men and women, that you should explore if you are in the market for a certain type of watch.

In this post I want to explore my favorite ladies watches from the Fleurier brand. During my visit to Miami, FL which coincided with Watches & Wonders last year, I took my beautiful model friend Leila Depina, to see the watches. In the process I also snapped some photographs. I went back to also take close up pictures of the ladies model.

During ArtBasel 2018, Hublot had a special event at their Miami Design District store to celebrate young artist Dozie Kanu, winner of the fourth design prize award that Hublot co-sponsors. For the uninitiated watch lover, you might ask why does Hublot sponsor such prize and why young designers?

I believe the answer to these questions go at the heart of what Hublot is as a brand and how it can capture the hearts of more watch lovers. Let’s explore why I am so positive about this prize and Hublot’s involvements in the arts.

At the VIP lounge at the Miami Beach Convention Center for ArtBasel 2018, Audemars Piguet (AP) welcomed patrons and guests at their booth with watchmakers working live on movements as guests looked over their shoulders and asked questions. And as a bonus they also had videos playing the collaboration with artist Davide Quayola.

After getting a chance to view Quayola’s movie on the big screen, the night before during a cocktail hour and Q&A for the artist at the Miami Beach Rotunda, I found that I still needed to chat with him to better understand the work.

While mixing in digital and well-choreographed music, it’s hard to fully grasp what the artist was thinking just watching at the 15 minutes movie. It feels like you are being transported on a drone in the Vallée de Joux and at each moment you are stopped to see deeper and closer.

During ArtBasel 2018 in Miami Beach, I had the privilege of interviewing Mr. Olivier Audemars, direct descendent from one of the founding family of the Audemars Piguet (AP) Manufacture.

As you will read, Olivier is super cool, down to earth, but importantly a deep thinker and scholar of the famed manufacture that his ancestors founded close to 150 years ago in the Vallée de Joux.

In this slightly abridge transcript (edited for clarity and flow) you will get a chance to peak into the AP manufacture’s history, on why AP gets involved into the arts, and get to know Olivier a bit better.

Hope you enjoy reading this as much as I had chatting with him.

ArtBasel is an international modern art show that has been going on since the early 1970s. The show includes editions in Hong Kong, Miami Beach, Florida and Basel, Switzerland. Having attended ArtBasel in the past I was aware of the breath and scope of what to expect.

It’s literally the place to showcase and buy modern art. Think of it as a giant organized and upscale bazaars with booths from all major and minor art galleries around the world, ready to show and sell to the over 100 of thousands who made the trip to usually sunny and glitzy Miami Beach for three days.

I attended in the past and this year again primarily to see the special collaborations that Audemars Piguet (AP) is unveiling in Miami Beach. This year, AP had two main art collaborations for ArtBasel, and in this post I will talk about the first one. In a subsequent post I will also cover the other.

Parmigiani Fleurier is one of the sleeper Swiss haute horlogerie brands. They are a true manufacture who has steadily created new movements and watches over its short 23 years of existence.

During ArtBasel in Miami Beach, I swing by the sole Parmigiani boutique in the US to see what novelties they had on hand and discovered that they had sponsored Venezuelan-born artist Raphael Barrios for a commission of small sculptures that adorned their store.