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Fratello
Another Friday, another list! This week, we take a break from our lists of alternatives to focus on the best new watches from March 2026. The list is part of our series highlighting the best releases of this year. Technically, the first Friday of the next month was last week, but amid all the pre-Watches […] Visit Fratello’s Top 5 Watches Released In March 2026 to read the full article.
SJX Watches
Breguet refreshes its Tradition collection for 2026 with new colourways and expanded grand feu enamel dial options across five references, building on the momentum of the brand’s 250th anniversary year. The line-up spans four automatic variants of the Seconde Rétrograde and one manually wound GMT, all underpinned by the architecturally distinctive cal. 505 that has defined the collection since its 2005 introduction. Initial thoughts Inspired by an original Abraham-Louis Breguet’s montres à tact pocket watch from the late 18th century, the Tradition collection, released in 2005, was Breguet’s first major new model family under Swatch Group management. The central barrel placement and unusual gear train arrangement perfectly captures the essence of the original pocket watches, and this aspect of the design remains as recognisable and distinctive as ever, despite the a growing number of independent watchmakers that have introduced watches with a similar layout. In fact, the cal. 505 is so successful as a contemporary interpretation of Breguet’s work that a variation of it was adapted for use in the award-winning Classique Souscription 2025 introduced last year. For 2026, the Tradition collection has been slightly refreshed with modern colourways and more grand feu enamel dial options. The five new models include four automatic variants of the Seconde Rétrograde, one of which features a diamond-set bezel, and one manually wound reference with a dual-time complicatio...
SJX Watches
Andreas Strehler is expanding his more accessible Strehler brand with the Säntis, a world time wristwatch that’s an evolution of the Sirna time-only from 2023. The Säntis continues with the style established by the Sirna, including the patterned titanium dial and tonneau-esque case. Powered by the same in-house automatic calibre as the Sirna, the Säntis is a classic Cottier-style world time with a cities disc and 24-hour ring. Unsurprisingly given Andreas Strehler’s well-known technical proficiency, the world time mechanism is integrated well into the calibre and is easily set entirely via the crown. Initial thoughts The Säntis is a traditional Cottier-style world time, but one executed well and as practical as a Cottier-style world time can be. While the Säntis is the first Strehler world time, it is not the first travel wristwatch by Andreas Strehler, who has made several in the past, including a bespoke commission. The watch exemplifies Andreas Strehler’s strength, which is high quality watchmaking and complications, but made more affordable under his Strehler label. Though produced in slightly larger numbers than his high-end watches, Strehler watches are still high-quality industrial haute horlogerie that represent strong value. The styling is a little generic, especially at a distance, but as with the Sirna, the watch reveals its details up close, giving it more personality. The patterned dial and hands are distinctive, though the dial is almost anonymous:...
SJX Watches
Less than two years out from its 2024 relaunch, Seiko refreshes its flagship dive watch with the new Prospex Marinemaster 1968 Heritage Diver’s Watch HBF001 and its limited edition counterpart, the HBF002. Both models feature a ceramic bezel, longer power reserve, better promised timekeeping, and a much-requested tool-less micro-adjust clasp - tangible upgrades that justify a near 25% premium over the previous generation. The regular production model launches alongside a more flamboyant 1,000-piece limited edition designed in collaboration with the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC). Initial thoughts Seiko relaunched the Marinemaster brand three years ago with an unexpected trio of compact skin-divers. This was followed by a return to form the following year with a pair of 300 m Hi-Beat Diver-inspired models that dispensed with the “Professional” branding, front-loading case construction, and helium impermeability that distinguished Marinemasters of the past, but offered a more compact 42 mm size and a much improved bracelet. However, it still used the same stamped clasp body found on entry-level divers, just with an upgraded swing arm, and relied on the aging cal. 8L35 movement while Seiko rolled out the improved cal. 8L45 in the similarly priced King Seiko Vanac. The new HBF001 solves all of those problems, and introduces only a few new ones. Given the similarity to the SLA079, Seiko clearly felt the need for unambiguous differentiatio...
Monochrome
Wristwatch manufacturers focus on keeping cases air and watertight so the movements can operate trouble-free in daily use. This started in earnest in 1926 with Rolex’s robust Oyster case, but even delicate dress watches today have a degree of water and dust resistance for splashes, rain and so on. However, a small handful of brands […]
SJX Watches
After the unexpected departure of its last leader at the start of the year, TAG Heuer has announced Béatrice Goasglas will take over as chief executive officer starting May 1, 2026. Currently president of the brand’s Americas division, Ms Goasglas’ background lies in digital marketing and client experience. She joined TAG Heuer in 2018 as vice-president of Digital & Client Experience, before rising to head the Asia-Pacific market. Notably, she worked with Frederic Arnault on Connected smartwatch during her stint at TAG Heuer headquarters, at the time one of the brand’s most important projects. Mr Arnault rose to chief executive of TAG Heuer, then moved on to head the LVMH Watch Division. He is now leading “quiet luxury” label Loro Piana, although Mr Arnault is known to retain an eye on the watch brand he once led. Prior to that, she held digital marketing and client-relations roles in fashion and cosmetics. While this background e-commerce and client relationships is an unusual background for the chief of a mainstream watch brand, it is perhaps useful and fitting for the luxury watch industry in the 21st century, and also revealing as to where TAG Heuer wants to go.
SJX Watches
The Jura balcony awakens under the March sun. Between sky and mountains, the village of Sainte-Croix and the l’Institut de la Mécanique d’Art (IMA), seem suspended in silence. Yet behind this tranquillity lies one of the most remarkable centres of mechanical art, also known as the automata, for the institute is home to the Association Mec-Art pour la Mécanique d’Art, which is also open to the public to further its mission to promote the craft of automata. “Watchmaking mechanics is industry – serial production. Mechanical art is about unique pieces, for which we use entirely different methods. Some brands focus exclusively on one or the other, while others operate at the crossroads of both – like De Bethune,” explains Denis Flageollet, the cofounder of De Bethune who founded the Association Mec-Art in 2016 together with François Junod and Nicolas Court, both automaton makers. IMA occupies the building originally constructed by Reuge in 2016, which was acquired by De Bethune in 2023. The building now hosts mechanical art activities for Reuge, Van Cleef & Arpels and De Bethune, as well as the Association Mec-Art. “Mechanical art depends on an ecosystem of artisans,” he adds, pointing to the uniquely concentrated geography of Sainte-Croix, “the only town where all these skills coexist.” François Junod agrees, “We live in a natural incubator. Here, everyone talks about mechanical art.” It is precisely for this reason that when Junod was invited to ...
Fratello
The microbrand segment of the watch industry has evolved dramatically over the last decade. What once felt like a niche corner of the horology world has grown into a thriving ecosystem of small companies producing thoughtful, design-driven watches. Some focus on value, others on originality, and a few are beginning to push the boundaries of […] Visit Fratello Talks: The Microbrands To Watch In 2026 to read the full article.
SJX Watches
After its successful indie-focused First Strike auction last October, upstart auctioneer Marteau & Co is back with The Echo, an online-only auction that opens at noon Geneva time on March 12 with a focus on independent watchmaking. Marteau & Co was founded just last year, and one of its cofounders is Arthur Touchot, an industry veteran who spent several years as a journalist followed by a stint at a prominent auction house. Now all-in with Marteau, Mr Touchot brings his insider’s to Marteau, explaining its unique position in the market. The Swiss auctioneer sets itself apart with its intriguing “Maker’s Fee” concept, which rewards the maker of the timepiece with 3% of the hammer price for each watch sold, allowing a brand to benefit from the appreciation of its products. While artists’ resale rights, or droit de suite, is far from a new concept, and has been codified into law in the European Union and United Kingdom, Marteau & Co’s approach is the first instance of its application in watchmaking. Lot 1 – Daniel Roth Chronograph Ref. 2147 When Daniel Roth launched his eponymous brand in 1988, after helping revitalize Breguet, he also created the genre of independent watchmaking we know today, preceding even Franck Muller and F.P. Journe. With his double ellipse case design Roth pioneered the idea of building a brand around a single strong design language, a contrast to the menagerie offered by other high end brands of the time, an approach later followed by ot...
Teddy Baldassarre
When it comes to luxury watches, rarely is a timepiece experienced on the wrist before it is admired through a lens. Horological photography has evolved so much that high-resolution imagery and macro-cinematography have become a virtual loupe, portraying the watch’s qualities and character through focus stacking and special lighting. For brands like MING, the photograph is the primary medium of truth, since the founder of the company is a world-class photographer. Ming Thein spent years dissecting the world’s finest timepieces through the lens of a camera. Before long, he became one of the industry’s most respected photographers, forming an obsession with light and how it behaves on the surface of a watch. Since building his own brand, Ming Thein has continued to nurture this special relationship between timekeeping and imagery, so much so that it has become part of the brand’s unique story. Every curve of a flared lug or inverted lume track on a dial is designed to catch, bend, and manipulate light – a philosophy that has translated into a string of global successes, including the "revelation" of the 17.06 Copper and the 2024 GPHG-winning 37.09 Bluefin. [toc-section heading="The Brainstorm That Gave MING Its Lift-Off"] Early concept sketch Plenty of business ideas have probably been dreamt up while racking up air miles, but the origins of MING were perhaps among the most unexpected. During a return flight from a 2014 watch fair, cruising 30,000 feet above the gr...
Teddy Baldassarre
Grand Seiko is a brand that’s adept at making the intricate seem effortless. This talent for restraint is best demonstrated dial side, specifically with its play with textures that call for a second (or third, fourth, and so on) look. While the deceptively simple “Snowflake” dial is among the brand’s most renowned examples of its mastery of subtlety, today, I’m pulling focus to another iconic example of Grand Seiko’s dial mastery with the more dramatic White Birch variation. Down below, I’ll be breaking down the importance of the “White Birch” SLGH005 in Grand Seiko’s recent history, some of its guiding design philosophies, as well as all the necessary specs you need to know. [toc-section heading="History And Context"] Debuting in 2021, the SLGH005 with its “White Birch” dial marked a historic turning point for the brand, and in the years since, it has become regarded as an example of the brand’s strengths firing on all cylinders. Before its introduction, Grand Seiko had already become synonymous with intricately textural dials (which, of course, drew inspiration from the natural world), but the White Birch texture is really when the brand turned up the heat an extra notch. Before, the brand largely relied on radial and horizontal textures, and it isn’t a coincidence that the continuous series honoring the Japanese micro-seasons (most famous being the “Shun-bun”) was already in play before the White Birch hit the scene. Many of these dials...
Monochrome
When you think about Kurono Tokyo, the side-brand of Japanese independent watchmaker Hajime Asaoka, you should picture something compact and elegant in your mind. Watches often focus on traditional crafts, with restrained cases and classically Japanese. The sportiest models the brand has ever created were mid-century-styled chronographs. Well, this is about to change as Hajime […]
Monochrome
Timex has been on a roll in the last few years, returning to mechanical watches after a decades-long hiatus. Quartz watches still dominate the portfolio, of course, ever since the brand first ceased mechanical production in 1982. A renewed focus on mechanical collections at lower and mid-tier levels began in 2017 after the 1960s-era hand-wound […]
Hodinkee
AP continues to show how less can most certainly be more.
Worn & Wound
Some weeks, like last week, frankly, I look at the crop of new releases hitting my inbox and wonder about the state of things in the watch industry. Everything feels like an iteration, a slight tweak, or an attempt to return to the mean. So we get slightly more luxe Speedmasters (where the pricing immediately becomes the talking point), a cadre of new Defys that have us wondering “Didn’t they already make this one?” and Carreras that hint at the watch community sneaking back to the Big Watch Era. Is it possible I’m overreacting? Of course. None of the watches mentioned above are bad by any means, in fact all of them are quite good, objectively speaking. It’s just that they don’t represent a ton of creativity or innovation, and when you work in the industry you become attuned to just how rare genuine creativity in watchmaking really is. It makes sense though. This is a business that’s all about selling watches and the biggest brands in the world need to cast a wide net. Big risks when it comes to design can’t reasonably be expected as the norm. So we turn to the smaller makers, independents and microbrands, hoping they’ll be the ones to wave the proverbial Freak Flag. The new release from Toledano & Chan, the b/1.3r, with a custom made solid gold dial, is the kind of watch you love to come across in the midst of the big guys refreshing product lines and going through the motions. Their latest introduces a slightly smaller case in blasted titanium, meas...
Fratello
With LVMH Watch Week in full swing, Hublot proves to be one of the most active houses, releasing a host of new models. I already covered new additions to the Big Bang collection, Jorg covered the Djokovic LEs, and today, I return with more news from the Classic Fusion line. These new models include a […] Visit Introducing: New Additions To The Hublot Classic Fusion Line to read the full article.
Fratello
Hublot celebrated 20 years of the Big Bang last year with a limited-edition Big Bang 20th Anniversary edition. These LEs took their design language from the original models and paired it with Unico in-house calibers. It was only a matter of time before we would see this sensible pairing in a regular-production model, and here […] Visit Hublot Upgrades The Big Bang Original Collection To Unico Status to read the full article.
Fratello
Yema is always updating and improving its extensive collection. One of the main focus points of the last few years has been to equip an increasing number of its watches with a proprietary caliber. It led to the introduction of the Skin Diver powered by the CMM.20 movement last April. This year, the French brand […] Visit Yema Unveils The Skin Diver Slim Bronze CMM.20 Limited Edition to read the full article.
Worn & Wound
Every year in January, Oris hosts a preview event for media in Vail, CO to show new novelties that will be introduced during the first quarter of the year, and previewing their focus for Watches & Wonders. While much of what we saw was under embargo and will only be revealed in the coming months, there was one new release that landed on the day of the brand’s presentation. The new Big Crown Pointer Date Bullseye joins the collection this week, and slightly rethinks the Pointer Date formula that has been so successful for Oris over these past several years. Many of the best watches in this collection have worked thanks to a bold use of color (teals, greens, reds, and of course last year’s vibrant canary yellow version all come to mind). But this watch is more about graphics and contrast. The dial here makes use of gray and black tones in contrast to create what amounts, in practice, to a sector dial. Red accents provide some visual interest, but the dominant feature here is the cool “tuxedo” style presentation. At the preview event I thought it worked really well, particularly when you get the dial into strong natural light. The gray sections have a reflective quality that works well against the more matte black interior ring. It has a lot more depth than I was expecting, and legibility is really great thanks to the high contrast. The Big Crown Pointer Date Bullseye is housed in a 38mm stainless steel case that at this point will be quite familiar to many. There...
Monochrome
Unveiled on 26 June 2025, a nod to the date Abraham-Louis Breguet secured a patent for his gravity-defying tourbillon (26 June 1801), the Tourbillon Sidéral 7255 takes his groundbreaking regulator on a fascinating ride through time and space. Released for the brand’s 250th anniversary celebrations, the Breguet Classique Tourbillon Sidéral 7255 pays homage to its illustrious […]
Monochrome
One of Johannes Dürrstein’s objectives when he founded Glashütter Uhrenfabrik Union in 1893 was to produce high-quality watches at affordable prices to cater to a broader range of customers. His philosophy of keeping movements simple and cutting down on superlative frills made Dürrstein an early champion of “affordable luxury.” Following the company’s demise in the […]
Monochrome
When it comes to watch brands, Moser is something of an iconoclast. From the start, Moser took a less conventional path, often taking jabs at the watchmaking industry with the Swiss Alp watch, deriding smartwatches, and the Swiss Mad watch with its Swiss cheese case. Time has worked its way, and Moser’s preoccupations have matured […]
SJX Watches
In the coming weekend, one of the most important watches of this auction season will go under the hammer at Sotheby’s Breguet’s 250th anniversary thematic sale November 9 – Breguet no. 1890, a pocket watch with tourbillon and natural escapement made by the firm by Breguet while Abraham-Louis Breguet himself still helmed the company. The gilt dial with a regulator-style layout might seem familiar – the recent Classique 7225 reproduces this dial design. In fact, Breguet no. 1890 isn’t the only watch in this style; it belongs to a series of pocket watches all equipped with a four-minute tourbillon and échappement naturel from the early 19th century that were among the finest watches of the time. Breguet built just eight four-minute tourbillons with natural escapement, all of which thankfully survive, and only three with gold dials. King George III ordered the most famous example – almost identical to this watch – during the Napoleonic wars. For context, that would be like Churchhill (who owned a Breguet himself) ordering an A. Lange & Söhne watch during the Second World War. As such, it was signed Recordon, Breguet’s London agent, to disguise its French origins. Whirling About Regulator Almost 225 years ago, the French Ministry of the Interior granted A.-L. Breguet a patent for his most famous creation, the tourbillon – a clever exercise in lateral thinking. For a mechanical watch to keep the same time across all vertical positions the combined balance, st...
Worn & Wound
The great paradox of many brands being so good at what they do is that they’re often so technically precise they lose a bit of personality in the process. Somehow, there’s a trade-off that many watch brands make in striving for the best, only to just miss the mark when it comes to anchoring their product to anything beyond technical specs, brand recognition, and the (oftentimes) half-hearted attempts to jump on a trend. We have, in many ways, become accustomed to this middling way in which watchmakers (and the same can be said for fashion brands and penmakers, truth be told). We have grown used to a sanitized, diluted version of personality for the sake of quarterly targets and minimizing social media backlash. It has, in effect, caused a chilling effect in risk-taking, in humor, in anything new beyond a different dial color here or a new steel bracelet there. It was with this sort of cynicism in mind that I was pleasantly surprised to see the latest release between Studio Underd0g and Massena LAB: the 03SERIES Champagne & Caviar. Finally!, I thought, scrolling through the photos, now this is a watch with personality. And then, of course, my second thought: if it isn’t actually made in the Champagne region of France, should it technically be called Sparkling Wine & Caviar? I’ll leave the purists among us in the comments to weigh in. The two collaborators couldn’t have been better suited for one another in partnering together on a release that’s as cheeky as it ...
SJX Watches
Gautier Massonneau didn’t set out to become a watchmaker; he just wanted a nice watch. Nearly a decade later, the thirty-something Frenchman finds himself on the verge of re-establishing industrial watchmaking in the French capital with Trilobe. His partner in this evolution, Volcy Bloch, has helped steer Trilobe from design-led start-up to a vertically integrated enterprise capable of producing its own movements and, increasingly, of charting its own future. Having surrounded himself with an experienced team of watchmakers and engineers in the city’s upscale 9ᵗʰ arrondissement, Mr Massonneau has built something quietly radical: a young brand that began as an idea sketched in a Paris apartment that is now in transition to becoming a full-fledged manufacture. Initial thoughts It’s difficult to discuss the rebirth of French watchmaking without acknowledging the turbulence of the past half-century. France was once a powerhouse of horological innovation, home to Breguet, Lépine, and the great marine chronometer makers of the 18th and 19th centuries, but the industrial base began to erode after the Industrial Revolution and never truly recovered. By the late-twentieth century, the last national movement manufacturers had either collapsed or been acquired, their ambitions thwarted by globalisation and Switzerland’s ascendance. Lip, for example, was an early pioneer in electronic timekeeping, but the company’s head start wasn’t enough to insulate them from the rap...
Monochrome
Every brand from Apple to Zenith touts at least one watch that is “built for adventure”, “to stand the test of time”, or to “take a licking and keep on ticking” (okay, maybe that last one is less current). One look at the watch marketing out there today, and you will be inundated with images […]
SJX Watches
The Patek Philippe approach to watchmaking has developed through a steady accumulation of choices. Since 1839, the manufacture has refined its mechanical language through proportion, regulation, and clarity in construction. Each calibre reflects priorities shaped by experience, built for durability, and adjusted for lasting performance. Understanding the technical evolution of Patek Philippe requires attention to the principles that govern its construction: structural integrity, material stability, and a consistent focus on functional accuracy. Many manufacturers embraced modernity through visible transformation and stylistic experimentation, while Patek Philippe evolved through careful integration of innovation that served enduring mechanical aims. Its development follows a logic defined by proportion, restraint, and the pursuit of lasting technical harmony. The modern-day, expansive manufacture in Plan-les-Ouates in Geneva From Jean Adrien Philippe’s keyless winding system of the 1840s to the introduction of silicon components in the twenty-first century, progress has remained guided by internal reasoning and accumulated skill. Each movement expresses a study of mechanical relationships refined over time, where advances emerge from clarity of purpose and precision in design. The chapters that follow trace this progression through its historical sequence. Each period reflects a technical response to changing demands: the shift from pocket to wrist, the rise of automati...
Hodinkee
The St. Louis-based microbrand updates its classic field watch with a new generation.
Fratello
It’s Sunday morning, so it’s time for a cup of coffee and an epic showdown between two similar timepieces. After last week’s battle of affordable divers, we now turn to a less popular genre - the classic moonphase watch. Last week, Tudor surprised us with its new 1926 Luna. The latest creation certainly had people […] Visit Sunday Morning Showdown: Tudor 1926 Luna Vs. Longines Flagship Heritage Moonphase to read the full article.
Fratello
One of the standout releases during Geneva Watch Days 2025 was the duo of Beda’a Angles Mecaline models. The mechanical versions of the Qatari brand’s Angles design the perfect evolution of the quartz series introduced in the second half of last year. I had a chance to find out how the two excellent modern dress […] Visit Hands-On With The Impressively Handsome Beda’a Angles Mecaline to read the full article.
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