Latest watch news · Page 855

Our picks from Montblanc with 4 new 0 Oxygen series and two new chronograph releases in based on Minerva favourites, but with a twist.

Carbon, diamonds, and black ceramic have entered the chat. So many Big Bangs, so little time.

Bell & Ross was started in 1992 by two young Frenchmen from Paris, Bruno Belamich and Carlos A-Rosillo. Over 30 years later, the brand has created numerous horological icons, now has movements developed by Kenissi and enjoys the support of part shareholder Chanel. In this video, Bell & Ross co-founder Carlos A-Rosillo introduces his eponymous […]

A historic Minerva movement, now in a more rugged steel package.

Bell & Ross is off to a good start with three novelties for this week, and many more throughout the year culminating in an exciting piece scheduled for Nov.

Let us be honest; there are already quite a few high-end, time only watches in stainless steel with an integrated bracelet design to choose from. So what possesses a brand to enter this market with yet another model? I have no idea, but Martin Green is glad Zenith took this bold move last year with the Defy Skyline.

Cartier has long mined its extensive archives for inspiration, particularly for the Privé collection of historically-inspired watches. Having revived the Tank Asymetrique and Cloche, the jeweller now turns to the first-ever Tank with the Privé Tank Normale. Like past Privé models, the new Normale faithfully adheres to the historical original, but unlike other Privé models, it is offered with the option of a matching, precious-metal bracelet. Initial thoughts  Like last year’s Privé Tank Chinoise, the Tank Normale is less familiar than say, the Tank Cintree, having been discontinued for some time. Although the Tank Normale was the original Tank design of 1917, it has been out of the catalogue for long enough to have some novelty. The Tank Normale stays true to the original in almost all respects. The case, for instance, is marginally larger than vintage examples but compact enough it feels like a vintage watch. Even the bevelled sapphire crystal mimics the glass on the originals. But the watch incorporates modest tweaks that set it apart as a modern watch, like the expanded railway minute track. These design updates reveal a good attention to detail in updating the watch without changing too much. Especially noteworthy is the bracelet, an option rarely offered by Cartier for its high-end men’s watches. It’s executed well in both design and build, while also being acceptably priced as such things go (although pricey in absolute terms). The OG Tank The Tank Norma...

In 2012, Tudor broke the ground by introducing the Black Bay, a steel dive watch whose attractive design and price point have always offered a value proposition for enthusiasts. Through the years, the format has been updated from its larger 41 mm case down to 39 mm, as seen in the Black Bay 58. Today, the brand has dropped the Black Bay 54 with a new, smaller 37 mm case. While its design is nearly identical to its larger sibling, the reduced size of the new Black Bay makes it more wearable. Initial thoughts  The 37 mm size of the new Black Bay 54 really sets it apart – perfect for those who prefer a classic look and slimmer watches. Its sophisticated simplicity makes it appropriate for both genders without sacrificing the utilitarian styling that has made the lineup popular through the years. As is typical for Tudor, the value proposition is outstanding. At CHF3,450 in steel on a rubber strap (and slightly more with its matching bracelet), it is priced competitively against comparable sports watches. The combination of vintage-inspired design, excellent build quality, and affordable price point makes the new Black Bay 54 a winner. Vintage-inspired but in a more compact case While the original Black Bay was 41 mm, the 54 is considerably smaller but wears well on the wrist. It takes inspiration from an earlier diver from Tudor’s history, the Oyster Prince Submariner ref. 7922 that was issued primarily to the French and American navies but was later used by civilian tech...

Adding to its diverse line-up of travel watches, Patek Philippe has just taken the wraps off the Calatrava 24-Hour Display Travel Time Ref. 5224R. A bold design, the ref. 5224R is Patek Philippe’s most novel travel watch to date. It is notable for having a 24-hour display inspired by the Chronometro Gondolo pocket watches made for Brazilian retailer Gondolo & Labouriau in the early twentieth century. Initial thoughts The ref. 5224R is instantly striking thanks to the high contrast between the dial colour and rose gold case, busy dial design, and large, thin case. Though it is in essence a three-hander with an extra second time zone hand, it is far more interesting, even intimidating due to the 44 applied indices that give the dial something of an instrument-like appearance. The 24-hour display elevates the quirkiness of the design, which arguably strengthens the overall aesthetic. Admittedly, this comes at a cost of legibility – it is not the most intuitive watch to read. It takes a while to get used to, so reliability will be an issue if one is rotating between different watches in his or her collection. More surprising is the case size, which at 42 mm is massive for Patek Philippe. It is also unusual given the traditional case design, although the large case emphasises the slimness of the case. The large size is likely intentional to provide space for the applied numerals, and is perhaps rooted in the large size of the Gondolo pocket watches. Still, one wonders if ...

While De Bethune is best known for its avant-garde designs and signature spring-loaded floating lugs, the brand’s early years were characterised by more traditional styling. Fresh off the press, the DB Eight calls to mind the brand’s early products, most notably the DB1 mono-pusher chronograph from 2002, but adds many of the technical refinements that De Bethune has become known for.  Dressed in a polished titanium case and guilloché dial, the DB Eight fills a hole in the brand’s current line-up by offering collectors a simple, manually wound mono-pusher chronograph, albeit one that lacks the technical and decorative refinement collectors expect at this price point. Thanks to its wide but slim case and narrow bezel, the DB Eight will likely wear larger than its 42.4 mm diameter would suggest Initial thoughts I’m probably in the minority when it comes to my preference for De Bethune’s more classically styled models like the original DB1. Given this preference, I naturally I gravitated towards the new DB Eight more than I have to some of the brand’s other recent offerings like the DB28XP. But while I like the design of the DB Eight, the substance does not meet my expectations for the brand. Let’s start with the good news. De Bethune has addressed the cross-eyed look of the DB1 with a new movement that offers an instantaneous 60-minute counter for the elapsed time at six o’clock. This creates a balanced look that at first glance might even pass for a time-...

The Chanel J12 is once more available with an 18K gold bezel and accents The gold details help the unisex watch lean into its feminine aspects It’s still a fully-specced dive watch with 200m of water resistance Since the reintroduction of the Chanel J12 in 2019, there’s been a lot of focus given to the … ContinuedThe post A touch of gold for the ceramic Chanel J12 appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

The Chanel J12 Eclipse Boxed Set pairs together seven J12 watches Arranged from left to right, they show an encroaching shadow moving across the watch The bezel and dial are set with baguette-cut ceramic rings for a diamond effect with less sparkle The Chanel J12 has been an undisputed icon since its release in 1999, … ContinuedThe post The Chanel J12 Eclipse Boxed Set has a J12 for every day of the week appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

The Ulysee Nardin Freak ONE has surpassed its shock-factor roots and embraced beauty, The time is adjusted via the 5N gold bezel, negating the need for a traditional crown. Its train of wheels and flying tourbillon are all integrated into the minutes hand. Mechanical watchmaking has evolved drastically over the last few decades, which is … ContinuedThe post The Ulysse Nardin Freak ONE embraces and dresses-up the atypical complication appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Patek Philippe renders the five grail-worthy complications in a case combining classical and contemporary The sapphire dial subtly shows off the inner workings of the manually wound movement Unlike many pieces, the 5316 hides the tourbillon from the dial, only displaying it via an interchangeable sapphire or solid caseback It’s always a special occasion when … ContinuedThe post The Patek Philippe 5316P Grand Complications goes for a contemporary grail vibe appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Patek Philippe adds three tasty new rose gold models to their Aquanaut sporting line for Watches & Wonders 2023 A flyback chronograph and diamond-bezelled time/date model both get warm dial colours In a first for the Aquanaut, the Luce presents an annual calendar paired with a blue-grey dial With no new Nautilus models for Watches … ContinuedThe post The Patek Philippe Aquanaut adds some delectable new chocolates and blue-greys to the line-up appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Day 2 of Watches & Wonders is history, and the Worn & Wound team is back to recap the day’s events once again. Today saw more meetings, more video shoots, and more frantically checking our calendars to make sure we don’t miss a key appointment. There were also plenty of surprises, from brands that we have known and loved for years, and also some that we all want to learn more about. Check our reactions to day 2 below. Zach Kazan Watches and Wonders Day 2 started, thankfully, after a good night’s sleep. To this point, the effects of jetlag have been mostly pretty minimal, and waking up early, having a real breakfast, and starting the day on Swiss time in mind and body was certainly a positive development. Some people come to these shows, put in a full day of work, and party hard well into the evening, and frankly I’m not sure how those people survive the week while meeting deadlines.  I’ve learned that a nice thing that happens at an event like this is that a brand will inevitably surprise you, either with the watches they’re exhibiting, the presentation, or both. That happened today with TAG Heuer, who have introduced new Carreras that are more appealing than just about chronograph I’ve seen them release in the last three or four years. And that’s a lot of chronographs. Zach Weiss will have more on these tomorrow, but they’re an early favorite of the show for me. In person, they were so much stronger than I expected based on the brand supplied images. No...

The Crown has unleashed its inner freak – and I'm so here for it.

This year’s marquee release from Grand Seiko is the all new Tentagraph, an imposing and technically impressive chronograph that makes use of a new high beat caliber and a case shape derived from previous watches in the Evolution 9 Collection. It’s kind of hard to believe, but up until now, Grand Seiko didn’t have a purely mechanical chronograph in their collection. Spring Drive has ruled the day if you need a watch for timing laps, steaks, or anything else, but that changes this year.  With the Tentagraph, which carries reference SLGC001, Grand Seiko introduces a new movement, Caliber 9SC5. This movement is notable for its shared architecture and essential technical features with the next-gen 9SA5, the double-impulse escapement caliber introduced by the brand a few years ago. We’ve seen that basic time and date caliber adopted in a variety of excellent watches in the relatively short time it’s been in production, but this is where the fun really starts: we now have a new caliber derived from the 9SA5, which of course would lead anyone following the brand to think that a) we’ll see more chronographs coming from Grand Seiko within the Evolution 9 Collection and b) we’re likely to see more complications. The 9SA5 now takes its place as a halo caliber, with many possibilities ahead when it comes to variations large and small.  Like the 9SA5, the 9SC5 beats ten times per second and is powered by two barrels giving it a three day power reserve. That’s with the ...

For the 60th anniversary of the Cosmograph Daytona, Rolex has given the collection a subtle refresh with both technical and aesthetic improvements. The upgrades are fairly significant considering the outgoing 116500 was only seven years old, having debuted at Baselworld in 2016, and is still one of the most sought-after watches on the market. At launch, there are five key references and 11 total variations. Topping the range is a new platinum model that offers a transparent case back – a first for a Daytona. The platinum model benefits from a transparent caseback and a gold oscillating weight Initial thoughts The outgoing Daytona ref. 116500 was arguably the best chronograph in its category, and inarguably difficult to buy at retail price. Not content with this success, Rolex has made a great watch even better. The upgrades are subtle, but there are numerous changes inside and out. Starting with the dial, the sub-dial rings and dial markers have grown thinner, as has the ceramic bezel which now features a protective outer ring crafted from the same material as the middle case. The new Daytona has a slimmer case, under 12 mm for the first time. Note the gold ring around the edge of the ceramic bezel. Reduced thickness seems to be something of a theme for Rolex this year, and the Daytona is no exception, shedding 0.5 mm for a new total thickness of 11.9 mm. The outgoing Daytona was already quite thin relative to its peers, and the sleeker dimensions of the new model only m...

Czapek is following up their new Dark Titanium Antarctique (which we introduced to you right here) with something a bit different in the form of the Révélation. This variant offers an openworked dial to enjoy the new purpose-built SXH7 movement within. Doing open dials is something of an artform, and Czapek has proven quite adept at maximizing the space given. To do so here, they had to alter the core of their SXH5 movement to such a degree that it became something else entirely in the process. The payoff was clearly worth it, offering a beautiful view into the unique design language of Czapek’s movement ethos.  The Antarctique Révélation expands on the rapidly maturing collection, and sets a new tone in the process. This case and bracelet have proven they can easily adapt to a variety of dial configurations, from the very simple, managing the focal point; to the relatively wild, thus relinquishing it. This watch is clearly an example of the latter, with one of those dials that just keeps on giving, with small details and hidden away areas to discover. Perhaps the most interesting part of this watch is the commitment to the movement in an effort to get the openworked details right. It began, according to Czapek, with a request from a fan of the brand. CEO Xavier de Roquemaurel explains: “People were in love with the remarkable design of our SXH5 movement, and we therefore asked ourselves how we could somehow make it visible on the dial” and …”soon a far more...

One of the things we love about Zenith is the way they walk the line between unapologetically contemporary (think: the Defy Extreme range) and watches that pay sincere tribute to their past. The latter would encompass much of the Chronomaster collection, for example, which is rife with watches that amount to tasteful updates of much loved vintage pieces. There are times, though, when tributes to heritage and a modern aesthetic collide, and that’s what we have with the new Defy Revival Shadow, a watch that combines the iconic profile of the very first Defy with a blasted titanium treatment that gives it a completely new and modern appearance.  If you’ve been keeping up with Zenith, you’re certainly aware that the Defy Revival has played a major role in their release strategy over the past year, starting with a faithful reissue of the original version last year and then moving on to red and teal. No matter the dial color, though, the dominant design trait of these watches is always the unusual case. There’s really nothing else quite like it. It’s completely compact at just 37mm and has an elaborate 14 sided bezel and 8 sided case that gives the entire package a complex geometry that must have felt quite avant garde when the design was introduced in the 1970s. For this release, Zenith has stripped the case of its signature finishing and given it the same bead blasted titanium treatment as the Chronomaster Revival Shadow. As a sibling to the earlier shadow, this wat...