How time flies! A quick glance at your Patek Philippe annual calendar will tell you that another year is almost over. For us, it’s been a year packed with watches, events, trends, and new features. We launched the Chrono24 Watch Collection to help you manage all your beloved timepieces online. If you’re looking to upgrade but prefer to try it before you buy it, we also introduced the Virtual Showroom late this year. All of that aside, our team’s had a lot of fun creating stories, videos, Top 10 lists, infographics, and tracking down the best watch offers. What drives us? It’s people like you, people who love watches as much as we do.
As 2019 approaches, we want to take a look back at the content you enjoyed the most. When it comes to the numbers, there’s not much room to hide. The most popular articles are ranked with the help of our website data, and our Instagram posts have been ranked according to the number of likes you gave them. Numbers never lie. That’s why you can consider this article a message from the Chrono24 community, telling you which topics should not be missed.
Enjoy this Best of 2018 list. We look forward to welcoming you all back in 2019!
Let’s start with the most popular articles from the Chrono24 Magazine.
Entry-Level Watches from Top 10 Brands
The appeal of luxury watch brands has a lot to do with their image of wealth and exclusivity. There are many misconceptions surrounding the prices of brand-name watches because the watches that garner the most attention often aren’t entry-level models. That’s why we put together a list of the most affordable mechanical watches from the top 10 luxury watch brands.
What Watch to Wear to a Royal Wedding, the Office, and Every Occasion in Between
Do you know what watch you would’ve worn to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding? What about the watch to wear to an underground electronic party in Berlin? As every new generation looks to define their own style, the classic rules on how to dress also continue to change.
One Company, Three Brands: Seiko, Grand Seiko, Credor
I don’t like when praising one brand comes at the cost of another, but I almost can’t help it when it comes to Seiko and Grand Seiko. When asked to choose between a famous Swiss brand from the Valley or Grand Seiko, my answer is different today than it would have been before 2015. In 2015, I visited the Grand Seiko factories in Japan. It was a truly eye-opening experience.
Are Watches really a good investment?
Few products can rival the personal connections people make with watches. We use watches every day. They are functional, a personal fashion statement, and often have an emotional value that bonds their owner to them. All those elements combine to bring people pleasure and enjoyment when wearing a watch.
From Jubilee to Rubber – When the Bracelet Makes the Watch
It’s easy to change the look of your timepiece by experimenting with different band materials like leather, rubber, and nylon. Some watch bands have even managed to step out from behind the shadow of dials, bezels, and cases to send watch fans’ hearts racing. Need an example? If I say “President watch”, what do you think of first? The bezel? I doubt it.
We’re also on Instagram, of course – These were our most liked #wristshots of the year!
Speedmaster Dark Side of the Moon Apollo 8
Rolex Daytona 116500LN
Rolex GMT-Master II
View this post on InstagramWhat are you wearing to start this week in style❓#rolex #gmtmaster #rolexgmtmaster2 #chrono24
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Rolex GMT-Master 1675
Then there’s YouTube. Our unboxing series, manufacturer visits, and comparisons of iconic watches are the most popular videos on our channel.
Chrono24 Unboxing – Breitling Navitimer 01
The legendary Navitimer debuted 65 years ago. Since then, it has enjoyed its status as one of the most iconic watches. With the Navitimer 01, Breitling introduced their first fully in-house movement, the Breitling Caliber 01. In our latest series, we take a closer look at some of this year’s new releases, as well as a couple of interesting, iconic timepieces.
Chrono24 Visits – Sellita | Swiss Watch Movement Manufacture
Sellita is the second largest Swiss movement manufacturer after ETA. They are also 100% Swiss owned. Their sole owner is also the company’s CEO: Mr. Miguel Garcia. Chrono24 traveled to La-Chaux-de-Fonds to meet with Mr. Garcia and Mr. Sébastien Chaulmontet, Head of Innovation and Marketing.
Chrono24 Compares – Patek Philippe Nautilus vs. Audemars Piguet Royal Oak
The Patek Philippe Nautilus and Audemars Piguet Royal Oak – Chrono24 compares these two icons, both of which were designed in the 1970s by the legendary Gérald Genta. Some 40 years later, these two timepieces remain among the most often compared in the entire industry. That being the case, we asked our colleagues at Chrono24’s headquarters in Karlsruhe, Germany to tell us what they think about these two watch giants.
Last but not least, we released the Chrono24 Watch Collection and the Virtual Showroom. You should definitely check out both features.
Virtual Showroom – A New and Revolutionary Watch-Shopping Experience
A few first-mover companies have designed innovative AR tools where users can easily preview how clothes, glasses, make-up, or even furniture will look on them or in their living spaces. Some watch brands have also experimented with different versions of augmented reality. Chrono24 has joined these companies. Since convenience is such an important aspect of a luxurious shopping experience, we’ve developed the Virtual Showroom.
Read the full story here and make sure to check out Virtual Showroom.
A New Tool for Watch Enthusiasts – The Watch Collection
Imagine your collection of watches. Your favorite pieces are likely sitting in a watch box or somewhere more secure but even less accessible, like a safe. You probably know the technical details of every watch like the back of your hand and can still remember when and where you purchased them. But do you know the current market value of your collection or how it has developed over time? Do you know which of your watches has appreciated in value since you bought it?
Read the full story here and start your Watch Collection.
