Since acquiring the Hôtel des Ventes in 2006, Bernard Piguet has sought to reverse the fortunes of a business that struggled for much of its three decades. Now his efforts appear to be bearing fruit.
Shipments of timepieces to China from Switzerland, the world's dominant watch production center, have fallen below the levels of two years ago, after setting a record in 2012.
With a catalog that includes a timepiece fashioned from material from the wreck of the Titanic, few ateliers can boast as many curiosities as Romain Jerome.
During his time in the more conventional side of the industry, Yvan Arpa was the architect of several "audacious" releases that have earned him a reputation as "quite a controversial character."