Latest watch news · Page 1679

The label “independent watchmaking” does not come from watchmakers themselves. Rather, it is an attempt by collectors, and also journalists, to distinguish smaller watch manufacturers from larger luxury companies. The phrase usually refers to brands or makers that share certain qualities: being niche as opposed to mainstream; having highly creative products made in small quantities; often founded by watchmakers with high horological competence, who are also rather non-commercial, while possessing the idealistic philosophy of an artist. From this, the important question arises for the watch collector – are resulting timepieces fundamentally more valuable, particularly when compared to watches from big brands that are produced by the thousands and boosted by heavy marketing? That can only be answered by the collector. The watchmaker, on the other hand, has to balance the pros and cons of being an independent. Marco Lang in his workshop, located within his home. Photo – Marco Lang Going independent Starting up an independent watch brand is quite different from building a more conventional watch company. A watchmaker probably starts with a good idea and from that, builds a very unusual watch. He would like the world to know about his idea, so scrapes together all his savings – maybe even he savings of friends and family – and then exhibits his creation at a fair. The more business-minded watchmakers might think of market studies or analyse the competition. But some...

Originally introduced in 2011 as a round, dressy-ish watch that was distinct from most other Richard Mille watches, the RM 33 has now been revamped and looks like, well, other Richard Mille watches. The new RM 33-02 is still round, but is aggressively styled and executed in a striking combination of materials. Just as it is with Richard Mille’s better known tonneau-shaped watches, the RM 33-02 has an angular, notched bezel, while the case is a sandwich combining carbon composite and gold held together by large, visible screws. The bezel notches at six and 12 are continued onto the integrated rubber strap, which has a fin running down its length, accentuating the sporty look. The bezel and back are made of Carbon TPT, a carbon composite made by North Thin Ply Technology (NTPT), a Swiss materials specialist that supplies the material for all of Richard Mille’s composite cases. Layers of carbon fibre within the composite give it a distinctive, striped appearance that is now found on most Richard Mille watches. In between the carbon composite is a case middle in 18k red gold. Also in red gold are the large Arabic numerals, which sit on a pair of black-coated titanium rings mounted on the base plate of the movement – necessary because the watch has no dial. Despite the bold styling, the RM 33-02 is a relatively compact watch, measuring just 41.7mm in diameter, and a slim 8.8mm high. That’s thanks in part to the extra-thin RMXP1 movement inside. It’s an automatic that...

There have only ever been three smart watch reviews in the three thousand review history of Time+Tide. Which makes this review special. The reason we wanted to get our hands on one of the latest Apple Watch Series 5 models was the host of new features, including some new and luxurious materials, many of which … ContinuedThe post VIDEO: A week on the wrist with the Apple Watch Series 5 appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Martin Green feels that the Parmigiani Toric was, and is, perfectly proportioned, with just the right dash of eccentricity incorporated into its design. But does adding complications change that? And does all of that still deserve the title of Parmigiani's best-looking line?

A deep dive on a classic dive watch brand that's never light on personality.

Hajime Asaoka's Kurono Classic watches is a less expensive route to his work. We take a close look at two variants - the Midnight Blue and Eggshell White.

Revolution editors and writers pick the most outstanding timepieces of 2019, celebrating the best in a competitive field of many greats.

The 2011 RM 033 gets refreshed with the RM 33-02 Automatic, with Richard Mille’s more aggressive case design in Carbon TPT®.

Ross Povey - in collaboration with Pucci Papaleo - talks us through the early developments in bejeweled sports models and decodes the racier Daytonas.

The team at London's A Collected Man just sold a genuine piece of horological history.

News last weekend that Switzerland’s competition regulator, COMCO, also widely known by its German acronym Weko, was weighing a ban on ETA movement sales to third-party brands caused a major stir in the watch industry – and a terse, lengthy response from Swatch Group, ETA’s parent and Switzerland’s biggest watchmaking conglomerate. The move was ostensibly to allow alternatives to ETA – once Switzerland’s dominant supplier of mechanical movements – to develop. According to the Swatch Group, the ban was entirely without merit, especially given the fact that ETA was no longer the biggest supplier of movements to the industry. That title now belongs to Sellita, which supplied a million movements in 2019, compared to half the number for ETA. Now COMCO has formalised the year-long ban in an announcement that puts in place a “temporary suspension of the supply of [ETA] mechanical movements to customers”. The ban will be in force until COMCO makes its final decision by the summer of 2020. The ban, however, allows ETA to sell its movements to existing clients that are small- and medium-sized watch brands, defined as having less than 250 employees, which will probably be of little consolation to ETA. According to a Swatch Group spokesman quoted by Reuters, the majority of ETA’s movement sales are to companies with more than 250 employees, and as a result, ETA foresees it won’t be able to sell any movements next year. According to the statement, the ban is foun...

The fifth rendition of the Zenith Defy El Primero 21 sees the brand giving the model a complete carbon look. After the black ceramic and rose gold versions were released in 2018 along with the titanium and black ceramic in 2017, Zenith introduced the Defy El Primero 21 Carbon edition during this year’s Baselworld. The Defy collection is leading Zenith into the future with the brand’s innovative watchmaking being utilized in their latest models. We had a chance to review the Inventor and Classic models from the Defy collection, which were surely eye-catching pieces, to say the least. (You can find the reviews to Inventor and Defy Classic here ). Make no mistake, however; the Defy El Primero 21 Carbon is just as pleasing to look at, even if everything seems as if it’s trying to blend in with its camo-style appearance.       The beauty of using carbon fibre is that due to the nature of the material and how the alternating layers of carbon fibres are always randomly arranged, each individual piece will be unique. As carbon fibre is used for the faceted case, round bezel, crown, chronograph pushers and buckle head, each of these pieces will vary in aesthetic appearance from one watch to another. This makes the watch that you buy a truly unique piece. The carbon fibre case and the round bezel is what gets your attention first in this piece. As said earlier, the way the carbon fibre is patterned gives off a subtle camouflage appearance. After wearing the Defy El Primer...

2019 has spawned a literal plethora of new watches for all us timekeeping enthusiasts out there in the horological ether to enjoy. And while not all of them have been unmitigated successes *cough, cough*, the best watches of the year, in my opinion, have been the rather large assortment of reissue and homage pieces. Chief … ContinuedThe post HANDS-ON: This Rado Golden Horse 1957 is one of the best watches of 2019 appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Missed the RM 033 in 2011? You're in luck.

A watch to capture the insouciant coolness of Italy’s golden era of motorsport.

Created to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Grand Seiko’s prolific Spring Drive movement, SBGY002 is a limited edition dress watch for discerning fans of the Japanese watchmaker’s signature snowflake dial. Hewn from solid 18k yellow gold, the case of the rarified timepiece is signature SBGY and, as a result, measures in at just 38.5mm and … ContinuedThe post VIDEO: The timelessly elegant Grand Seiko SBGY002 appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Just over two weeks ago the annual George Daniels lecture took place at the City University of London, an institution supported by the late watchmaker’s charitable trust. This year’s speaker at the sold-out event was none other than Roger W. Smith, protege and successor to Daniels. Just over an hour long, including questions, the lecture is erudite, accessible and packed with nerdy trivia, like the fact that a movement running at 28,800 beats per hour will make 252,288,000 vibrations per year. Roger explained the history and rationale behind the mechanical watch, and how watchmakers are working to improve it even today. That naturally led into the lubrication-free co-axial escapement invented by Daniels (pictured above), which Roger delves into in a satisfyingly detailed manner, like comparing the sliding friction of a lever escapement against the tangential impulse of the co-axial. Fortunately, the entire proceedings were recorded and are now available online:  

In keeping with the lengthening guarantee periods throughout the watch industry – eight years at Cartier and most other Richemont brands, and five years at Rolex and Omega – Tudor has just announced the guarantee period for all its watches is now five years, for all watches sold from January 1, 2020 onwards. But owners of recently purchased Tudor watches will also get a warranty enhancement: all watches sold from July 1, 2018 to December 31, 2019 get an 18-month warranty extension, in addition to the existing two-years, for a total of three and a half years, or 42 months. Watches sold before July 1, 2018 retain the unchanged, two-year warranty. The Tudor Black Bay Chrono Dark Tudor’s warranty extension further enhances the value inherent in its remarkably well-made and well-priced watches, which are amongst the best value propositions on the market today. The warranty extension is unsurprising, not only because of the competition, but also because Tudor watches – particularly those powered by its in-house movements – are extensively tested and notably reliable.  

A next-gen Carrera for a modern TAG Heuer.

Hermès releases the new Slim D’Hermès Cheval Ikat featuring the ancient Asian art of making textile known as Ikat. The motif of a horse adorns the dial.

Revolution editors and writers pick the most outstanding timepieces of 2019, celebrating the best in a competitive field of many greats.

Hamilton creates a big, beefy military watch that celebrates another slice of American history.

There are endless ways to collect in any category of art and collectibles, including watches. The easiest way is to buy whatever strikes one’s fancy, as a hobbyist’s pastime. Carried on over an extended period of time, one is bound to possess a sizeable collection, a mixed bag consisting of nice and, more likely than not, middling objects. But is this the best way? The alternative – and far more meaningful – way to collect, is the focus on quality. But just what, one may ask, is “quality”? In this day and age, it is a word thrown around a lot, by laymen, dealers, and collectors alike. To me, “quality”, first and foremost, refers to the significance of a given object. For the most serious collectors of timepieces made by Rolex and Patek Philippe – the two most important manufactures in watchmaking due to their continuous histories of producing illustrious craft – it entails the pursuit of models that are the most significant both aesthetically and technically.  At the pinnacle of Rolex collecting lies the ref. 6062. Debuted at the Basel fair in 1950, the 6062 was the world’s first waterproof, self-winding wristwatch with complete calendar and moon phase (pictured at top, a steel Rolex ref. 6062 from 1953). One of only two original Rolex models with moon phase – the other being the non-waterproof ref. 8171 with snap-back case – the 6062 represented the epitome of postwar Rolex watchmaking: a complicated yet robust and accurate automatic movement s...

Ever since its shock unveiling at Baselworld 2017, Rado’s exciting range of Captain Cooks has represented a compelling proposition for anyone who’s in the market for a solid, fit-for-purpose dive watch on a budget. However, most of the collection is on the larger size, measuring in at a fashionable and contemporary 42mm. Fans fond of … ContinuedThe post VIDEO: Size isn’t everything with the Rado Captain Cook Automatic appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Panerai has gently eased itself towards a focus on more civilian sports watches, as opposed to retro-navy diver instrument remakes, since chief executive Jean-Marc Pontroué took the helm in 2018. So its most recent releases this year include the extra-thin Luminor Due in titanium, along with commemorative editions for the America’s Cup yacht race. But Panerai is still keeping one eye on its Marina Militare heritage, exemplified by the pair of Radiomir watches unveiled last month, the most interesting of which is the Radiomir 8 Days 45mm (PAM00992). It has a vintage-esque style – not really a one for one remake – combined with an in-house, eight-day movement and a relatively accessible price of US$8,500. Most unusually, the steel case has a faux aged finish that Panerai is trying for the first time. Marina Militare The new Radiomir is not a remake of a vintage Panerai, but rather it’s a mix-and-match of various elements, including the engraved logo and “8 Giorni” emblem at three. Traditionalists might find it impure, but that was essentially the founding formula for the modern Panerai company. The result is a good-looking watch that approximates the look of a vintage Panerai while offering modern conveniences like a long power reserve. Even though it’s a large watch – the case is 45mm – it’s smallish by Panerai standards, since the military-style Panerai watches are usually 47mm. But it is big enough to look like a Panerai, and it wears well for a 45mm...

If ever there was an unlikely concept, it would have to be the idea of Greubel Forsey – the masters of ultra-finished, mechanically inventive, and (at least in GaryG's view) imposingly dressy watches – coming out with a sporty watch.

A classic chronograph is now in steel – for the second time.