683 articles · 3 videos found · page 13 of 23
Monochrome
Ben Küffer hit the ground running with the launch of his start-up watch brand Norqain in 2018. Thanks to a good network of family and friends associated with the watch industry, Ben counted on the support of his father, Marc Küffer, who owned and managed a prominent Swiss private label manufacturer, Ted Schneider, a member […]
Monochrome
In 2021, Bianchet, an independent, family-owned and family-operated brand, unveiled its inaugural creation, the B1.618 Tourbillon Openworked. This limited edition timepiece established the foundation for Bianchet’s design language and ethos. Building upon this foundation, the brand introduced subsequent releases, including the B1.618 Grande Date and, for this year, the B1.618 Flying Tourbillon Sport GMT. True […]
Monochrome
If you’re on this website, reading the latest article in my diving test series, there’s a pretty good chance that you have at least a passing familiarity with Sinn watches. There is an equally good chance that most of your non-watch-nerd friends, family, and colleagues do not. Flying just under the radar, Sinn has been […]
Hodinkee
Family, tragedy, wrestling, and Rolex anchor our watch-related movie of the week.
Monochrome
The roots of Chopard trace back to 1860 when Louis Ulysse Chopard founded his company in Sonvilier, Switzerland. The Scheufele family took over the company in the 1960s. Under their stewardship, Chopard experienced a renaissance and evolved from a traditional watchmaking company into a globally renowned luxury brand. Chopard is a vertically integrated, family-owned company, […]
SJX Watches
Patek Philippe has just reopened its longstanding boutique in the Marina Bay Sands (MBS) casino resort in Singapore, after a renovation that gave the store a wall-to-wall makeover. Operated in partnership with Cortina Watch, a family-owned retailer that’s one of the brand’s biggest partners, the boutique features the brand’s latest store aesthetic that nonetheless remains recognisable with it use of dark and pale woods along with brass. Located in a choice location near the entrance to the gaming floor, the boutique covers 262 sq m, or over 2,800 sq ft. As is increasingly the practice for watch stores, the space is not just a showroom to display watches, but also includes an exhibit on Patek Philippe’s history as well as a lounge area with a bar. An enduring partnership One of Southeast Asia’s biggest retailers, Cortina became a Patek Philippe retailer in 1972. Twenty-twenty tw0 marked Cortina’s 50th year with Patek Philippe, an occasion marked by the Calatrava ref. 5057G, one of the rare instances the Geneva brand created a reference specifically for a retailer. Cortina established the first Patek Philippe boutique in Singapore in 2010, with the MBS story opening a year later. The retailer now operates more than half a dozen Patek Philippe boutiques in Asia, including stores in Hong Kong and Taiwan. The Patek Philippe Calatrava ref. 5057G made for Cortina’s 50th anniversary in 2022 The MBS boutique is the first in Singapore to feature the brand’s latest...
Teddy Baldassarre
Louis Erard is one of those Swiss watch brands that may have registered on your radar only recently - earning both enthusiast buzz and critical acclaim in the past few years thanks to its very high-profile partnerships with indie watchmakers whose own timepieces might otherwise be unattainable. How did Louis Erard, which actually traces its origins all the way back to the Great Depression, manage to finally find its niche in the 21st Century? Family Foundations Born in 1893 in La Chaux-de-Fonds, a historical hub of Swiss watchmaking, Louis Erard discovered his horological vocation early. In the early 1900s, he began plying his trade as a watchmaker for several of the town’s workshops, and in 1929 founded a watchmaking school where he served as instructor. At the same time, Erard started a watchmaking business with a partner named André Perret, originally as an “assembler” of complete timepieces for third parties using parts supplied by independent artisans. By 1931, the partnership was dissolved and Erard became a producer of watches under his own eponymous brand name. The company grew in the following decades, with Erard’s two sons, René and Jean-Louis, joining in 1945. Among the company’s milestones during this early period was helping to develop the now-legendary Valjoux 72 chronograph caliber. In 1956, Louis Erard, which still used third-party movements in its own watches, advanced to the next stage of horological prestige, starting production of it...
Monochrome
Watches have always been intertwined with big historical events all over the world. Many are connected to pivotal events or influential people, such as the Omega Speedmaster and the Apollo 11 mission that landed on the Moon or the watches worn by King Charles III of the British royal family. But some watches are not […]
Monochrome
In a relatively short span of time, Norqain has consolidated an attractive portfolio of watches designed for rugged outdoor activities. Grouped into three collections – Adventure, Independence and Freedom – the brand releases new colours on two limited-edition chronographs from the popular Adventure family. Adventure Sport Chrono 44mm Norqain expands the colour range of […]
Monochrome
Consistently ranked as one of the world’s most valuable luxury brands, Hermès is still a family-run business with a flair for producing exquisite products. Renowned for its superlative leather goods and silk scarves, you might be surprised to know that the sale of watches at Hermès is enjoying a record high. Creativity, artisanship and a […]
Monochrome
With the addition of the Free Bridge models to the Bridges family in 2020, Girard-Perregaux articulated its vision, stating that “with these models, our master watchmakers have reimagined the company’s famous Bridges, first seen in the 1860s“. The goal was to create a seamless connection between tradition and modernity, tradition being the prominent movement bridges […]
Monochrome
Hermès, a French powerhouse of everything luxury that is still mostly owned by the direct descendants of the founder (the Hermès dynasty and the Dumas family), is in a class of its own. The same goes when it comes to the Group’s watch division, Hermès Horloger. A discreet giant of the watch industry, Hermès has […]
Monochrome
Zenith’s Defy family is represented by seven sub-collections, including the recent Defy Skyline range. The name of the collection dates to Zenith’s 1902 line of robust pocket watches bearing the name ‘Defi’ only to pop up again in 1969 to distinguish the toughest member of the first El Primero references. For the Defy Skyline collection, […]
Fratello
Imagine a statement piece that combines high-end mechanics with animated art to create a wrist-mounted spectacle. Louis Moinet’s Astronef Techno does just that, turning heads for all the right reasons. As an extension of the Astronef family, its flying satellite double tourbillon now perches above a color-bursting, microelectronic dial crafted from silicon wafers. The novelty […] Visit Louis Moinet Presents The Astronef Techno Unique Piece to read the full article.
Fratello
Last year, Thomas gave an introduction to Citizen’s Miyota operation, with a focus on the Miyota 9-series movements and their use in many microbrands we are familiar with. The consensus is that this popular family of automatic calibers offers plenty in terms of specifications, variety, customization, and value. Today, I’m looking at the 8-series movements, […] Visit A Look At Miyota’s 8-Series Movements For Microbrands to read the full article.
Revolution
Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons – Revolution Top Retailers 2024 As the number one luxury watch retailer in the UAE since 1950, Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons and its signature global event, Dubai Watch Week, has single-handedly put Dubai on the luxury haute horlogerie map. Behind this retail behemoth is the Seddiqi family whose key members include […]
Revolution
Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons – Revolution Top Retailers 2024 As the number one luxury watch retailer in the UAE since 1950, Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons and its signature global event, Dubai Watch Week, has single-handedly put Dubai on the luxury haute horlogerie map. Behind this retail behemoth is the Seddiqi family whose key members include […]
Revolution
Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons – Revolution Top Retailers 2024 As the number one luxury watch retailer in the UAE since 1950, Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons and its signature global event, Dubai Watch Week, has single-handedly put Dubai on the luxury haute horlogerie map. Behind this retail behemoth is the Seddiqi family whose key members include […]
Revolution
Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons – Revolution Top Retailers 2024 As the number one luxury watch retailer in the UAE since 1950, Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons and its signature global event, Dubai Watch Week, has single-handedly put Dubai on the luxury haute horlogerie map. Behind this retail behemoth is the Seddiqi family whose key members include […]
Monochrome
This year marks the 20th anniversary of Grand Seiko‘s introduction of the 9R movement, featuring its revolutionary Spring Drive technology. The concept, conceived in the 1970s and which took decades to implement, aimed to blend the force of a mainspring with electronic watchmaking technology and surpass the precision of conventional mechanical watches. Now, 9R-family calibres […]
Monochrome
Hermès has a distinctive gift for infusing its mechanical timepieces with a dash of poetry. The Arceau family, home to the lyrical Temps Suspendu model that can suspend time on demand, also taps into the band’s equestrian ties, referencing the brand’s origins as a producer of harnesses and saddles in Paris in the mid-19th century. […]
Monochrome
The Maurice Lacroix Aikon is a regular candidate in our buying guides dedicated to accessibly priced sports watches. With its 1970s-shaped sports watch vibe, integrated bracelet, easy strap exchange system, solid build, automatic movement and competitive price, the Aikon ticks the boxes associated with this popular segment. The latest model to join the family is […]
Teddy Baldassarre
Raymond Weil, founded in 1975 by its eponym and now owned and operated by the Bernheim family, is one of only a handful of independently owned Swiss watchmaking companies, alongside historic, prestigious maisons like Patek Philippe and Audemars Piguet. The Geneva-based company, however, occupies a different niche than those two high-horology powerhouses, having firmly established itself as a purveyor of “affordable luxury” - producing well-designed watches with wide appeal that nevertheless rarely gain attention in the upper echelons of horological connoisseurship. That all changed in 2023, however, when the sublimely refined design of the brand’s Millesime Small Seconds model took the coveted Challenge award in the year’s Grand Prix d’Horlogerie Genève (GPHG), the watch world’s equivalent of the Oscars. With its sober but meticulously embellished sector dial and slender case, the watch represents a throwback to a style of understatedly elegant dress watch that few seem to be making anymore. I had a chance to wear one for a couple weeks for a hands-on review. (To get Teddy's video take on the watch on our dedicated Reviews channel, click here.) Case: The round stainless steel case of the Millesime (the term comes from the world of fine wine, and appropriately translates to “vintage”) will settle perfectly into many enthusiasts’ sweet spot, at 39mm in diameter, and its thickness of just under 11mm (10.9mm, to be super-precise) will ensure that it set...
Worn & Wound
Our love of wristwatches is part of a greater passion for mechanical things of all kinds and sizes. On one end, analog cars capture our imaginations, while on the smaller side, something as simple as a well-executed ballpoint pen can also provide satisfaction. That’s exactly why we are dedicating today’s Chronicle to highlight a few of the pens from the Shop. Here are three we would happily use and recommend to family and friends. All three happen to also be featured in promotions and sales, so hop on over to the Windup Watch Shop Pen Page to discover these – and many more – today. If what you are looking for is out of stock, don’t sweat it; we are constantly checking and restocking pens. And, of course, remember to sign up for our rewards program to earn points with every purchase. Our love of wristwatches is part of a greater passion for mechanical things of all kinds and sizes. On one end, analog cars capture our imaginations, while on the smaller side, something as simple as a well-executed ballpoint pen can also provide satisfaction. That’s exactly why we are dedicating today’s Chronicle to highlight a few of the pens from the Shop. Here are three we would happily use and recommend to family and friends. All three happen to also be featured in promotions and sales, so hop on over to the Windup Watch Shop Pen Page to discover these – and many more – today. If what you are looking for is out of stock, don’t sweat it; we are constantly checking and ...
Worn & Wound
Delma is celebrating its Centennial Anniversary in 2024. Family owned and operated in Lengnau, Switzerland, Delma watches has been in continuous production since its inception in 1924. To mark this tremendous milestone, they have created something quite special. Introducing the Delma 1924 Tourbillon. Yes, you read that correctly, a Tourbillon, limited to just 100 pieces. Historically, the Tourbillon complication has been reserved for ultra high-end watch brands to flex their horological muscles, while at the same time commanding equally high prices. In recent years, however, brands like Tag Heuer and Horage have brought these prices down to the realm of relative affordability. Delma wanted to do the same, while also making sure the movement was 100% Swiss. What is the big deal with Tourbillons? Simply put, the Tourbillon places the escapement and regulator within a rotating cage that revolves 360 degrees in 60 seconds, effectively negating any positional errors. Tourbillon calibers have a reputation for being rather delicate, and are often fitted to dress watches in precious metals. With the help of their Swiss supply partners, Delma has gone the extra mile to ensure these watches are shock resistant to 5000g and antimagnetic to 2000 gauss. This sporty 41mm hand wound watch is made of 316L stainless steel and is nearly completely brushed, except for the beveled edges lining the top of the case. There is a display back, to admire the movement and it is fitted to a matchin...
Teddy Baldassarre
The Patek Philippe Aquanaut is one of the younger members in Patek Philippe’s historic family of timepieces but it has already gained an avid following and represents to many collectors the most accessible entrée into the Swiss watchmaker’s luxurious universe. Here is everything you need to know about the Aquanaut, from its origins to its current status as a versatile and wide-ranging collection. A History of Watchmaking Milestones Since its founding in 1839 in Geneva, Patek Philippe has been a leader in high watchmaking, pioneering many complications and design elements that are now ubiquitous throughout the watch industry. Polish watchmakers Antoine Norbert de Patek and Francois Czapek partnered to form the original company, Patek, Czapek, & Cie.; French horologist Jean Adrien Philippe, who invented the keyless winding and setting system still standard on watches today, joined in 1845, and the Genevan manufacture has been known as Patek Philippe ever since. Among its many horological milestones are the first annual calendar watch and the first wristwatches with perpetual calendars and split-seconds chronographs. In 1932, brothers Jean and Henri Stern acquired Patek Philippe and the same year launched the watch that would become its signature, the Calatrava (above), inspired by the ancient Calatrava cross that had served as the maison’s logo since 1887. The following year, Patek Philippe made timekeeping history when it commissioned a record-setting complicated ...
Worn & Wound
The new class satire Saltburn features some prominent watch-shots-protagonist Ollie Quick (Barry Keoghan) wears a Casio, his friend Felix Catton (Jacob Elordi) can be seen sporting a Rolex Bubbleback, and Felix’s mother Lady Elspeth Catton (Rosamund Pike) wears a Chopard Happy Diamonds, as Quick tricks his way into the family’s good graces before betraying them all. In films that seek to emphasize class differences, luxury goods like wristwatches are often easy visual stand-ins to show a difference between their worlds, a trick Saltburn is far from the first film to employ. From Saltburn, Barry Keoghan and Jacob Elordi wearing Casio and Rolex. Amazon Studios Ollie’s digital Casio fits in with the nice but inexpensive aesthetic of the social-climbing character, while Felix’s Rolex Bubbleback-reportedly Elordi’s own watch-speaks to the character’s inherited wealth and how he treats it as casually as the vintage timepiece he pairs with a Livestrong rubber bracelet. Felix’s mother, Lady Elspeth Catton (Rosamund Pike), wears a Chopard Happy Diamonds befitting a socialite party girl who married into an old money family. At the end of the film, the link between class and watches is highlighted once more when a now-adult and wealthier Ollie is seen to have traded his Casio for a Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso. Other “eat-the-rich” films in recent years have used wristwatches similarly: Take, for another example, last year’s The Menu in which the ultra wealthy R...
Worn & Wound
The last few months are, and always have been, the busiest time of the year to travel. In many ways, the Thanksgiving crowd is far more predictable since the holiday falls on the same day each year. The opposite is true for the end of December as family and friends hustle to jet around the country (and the world). Having a timepiece you can rely on as you make and execute your travel plans is more than a practical consideration; it can also be a comforting companion when far from home. On this edition of new Year’s Resolutions Friday, we want to highlight watches that can be such companions – this one is for all of you who are traveling this season and for those who intend to travel more in the new year. Bon voyage! The last few months are, and always have been, the busiest time of the year to travel. In many ways, the Thanksgiving crowd is far more predictable since the holiday falls on the same day each year. The opposite is true for the end of December as family and friends hustle to jet around the country (and the world). Having a timepiece you can rely on as you make and execute your travel plans is more than a practical consideration; it can also be a comforting companion when far from home. On this edition of new Year’s Resolutions Friday, we want to highlight watches that can be such companions – this one is for all of you who are traveling this season and for those who intend to travel more in the new year. Bon voyage! The post New Year’s Resolutions Fri...
Worn & Wound
If you’re a fan of Marvel Comics or the Marvel Cinematic Universe, then you’re in for a treat, as Adam Kubert – true comic book royalty – has established a relationship with Citizen, illustrating Marvel characters on watch dials. As watch enthusiasts, I know you won’t shy away from a history lesson. So, before I launch into my interview with Adam, it’s important to understand the impact the Kubert family has had for over 70 years in comics. The prolific Joe Kubert, Adam’s father (who we lost back in 2012), began illustrating comics in the 1940s. He became renowned for his work, especially with DC Comics characters like Sgt. Rock and Hawkman. Joe Kubert was also the founder of The Kubert School in Dover, New Jersey that is still the only accredited school dedicated entirely to cartooning. The institution is responsible for churning out many of the great illustrators we have today. Adam Kubert and his brother, Andy Kubert, went on to become staples in the comic book industry, as well as teachers at The Kubert School. Adam and Andy’s niece, Katie Kubert, was an editor for both Marvel and DC Comics, and Andy’s daughter Emma Kubert is also a comic book illustrator. In essence, not only does talent for art and storytelling run in the blood, but for decades they’ve instilled that creativity in others. Adam has been in comics for five decades, illustrating comics for 35 years, the last 30 with Marvel, and has been hands-on with all our favorite characters: W...
Monochrome
Maurice de Mauriac is a family-run watch business based in Zurich. Founded by the late Daniel Dreifuss in 1997, it is now in the hands of his three children. With four basic collections and a section dedicated to collaborations, the brand has a strong affinity for 1980s styling and does not shy away from colour. […]
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