Latest watch news · Page 52

See hand-on reviewed picks that bring military-inspired design, solar convenience, mechanical charm, and everyday durability beyond the usual Hamilton default.

Among top-level, mainstream Swiss-made watch brands, few can match Cartier's performance over the last half-decade. The Paris-based jewelry marque has vaulted ever higher to become the second biggest watch brand by sales, according to analyst estimates from both Vontobel and Morgan Stanley. While the jewelry unit of Cartier remains its primary driver, analysts say estimated sales from the watch division grew about 10% in 2025 to exceed CHF 3 billion, up from less than CHF 2 billion in 2019. What's perhaps more notable is the performance of Cartier's watch division relative to the broader market. As most brands have surfed the undulating wave of the post-COVID boom, followed by a downturn in demand, Cartier's watch unit has outpaced the market while remaining relatively affordable and accessible, with prices averaging about CHF 6,000 per watch and implementing lower price increases than most competitors, according to analysts. That has allowed Cartier to consolidate its position as one of just a handful of high-volume, long-established, and approachable-priced brands that are top choices on mainstream watch consumers' want lists, particularly among younger buyers.  Tortue Chronographe Monopoussoir with oversized "XII". At the same time, Cartier has also grown in standing among watch enthusiasts and collectors, with prices for models on the secondary market gaining 8.6% in a year, according to WatchCharts.com's Cartier index. Auction results for vintage pieces have performe...

Last week was a big one for Baltic, as it saw the release of their collaboration with SpaceOne, the Seconde Majeure, which is easily one of our favorite watches of the year so far. With all the teases for that watch in the lead up to its release at the end of the week, you may have missed another Baltic launch that took place right before it. To celebrate the brand’s fourth consecutive year as the official timekeeper of the Tour Auto (the modern version of the classic Tour de France Automobile, which began all the way back in 1899) Baltic has released a limited edition rally timer, a combination stopwatch and dashclock, that in its own way is every bit as idiosyncratic as the Seconde Majeure.  This of course is not the first time Baltic has released a limited edition for the Tour Auto (see our coverage of their 2024 and 2025 releases here and here), but it is the first time that release hasn’t included a wristwatch. The 2024 release did include a similar rally timer combo, but not as a standalone effort – it was bundled with a chronograph that surely would have been the main draw for most buyers.  Here, Baltic is centering an unusual timing device, but one that is core to racing, much more than a wristwatch. The rally timer as conceived by Baltic consists of two separate instruments. First, a stopwatch, with a light blue dial, which is powered by a manually wound Hanhart caliber with flyback functionality. The flyback mechanism is particularly well suited to racing...

For the 40th episode of the SJX Podcast, we sat down with Rexhep Rexhepi in Geneva to learn more about his latest watch — the RRCHF Chronograph Flyback. Rexhep explains why he wanted to make a chronograph, and how the self-imposed constraint of a symmetrical layout resulted in a more refined overall construction. He also discusses the RRCHF’s in-house escapement, and the trade-offs that were considered in its development. Listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube.  

De Bethune DB28XS Sea Tourbillon, now in in the xs 39mm mirror polished titanium case with a random guilloché blue accented dial inspired by the sea.

A review of the Watchdives EXD, a titanium Tudor homage that raises questions about value, practicality, and how close a $129 watch really needs to get.

Less well known than the brand’s popular dive and pilot watches, Oris has a dressier, more formal watch line, some powered by the brand’s in-house calibres, such as the refreshed Artelier Complication we covered a few weeks ago. The Artelier Date, a classic time-and-date model, has also been selected for a design makeover. Keen to […]

What do Mark “The Manx Missile” Cavendish, Djamolidin “The Tasjkent Terror” Abdoujaparov, and André “The Gorilla” Greipel have in common? Nicknames that say something about their character and their profession — winning sprints. In pro cycling, sprinters are a different breed. They hide in the belly of the peloton, only to emerge in the final […] Visit Crossing The Finish Line With The Bravur Grand Tour Sprinter to read the full article.

Chanel's J12 Superleggera returns, this time with a stealthy, matte black ceramic finish and a detail-packed, motorsport-inspired dial

Swatch has been teasing us for the last week about a secret release scheduled to debut on May 16th. The teasers refer to the Swatch POP (a watch introduced in 1986), a lanyard, a “clac” sound, Audemars Piguet’s Royal Oak, and a Sistem51 mechanical movement.   View this post on Instagram   A post shared […] Visit Audemars Piguet × Swatch Royal POp: Here’s What We Know! to read the full article.

The BR-03 collection by Bell & Ross has been around for nearly two decades, and by now, its square case with a round dial is one of the most recognisable designs out there. Originally launched in 2006 as a 42mm alternative to the larger 46mm BR-01, the collection was updated in 2023 with a slightly slimmer […]

Sometimes, you don’t want a color or a fancy finish on your dial, and occasionally, the second version isn’t always better than the first. That must be exactly what Ludovic Barrois from the French watch publication Le Petit Poussoir was thinking. That’s probably why, with his friend Guillaume Laidet, he released the Nivada Grenchen F77 […] Visit Hands-On With The New Nivada Grenchen × Le Petit Poussoir F77 Polar White MK1 Limited Edition to read the full article.

Ulysse Nardin (UN) celebrates 25 years of the landmark Freak with the aptly named Super Freak — a timepiece that pays homage to its predecessors while asserting its own distinct identity. Showcased at UN’s eccentric booth at Watches & Wonders 2026, the Super Freak was advertised as the most complicated time-only watch ever made — an ambitious claim that appears to be true.  Blending cutting-edge mechanics with an artisanal touch, the exuberant Super Freak comfortably reaches into the “hyper-watch” echelon, echoing the first groundbreaking Freak launched back in 2001. Ulysse Nardin also celebrates its 180th anniversary this year, so something extraordinary was to be expected.  Initial thoughts Even before going hands on with the Super Freak, just visiting UN’s booth at Watches & Wonders 2026 was an experience. Passers-by were greeted by two humanoid robots and a large sculpture of Dr Ludwig Oechslin’s head, with his eyes peering down over the proceedings.  The extravagant entrance hinted at the research-focused Super Freak, which looks and feels more like the product of some advanced laboratory rather than a 180-year-old manufacture. A very dynamic watch, the Super Freak’s face now more than ever resembles a space craft.  The Super Freak pays tribute to 25 years of the Freak while also adding something truly new to the mix. The result is the UN 252, the first Freak movement featuring running seconds and two flying tourbillons (2010’s Freak Diavolo was ...

We have seen many watch brands coming together to do collaborations. So, before the launch of the Royal Pop, we take a look at what is currently available.

Explore affordable dive watches with real history under $1,000, based on hands-on testing, daily wear notes, and the stories behind each model.

Although the vast majority of mechanical watches are still made in steel, there are plenty of alternative materials, of course. One of the oldest and most widespread ones is gold, followed by titanium and perhaps platinum. On the more uncommon end of the spectrum, we find watches made in other types of metals, cutting-edge composite […]

Superleggera is Italian for “super light.” But to a petrolhead, the word means more. The term refers to a custom automobile body-construction method developed by Felice Bianchi Anderloni at the Italian coachbuilder Carrozzeria Touring Superleggera. Patented in 1936, the Superleggera system uses a framework of thin steel tubes shaped to the contours of the car […] Visit Hands-On With The New Chanel J12 Superleggera Caliber 12.1 — Is It Worthy Of The Famous Automotive Moniker? to read the full article.

A classical take on the flying tourbillon with modern twists that will please modern collectors and traditionalists alike.

Another week is in the books, and the buzz from a surprisingly bold Watches and Wonders still lingers. Outside the major brands, the show delivered genuine innovation. Highlights ranged from Armin Strom’s on-demand 12:59-chiming minute repeater to Zenith’s practical and deeply satisfying Zenclasp for the Chronomaster Sport Skeleton. For week 19, we shift focus to […] Visit Sunday Morning Showdown: Mystery Complications — H. Moser & Cie. Endeavour Perpetual Calendar Concept Tantalum Vs. Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda PF Chronographe Mystérieux to read the full article.

The Yema Navygraf Phantom CMM.10 packs an in-house automatic, 300m water resistance, and a 70-hour power reserve into a 38mm blacked-out case.