4,409 articles · 668 videos found · page 110 of 170
Monochrome
One of the Japanese watchmaker’s most emblematic modern dive watches (probably only rivalled by the Turtle), the Seiko Samurai was first introduced in 2004. A large, robust and angular model, this modern-looking watch soon became a classic, only to be discontinued. After almost 10 years of absence, it resurfaced in 2017 in a slightly updated […]
Teddy Baldassarre
When you think of Australia, watches are probably not the first images that come to your mind. Kangaroos, boomerangs, Hugh Jackman, and Nicole Kidman, maybe, but not watches. However, much like Great Britain, France,, and our own United States, Australia in the 21st Century has given rise to a creative and ambitious generation of watch aficionados-turned-entrepreneurs that are eager to establish home-grown watchmaking in the Land Down Under. While a full-fledged horological industry in Australia is still quite a way from becoming reality - unlike those aforementioned nations, it has little watchmaking history to speak of, and outsourced parts and even manufacturing are still the norm - these 10 Australia-based watch brands are making timepieces worthy of enthusiasts’ attention. Melbourne Watch Co. Founded: 2013 Headquarters: Melbourne, Australia Founder: Sujain Krishnan Notable models: Melbourne, Flinders, Portsea, Fitzroy Melbourne Watch Company started out as a crowd-funded venture in 2013, a passion project for founder, former IT consultant and self-trained watchmaker Sujain Krishnan. It attained early success with its first timepiece, the Flinders Automatic, a business-casual steel watch named for a central train hub in the founder’s home city of Melbourne and sporting a dial inspired by that station’s clock. The brand has expanded its offerings in the decade-plus since, now offering no less than seven collections, all taking their names and some aesthetic cu...
Monochrome
One of the most revered and respected names in the world of watchmaking, and certainly in the independent watchmaking scene, is Kari Voutilainen. The Finnish watchmaker is an expert in ‘wrapping’ the most brilliantly hand-finished movements in beautiful discrete cases with tear-drop lugs. With 20 years of track record as an Independent watchmaker and more […]
Monochrome
Most of Delma’s repertoire is sporty, verging on instrument-style watchmaking incarnated by the highly impressive 5,000m-rated Delma Blue Shark IV. The brand has long demonstrated its ability to create robust and capable watches at fair prices. But today, Delma has decided to embrace the other end of the spectrum with its answer to the highly […]
Monochrome
Karl-Friedrich Scheufele’s dream of mechanical independence materialised in 1996 with the presentation of Chopard‘s first in-house movement known as calibre 1.96. Produced in Chopard’s Fleurier manufacture, the calibre was fitted inside the first L.U.C 1860 watch, writing a new chapter in the brand’s high-end watchmaking journey. Recognised as one of the finest ultra-thin micro-rotor automatic […]
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Monochrome
Birthday celebrations are fast becoming a tradition at Oris. Known as the Hölstein Editions, after the town in the Swiss Jura mountains where the brand was founded on June 1, 1904, the watches are generally modified variants of existing pieces. Coinciding with the brand’s 120th anniversary, the brand issues a special version of its Divers […]
Fratello
Oris Hölstein Editions are an annual celebration for the independent Swiss watch brand. This year marks a rather special occasion - Oris’s 120th anniversary. To celebrate this impressive birthday, the house is releasing a special Divers Sixty-Five, fully dipped in black paint. Okay, technically speaking, it’s not really black paint. But we do get a […] Visit The Oris Hölstein Edition 2024: An All-Blacked-Out Divers Sixty-Five to read the full article.
Time+Tide
The go-to entry-level Swiss field watch gets three new colourways, including a first white dial in bronze.The post The Hamilton Khaki Field Mechanical 38mm range expands with three new configurations appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Monochrome
Openworked or skeletonised watches are treats for the more mechanical-minded admirers of watchmaking, and the more complex the movement, the better. In 2016, Audemars Piguet increased the viewing pleasure two-fold when it unveiled its Royal Oak Double Balance Wheel Openworked ref. 15407. As its name indicates, the movement was equipped with two balance wheels, one […]
Monochrome
Kauri is an independent watchmaking brand recently founded by Samuel Gillioz. This young watchmaker studied at the École d’Horlogerie de Genève before gaining experience at Timelab and Vacheron Constantin in the highly respected Cabinotiers workshop. In 2019, Samuel Gillioz launched Kauri with the vision of creating something unique and original. The main specificity of his […]
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Monochrome
One of the rising stars of the young Dutch independent watchmaking scene, De Rijke & Co. Watches, founded by Laurens De Rijke, started as a fun project during a… vintage Vespa moped road trip through eastern Europe. From there, what was a side project turned into a more prolific indie watch brand with always a […]
Teddy Baldassarre
While it was established relatively recently, in 1994, Glashütte Original can legitimately trace its lineage as far back as 1845, which also happens to be the year that watchmaking essentially arrived as an industry in Germany. As I cover in much greater detail in this article, a full century of horological tradition, centered in the town of Glashütte in the state of Saxony, came to an end with Germany’s defeat in World War II. It was replaced by a new era in which a state-owned conglomerate of once-independent heritage watch manufacturers, the Glashütter Uhrenbetriebe or GUB, shifted focus from artisanal techniques and luxuriously decorative timepieces to mass-produced tool watches for military and civilian customers. Many of the watches produced in the GUB era - spanning the Cold War years from 1951 up to the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1990 - are largely forgettable, but Glashütte Original, the luxury-watch firm that emerged from the dissolution of the GUB, has cherry-picked the most interesting and memorable of those utilitarian timepieces, produced in the late 1960s and ‘70s, for modern reimagining in its “Spezialist” series. Serving as the base model for the Spezialist models is a single, now-collectible divers’ sport watch from 1969, the Spezimatic Type RP TS 200, which was the first dive watch produced in Germany (technically, at the time, East Germany) that met the international ISO 6425 standard. Glashütte Original paid tribute to the fondly rem...
Worn & Wound
Swiss watchmaker Louis Erard has recently collaborated with Donzé Cadrans, a veteran in the enamel dials field since 1972. As a first for Erard, the Le Régulateur Grand Feu Enamel model is adorned for the first time with a traditional grand feu enamel dial. This partnership shows an expansion for the Swiss brand into new territory – and done with impeccable taste. The use of grand feu enamel here marries technical precision and artisan craftsmanship. Each dial has to be made by hand, involving a meticulous process where layers of enamel are applied and fired at temperatures exceeding 800°C. This technique not only ensures vibrant and long-lasting colors but also demands an exceptional level of skill and patience, as even the slightest imperfection can require the entire piece to be redone. The result is a unique and exquisite timepiece, where no two dials are exactly alike, showcasing the harmony between tradition and innovation in watchmaking. The Le Régulateur model has an ivory-colored grand feu dial against the polished stainless steel case, giving a classic look for just about any occasion. The dial also features an hour and seconds counter subdials stacked at both the 12 and 6 o’clock mark. The colors are offset with a vibrant blue that both contrasts and marries the look together. With an automatic movement running on a Sellita SW266-1 calibre, you’ll have no trouble keeping time with this watch. The Régulateur is pulled together with a grey grained cal...
SJX Watches
Though Louis Erard is best known for its high-profile collaborations with independent watchmakers like Konstantin Chaykin and Cédric Johner, the brand’s specialty is making interesting watchmaking accessible. Its signature complication is the regulator display complication, which has served as the foundation for several limited editions. The brand continues to do that with the Le Régulateur Grand Feu Enamel, a regulator wristwatch featuring a two-part fired enamel dial in striking ivory. Initial thoughts The new release has a subtle ivory dial produced in a traditional manner, resulting in a glossy, nuanced finish feel evocative of dials usually found on pricier timepieces. Its contemporary typeface and numerals complements minimalist style. Dial aside, the latest regulator is identical to the standard model and contains the same Sellita calibre. As a result, despite the elegant styling, it’s a chunky watch that’s almost 14 mm thick. Nevertheless, this keeps the Le Régulateur Grand Feu Enamel affordable at CHF4,400, which is strong value considering that most watches with such dials cost at least twice as much. Ivory enamel Louis Erard once again turned to Donzé Cadrans, the enamel dial specialist owned by Ulysse Nardin, for this grand feu enamel dial. Unsurprisingly Donzé was also the supplier for the ivory enamel dial in Excellence Email Grand Feu in 2021. The time-only Excellence Email Grand Feu The production of grand feu enamel dials has a high rejection...
SJX Watches
The most significant example of independent watchmaking in Phillips’ upcoming New York sale is Philippe Dufour Duality no. 3 in white gold. One of just nine made, this Duality is unusual in several respects. For one, it is delivered with two dials, each representing one of Mr Dufour’s trademark style – silvered and a white lacquer resembling enamel. Besides being an exceptionally rare watch, this Duality is also significant for its provenance: the current owner is both a gentleman and a collector with a discerning eye. In fact, he recognised the importance and appeal of the Duality well before most others did. At the time he bought this watch, now almost 20 years ago, a Philippe Dufour Simplicity was selling for barely more than a Lange Datograph. In fact, there were sought-after Panerai and Audemars Piguet Offshore models selling easily for more than a Simplicity. The owner’s discerning and forward-thinking taste in watches can also be inferred from his other watches in the sale. Amongst them is an F.P. Journe Tourbillon Souverain ref. TN – with a special-order 38 mm case instead of the conventional 40 mm, as well as a matched, three-piece set of the F.P. Journe Vagabondage in platinum. A tribute to the Vallée Launched in 1996, the Duality is one of the two landmark double balance wheel watches in contemporary watchmaking, alongside the F.P. Journe Resonance that debuted four years later. While the Resonance is arguably more abstract and inventive in its concep...
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Worn & Wound
Editor’s Note: Time Through the Ages is a four part series written by Andrew Canter, member of the British Horological Institute, Alliance of British Watch & Clock Makers, and the British Watch & Clock Makers Guild. In this second installment, Andrew examines the life and career of Abraham-Louis Breguet, inventor of the tourbillon and many other important watchmaking advancements. For more from Andrew, check out his work at Mr. WatchMaster. Abraham-Louis Breguet (1747–1823) was a designer, inventor, and watchmaker. Being a master craftsman in the field of watchmaking earned him a prestigious clientele that included Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, alongside other international nobility, and the elegance and technical innovations of his designs were considered the height of style and fashion. Portrait of Abraham-Louis Breguet. Image courtesy of Manufacture Breguet Breguet was born in Neuchâtel on the 10th January 1747, but it was in Paris that he spent most of his productive life. He is credited with the development of the successful self-winding perpétuelle watches, the introduction of the gongs for repeating watches, the first shock-protection for balance pivots and of course the tourbillon. Every watch that left his workshops demonstrated the latest horological improvements in an original movement, mostly fitted with lever or ruby-cylinder escapements that he perfected. He was a great entrepreneur and marketed his magnificent watches brilliantly. Perhaps his most ...
Fratello
Luminescent materials have been a part of watchmaking for generations. The use of radioactive materials in the last century was fundamental in the design of tool watches that could allow the owner an opportunity to tell the time in darkened conditions. Thankfully, we no longer have to rely on radioactive materials to achieve this outcome, […] Visit IWC Reveals Ceralume With The First Fully Luminous Ceramic Watch to read the full article.
SJX Watches
Antoine Simonin (1938-2024), who died on May 20 at the age of 84, left his mark on generations of watchmakers and watchmaking enthusiasts. He will be best remembered as the director of WOSTEP (Watches Of Switzerland Training Educational Program) from 1976 to 2003. Simonin was a person obsessed with the transmission of watchmaking knowledge, and sought to make WOSTEP an instrument for the international dissemination of watchmaking mastery. Founded in 1966, WOSTEP sought to train watchmakers capable of maintaining and repairing Swiss-made watches according to the standards laid out by their makers, the Swiss watch industry. Over time, its courses have been taught in English, French, German, Japanese, Swedish, and Mandarin. “I studied at WOSTEP under Antoine Simonin in 1987 and 1991,” says Peter Speake, the watchmaker best known for founding Speake-Marin, “He was instrumental in keeping WOSTEP going during that difficult industry period, subsequently influencing the careers and friendships of many watchmakers, directly and indirectly, playing a significant role in the lives of many crossing multiple generations.” Recounts another student, Paul Francis Madden, now himself an instructor at WOSTEP, “I was a student in 1987, back when the staff at WOSTEP was only Mr Simonin and his wife Josiane… It came to showing him my first hairspring… He slowly spun my balance wheel in his callipers, scrutinising it for what seemed like an eternity, and all without saying a sing...
Monochrome
Scandinavian design is often laureled for its simplicity and functionality, but in watches, that doesn’t always seem to stick. Finnish independent watchmaking stars like Stepan Sarpaneva are mostly known for more intricate and expressive watches with striking appearances. Stemming from “the land of a thousand lakes” now comes a new brand, that on surface seems […]
Monochrome
The ETA Valjoux 7750 chronograph movement is well-known in the world of watchmaking for being tough, reliable, and versatile. Since it was first introduced in the early 1970s, it has gained a strong reputation for being accurate and long-lasting, which has made it a favourite chronograph calibre among both watchmakers and enthusiasts. In addition, the […]
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Hodinkee
Joining the brand's 'Operations' capsule collection, the Net OPS and Skeleton X OPS divers bring an avant-garde approach to tactical watchmaking.
Quill & Pad
Since taking over as CEO of Parmigiani Fleurier in 2021, Guido Terreni has leaned into the brand’s legacy as a maker of classic dress watches at the level of high watchmaking. Not by making a dramatic statement piece but by doubling down on refinement. Having reintroduced the Tonda, and picking up a GPHG award for it in 2022, Terreni turned his attention to the Toric, the golden-ratio proportioned flagship dress watch that was Michel Parmigiani’s first design.
Teddy Baldassarre
Since its beginnings, the wristwatch industry has engaged in an ongoing quest for materials that are lightweight yet exceptionally tough - a quest that has led to the mainstreaming of once-experimental materials such as titanium and ceramics. Among the most recent and most high-tech substances adopted for watchmaking are carbon fiber compounds, pioneered by research scientists in the 1950s and ‘60s and first used in the manufacture of automotive and jet engine parts. The first wristwatch with carbon fiber in its case was an IWC Ingenieur in 1980; other watchmakers followed suit in the ensuing decades, some of them even developing new and more resilient substances by combining carbon fibers with other materials. While the watches on this list cover a vast range in terms of pricing, design, and technical complexity, all of them share the core attributes bestowed by carbon fiber and its various derivatives: exceptional lightness, durability, scratch- and corrosion-resistance, and an industrial-chic surface treatment that is sure to spark conversation among fellow watch aficionados. G-Shock Mudmaster GWG2000 Price: $800, Case Size: 61.2mm x 54.4mm, Thickness: 16.1mm, Crystal: Sapphire, Water Resistance: 200 meters, Movement: Casio Tough Solar Casio’s vast and diverse G-Shock collection offers some of its toughest multifunctional watches in the task-specific “Master of G” collection - like the Mudmaster, which as per its somewhat cartoonish name is aimed at wearers ...
Monochrome
Independent, Malaysian-Swiss brand MING is not necessarily associated with dive watches… At least, it might not be the first style of watch that you would imagine the brand creating. Thin, elegant watches with a twist, or maybe an ultra-light watch… Sure. When it comes to dive watches by MING, we have to go back to 2019 […]
Monochrome
Sustainability is a big trend in watchmaking today as brands jump on the bandwagon of environmentally friendly products. Some, like Chopard, ensure the sustainable source of their gold, while others look to innovative recycled materials with a lower carbon footprint. As a brand with legitimate and historical maritime ties, Ulysse Nardin’s environmental focus is the […]
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