Latest watch news · Page 734

This 'Fifty Phantoms' is a spooky, cheeky and very on-trend parody of the much-spoken-about Blancpain Fifty Fathoms.The post Boo! The Spinnaker Fleuss Automatic seconde/seconde/ is a Halloween-ready pun of a watch appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

It’s tricky business finding alternatives to the Swatch x Blancpain Fifty Fathoms; seldom do we see high-low collaborations of this kind in the industry. Indeed the bioceramic dive watch looms large in the minds of both collectors and the mainstream public, and for good reason. While the lightweight colorful dive watch is great fun, however, those who are looking beyond the hype for more substantial dive watches around a similar price point should consider these options here in the Windup Watch Shop. It’s tricky business finding alternatives to the Swatch x Blancpain Fifty Fathoms; seldom do we see high-low collaborations of this kind in the industry. Indeed the bioceramic dive watch looms large in the minds of both collectors and the mainstream public, and for good reason. While the lightweight colorful dive watch is great fun, however, those who are looking beyond the hype for more substantial dive watches around a similar price point should consider these options here in the Windup Watch Shop. The post Windup Watch Shop Alternatives to the Swatch x Blancpain appeared first on Worn & Wound.

Windup NYC is a wrap, and the festivities saw the debut of many new watches from a huge variety of brands. Oak & Oscar is a Windup mainstay and a core part of the microbrand space (a term which admittedly seems less and less adequate as the years go by and these shows get bigger and bigger, but that’s a topic for another day), and they took the opportunity to debut a new flavor of an old favorite over the weekend, the Humboldt GMT in titanium. It’s immediately recognizable as an Oak & Oscar and will slot nicely into their existing catalog, but offers a handful of new details and innovations that show the Chicago based brand is still interested in moving forward and expanding the idea of what an Oak & Oscar watch should be.  The big news here is the titanium case. The Humboldt GMT in titanium is made from the grade 5 variety, and comes in at a weight of just 74 grams when mounted on a leather strap. It comes in at 39.5mm (with a bezel overhang of 0.5mm) and is 46.8mm from lug to lug. According to the brand, it’s 20% lighter than the original Humboldt GMT in stainless steel, which equates to a difference you’ll really notice on the wrist. It immediately makes the watch sportier based on ease of wear alone.  For the dial, we get a dark green shade, which is the same tone used on the green Olmsted. Like many other Oak & Oscar watches, this one has a sandwich dial construction, which allows for tons of contrast via lume that is present under the main dial layer. There...

The minute repeater you can actually wear.

Complete with quintessential Basquiat motifs and references, Raymond Weil finds its latest inspiration for its signature Freelancer Chronograph in one of the most enigmatic artists of the 20th century.

The Carrera line takes a luxurious turn with a new chronograph sporting a yellow gold case and matching yellow gold-plated dial, complemented by contrasting matte black sub-dials. The Carrera Chronograph “Glassbox” pays homage to a similar creation from the 1960s, the Carrera ref. 1158 CHN, which is known among collectors for its bold, all-gold design. Initial thoughts A precious metal sports watch often sparks debate about the relevance of the case material, particularly for brands not typically associated with pure luxury. However, TAG Heuer’s decision to execute its new Glassbox in the memorable “John Player Special” colour scheme of gold and black inspired by the ref. 1158 CHN is commendable. Moreover, it is a logical next step for TAG Heuer following the recent unveiling of the Carrera Chronosprint x Porsche, which is also available in rose gold.  This fusion of heritage and refinement brings a unique and distinguished touch to the ordinarily functional Carrera. The result is an appealing chronograph with a hint of vintage luxury that effectively showcases the distinctive Glassbox case.  The price tag for the gold Carrera is comparable to that of the rose gold Chronosprint x Porsche, which means the price is expected and appropriate though not quite a bargain. However, the Chronosprint boasts a more complex movement, making it a better value proposition – though the new Carrera is certainly more appealing in terms of design. The legendary gold Carrera 11...

My watch collecting journey started when I was very young. Something inexplicable attracted me to these collectible wrist companions, and I can safely say I’ve barely gone a day in my life without wearing one. While all of these watches have been inherently disparate, one common theme runs through my collecting journey – pretty much … ContinuedThe post A collector’s first foray into vintage, and why you should consider it too appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

I have had a love-hate relationship with accuracy and precision for most of my life. In high school, I used to set my Timex watches to the school bell, so that when my watch hit the mark, class was let out. When I was on the drill team in the Royal Canadian Air Cadets, synchronizing our marching was critical and our timing had to be impeccable. I also grew up in a household that firmly believed that if you were not at least 10 minutes early, you were late. The latter has led me to sit on many empty Zoom/TEAMS calls for 5-10 minutes, but at least I am never late. It has been the same with the accuracy and precision of my mechanical watches. As a serial watch monogamist, I cannot wrap my head around owning multiple watches and swapping one out for another every other day. I just can’t do it. Instead, I wear my watches 24/7 and try to get the very most I can out of ownership. I track both the accuracy and precision of each piece, as well as how it wears and how the watch changes over time.  Now you may be asking yourself, why is he talking about accuracy and precision as if they were two different aspects of timing. To me, they are distinct. Accuracy is tracking how well a watch keeps time versus established atomic timing, such as www.time.gov. Precision is how precise the time is displayed on a watch. More on this later. For now, let us focus on accuracy. A familiar website for most watch collectors In the beginning, my initial introduction to mechanical watches was throu...

A. Lange & Söhne extends their Zeitwerk collection with a Minute Repeater in Honeygold, retaining the digital jumping display and decimal minute repeater.

Ten years after the groundbreaking original, the Constant Escapement is back – smaller, and more refined than ever.

Forget teaming up with Swatch: Zach speculates what would happen if Breguet took a leaf out of Omega's book.The post WHAT IF… Breguet were also able to use the co-axial escapement? appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Starring in Apocalypse Now, the bezelless GMT-Master is being offered by Christie's in November.The post Marlon Brando’s Rolex GMT-Master is up for auction again. What will Kurtz’s watch bring this time? appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

How the legendary designer redefined taste under his own brand name.

One of my favorite episodes of Seinfeld is “The Chicken Roaster,” the eighth episode of season 8. You probably remember this one: it involves a Kenny Rogers Roasters restaurant opening across the street from Kramer’s apartment, and eventually he switches apartments with Jerry to get some sleep (because obviously the big neon sign is keeping him up all night) which leads to some of the funniest moments in the history of the show (Jerry’s recollection of a late night phone call with Bob Sacamano will always stay with me). But the B-plot is great, too. It follows George and his saga with a Russian hat, intentionally left behind in the apartment of the woman who sold it to him, who of course he tries to date. This is a trick, he explains, to keep her interested. Like a jingle you can’t get out of your head. And that’s kind of how I feel about Bell & Ross. They have worked their way into my brain like a catchy pop song. They’re a mainstream brand that is capable of doing some truly weird stuff, and as someone who spends a lot of time observing and thinking about industry trends, I just find that fascinating. Their latest, the BR 03-94 Blacktrack, is squarely in the weird category, and a rare collaboration with an outside designer, Sacha Lakic.  Lakic is known primarily for being the founder of Blacktrack, a Luxembourg based maker of custom cafe racers and other motorcycles. The new BR 03-94 takes specific inspiration from his BT-06 motorcycle, which can be seen p...

The organization has issued an official statement concerning the current controversy and its plans for the future of the charitable auction.

Whether its pairing a classic white tee with jeans and All-Stars, or rocking an an iconic varsity jacket with a midcentury-inspired GMT-soda shop style is all about reveling in timelessness. To bring this vibe to life, we taken Jack Mason’s newest Strat-o-timer GMT: The Dr Pepper®, found the coolest soda fountain diner in town, and prepped three looks that’ll make you want to sip a soda immediately followed by a drag race.   Nothing immediately screams a throwback soda shop look like a classic varsity jacket over a white tee. When paired with the Dr Pepper® Strat-o-timer’s 7-row stainless steel bracelet, it gives off that anytime, anywhere vibe. This fits perfectly with the original Dr Pepper slogan and concept that their beverage was ideal for multiple parts of the day, particularly at 10 o’clock, 2 o’clock, and 4 o’clock. The post Lookbook: Soda Shop Style Meets Jack Mason’s Dr Pepper GMT appeared first on Worn & Wound.

Today, the Association Monègasque les Myopathies (AMM) has decided to postpone what would have been the 10th instalment of Only Watch to 2024. Following questions on social media over the past couple of weeks, the foundation behind the charity auction has just released a statement outlining plans to push the event to next year, to allow it to take place in “in harmony with the community”. This news is coming despite a strong and public statement of support by François-Paul Journe declaring his “total confidence”, but also shortly after Audemars Piguet withdrew from the auction without any public statement as to why. The statement of support from François-Paul Journe The postponement is a regrettable move given the value of the initiative for medical research, but clearly one that founder Luc Pettavino and his team feel is necessary with just under two weeks until the auction was due to take place. Hopefully this delay will give its organisers time to quell the doubters on social media in recent days. With no set date yet announced, it is clear that this is a still a fluid situation and so we may see this auction take place early in the year, rather than during the fall as is tradition. However, it seems that those behind Only Watch take the concerns of the community seriously enough to ensure there is enough time to answer them all. We will be keeping you up to date as this story develops and more announcements are made. For the full statement from Only Watch, v...

Behind the scenes at one of the world's most unique and comprehensive archives of horology.

Don’t look now, but it appears that one of the great names of early 2000s independent watchmaking is back with their feet under them, fully invested in making interesting and beautiful watches. Speake Marin, founded by Peter Speake-Marin in 2002, was one of those gateway brands for many collectors coming of age at around the time the brand got its start, thanks in no small part to the founder being one of the most well liked and enthusiastic spokespeople not only for their own brand, but for indie watchmaking in general, of that era. Speake Marin (the brand) has had some ups and downs since the departure of its founder in 2017, but recent efforts like the Dual Time (in a host of festive colors) and the Ripples (their oddly named but quite striking entry in the integrated bracelet sports watch genre) have garnered more attention than the brand has seen in quite some time. Their most recent release, the Openworked Sandblasted Ti. The One & Two Openworked line has become a signature in the larger Speake Marin catalog, consisting of, well, evocatively openworked dials that show off some seriously high level manufacturing. They also do a great job of calling attention to the intricately finished movements and the unusual geometry and layout of Speake Marin watches, which is the underlying factor in what makes this watch so striking. The running seconds between 1:00 and 2:00 is, of course, deeply unusual, as is the visible barrel from the dial side with an engraving of the bra...

Chronoswiss celebrates its 40th Anniversary with the addition of two new models to their Opus model, both in titanium case with skeletonised dials.

2023 marks the thirtieth anniversary of the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore collection. Here Alexey Kutkovoy look at the ROO Diver watches, perhaps the most impressive and important non-chronograph design in the Offshore collection.

British watch brand Fears has revealed new dial colours for one of its primary offerings, the Brunswick 40. The new variants are the Aurora with a mother-of-pearl dial, and the Copper Salmon with its eponymous metallic finish. But the two are not just cosmetic updates as the model has also undergone some improvements, including a larger 40 mm case and a novel typeface employed for the numerals. Initial thoughts Since the re-establishment of the Fears brand six years ago, I have always held an appreciation for the vintage-inspired design of the Brunswick in particular, with its cushion-shaped case and the subtle dial detailing. The highlight among the new additions would be the Aurora, which stands out from the rest of the Fears catalogue. Its mother-of-pearl dial that is comprised of two parts and finished by hand, giving each dial a unique look. The Aurora Having said that, the large case size of 40 mm does leave the new Brunswick somewhat substantial especially given its shape, bringing to mind to the Panerai Radiomir Quaranta. And with a case height of about 11 mm – not thick but not thin either – the case will sit fairly tall on the wrist. The pricing of the new Brunswick depends on the dial: the Copper Salmon is priced at £3,550 with a strap, while the Aurora is available for £3,850, with either being approximately £200 more with the bracelet. These prices are consistent with the existing models in the current collection. Considering the intrinsic features of ...

The Chronomètre Optimum is arguably François-Paul Journe’s most complex no-complication creation. Being a time-only watch, the Chronomètre Optimum displays the same amount of information as the entry-level Chronomètre Souveraine, albeit for more than twice the price, with the Chronomètre Optimum retailing for US$129,500 in platinum and a bit less in gold. On a pleasantly asymmetric dial, the Chronomètre Optimum presents the wearer with the time, down to the second, and a power reserve indicator. Plain as the dial might seem, the Chronomètre Optimum’s appeal lies in its inner, and largely hidden, complexity. In fact, the cal. 1510 within ranks among the most sophisticated time-only movements on the market today. Chronometry Historically the tourbillon was never a complication, though it is often regarded as such today – though some prominent collectors disagree. In this context, it is difficult to label the features of the Chronomètre Optimum true complications. But since the timepiece was designed with chronometry in mind, its features of engineered accuracy might just qualify as a complication. Chronometry in mechanical watchmaking is regarded as a marriage between accuracy and precision, as there is a nuance between the two. Accuracy is the quality of a watch or clock to have a timekeeping deviation as close to zero as possible, whereas precision relates more to the consistency and stability of the timepiece’s rate, rather than to a temporary lack of devi...