Latest watch news · Page 1004

The Scottish brand's in-house type specialist takes us along on her journey from art student to watch designer.

A limited edition creation with a column-wheel actuated date display.

Sketches meet watches.

It's light, it's tall, and mighty cool.

Perhaps the most surprising launch of the year so far, the Bioceramic MoonSwatch is a collaboration between Swatch and the maker of the Speedmaster Professional. The MoonSwatch is essentially Moonwatch “lite” – it has all the key details such as lyre lugs and a Velcro strap, but a quartz movement and small price tag. And the MoonSwatch is next level in terms of range. Whereas the original Moonwatch is mostly black, Swatch offers almost dozen variants of the MoonSwatch, each dedicated to the most significant bodies of the solar system, such as the Sun, Moon, and Mars. The MoonSwatch “Mission to Mars”, a tribute to the Speedmaster “Alaska Project” but with the entire case in bright red ceramic Initial thoughts The MoonSwatch is an exemplary crossover because its encapsulates the specialties of each brand. Combining the quintessential cheerful style of Swatch with Omega’s iconic Moonwatch results in a fun, lighthearted watch that’s very affordable. But it’s also a shocking product because the two brands are poles apart in terms of positioning and pricing. Put simply, an Omega strap costs more than the average Swatch watch. Swatch is clearly the winner. It’s an especially shrewd move for the maker of plastic watches, since some of the prestige and historical significance of Omega rubs off onto Swatch. As for Omega, it’s a purposeful act of brand dilution, no doubt in the hope that it brings the brand to a new audience that will aspire to own the real d...

If you’re old enough to remember the song Video Killed the Radio Star, you’re also old enough to remember a time when most people wore quartz watches. This was a time of breakdancing, big hair, even bigger shoulder pads, and every song on the radio having at least one saxophone solo. The 80s might have … ContinuedThe post Why this is the golden age of mechanical watch collecting appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Ressence’s new Type 8C is a new entry-level watch, price-wise, but as a non-conventional, “non-central hands” time-telling machine, it packs a mighty punch.

Ressence introduces the new Type 8, an entry level watch to the Ressence universe of oil filled watches driven by a conventional movement by magnets.

Singapore Watch Club founder, Tom Chng brings us through the Club’s six year journey and the 18 unique Special Edition Cartier timepieces the Club has issued in partnership with the maison to mark the occasion.

Czapek extends their chronograph line - Faubourg de Cracovie model with 2 additional dial colourways in an Panda Purple and California Blue.

A few months ago, Revolution’s founder acquired his grail watch that’s been the object of his obsession since 2016. He describes what it’s been like living with it.

Not long after Citizen unveiled the Caliber 0200 in early 2021, it followed up with an affordable alternative, the Series 8 870. Resembling its bigger brother with an integrated bracelet, the Series 8 outperforms in its price segment. And just as Citizen unveils a limited edition Caliber 0200 in shades of grey, it is also taking the covers off the Series 8 870 First Anniversary Limited Edition, which features an all-black case matched with a carbon-composite dial. Initial thoughts While the standard 870 has excellent fit and finishing considering the price, it is available with just two dial options – black or silver – that are pretty plain, especially when bold textures or colours are all the rage. The new 870 caters to current fashions, but still remains low-key in a manner that’s typical of Citizen’s higher-end watches. With its cleaner look, the all-black case is an improvement from the two-tone standard model, while the carbon composite dial adds a degree of interest that is only obvious up close. It’s also an unusual take on the patterned dial, which is typically stamped. Unlike the standard model, this has a see-through back. The movement has been made a little more interesting with a gilded rotor, which stands out even more than usual as the case is entirely black. In fact, the gilded rotor is the sole bit of colour on the watch, but one that will only be known to the owner. Arguably the only shortcoming of the new 870 is the lack of a bracelet. Th...

A member of the Académie Horlogère des Créateurs Indépendants (AHCI), John-Mikaël Flaux is no stranger to automata and clocks. His most recent creation however, is something smaller and wearable – an automata wristwatch, the Homage to Al-Jazari. The watch pays tribute to the Elephant Clock, a fascinating and exotic timekeeper conceived by the 12th century inventor and mathematician, Ismail al-Jazari. While not an exact replica of the original – the ancient clock was powered by water and gravity – Mr Flaux’s creation artfully captures the theme of the clock with a jumping half-hour automata and an equivalent 24-hour day night indicator, complemented by miniature painting on the front and back. Initial Thoughts The Homage to Al-Jazari is undeniably intriguing, both mechanically and visually. The watch has a brave design that is striking. The complexity of the dial means legibility isn’t the best, or even decent, but that’s besides the point. While its key complication, a jumping half-hour mechanism, is not technically complex, the integration of the thematic elements into a cohesive display modelled on the ancient clock means the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. In other words, the Homage to Al-Jazari lives up to its name. But it is also a missed opportunity. The jumping automata display would have been perfect if paired with a simple chiming function, though that would’ve significantly increased the complexity, due to the requirement of a base ...

We’re going to call it a space oddity. Albeit it a very welcome one at that. But today’s news that Omega have teamed up with Swatch to create a playful take on the Speedmaster Chronograph in the form of the BioCeramic MoonSwatch has caught the watch world by surprise. In the one corner there’s Omega, … ContinuedThe post VIDEO:  Unpacking why the Omega x Swatch BioCeramic MoonSwatch is out of this world appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Today the watch world was stunned when word got out that Swatch and Omega have collaborated to bring us a set of 11 new, affordably-priced "Speedmasters." Now, considering the available color options, the proprietary BioCeramic cases, and reliable quartz movements - it's clear that these will be a hit with everyone from budget-conscious collectors to hardcore Speedy fanatics.

Standing in the Omega HQ in Bienne, Petros Protopapas is visibly excited. The Brand Heritage Director of Omega is holding forth under a vast cosmic backdrop that depicts the planets in technicolour detail in a star-lit sky. “This revolutionises the Swiss watch industry for me,” declares Petros with tangible emotion in his voice. “This is what … ContinuedThe post Omega x Swatch blast off together on the BioCeramic MoonSwatch collection appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Out-of-focus brand service or tack-sharp watchmaking?

Urwerk founders Felix Baumgartner and Martin Frei visited Singapore in September 2019 and we had lunch with at the Marriott along Singapore’s Orchard Road, sitting outdoors to enjoy Singapore’s uniquely tropical weather. Thanks to an inspiring afternoon with the pair, it was just after that lunch that I first mooted the idea of a UR-100 with a cover over the front. I sent over this awful mock-up I created on Photoshop, which was clearly inspired by the UR-103, an old favourite of mine. After a back and forth with Felix and Martin, and a few long pauses in between, an idea took shape. In June 2020, I further refined the idea in an email to the pair, “I have an idea of a watch inspired by the ancient Mayan astronaut myth… something like an UR-100, but with metal covering more of the face… with an engraved Mayan pattern…”. The starting point A serious watch with a sense of humour is something that appeals to me, so the rationale for the concept was tongue in cheek: Urwerk makes sci-fi watches, so a Mayan motif was perfect since it was once believed the first person in space was a Mayan astronaut. The myth arose from a misinterpretation of the motif on a Mayan ruler’s sarcophagus (you can find out more about supposed ancient astronaut by reading up on “Kʼinich Janaabʼ Pakal“). Not long after, I elaborated on the idea and suggested a yellow gold case with an emerald cabochon in the crown. Unfortunately that was not to be (although some green did make it ...

Built Rolex tough – and more!

It should come as no surprise that a second round of additions to Seiko’s Black Series have arrived, given the instant success of the first few watches. The series perfectly pulls off that stealthy, tactical look without sacrificing legibility or needing third-party modifications, and the four new watches are each full of character that will … ContinuedThe post HANDS-ON: The Seiko Black Series makes a welcome return with the stealth of a ninja appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

A special edition for the NFT crowd – and another watch for luddites like me.

"Never use the word 'cheap.'" – Karl Lagerfeld

Longines introduces a rugged multi-time zone watch in time for the resumption of “travel as usual”.

The Longines Spirit collection was one of the most instantly successful new watch releases from a big brand in years, with not a single detail out of place. It’s almost as if Longines read the collective consciousness of the world’s watch fanatics and crafted the perfect pilot-style watch, with just the right amount of vintage … ContinuedThe post INTRODUCING: The Longines Spirit Zulu Time collection is upgraded with a COSC-certified GMT calibre appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Citizen releases a new model to their The Citizen Mechanical Cal. 0200 lineup with a model inspired by Japanese armour. Here is the Ref. NC0206-18E.

Revolution takes a walk through the imagination of Antoine Pin and Fabrizio Buonamassa Stigliani with their eighth world record, the world’s thinnest mechanical watch that pushes the boundaries of physical design and explores the frontier of a digital landscape unlike anything we’ve seen before.