Latest watch news · Page 137

Last year, Atelier Wen released one of my favorite watches of the year in the Inflection, a bold and ambitious integrated bracelet sports watch in tantalum. The reaction to that watch, to my mind, was puzzling. While there were certainly many supporters and admirers of the Inflection, there was also a vocal contingent of enthusiasts on Instagram and various watch blog comment sections (who, to be fair, were probably not customers for this particular watch anyway) griping about the price, and the fact that a brand centered on value and approachability would even make a watch like this (the retail price is just shy of $30,000).  I’ve never cared much for the notion that a brand that makes affordable watches can’t also make watches that are very, very expensive. It’s all relative anyway, right? Rolex makes watches that are considered entry points to the brand at right around $10,000, but they also have watches in their catalog that sail into the six figures. That’s a pretty big delta, certainly larger than the one between Atelier Wen’s entry level pieces and the Inflection. But that’s a topic for another day. Today, we’re focusing on Atelier Wen returning their bread and butter, the Perception, an integrated bracelet sports watch they’ve been iterating on for several years now, this one in steel with a natural pietersite dial.  It’s tempting to say that this watch represents Atelier Wen jumping on the stone dial trend, but the pietersite of it all changes ...

Founded in 2021, Bianchet is a young independent brand based in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland, specialising in contemporary tonneau-shaped timepieces that merge advanced materials with architectural mechanics. The brand’s designs are rooted in the Golden Ratio (1.618), which influences the proportions of its cases, bridges, and even its rotors. Last year’s model B 1.618 UltraFino Carbon […]

Admittedly, we don’t hear about Canada much when it comes to watches. That’s a shame and perhaps slightly surprising, as it’s a large country with a variety of landscapes. Plus, there’s coastline and inland water to explore. This makes Montreal-based Héron a bit of an upstart. The brand began delivering watches in 2021, and its […] Visit Introducing: The Héron Marinor - An Updated Dive Watch From Canada to read the full article.

Working in this industry, I sometimes find it strange how I can go for so long without trying a watch that has been available for years. That’s the case with the Maen Hudson diver. The Stockholm-based brand with Dutch roots first introduced the Hudson in 2018. The modern dive watch has evolved, and almost eight […] Visit Hands-On With The Redesigned Maen Hudson 38 MK5 to read the full article.

The Rolex Day-Date is inarguably one of the most iconic watches of all time, but Jason Lee argues that its ref. 1803 guise might be its best.The post An owner’s review of the vintage Rolex Day-Date ref. 1803, and why it’s such an underrated watch appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

FC will be official timekeeper and watch of the PPL – the upstart team pro padel league.

Another Chinese New Year watch - this time by Louis Moinet who puts a métiers d'art image of a fire horse in their Tourbillon Puzzle watch.

Explore the best dive watches from microbrands we’ve worn, reviewed, and compared over years of real use. Honest pros, trade-offs, and picks worth your time.

Among its multiple collections, which consist of the sporty Pioneer, the integrated Streamliner, and a few Heritage watches, H. Moser & Cie‘s Endeavour represents the brand’s vision of an elegant watch, often paired with a twist – should it be a pared-back “concept” dial or unexpected textures and colours. The Endeavour, as the brand’s classic […]

How do you feel about the combination of art and watches? The mix of the two is almost always polarizing. Quite often, an art-themed watch raises the question, “Is it for me?” A straightforward answer to that question comes in the form of a watch, the Louis Erard × Monica Bonvicini “Not For You.” There […] Visit Introducing: The Louis Erard × Monica Bonvicini “Not For You” Limited Edition Of 178 Pieces to read the full article.

Having already launched it in yellow gold and then white gold, Piaget has logically followed up with the Polo 79 Two-Tone. While very much predictable, the Polo 79 Two-Tone is arguably the best looking of the trio with its retro combination of metals that are yellow and white gold, and not steel. The new Polo 79 is otherwise identical to its predecessors, right down to the cal. 1200P movement and “slotted” construction of the case and bracelet. Initial thoughts The Polo 79 Two-Tone isn’t a surprise but it’s a good looking watch that has more appeal than its single-colour counterparts. The combination of yellow and white gold feels distinctly 1980s and true to the spirit of the watch. Though not imaginative, the Polo 79 is solidly executed in any of its forms. The case and bracelet are done well, while the cal. 1200P is a tried-and-tested workhorse that is also impressively thin; it’s a little industrial but acceptable overall. The cal. 1200P The fact that the two-tone model is two colours of gold, rather than steel and gold, is a nice touch. But that means it is expensive, even more expensive than the single-tone versions that are already pricey. This costs US$91,000, while the yellow gold model is US$77,000. The price premium doesn’t really make sense since it’s essentially the same thing in terms of gold value and finishing (though it is arguable that white gold costs a little more than yellow). The Polo 79 line-up Polo glamour The two-tone Polo is hardly a...

In 2024, for its 150th anniversary, Piaget took a daring step by reviving one of its most iconic creations. The Polo returned in its original form, clad entirely in opulent yellow gold, with its case, bracelet, and dial defined by horizontal gadroons that showcased Piaget’s longstanding mastery of distinctive watch shapes. The Piaget Polo 79 […]

Two years ago, Piaget reintroduced its iconic Polo watch. The Polo 79 in full 18K yellow gold was a very appropriate way to celebrate the maison’s 150th anniversary. For those who thought that version was a bit too flashy, last year, Piaget introduced another variant in all 18K white gold. Now, if that one went […] Visit Introducing: The Piaget Polo 79 In A Tantalizing Two-Tone Configuration to read the full article.

Andrew O'Connor finds that his approach to collecting watches has deeply influenced how he shops for everything else.The post Watch collecting has permeated my general consumerism, for better or for worse appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Startup independent brand Mermont has just made its public debut with the heavyweight La Parfaite, translating as “perfect one” in French. Assembled and adjusted by independent watchmaker Nicolas Delaloye, La Parfaite is among the most affordable platinum watches on the market, despite its contemporary case size and upscale construction. Initial thoughts At first glance, Mermont’s debut watch could pass for a handsome, stainless steel Breguet Souscription homage, probably priced accordingly. However, La Parfaite is not stainless steel, it is (mostly) platinum – and surprisingly affordable. Sebastien Bey-Haut, a watch and photography enthusiast, founded the brand, enlisting none other than Nicolas Delaloye, a Genevan watchmaker and AHCI member, to bring it to life. Though less commercially successful than some of his peers, Mr Delaloye is a respected independent watchmaker who spent eight years with the Patek Philippe Museum. Mr Delaloye personally polishes the single hour hand, performs final adjustment, and cases up the watches. It’s unusual for an upstart brand to debut with a precious metal watch, but that’s exactly what Mermont has done. But that hasn’t stopped the brand from focusing on the value proposition, pricing the La Parfaite well below industry norms for a platinum watch, especially a full size mechanical watch. Priced at CHF10,998 before taxes, La Parfaite is a full 38 mm in diameter and certainly among the least expensive mechanical platinum wa...

Since its founding, Atelier Wen has positioned itself as a link between contemporary watchmaking and Chinese cultural heritage. Created by Robin Tallendier and Wilfried Buiron, the brand has steadily built its own design identity, drawing from architecture, traditional crafts and modern manufacturing. The Perception collection, its integrated-bracelet sports watch, has become the core expression.  Introduced […]

The Perception Millésime 漩 (Xuán) features a stunning natural pietersite dial, which is fully hand-cut and polished by master craftsmen.The post Atelier Wen releases a new chapter in the Perception Millésime series, with a unique pietersite dial appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Today, we go hands-on with a watch from one of my favorite small brands. Atelier Wen rarely misses a beat with its releases, and the new Millésime Perception Xuán is no exception. As we’ll see, it uses a familiar platform but trades engraving for stoneworking. Plus, for those who struggle with the idea of a […] Visit Hands-On: The New Atelier Wen Millésime Perception Xuán to read the full article.

A series of features identifying the most extraordinary mechanical masterpieces in history, blending precision, innovation, and craftsmanship. We all have our favourite timepieces either in our collection or those incredible horological masterpieces that have been invented or created through the ages. This series will showcase examples from the previous centuries up to the present day and look at the importance and impact on modern day timekeeping.  In the early 1960s, NASA realised astronauts needed reliable, tough wristwatches for space missions, especially for tasks outside the spacecraft like on the Moon. So, NASA secretly bought several chronograph-type watches off the shelf. They tested watches from Omega, Rolex, Longines-Wittnauer, and perhaps a few others under extreme conditions. “Space: the final frontier. These are the voyages of the starship Enterprise. Its 5-year mission: to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no man has gone before.” These were the immortal words of Captain James T. Kirk, of the Star Ship Enterprise, played by William Shatner, in the hugely popular series, Star Trek, first broadcast in 1966. Today we are still fascinated with space travel and the extraordinary developments that have impacted on all of our lives since Mankind first set foot on the Moon on the 21st July 1969.  It is often stated that the technology that took Apollo 11 astronauts, Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Mic...

How do you approach a timepiece like this new Toledano & Chan…? While it is a watch, since it tells the time, the B/1.3r, like all previous models of the young brand, is not conventional. It’s not your daily, classic round watch. It is a deliberate statement, a watch that doesn’t play within the rules […]

With an educational focus and unashamedly broad shoulders, the Decompression 02 is an uncommonly serious offering in the dive watch genre.

There’s no denying that we’re currently facing a global decline in the luxury goods demand, with sales affected by uncertainties in China, the undeniable effect of US tariffs on exports to the region and several conflicts around the world. Last year, despite this challenging environment, powerhouse LVMH, the world’s largest luxury conglomerate, reported a moderate […]

One trend in the microbrand/small independent category that I’m glad to see more of already in these early days of 2026 is brands doing more on their own, in-house. Those words, “in-house,” have developed an almost toxic reputation in some circles as they’ve been used liberally to imply a level of craft or development that is not really there when you strip away all the marketing talk. But a handful of brands are taking it back, using it to designate certain manufacturing processes that they’ve taken ownership of over overseas factories. Oak & Oscar has just announced a new watch, the Humboldt ExP-02 that reflects some of the ten year old brand’s new manufacturing capabilities in an exciting and unique way.  At a glance, you could be forgiven for thinking this is an ordinary version of the Humboldt, Oak & Oscar’s “classic adventure watch.” Subtly, however, it shows off real watchmaking skill and a willingness on the brand’s part to experiment with new techniques.  The centerpiece of the ExP-02 is the dial, which keeps the familiar sandwich style construction that Oak & Oscar is so well known for, but refines it and personalizes it for this piece. Every aspect of the dial manufacturing is done to a very high level in the Oak & Oscar workshop, using new watchmaking equipment that the brand has invested in specifically to create unique components for watches like the ExP-02.  According to Oak & Oscar, the rehaut and main dial plate are both cut from alu...

It’s been nearly a year since we’ve heard from Chase Fancher and the team at Oak & Oscar. Here we are, though, in late January with an exciting, albeit highly limited, new release. Hopefully, the Humboldt ExP-02 foreshadows an increased level of in-house production capability. For now, let’s take a look at the watch! I […] Visit Introducing: The Oak & Oscar Humboldt ExP-02 to read the full article.

Tissot adds white and aqua blue dials to the PR516 38mm Powermatic 80, reinforcing it as an accessible automatic watch for new collectors.

No bones about it: Rado's latest take on its ceramic integrated bracelet stunner is its first-ever skeleton dial, which feels appropriate.The post Rado goes “fully anatomical” with the Anatom Skeleton appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.