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Results for AHCI (Académie Horlogère des Créateurs Indépendants)

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The Best Summer Watches: Daan’s Picks From Tissot, Sinn, Tudor, Grand Seiko, And Daniel Roth Fratello
Grand Seiko Jun 20, 2026

The Best Summer Watches: Daan’s Picks From Tissot, Sinn, Tudor, Grand Seiko, And Daniel Roth

This article comes right on time, as tomorrow marks the official start of summer here in Amsterdam. Besides, temperatures are already rising well above 30° Celcius here these days, so it’s the perfect moment to think about which watches I’d like to take with me on my family’s summer vacation to the southwest of France […] Visit The Best Summer Watches: Daan’s Picks From Tissot, Sinn, Tudor, Grand Seiko, And Daniel Roth to read the full article.

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First Look - Bovet Releases the Récital 32, its First True GMT Monochrome
Bovet Jun 19, 2026

First Look - Bovet Releases the Récital 32, its First True GMT

Towering above conventional watchmakers with its complex in-house movements, dramatically staged complications, and lavish artistic flourishes, Bovet’s watches are as unique as they are expressive. Described as the brand’s “first true GMT,” the new Récital 32 features a novel, user-friendly pusher to set the second time zone. However, in true Bovet style, this GMT does not […]

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Watches, Stories, & Gear: A Chris Nolan Summer, a New Pen from Tactile Turn, and a Look Back at a Classic Seiko Diver Worn & Wound
Seiko Diver “Watches Stories May 30, 2026

Watches, Stories, & Gear: A Chris Nolan Summer, a New Pen from Tactile Turn, and a Look Back at a Classic Seiko Diver

“Watches, Stories, and Gear” is a roundup of our favorite content, watch or otherwise, from around the internet. Here, we support other creators, explore interesting content that inspires us, and put a spotlight on causes we believe in. Oh, and any gear we happen to be digging on this week. We love gear. Toronto Is Getting Serious About Christopher Nolan Summer I don’t know about you, but I was obsessed with Greek mythology as a kid. So much so, that my librarian had to call my mother to stop me from checking out D’Aulaires’ Book of Greek Myths from the library each week, so other kids could have a chance. It seems that, with Christopher Nolan’s much-anticipated The Odyssey on the horizon, the Toronto International Film Festival has caught a similar Hellenic-induced fever. This Summer, Canada’s largest city will host Christopher Nolan: Grand Designs, a retrospective at TIFF Lightbox running from July 8 through August 20. The series brings Nolan’s oeuvre to the big screen in 35mm and 70mm, beginning with a live taping of The Ringer’s The Big Picture podcast and a 70mm screening of Tenet, followed by titles including Memento, The Prestige, Inception, Interstellar, Dunkirk, Oppenheimer (with Barbie playing directly before as a nod to the Barbenheimer phenomenon of 2023), and, of course, the Dark Knight trilogy. Now this is the kind of stuff that should get us talking about The Odyssey, not the (frankly dumb) criticism of Lupita Nyong’o playing Helen of Tro...

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The Countdown is on to Get the Next Chapter in Micromilspec x Black Badger’s Time Wars: the Broken Hour Worn & Wound
May 29, 2026

The Countdown is on to Get the Next Chapter in Micromilspec x Black Badger’s Time Wars: the Broken Hour

Collaboration has been at the core of watchmaking since the early days with the etablissage system on which the artform was founded joining together craftspeople of all disciplines to bring a watch to life. In our modern era, collaborations have become more formalized between watchmakers as well as with other brands, artists, athletes, and even the most unexpected partners. Yes, collaborations have taken some wild twists and turns, and the work between Micromilspec’s founders Henrik Rye, Alexander Kadin, and Kim Ellefsen alongside industrial designer and materials specialist James Thompson AKA Black Badger definitely falls in that category. The group first teamed up one year ago for the inaugural installment in the Project Sabotage/Time Wars series, but what makes this collaboration so unique is that it extends beyond the watch itself and to an accompanying alternate anime universe. Here, Micromilspec and Black Badger have taken the concept of storytelling in watchmaking to a whole new level, placing their co-created timepiece in its own world where Black Badger himself takes his animal form. As you might guess, the creative process throughout such a collaboration is anything but ordinary.  I sat down with Black Badger himself just ahead of the announcement for the second edition in the series the Broken Hour, whose one-time, 24-hour sales window is officially open and closes at 12pm ET on May 30. “Henrick and I were just together finalizing the storytelling elements,...

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Hands On: Niton Prima SJX Watches
May 8, 2026

Hands On: Niton Prima

Recently revived Genevan haute horlogerie brand Niton jumps into the jumping hours market with the Prima — one of the more refined high-end examples of the industry’s latest favourite complication. It features a bespoke, shaped calibre that proudly carries the Poinçon de Genève — true to its inspiration — and is packed with creative choices and features. Initial thoughts Not long ago it seemed like 2025 would go down as the year of the jump hour, but the trend was evidently just getting started. The Niton Prima exemplifies this ongoing trend with surprising elegance and historical fidelity. As a rule of thumb, I view revival brands with a degree of scepticism; I would prefer people make a name for themselves rather than buying one. However, the Niton Prima shows a clear understanding of — and passion for — the source material, so I am satisfied this is not a mere cash-grab. It doesn’t hurt that the watch is excellent inside and out, and while expensive in absolute terms, it is fairly priced for what you get. The movement deserves special mention as the source of much of the appeal, being a true shaped movement — a very handsome one at that — and a competent timekeeper. It is finely finished with a plethora of interesting and clever features, including hidden screws for joining the bridges and mainplate, a small seconds hand that stops itself at 60 after the crown is pulled, and a sonnerie au passage to enhance the sound of the jump hour. Another point i...

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Photo Report: The Sights, Watches, And Style Of Watches & Wonders 2026 Hodinkee
Ming experience Apr 24, 2026

Photo Report: The Sights, Watches, And Style Of Watches & Wonders 2026

Each year, as spring returns to the shores of Lake Geneva, bringing with it contrasting days of grey rainy dreariness and crisp, shimmering sunshine, a storm descends upon the picturesque canton. But this storm doesn't contain the aforementioned April showers; instead, it's thousands upon thousands of passionate professionals, journalists, retailers, brand representatives, and collectors, all congregating for that most celebrated of horological weeks: Watches & Wonders. For those who attend, it is a marathon of epic proportions, with days spent rushing from one appointment to the next with barely a moment to breathe and evenings spent either at fabulous dinners or hunched over laptops until the wee hours of the morning. It's a pace that gives you whiplash (and for those who work for the brands, be it in sales, PR, marketing, or otherwise, it is even more grueling). For everyone else following along at home with a love for watches, it is the Super Bowl, Christmas Morning, and the Emerald City at the end of the Yellow Brick Road, all rolled into one. Walking into the show for the first time is an overwhelming experience. The sheer scope and scale of the installations (to call them 'booths' deeply undersells the grandeur) are hard to understand. Each brand spends months, if not years, designing and building entire flagship boutiques within the halls of Palexpo, each trying to make an impact on the industry and communicate its themes, strategies, and identity for the coming ye...

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Hands-on - The Otsuka Lotec No.8 Refines Jiro Katayama’s Industrial Language Monochrome
Otsuka Lotec Apr 24, 2026

Hands-on - The Otsuka Lotec No.8 Refines Jiro Katayama’s Industrial Language

We wouldn’t go as far as to say that there’s something fundamentally different about the way Jiro Katayama approaches watchmaking. After all, industrial design, be it cars, instruments, or machinery, has inspired and defined quite a few independents. Still, most start from horology and branch outward, yet the mind behind Otsuka Lotec comes directly from […]

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Watches & Wonders: Tudor Updates the Black Bay Ceramic with a New Bracelet Worn & Wound
Tudor Updates Apr 21, 2026

Watches & Wonders: Tudor Updates the Black Bay Ceramic with a New Bracelet

“So many Tudors, so little time.” That could be a bumper sticker, a tattoo, and perhaps even the Watches & Wonders motto in almost any year the event takes place. One of the real challenges of the show, at least in the very first moments of it, is deciding which Tudor releases to focus on. As we’ve discussed many times, Tudor is one of the only brands that does not give press early access to news of their new releases. Each of the last few years, their official press release has hit while our team was on the shuttle from our hotel to Palexpo for the first day of the show (where we always meet with Tudor first thing in the morning). Part of those first few hours of Watches & Wonders always involves discussing and trying to predict which of their novelties are going to be of the greatest interest to our readers.  This year, it was pretty clear that the new Monarch was going to be the most discussed new Tudor release. It’s a brand new watch, after all, with a new case and bracelet design, and a new movement. Even if it went over like a lead balloon with the public, that’s clearly the most newsworthy release and the one to lead with. The Black Bay 54 in blue also felt like it would generate a lot of discussion. And we wouldn’t have suspected it at the time, but the Royal relaunch is actually pretty major as well – those watches are much better in person than we could have imagined from the press release, and they represent a substantial investment on Tudor’s p...

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Introducing - Credor Goldfeather Tourbillon Engraved Limited Edition GBCF997 Monochrome
Seiko s high-end brand created Apr 1, 2026

Introducing - Credor Goldfeather Tourbillon Engraved Limited Edition GBCF997

Founded in 1974, Credor is Seiko’s high-end brand created to showcase Japanese haute horlogerie, artistic finishing and ultra-thin watchmaking. Originally exclusive to Japan, Credor began its international expansion in 2024 with the launch of the Locomotive model, a watch originally designed by Genta, and will consolidate its position as it will soon be exhibited at […]

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Watches Of The SAS: What British Special Forces Pilots Wear Teddy Baldassarre
Mar 19, 2026

Watches Of The SAS: What British Special Forces Pilots Wear

It’s easy to think of watches as falling purely within the accessory realm, valued for their aesthetic and their finish detail. Sure, they fulfill a practical utility by telling the time, but that could be considered a redundant byproduct these days, as most of us are rarely outside of reach of any number of devices that provide the same utility. How watches serve their purpose today is very different from how they were used in the past. While much of that is out of necessity for the sake of self-preservation, the humble, purpose- built tool watch carries a deep history of use as just that, a vital tool used by servicemen and women. The stories that these watches tell serve as a reminder of the role watches once played, and connect with a new generation of enthusiasts.  Every military across the globe has a history of using specialized tools in their endeavors, and watches have been a big part of that kit - from UDT divers and their dive watches, to pilots relying on their wrist-bound timers to calculate fuel flow rates. These watches enjoy an enviable lore that inspires many of the designs we see today from brands large and small. One particular outfit known for its use of spec-built watches is the British Special Air Service, or the SAS. While much of the information about the SAS is highly classified, we do know a thing or two about the watches these specialized service members have employed throughout the years.  [toc-section heading="A (Brief) History of SAS"] P...

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The 10 Most Important Vintage Digital Watches Teddy Baldassarre
Mar 6, 2026

The 10 Most Important Vintage Digital Watches

Digital watches - at least, those of the electronic variety - have only been around for just over half a century at this point, which is a relatively brief moment in the totality of watch history. Nevertheless, they have exerted in that time an outsized influence on the technological and design evolution of the watch industry as well as on the overall culture. As the term “vintage” has been widely interpreted these days to describe any object more than 20 years old, here is our list of the 10 most important “vintage” digital watches (including a handful of worthy analog-digital models). And good news for fans of their retro style: many of them still live on in some form today.  [toc-section heading="Breitling Emergency (1995)"] Introduced in 1995, the Breitling Emergency is literally a watch that has saved lives. The first watch with a built-in micro-transmitter that operated on an international air distress frequency, enabling a pilot to contact search-and-rescue teams after an emergency or crash landing. In 2015, after the original had racked up many notable exploits, Breitling launched the second-generation Emergency II, which added a dual-frequency personal locator beacon (PLB), that can both issue alerts as well as guide rescuers to the wearer’s location by accessing a network of satellites and ground receiving stations. The analog-digital display, powered by Breitling’s thermocompensated SuperQuartz movement, offers an array of indicators including 1...

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Christopher Ward Introduces the C1 Jump Hour Mk V “Dusk” Limited Edition Worn & Wound
Christopher Ward Introduces Mar 2, 2026

Christopher Ward Introduces the C1 Jump Hour Mk V “Dusk” Limited Edition

One of the more unexpected developments in the enthusiast watch space over the laste year or has been the emergence of the jump hour as a staple among design driven and creative microbrands and affordable independents. It seems like they are popping up just about everywhere at price points that encourage collectors to take a chance on a very niche complication. For those of us who have been around this stuff for a while, it’s genuinely been kind of surprising, as we can clearly remember a time when very few people gave these watches a second thought, and smaller brands were absolutely not interested in putting watches like these into the market. The jump hour is pretty far removed from the vintage inspired sports watches that have had a stranglehold on affordable watch enthusiasm in recent memory.  But as the pendulum swings in another direction, the more brands are finding an opportunity to experiment with this very old fashioned complication. Christopher Ward is actually no stranger to jump hour watches, having released their first back in 2011. Their latest is still powered by the venerable JJ01 movement, a caliber that predicted much of the brand’s future success and interest in higher end watchmaking.  The C1 Jump Hour Mk V in “Dusk” red is the brand’s latest, and limited edition variant of the Jump Hour Mk V that Griffin reviewed here. The broad strokes are of course the same: a 39mm steel case measuring 47.5mm from lug to lug and 14mm thick, with a multi...

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A Closer Look At COSC’s New Excellence Chronometer Certification Fratello
Feb 17, 2026

A Closer Look At COSC’s New Excellence Chronometer Certification

Contrôle Officiel Suisse des Chronomètres (COSC) is the largest Swiss independent testing facility for watch movements. Founded in 1973, this non-profit foundation aims to guarantee the precision of Swiss watches through a neutral, independent, and rigorous method. Watches with movements that passed the tests can be called “COSC-certified chronometers,” accurate to within -4/+6 seconds per […] Visit A Closer Look At COSC’s New Excellence Chronometer Certification to read the full article.

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Introducing the Ming 56.00 Starfield, the Brand’s First Integrated Bracelet Sports Watch Worn & Wound
Ming Feb 9, 2026

Introducing the Ming 56.00 Starfield, the Brand’s First Integrated Bracelet Sports Watch

Do you remember that scene in The Ten Commandments when Charlton Heston’s Moses walks down the mountain with those giant stone tablets? I’m pretty sure the first commandment on his list was “EVENTUALLY, ALL WATCH BRANDS MUST MAKE AN INTEGRATED BRACELET SPORTS WATCH!” Does that sound right? I could be misremembering some of the finer details of the film, but I’m pretty sure that’s a thing that happened. Because eventually, as we continue to discover month after month, year after year, all brands do try their hand at an integrated bracelet sports watch. Even the ones you might not expect. Like Ming.  Today, Ming introduces the 56.00 Starfield, their first integrated bracelet sports watch. Perhaps it’s a little shortsighted of me to suggest that we couldn’t have expected something like this from Ming. In a lot of ways, it’s exactly the kind of watch we should expect, because one of the ideas that really seems to drive the brand is solving big design challenges. Integrated bracelet sports watches have a natural aesthetic appeal in the way form a continuous line all around the wrist. The challenge is in making them feel special and unique. The “good” integrated bracelet sports watches tend to all have a somewhat similar appearance simply because there are only so many ways you can accomplish the most basic goals of a watch like this without going completely off the rails.  Ming’s stated goal with the Starfield was to make a watch more comfortable to we...

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Introducing - The Ming 56.00 Starfield, the Brand’s First Watch with an Integrated Bracelet Monochrome
Ming Feb 9, 2026

Introducing - The Ming 56.00 Starfield, the Brand’s First Watch with an Integrated Bracelet

Independent watchmaking rarely stands still, but Horologer MING has made a habit of using evolution rather than repetition as its driving force. Since the brand’s founding in 2017, Ming Thein and his team have mastered light, form and restraint, while also pushing technical boundaries behind the scenes. With the recent launch of the fifth-generation design […]

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First Look - The New Niton Prima Revives a Historic Name Monochrome
Vacheron Constantin Cartier Gubelin Feb 5, 2026

First Look - The New Niton Prima Revives a Historic Name

The revival of a long-dormant watchmaking name always sparks our curiosity at MONOCHROME. Born in 1919, the Manufacture des Montres Niton S.A. became known for its watches and movements featuring jumping hours. Niton supplied movements to Patek Philippe, Vacheron Constantin, Cartier, Gubelin and many more… Today, the brand returns with the Niton Prima, an elaborate […]

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Oak & Oscar Introduces the Humboldt ExP-02, Showing Off their In-House Dial Making Capabilities Worn & Wound
Oak & Oscar Jan 27, 2026

Oak & Oscar Introduces the Humboldt ExP-02, Showing Off their In-House Dial Making Capabilities

One trend in the microbrand/small independent category that I’m glad to see more of already in these early days of 2026 is brands doing more on their own, in-house. Those words, “in-house,” have developed an almost toxic reputation in some circles as they’ve been used liberally to imply a level of craft or development that is not really there when you strip away all the marketing talk. But a handful of brands are taking it back, using it to designate certain manufacturing processes that they’ve taken ownership of over overseas factories. Oak & Oscar has just announced a new watch, the Humboldt ExP-02 that reflects some of the ten year old brand’s new manufacturing capabilities in an exciting and unique way.  At a glance, you could be forgiven for thinking this is an ordinary version of the Humboldt, Oak & Oscar’s “classic adventure watch.” Subtly, however, it shows off real watchmaking skill and a willingness on the brand’s part to experiment with new techniques.  The centerpiece of the ExP-02 is the dial, which keeps the familiar sandwich style construction that Oak & Oscar is so well known for, but refines it and personalizes it for this piece. Every aspect of the dial manufacturing is done to a very high level in the Oak & Oscar workshop, using new watchmaking equipment that the brand has invested in specifically to create unique components for watches like the ExP-02.  According to Oak & Oscar, the rehaut and main dial plate are both cut from alu...

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First Look - Czapek Faubourg de Cracovie Crossroads Victory Green Chronograph Monochrome
Czapek Faubourg de Cracovie Crossroads Jan 22, 2026

First Look - Czapek Faubourg de Cracovie Crossroads Victory Green Chronograph

Since its rebirth in 2015, Czapek & Cie has produced a focused but diverse family of collections: the elegant Quai des Bergues, the sporty-chic Antarctique, the recent Promenade, the exceptional Place Vendôme, and the refined Faubourg de Cracovie chronograph series. Introduced in 2018, the Faubourg de Cracovie was Czapek’s first chronograph, powered by the calibre […]

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Vacheron Constantin and Phillips to Stage Horological Concours SJX Watches
Vacheron Constantin Jan 16, 2026

Vacheron Constantin and Phillips to Stage Horological Concours

The start of every new year is a time of reflection for many. For collectors and fans of Vacheron Constantin (VC), one might wonder how to follow 2025, which was a consequential year for the brand on several fronts. So it’s interesting that the brand’s first major announcement of 2026 is not a watch, but a competition. Announced in partnership with Phillips, VC is hosting the inaugural Concours d’Élégance Horlogère, featuring seven categories and a prize for each. Existing owners of VC wristwatches and pocket watches can register until April 30th, at which point the jury will begin the work of choosing seven winners that will be announced November 10, 2026. Seven categories The Concours d’Élégance format is usually associated with vintage automobiles, with events staged regularly around the world at venues like Villa d’Este, Hampton Court Palace, and Pebble Beach – unsurprisingly, many such events are sponsored by watch brands, most notably VC’s sister brand A. Lange & Söhne. Adapting the format to wristwatches, VC has opened the field to any of its watches produced between 1755 and 1999, divided into seven categories: chiming watches, chronographs, astronomical complications (including calendar watches), multiple complications, Chronomètre Royal, Métiers d’art, and design. The choice to give the Chronomètre Royal its own category is interesting, and might be a sign of things to come. Originally a high-precision, time-only pocket watch collection t...

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Hands-on - The Union Glashütte Noramis Chronograph Limited Edition Sachsen Classic 2025 Monochrome
Union Glashütte Jan 12, 2026

Hands-on - The Union Glashütte Noramis Chronograph Limited Edition Sachsen Classic 2025

As a watch enthusiast and a fan of classic motorsport (superficial, but still), the Union Glashütte Noramis Chronograph Limited Edition Sachsen Classic 2025 struck me immediately for the clear connection to the 1952 Grosser Werkmeister, the from-behind-the-Iron-Curtain, one-off East German-built racing roadster that inspired it. It´s amazing how Union Glashütte ties its themed design to […]

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Hands-On With The A. Lange & Söhne Zeitwerk Date In Pink Gold Fratello
A. Lange & Sohne Jan 9, 2026

Hands-On With The A. Lange & Söhne Zeitwerk Date In Pink Gold

You wouldn’t necessarily consider time-and-date watches when thinking of complicated haute horlogerie. Even with a power reserve indicator added in, it still doesn’t sound very impressive or complex, does it? Well, the A. Lange & Söhne Zeitwerk Date proves that sometimes the simplest things require the hardest solutions. I got the chance to spend some […] Visit Hands-On With The A. Lange & Söhne Zeitwerk Date In Pink Gold to read the full article.

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Seiko SSC813 Speedtimer Review: The Best Chronograph Under $1,000? Teddy Baldassarre
Seiko Dec 18, 2025

Seiko SSC813 Speedtimer Review: The Best Chronograph Under $1,000?

Seiko has a well known and understood design language that is expansive in nature. It’s a style that feels just as at home on a humble skin diver as it does in the context of a field watch or chronograph. It always feels comfortable, but never derivative. Like a perfectly well worn-in pair of jeans that you keep coming back to. The Speedtimer name is a perfect example of this originality since it was first used by the brand in 1969, and it largely remains so today. The modern Speedtimer SSC813 within the Prospex collection is not entirely reliant on that history, rather, it presents a contemporary vision of a Seiko chronograph at its most accessible.  [toc-section heading="Seiko And Chronographs"] Seiko plays an important role in the history of the chronograph as we experience it today. The Japanese brand’s mechanical timers of the mid ‘60s showed off a modern vision for a highly focused design that would open the door for a new generation of watches. These designs did not use a host of subdials, but rather a single timing hand and a single pusher. This is a focus that would be retained until 1969, when Seiko introduced the reference 6139, one of three automatic chronographs to be revealed that year that would shape the genre for the coming decades. Unlike the other two, the Seiko used just a single subdial which would totalize up to 30 minutes. The 6139 would have a cultural impact just as big as its horological impact, appearing in films and, in the case of the so...

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Topo Designs Global Briefcase Review: A Versatile 3-Way Work Bag That Switches Between Backpack and Messenger Worn & Wound
Dec 18, 2025

Topo Designs Global Briefcase Review: A Versatile 3-Way Work Bag That Switches Between Backpack and Messenger

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 ...

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Laco Celebrates their 100th Anniversary with a Tribute to their Past Worn & Wound
Casio n Dec 10, 2025

Laco Celebrates their 100th Anniversary with a Tribute to their Past

As I’m currently in the process of planning a 15-year anniversary, I can tell you one thing, Reader: it’s not easy finding a way to pack so much into only one measly day. I mean, does a single night out sharing a Caesar salad and a couple cocktails convey all the love, memories, and various milestones? Probably not. But it’s the thought that counts, right?  But, then again, maybe I’m just doing it all wrong. Take, for example, the German watchmaker, Laco, who is celebrating a much more impressive anniversary this year: their 100th. Instead of doing a two-for-one special at a chain restaurant (which is always my back-up plan), they released a watch to celebrate the occasion: the Edition 100, which is, in a way, a culmination of an ongoing mission from the brand, which has released five limited-edition releases in the past, each celebrating a key chapter in Laco’s history. For the Edition 100 specifically, the brand used the 1950’s as the springboard for the design, taking inspiration from an archival model. While the cleaner lines, slim bezel, and two-tone colorway might all read as Art Deco-adjacent, Laco’s contemporary design language, such as adjusting proportions for a more modern appearance, has filtered through to make a watch worthy of bridging the gap between the watchmaker’s past and present. The 38mm stainless-steel case is coated in a gold-tone IP, which, in turn, softens the black center of the dial and complements the champagne outer ring simul...

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Breguet Ends a Big Anniversary Year with the Impressive Expérimentale 1 Worn & Wound
Breguet Ends Dec 1, 2025

Breguet Ends a Big Anniversary Year with the Impressive Expérimentale 1

As if winning the top prize at the GPHG were not enough, Breguet has capped off their big 250th anniversary year with the launch of what is surely their most horologically interesting and cutting edge release in years. The Expérimentale 1 is an ambitious foray into contemporary haute horlogerie from a brand that more than most is associated with classicism. It incorporates and merges multiple technologies and advancements into a remarkably cohesive idea that might even have those of us who have always bristled at the controversial Marine collection rethinking its potential.  The showstopping feature of the new Expérimentale 1 is the tourbillon, the first ever to beat at 10 Hz. Bregust is quick to remind us that most tourbillons run at a rate of 2.5 Hz, so this represents a dramatic increase and in theory should provide a variety of chronometric benefits, including rate stability over the duration of the power reserve and a better baseline level of accuracy. But it’s not just a high frequency tourbillon. Breguet has also developed and introduced a new magnetic escapement that is designed to provide constant force to the balance. The logic here is fairly straightforward even if the mechanics themselves are, frankly, somewhat difficult wrap your arms around without real watchmaking experience (this, by the way, is essentially my constant of being as I observe similar watchmaking advancements – wide eyed and impressed but quite frequently confused by all the math and ph...

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Highlights: Independent Watchmaking at Phillips Hong Kong Fall 2025 SJX Watches
Louis Vuitton resurrected Nov 17, 2025

Highlights: Independent Watchmaking at Phillips Hong Kong Fall 2025

A window into the early days of contemporary independent watchmaking, the upcoming Phillips Hong Kong auction offers an unexpectedly diverse line-up, including a single-owner collection of 1990s watches. The indie selection ranges from Daniel Roth in the late 1980s to Philippe Dufour’s influential finissage. And the historically-minded enthusiast will also notice the catalog includes work from an era when star independent watchmakers, such as Louis Cottier, counted brands as their clients. Lot 982 – Daniel Roth Ref. 2187 Tourbillon “Double Face” After helping establish Breguet as a Swiss watchmaker, Daniel Roth established his eponymous brand in 1988 with his inaugural model being the ref. C187/2187, a tourbillon wristwatch with two faces. The front indicates the time and showcases the tourbillon at six o’clock, while the reverse is home to the date and power reserve indicator. Despite the strikingly exotic look for the time – remember this was the late 1980s – the tourbillon actually employs the familiar Lemania tourbillon calibre, unsurprising given that Mr Roth helped with the construction of the calibre while he was at Breguet. While the bones are Lemania, the aesthetic is uniquely Daniel Roth. The grey dial has a pinstripe guilloche while the three-armed seconds hand indicates the time on a three-layer scale. Just last year, Louis Vuitton resurrected the Daniel Roth marque with a new generation of the iconic tourbillon powered by an all-new calibre deve...

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What Is A Fluted Bezel On A Watch? Teddy Baldassarre
Nov 12, 2025

What Is A Fluted Bezel On A Watch?

If you’re new to the watch-collecting hobby, you’ve undoubtedly seen or heard references to watches with fluted bezels, but what does that description actually mean? Are fluted bezels a feature of sports watches or dress watches, of watches for men or for ladies? Are they designed for practical use or purely as an aesthetic touch? As is common in the world of watches, the answers to all of these questions are not as simple as you might think.  Before getting into the fluted type in particular, let’s get really basic and review what a watch’s bezel is and what it’s for. As we explore in more detail here, a bezel is the front part of a watch’s case (often but not always ring-shaped) that frames the dial and secures the crystal. Bezels can be made of the same material as the case middle and/or the caseback, but can also be made of a different material. They can also be thin or wide; stationary or built to rotate in either one direction or both; purely decorative (i.e., set with diamonds) or utilitarian in nature (i.e., inscribed with a scale for some type of calculation). Fluting is defined as “a groove or set of grooves forming a surface decoration,” so a fluted bezel is one that features this type of grooved or ribbed texture on its top surface. Initially, as with most every element of a watch, a fluted bezel design was designed with a practical purpose in mind: the grooved surface made it easier for a watchmaker to screw the bezel tightly into the case to...

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