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Results for Foudroyante (Lightning Seconds)

688 articles · 6 videos found · page 13 of 24

HANDS-ON: The smartly-designed, value-packed Tissot PRS 516 Automatic Small Second Time+Tide
Tissot PRS 516 Automatic Small Sep 28, 2016

HANDS-ON: The smartly-designed, value-packed Tissot PRS 516 Automatic Small Second

One of the most surprising watches I’ve seen this year is the Tissot PRS 516 Triple Seconds. Tissot has taken their stalwart, sporty PRS and given it a smart makeover, and it does it at a very competitive price. At first glance you’d be forgiven for thinking that this watch is a chronograph, after all … ContinuedThe post HANDS-ON: The smartly-designed, value-packed Tissot PRS 516 Automatic Small Second appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

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Up Close: Jaeger-LeCoultre Duometre Quantieme Lunaire SJX Watches
Jaeger-LeCoultre Duometre Quantieme Lunaire Earlier Aug 19, 2024

Up Close: Jaeger-LeCoultre Duometre Quantieme Lunaire

Earlier this year Jaeger-LeCoultre unveiled the refreshed Duometre line, with the entry into the new collection being the Duometre Quantieme Lunaire, the only steel model in the line-up so far. The dual train movement is used to power two separate sets of indications, one is the time with hours, minutes, and seconds, and the other a combination of the date, moon phase, and lightning seconds. Made  up of several models sporting an all-new look, this year’s Duometre collection is the first substantial facelift of the model line since its launch in 2007. While the original models had an aesthetic that brought to mind A. Lange & Söhne, the redesigned Duometre models have a more vintage-ish look that incorporates elements that are popular today, including a domed crystal and decorative recesses on the lugs. In terms of mechanical function, however, the new Duometre models are fundamentally the same. The “duo” barrels of the Duometre Initial thoughts The new look is a good one. It’s attractive and still fairly original; although it is vintage inspired, the design avoids looking generic, thanks in part to the distinctive Duometre dial layout. The domed crystal and dial result in the new model looking slightly bigger than the original, but at the same time it feels thinner. The dial layout is essentially the same as on the earlier generation Quantieme Lunaire as the movement is essentially identical. The recognisable double barrels-and-trains construction is evident, wh...

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Zenith Introduces the Defy Skyline Skeleton White Ceramic SJX Watches
Audemars Piguet Jul 11, 2024

Zenith Introduces the Defy Skyline Skeleton White Ceramic

A new livery for one of Zenith’s most popular models, the Defy Skyline Skeleton White Ceramic shares the styling of its siblings like the Defy Skyline 36 mm but with a few notable tweaks including a white ceramic case and blue-treated skeletonised movement. And though it appears to be a simple time-only watch, the Defy Skyline features a discreet complication in the form of a “lightning” small seconds hand that completes one rotation every ten seconds. Initial thoughts Zenith has recently been playing it safe with new launches by building on current bestsellers, like the Defy Skyline. The new skeleton in white ceramic is a good looking watch, and an excellent execution of one of Zenith’s modern-day classics. The combination is also novel. Although each key element of the watch is common in itself – a skeleton movement plus the white ceramic case and bracelet – they are relatively uncommon together. The Defy Skyline Skeleton on the wrist However, the Defy Skyline arguably tries too hard to capitalise on the recent (and waning) popularity of integrated-bracelet sports watches. It is not difficult to see a resemblance to the Royal Oak, in particular the one-off Royal Oak made for Only Watch 2023, making it a bit cliché. Priced at US$17,500, the Defy Skyline Skeleton in white ceramic is a decent value proposition compared to similar watches, most of which are from pricier brands like Hublot or Audemars Piguet. Besides the ceramic case and bracelet, it stands out ...

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Zenith Revives the El Primero Triple Calendar SJX Watches
Zenith Revives Jan 29, 2024

Zenith Revives the El Primero Triple Calendar

Zenith revisits one of its signature historical models with the Chronomaster Original Triple Calendar. It is the Chronomaster Original we know and love, but with a twist: the addition of the day, month, and moon phase while maintaining the same dimensions as the chronograph-only model. Powered by the latest-generation El Primero 3610 with “lightning” seconds, the Triple Calendar makes its debut in three colourways, white, grey and a boutique-exclusive green. Initial thoughts Although popular among enthusiasts, the Chronomaster Original is arguably undiscovered territory for many because it has been overshadowed by Chronomaster Sport, a watch famous for resembling the Rolex Daytona. However, the Chronomaster Original offers better aesthetics and proportions compared to its slightly derivative Sports sibling. The compact 38 mm case sits comfortably on most wrists, while having enough presence to feel like a larger sports watch. Compared to the standard Chronometer Original, the Triple Calendar adds a few complications into the mix and evokes the well known vintage original. Importantly, it is not only a vintage remake since it utilises the latest-generation El Primero movement with a “lighting” central seconds. The Triple Calendar is, however, pricey. It costs US$13,400 on a calfskin strap and a bit more on a stainless steel bracelet. That’s about 30% more than the base model Chronomaster Original, which feels like a lot for simple-calendar functions. That said, th...

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Zenith Introduces the Next-Generation El Primero A386 SJX Watches
Zenith Introduces Jun 29, 2021

Zenith Introduces the Next-Generation El Primero A386

Though Zenith celebrated the 50th anniversary of its iconic chronograph movement in 2019, it took a while longer for the long-awaited successor to the original El Primero. Looking like yet another remake on the surface – the design is almost a dead ringer for the A386 of 1969 – the retro styling of the new Chronomaster Original belies the latest-generation El Primero, the all-new cal. 3600 that boasts a lightning seconds hand. Initial thoughts The Chronomaster Original essentially repackages the vintage A386, preserving the distinctive design while installing a modern movement. As a result, the watch is familiar and appealing in broad strokes, but has a few surprises in its details. Take the dials for instance, which are offered in two guises. One is the traditional “tri-colour” from 1969, while the other is an unusual and gorgeous “panda” dial that stands out from its counterparts. Ironically, the black-and-silver dial looks more retro, in part due to the faux-vintage lume, despite not having the original colour palette. The case is a compact 38 mm, identical to the vintage original. It’s heartening – but surprising – to see the return of the 38 mm case, which was ostensibly retired not too long ago. The move back to the 38 mm case makes sense, since it accommodates enthusiasts who prefer a size true to the vintage original, as well as catering to prevailing fad for classical, elegant style. Despite the case being the same diameter as it was in 1969, t...

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Hands-On: Zenith El Primero Defy 21 Carbon SJX Watches
TAG Heuer Mikrograph one Dec 3, 2019

Hands-On: Zenith El Primero Defy 21 Carbon

Zenith’s streak of high-tech watches – including this year’s Defy Inventor and El Primero Double Tourbillon – began in 2017, when it unveiled the El Primero Defy 21. The watch is a chronograph with a dual-train construction that accommodates a high-frequency chronograph with a resolution of 1/100th of a second and a lightning seconds hand that whizzes round the dial once a second. Originally offered only in ceramic, titanium or gold, the high-frequency chronograph is available in a featherweight carbon composite case – arguably best suited to its styling and complication – with the launch of the El Primero Defy 21 Carbon. A familiar style The unusual movement of the Defy 21 is inspired by the similar constructed movement in the TAG Heuer Mikrograph, one of many high-frequency chronographs devised by Guy Sémon, the resident technical guru at TAG Heuer, a sister company of Zenith. Notably, the Mikrograph and the Defy 21 are the only serially produced, 1/100th of a second chronographs on the market today. Due to the movement’s dual-train architecture – essentially two independent movements on one base plate – the case is a large 44mm in diameter and 14.4mm high. But being carbon composite, it manages to remain lightweight despite the size. At the same time, the predominantly black colour scheme across the case and dial also makes the watch look smaller than it is, especially compared with versions of the Defy 21 in gold or titanium. Visually, the case i...

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In-Depth: The Patek Philippe Victorin Piguet Split-Second Wristwatch Hodinkee
Audemars Piguet Jul 27, 2026

In-Depth: The Patek Philippe Victorin Piguet Split-Second Wristwatch

In our first addendum to our Reference Points video and story on Patek Philippe split-second wristwatches, we looked at Patek Philippe split-second pocket watches and the brand's relationship with its supplier, Victorin Piguet. Switzerland has (and continues to have) the most robust supplier marketplace for everything from complex movements to dials and cases. In the warmer months of the late 19th and early 20th Centuries, it was easy enough to just send someone on a short journey to the Vallée de Joux with a letter requesting a movement or other parts and receive one a short time later. These établisseurs all had their own specialties, but few were as important as Victorin Piguet. I'd argue it was far more unusual for Victorin Piguet not to be involved in a watch (such as their absence from the La Grosse Pièce project for Audemars Piguet) than to see their name on supplier lists. So what was their impact on wristwatches? In our video, we focused solely on serially produced models (and even then, there were a few we couldn't get our hands on), all of which started after Patek shifted its production more in-house. One thing we didn't discuss, however, was the history of the brand's first split-seconds wristwatches, which used a Victorin Piguet ébauche. It's no understatement that these watches are among the most important in Patek Philippe's history and among the most coveted for vintage-focused Patek collectors. One-off, bespoke pieces, these watches don't exactly fit...

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Sylvain Pinaud Returns with 30-Second Tourbillon SJX Watches
Apr 12, 2026

Sylvain Pinaud Returns with 30-Second Tourbillon

With wind in his sails following the successful Origine series, independent watchmaker Sylvain Pinaud returns with his most ambitious project yet, the succinctly named Tourbillon. The watch looks and feels a lot like its time-only predecessor, but the movement is in fact completely different, with twin mainspring barrels and a fast-rotating 30-second tourbillon. The Tourbillon in platinum with a white agate dial. Initial thoughts Appetite remains strong for high-end time-only watches, but the leading independents are increasingly leaving simplicity behind and treating their collectors to additional complications. Mr Pinaud’s Tourbillon exemplifies this shift. Despite the greater complexity of its movement, the Tourbillon is no larger than the simpler Origine. In fact, it’s about 1 mm smaller in diameter. That’s impressive considering it fits an extra mainspring barrel and adds a zero-reset seconds functionality to its namesake tourbillon. This latter functionality - specifically its heart cam - is on full display through an opening in the running seconds sub-dial at nine o’clock. But its the 30-second tourbillon that gives the watch its name, and which warrants special scrutiny. Fast-rotating tourbillons - which rotate more quickly than once per minute - are quite rare. They require more energy and greater care in assembly, since they almost invariably use lighter components. In the case of the Tourbillon, the slender three-armed cage is made of titanium, r...

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Hodinkee Launches their Second Collaboration with French Retailer Merci Worn & Wound
Jun 6, 2024

Hodinkee Launches their Second Collaboration with French Retailer Merci

Hodinkee and Parisian concept shop Merci have just released the Merci Instruments Beaumarchais H02 Limited Edition for Hodinkee for their second collaboration together. You’re undoubtedly familiar with Hodinkee, but for those uninitiated to the Marais-based store, Merci embodies Parisian chic while offering a curated selection of products ranging from home goods to fashion. Through its subsidiary brand, Merci Instruments, the company combines a lighthearted approach to watchmaking with an eye towards the past for inspiration.  The design of the Merci Instruments Beaumarchais H02 Limited Edition reflects a vintage aesthetic reminiscent of 1940s dress watches. Unlike traditional round or square cases, this watch features an octagon-shaped frame, adding a modern twist to its classic inspiration. The 36mm case exhibits multiple layers of depth, with a brushed steel rehaut, an anthracite grey hour track, and a vertically brushed center. Notable design details include the blue-painted seconds hand and the NYC and Paris markings at the 6 o’clock position. The watch is completed with an 18mm Honey Brown leather strap, which softens the angular features of this watch. The Beaumarchais H02 is equipped with the ultra-thin Miyota 9039 automatic caliber, which offers a 42-hour power reserve and ensures the 36mm case remains a sleek 9.8mm thick. The stainless steel 316L case is durable and water-resistant up to 10 ATM while the watch is also equipped with a sapphire crystal, making...

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Wait a seconde/seconde/: A Conversation with Romaric André Worn & Wound
Nivada Grenchen high end entry May 31, 2024

Wait a seconde/seconde/: A Conversation with Romaric André

If you’re involved in the watch industry to any degree, even as a collector, you’ve definitely heard of seconde/seconde/, or at least seen his work. Timex, Bausele, Lima, Squale, Atelier Wen, Bamford Watch Co., Spinnaker, Furlan Marri, Maen, Sequent, Isotope, Louis Erard, Vulcain, Nivada Grenchen - high end, entry level, micro brand, independent, and large established companies. Romaric André (seconde/seconde/) has vandalized the world of watches at every level. He makes us smile, and causes many of us to view this large and serious industry with a bit of levity and added consideration.  I connected with Romaric via Instagram. During the month of January my hand was broken, so instead of posting my own wrist shots I thought it would be fun to highlight friends in the Instagram watch community. One such friend had a Timex x seconde/seconde/ Polar collaboration with a wonderful whirling penguin rotating for a seconds hand. I made a comment in the caption stating that I wish I had jumped on the Timex x seconde/seconde/ collaboration, and moments later Romaric popped into my DM’s to let me know where I could get one at retail price. It brought me such joy to connect with him and get the watch, but it also opened the door for me to conduct an interview and get to know a bit about the man behind all the fun.  Although it might seem like seconde/seconde/ has been part of our community only recently, he’s actually been involved with watches for some time. After going ...

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Watches, Stories, & Gear: Subtracting a Leap Second, a Huge Star Trek Collection, and, Yes, More Dune News Worn & Wound
Ming quirks Apr 6, 2024

Watches, Stories, & Gear: Subtracting a Leap Second, a Huge Star Trek Collection, and, Yes, More Dune News

“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. Share your story ideas or interesting finds by emailing us at info@wornandwound.com Could Climate Change Cause a Negative Leap Second?   The “leap second” is one of those weird little timing quirks that sometimes comes up in human interest stories about online networks going down for unexpected reasons, or the strange particulars of how we arrive at standard time worldwide. Leap seconds, for the uninitiated, have to be implemented periodically because of the irregular rotation of the earth. One second might not seem like a big deal, but extrapolating a one second timing error over the course of years, centuries, and millenia can have a major impact. Now, as NPR reports, we might need to lose a second rather than add one at some point in the near future, and the culprit might be climate change. It’s not often discussed, but the impacts of climate change extend to the rotation of our planet, and it appears that it might be slowing it down slightly. It’s not the first thing you think of when you consider the impact of our warming planet, but in its own way could be as critical as many of the effects that get most of the headlines.  A Star Trek Collection Like Yo...

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Louis Erard Introduces New Entries in their Excellence Petite Seconde Collection Featuring Elaborate Guilloche Dials Worn & Wound
Louis Erard Introduces New Entries Feb 27, 2024

Louis Erard Introduces New Entries in their Excellence Petite Seconde Collection Featuring Elaborate Guilloche Dials

The latest release from Louis Erard expands their Excellence Petite Seconde range, and includes another release in that collection’s 39mm case size. Louis Erard has really become a collector favorite over the last few years with their many collaborative limited editions and (relatively) affordable ways to buy into design codes that traditionally represent true high luxury watchmaking, and they’ve done it mostly on the back of a 42mm case. It’s always notable when we see them release something new in their easier to wear 39mm case size, and with the Excellence Petite Seconde Guilloche (in two sizes) we also have a watch that’s really playing into that high luxury aesthetic with an unusually complex dial. These watches are really a celebration of guilloche itself, and seek to present the decorative technique in a more classical way than something like the brand’s much more contemporary guilloche LE from a few years ago. The larger 42mm watch features gray and black tones, while the smaller 39mm watch features a rich blue and gray for contrast.  The dials are made in four parts, and highlight contrasting guilloche patterns. The central section has a traditional wave-like pattern that is meant to cast light directly from the dial’s center. An outer section, where you’ll find the hour track, features what’s known as a “panier” motif, which has the appearance of slightly staggered scales. This pattern is repeated in the small seconds subdial at the 6:00 posi...

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Up Close: A. Lange & Söhne Zeitwerk Second-Generation (Refs. 142.025 and 142.031) SJX Watches
Ming 13 years after Oct 24, 2022

Up Close: A. Lange & Söhne Zeitwerk Second-Generation (Refs. 142.025 and 142.031)

A certainty after the Zeitwerk Date of 2019 and last year’s Zeitwerk Honeygold Lumen, the second-generation A. Lange & Söhne Zeitwerk is finally here. As expected, the new Zeitwerk is a gentle evolution from the original in terms of design, but a substantial step forward in technical terms. Known as the ref. 142.025 in platinum and ref. 142.031 in pink gold, the new Zeitwerk is powered by the same revamped movement L043 movement found in the Date and Lumen. As a result, it has all of same upgrades, namely a thinner movement that boasts a quickset corrector for the hours as well as a 72-hour power reserve. The new Zeitwerk in pink gold And the second-generation L043.6 Initial thoughts In a technical sense, the new Zeitwerk is a superior watch, as it should be, coming 13 years after the original. Aesthetically, it remains largely unchanged save for a few nips and tucks, leaving the new model instantly recognisable as a Zeitwerk. In fact, most would be hard pressed to tell the difference between the two generations from across a room. The second generation (left) and its predecessor In the metal the new Zeitwerk looks and feels very much like the original upon initial examination. But the differences quickly become obvious, even though some, like the enlarged seconds, are subtle enough they are difficult to pinpoint. Other tweaks are easier to spot, like the red marking on the power reserve scale. Personally I’m not a fan of the red accent since it creates a peculiar f...

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Montblanc Introduces the 1858 Split Second Chronograph in Smoked Red SJX Watches
Montblanc Introduces Dec 11, 2020

Montblanc Introduces the 1858 Split Second Chronograph in Smoked Red

Just last year Montblanc introduced the 1858 Split Second Chronograph powered by a gorgeous, mono-pusher Minerva movement. Debuted in a bronze case, the watch was a hit, and for good reason, it combined attractive, well-chosen vintage details and an well-finished movement, all for a very fair price. Having unveiled several other limited-edition versions of the watch since, Montblanc is continuing with the theme with the 1858 Split Second Chronograph Limited Edition 8, an exclusive for Singapore-based retailer Sincere Fine Watches that has a smoked, dark red dial and a titanium case. The 1858 Split Second Chronograph for Sincere Initial thoughts After the launch edition, Montblanc debuted an eight-piece limited edition in November 2019 made for Mexican watch fair Salón Internacional Alta Relojería (SIAR) that had a striking jade dial, which was followed by a hundred-piece limited edition with a stunning gradient-blue grand feu enamel dial in April of this year. And in between, it managed to put together a one-off example with an agate dial for charity auction Only Watch 2019. That makes the new Sincere edition the fifth iteration of the 1858 split seconds in less than 24 months. But fortunately it does not feel overdone – yet – given the small production runs for each version, as well as the interesting variety of dial materials. The first version of the 1858 split seconds in bronze The most obvious point of appeal of the watch is movement, which is derived from...

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Breguet Introduces the Tradition Automatique Seconde Rétrograde 7097 SJX Watches
Breguet Introduces Jul 7, 2020

Breguet Introduces the Tradition Automatique Seconde Rétrograde 7097

Breguet is one of the grandest names in watchmaking, and mostly makes watches that are rooted in its history. The aptly named Tradition exudes, well, tradition. Modelled on the souscription pocket watch created by Abraham-Louis Breguet in 1796, the wide-ranging collection has been gently modernised in recent years. The newly-announced Tradition Automatique Seconde Rétrograde 7097 continues that trend, with a dark blue guilloché dial against a grey movement. Initial thoughts This version of the Tradition 7097 is possibly my favourite yet, mostly because of the off-centre dial in blue. Engine-turned by hand, the blue dial is striking against the monochromatic movement. And it looks especially appealing when compared against the earlier versions that have plainer and more conventional silvered dials, which offer less contrast against the movement. But as with all other Tradition watches, there’s a nit to pick here: the serial number plaque on the dial makes it look a bit cluttered, especially since the dial is small to begin with. One solution would be to put the serial numbers beside the Breguet logo, as done on the female Tradition Dame 7038. And while I like the retrograde seconds, its position feels awkward as it cuts into the sub-dial. Though intersecting indicators are a feature in some historical Breguet pocket watches, the face of the Tradition is a bit too small to accommodate it comfortably. The white gold case is in classic Breguet style a delicately-fluted ...

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Montblanc Introduces the 1858 Split Second Chronograph with a Jade Dial SJX Watches
Montblanc Introduces Nov 1, 2019

Montblanc Introduces the 1858 Split Second Chronograph with a Jade Dial

Following the launch of the one-of-a-kind 1858 Split Second Chronograph with a blue agate dial for the upcoming Only Watch charity auction, Montblanc has unveiled a limited edition in bronze with a nephrite jade dial. The eight-piece edition was created for Salón Internacional Alta Relojería (SIAR), a big watch fair in Mexico City attended by most major brands, explaining the green dial with red accents – a nod to the Mexican flag. Though the bronze-and-green livery has been applied to multiple models in the 1858 range, the new SIAR edition adds a fascinating point of departure, with the dial being a semiprecious stone rather than the usual lacquered brass. The dial is essentially a thin slice of nephrite, a mineral better known as jade. It’s usually dark green, but sometimes also yellow or white; white nephrite is known as “mutton fat” jade in China and highly prized. The other mineral also known as jade is jadeite, but it’s harder, denser and often found in brighter colours. Mechanically and aesthetically, the watch is as retro as it gets. The design of the dial was inspired by a pilot’s chronograph produced by Minerva in the 1930s. It has a double chronograph scales – a telemeter on the outer rim and a snail-shaped tachymeter in the centre. The rose-gold plated cathedral hands and Arabic numerals are coated with faux-aged lume, as on the regular production model. The red seconds numerals and hand adds a rich contrast against the pleasingly busy dial, ...

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(Hands-On) Is Zenith’s Chronomaster Revival A384 Terrific In Tropical? WatchAdvice
Zenith s Chronomaster Revival A384 5h ago

(Hands-On) Is Zenith’s Chronomaster Revival A384 Terrific In Tropical?

Zenith’s latest addition to the Chronomaster Revival line directly references its heritage models, but can the beauty of age be replicated? Let’s find out! What We Love: Old-world cues in a sepia tone Retro yet wearable case profile Ladder bracelet perfect for hotter temperatures What We Don’t: Sharp clasp still needs improving No hacking seconds Be old or look old? Overall Rating: 7.75/10 Value for Money: 7.5/10 Wearability: 8/10 Design: 8/10 Build Quality: 7.5/10 Just like us, watches get old. But vintage watches occupy the same space as old cars, Renaissance art, George Clooney and Anne Hathaway, in so far as they’ve aged gracefully. And while everyone wants a piece of that prime beauty, not everyone can get their hands on it. So too is the case for the original Zenith Ref. A384, first introduced in 1969 as the brand’s first-ever high-beat chronograph. Establishing the foundations for generations of Zenith watches to come, the A384 has since become a legend, rarely seen outside the upper echelons of vintage watch collecting. Getting your hands on one is near-impossible these days, as unfortunately we can’t rewind time to when their price tags was equivalent to peanuts. But what if we could fast-forward? That’s what Zenith asked itself when it introduced the Chronomaster Revival A384 in 2019. The first reference faithfully recreated the original A384 as if it had just rolled off the factory floor, with the iconic ladder bracelet following in 2020. This l...

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Choosing Between Good And Evil: The Omega Seamaster Diver 300M James Bond And Spectre Collection Fratello
Omega Seamaster Diver 300M James Oct 5, 2026

Choosing Between Good And Evil: The Omega Seamaster Diver 300M James Bond And Spectre Collection

Last week, Omega teased that something Bond-related was coming. If you visited the page for the Seamaster Diver 300M collection on Omega’s website, the brand’s logo would switch to the Spectre logo every few seconds. Today, on Global James Bond Day, we can reveal that the question of whether you pivot to the dark side […] Visit Choosing Between Good And Evil: The Omega Seamaster Diver 300M James Bond And Spectre Collection to read the full article.

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Seiko Surfaces with Prospex “Blue Tears” Limited Edition SJX Watches
Seiko Surfaces Oct 1, 2026

Seiko Surfaces with Prospex “Blue Tears” Limited Edition

The Seiko Prospex Diver’s Watch “Blue Tears” ref. HBB006 gives the familiar “Samurai” a subtle blue-on-blue colourway, with a bright blue seconds hand providing the contrast. Affordable, well made, and rugged without over-the-top styling, the regional limited edition preserves the practical appeal of Seiko’s entry-level Prospex diver. Initial thoughts I like the “Blue Tears” for much the same reason I like Seiko’s other straightforward divers — it’s purposeful without looking dull. The blue-on-blue palette helps, particularly the vibrant seconds hand, which suggests an understanding of colour theory. Throughout history, artists (and some high-end watch brands) have employed this formula to enhance the perceived “glow” of the lighter colour. Nature-inspired dials are familiar territory for Seiko, and blue remains a crowd favourite. At 41.7 mm in diameter and 12.3 mm thick, the case offers sensible proportions for a substantial steel diver, and the bracelet’s faceted links carry on the angular form of the lugs, distinguishing it from other dive watches in the Seiko collection. In short, the design succeeds in part because it’s not trying to look like something else — a common problem in the dive watch segment. Priced just under SGD954, the “Blue Tears” offers convincing value, reinforced by is 1,200-piece limitation and the included silicone strap. Seiko’s industrial scale continues to pay dividends in this segment, enabling the brand to...

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In-Depth: 200 Odd Years of Hacking Tourbillons SJX Watches
Breguet stopping Oct 1, 2026

In-Depth: 200 Odd Years of Hacking Tourbillons

Conventional wisdom holds that stopping a tourbillon for precise time setting — “hacking” in watchmaking parlance — is a difficult endeavor given the constant rotation of the cage. The hacking tourbillon wristwatch didn’t arrive until 2008, courtesy of the A. Lange & Söhne Cabaret. In fact, hacking of any sort remained a rarity until the last few decades — ironic, since the primary function of the seconds hand has arguably evolved from a way to assess accuracy into an indicator that a watch is running. Some brands are still in the process of adding stop-seconds features to their basic calibres, and hacking remains scarcer still in wristwatch tourbillons, appearing with regularity only in the last two decades. But building for the waistcoat pocket, historical watchmakers have been stopping tourbillons for almost as long as they’ve been building them, and developed a number of solutions for this problem along the way, each stopping the tourbillon, or merely the seconds, in a different way. Breguet – stopping the seconds without stopping the watch Almost 225 years ago to the year, the French Ministry of the Interior granted Abraham-Louis Breguet (1747 – 1823) a patent for his most famous creation, the tourbillon, a clever way to improve a watch’s marks during accuracy testing. For a mechanical watch to keep the same time across all vertical positions, the “balance complete” — comprised of the balance, staff, roller, collet and balance spring — mu...

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Introducing the Apiar Carbon1.0 OG Worn & Wound
Grand Seiko s new U.F.A movement Sep 18, 2026

Introducing the Apiar Carbon1.0 OG

Think about where we are in watchmaking in 2026. You could argue, pretty reasonably I think, that the problem of chronometry has basically been solved. We have access to mechanical watches that are accurate to seconds per month, and quartz watches that are accurate to seconds per year. There are advancements around the edges (Grand Seiko’s new U.F.A. movement comes to mind, the most accurate watch powered by a mainspring, accurate to 20 seconds per year), but it’s hard to imagine an advancement in timekeeping at this point that would actually be meaningful in our daily lives. For movement geeks, sure, shaving off seconds here and there will always be a fun new development, but for many we’ve reached a point of diminishing returns, where all that really matters are bragging rights by the brands (and those matter a lot – big marketing campaigns are built around them).  So where do the advancements come from in the years ahead? Many people with a lot more experience in this industry than me have discussed materials science as the next big step for watch brands, and we’ve certainly seen a lot of alternative materials used in cases and movements over the last few years. Once you go beyond the traditional steel, titanium, and precious metals that watch cases are normally made from, you open yourself up to manufacturing and creative options that are typically encountered across other industries, like the aerospace sector and medical manufacturing.  The UK based brand ...

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First Look - The Chronoswiss Neo Digiteur Pastel Code Brings Fresh Tones to the Collection Monochrome
Chronoswiss Neo Digiteur Pastel Code Sep 10, 2026

First Look - The Chronoswiss Neo Digiteur Pastel Code Brings Fresh Tones to the Collection

Chronoswiss founder Gerd Lang will forever be remembered as the watchmaker who produced the world’s first serially produced wristwatch with a regulator layout in 1987. Without a shared central axis, the separation of hours, minutes and seconds characteristic of regulators connects directly to the Digiteur of 2005, a digital regulator with jumping hours at noon, […]

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Introducing - The A. Lange & Söhne Triple Split is back in Platinum with a Rhodium-Coloured Dial Monochrome
A. Lange & Sohne Sep 4, 2026

Introducing - The A. Lange & Söhne Triple Split is back in Platinum with a Rhodium-Coloured Dial

We’ve said it before: not all chronographs are created equal, and few extend the limits of mechanical short-time measurement as far as the A. Lange & Söhne Triple Split. Since its launch in 2018, this watch has occupied a unique position in modern watchmaking as the only split-seconds chronograph capable of measuring intermediate and comparative […]

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Hands On: Ferdinand Berthoud Chronometre FB 2TV SJX Watches
Voutilainen demonstrate demand Aug 14, 2026

Hands On: Ferdinand Berthoud Chronometre FB 2TV

Now beginning its second decade under the leadership of Chopard Co-President Karl-Friedrich Scheufele, Ferdinand Berthoud (FB) has introduced the Chronomètre FB 2TV.1, the first model in the new Mesure du Temps 1787 collection. The FB 2TV represents an evolution of the brand’s long-running chain-and-fusee architecture, adding zero-reset seconds and a flying tourbillon, and inverting the calibre to exhibit its key functional elements on the dial side. Initial thoughts It’s hard to believe that it has been ten years since the debut of Ferdinand Berthoud as a contemporary brand. It was clear from the outset that FB had big ambitions, launching its first model with a chain and fusee mechanism. Since then, FB has maintained admirably high standards for itself, and while not all of the designs appeal to me, the obvious effort that goes into every watch — each FB 2TV receives more than 300 hours of decoration — has won the brand a durable position near the top of the industry. Now beginning its second decade, FB has released the first watch in a new collection that portends a more mechanically expressive style, with features like the chain and fusee inverted to the dial side. This approach isn’t original, but the success of other ‘inverted’ movements from independents like Kari Voutilainen demonstrate demand for the format. Quirky designs Ferdinand Berthoud, an 18th-century pioneer of the spring detent escapement among other breakthroughs, approached watchmaking fr...

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