Latest watch news · Page 6

Spirit Halloween stores are popping up around the city, pumpkin beer has hit the shelves, and 80-plus-degree highs in Brooklyn are in the rearview mirror (please remain true). I’ve returned my most worn summer watch to the display box and this one included quite a few “firsts”. I received my Jan Mayen Stormy Seas, a collaboration between the Norwegian brand and The Real Time Show (a podcast I’ll admit I’m still ignorant of) in late May after a production issue with the rubber straps delayed the promised delivery date by about three months. I grew up on the west coast sailing with my parents (who until very recently lived fulltime on their 43ft Hans Christian Ketch named “Galatea”) so perhaps that’s why I’m drawn to a watch called “Stormy Seas”, but regardless I found the contents of the precision machined capsule absolutely stunning. This was the first watch I’ve ever pre-ordered. While it’s not my favorite business practice, I knew the risks involved and was quite happy when they included a second strap gratis for the inconvenience. It remained on my wrist almost exclusively for the next three months. As well as my first pre-order and first Straum, it is also the first watch I’ve owned on a rubber strap, my first titanium case, and first integrated bracelet (more on that later). Straum has been on my radar since a Limited Edition Jan Mayen they released with Fratello back in the Spring of 2023. I loved the textural details in that fiery red dia...

What We Know There's a new miniature watch in town, and it's the Jaeger-LeCoultre 101 Chain. Inspired by a 1955 Duoplan model nicknamed the "Chain" for its "braided" gold-link bracelet, the new high-jewelry watch reinterprets that design with a sculptural 18K pink-gold bangle. It features diagonal bands that alternate between black HyCeram (a high-gloss ceramic material) and rows of brilliant-cut diamonds, offering a contemporary take on the original's sinuous chain motif. The bangle is cast in a mold made specifically for each watch, with 36 cavities filled by hand with liquid HyCeram. A master gem-setter then drills and sets the alternating diagonal bands with brilliant-cut diamonds. The finished bangle frames a diminutive watch with a black lacquered dial, which has a "JL" monogram above the hour and minute hands, all surrounded by a diamond bezel—bringing its overall diamond weight to an approximate 2.73 carats. But despite all the jewelry surrounding it, the real star is the Calibre 101, the world's smallest manually wound mechanical movement. The story dates back to the Duoplan, which was invented and patented in 1925, before JLC introduced the Calibre 101 in 1929 using the same two-level architecture (hence the name "Duoplan"). At just 14mm long, 4.8mm wide, and 3.4mm thick, the movement weighs barely a gram, and remarkably, its dimensions and architecture remain unchanged nearly a century later. Today, each movement takes around 40 hours to assemble by hand, maki...

Every year in early October, the car world descends on Newport, Rhode Island, for a weekend of revelry at the Audrain Newport Concours d'Elegance. We've covered the event in years past: Malaika had a dispatch in 2023, James strolling the lawn in 2024, and last year, TanTan took a ride with A. Lange & Söhne CEO Wilhelm Schmid. This year, it was my turn, and I was thrilled—it was my first time at Audrain and my first time in Newport, and over four days, set against the town's dramatic, historic backdrop, I was immersed in the smell of gasoline and the sound of pre-war cars shifting from first to second, trying not to stall. The weekend kicked off on Thursday at the Faxon Lodge, and set the tone for the rest of the week.  Now in its fourth year as a sponsor of the Concours, A. Lange & Söhne, the partnership feels like a natural one. While the cars got top billing, I kept glancing at wrists. Plenty of Langes were on display, naturally, including Jay Leno's Datograph Perpetual Calendar and Tony de Haas's limited-edition Triple Split. There was even a surprise appearance from former President Joe Biden, whose Goodwood Green 1967 Chevrolet Corvette Sting Ray Corvette was on display (sadly, I couldn't get a wrist shot). Scroll through for photos from the weekend, and stay tuned in the coming weeks for an itinerary to help you plan your own trip to Audrain next year, something I highly recommend. A. Lange & Söhne Lange 1 Moonphase. Maserati Khamsin. A. Lange & Söhne CEO Wilh...

For more than four decades, Miyota has been quietly powering watches from brands around the world. As the watch industry evolves, however, the movement manufacturer is increasingly stepping into the spotlight – highlighting not only its technical expertise and manufacturing capabilities, but also the role movements play in the identity, reliability and long-term value of […]

If you were around the micro/indie watch world in 2021, you almost certainly remember the release of the first Ming collaboration with Massena LAB. It was a limited edition that sold out incredibly fast (as most Ming releases did in those early days) and was notable for a few things beyond what I think is still an objectively cool design. First, this release came at the height of pandemic drop culture, and the quick sell through angered many Instagram commenters and there was a memorable backlash toward both brands (though I recall Ming taking the brunt of it). You could even argue that this release marked a sort of inflection point, and we began to see brands (including Ming) take steps with future releases to be more fair minded about how pieces are allocated. Second, when these watches eventually did make it to owners, there were a handful of notable and widely reported QC/mechanical issues (which of course were resolved by the brands, but still, not the cherry-on-top anyone was hoping for). Was the launch a catastrophe? Not really. Examples of these watches still routinely sell for well over retail on the secondary market. They’re one of a handful of releases from this era that really mark a specific moment in time.  Ming and Massena are back with a second collaboration, at a time when both brands find themselves in a very different sort of situation. Which is just to say, there’s been a lot of growth in these last several years. When was the last time, for instan...

Is there room for another watch show? Is there demand? Is Las Vegas the ideal place to bring thousands of watch collectors together for a weekend of horological-themed fun, discussion, and entertainment?  The folks behind The Escapement are saying an emphatic yes to all of the above. They're putting on a new watch event in Las Vegas in 2027 running February 5-7, and they believe collectors and enthusiasts are primed for a fresh, in-depth, and upgraded take on the watch meetup.  Texas-based Neeshu Hajra is an enthusiastic watch collector who has decades of experience in the events business. Now located in the Middle East, Faheem Khan spent most of his career in the energy industry in London and now writes and curates the popular watch-, philosophy-, and psychology-driven Substack blog ScrewDownCrown. He's also the irreverent voice behind @kingflum on Instagram. Together, they're planning and organizing The Escapement with help from a few other big names in the industry that we dive into during the episode. Image courtesy The Escapement We discuss what makes meetups work and why they had to pull plans to hold the inaugural edition of the event in Abu Dhabi and move to a more conventional location in Vegas, where they hope to attract some 5,000 general admission ticket buyers and 750 VIP ticket clients.  There's been some skepticism from industry naysayers as to the need and potential of the event. WatchPro's editor said the original gathering planned for Abu Dhabi gave...

Paulin x Hodinkee | Limited to 250 numbered pieces, we’re offering an in-person presale at the Windup Watch Fair in New York before the official public launch on October 19.

Louis Vuitton revives the cult Monterey in ceramic, with 37mm black and green cases, lacquered dials and an in-house automatic movement.

What We Know Hermès has released two new versions of its H08 sports watch. It feels like the H08 has lived a lot of lives in the five years since it was originally released at Watches & Wonders 2021, and these latest releases bring yet another new look to a line that has expanded pretty steadily since then. Here, we have two new versions of the H08, each in a braided glass fiber composite case, but where previous watches that have used this material have coated it in a dark blend of aluminum and slate, with these new watches, Hermès has dropped the slate dust. The result is a lighter, brighter finish, complemented by ceramic accents in either bright blue or white. The blue watch also comes equipped with a rhodium-plated, "crystal sandblasted" textured dial, with blue details matching the ceramic bezel, while the white watch has a lacquered white dial. Each has details in Hermès' signature orange. Beyond the new finish and color, these are largely the H08 as we have come to know it, with a cushion-shaped 39mm x 39mm case, rubber strap, and Hermès' hallmark rounded numerals, and are powered by the automatic Hermès Manufacture movement H1837, a movement created exclusively for Hermès by Vaucher Manufacture Fleurier. Prices for each of these new versions of the H08 sit at $8,600. What We Think This is a pretty straightforward case of a new colorway, but a new colorway done extremely well. The H08 has existed in a funny position for Hermès since its release half a decade...

Ming, the independent watchmaking company founded by photographer Ming Thein, and Massena LAB, William Massena’s creative watch studio, are back for an encore. In 2021, the two parties presented their first collaborative project, the 17.09 Honey and 17.09 Black, a duo defined not only by its mirrored colours but, more importantly, by its dial pattern. Five years […]

What We Know It's been five years since Ming and Massena Lab released their first collaboration. In that time, both Ming — the Malaysian-born microbrand founded by Ming Thein — and Massena Lab — the concept studio and curatorial brand created by collector William Massena — have grown and evolved somewhat dramatically, with Ming having moved through several generations of iteration, and Massena having worked with a somewhat staggering number of brands. Now, with each brand having grown up quite a bit, they've come back together to announce the Ming x Massena Lab 57.09 Secret Honey. The new watch, built on Ming's latest design platform, is a time-only watch that evokes similar ideas to the two brands' first collaborative effort half a decade ago, but updates them, bringing to the new watch many of the tricks Ming has developed over the last few years. Put another way, this is still a honeycomb-dialed Ming, just with a little more cheek. Here, Ming has blended the honeycomb concept with their multi-layered "secret" dial to create something dynamic and fun, with a lot of the charm of midcentury favorites in an undeniably contemporary package. Like so many Mings, the dial here is multi-layered, with a dark brown lacquered base dial sitting below a trio of rotating sapphire discs, each of which rotates at a different rate. These three discs are perforated with a different pattern and finished in a different color, with the bottom two layers finished respectively in orang...

What We Know The American West has long been a defining source of inspiration for Ralph Lauren. In 2018, the brand launched its Western Watch Collection to celebrate its 50th anniversary, extending Western influences to the wrist. Today, the brand is offering a fresh take on the Western Cushion model from the original collection, with the most noticeable change being its more compact, 38mm case offered in a total of three new versions.  The American Western pocket watch that launched in 2018, which featured an IWC  "Jones caliber" as the base.  The watch first launched in 2018 with a 42mm case, among five other limited-production models, including a 50mm full hunter pocket watch. For the movements, Ralph Lauren partnered with Richemont brands Piaget and IWC, marrying Swiss-made tradition with the spirit of the Wild West. The Western Cushion 38mm retains the original design's pillowy case, crafted from hand-engraved and aged sterling silver to resemble vintage Western silverwork. The watch comes in three dial versions: black lacquer, off-white lacquer, and a natural turquoise stone. The black lacquer dial is paired with contrasting off-white numerals and a black calfskin leather strap, while the off-white version takes a slightly more traditional approach with black numerals and a brown calfskin leather strap. The turquoise dial also has black numerals and comes on a brown calfskin leather strap, although its natural stone surface gives each watch a slightly different ch...

With such a rich and varied repertoire, it is hard to believe that Czapek was founded as recently as 2015. Five years later, the brand introduced its first luxury sports collection, the Antarctique. To mark its tenth anniversary, the Antarctique was equipped with a spectacular flying tourbillon, framed by an equally striking guilloché pattern simulating […]

A bold Victory Green guilloché dial and flying tourbillon make this limited Antarctique one of Czapek's most striking pieces yet. The Czapek Antarctique Tourbillon Victory Green pairs an 18k yellow gold case with a rich green guilloché dial and flying tourbillon in a 10-piece limited run.

Czapek releases a new Antarctique Tourbillon in 18k yellow gold and a Victory Green dial. This was a special request from a collector, but extended to 10..

Five years after their debut collab, Ming and Massena LAB return with something genuinely weird and wonderful. The Ming x Massena LAB 57.09 Secret Honey pairs a kinetic honeycomb dial with tri-tone lugs. Here's what makes this collab worth paying attention to.

Working in the watch industry for well over a decade by now, I hardly get nervous about watch prices. Sure, sometimes it baffles the mind how much watches can cost, and from time to time it’s hard to justify even, but a price is basically just a number by now. That doesn’t mean I have […]

Fifteen years on, MB&F;'s most classically minded creation comes back hardened for daily wear, without losing any of its original magic. The MB&F; Legacy Machine 1 EVO revisits the 2011 original with improved shock protection, higher water resistance, and a revised movement for everyday wear.

The Mido Multifort TV Big Date Chronometer gets a new blue checkerboard dial and COSC-certified Calibre 80 movement

Put the spec sheets for the Tudor Pelagos 39 and the Rolex Submariner side by side, and the two watches look almost suspiciously similar. Both are roughly 40mm steel or titanium dive watches with in-house automatic movements, ceramic or aluminum bezels, and depth ratings most owners will never come close to testing. On paper, this […] Visit Is The Tudor Pelagos 39 Better Than A Rolex Submariner? to read the full article.

Cyma‘s history in Swiss watchmaking dates to the establishment of Tavannes Watch Company in the 1860s, and it had its ups and downs like the rest of the industry. Recently, we reviewed the Grand Maestro Steel Cross Chronograph, a modern sports series with a layered dial, powered by a familiar Swiss automatic movement. The new […]

Somewhere in a remote corner of the internet, there must be a place where people debate whether enamel or porcelain watch dials are nicer. I didn’t go down the rabbit hole into a heated online argument about these two delicate dial-making techniques, but from time to time, I do have an internal discussion on the […] Visit Picking A Saxonian Watch Bouquet: Introducing The Glashütte Original × Meissen Senator Cherry Blossom to read the full article.

The Jaquet Droz Petite Heure Minute Les Volumes du Temps is a unique watch created for the upcoming TimeForArt charity auction, penned by a student artist at the Académie de Meuron. Its dragging hour and minute discs depart from conventional hands, while the sculptural dial showcases the elaborate enamelling for which Jaquet Droz is known. Jaquet Droz CEO Alain Delamuraz (left) with Fiona Djukanovic (centre) Initial thoughts The Petite Heure Minute Les Volumes du Temps draws on Jaquet Droz’s expertise in métiers d’art, particularly grand feu enamel, to support a worthy cause. It differs from the brand’s familiar format primarily through its dial, designed by Fiona Djukanovic, a student at the Académie de Meuron in Neuchâtel. Its X-shaped composition reveals two apertures, one for the dragging hours and another for the dragging minutes. The display borrows its functionality from the Ophidian Hour introduced last year, with a module fitted to a variant of the familiar Jaquet Droz cal. JD2653. Both the hour and minute discs advance gradually, rather than jumping between numerals. The movement is a descendent of the Frédéric Piguet cal. 1150, a twin-barrel architecture that has provided good service to brands like Blancpain and Urban Jürgensen for nearly 40 years. Beyond this functional change, Ms Djukanovic’s design combines shades of blue with champlevé and flinqué enamel over hand engraving, emphasising the depth and volume of the dial’s architecture. Des...