Sunak extends Covid scheme to pay up to half of wages

Chancellor Rishi Sunak has announced increases to the Job Support Scheme, which will now see the government pay up to half of employees wages. As part of the updated scheme, employers will pay less and employees will work fewer hours to qualify, with the taxpayer subsidy now doubled. The increase…

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Tag Heuer launches timepieces inspired by Ayrton Senna

Tag Heuer has launched two commenartive timepieces inspired by Ayrton Senna, the legendary Formula 1 driver. The Tag Heuer Formula 1 models, an automatic chronograph and a quartz chronograph, feature a ceramic bezel with a tachymeter scale that goes up to 400 km/h. Powering both special-edition timepieces is the automatic…

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BAJ debuts Pins of Praise jewellery in support of NHS

The British Academy of Jewellery (BAJ) has announced that the winning designs of its Pins of Praise competition are now available to purchase.   All proceeds from sales of the 3D-printed brooches will go to NHS Charities Together, a membership organisation representing and supporting over 250 NHS charities. The four winning…

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Gemworld Munich cancelled due to rise in Covid cases

Organisers of Gemworld Munich, the international jewellery trade fair, have been forced to cancel the event due to rising cases of Covid-19 in the area. The fair, alongside its sister event The Munich Show, was slated to begin on 30 October, running until 1 November. The Messe München trade fair…

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Manchester moved into Tier three

Prime minister Boris Johnson has announced that Manchester will be placed into Tier 3 Covid-19 restrictions, after talks between mayor Andy Burnham and the UK government collapsed.  As a result of being placed under Tier 3, pubs and restaurants must close unless they are supplying substantial meals and outside household…

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Footfall continues decline following tiered restrictions

Footfall fell by 3.1% across all retail destinations last week from the week before, following tiered restrictions being introduced across the UK. According to the latest figures from Springboard, footfall saw largely similar rates of decline in all three destination types, with footfall down by 2.8% in high streets, 3%…

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Watches of Switzerland names Ian Carter as chair

Watches of Switzerland has appointed Ian Carter as non-executive chairman of its board, with effect from 1 November. Carter brings 30 years of international and retail experience to the group and, most recently, has been CEO of Hilton International since 2005. He has also served on a number of boards…

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Wales announces ‘firebreak’ lockdown

The Welsh government has announced a two-week “firebreak” national lockdown, which will force business closures across the country from 23 October at 6pm until Monday 9 November.  According to BBC News, first minister Mark Drakeford said the “time-limited firebreak” will be “a short, sharp, shock to turn back the clock,…

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Seized luxury timepieces to be auctioned by John Pye

More than half a million pounds worth of seized luxury assets, including timepieces from Patek Philippe, Rolex, and Omega, are now on the market through auction house John Pye. The auction house is managing the sale of high value assets on behalf of proceeds of crime government enforcement and asset…

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Daniella Draper awarded with Positive Luxury’s Butterfly Mark

Daniella Draper has been certified with The Butterfly Mark award by Positive Luxury. The Butterfly Mark is an accreditation that celebrates brands that meet the highest standards of verified innovation and environmental performance, and offer transparency at points of sale and equipping consumers to make “more informed purchasing decisions”. The…

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