Hodinkee
Photo Report: Inside The Whimsical Workshop Of François Junod, Master Of Automata
A treasure trove of living machines from the king of mechanical artistry.
34,826 articles · 157 videos found · page 140 of 1167
Hodinkee
A treasure trove of living machines from the king of mechanical artistry.
Worn & Wound
One of the most reliable events on the watch release calendar every year is a glut of new watches in January celebrating the lunar new year, which this year begins on February 17. This is a very important holiday in many Asian countries, and brands with an international focus are not shy about dropping limited editions throughout the month to appeal (primarily) to customers in those territories. Of course, very often the watches themselves are quite cool outside the context of the lunar new year celebration itself, and it’s always kind of a fun spectator sport to see what brands come up with. Typically, brands will riff on the animal associated with a given year, and this year it’s the fire horse. First out of the gate: Oris, with the new Year of the Horse Limited Edition. The Year of the Horse Limited Edition can be defined by two prominent features: deep red tones, and the use of the Calibre 113 movement. The movement is somewhat unusual and not used frequently in the Oris catalog, so we’ll start there. This is a manually wound caliber with an impressive ten day power reserve, and also includes a “business calendar” that provides the day, date, and also displays the week of the year via a scale at the dial’s perimeter. The week indicator is an unusual, old-fashioned feature that holds a lot of charm, and provides an easy visual reference for how deep we are into a given year. The watch has a dark red dial with lighter red fumé subdials at 3 and 9 that in...
Monochrome
Fitting for a brand that harnesses the horsepower of the racetrack in its watches, TAG Heuer releases a Carrera Chronograph to celebrate the Year of the Fire Horse. Representing the seventh animal sign in the Chinese zodiac, the horse will rule the roost of the 12 zodiac animals starting on 17 February 2026. The model […]
Fratello
In this video, we go hands-on with Omega’s recently released Speedmaster Grey Side of the Moon. We covered it in-depth here, but also decided to shoot a video with this new ceramic Speedmaster. If the video above doesn’t play, please visit our YouTube channel to watch it there. Inspired by Apollo 8 In this video, I went […] Visit Video: Hands-On With The Omega Speedmaster Grey Side Of The Moon to read the full article.
Deployant
Seiko 145 anniversary of the founding of Seiko by Kintaro Hattori releases 4 new models in their key collections of King Seiko, Prospex, Pressage and Aston.
SJX Watches
Seiko founder established a watch store in Tokyo’s Ginza district in 1881, and for the occasion the watchmaker has unveiled a quartet of 145th anniversary watches representing the best of its affordable offerings. While each model is different, all share gilded elements as a unifying motif. The collection is led by a pair of three-hand watches, the King Seiko KS1969 SJE121 and Presage Classic Series “Craftsmanship” Enamel Dial SPB538. While the two three-hand editions are arguably the more interesting of the 145th anniversary line-up, the collection also includes a pair of chronographs, the automatic Prospex Speedtimer SRQ059 and solar-powered Astron GPS SSH186. King Seiko SJE12 (left), and Presage Classic SPB538 Initial thoughts Seiko rolls out numerous anniversary watches on a frequent basis, so the anniversary theme itself isn’t a big deal. The 145th anniversary models, however, are appealing in themselves, especially the pair of three-hand models. The top-of-the-line anniversary edition is the King Seiko KS1969, which is far more striking than the regular production model, and certainly worth the modest premium in price. The Presage, on the other hand, is another iteration of the early-wristwatch-style case that Seiko has done before, but not that often. Gold plating is not appropriate on an expensive watch, but the Presage is affordable so it gets a pass. The enamel dial and cuff-style strap are a nice touch that gives the watch a surprisingly vintage feel. ...
Monochrome
Seiko has influenced and continues to shape modern horology as only a few watchmakers can. From its origins in 1881, when Kintaro Hattori opened a small shop in Tokyo, to becoming a global powerhouse in precision timekeeping, Seiko’s history is a register of constant innovation. Over the decades, the brand has delivered some of watchmaking’s […]
Worn & Wound
I’ve never had many gold-tone watches in my collection, and it’s simply because I don’t have much gold jewelry to match. The benefit to this is that I’ve always been incredibly critical of the gold-tone watches I contemplate adding to my collection, knowing that I only want a few in my watch box overall. I acquired this 5T52-7A19 a couple of months ago after a spur-of-the-moment faceoff between me and the “buy it now” button on eBay. While I had owned a model from Seiko’s Age of Discovery line many years ago, I had never come into contact with one of the higher-end models from the collection. I’ve remained true to my self-implemented rule for gold-tone watches, meaning that this model will have the honor of forcing my hand to sell off another piece from the watch box. If you’ve been thinking about adding another gold-tone watch to your collection, let me introduce you to a staunch contender. Brief Overview of the Age of Discovery Line and -7A19 Model The Seiko Age of Discovery was introduced sometime between 1990 and 1992 to coincide with the 500th anniversary of Christopher Columbus’ 1492 voyage. Based on the historical time period of the same name, the Age of Discovery series is heavily influenced by the nautical theming associated with the many expeditions of European travelers between the 15th and 17th centuries. Many of the line’s watches feature motifs that harken back to crucial aspects of seafaring travel, sporting iconography such as maps, ...
Deployant
TAG Heuer's release for the Chinese New Year of the Horse is now released and available immediately. The watch is based on the Carrera Chronograph.
Monochrome
One of Johannes Dürrstein’s objectives when he founded Glashütter Uhrenfabrik Union in 1893 was to produce high-quality watches at affordable prices to cater to a broader range of customers. His philosophy of keeping movements simple and cutting down on superlative frills made Dürrstein an early champion of “affordable luxury.” Following the company’s demise in the […]
Fratello
In the second half of 2023, Tudor quietly dropped what would turn out to be one of its most interesting modern dive watches, the Black Bay 54. This 37mm watch instantly became the smallest Black Bay diver in the lineup and slotted in neatly alongside the Black Bay 58 and its standard 41mm counterpart. My […] Visit Battle Of The Black Bays: Tudor Black Bay 54 Vs. Black Bay 58 to read the full article.
Monochrome
Like in watches, I look forward to news on pretty much a daily basis when it comes to cars. My timelines on any of the social media platforms are dominated by a mix of brands, collectors and enthusiasts, media outlets, industry insiders and anything in between on three topics: watches (duh!), cars (duh again!) and […]
Two Broke Watch Snobs
Looking for your first mechanical watch? We share proven, hands-on picks we’ve worn and tested, so you can start confidently without wasting time and money.
Monochrome
Independent Finnish master watchmaker Kari Voutilainen is regarded as one of the best in his field. Working from his atelier in Motiers, which he founded in 2002, Voutilainen is known for his high-end watches with in-house movements and hand-guilloché dials. His latest watch, the 216TMZ Worldtime, features a movement with a direct-impulse double escapement, first […]
Fratello
Happy New Year, everyone! We hope you had a great end to 2025 and a fresh start to 2026. On this first Friday of the year, we continue our series of lists covering the best watches of 2025. Today’s list highlights watches that you may have overlooked last year. Here are the five watches that […] Visit Fratello’s Top 5 Surprising Watches Of 2025 - Featuring Richard Mille, Louis Vuitton, And More to read the full article.
Monochrome
While many brands bowed to the prevailing trends of 2025 with downsized case sizes, expressive dial colours, a newfound taste for shaped watches, and a deluge of stone dials, the art of high-end horology was, thankfully, not forsaken. A particularly prolific year, we’ve seen some impressive horological innovations from wafer-thin or high-speed tourbillons to an […]
Worn & Wound
Our annual Watch of the Year post is here, and as always it’s a celebration of the diversity and strength of the enthusiast community. There’s a little of everything represented here, from the platonic idea of the Seiko diver, to highly experimental and ultra-modern, to emerging microbrands offering incredible value. But it’s not just about the watches themselves – every year has individual watches that are successful in the ways that get them onto lists like these. It’s the way our team assesses them, and gets to the heart of what makes a watch great, or interesting, or challenging. We hope you enjoy our roundup of our team’s favorite watches of 2025. Let us know yours in the comments below, and Happy New Year! Christoph McNeill For my Watch of the Year this year, I of course went with a Seiko. I know, no surprise there, but consistency is a good thing right? What can I say, I absolutely love Seiko. And I’m not just a homer, they really do put out killer stuff year after year. I nearly picked one of the amazing and beautiful Grand Seikos (the SLGW007 ‘birch’ dial), but I’ve written about the Grand Seikos a lot, and as stunning as they are, I’m a dive watch guy at heart and there is one Seiko diver that really blew me away this year. I’m talking about the Seiko Prospex Marinemaster SLA081 Limited Edition “Shinkai” diver. For brevity’s sake I’ll just refer to it as the Shinkai from here on out. The Shinkai diver is modeled after the OG ...
SJX Watches
Episode 24 of the SJX Podcast covers the surprises and unexpected developments of 2025, a year marked by significant material innovation and bold statements from established brands. In this final episode of 2025, SJX and Brandon discuss Rolex’s landmark Land-Dweller with its revolutionary Dynapulse escapement, Breguet’s experimental magnetic constant-force mechanism that achieved unprecedented precision, and TAG Heuer’s industrialization of carbon hairsprings. Vacheron Constantin also surprised with an extraordinary 150 kg astronomical clock created for its 270th anniversary, temporarily displayed at the Louvre alongside a companion wristwatch. Thank you to all our listeners for joining us throughout 2025 – happy new year! Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Youtube.
Hodinkee
The Land-Dweller is the talk of the watch world.
Hodinkee
Kari Voutilainen bids farewell to the VINGT-8 movement platform as of December 31, 2025, and introduced a new KV21 hand-wound that will be the brand's base for the future.
Teddy Baldassarre
When it comes to luxury watchmaking, Switzerland has unequivocally established itself as the heart of the industry. Numerous brands call its capital city home, and over centuries have set a high standard for industry at large by continuously raising the bar, in turn becoming household names. That bar for quality is hig
Deployant
Swatch releases a special edition to celebrate the Year of the Horse with a special art piece in collaboration with Chinese artist Yu Wenjie.
Hodinkee
We go inside amazing venues, good friends, and yes, look at a whole lot of Rolex (and more).
Monochrome
While we tend to cover a lot of very expensive watches on a regular basis, and prices generally seem to be on the up-and-up year after year, it’s comforting to know some brands still excel at good, honest, value-for-money watchmaking. This year, established names are joined by a few new ones to offer a rather […]
SJX Watches
Episode 23 of the SJX Podcast looks at value propositions under US$10,000. It was a mixed year for affordable watches, but the highlights include Tudor, which continued to refine its sports watch formula with the well-received Ranger 36, and several micro-brands that made compelling cases for themselves with distinctive designs and upgraded movements. Key releases from Christopher Ward, Albishorn, and Kollokium demonstrated there’s still room for creativity and innovation at accessible price points, even as some established players moved upmarket. The Grand Seiko UFA, which is priced just on the other side of the five-figure mark, is also compelling and may be worth a splurge. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Youtube.
Fratello
Every year, the watch industry delivers a flood of releases that range from quietly brilliant to perhaps a little forgettable. Indeed, 2025 has been no different. Amid anniversary reissues, limited editions, and the like, a handful of releases stood out to me as watches that genuinely got things right. These are not necessarily the most […] Visit Fratello Favorites: The Best Watches Of 2025 - Henry’s Picks From IWC, Seiko, Longines, And More to read the full article.
Monochrome
Ever since the creation of MONOCHROME, the idea of Frank Geelen, our Founder, has been to educate readers about the world of watches at large, whether by explaining some of the most complex technical features (let me quote him) “in a way your mother could understand it”, by bringing attention to independent watchmakers that mainstream […]
Monochrome
Last year was already our most productive year when it comes to video content, but this year we did it all over again, plus a bit more! We published almost 100 videos and generated close to 6 million views with our channel, which is just amazing. We did tons of video reviews throughout the years, […]
Fratello
We’re just a few extra days away from the end of 2025. While the watchmaking industry remains in flux due to global economic uncertainties, creatively, this year has been one of the best in recent memory. When product success isn’t guaranteed, brands tend to target the well-off collectors who are wealthy enough to weather the […] Visit Fratello Favorites: The Best Watches Of 2025 - Ben’s Picks From Vacheron Constantin, Oris, Breitling, And More to read the full article.
Monochrome
Watches with integrated bracelets and elegant-sports designs remain popular. While the hype seems to have cooled slightly, the category continues to be very competitive, but also creative. From big watchmaking brands refining icons to young independents challenging the rules, 2025 has produced a stellar mix of timepieces that combine innovation, design, and craftsmanship. We’ve selected […]
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