Latest watch news · Page 789

In a surprising move, Rolex has just announced the takeover of Bucherer, the Swiss watch retailer that is the largest seller of Rolex watches worldwide. Long the odd one out amongst luxury watch brands for not having its own retail network – hitherto Rolex owned just one store in Geneva – Rolex now owns the world’s biggest watch retailer outside of China and Hong Kong. Though headquartered in the quaint mountain town of Lucerne, Bucherer is a global giant with 100 points of sale in Europe and the United States, with Rolex and Tudor represented in half of them. A Rolex retailer since 1924, Bucherer boasts annual sales of almost CHF2 billion, with almost two-thirds of that from the sales of Rolex and Tudor watches. As a result, Bucherer is the largest retail partner for Rolex, accounting for almost 10% of Rolex’s estimated CHF10 billion in turnover. It was no coincidence that Bucherer was the first retailer in the world to embark on the Rolex Certified Pre-Owned programme. Bucherer will remain as an independent business after the takeover, which has to be approved by competition authorities. The terms of the sale were undisclosed. A logical surprise Although the news of the takeover was unexpected, it is a logical progression of events. Established in 1888, Bucherer has been in the hands of its founding family since then, with the company currently led by Jorg G. Bucherer, grandson of founder Carl F. Bucherer. Now almost 90 years old, Mr Bucherer is an industry legen...

In a stunning August surprise, the world's most renowned watch brand buys a historic retailer.

Over the last few years, the watch-buying public has made known its seemingly insatiable appetite for sport watches with integrated bracelets – and smaller ones at that. In response, brands from Alpina to Zenith have given it their best shot. Today Christopher Ward fires the latest salvo in this movement with The Twelve, now in all of its 36mm glory. Introduced in April of this year, The Twelve is Christopher Ward’s interpretation of the integrated bracelet sport watch, and the new release changes little other than its dimensions. Front and center is still the eponymous dodecagonal bezel, which is mirrored on the caseback with three types of finishing: brushed, sandblasted, and highly polished. The 36mm case features screwed-in crown guards and remains 9.95mm thin. Lug-to-lug distance is now 40.8mm (likely not including the male end links), and water resistance is still 100 meters. At launch, you can choose from four dial options: Nordic or Glacier Blue, Alta White, and exclusive to this smaller size, Frosted Lichen (mint green). Inside beats the same Sellita SW200-1 that lives inside the non-titanium 40mm variants of The Twelve, but the date feature has been removed. CW claims keeping the date on this variant would have necessitated omitting the 6 o-clock hour marker entirely, something the brand elected not to do in order to preserve simplicity. Retail price is $1,225 on a bracelet and $995 on a tapering rubber strap. CW has stated that this new 36mm size is agender ...

British brand Farer’s latest collection is an ode to form and aesthetics. Called the Tonneau Collection, the three watches each show that style doesn’t have to lack substance; but can, in fact, be a jumping-off point for great design and a reliable watch. As the name denotes, each watch within this collection has a barrel-shaped, rounded rectangle case, mixing clean lines and smooth curves all in one. At just 35mm, it’s a watch that balances comfort on the wrist while still having a covetable presence when worn, and this is due in part to the particular color combinations that Farer used for the collection. Each of the three color options embody the spirit and energy of a particular city: Milan, London, and Paris. Milan’s vibrant emerald fumé dial is a callback to green-glazed ceramics that traversed the ancient world and still has a timeless sophistication – just like Milan. The emerald green is paired with polished silver batons, a stainless steel case, and a rich brown St Venere leather strap to balance the urbanity of the Northern Italian city. London is a nod to the Mod era of the 1970’s, with Farer being inspired by two-handed watches of this time period. With clean lines and a ridged pattern around the face, one can appreciate the geometry that goes into a well-designed timepiece. The dominant colors (or should I say colours) of this watch are blue, white, and red, each perfectly in balance to not compete but complement one another. The London model is ...

Four new Royal Oak and Royal Oak Offshore models have been announced, along with one unique piece that make up this latest collaboration. With a mixture of yellow gold, white gold and two-tone, all pieces are co-branded with Audemars Piguet and 1017 ALYX 9SM, Matthew Williams’ own brand, on the dial and rotor. Initial thoughts It’s nice to see collaborations like this taking place. When someone with the fashion and design pedigree of Matthew Williams enters the watch space, it is always worth taking note, as they are bound to bring a fresh and unique perspective. However, here it would seem he has just taken the designs he previously made with MAD Paris and asked Audemars Piguet to make them instead. The only visual difference being that the original ones had circular brushed dials, whereas these are vertically brushed. While the variety of case size and metal is appreciated, it is clear that these designs are not original with perhaps the only real difference being that the date window has been removed from the standard Royal Oak. Having the same aesthetic treatment applied across the time-only Royal Oak, chronograph Royal Oak and Offshore is nice to see, making this a cohesive collection. And the unique piece carries pleasing contrasts with the two-tone case and dark, PVD-coated dial giving a look that seems fitting for the streetwear-savvy Williams. There has been no communication on the price of these pieces, nor how many are set to be produced. All we can be sure ...

The MB&F; HM9 Sapphire Vision initially came in four editions, each limited to only 5 pieces Two new HM9-SV models now join the collection, again each limited to 5 pieces One brings a blue PVD-coated movement into a white gold case, the other a green PVD-coated movement into a yellow gold case The MB&F; catalogue … ContinuedThe post The new MB&F; HM9 Sapphire Vision bare all with full transparency and new colours appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Gearing up to the Geneva Watch Days, MB&F; releases two new editions to their HM9-SV in blue and green. Limited to 5 pieces each.

After searching for months to try one on, I finally got my hands on the new Tudor Black Bay, and when told I was able to purchase it, I bought it! So how has it been after a month or so on the wrist? Why I Bought It Liked the 5-Link bracelet aestheticWell proportioned case and dialNew T-fit clasp The Ownership Reality Wears well due to the slimmer caseNo date still, slight bug bear of mineAluminium bezel insert is more prone to scratches than ceramic Overall rating: 9 /10 Value for money: 9/10 Wearability: 9/10 Design: 9/10 Build quality: 9/10 The Back Story The Black Bay Burgundy is now in its third generation or iteration of the watch. Originally released in 2012 to much acclaim, the watch was a great homage to the Tudor and Rolex dive watches of the 50’s. 10 years ago, it was released with an ETA movement and had the now much sought after “smiley” dial, with the lines of text at the bottom being curved making it look as thought the watch was smiling at you. And maybe it was?! This was then updated and launched at Baselworld in 2016 with the Tudor inhouse movement, the MT5602 that was COSC, the smiley removed and now with three lines of text saying it is Chronometer Certified. This is still the case with the current black and blue bezel variants on the love it or hate it faux riveted oyster style bracelet (which was done to mimic the pieces of the 1950’s). All three generations of Black Bay, from the Smiley to the new Master Chronometer However, at Watches an...

Independent watchmaker Ba111od releases their first watch tailored for women - the Chapter 6. The novelties come in five designs in 36mm cases.

Dress up or go sporty with these new Grand Seiko releases.

The Grand Seiko SBGJ275 and SBGM253 celebrate the 25th anniversary of the 9S mechanical movement The SBGJ275 from the Sport Collection depicts the cloudy sky above Mt. Iwate The SBGM253 from the Elegance Collection takes a sophisticated approach with a blue sunburst dial The gradual departure from navy blue to sky blue as a watch … ContinuedThe post The Grand Seiko SBGJ275 and SBGM253 take to Mount Iwate skies celebrating the 9S movement appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

As Worn & Wound continues to grow, we are committed to fostering new opportunities for our readers to Experience Enthusiasm. With this in mind, we created Worn & Wound+, a free online Slack community for like-minded enthusiasts to connect and discuss watches & gear, sell goods, and more. Benefits include early access to content, events, and new releases, monthly live streams, direct access to Worn & Wound team members, and special promotions from the Windup Watch Shop. In addition to the above, our community welcomes your feedback and suggestions, with a dedicated channel for members to make their voices heard. Aside from sharing daily wrist shots and behind-the-scenes looks at what’s happening in the office, our editors are here to engage with the community, not only on new releases and general watch talk, but about other hobbies we’re passionate about.   Worn & Wound+ represents our commitment to the community as we strive to build a better environment for enthusiasts of all stripes. Whether you’re into LED quartz watches from the ‘80s, modern indies, or have a penchant for Seiko divers, you will find a welcome environment to share your experiences and your enthusiasm. Members also have access to Drops From The Vault, a series of sales for a selection of the most sought-after Windup Watch Shop limited editions from the past, in practically new condition. The next drop is happening soon. Join now, for free, so you don’t miss out by clicking here. The post Intro...

I will always have a soft spot for Archimede. Fun fact: an Archimede chronograph was the first video review I ever shot for Worn & Wound. This has always been a brand that offers a noticeably higher quality product than many of its competitors within its price point, largely riding on the strength of the incredibly well machined Ickler cases. Now, for the brand’s 20th anniversary, they’ve issued a limited run of their popular Outdoor Protect sports watch with a hardened DLC case and a small Easter egg that drives home the “outdoor” theme of the hybrid sports/field watch.  While Archimede is known primarily for their traditional pilot watches, the Outdoor line veers into a style more in line with funky sports watches from the 1970s. The case has a lugless design and gentle curves, and is one of those designs that just looks like it’s going to be comfortable when you get it on your wrist. Over the years, Archimede has updated the Outdoor in various ways, offering new case sizes, and adding a chronograph complication, but the basic gist of the watch has always been simple, sporty legibility with just a little bit of 1970s funk. The “Outdoor” moniker underscores the watch’s durability and the intention behind it: to be used as part of an active lifestyle. They didn’t call it the “Office” for a reason.  For the new limited run of Outdoor Protects seen here, Archimede has sand blasted the case, which measures 39mm, with a black DLC coating that gives the ...

A blend of professional and personal makes for a beautifully written dedication to watches.

Just a few short weeks ago, Vero introduced their officially-licensed Smokey the Bear watches that were inspired not only by the bear himself, but the era in which he came into existence. Today, we’re taking a look at the Smokey ’44. It’s inspired by the military watches of the 1940s, blended with a wildfire-themed color palette and a depiction of the friendly-but-stern bear right at 12 o’clock on the dial. This officially-licensed piece of Smokey swag is a great representation of both Vero as a brand and what Smokey the Bear stands for. Vero isn’t all talk either, being that 10% of all sales go directly back to the US Forest Service for conservation efforts. Let’s take a closer look, and remember - only you can prevent wildfires. $450 Hands-On: the Vero Smokey ’44 Case Stainless steel Movement Seiko NH38A automatic Dial Black, textured Lume Green SuperLuminova Lens Sapphire Strap Leather + canvas Water Resistance 120 meters Dimensions 38 x 46mm Thickness 12mm Lug Width 20mm Crown Screw down Warranty 10 years Price $450 Case Clocking in at a comfortable 38mm, the case of the ’44 wears really well on my 6.75” wrist. There’s nothing overly notable about the case, and I say that in a good way. It’s a straightforward field watch with a sturdy case that inspires confidence that it’ll stand up to whatever you want to throw at it. With 120m of water resistance, the ’44 has more than enough protection from H2O for a swim and then some. I like how Vero c...

Plus a Master Collection model that highlights the best of Longines alongside a deeply limited Japanese-market Zenith El Primero.

After working for lofty brands such as Cartier, Baume & Mercier, and Zenith, Brice Jaunet needed to forge his own path. Briston was founded to be the culmination of his experience, as well as a blend of French and British styles to represent both his homeland and university days. Small watch brands can sometimes struggle … ContinuedThe post HANDS-ON: The Briston Streamliner Urban and its retro-modern inspiration appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Longines unveils an engraved trio with three different dial colours in three different finishes The watches are downsized from 40mm to 38.5mm, in a move destined to be popular among enthusiasts An azurage-finish petite seconde is courtesy of the silicon hairspring-equipped L893.5 How often do you see a brand new release that immediately captures you? … ContinuedThe post The Longines Master Collection Small Seconds is what happens when a brand listens to enthusiasts appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Jacob & Co releases a new Dual Timezone watch which they call "The World is Yours" with a very interesting and touching origin story.

Cancer affects nearly everyone in some way and organizations like UK-based Maggie’s Centres are trying to mitigate the financial, emotional, and medical toll that the disease takes on families. Over the last week, auction house Lyon & Turnbull and the Scottish Watches podcast have been holding an auction to raise funds for the Glasgow and Edinburgh-based Centres. Working with nine UK and European watch brand brands – Christopher Ward, Fears, Isotope, Sartory Billard, Paulin, Studio Underd0g, Bamford, William Wood, and anOrdain  – Lyon & Turnbull will be auctioning off one-of-a-kind prototype models that were designed specifically for this charity event. If you have ever wanted a Fears Brunswick or a Highlander from Christopher Ward that no one else has, now might just be your time to shop this auction. And while nothing beats the thrill of winning an auction item, the real prize here is knowing that you’re helping others at their most vulnerable. All proceeds from this auction will go directly to Maggie’s, meaning the most funds possible will be provided to further the organization’s cause. The auction ends tomorrow, August 23, at 7:00 PM, so make sure to visit Lyon & Turnbull’s site to place your bid before it’s too late. Images from this post: The post EveryWatch, a Charity Watch Auction to Support a Great Cause, Closes Tomorrow appeared first on Worn & Wound.

What's a rumored $30 million car anyway if you can't get a pièce unique watch to go with?