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Results for Marine Chronometer & The Longitude Problem

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Elegance Meets Accuracy - Going Forward, All Of Serica’s Watches Will Be COSC-Certified Chronometers Fratello
Serica s Watches Will Be Feb 1, 2024

Elegance Meets Accuracy - Going Forward, All Of Serica’s Watches Will Be COSC-Certified Chronometers

Any young watch brand constantly has to make choices about designs, costs, quality, and many other aspects that affect the organization every day. In the case of Serica, a young Parisian brand founded in 2019, elegance, reliability, and accuracy steer the decision-making process. In terms of elegance, I don’t think there was anyone who thought […] Visit Elegance Meets Accuracy - Going Forward, All Of Serica’s Watches Will Be COSC-Certified Chronometers to read the full article.

Interview: Marie-Laure Cérède, Cartier’s Watch Design Chief SJX Watches
Cartier s Watch Design Chief Oct 1, 2021

Interview: Marie-Laure Cérède, Cartier’s Watch Design Chief

Cartier has enjoyed industry-beating growth since current chief executive Cyrille Vigneron took over in 2016, with demand for both its watches and jewellery rising at a steady clip. One of the individuals behind the success of Cartier’s watch division is Marie-Laure Cérède. Having started her career at Cartier, she spent a dozen years at Harry Winston, before returning to the French jeweller in October 2016 as the Deputy Creative Director of Watchmaking. And in May 2017 she was elevated to the top job in design, making her ultimately responsible for the aesthetic of Cartier’s watchmaking. One of the first redesigns during Ms Cerede’s leadership was the Santos, which has evolved from the Santos launched in 1978 (far left), to the Santos 100 of the 2000s (centre), and finally the present model Her tenure has been marked by a steady stream of hits, ranging from collector favourites like the Tank Cintree to the trendy Tank Must. In that time, Cartier has reimagined most of its trademark watch lines, including the Santos and more recently, the Pasha. I spoke with Ms Cérède earlier this year to uncover the secret behind her successful rejuvenation of Cartier’s diverse line-up. Also present during the interview was Anne Charrier, the public relations-strategy manager for jewellery, watches, and accessories. The interview was edited for clarity and length. SJX: Cartier has a strong collection this year, both for men and women. And for a few years now, you have had stro...

Watches & Wonders: Bulgari Launches an Octo Finissimo in 37mm Worn & Wound
Bulgari Launches Apr 13, 2026

Watches & Wonders: Bulgari Launches an Octo Finissimo in 37mm

The Bulgari Octo Finissimo is a certifiably unique watch that you can identify on someone’s wrist from across a room. Part of this is because of its exotic integrated design, and the other part is that they are kind of huge, despite being very thin. That contrast has always been part of the appeal, but also part of the problem. For years, the Octo Finissimo has represented an avant-garde take on modern watch design. Thin, minimal, architectural, and kind of brutal, it exists as a distant relative of a Genta-era idea, but pushed into something more experimental. It has also built its reputation on technical achievement, frequently contending for the world’s thinnest watch, and holding that title more than once over the last decade. But this year, Bulgari isn’t focused on thinness. Instead, they’ve turned their attention to something far more practical: wearability. For the first time since the line launched in 2014, Bulgari has introduced a smaller “consumer” model, bringing the Octo Finissimo down to 37mm. On paper, that might not sound like much. In practice, it changes everything. The standard 40mm models were always a bit deceptive. While 40mm is not particularly large for a round watch, the Octo Finissimo is anything but round. These watches are essentially flat squares with wide integrated lugs, creating a large corner-to-corner span and a cuff-like presence on the wrist. The result is a watch that wears significantly larger than its width suggests. It’s...

In Depth: Laboratoire de Précision SJX Watches
Omega Constellation Observatory we were Apr 9, 2026

In Depth: Laboratoire de Précision

Alongside the launch of the Omega Constellation Observatory, we were among the first members of the public granted access to the Swatch Group’s Laboratoire de Précision (LP), a new independent chronometer testing institute with facilities in Omega’s native Biel/Bienne and Villeret. The new organisation does not redefine chronometer norms, but it has developed a new acoustic certification process that is more automated and provides client brands with a richer performance data set - a unique capability that has implications beyond mere certification. Laboratoire de Précision. Image – Omega Initial thoughts The debut of the Constellation Observatory, the first watch certified by LP and the first-ever two-handed Master Chronometer, was greeted with a mixed feedback from both collectors and the press. Some found the choice to launch a chronometer without a seconds hand heretical, viewing it as a gimmick to promote LP’s new testing process. The Omega Constellation Observatory is the first watch to complete chronometer certification at LP. Regardless of how one feels about the two-handed aspect of the watch - I found the design balanced and appealing, even if the concept is a bit quirky - the launch placed a renewed focus on the way official chronometers are tested and certified. Many were confused by the claimed novelty of acoustic testing, given the universal presence of Witschi machines on watchmakers’ benches. Indeed, the method is not new. What is new is t...

Hands On: Omega Constellation Observatory SJX Watches
Omega Constellation Observatory Mar 30, 2026

Hands On: Omega Constellation Observatory

At long last, Omega has unveiled the spiritual successor to the beloved ‘Pie Pan’ Constellation, complete with its signature domed dial, observatory medallion, and ‘dog leg’ lugs, the Constellation Observatory. First teased on the wrist of actor Delroy Lindo at the Academy Awards, the Observatory debuts in an expansive range of case materials and dial treatments. The collection also marks the commercial debut of Swatch Group’s Laboratoire de Précision, which has developed a new chronometer testing process capable of certifying two-handed watches. As a result, the Observatory carries the unexpected distinction of being the first Master Chronometer that displays only the hours and minutes. The Observatory in 18k Sedna gold, the brand’s trade name for its proprietary rose gold alloy. Initial thoughts The Observatory embodies Omega’s strengths, capitalising on the brand’s historical pedigree and proprietary materials and technologies, including its own durable alloys and the co-axial escapement. The Observatory in steel. On the other hand, the Observatory suffers somewhat on account of its thickness, relying on a movement platform developed at a time when the trend toward large watches appeared to have no end in sight. That said, the case design does a decent job of reducing the perceived thickness, and it looks and feels thinner than many other watches that share its dimensions on paper. It also demonstrates the immense capabilities of the broader Swatch Grou...

COSC Upgrades Standards to Certify More Than Timekeeping SJX Watches
Rolex Feb 13, 2026

COSC Upgrades Standards to Certify More Than Timekeeping

Interesting news just out of Contrôle Officiel Suisse des Chronomètres (COSC), the venerable Swiss chronometer testing body, which has just announced a major revamp to its testing to honour the COSC’s standard’s 50th anniversary. Excellence Chronometer, COSC’s new and improved certification program, goes beyond the ISO 3159 norm that has defined its tests for decades. Instead of just testing movements, Excellence Chronometer will require completed, cased watches to run within -2/+4 seconds a day, as well as pass wear simulation and magnetism tests. Initial thoughts While COSC remains the primary chronometer testing body in Switzerland, thanks largely to Rolex, its protocols have been due for an update for some time now. With the rise of alternative and in-house precision testing programs, the standard chronometer certification can sometimes feel left behind. Rolex’s own Superlative Chronometer certification first requires a COSC certificate, but then makes sure the watches run at -2/+2 seconds per day after further in-house testing. The METAS Chronometer program also requires the standard COSC certificate, but guarantees a regulation of 0/+5 seconds per day and a great resistance to magnetic fields. Seeing that COSC slowly updates and imposes more stringent criteria is a good sign, but it may still not be good enough. With the rise of advanced internal certification programs, it looks like some brands submit their models to COSC testing just to make sure they can...

Complicated Collectors: Seth Atwood SJX Watches
Patek Philippe ref 871 made Jan 5, 2026

Complicated Collectors: Seth Atwood

In the late 1970s, anyone serious about horology would eventually find themselves in Rockford, Illinois, about 90 miles west of Chicago. Visitors stayed in a hotel near a motorway that happened to be home to many of the world’s greatest clocks and watches. The collection of Seth Atwood sat below the everyday hum: Roman sundials beside Islamic astrolabes; marine chronometers alongside French regulators; English pocket watches paired with American factory movements; and, at the far end, atomic clocks. Rockford was a town that built machine tools and industrial equipment, so the hotel naturally served business travellers and convention attendees. But among them were watchmakers who flew in from Europe and Asia to see mechanisms they couldn’t examine anywhere else. For nearly three decades, one man’s vision put Rockford on the horological map. The 1972 secular true perpetual calendar Patek Philippe ref. 871, made for Seth G. Atwood. Image – Christies/collage Rockford native Seth Glanville Atwood was born in 1917, into a world of industrial logic. His father had started the Atwood Vacuum Machine Company a year earlier, its first product a simple spring-loaded bumper that kept car doors from rattling. Detroit needed millions of them, and the company grew from there, supplying window regulators, door hardware, and other practical parts in volume. Seth grew up around engineers and production managers who solved problems with their hands. After Stanford, Harvard Business Sc...

Hands On: Chopard L.U.C. Grand Strike SJX Watches
Chopard L.U.C Grand Strike Dec 11, 2025

Hands On: Chopard L.U.C. Grand Strike

The 30th anniversary of the Chopard L.U.C. manufacture was one anniversary among many this year, but it will likely be remembered thanks to the Grand Strike, the most complicated watch in Chopard’s history and its first grande sonnerie. Building on the successful Full Strike minute repeater architecture and making full use of the brand’s patented sapphire gongs, the Grand Strike is a chronometer-certified two-train clock watch with a push-button minute repeater. In this context, the presence of the tourbillon is almost a footnote. Initial thoughts I can count on one hand the number of brands that have created their own grande sonnerie wristwatch. It’s one of the few things in watchmaking that’s proven challenging enough to still be rare, even in the days of computer-aided design (CAD) and advanced manufacturing technology like wire erosion. For this reason, the grande sonnerie has a towering cultural presence among watchmakers and collectors, looming above all other complications. For Chopard, the Grand Strike represents the culmination of 30 years of the L.U.C. manufacture, the brand’s haute horlogerie division. The first impression of the Grand Strike is one of extraordinary depth. There’s not much of a dial, save for the minutes scale etched on the inside of the sapphire crystal, and the small concentric sub-dials for the dual power reserve displays. This depth shrinks the watch visually, and it feels dense and compact despite its rather large 43 mm size and...

In-Depth: Breguet’s Constant-Force Magnetic Escapement SJX Watches
Breguet s Constant-Force Magnetic Escapement Dec 4, 2025

In-Depth: Breguet’s Constant-Force Magnetic Escapement

Earlier this week, Breguet rounded off its grandiose 250th anniversary with the unexpected launch of the Expérimentale 1 chronometer in Paris. Showcasing modern Breguet’s most impressive innovation to date - a magnetic constant-force escapement - the watch left many scratching their heads simply because the novel invention defies easy explanation. Here we explain the actual functioning of this remarkable invention, and why it represents such a significant step forward in terms of chronometry and escapement technology. The origins of the concept Before turning to the decidedly modern and futuristic Expérimentale 1, we must first take a short trip to the past and consider how the idea of using magnets in mechanical escapements first came to life. For that we must turn to the late 1930s, when Cecil Frank Clifford, Fellow of the British Horological Institute (BHI), started experimenting with oscillators maintained by magnetic rails or escape wheels.  He was granted a British patent in 1954 for a variety of magnetised escape wheels paired with elastic vibrating magnetic blades. The device would operate silently and Clifford envisioned it being used for naval underwater torpedoes, so the lack of ticking would be harder to pick up by sonars.  Iterations of Clifford magnetic escapements. His designs were rudimentary. The principle was that the escape wheel would be braked by a vibrating pair of magnetised blades (in several possible configurations), while simultaneously ...

Breguet’s Magnificent Magnetic Expérimentale 1 SJX Watches
Breguet s Magnificent Magnetic Expérimentale Dec 1, 2025

Breguet’s Magnificent Magnetic Expérimentale 1

Breguet concludes its 250th anniversary with the brand’s most forward-thinking watch, the Expérimentale 1 that boasts a magnetic, true constant force escapement. Equipped with a frictionless escape wheel and pallet lever driven by magnetic forces, the movement runs at 72,000 beats per hour, or 10 Hz – arguably making the Expérimentale 1 the ultimate Breguet chronometer. Impressively innovative with its use of silicon, magnets, and clever teeth geometry, the limited edition watch also marks the start of the Expérimentale line, a collection that will serve as a platform to debut new complications, technology, and designs. Initial thoughts While some might have been expecting an updated Sympathique, Breguet instead surprised with perhaps the most advanced wrist-borne mechanical chronometer in modern watchmaking. Taking cues from Abraham-Louis Breguet’s own “constant force” escapements, Breguet today harnessed the power of permanent magnets and unique teeth geometry to built a genuinely friction-less, constant torque escapement. In fact, the new escapement appears to be the only truly frictionless and constant force escapement on the market today.  Magnets have been employed in escapements in the past, but this approach was historically unreliable. Breguet appears to have discovered the right formula for a magnetic escapement. Several functioning prototypes were on show at the launch event. Moreover, Breguet chief executive Gregory Kissling explained that the ma...

Highlights: Pocket Watches at Phillips Hong Kong SJX Watches
Patek Philippe Nov 14, 2025

Highlights: Pocket Watches at Phillips Hong Kong

The upcoming Phillips Hong Kong auction includes a diverse and spectacular selection of pocket watches spanning two centuries. From early 19th‑century enamel masterpieces crafted for the Chinese market to 20th‑century tourbillon chronometers that triumphed at observatory trials, the lots on offer demonstrate the technical and aesthetic evolution of the watch over the last two hundred years. Lot 1086 – S. Smith and Son No. 1899-1 Tourbillon Chronometer with Kew Class A Certificate Albert Pellaton-Favre constructed the first of two tourbillons in the auction, which was later retailed by S. Smith & Son. The other, by Patek Philippe, is the work of his son, Jämes-César Pellaton. Both are depicted in Reinhard Meis’s famous Das Tourbillon. The English and Swiss disagreed on what constitutes a chronometer. The English argued that a chronometer must use a chronometer (detent) escapement, while the Swiss considered any watch a chronometer if performed well enough – which the English would call a “Half-Chronometer”. As the Willis enamel dial boasts, the first is a chronometer by both English and Swiss reckoning, with a spring detent escapement and “Especially Good” certificate from the Kew Observatory. While S. Smith and Son retailed quite a number of tourbillons, including others with detent escapements, most were sourced locally, while the present lot uses a Swiss movement. The London branch of Baume Frères ordered six tourbillon chronometers from Albert Pella...

Breguet’s Finest World Time Yet to Celebrate 250 Years SJX Watches
Breguet s Finest World Time Sep 11, 2025

Breguet’s Finest World Time Yet to Celebrate 250 Years

Breguet’s quarter-millennial celebrations continue with the Marine Hora Mundi 5555, a reprise of the unique piece created for Only Watch two years ago. The world time wristwatch now returns with a phosphorescent enamel dial – that is notably grand feu on sapphire crystal – and a case in “Breguet Gold”. While the attire is new, the Hora Mundi 5555 still retains the clever movement that has a world time function that is instantaneously switchable between two pre-set time zones and unique amongst travel watches. Initial Thoughts Breguet facelifted the aging Marine line starting about eight years ago, but the integrated bracelet design language still feels fresh, though arguably remains unproven compared to long-established peers in the luxury sports watch segment. The Marine Équation Marchante 5887, which introduced the new look, leaned heavily on its excellent movement – it’s perhaps the best equation of time complication yet made – as a crutch supporting an experimental design. More practical and simpler models followed; the Marine Hora Mundi is certainly practical but not simple. The Marine Hora Mundi 5555 is likewise powered by an impressive movement, and one incorporating a complication apt for a sports watch, but the watch also has a metiers d’art distinction with its enamel dial. That is unusual for a sports watch, but the Marine is an unusual sports watch. The enamelling itself is even more unusual, done on sapphire using phosphorescent pigments, ...