Results for Swatch

In-Depth: Taking The Swatch Group Manufacture Tour

Two hundred reporters, three days, six towns, six brands, zero Baselworld.

The Value Proposition: The Swatch Skin Classic

Slim, plastic, and tons of fun.

Swatch Celebrates Mickey Mouse’s Birthday With Help From Damien Hirst

Swatch Group Quits Baselworld

Business News: Breitling's House Of Brands Joins Watches And Wonders For 2027 As Dates Unveiled

One of the largest watch group holdouts is heading to Watches and Wonders in 2027 as Breitling's House of Brands will join the world's premier luxury watch fair for the first time. Scheduled to take place April 5 to 11 in Geneva at Palexpo, with supplementary programs and exhibitions including the In The City events that debuted at the most recent edition, brands including Breitling, Gallet, Universal Genève and Italy's Damiani will exhibit alongside founding partners Rolex, Patek Philippe and Richemont brands, among others, according to a statement from the non-profit Watches and Wonders Foundation. The inclusion of the House of Brands group marks a significant addition for Watches and Wonders, underscoring its position as the most important annual gathering of Swiss and international luxury watchmakers, retailers, media, and the public each spring. The announcement follows news that Basel will return to the watch fair schedule with a new watch and jewelry show called Basilia that will follow during the same month, and leaves Swatch Group as the only major Swiss watchmaking conglomerate not participating in Watches and Wonders.  "The arrival of these new names represents an important milestone in the evolution of Watches and Wonders Geneva, and reflects the desire of major watchmaking Maisons to unite around a shared vision," Watches and Wonders organizers said in a prepared statement.  A record 65 brands participated in the event in 2026, including, for the first time...

Industry News: Ronda Returns to Mechanical Movements with the Impressive R01

Typically, not a lot happens in the world of third-party mechanical watch movements. The ETA2824 reigned supreme for decades until Swatch Group stopped openly supplying them, giving way primarily to Sellita, Soprod, and La Joux Perret on the Swiss side, and Miyota and Seiko on the Japanese side. For the most part, the catalogs of those brands stayed relatively unchanged for many years, but now, it appears that there’s a bit of an arms race happening. The days of 42-hour power reserves are over, and brands are now vying for features and specifications once limited to more expensive calibers; to that end, there have been a series of interesting events/releases. First, the COSC announced the creation of the “Excellence Chronometer” standard with a -2/+4 accuracy standard among other considerations. Sellita launched the SW200-2 Power + movements with 65-hour reserves, new gear trains, and other improvements. The CEO of La Joux Perret spoke about the upcoming G-200 caliber, which will feature a 72-hour reserve and antimagnetic properties, on the Hodinkee podcast. And this week, a very exciting new automatic was announced by a surprising source: Ronda. The R150 launched in 2016 Ronda is a well-known Swiss manufacturer that was founded in 1946. Over their 80 years of existence, they have specialized in many things, from component manufacturing to ebauchés and full mechanical movements to, beginning in the 1970s, quartz calibers, which is what they are best known for today....

Just Because – The Well-Timed Release of the Ochs und Junior Pendant Watches

Timing, as they say, is everything. Hot on the heels of Audemars Piguet and Swatch’s Royal Pop pocket watch, the most hyped release of the century, teased with cryptic ads, countdowns and endless speculation, Ochs und Junior arrives with a timely proposal of a pendant/pocket watch. Not everybody has the nerve to follow a headline-grabbing […]

Is It Worth It: Pre-Owned Ebel Sport Classic Chronograph

Around 1990, one of my friends was lucky enough to receive an Ebel Sport Classic watch for his birthday. At the time, I was more focused on Swatch and Casio, and I knew nothing about Ebel other than that its watches looked cool. It wasn’t until a few years later, when my interest in mechanical […] Visit Is It Worth It: Pre-Owned Ebel Sport Classic Chronograph to read the full article.

Highlights: Artistic Horology at Phillips Hong Kong

Phillips’ spring auction season heads east for The Hong Kong Watch Auction: XXII on May 30 – 31. In addition to a strong roster of complications from big brands, and interesting indies as usual, there is a strong showing from the more artistic side of watchmaking spanning gemsetting, enamelling, hand engraving, and wood marquetry. Lot 1010 – Jaquet Droz Magic Lotus Automaton Pierre Jaquet-Droz (1721 – 1790) was an extraordinarily skilled automata maker from La Chaux-de-Fonds, his most famous work being The Writer, which can write up to 40 pre-programmed characters, dipping his quill into an ink pot at intervals. Today, Swatch Group uses his name for métiers d’art watches and automata; this watch is both. The onyx dial adds lapidary into the mix. It is a two-train watch — turning the crown one direction winds the movement, while the other winds the animation, which is tripped by a button in the crown and runs for an unusually long four minutes on a full wind. The koi swims around the dial, moving its tail back and forth and dives slightly to pass underneath the floating foliage (which is made of gold). A floating lotus flower opposite the koi acts as a visual counterweight. The petals clutch a yellow sapphire — or is it a red ruby, or a blue sapphire? It changes as the flower passes under the leaves or dial. Finally, while the koi is cavorting around the dial, the dragonfly is hard at work keeping track of the movement’s 68-hour power reserve. That movement...

Industry News – Citizen and Seiko Both Became EUR 1 Billion Watchmakers in 2025

While we often publish articles in our Industry News section, those are mostly focused on the financial results of Swiss and/or European brands and groups, by looking at major actors such as the Swatch Group, Richemont or LVMH, the exports of Swiss Watches, or estimated rankings by Vontobel and Morgan Stanley/LuxeConsult. What we have never […]

Just Because – From Pocket To Pendant, A Selection Of The Coolest Non-Wristwatches

There was no getting around the Swatch x Audemars Piguet Royal Pop these past week and a half or so, especially for us, as we were the first to show you what it actually looked like. And while it sparked a very strong debate, to say the least, the transformability of the Royal Pop did […]

New releases from Ming, Oris, Moser and more

With the release of the Swatch x AP collaboration this week, the other novelties of the week have probably passed under the radar. We’re here to give them the light they deserve, and speaking about light, I’ll start with Ming, which uses two polarised filters as hands to have an ever-changing dial appearance. Oris remoderns … Continued

Is Longines’ New 39mm Hydroconquest The Best Modern Longines? (Review)

Longines has taken great strides into revising their Hydroconquest line, but is it the collection’s best version yet? Let’s find out! What We Love: Clean, modern design Excellent value proposition Comfortably wearing mesh bracelet What We Don’t: No tool-less interchangeability The illusion of the mesh bracelet is lost up close Is it the same Hydroconquest? Overall Rating: 8.5/10 Value for Money: 9/10 Wearability: 8/10 Design: 9/10 Build Quality: 8/10 Though I’ve said it ad nauseam, it’s become common knowledge that Longines is one of the most consistent brands in the watch world. Whether it be their logo remaining unchanged since 1867 or their ability to produce high-quality watches at an impressive price point, the Swatch Group brand has remained an industry staple. Longines has long defined itself through a dependable, heritage-inspired aesthetic. However, the 2020s have seen the brand begin to test the waters of modern design. While old-school styles like the Master, Flagship, and Spirit still remain, both the Conquest and HydroConquest lines have been redefined with a more contemporary, 21st-century look. For this review, we’ll be focusing on the latter. Matt had the opportunity to share his thoughts on the 42mm version of the HydroConquest, but now I get to tackle the 39mm version with the ice-blue dial. First Impressions It didn’t surprise me that the Longines HydroConquest received a revamp. Admittedly, after the HydroConquest GMTs were released, i...

Introducing: Rado Celebrates Four Decades Of Ceramic With The Integral 40-Year Anniversary Edition

What We Know Rado is a brand that's synonymous with ceramic. If I think about the brand's catalog, the weird, quirky shapes in glossy blacks and whites are what shine above the rest, both metaphorically and literally speaking. But it speaks to the brand and its long history with the material, 40 years in fact, as well as its share of the ceramic watch market around the sub-ten-thousand-dollar price point. Now, Rado is a curious brand within the Swatch Group, as it's not talked about as much in the United States compared to many of the other brands at its price point. And that's certainly due to America being the brand's smallest market by far. Its nickname of "the Rolex of India" certainly carries some weight, thanks to 42% of its business being in India, the Middle East, and Africa. In India, the most populous country in the world, the market share is a whopping 50% of watches between CHF 1,000 and 3,700 (per the brand). This year marks a big anniversary for Rado, commemorating 40 years since the debut of the Integral, the brand's first watch featuring ceramic. And so this occasion brings forth the Integral 40-Year Anniversary edition, an absolute throwback to the original that retains its very definitely 80s look. Clad in shiny black and gold, it preserves the original design's rectangular case, albeit in slightly larger dimensions each way, with a 28mm width and 39.8mm length. The new Integral 40-Year Anniversary (left) and the original (right). Thanks to the Rado R279 ...

In Depth: Laboratoire de Précision

Alongside the launch of the Omega Constellation Observatory, we were among the first members of the public granted access to the Swatch Group’s Laboratoire de Précision (LP), a new independent chronometer testing institute with facilities in Omega’s native Biel/Bienne and Villeret. The new organisation does not redefine chronometer norms, but it has developed a new acoustic certification process that is more automated and provides client brands with a richer performance data set - a unique capability that has implications beyond mere certification. Laboratoire de Précision. Image – Omega Initial thoughts The debut of the Constellation Observatory, the first watch certified by LP and the first-ever two-handed Master Chronometer, was greeted with a mixed feedback from both collectors and the press. Some found the choice to launch a chronometer without a seconds hand heretical, viewing it as a gimmick to promote LP’s new testing process. The Omega Constellation Observatory is the first watch to complete chronometer certification at LP. Regardless of how one feels about the two-handed aspect of the watch - I found the design balanced and appealing, even if the concept is a bit quirky - the launch placed a renewed focus on the way official chronometers are tested and certified. Many were confused by the claimed novelty of acoustic testing, given the universal presence of Witschi machines on watchmakers’ benches. Indeed, the method is not new. What is new is t...

Stéphane Pierre’s Inaugural L’Impétrant is Bi-Retrograde

A new independent voice emerges with the L’Impétrant, the debut watch from Stéphane Pierre, combining a bi-retrograde time display with an architecturally distinctive movement. Put together by an all-star roster of specialists, the L’Impétrant is a fresh take on a familiar format. Initial thoughts The central question with any debuting independent is whether ambition matches execution. Stéphane Pierre’s L’Impétrant is quirky and eccentric - and just as importantly seems well made thanks to the efforts of some 20 contributing specialists across fields such as movement construction, machining, electroplating, stamping and finishing. Given the evergreen popularity of the high-end, time-only format, it may well find its audience. The L’Impétrant’s visual staple is a set of enormous 19 mm retrograde hands - one for the minutes and the other for the hours. The bi-retrograde complication is no longer uncommon, but The L’Impétrant’s overlapping arrangement of the hands, and the luxurious construction of the mechanism, is unusual, helping it stand out within this niche. The mastermind behind the L’Impétrant has had an unusual career. Stéphane Pierre originally trained as a mechanical engineer and, intriguingly, has spent time working for both the Swatch Group and in the military sector. The L’Impétrant is essentially a very high-end time-only watch, and as such it enters a crowded market. However, rather than just developing a basic time-only watch...

A Fresh Palette for the Breguet Tradition

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...

Hands On: Omega Constellation Observatory

At long last, Omega has unveiled the spiritual successor to the beloved ‘Pie Pan’ Constellation, complete with its signature domed dial, observatory medallion, and ‘dog leg’ lugs, the Constellation Observatory. First teased on the wrist of actor Delroy Lindo at the Academy Awards, the Observatory debuts in an expansive range of case materials and dial treatments. The collection also marks the commercial debut of Swatch Group’s Laboratoire de Précision, which has developed a new chronometer testing process capable of certifying two-handed watches. As a result, the Observatory carries the unexpected distinction of being the first Master Chronometer that displays only the hours and minutes. The Observatory in 18k Sedna gold, the brand’s trade name for its proprietary rose gold alloy. Initial thoughts The Observatory embodies Omega’s strengths, capitalising on the brand’s historical pedigree and proprietary materials and technologies, including its own durable alloys and the co-axial escapement. The Observatory in steel. On the other hand, the Observatory suffers somewhat on account of its thickness, relying on a movement platform developed at a time when the trend toward large watches appeared to have no end in sight. That said, the case design does a decent job of reducing the perceived thickness, and it looks and feels thinner than many other watches that share its dimensions on paper. It also demonstrates the immense capabilities of the broader Swatch Grou...

New releases from Credor, Krayon, Nomos and more

With Watches and Wonders happening next month, participating (big box) brands have to wait before being able to release any novelties. However, the past seven days have been extremely busy for the independents and Swatch Group brands! We have Credor debuting a new ceramic dial time-only watch, Krayon playing on the Pac Man anniversary, and … ContinuedThe post New releases from Credor, Krayon, Nomos and more appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Tissot Visodate Automatic Review

Tissot traces its long history back to 1853, when it was founded in Switzerland’s Jura Mountains by the father-son watchmaking team of Charles-Félicien and Charles-Émile Tissot.  Today part of the Swatch Group, Tissot can lay claim to several watchmaking milestones throughout its history, including the first pocket watch to display two time zones in 1853; the first watch built to resist magnetism, the Antimagnetique, in 1930; and the first tactile-screen multifunction digital watch, the T-Touch, in 1999, years before the smartwatch would come into existence. Today, Tissot markets more than 4 million watches per year to more than 160 countries and is known for producing what its parent group terms “midrange market” watches that are prized for their price-to-value ratio.  Tissot’s 1950s-era Visodate was among the first fleet of watches to introduce an integrated date complication, but the line’s contemporary renditions have continuously flown under the radar within the enthusiast community – until today, that is. New for 2026, the brand has given the collection a complete overhaul, revamping the Visodate to be more everyday-carry friendly than ever without sacrificing its quintessential retro flair.  [toc-section heading="History And Context"]  Vintage 1950s Tissot Visodate Advertisement The original Tissot Visodate hit shelves in 1953, marking 100 years since Tissot’s founding. It was not the first wristwatch with a date display in a window - that woul...

Hands On: Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Chronograph 38 mm

One of the longest tenured models in the Audemars Piguet (AP) catalogue, the Royal Oak Selfwinding Chronograph 38 mm has been upgraded with a new manufacture calibre and sapphire case back for the first time, while only slightly tweaking the iconic design and price tag. Inside the new ref. 26450 is the cal. 6401 that incorporates with welcome quality-of-life improvements such as a longer power reserve, higher beat rate, and instantaneous date. The new movement accomplishes all of this without significant tradeoffs in size, but it arguably falls somewhat short in aesthetics. Minor shortcomings aside, the modestly sized Royal Oak Chronograph is a strong offering that enters the field at the top of its class. Initial thoughts In the same fashion as last year’s updated Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar, the new 38 mm Royal Oak Chronograph takes an evolutionary, rather than revolutionary, step forward, being essentially the same watch, only better. AP clearly knows better than to mess with a winning formula, but the brand also faced challenges, both in manufacturing and customer experience, that came with a nearly four-decade-old movement platform, sourced from Swatch Group no less. The changes are slight, even insignificant at first glance, but are the sort things that come to be appreciated with long-term ownership, especially within a smaller collection where increases in power reserve and performance are most noticeable. It even looks slightly better – the dial is less cram...

Industry News: Sellita Introduces the SW200-2 with 65 Hour Power Reserve

There’s a “don’t change it if it ain’t broke” mentality in Swiss watchmaking. Progress is slow, and it often seems that there’s a general distrust of change. An example of this is in the mechanical movements that power most of our watches. Chances are, you have at least one watch with an ETA 2824 or a movement based on the 2824 in your collection. If you’re like me, you have several. For Swiss-made watches of a certain price point, they are the standard. They are “workhorses” that, while not the most feature-rich, offer reliability and serviceability. And part of the reason for that is that the design has been around, largely unchanged, since the 1970s (the 2824-2, which is the current standard, was released in the 80s). That is, until 2013, when ETA launched 80-hour movements based on the 2824-2. First debuted in a Tissot as the Powermatic 80, ETA nearly doubled the 2824’s power reserve by slowing the escapement’s frequency from 28,800bph to 21,600bph, introducing synthetic components, and increasing the mainspring’s capacity. The biggest update to the 2824 format in a generation (though they no longer use that numbering), as ETA is part of Swatch, these movements gave the group’s catalog of brands under Omega an unexpected edge in the market, but were not available to third-party brands, thus limiting their overall impact. The ETA 2824 featured in a Sinn 556i In 2003, Sellita began supplying movements to third parties as a response to Swatch’s...

Business News: Used Watch Prices Post Broad Gains For First Time In Years As Secondary Market Strengthens: Morgan Stanley And WatchCharts

Prices rose for all major watch group brands as primary market prices climbed, but value retention remains weak for most Richemont, Swatch, and LVMH brands, according to the report.

Introducing: The Hamilton American Classic Intramatic Chronograph H In Green, Brown, Or Blue

This seems to be the week of the reverse pandas at the Swatch Group. You probably already saw the two Speedmaster Professional Moonwatches with glossy black and white dials that Omega launched earlier this week. Now, Hamilton also introduces three new chronograph references. They are all inspired by the vintage racing culture of the ’50s […] Visit Introducing: The Hamilton American Classic Intramatic Chronograph H In Green, Brown, Or Blue to read the full article.

Introducing – The Tropical Sunset Colours of the New Mido Ocean Star 200C

Mido’s flagship Ocean Star collection is a contemporary evolution of its 1940s Ocean Star dive watch family. Often described as an all-round ‘surf and turf’ model, the Ocean Star 200C, introduced in 2021, comes with upgraded features like ceramic inserts and textured, colourful dials and Swatch Group’s latest-generation calibre 80. The new Ocean Star 200C […]