614 articles · 5 videos found · page 12 of 21
Monochrome
In 2016, Armin Strom rocked the watchmaking scene with the release of its Mirrored Force Resonance, an incredible technical breakthrough that miniaturised the centuries-old concept of synchronised motion into the confines of a wristwatch. Using two independent oscillators coupled by a patented resonance clutch spring, Armin Strom breathed life into Christiaan Huygens’ observation that two […]
Fratello
We have covered quite a few Venezianico releases over the past two years. If there is one thing that stands out, it’s how the brand has constantly raised the bar in design, quality, and movements. Midway through last year, Venezianico took a bold step into the future with the release of the Redentore Utopia. It […] Visit Hands-On With The Impressive Venezianico Redentore Utopia II to read the full article.
Monochrome
The mad scientists of Donkervoort, the only active Dutch sports car manufacturer, have done it again. They have raised the performance bar set by the already razor-sharp F22 even further. Although it looks vaguely the same as its predecessor, the new P24 RS is almost entirely new, featuring the latest innovation Donkervoort has to offer. […]
Teddy Baldassarre
In 2025, Grand Seiko released one of its most important watches of all time, the SLGB003. The UFA, also known as the Ultra Fine Accuracy, came equipped with a new caliber, the Spring Drive 9RB2. On the accuracy point, this was a breakthrough that measured precision not by the day, or even the month, but by the year. In
Teddy Baldassarre
When it comes to luxury watchmaking, Switzerland has unequivocally established itself as the heart of the industry. Numerous brands call its capital city home, and over centuries have set a high standard for industry at large by continuously raising the bar, in turn becoming household names. That bar for quality is hig
Fratello
The final round of the second Louis Vuitton Watch Prize competition will commence in the spring of 2026. The initiative aims to support and celebrate independent watchmakers who challenge convention. It highlights creativity, technical mastery, and a strong personal vision. That’s not just a clever way of connecting the brand name to some serious horological […] Visit Announced: The Finalists For The Louis Vuitton Watch Prize For Independent Creatives 2025–2026 to read the full article.
Two Broke Watch Snobs
The Seiko SNR058 is a US-only Prospex LX GMT combining Spring Drive accuracy, Zaratsu-polished titanium, and warm gradient design.
Worn & Wound
When I’m planning to leave the house for a full day – whether I’m headed to work or someplace else – I’m a chronic overpacker. To me, there’s peace of mind in knowing I have an extra charger, granola bar, or jacket with me, especially when returning home isn’t easy. Traveling to the office adds an additional layer of expectation when considering a bag, as I bring multiple laptops and a lunch with me most days. I’ve gone back and forth on whether I’m Team Messenger Bag or Team Backpack when it comes to my corporate 9 to 5. I like the significant storage options that a backpack offers and the stability and comfort it provides when walking long distances. Yet messenger bags fit my usual style in a better way, and I like that I can access the main compartments while on the go (not possible with a backpack). I was really intrigued by the Global Briefcase ($149) from Topo Designs as it meant I didn’t have to commit to one camp or the other. I was curious if the brand could do both modalities equally well. My needs in a work bag are very different from my needs in an outdoor bag. The Topo Designs Rover Trail Pack I reviewed in May held all of my gear in a stacked, vertical fashion. I didn’t need to access anything particularly urgently, which meant I loaded the bag from the top down. This sort of set-up isn’t ideal for my work needs though, when I prefer all of my items to have their own space. To test out this bag, I used both carry styles over a few ...
SJX Watches
The beginning of 2025 marked the 350th anniversary of the hairspring, the invention that made portable precision timekeeping possible. To commemorate the occasion, we published a series of deep dives covering the disputes around its invention, the evolution of spring materials over the years and the finer rules of forming Breguet overcoils. This final instalment examines isochronism. Some initial definitions and considerations A proper and universal definition of isochronism is: the property of an oscillatory system to maintain the same period of vibration despite variation in environmental factors. This implies that a vibrational system’s behaviour is inherent and external factors should not influence its frequency. A few basic terms help frame the discussion. The period, measured in seconds, is the time taken for the oscillator to travel from one extreme position, through equilibrium, and back again. Frequency, measured in Hertz, is the inverse of the period; a system with a constant period can serve as a stable timebase. The amplitude is the distance swept by the oscillator from the equilibrium point to its extreme position. In practical terms, when saying that a sprung balance has an amplitude of 330°, it means the balance wheel rotates a full 330° in one direction from its equilibrium point before swinging back. Figure I. Anatomy of a sinusoidal wave. In watchmaking parlance, isochronism means that an oscillator keeps the same period, regardless of its amplit...
Monochrome
Innovation spirit and inventiveness have always been part of Breguet, specifically as its founder, Abraham-Louis Breguet, was responsible from 1775 onwards for so many of the watchmaking innovations of that era: the tourbillon, the perpétuelle watch, the natural escapement, the constant-force escapement, the shock absorber, the Breguet balance-spring with its terminal curve, the gong-spring… In […]
SJX Watches
Christie’s Hong Kong returns this autumn with an extraordinary offering of rare and important Patek Philippe watches, headlined by a ref. 1518 in yellow gold. The auction is defined by two major private collections, most notably Part 2 of The Chronicle Collection - the successor to this spring’s successful first chapter. From neo-vintage rarities to heavyweight modern complications, the sale presents one of the of the most interesting Patek Philippe selections of the season. Lot 2225 – Patek Philippe Ref. 3979HJ Minute Repeater The story of Patek Philippe’s mastery of the modern minute repeater begins in 1989 with the launch of the ref. 3979 and the calibre R 27 PS. Launched to commemorate the brand’s 150th anniversary, the ref. 3979 was the brand’s first automatic minute repeater, and its first wristwatch to feature a silent centripetal governor, which was still novel at the time. According to the serial number, the present lot was the 47th ref. 3979 to be made, out of approximately 100 units produced over a nine year run. Further distinguishing the current lot is its classical enamel dial, which was a relatively uncommon configuration for this reference. The compact 33 mm yellow gold case is a love letter to classical dress watches. The case itself was made by Ateliers Rèunis, the brand’s own case maker, and was manufactured in the building that now houses the Patek Philippe museum. Today, more than 35 years after its launch, the cal. R 27 PS is still am...
Worn & Wound
Watches & Wonders can be a blur of new releases in and of itself. So, when a brand asks if you want to preview some upcoming introductions for the year ahead, it can start to make your head spin. However, at my Raymond Weil appointment this past spring, I relinquished. The brand had a small display of archival pieces in a vitrine at their booth, and its Chief Marketing Officer Jeremie Bernheim assured me the reveal would be worth viewing alongside the mini museum of vintage designs. What he shared with me was a new capsule within Raymond Weil’s Toccata collection drawing from the retro models and aptly named Toccata Heritage. Today, this collection comes to you in nine styles, each more beautiful than the next, and with the option of either quartz or mechanical, manually wound movements for the first time. If you have followed Raymond Weil through any point of its nearly 50-year history, you know the brand loves to play with shape and case architecture. The existing Toccata collection explores this with a combination of rectangular and round models. For the new Toccata Heritage capsule, the maison has refined this design language even further. Here, you have a shape the brand simply calls oval, but in my humble opinion, this description does not do the case justice. The case design of the new Toccata Heritage models is decidedly not the harsh, egg-shaped oval profile you might associate with other watch brands. Instead, it takes the structure of the current rectangular m...
Monochrome
For most of its modern life, the Luminor has been a big-wrist proposition, the classic 44mm and 47mm references defined the line’s presence. This spring’s Luminor GMT Power Reserve Ceramica PAM01574 reaffirmed Panerai’s commitment to high-tech casework at the larger end of the spectrum. At the same time, Panerai has been quietly proving that the […]
Two Broke Watch Snobs
Does Grand Seiko really clear the Rolex bar? 10 years of wrist time testing both brands shows where GS wins and where the crown still leads.
Worn & Wound
For the conclusion of Worn & Wound’s 10 year anniversary of the Windup Watch Fair, we’ll be returning to Center415 on Fifth Avenue, right in the heart of New York CIty. For the second year in a row in this venue, we’ll be bringing over 140 brands from 17 different countries from around the world. These brands range from high-end outfits like M.A.D. Editions, to some of our favorite strapmakers like Spring Made, to this year’s mix of new and returning Lead Sponsors. This will be an unforgettable experience! Center415 on 5th Avenue Between 37th and 38th Streets (415 Fifth Ave) Friday, October 17: 12PM – 6PM Saturday, October 18: 12PM – 6PM Sunday, October 19: 12PM – 5PM Free and open to everyone No registration necessary This year, we’re thrilled about our returning Lead Sponsors-Bulova, Christopher Ward, Oris, and Shinola. They are now joined by Bremont, who’s making their debut at Windup NYC this year. We couldn’t be more excited for this mix of brands, each working hard to create watches for the enthusiast community and beyond. Here’s a rundown of what watches you can expect to see from each of our Lead Sponsors. Bremont – Altitude MB Meteor Stealth Grey Bremont’s new Altitude MB Meteor Stealth Grey takes the brand’s signature ruggedness and channels it into a more understated form. Its 42mm case, crafted from ultra-matte Grade 2 titanium, gives it a sleek and durable presence designed to absorb light and reduce glare. Beneath the minimalist ...
Worn & Wound
Earlier this year at Watches & Wonders, Grand Seiko revealed the SLBG003, which turned out to be one of the most impressive watches of the whole show. Housing the new 9RB2 Spring Drive caliber, the UFA (Ultra-Fine Accuracy) movement is certified to an almost incomprehensible +/- 20 seconds per year, or roughly 3 seconds per month. That makes it, according to Grand Seiko, the most accurate movement powered by a mainspring. It’s a truly impressive horological achievement. Of course, as soon as a brand like Grand Seiko introduces an entirely new platform like the UFA, enthusiasts are on pins and needles waiting to see what comes next. It’s not that we can’t appreciate what we have in front of us, but particularly with Grand Seiko, we know that variants are coming in the form of new dial options and case materials. If you had asked me in the Spring when we’d see the first derivation on the UFA line, I probably wouldn’t have expected to see a new watch so soon, but last week Grand Seiko dropped the Evolution 9 Spring Drive UFA SLGB005, nicknamed the “Violet Dawn” for its deep purple dial. It’s always interesting to see what new watches in a new sub-collection come to pass, not just for what it says about where the line is going, but perhaps where it’s not. The SLGB005, like its predecessor, is what we’d probably call a small-medium size by today’s standards, measuring a conservative 37mm. Unlike the titanium SLBG003, however, this watch is clad in a st...
SJX Watches
Audemars Piguet (AP) reinvents the chronograph with the Royal Oak “Jumbo” Extra-Thin Selfwinding Flying Tourbillon Chronograph RD#5. Inside the titanium and palladium BMG case – standing just 8.1 mm high – is the cal. 8100, a new take on the chronograph mechanism that employs spring-loaded racks to gather and store energy. The RD#5 is the fifth and final instalment in the “RD” series of watches that underline the impressive technical know-how of AP, particularly its Le Locle manufacture that evolved from Renaud & Papi (APRP). Conceived with the goal of creating a chronograph that is extra slim and easy on the fingers, the RD#5 boasts exceptionally light and comfortable pusher feel, an instantaneously-jumping minutes counter, and an exceptionally slim profile (thanks in part to peripheral winding), all while remaining amenable to industrial-haute horlogerie manufacturing. It’s one of the most technically interesting debuts of 2025, and we explain AP’s new take on the chronograph in detail below. The cal. 8100 with its unorthodox chronograph and peripheral rotor Initial thoughts Outwardly just another Royal Oak, with the same ideal proportions and class-leading bracelet as the iconic “Jumbo”, the RD#5 is actually one of the most innovative mechanical chronographs in recent years. Perhaps the only comparison for out-of-the-box chronograph construction is AgenGraphe that was unveiled almost a decade ago. The watch was evidently developed with two goals in ...
SJX Watches
Grand Seiko unveils a second model in its Ultra Fine Accuracy (UFA) collection, the Evolution 9 Spring Drive UFA SLGB005. Featuring a violet-black dial inspired by Shinshu winter sunrises and powered by the latest generation spring drive technology, it represents everything Grand Seiko does best. Limited to 1,300 pieces, the 37 mm SLGB005 is made from the brand’s proprietary Ever-Brilliant steel, an especially hard-wearing alloy that’s making its debut in the Evolution 9 Spring Drive line-up. Initial thoughts The Spring Drive UFA SLGB003 “Ice Forest” was arguably one of the most important releases of this year, finally delivering a long-awaited mid-sized Grand Seiko Spring Drive, complete with an adjustable clasp and tightened accuracy rating. The SLGB005 feels like a worthy counterpart in another metal, quantifiably excellent inside and out. The SLGB005 retains the nearly perfect proportions of its titanium sibling at 37 mm in diameter and 11.4 mm thick, in a slightly heavier Ever-Brilliant steel case. Though Grand Seiko has used this material in the past, it’s the first time it’s been used for a Spring Drive watch in Evolution 9 guise, and also the first to be made at Shiojiri. This is a new colour of an existing dial pattern. Grand Seiko’s dial work is always excellent, especially the hands and dial furniture, which are finished to unusually high standards. The Spring Drive movement remains the same and excellent. While not mechanical, I’d argue that Spr...
SJX Watches
Grand Seiko has unveils three gold Spring Drive models with the new 9RA2 movement, the Japan-only Heritage Collection SLGA030, SLGA027 and SLGA028, in rose, white, and yellow gold respectively. The new collection benefits from a slimmer case, a longer power reserve, and some new dials to go with the satisfying heft of a full 18k gold bracelet that weighs in at almost 200 g. SLGA030 in rose gold. Initial Thoughts While mostly unknown outside Japan, a trio of gold Spring Drive models in 44GS-style cases on full gold bracelets were a staple of the domestic Grand Seiko catalog for nearly a decade, powered by the cal. 9R15 that was once the brand’s finest automatic Spring Drive movement. While identical to the cal. 9R65, save for a gold medallion on the rotor, Seiko set aside the best performing quartz timing packages for these special movements. The earlier generation of all-gold models, from left to right: SBGA364, SBGA361, and SBGA362. Grand Seiko has decided that now is the time to refresh the line with the upgraded cal. 9RA2, while preserving the heavyweight gravitas and luxurious bracelet of its predecessor. I have anticipated these watches since the second generation of Spring Drive movements launched in 2020; it took five years, but the result meets my expectations, though I would have liked a gold winding weight to match the case material. Selling watches on full precious metal bracelets in this segment is a mark of a strong brand. Gold prices and luxury margins bein...
Monochrome
Released in 2023, the Tentagraph was Grand Seiko’s first-ever mechanical chronograph… I know, it sounds weird for a brand with about 65 years of history, but all of its chronographs used to be based on a Spring Drive architecture (calibres 9R86 and 9R96) until the launch of the SLGC001. Using the Evolution 9 platform, the Tentagraph […]
Monochrome
Since Christiaan Huygens paired a balance wheel and spiral spring in 1675, the hairspring has been the beating heart of every mechanical watch. Its material has always dictated chronometric performance. Steel, used for centuries, suffered from magnetism and temperature drift. Special alloys developed in the 20th century improved reliability – from Elinvar to Nivarox/Nivachron, made […]
SJX Watches
Part I of our story on the evolution of hairspring materials covered temperature compensation along with the development of the first specialised balance spring alloy, Elinvar. The story brought us to the 1920s, when scientist and horologist Charles-Edouard Guillaume (1861-1938) finished his work on nickel-iron alloys and watchmakers begun embracing Elinvar springs paired with mono-metallic balances. In this second part we turn to newer hairspring alloys, like the now-ubiquitous Nivarox. Then we look at today’s landscape and the future, touching on research done by the Swatch Group with alternative, niobium-based alloys and also the specialised but obscure Seiko SPRON 610 hairspring. Lastly we discuss silicon springs, which are growing more prevalent across a range of timepieces. Elinvar’s weaknesses Elinvar was by far the greatest breakthrough in self-compensating alloy hairsprings at the time. Guillaume considered Elinvar good enough and not needing further improvement - unsurprisingly since he was its inventor - but other watchmakers and engineers continued to experiment with iron-nickel compounds because Elinvar’s inherent properties made it a good, but imperfect, material. Even though the alloy behaved predictably with temperature changes, its physical properties were not ideal to begin with. Elinvar was a soft metal, which posed its own suite of problems for spring applications. The importance of softness in terms of hairspring performance is not related ...
Hodinkee
The hype boom for vintage watches reached new peaks a few years ago, but even before that, a few watches had achieved outstanding, never-before-seen prices before disappearing into collections for over a decade. Some are so special that their market return could set a new bar.
Worn & Wound
Just over a month ago, several of our contributors, myself included, penned an article about our favorite summer watches. While we each had a personal preference and strong reasoning behind our choices, it got me thinking about my summer EDC, and how it changes as temps begin to rise. Throughout winter and spring, I tend to carry larger pocket knives, but I find myself reaching for lighter options as the temperature and humidity increases. While they’re just as capable as anything else, these lighter blades carry more comfortably in shorts, and I even forget I’m carrying them sometimes. With this in mind, I thought it might be a good idea to list out some of my favorite summer EDC knives and why I reach for them. Before we dive in, let’s look over the parameters I used to select these knives. I think one of the most ambiguous qualities that I’ll talk about is “lightweight”. While there isn’t a set standard and everyone is likely to have their own opinions, I’m using 2.5 ounces (70ish grams for my metric friends) as my max weight. As I’d come to find out while verifying the weight of my included knives, many of the staple EDC options fall under this weight! Using this weight also prevents me from sneaking in some of those heavier knives that I enjoy so much. Secondly, the knife has to be safe to carry in your pocket. While a single utility blade is very lightweight, having an exposed, sharp edge in your pocket just seems like a terrible idea. Along these l...
Monochrome
For many fans of IWC, the first collections that spring to mind are the brand’s emblematic Pilot watches, the iconic Portugieser and the Ingenieur. However, there is another collection at IWC with a more classical, understated and timeless character named after the Italian seaside village of Portofino. Appealing to men and women alike, the latest […]
Fratello
Every so often, in football (or soccer), we see a talent unlike any other - a player with a style of his own. Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Andrea Pirlo, and Ronaldinho spring to mind. Similarly, Erling Haaland doesn’t fit any stylistic molds. He has now teamed up with Breitling for the Erling Haaland Signature Chronomat editions, available […] Visit Introducing: The Breitling Erling Haaland Signature Chronomat Editions In Steel/Platinum Or Gold to read the full article.
Worn & Wound
Typsim, the Seattle based brand run by Matt Zinski, has been on my radar since the spring of 2023, when I met Matt at the Windup Watch Fair in San Francisco. Typsim was not exhibiting at this show, but that’s frankly sometimes my favorite way to meet a brand owner. The young, hungry brands that show up just to be there, and maybe don’t have a fully baked idea quite yet, are sometimes the most interesting ones to track. To be fair, I think Typsim was pretty well baked by the time I found out about them – my lack of knowledge before 2023 can be chalked up to my own blind spots and the simple fact that nobody can keep up with everything. Matt’s background is in architecture, and the stated goal of his brand is to create watches with a clarity of design and thoughtfulness that you’d associate with a well conceived building. The first watch he showed me that day in San Francisco was the diver, called simply the 200M, which honestly felt like a fairly generic (though very well made) vintage inspired dive watch, except for one thing: it makes use of an exclusive lume compound that promises to patina with time. That little detail has been stuck in my head ever since, and I think it unlocks something about the appeal of the brand. Matt is both a genuine watch nerd and a true tinkerer, someone willing to experiment and shoot for details that, realistically, only matter to a very small handful of super nerds, like me, and like Matt, and, I’m sure, like his customers. ...
Teddy Baldassarre
Admit it, you’re here because you googled “Most Expensive Rolex Watches” in the hopes of gathering up some horological bar trivia, right? No? You say you’re here because you really, truly are interested in buying one of the most expensive watches Rolex currently puts out? Well, good news. We’ve updated this article to incorporate both. Photo: Sotheby's Founded in 1905 by Hans Wilsdorf, Rolex is today the most globally recognized Swiss luxury watch brand, one of the leading innovators in the watch industry from the 20th Century to today, and the maker of some of the most popular and coveted watch models in the world, from gents’ classics like the Datejust and Day-Date to sport-luxury icons like the Submariner, Daytona, and GMT-Master. As one might expect with such a horological pedigree, Rolex watches have also become some of the most valuable watches on the secondary and auction markets, with the most elite and exclusive pieces selling for $1 million or more. (Disclaimer: obviously, for the most avid and well-connected Rolex customers, it is the legendary “off-catalog” models - like the "Rainbow Daytona" pictured above - that both project the most mythical aura of exclusivity and command the most stratospheric prices. The problem with accurately reporting on which of them is really the “Most Expensive” is built into their rarity: such models change hands without an actual MSRP ever being declared publicly, and whatever that original purchase pric...
SJX Watches
Anchored by brands like Rolex, Patek Philippe, and Cartier, Watches & Wonders (W&W;) is the world’s biggest luxury watch fair and it will take place at its traditional time of early spring, April 14-20, 2026, once again at Palexpo. As is now convention, the final three days, April 18-20, will be open to the public, who can access the fair by buying a ticket. The first four days will only be open to invited guests, namely members of the trade, primarily brand executives, retailers, media, as well as select clients. W&W; will also stage events outside Palexpo, the convention centre near the airport, with several events planned in downtown Geneva. In past years, these have included exhibitions, talks, and social gatherings. The exhibitors for 2026 have yet to be announced, but the establishment brands are a certainty, including the brands owned by Richemont like A. Lange & Söhne and Vacheron Constantin, and the LVMH marques like TAG Heuer and Hublot. There has been talk of brands joining (or returning to) the list of exhibitors – Bulgari was a newcomer in 2025 – but this will soon be known once W&W; publishes the exhibitors directory.
SJX Watches
As the Hong Kong auctions have wrapped, we move to the final sales of the spring season in New York City. Phillips will offer a healthy mix of new and old, common and rare, across 144 lots. The sale includes many of the expected top-of-the-line offerings, with the headline lot a Patek Philippe ref. 1518 in yellow gold, and staples like a pair of ref. 5004s. But there are plenty of interesting watches to be down catalog too, including some fresh faces and value buys. Highlights include the best of English watchmaking made by Charles Frodsham a century apart, the auction debut of American independent Keaton Myrick, an unusual F.P. Journe Résonance, along with a Cartier pocket watch made by complications specialist THA. We round up these and a few more from The New York Watch Auction: XII, which takes place from June 7-8, 2025. The full catalogue is available on Phillips.com. Lot 11 – A. Lange & Söhne 1815 Chronograph “2022 Best of Show, Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este” Since 2012, A. Lange & Söhne has been a sponsor of the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este, a classic car shown that takes place in spring on the picturesque shores of Lake Como. Each year, the owner of the event’s best car is presented with a unique Lange watch. While past winners have received a fairly conventional Lange 1 Time Zone, the brand upgraded the prize in recent years to a striking 1815 Chronograph. In 2022, the winner was Andrew Pisker with a Bugatti 57 S from 1937. He received th...
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