Hodinkee
Three On Three: Comparing Independent Watches Under $15,000
Here are three truly independent watches, each for under $15,000 and each with something that sets it far apart from the competition. Which will come out on top?
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Hodinkee
Here are three truly independent watches, each for under $15,000 and each with something that sets it far apart from the competition. Which will come out on top?
Hodinkee
The manually-wound dress watch is a basic in any man's wardrobe, and we're putting three that feature in-house movements for under $20,000 to the test.
Hodinkee
How do affordable models from three of the biggest brands in high-end watchmaking stack up?
Hodinkee
The news comes amidst a greater shakeup in the group that sees Zenith's Julien Tornare become the new CEO of TAG Heuer.
SJX Watches
LVMH has just made official the long expected management reshuffle at its watch and jewellery division, with Frédéric Arnault named chief executive of LVMH Watches. Taking over from Mr Arnault as chief executive of TAG Heuer is Julien Tornare, who previously had the same role at Zenith. And replacing Mr Tornare is Benoit de Clerck, who was formerly the chief commercial officer at Panerai. Effective from the start of 2024, the management reshuffle at LVMH will likely be the first of several such moves across the industry over the next 18 months resulting from long-serving bosses retiring and a slowing market. New faces and new directions? Mr Arnault takes on a newly-created role that marks the beginning of the LVMH Watch Division – watches and jewellery were previously grouped together – which might mean more activity from the luxury giant’s trio of watch brands. He will report to Stephane Bianchi, the head of the LVMH Watches & Jewelry Division that also includes Bulgari. Mr Bianchi was reputedly recruited by LVMH owner Bernard Arnault to mentor the junior Arnault, and the pair have risen through the ranks of LVMH in tandem. Though the watch division is one of the smallest in the LVMH stable, Frédéric Arnault brings clout to the job, by virtue of both his name and experience. With a technical and quantitive background – he has a degree in applied mathematics – Mr Arnault raised the level of technical and industrial capabilities at TAG Heuer. Amongst other thi...
Monochrome
For some months now, we’ve heard and seen evidence that things were about to change at LVMH, a reshuffling strategy that industry insiders love to call the musical chairs of management. Things are now official as Julien Tornare, ex-CEO of Zenith, becomes CEO of TAG Heuer. He’s replaced in this role by Benoit de Clerck, […]
Deployant
Immediately after the Christmas Wishlist post, Santa Clémence granted writer Stanley's wish to get freaky with the Freak X Carbonium® over the holiday season and it was certainly an exciting journey that will unfold.
Hodinkee
Over 30 miles from shore with no life jacket, the 61-year-old used his watch to signal a passing boat.
Worn & Wound
The latest release from Maurice de Mauriac is a timely release for the holiday season and the upcoming Olympic year. Focusing on an array of gold-accented chronographs, the new L3 Gold Edition seamlessly marries an elegant design with superb quality that has become synonymous with the Zuch-based brand. The L3 Gold Edition comes in five colorways to choose from: Emerald Green, Cherry Blossom, Opalescent White, Spheric Blue, and Spheric Brown, each with a corresponding hand-tooled leather watch strap that perfectly complements the dial color. Each timepiece features a brushed 18kt 5N red gold case (measuring in at 40.5 mm) with a screw-in red gold crown and mushroom-type pushers, complemented by an antireflective domed sapphire crystal and a sapphire caseback. All models in the L3 Gold Edition include subdials for the chronograph minute counter at 3 o’clock, chronograph half-hours at 6 o’clock, and running small seconds at 9 o’clock. For prospective customers, one is able to choose between an automatic or manual movement for their L3. The automatic movement is powered by an automatic Concepto 2100-2120, while the manual-would option contains a Concepto C2000. The L3 Gold Edition watches are available now via Maurice de Mauriac’s website with prices starting at CHF 14,700. Images from this post: The post Maurice de Mauriac Introduces a Collection of Colorful Gold Chronographs appeared first on Worn & Wound.
Time+Tide
Two watches from the hit HBO series are up for auction: one real, one fake, both overpriced.The post Do you love Succession enough to buy a fake Panerai, or overpay for a Shinola? appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Quill & Pad
In Martin Green's opinion, the Tudor Ranger has a timeless quality that some might look upon as being too plain but has a deeper charisma that reveals itself over time. At 39mm, the Ranger is neither too large or too small. And he looks at if it's a better deal than the Rolex Explorer.
Hodinkee
The Millesime is a GPHG winner, but can the sector dial now win over enthusiasts?
Worn & Wound
The concept of a “watch enthusiast” who owns, trades, and collects them for the love of the game is a relatively new one. It’s a far cry from our forebears, who often had one go-to watch for most of life’s occasions. Over the years, however, as watches have transitioned from being truly indispensable daily tools to totems of style and storytelling, the GADA (Go Anywhere, Do Anything) moniker remains a popular label for watches that can fulfill the “do-it-all” role that was so commonplace in the last century. While few of us can imagine ourselves as true one-watch aficionados, it’s satisfying to own a timepiece that just always works no matter the occasion. The appeal of these watches is easy to understand: they’re usually durable yet stylish and offer great value by fulfilling multiple roles. Here are five options from the Windup Watch Shop that we would consider GADA favorites; rest assured they’ll be with you wherever your adventures take you. The concept of a “watch enthusiast” who owns, trades, and collects them for the love of the game is a relatively new one. It’s a far cry from our forebears, who often had one go-to watch for most of life’s occasions. Over the years, however, as watches have transitioned from being truly indispensable daily tools to totems of style and storytelling, the GADA (Go Anywhere, Do Anything) moniker remains a popular label for watches that can fulfill the “do-it-all” role that was so commonplace in the last ce...
Time+Tide
Longines expands their fan-favourite Master Collection further with the addition of a new GMT model, the likes of which has been absent from the range for years.The post Longines adds a classy GMT model to their fan-favourite Master Collection appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
Ten years after it arrived on market, Girard-Perregaux revived its most notable modern-day invention with the Neo Constant Escapement. Operating on the same principles as the original, the Neo Constant Escapement (NCE) features an upgraded movement inside a more compact case. A combination of a historical concept originating with Abraham-Louis Breguet and cutting edge horology, the NCE retains the defining invention of the original – a true constant-force escapement. “True” because the constant-force mechanism, comprising a lozenge-shaped silicon spring, is integrated with the pallet lever, which in turn interacts with a “natural” escapement of twin escape wheels. While the key concept has been retained, the rest of the NCE, however, has been improved over the original, with wearability in particular having been enhanced. Initial thoughts The fundamental concept of the NCE is appealing because it successfully combines a significant historical invention, Breguet’s double-wheel escapement, with an innovation that is entirely 21st century, a compliant mechanism in silicon. Both are brought together in an elegant yet ingenious manner. The basis of the movement is Breguet’s échappement naturel, the “natural” escapement with two wheels that has been adopted in the modern day, in a variety of modified forms, by Voutilainen, F.P. Journe, and Charles Frodsham. But the natural escapement here has been enhanced with a constant force mechanism made up of a single pi...
Teddy Baldassarre
We are back with another list of recommendations for the best watches you can get for a given amount of money. This time around, we will be looking at the best watches available for under $5,000, a crowded price point where the luxury watchmaking conversation really takes off. As we creep up on $5,000, we’ll be taking a look at luxury watch brands like Oris, Omega, Tudor, and a host of others, some of which may surprise you by their inclusion in this category. $5,000 is, objectively a lot of money, and we know you're looking for a lot of watch for your hard-earned coin. To aid you in your research, we have tried to include some popular, enthusiast-favorite watches as well as a few watches from brands you may be less familiar with. Before diving in, here are some ground rules: This list will be, by and large, strictly composed of watches with a retail price at or below $5,000. We'll also throw a few watches in at the end which retail for just a bit above $5,000 but can be found on the secondary market in our target price range. We’ve decided to further narrow our scope to watches with a starting price between $2,000 and $5,000. Again, we can’t possibly put every single watch in this price bracket on this list, but please feel free to refer to other guides on our sites, such as The Best Watches Under $1000, 30 Best Minimalist Watches and 25 Best Tool Watches, as they may have a watch or watches more to your taste, which is really what these lists are all about: to ...
Time+Tide
The normally very conservative brand let its proverbial hair down in 2023 with some seriously wacky (and significant) watch releases.The post Rolex went a little crazy in 2023 – these were their top 5 most headline-snatching watches appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Deployant
Casio G-SHOCK introduces the Aim High series, a new collection of timepieces with futuristic designs inspired by virtual reality and action video games.
Quill & Pad
Alex has been a serious watch collector for decades, but it's only in the last few years that he has focused his attention to independent watchmakers. Here he shares the story of his collecting journey and why he bought a Vincent Deprez Tourbillon Classique Souscription Edition
Teddy Baldassarre
If you own any automatic watches at all, especially enough of them to ensure that you’re not wearing the same one daily, you will inevitably face the issue of keeping those watches running, and set to the proper time and date, when they’re not on your wrist. Some collectors choose to simply commit to re-winding and re-setting their automatic watches when their power reserve runs down - it’s a ritual that many traditionalists actually enjoy - but others would rather invest in some high-tech hardware to lend a hand. Here is where a watch winder comes in. These helpful and often luxuriously appointed machines are designed to store your precious self-winding timepieces while also keeping them charged via electronic, motorized rotations - the timing, direction, and duration of which can often be pre-set and monitored - that mimic the natural movement of a wearer’s wrist. For those ready to dip their toe into the wide world of watch winders, we’ve gathered 10 favorites from 10 brands representing as wide a variety as possible in terms of styles, sizes, and price points. Wolf Roadster 4PC Watch Winder ($2,095) Wolf watch winders, known for their fusion of leather, wood, glass, and steel, work on a 24-hour cycle, with six-hour periods of intermittent activity followed by “sleep” periods that allow the tension in the watches’ mainsprings to ease, avoiding over-winding. Fifty different cycles are possible, allowing the owner to specify factors such as direc...
Teddy Baldassarre
While many of watchmaking’s most prestigious brands claim to build watches designed for the military (and especially for elite special forces), the reality is that the majority of soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines, and yes, coasties don’t make the kind of cash necessary to play in the luxury watch space. Still, the military remains a calling in which early is on time and on time is late, so watches are essential gear and, in many cases, a required uniform item. So, what watches do military members wear? To be frank, our evidence would seem to indicate that the overwhelming majority of military members wear inexpensive quartz digital watches like the ubiquitous Casio G-Shock and Timex Ironman. While both are fine watches in their utilitarian category, some service members want something a bit more elevated, combining the classic aesthetic and function of an analog watch with some military flavor and toughness. Military watches have, of course, transcended the military itself, becoming a popular style for watch collectors thanks to their utility and purpose-oriented designs. Luckily, there are a ton of incredible military watch options out there suitable both for service members and civilians alike. Wanting a refined aesthetic doesn’t mean you can’t also have "mil-spec" levels of durability, legibility, and reliability. You just have to know where to look. Here we showcase 40 watches that combine a tacti-cool aesthetic with functionality for survivin...
SJX Watches
Followers of high-end independent watchmaking are likely familiar with Akrivia and its founder, Rexhep Rexhepi. Akrivia’s work, especially its finishing, has earned widespread acclaim and record auction results. Paradoxically the brand got off to slow start at its founding in 2012. Akrivia only rocketed to prominence with the launch of the Chronomètre Contemporain in 2018 and has been on the ascent ever since. Now just getting into its second decade, Akrivia has achieved a level of success that often proves elusive to upstart independent watchmakers, many of which have come and gone in the past few years. This success is due to numerous factors, but key among them is the brand’s demonstrated ability to evolve and improve. I recently had the opportunity to visit the brand’s workshops in Geneva’s Old Town to see how far Akrivia has come and get a hint of what’s in store for the future. Akrivia today Today, the brand employs 20 staff, up from just 10 in 2021. Considering its annual production of around 40 watches per year, this puts Akrivia in good company among the most artisanal brands in the industry. It would be tempting to look at this headcount growth and predict that production will soon increase, but that’s not the case. While the team of watchmakers has grown slightly – it now stands at eight – most of the added roles are go bring more manufacturing capabilities in-house and accelerate product development, along with a few administrative positions. M...
Teddy Baldassarre
Swiss watches are regarded by many as the finest timepieces in the world, and finding truly affordable Swiss watches can be, to put it mildly, somewhat challenging. Watches mass-produced in Japan and other Asian countries have cornered much of the market in the affordable realm, which we're defining here as watches with prices roughly topping out at $2,000; even Switzerland's neighbor, Germany, might be able to claim more "serious" brands that aim for this price segment. But due to the sheer size and diversity of its watch industry, Switzerland does offer its own fair share of value-oriented watches, all of which meet the globally respected "Swiss Made" standard. To coin a cliché, you just have to know where to look, and which labels to focus on. Here are 36 affordable Swiss watches, from some of the world's most admired Swiss watch brands, in a handful of popular categories. FASHION Swatch Sistem 51 Price: $155, Reference: SUTN405, Case Size: 42 mm, Case Height: 13.9 mm, Lug To Lug: 50.6 mm, Water Resistance: 30 meters, Crystal: Mineral, Movement: Automatic Swatch, often dismissed as the maker of plastic-cased, quartz-driven, mass-marketed timepieces for limited budgets and trend-driven youth, made the watch world sit up and take notice when it unveiled the Sistem 51 in 2013. Priced at an astounding $150, the watch contained an innovatively designed 51-part mechanical movement with five assembly-line produced modules held together by a single central screw. Swatch...
Worn & Wound
Ace Jewelers, based in Amsterdam, has carved out a reputation for themselves as creators of some of the best limited edition collaborations between watch brands and retail partners. Yes, this is a category that has been growing steadily over the years, but it’s worth pointing at that Ace has been at it for a long time, well before the watch market reached the state of collab hysteria that we currently find ourselves in. Many collectors are probably aware of their regular limited releases with Nomos (they’ve done six, and they always sell out very quickly) but they’ve expanded their portfolio this year, introducing collaborations with Elka and Nivada. Their most recent LE introduces another new brand into the fold, Frederique Constant, with a version of their Highlife Worldtimer that draws on aesthetic cues established in earlier Ace releases. The Highlife Worldtimer remains one of the more compelling Frederique Constant references. The Highlife platform feels refreshingly contemporary (even though it’s based on 1970s design cues) compared to what we often think of when we picture a Frederique Constant in the mind’s eye. If your impression of the brand is that of a maker of watches in a more classical, dressier, and simply old-fashioned style, than the Highlife, a sleek integrated bracelet sports watch, is almost transgressive. And it’s proven to be a worthy canvas for Frederique Constant’s not-so-secret weapon: affordable complications. The Worldtimer, of c...
Time+Tide
Adam has some hot takes here. His six 'watch style rules' will likely be polarising. Either you will strongly agree or completely disagree, there is no in-between.The post 6 watch style rules from an unapologetic traditionalist appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Worn & Wound
Nubeo is a brand that takes its inspiration from both sea and space in tribute, in function and in design. Their latest dive watch is named after the Ventana remotely operated vehicle. This scientific submersible is rated to a depth of over 1700 meters, and for 30 years and somewhere north of 4,100 dives it is the most experienced and enduring ROV in the world. This diver sure looks the part and with 1000m of water-resistance, it can also do the part. The perfectly round stainless steel case is a whopping 50mm in diameter, but similar to everyone’s favorite Japanese dive watch nicknamed after a delicious sandwich fish, there are no lugs. The strap directly attaches to the watch underneath each side, in a hooded fashion. Therefore, despite its girth, just about anyone should be able to wear it. All of the Ventana variants feature a deep wave patterned dial, with a flush helium escape valve at 9 o’clock and, believe it or not, a captive bezel held in place by large screws. The extra-large hands and indices, along with the oversize bezel pip are filled with a copious amount of lume. Powering the Ventana is the automatic, Seiko built, NH35 movement, and all come on a specialized, thick silicon strap, ready for action. Finishing the year with a bang, Nubeo has introduced 4 new colorways, each limited to 400 pieces. First there is the Basalt Grey, for those that prefer a more conservative look. Its bezel insert is a half-half split of black on top and, as the name implies, g...
Monochrome
Let me start by saying that, on this first day of 2024 and on behalf of the entire MONOCHROME team, I’d like to wish you all a Happy and Prosperous New Year. May it be filled with passion for watches and remarkable new models. 2023 has been one of the most prolific years for the […]
Deployant
As usual, we take a break today to celebrate the new year. It is the first day of 2024, and we made it through yet another year. Happy New Year!
Hodinkee
Ed. John. Fifteen watches. An hour-plus conversation for the ages.
Worn & Wound
The traveler’s watch. The last truly useful sport watch today. The GMT watch has, as much as its sibling the dive watch, remained a cultural icon and a best-seller for brands both big and small. Every collector wants – or at least has considered – a GMT watch of some kind. There is good and bad news to that end. The good news is that watch brands have labored to create GMT watches of all sorts to appeal to every breed of watch enthusiast. The bad news is that money doesn’t grow on trees. Of all the classic watch archetypes, the GMT has always straddled that line between ritzy and rough, and we can separate them into two stylistic buckets: dressy and sporty. While the line between the two is often blurred and the definitions themselves somewhat subjective, we thought it would be fun to see how this useful complication has found its way into watches of all kinds. So without further ado, this is your Sunday Smackdown: GMT Edition. The traveler’s watch. The last truly useful sport watch today. The GMT watch has, as much as its sibling the dive watch, remained a cultural icon and a best-seller for brands both big and small. Every collector wants – or at least has considered – a GMT watch of some kind. There is good and bad news to that end. The good news is that watch brands have labored to create GMT watches of all sorts to appeal to every breed of watch enthusiast. The bad news is that money doesn’t grow on trees. Of all the classic watch archetypes, the GMT h...
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