Time, Motion, and Meaning: Longines’ New Dive Watch, the BMW i3, and Japan’s Art Islands

March started with watches, moved through a range of new cars, and ended on the art islands of Naoshima and Teshima in Japan.

It began with a trip to Bangkok for the long-established watchmaking company Longines to review the new dive watch, the HydroConquest, which has made a notable impact on the enthusiast scene. There’s much to discuss about Longines, as we visited their factory and saw a supply of parts dating back more than 100 years, along with the very first order books recording buyers and commissions, and we’ll discuss this at length later on.

A week later, we headed to Munich, where combined meetings and discussions during BMW Group stakeholder presentation days commenced, along with hands-on experience with several new cars—some of which we cannot yet discuss.

What we can speak about is their new facility, effectively a redevelopment of their long-standing site. BMW Plant Munich has been embedded in the city for decades, which has constrained expansion. The company has had to continuously adapt the plant as it grew. We were among the first to tour the new facility, which is coming fully online and will eventually operate as an electric-only plant.

We were also present for the unveiling of the new BMW i3, alongside additional 3 Series models in the pipeline. Of particular interest to Robb Report readers is the treatment of the new 7 Series, which benefits from the Neue Klasse vision and technology. The 7 Series has long been divisive due to its strong design stance, but the latest iteration, with its updated exterior and interior approach, is seen by some as cleaner and more resolved, while others view it as a softening of its previous strengths.

Personally, it feels like a meaningful step forward—one that gives the car a clearer identity within the luxuryLuxuryA lifestyle defined by exceptional quality, craftsmanship, exclusivity, and sophistication, encompassing the finest products, services, and experiences that represent the highest standards of refinement and excellence.Go to Luxury Glossary sedan segment. Particularly notable is the interior treatment, which combines a heads-up display with a low, wide information screen across the dashboard. It is both unobtrusive and intuitive, and may signal a shift toward prioritizing the in-cabin experience over exterior statement.

The final leg of the month was a week-long trip to Japan’s art islands—Naoshima and Teshima.

These islands are not what one might expect. Built upon former mining towns, they have been transformed by foundations into spaces that house significant works and installations, and at at the same time are supporting selected artists at a high level. In many ways, they remain relatively undiscovered, though infrastructure is evolving.

What stands out is how the experience reframes art beyond just an object to own, but rather as something to engage with and share. The influence of Tadao Ando is present throughout, yet seamlessly integrated into the landscape.

This sensibility aligns closely with what we observed in conversations with Grand Seiko, where the emphasis is on a philosophy distinct from European traditions by being firmly planted in nature, subtlety, and immersion.

One particular experience stands out: a walk up a hill, through a garden, and into a mountainside entrance that opened into a sequence of spaces shaped by Ando’s characteristic use of light and concrete. Moving through these rooms—some open to the elements—we eventually arrived, after several transitions, at a gallery housing a large Monet painting, accompanied by four others. The space was naturally lit, though protected.

Those who had visited before noted that the experience shifts depending on time of day, season, and even weather. For them, it revealed technical detail—the brushstrokes. For me, it was more about contrast: light and shadow, movement through space, and the gradual reveal of the work itself. It is clearly an experience that rewards repeated visits.

One of the things I appreciated about Robb Report when I first encountered it was its ability to bring readers into places they might not otherwise access—without reducing them to product or price. It was about understanding, appreciation, and experience.

This month reflects that approach: a watchmaker that preserves centuries-old components rather than replace them; an automotive company navigating change while defining its future; and an art experience that shifts the way we think about value, patronage, and engagement.