4,409 articles · 663 videos found · page 116 of 170
Monochrome
The world of independent watchmaking has always been a place of passion, inspiration and excitement for us. It has been at the heart of MONOCHROME from the get-go, and even today we find joy in discovering new and intriguing watchmaking adventures from all corners of the world. This time we stop in Morbihan, France, to […]
Hodinkee
Everything you need in a watch. Nothing you don’t. For our latest limited edition collaboration, we looked to the past to usher in the next generation of Braun’s mechanical watchmaking.
Monochrome
When it comes to mechanical watchmaking, it’s common practice to split it down to the middle and group together manual winding watches on one end, and automatic ones on the other. But, as we will showcase in this Buying Guide, there’s a whole range of systems developed to provide energy to a watch. Sure, manual […]
Monochrome
Some names carry more historical weight than others. Names like Daniel Roth, George Daniels or even Gerald Genta and Philippe Dufour represent a time when independent watchmaking was far from the hype and fame it is associated with today. These were times when the industry was on the verge of collapse. These were times when […]
Monochrome
Last year, we introduced the Ace Jewelers x Elka Watch Co Diversity Series, which artfully blended the cultural influences of the Middle East and Asia, presenting the four distinct watches showcasing Western Arabic, Eastern Arabic, Chinese, and Hebrew signed dials. Before that, we also delved into the narrative of the new Swiss brand led by […]
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Fratello
Since 2011, Omega has been one of the partners of the Orbis Flying Eye Hospital. With ambassadors like Daniel Craig and Cindy Crawford, the Swiss watch brand aims to get more attention for Orbis’s initiatives. The Flying Eye Hospital Orbis is fighting against preventable blindness. Since 1982, this non-profit organization has had a flying hospital […] Visit Supporting Orbis With The MoonSwatch Auction to read the full article.
Monochrome
Drawing from over 170 years of watchmaking heritage, Tissot frequently delves into its archives for inspiration. The company has a penchant for reviving iconic models that have left an indelible mark on its history. Consider any timepiece from the Heritage series – the 1973 Chronograph, the 1938 Heritage COSC, the Visodate, or the 1938 Telemeter […]
Worn & Wound
Maurice de Mauriac isn’t afraid to make a bold statement. And their latest release, the Pillow Watch, might be their boldest yet. Not because it’s overly-designed or flashy, but for the quiet confidence this collection possesses. The Pillow Watch is a set of three references (Black, Bronze, and Titanium), each with a cushion case design and a corresponding calf leather strap that showcases the exceptional craftsmanship and design philosophy of this Swiss brand. Drawing inspiration from the architectural movement of brutalism, the Pillow Watch possesses clean lines and a bold design. For those who love a cushion case, you can agree that it’s a design built on a bit of opposites: daring, but subtle; delicate; but strong. For a brand that has put out some pretty eye-catching designs lately, some might consider this a departure for Maurice de Mauriac; but I say it’s the opposite. The Pillow Watch is a natural evolution for the brand, eschewing the bells and whistles for something simple, timeless, and sophisticated. Coming in at 45mm, this is a watch with presence, made all the more so with its Fabian Schwaerzler-design dials. Designed with thick applications of Superluminova, it’s at once retro and modern. The minimalist dial, displaying only hours via large lume plots, underscores the brand’s commitment to restraint for this collection, ensuring the watch remains balanced in its design. The Pillow Watch runs on a La Joux-Perret G100 automatic movement, designed b...
Revolution
Driven by an unwavering passion for innovation in watchmaking and a dedication to daring design, La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton is delighted to unveil the Louis Vuitton Watch Prize for Independent Creatives. Join Wei and Jean Arnault, Director of Watches at Louis Vuitton, on an exclusive discussion during LVMH Watch Week as they delve […]
Worn & Wound
There’s a storied history of non-watch companies making the foray into the watch world. Montblanc, Ralph Lauren, Tiffany & Co. Some of them are even quite good–the Hermès H08, for example, is simply stunning and unlike anything else on the market. But none of these forays into watchmaking is quite as quirky, quite as unexpected, or quite as downright amusing as the LEGO Watch System. I discovered the LEGO Watch System, and specifically those released in 2013 which after some research seem to be the best since LEGO launched the product in 1996, on January 28, National LEGO Day, as luck would have it, through a random recommended post on Instagram. The 2013 LEGO Watch System was produced for adults, unlike its predecessors–no Nexo Knights minifigures included with these. The designs ranged from zero LEGO design references–like a black and yellow dial with arabic numerals that just featured the LEGO logo–to those with subtle LEGO design cues–such as the models with two-stud LEGO pieces for indices–to models that wanted zero confusion about who made these watches–like the model that features a pirate skull and crossbones made out of LEGO bricks or the one that’s just a big LEGO minifig face in the middle of the dial. Uniting all of these disparate aesthetics is a modular design that lets you switch and swap parts. The bezels, straps or bracelets and their links are all interchangeable, giving owners increased customization over their timepieces. Powered by a...
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Hodinkee
Cartier London was home to some of the most iconic shapes in watchmaking, but there's one we haven't seen in a while.
Monochrome
Lorca is a new microbrand with an inaugural piece offering GMT functionality, which is always nice to welcome to the market. Its Canadian founder (with both Swiss and Canadian roots) now resides in New York, but the watch has a positively European style and Swiss-made designation. The movement is also a step above your typical […]
Monochrome
Trends come and go, and we see the same happening in the watchmaking industry. Retro is still very much hot, so it’s only natural multiple brands dive into their archives and see what can be brought back to life one way or another. Other brands might rather take a prised baby into new directions by […]
Quill & Pad
Koen Simon is a 28-year-old watch collector from The Netherlands. A regular reader of Quill & Pad, he is a fan of high-end watchmaking. He recently sent us this story about how and why he acquired his rare two-tone Orion timepiece by Christiaan van der Klaauw, which we are pleased to share here.
Monochrome
Unveiled in 2022 and already a great success worldwide for the brand, the Citizen Tsuyosa Automatic NJ015 was the direct descendant of another important collection for the Japanese watchmaker, the NH299 series. But above all, the Tsuyosa collection offered the ability for many watch enthusiasts to access the highly desirable sporty-chic integrated style of high-end […]
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Monochrome
Discovering new brands is always a lot of fun, especially when the result is quite surprising and even impressive. Such is the case with one of our latest discoveries, coming straight from the Big Apple. Launching on Kickstarter today, upstart watchmaking company Foliot Watches is determined to make some waves with its second and latest […]
Worn & Wound
Building on a rich heritage spanning over 165 years, Swiss watchmaker Vulcain continues to draw attention in the watch industry with each new reissue. Under the leadership of Guillaume Laidet, Vulcain’s Chief Revival Officer, the brand has been on a trajectory of reinterpreting its iconic timepieces, breathing new life into past references. Since 2022, Vulcain has been setting the tone for each season with strategic launches of emblematic collections, including the Cricket, Skindiver, Nautical, and more. Today, Vulcain has rereleased another popular model, the highly anticipated Grand Prix. Originally introduced in the 1960s to commemorate Vulcain’s triumph at the 1929 Barcelona International Exhibition, the Grand Prix returns with a diameter of 39mm, a great contemporary size with plenty of presence for a variety of wrists. The Vulcain Grand Prix 39mm really exemplifies Swiss elegance. Its slim and uncluttered design is a no-fuss interpretation of a clean, vintage watch that will surely garner the attention of those looking for that “Old Money” aesthetic we hear so much about on TikTok nowadays. Equipped with a Swiss Landeron automatic movement, the time-only watch features a domed crystal over a dial in Champagne, Light Grey, or Black with a semi-glossy sunray finish. With a brushed/polished steel case and polished hour markers on the dial, these vintage-inspired elements are complemented by a double-dome sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating, ensuring op...
Monochrome
In today’s day and age, it’s easy to forget that the wrist-worn timekeeping devices we love so much come from a long history of clockmaking. After all, clockmaking precedes watchmaking by several centuries, as the first mechanical clocks date back to the 13th century. But even before that, people were fascinated by the passing of […]
Deployant
Louis Erard collaborates with Swiss artist Oliver Mosset on a curious and interesting interpretation of their Le Regulateur.
Worn & Wound
This month I had the pleasure of speaking with Nathan Bobinchak, Head of Watchmaking for the independent brand Oak & Oscar. Nathan is a former journalist and TV news writer turned watchmaker, with an obsession for finding the best way to experience sound through home audio setups. Watches “I had my midlife crisis at 26.” Nathan delivers a dry joke as he recounts his career shift from local TV news, to his decision to go to watchmaking school. Specifically, Nathan attended The Litiz Watch Technicum, a watchmaking school outside Lancaster, PA that was founded in 2001 by Rolex. After graduating from Litiz, Nathan worked for a shop in Connecticut, eventually moving to Chicago at the beginning of 2020 and landing the job at Oak & Oscar. “I first got into Oak & Oscar with the Jackson. The Jackson is a very cool chronograph with the Eterna 3916 movement in it. It’s a very neat, super complicated, pretty movement. It has a column wheel and flyback chrono…just very cool.” Nathan explained to me that in modern watchmaking you do a lot of the same things, but said he was fortunately certified to work on watches like the Rolex Daytona, as he has a lot of fun servicing chronographs. “I can go on all day about the art of lubricating a chronograph. That is some nerdy stuff. It’s like paint drying.” I was interested, so I asked him to expound. “The only thing that makes watches hard to work on is the user. We knock them, move them around, a movement will run grea...
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SJX Watches
This year is the 40th anniversary of Hayao Miyazaki’s Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, a 1984 Japanese anime film portraying the titular heroine’s valiant adventures in a post-apocalyptic world. To mark the occasion, anime studio Studio Ghibli and Seiko created the Presage Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind SPB437, a limited edition with an unusual combination of finishes, namely a blue enamel dial and a brushed steel case. Initial thoughts Seiko has long incorporated Japanese pop culture into its timepieces, drawing inspiration from iconic franchises such as Gundam and the Street Fighter video game. While the new Presage isn’t the first collaboration between the watch brand and Studio Ghibli, the Nausicaä edition is arguably amongst the best due to its classical, almost minimalist design. Even though it is a cartoon-inspired watch, the Nausicaä edition has a restrained aesthetic with stylish details. Particularly notable is the blue enamel dial featuring the emblem of the Princess Nausicaä and elongated indices. The simplicity of the dial design, combined with a steel case featuring an unusual aged finish completes the aesthetic that sets it apart from the typical Presage model. Its clean styling stands out even compared to the earlier Presage Castle in the Sky from 2021. The Nausicaä edition is priced at US$1,600, a modest increase over the previous Studio Ghibli model but still affordable. As is often the case with affordable Seiko limited editions, the m...
Fratello
I wrote an article on the best Seiko watches under €500 a few weeks ago. The Japanese brand used to rule the “affordable watch” category, especially with diving watches. But with Seiko slowly moving upmarket, that territory is now open for other brands to conquer. An obvious pick is Citizen. The fellow Japanese brand offers […] Visit Hands-On: The Brilliant And Affordable Citizen Promaster Mechanical Diver NY0120-01EE And NY0129-58LE to read the full article.
Time+Tide
Raúl Pagès' deceptively simple RP1 - Régulateur à détente wins the inaugural edition of this prestigious watchmaking prize. The post Raúl Pagès wins the first-ever Louis Vuitton Watch Prize for Independent Creatives appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Fratello
If you follow my writing, you know that I am a bit of a Formex admirer. The Swiss brand offers specifications and value for money that are second to none. So when Formex teams up with a watch medium like Worn & Wound to create something special for enthusiasts, I pay attention. I was, however, […] Visit Introducing: The Formex × Worn & Wound Essence Sector 39 Chronometer to read the full article.
Monochrome
Regarded as one of the most refined luxury retailers, Hermès is renowned for its exquisite artisanal craftsmanship and intrepid artistic flair. The Maison’s unique style, safeguarded by current creative director Philippe Delhotal, is often transversal, taking design cues from one product line and incorporating them into another. Recently, Hermès watchmaking sector has turned to the […]
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