828 articles · 37 videos found · page 11 of 29
Monochrome
Favre Leuba is among the oldest of watchmakers, founded in 1737 and ultimately sold by the family in the mid-1980s following the quartz crisis. Although ownership changed multiple times, it’s latest and perhaps most compelling relaunch happened last year when Patrik Hoffmann, former CEO of Ulysse Nardin took the helm and the new Chief Tourbillon […]
Monochrome
Fears Watch Company might seem like a relatively new brand, but it was actually founded almost 180 years ago in the UK in 1846. Although it ultimately shut down in 1976 after 130 years (like so many others in that era), the founder’s great-great-great grandson Nicholas Bowman-Scargill brought the family-run business back in 2016. The […]
Monochrome
Delma, founded in 1924, is a family-owned brand based in Lengnau, Switzerland, with a solid track record of rugged, high-performance sports watches adapted to racing, airborne and diving pursuits. Last year, Delma surprised its fan base with the release of a tourbillon to celebrate its 100th anniversary powered by the brand’s first proprietary movement. Following […]
Monochrome
The Nomos Minimatik is a small family of slim watches, a 35.5mm model with just two dial variations, powered by the brand’s in-house DUW 3001 Neomatik automatic movement. Expanding the collection, Nomos Glashütte now introduces three new references, the Minimatik 39 Date, marking the brand’s latest addition to the dress watch category. The new Nomos […]
Teddy Baldassarre
German luxury watchmaker Glashütte Original has been on a streak of masterful moon-phase creations in recent years, releasing some absolutely exquisite dial colors in its PanoMaticLunar model (including the green-dial model I review here) and unveiling the first PanoLunarInverse model toward the end of 2024. Today, the brand continues shooting for the moon, in a visual and horological sense, with the launch of two new versions of its Senator Excellence Panorama Date Moon Phase family boasting two eye-catching - and historically inspired - new dial colors. Both of the watches’ dials - one in frosted silver, the other in frosted copper, achieved in a galvanic process - are created in homage to the rich mineral deposits once mined in the Ore Mountains, near the state of Saxony and the watchmaking town of Glashütte. Their finely grained surfaces, meant to evoke the thin layers of ice on the mountain rock, play host to the familiar and elegant details of the Senator Excellence family - including hand-applied, blued Roman numeral markers in gold and blued, polished poire hands complemented by a central seconds hand with the brand’s “double G” symbol as counterweight. The watches’ signature functions occupy carefully chosen spots on the dial without disrupting its overall clean, harmonious look. The large “Panorama” date display settles snugly in a double window at 4 o’clock, while the moon-phase elegantly balances it in the opposite corner above, its ...
Monochrome
Thanks to the accomplished vintage design of its successful Millesime collection, Raymond Weil is emitting a stronger signal on the watchmaking radar. While the brand has been active since 1976, it really came to the fore with third-generation members of the founding Weil family and their winning bet on the Millesime. Determined to bring the […]
Hodinkee
The successor to the watch that made MB&F; "Madness" affordable is back, with a design from a new friend of the MB&F; family.
Time+Tide
The world time complication makes its debut in the Planet Ocean family with these two unapologetically large watches. The post Omega introduces a worldtimer function to the Planet Ocean line appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Worn & Wound
I recently visited the Aristo Vollmer watch and bracelet manufacturer in the Black Forest town of Pforzheim. Aristo-Vollmer was founded 14 years ago as a merger of two well-known companies from the towns of Birkenfeld and Pforzheim. After three generations in the possession of the founding Epple family, the watch manufacturer Aristo Watch was sold in 1998 to Hansjörg Vollmer, a member of the founding family of watch bracelet manufacturer Vollmer, which has been associated with Aristo since 1927. Hansjörg Vollmer is a grandson of the founder of the metal bracelet manufactory Vollmer (Vollmer, Evvo, New Line), which was founded in 1922 and had maintained business relations with Aristo since 1927. After World War II, the production of bracelets moved from Birkenfeld to Pforzheim where it is still located next to the Pforzheim train station. Since 2005, the Aristo-Vollmer’s portfolio includes watch brands (Aristo, Aristomatic, Aristocrat, Messerschmitt, Vollmer, Bellana, Aristella, and Erbprinz) as well as bracelets (stainless steel, titanium, carbon), buckles, and deployant clasps. The bracelets are used for its own watch brands, and supplied to retailers, as well as outside the group. Recently Aristo added Klaus Jakob’s Jacques Etoile brand, which we’ll come back to a little later. Hansjörg is an intriguing personality, very driven yet approachable. He is a high-speed fanatic and professionally races BMW motorcycles, and even custom builds them upon request. I att...
Worn & Wound
One of my favorite games to play when visiting family is something I like to call “Guess, That, Price!” Here’s how it works: I excitedly dump out my rolls and pouches to reveal to the group what watches I have in for review at that time. They then pour over the details, proudly identifying the features of each watch, and then guess the retail price of each piece to see who comes the closest. On my most recent episode of “Guess, That, Price!” I had with me a trio of watches, one of which being the new MK II Fulcrum 39. As it made its rounds, they began calling out features such as the bezel action, the weight of the watch, and the overall rugged visual appearance. When prompted, the three contestants gave me their estimated MSRP of $22,000, $26,000, and finally $31,000. Yes, they are pretty bad at this game. However, what they lack in accuracy is made up for in providing an interesting data point for me. This watch has the potential to carry a higher perceived value than its actual asking price which is not something that typically happens. It pushed me to explore the watch further. From the outset, I’ll admit I was a little disappointed with the new Fulcrum. A massive fan of MK II and Tornek-Rayville, I had inflated expectations that this piece would blow me away. To put it bluntly, this is my least favorite watch they have produced to date. I hate that I am writing that, and I hate that I am admitting that, but at the end of the day sometimes things fall sho...
Worn & Wound
At first glance, the Fears Redcliff Confetti Burlingame Edition appears to be a classy sport watch with splashes of colorful character. But as the fourth collaboration between the British watchmaker and Topper Jewelers (a family-owned retail store in Burlingame, California, that has long served as a major hub of Bay Area watch enthusiasm) the Confetti isn’t just a tasteful splash of pop-art wrapped in a sleek, dressy package-it’s also a symbol of joy, and an ode to overcoming adversity. The Confetti’s unapologetically exuberant dial motif was hand-drawn by John Caplan just after completing three years of chemotherapy in his fight against Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Caplan’s design was emblematic of the relief and joy both he and his family felt following the conclusion of his treatment: “…I kept thinking about how it would feel to be finally finished [with my three years of chemotherapy],” Caplan says. “My father and I discussed the idea of making something inspirational that would both recognize the journey we’ve gone through as a family and also be a joyful thing to look at…after some experimentation, we presented my hand drawn confetti concept to Nicholas [Bowman-Scargill], and after a few discussions, we all knew that we had something worth developing.” The stand-out pastel blue of the running-seconds hand is John’s favorite color, adding an extra touch of triumph and joy to the center of the Confetti concept. “I love using bright colors in my...
Worn & Wound
Benjamin Lewis Vulliamy was the last of the great Vulliamy family of Royal clockmakers and five-times Master of the Clockmakers’ Company. He was Royal Clockmaker to King George IV, King William IV and Queen Victoria and the driving force behind the formation of the Clockmakers Library and Collection – now Clockmakers’ Museum – from 1814 onwards. The Public Face of Clockmaking The Vulliamy family was known for producing high-quality timepieces, often regarded as some of the finest in Britain during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Benjamin Lewis Vulliamy was the last of four generations of Royal clockmakers based at 68 Pall Mall, London from 1753. Early in life he joined his father Benjamin in the family business, which by then was best known for its ornamental clocks and metal furnishings. Upon his father’s death in 1811, Benjamin Lewis inherited control of the business. Following the end of the Napoleonic wars he began to shift its output towards emerging new markets, particularly those brought about by the development and expansion of institutions like the new Houses of Parliament, government departments and London’s clubland. In all his products he aimed for high quality, reliability and accuracy. He created clocks for public buildings and important institutions. Some of his works are still present in places like the Horse Guards Parade and the Royal Exchange in London. This magnificent and imposing clock No. 1394 (below) was purchased for use in ...
Teddy Baldassarre
After a relatively short time in the international market — and an even shorter time as a truly independent brand rather than an elevated product family — Grand Seiko has indisputably come into its own as a top-tier luxury watchmaker. Despite the inescapable fact that it still shares ownership and an industrial base with the parent Seiko brand, Grand Seiko has successfully put distance between its high-end output and Seiko’s more accessible, mass-market offerings. In fact, one could argue that enthusiasts and collectors have largely pigeonholed Grand Seiko as the luxurious, elegant dress watch brand and “Regular” Seiko as the sports- and tool-watch brand. But this perception would not be entirely accurate. Grand Seiko makes its own fair share of sporty timepieces with robustly built cases, less-than-modest case dimensions, and practical functions and complications, despite packaging all of these attributes into timepieces that are distinctly more luxurious — and accordingly more pricey — than their Seiko counterparts. Most of these watches fall within the aptly named Sport collection, which made its official debut in 2017, the same year that Grand Seiko established itself as its own brand. The roots of the Sport family DNA reach back significantly further — starting in 1998, with the launch of the Caliber 9S5 inside the first automatic Grand Seiko in more than 20 years, and continuing through the introduction of the first Grand Seiko model with a GMT func...
Monochrome
In just seven years, Norqain has consolidated its position as a producer of sporty, robust, adventure-inspired watches. Following its partnership with movement manufacture Kenissi in 2020, one of the first models to benefit from the deal was its traveller’s GMT model, the Freedom 60 GMT. Appearing with blue, green and brown dials, the latest bronze […]
Hodinkee
After acquiring Bucherer in 2023, Rolex is now shutting down the family's watchmaking brand, which was originally founded in 1888.
Monochrome
Piaget’s luxury sports watch, the Polo, is inspired by the brand’s iconic solid gold 1979 Polo quartz model with horizontal gadroons running across the dial and the integrated bracelet. Revamped from head to toe in 2016 in steel with mechanical movements, the Polo family is represented by complications small and large, from time and date […]
Worn & Wound
We reached the point long ago where even the most dedicated Grand Seiko fans and collectors could be expected to keep up with the many, many different dial textures. Intricate textured dials are, at least as much as their famous Zaratsu polishing technique and fantastic family of movements, the thing that Grand Seiko has become most well known for during these last several years that have seen the brand grow at an extraordinary pace. I know for me personally, it’s all a little overwhelming, and while I love seeing all of the new textures and colors pop in watches as the collection grows, I remain biased toward one in particular that caught my eye at the beginning of my own interest in the brand. The first Grand Seiko I ever owned had a black “Mt. Iwate” textured dial, and for me it’s still the standard by which I judge all of the others against. That Mt. Iwate texture, to me, is just the right balance of eye catching and incredibly subtle – it can’t be detected at every angle, which is one of my favorite things about it. It’s also historically taken something of a backseat to the “Snowflake” and “Birch” textures, so it appeals to my natural tendency to root for the underdog. Given my longstanding appreciation for the Mt. Iwate dial, I was happy to see news of the latest Grand Seiko release, the SLGH027, which brings a tweaked version of the Mt. Iwate texture to the Evolution 9 series of watches. The new texture, which appears to have thicker “ridg...
Teddy Baldassarre
Since its high-profile revival in 2012, the Seiko Astron has continuously evolved in both its technical capabilities and in its size and overall aesthetics. As I explore in greater detail in this little treatise on the Astron models and their esteemed history, the founding member of this modern, solar-powered, GPS-equipped Astron family debuted in an imposing 47mm case in steel, with one dial option, in matte black. Since then, Seiko has refined the elements that necessitated the large dimensions and limited colorways — i.e., reducing the size of the quartz movement’s GPS-reception antenna and improving the efficiency of the dial’s solar cell — and the result has been a plethora of intriguing interpretations. The latest and perhaps most distinguished in terms of colorway dropped just recently. The Astron GPS Solar SSJ029 and Astron GPS Solar Chronograph SSH171, both limited editions of 1,500 pieces, feature glittering, violet-hued dials that Seiko says are inspired by “cherry blossoms blooming under the stars.” Both of the new watches have cases and bracelets made from titanium and treated with an extra-hard, scratch-resistant black coating that emphasizes the night-sky motif that these models are shooting for aesthetically. The cases are 42mm in diameter, 12.4mm thick, and 47.9mm lug to lug — the result of the aforementioned streamlining since the oversized original’s debut. The dials’ gradient purple colors are enhanced by a sprinkle of starry glitter...
Monochrome
Fears Watch Company, initially founded in 1846 in Bristol (UK), thrived as a family-run business for over a century before closing its doors in 1976. In 2016, Nicholas Bowman-Scargill, the great-great-great-grandson of its original founder, revived the brand, bringing new life to this historic name. Nicholas happens to be an early supporter and friend of […]
Quill & Pad
Everyday wines are very much a budget/quality/preference equation and you should always ensure you have sufficient of these available. Pointy end wines are those for special occasions and family events. These are the wines you want to be good for your cellar or wine fridge.
Deployant
Today, we welcome the Year of the Snake, and take the day off our usual publishing schedule to wish all our readers, friends and family a very Happy and Prosperous New Year! We will be back tomorrow for more watch and horological lifestyle content.
Monochrome
One of France’s oldest family-owned and run luxury companies, Hermès started life in 1837 as a producer of harnesses and saddles in Paris. Renowned for its impeccable artisanal craftsmanship and intrepid artistic flair, Hermès manages to endow its watches with a singular dash of poetry. The equestrian-inspired profile of the Arceau, which has hosted poetic […]
Worn & Wound
When I was in middle school, my Saturday afternoons were my own. My younger brother played travel soccer, my dad was his coach, and my mom rarely missed a game, so just about every weekend in the Fall and Spring, I had the house to myself for a few hours. One of my favorite things to do during these reprieves from my family was to go up to my dad’s attic office, open up his watch box - a brown leather box that held five watches - and marvel at what I found inside. Something about that brown leather box communicated with perfect clarity that anything found inside it was to be treasured. That experience is probably no small part of why I love watches today, and a part of me is always looking to recapture the wonder I felt sneaking into my dad’s office and opening up his watch box. These days, it’s a harder experience to find, and I generally think a lot less about watch boxes - most of my watches either sit out on a felt pad on my desk or live in a set of retrofitted metal drawers from IKEA. Still, every so often, someone goes the extra mile and makes a watch box that’s hard to ignore. With their new acrylic Watch Box, L’Epée 1839 has done just that. If you know of L’Epée 1839, it’s probably from their clocks. And they’ve made some incredible clocks over the years; from very traditional carriage clocks to their collaborative pieces made with MB&F; (the Destination Moon is a personal favorite), L’Epée 1839 has consistently been a leader in Swiss cloc...
![[VIDEO] Hands-On: the Longines Ultra-Chron Carbon](https://wornandwound.com/library/uploads/2025/01/Longines_Ultra-Chron_Carbon_full_012_Full.jpg)
Worn & Wound
Following the release of the Longines Ultra-Chron in 2022, a revival of a very specific reference from 1968, Longines adds to the model family with the new Ultra-Chron Carbon. This model comes from a more modern age with a carbon and titanium construction, a monochromatic motif, and the same high-frequency automatic caliber inside. Initially, though, it is hard to tell if this model is meant to be an evolution of the former or an extension of the overall family. While there may still be some similarities to its sibling model, this new version does have its differences, which are important to note. As the only carbon case piece currently being offered by the brand, it is interesting that Longines decided to introduce it in the oft-overlooked Ultra-Chron collection rather than its more popular offerings like the Spirit Zulu Time or the Conquest. Potentially a byproduct of the simpler case architecture being a bit more friendly to the material, the forged carbon does seem to look right at home molded into the cushion case shape. $4900 [VIDEO] Hands-On: the Longines Ultra-Chron Carbon Case Forged carbon Movement L836 Dial Anthracite Lume Yes Lens Sapphire Strap Sailcloth Water Resistance 300 meters Dimensions 43 x 48.6mm Thickness 14.1mm Lug Width 20mm Crown Screw down Warranty Yes Price $4900 Before taking a closer look, my mind immediately began to look back at a release from last year coming from another Swatch Group brand, the Tissot Sideral S, ready to call out similari...
SJX Watches
Perhaps Louis Vuitton’s most famous complication, the Spin Time is a three-dimensional jump hour that was historically synonymous with the original, chunky Tambour case. Now Louis Vuitton has revamped both the complication and case to create the Tambour Taiko Spin Time. More compact and elegant than its predecessor, the Tambour Taiko is an expertly detailed case matched with restrained “dolphin grey” livery. Also employed in the new Convergence, the new case is home to an equally new family of in-house movements that will be the foundation of Louis Vuitton’s watchmaking. All of the Tambour Taiko Spin Time models – there are four in all, plus two gem-set variants – are equipped with movements from this family. The line-up starts with the 39.5 mm base model, while the rest are all 42.5 mm. They include the Spin Time Antipode with a novel world time function, and the top-of-the-line Tambour Taiko Spin Time Flying Tourbillon combining the jumping hours complication with a central tourbillon. All feature the signature Spin Time display of jumping cubes that indicate the current hour with a contrast-colour face. From left: Spin Time, Spin Time Air, Spin Time Antipode, and Spin Time Flying Tourbillon (not to scale) Initial thoughts Though I like very much the original, chunky Tambour, the redesigned case has a more subtle, refined appeal. The Tambour Taiko is far more wearable and boasts a noticeably higher level of finishing and detail, though it does lose some of th...
SJX Watches
Louis Vuitton starts 2025 with a surprise, the Tambour Convergence. Modelled on traditional “digital” pocket watches, the Convergence indicates the time with discs visible in a pair of small windows at the top of the face. The unusual design, coupled with the compact, 37 mm case gives the Convergence an elegant, vintage-inspired aesthetic atypical of Louis Vuitton. Equally notable is the newly-developed in-house calibre inside, the LFT MA01.01. The movement is of a family of movements that will underpin Louis Vuitton’s timepieces going forward; variants of the movement are also found in the new Tambour Taiko Spin Time. Initial thoughts The Convergence is unexpected because it isn’t typical of Louis Vuitton. The vintage-inspired styling and proportions are almost antithesis of the brand’s conventional look, which was historically colourful and modern. Even though such territory is relatively new to Louis Vuitton, the Convergence is executed well. The design has intrinsic appeal, and shows off good proportions and details. The Convergence demonstrates the refined style of the redesigned Tambour case, which barely resembles the chunky original that was often thick and paired with narrow lugs. While I myself liked the quirk look of the original Tambour, the revamped model is undoubtedly more elegant and consequently will have a wider appeal. The Convergence debuts in pink gold The Convergence does well in almost all respects – fit, finish, design, and dimensions ...
Worn & Wound
What is one supposed to make of H. Moser & Cie.? Ask a room full of collectors to describe the brand, and there are a handful of responses you’re sure to get: exciting, modern, and fun being foremost among them. Moser, under the watchful eyes of the Meylan family, has cultivated a unique offering, one characterized by a contemporary, streamlined (pun regrettably intended) catalog and an eye toward collaboration. Whether you’re wondering at one of the brand’s latest high-complication pieces or throwing on any of their impeccable time-only sports watches, it’s hard to deny that few brands manage to balance an appetite for solid, wearable, everyday watches with elegantly implemented complications, so nimbly as Moser. Even fewer manage to accomplish this while navigating the self-serious world of watches with the same sense of humor and energy that H. Moser & Cie. has under the stewardship of the Meylan family. I was lucky enough to spend an hour with Edouard Meylan, the CEO of H. Moser & Cie., to talk about everything Moser, and right off the bat, he acknowledged this tightrope. “I think we went further into this idea of bringing those two worlds together [the traditional and the modern]. Staying very traditional, like the movements and those kinds of things,” he explained, “but at the same time bringing a touch of more modern, more us. I couldn’t picture it back then I knew I wanted to bring that.” “I remember the first Baselworld, it was like the first...
Monochrome
Fears is a British watch brand founded in Bristol in 1846. Although the company went bust in 1976, the brand was resuscitated by a sixth-generation Fear in 2016, making it one of the oldest family-run companies in Britain. Proud of its heritage and incorporating design cues from the past, Fears introduces a limited edition of […]
Worn & Wound
For those unfortunate souls who have found their way into my gear bins, you know that I am a gearhead through and through, able to easily outfit a family of five for a week-long camping trip in just about any weather condition. One particular area of weakness for me is in the bag category. Tote bags, sling bags, fanny packs, large backpacking packs, duffles, I believe they all serve their purpose and that you should have one for every scenario. Finding the perfect bag though can be an impossible task leading you to spend hours researching boutique brands only to be disappointed in the one lacking feature you need, accompanied by a significantly lighter pocketbook. So, when I spotted a dirty worn-in backpack with a unique silhouette gliding through a sporting goods store in Denmark, the hunt was on. It didn’t take long as a few quick turns had me standing in front of an entire wall display holding an array of different designs from the new-to-me brand D__b__. Now, it was the early days of my trip and I did not have a lot of room in my luggage to spare, so I snapped a few pictures, residing myself doing downtime research into this exciting company. Despite its large global presence, D_B_ Journey does not seem to have made the push into the States, finding a small home inside of a select number of scattered retailers. This may be in part due to the crowded and hyper-competitive market, or potentially due to the recent forced rebranding stemming from marketing problems wit...
Fratello
Christmas and New Year’s are a wonderful time for many. The holiday season is often a chance to reconnect with family or celebrate and reflect on the year. It is also a fantastic opportunity to treat yourself! Buying a watch for Christmas is always a good idea, so today, I’m sharing five attainable watches that […] Visit Treating Yourself To A Watch For Christmas - Featuring Omega, Bulova, King Seiko, And More to read the full article.
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