Latest watch news · Page 252

Known for its complex watches with in-house movements using highly innovative solutions to improve accuracy, such as the spectacular resonance concept and the Gravity Equal Force, indie watchmaking brand Armin Strom decided in 2021 that it was time to offer something more focused, simpler, more elegant and yet distinctively its own. The result was the […]

Massena Lab’s latest collaboration is a steampunk regulator wristwatch created together with Vianney Halter. Blending the best of both their respective styles, the Old Soul is an unusual yet appealing proposition for collectors looking to get a sampling of the independent watchmaker’s best known works. The Old Soul displays the time regulator-style, with the hours, minutes, and seconds on separate registers. But it indicates the minutes with a clever trick: a “floating” minute pointer on a clear sapphire disc. Inside is a vintage Minerva movement that’s been dressed up for the occasion but still recognisable as an early-20th century calibre. Initial thoughts The Old Soul a continuation of the collection that began with the Old School made together with Luca Soprana. If Massena Lab founder William Rohr’s aesthetic sensibilities prevailed with the earlier watch, it is Mr Halter’s signature style that dominates the Old Soul. The Old Soul is unquestionably quirky - both as a whole and in the details. The watch looks like a regulator, but lacks the traditional vertical sub-dial arrangement. It also lacks a central minute hand, featuring instead a “floating” diamond-shaped pointer. The “floating” hand is a nifty optical illusion but it’s a straightforward concept that replaces the hand with a clear disc. Inside the piece ticks an equally unexpected movement, a “new old stock” Minerva cal. 17.22. According to Massena Lab, it was the discovery of a fo...

Before there was MB&F;, before there was Richard Mille or Greubel Forsey or De Bethune, there was Vianney Halter. Alongside brands like Urwerk, Vianney Halter helped to reimagine what watches could look and feel like coming into the 21st century. Writing in 2025, it’s hard to think of a time when the weird and wonderful wasn’t a core part of watch collecting, and Vianney Halter deserves no small amount of praise for his role in bridging the gap between a more traditional interpretation of independent watchmaking and the wide-open world of watch design we now get to enjoy. Still, nearly three decades on from the release of his first watch in 1998 (the inimitable Antiqua Perpetual Calendar), Vianney Halter is still working, and his latest release, the Old Soul - designed and executed in collaboration with William Massena and Massena LAB - is a sterling reminder that the old master isn’t out of tricks just yet. Like Halter’s last collaboration, the Louis Erard x Vianney Halter Regulator, which was released around Thanksgiving last year, the Old Soul leans into Halter’s Steampunk sensibilities, but blends the unique aesthetic with Massena’s signature eye towards historic watch design. The resulting piece is something both classically beautiful and wholly contemporary. Cased in a sedate and handsome 42mm, 12mm thick steel case, the Old School by Vianney Halter and Massena LAB is powered by the Minerva calibre 17’22, a vintage pocket watch movement first introdu...

Over the past few years, we have seen Massena Lab team up with several interesting brands. For this new creation, William Massena’s collaboration laboratory joined forces with Vianney Halter to produce the Old Soul. This timepiece blends the science fiction of steampunk with watchmaking references from the early 1900s. Additionally, it houses a vintage Minerva […] Visit Introducing: The Old Soul By Vianney Halter And Massena Lab to read the full article.

Introducing Old Soul, an interesting collaboration from Massena Lab with Vianney Halter, masterfully blending the legendary aesthetics of both.

Once a Japanese market exclusive, this stainless steel Zenith Chronomaster Sport Meteorite is now available worldwide.The post This Zenith Chronomaster Sport Meteorite in steel is now available worldwide appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Launched as a side project next to his main brand MB&F;, Max Busser created M.A.D.Editions first as a way to reward friends of the brand, long collectors and suppliers for their continuous support. There was no intention for it to become a brand on its own, but what followed saw an unprecedented momentum beyond the […]

Color has always been a very important part of the M.A.D.Editions collection, but these new models by British-Nigerian artist/designer Yinka Ilori take color to a whole new level. These watches may have been inspired by nature, but rarely does nature look this vibrant . . . or this crazy!

The fan-favorite M.A.D.1S returns in a collaboration with a London-based, British-Nigerian multi-disciplinary artist and designer for a colorful new take on last year's slim release.

Released in 2021, the Zenith Chronomaster Sport has been quite a success for the Le Locle-based brand. A versatile sports chronograph with enough arguments, visually and mechanically, to compete with the heavyweights of the category, it has been made in an array of different versions since its introduction. Ranging from classic to bold, we’ve seen […]

Two bold looks for a big brand anniversary.

The worthy successor of the 222 model (which is still made by the brand as part of the Historiques Collection), the Overseas has been Vacheron Constantin‘s vision of the luxury sports watch, a model made to compete with the two other icons of the genre, the Royal Oak and the Nautilus. The current Overseas, which […]

Two new grails courtesy of the Holy Trinity brand, Vacheron Constantin.The post Vacheron Constantin debuts new Overseas Perpetual Calendar Ultra-Thin configurations appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

The recently launched 222 in steel may be the watch of the hour, but Vacheron Constantin continues to build out the Overseas line with a facelift for the Overseas Perpetual Calendar Ultra-Thin ref. 4300V that gets new dials in burgundy and pink gold, both with pale blue accents. While the new pair are built on old bones, they remain competitive and appealing thanks to the extremely slim profile, great dials and well-appointed bracelets. Initial thoughts While the fad for integrated bracelet sport watches has cooled off, the genre remains remain popular and new contenders emerge every day, compelling established players to reinvent themselves. The Overseas Perpetual Calendar is definitely an established player in this segment and competitive with most of the market, at least for now. The thin movement inside has a proven track record by virtue of its age (the basic architecture debuted in 1967). Moreover, the Overseas perpetual also deserves praise for being very good looking, especially with the new burgundy dial. The blue accents work surprisingly well against the burgundy, though less so against pink gold. That said, the age of the movement is significant. It was easy to ignore the movement when the same was true of its peers. That is changing; Audemars Piguet overhauled the Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar with an all-new movement earlier this year, which features an entirely crown-set calendar. While I think the difficulty of setting perpetual calendars with pushers is exa...

Vacheron Constantin releases a new addition to their Overseas collection, this time adding two new dial variant to the Perpetual Calendar.

While many brands have focused their efforts on producing smaller watches, it’s nice to see Piaget carrying the banner for thin ones with its Altiplano series. As a longtime producer of wafer-like timepieces, the company continues to push boundaries with innovation. One example includes using the case back as the mainplate to reduce thickness. Today’s […] Visit Piaget Introduces New Versions Of The Altiplano Ultimate Concept Tourbillon And 910P to read the full article.

As one of the main competitors in the battle for the thinnest watches, Piaget has had quite a few records on its hands, using the emblematic Altiplano watch collection as the vessel to deliver record-thin models. The Altiplano Ultimate Concept (AUC) made some noise by becoming the thinnest mechanical watch ever in 2016, and the […]

There’s so much to say about the Holthinrichs Signature Ornament Lab Series 1.24, but when I see the patinated copper dial adorned with 24K gold leaf, I want to sing the famous Nat King Cole jazz standard “Autumn Leaves.” The melancholy song starts with the words “The falling leaves drift by the window” and ends […] Visit Hands-On With The Dutch Holthinrichs Signature Ornament Lab Series 1.24 Watch to read the full article.

After weeks of discussion among our editors and a single session of reader voting, the results are clear: the Rolex Datejust 1601 has emerged as the favorite in our editors’ Datejust lineup. While initially highlighted by Thomas van Straaten as his pick, the 1601 received 41% of the vote, demonstrating broad appeal among collectors and […] Visit The People Have Spoken: The Rolex Datejust 1601 Reigns Supreme to read the full article.

Since its inception in 2016, the AIKON line has been Swiss watchmaker Maurice Lacroix’s bestselling collection. Nine years later, the brand is ready to kick it up a notch. The new aptly-named AIKONIC series packs updated mechanics and new materials into an upgraded case design with pops of color, promising innovation in the urban watch space while maintaining the original watch’s flavor. Does it land? Let’s take a look.  The first new aspect of note for the AIKONIC collection is the 43mm case; while it retains the familiar six double-wide “arms” around the bezel, a tactile grip cover is added to the crown. Both the bezel and the crown cover are composed of matt ceramic, which promises scratch-free usage for years to come. And while the case remains steel, it features both brushed and polished surfaces for visual and tactile complexity.  The carbon dial, too, is all-new on the AIKONIC. With carbon fiber strands running north to south in one direction as opposed to interwoven, each dial is slightly distinct from the next. Maurice Lacroix collaborated with a Swiss partner to create the dials, resulting in a construction that is fresh both structurally and aesthetically. The noth-south carbon pattern indeed gives each dial a vertical wave pattern, diversifying the design from both a textural and visual standpoint. Atop the dial sits silver text details, rhodium indices and second hand, and rhodium-facetted hour and minute hands. A sapphire crystal with anti-reflect...

Favre Leuba was never shy to bring colour and character to its watches, and the Chief Chronograph is no exception. Launched in 2024 as a modern revival of the brand’s 1970s designs, the new models got noticed with their distinctive looks and rather complex dial construction. Now, the line welcomes two fresh references, presented in […]

The Malaysian brand introduces its fifth generation design language with a bold new chronograph at a lower price point.

Wrist Enthusiast founder Craig Karger's microbrand joins forces with the affable Ben Cook of Ben's Watches on a hot little dive watch.The post Wren and Ben’s Watches unveil the Diver One Magma, a diver that epitomizes the modern watch community appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Jaquet Droz releases the Tourbillon Skelet Red Gold with a metiérs d'art dial featuring the Catrina Skull, an incarnation of the Mexican Day of the Dead.