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Reflecting on Ten Years of the Sensational De Bethune DB28 – Reprise Quill & Pad
Audemars Piguet Oct 14, 2023

Reflecting on Ten Years of the Sensational De Bethune DB28 – Reprise

It’s been more than ten years since the De Bethune DB28 won the Aiguille d’Or at the Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève. Effectively the “Best Picture” at the “Oscars” of watchmaking, this recognition placed De Bethune among the elite company of Aiguille d’Or winners such as F.P. Journe, Greubel Forsey, Breguet, Audemars Piguet, A. Lange & Söhne, and Patek Philippe. A decade removed from its Hollywood ending, the DB28 remains a grail watch in every sense.

Alsta Refreshes the Nautoscaph with Three Vintage Inspired Skin Divers Worn & Wound
Oct 11, 2023

Alsta Refreshes the Nautoscaph with Three Vintage Inspired Skin Divers

Fans of the skin diver, the easy to wear style of dive watch that has become core to the watch-nerd lifestyle in recent years, will be excited to hear about the new Nautoscaph Skin Divers from Alsta, a watch brand that was truly there at the beginning of the skin diver movement in the heyday of recreational SCUBA diving decades ago. It’s very easy, in my opinion, to see the appeal of the skin diver. They were made to be an approachable alternative to more professional oriented dive watches years ago, and those design characteristics that made them appealing in the 60s and 70s remain alluring today. These watches tend to have smaller case sizes that are thinner and easier to handle than bigger, chunkier divers that are rated to go much deeper. Plus, you still get an ultra practical, highly legible dial. Ditto for the timing bezel. What’s not to like?  Alsta is perhaps best known these days for being associated, somewhat loosely, with Jaws, which we covered earlier this year in podcast form. Richard Dreyfuss, as Matt Hooper, wore an Alsta throughout the film, in a way that can only be described as inconspicuous and incredibly casual. It just feels like the right kind of watch for a character who might or might not need to do a little diving, and it looks at home topside in a variety of situations, which is part of the point of a skin diver to begin with. The new Nautoscaphs seen here certainly have a similar vibe, and would make sense on the wrist of Matt Hooper or his ...

Timor Launches a Contemporary Take on their Classic “Dirty Dozen” Watch Worn & Wound
Oct 10, 2023

Timor Launches a Contemporary Take on their Classic “Dirty Dozen” Watch

Field watches, as Zach alluded to earlier this week, are, in some sense, the best kind of watch. Free from extraneous moving parts or features, field watches are designed to do what watches do – tell time legibly and not break. At no point was this more necessary than during World War II when Britain’s Ministry of Defense issued a request for durable watches under the specification “WWW”: wrist, watch, waterproof. One of the famous 12 companies (AKA the Dirty Dozen) that answered the call was the Timor Watch Company. The rest, as they say, is history, and eight decades later we have the modern successor to the Timor WWW. Let’s get the specs out of the way: The new Modern Field 100M’s case is PVD-coated 316L steel for maximum stealth, and the domed crystal is also treated to combat glare. Timor has elected to preserve the watch’s historic 36.5mm size while keeping the remaining dimensions very reasonable: 12mm thick, 45.5mm lug to lug (18mm lug width), and 94 grams on the seat belt nylon strap. Inside is a modified Sellita SW260 movement. Water resistance is 100 meters, which Timor considers perfect “in rain, river, or during a rigorous workout.” The dial of the Modern Field 100M is what you would expect from a no-nonsense watch: Large Arabic hour markers paired with their 24-hour equivalents. Along the chapter ring is a smaller scale of 5-minute increments. Simple pencil hour and minute hands, carried over from the original Timor Dirty Dozen, make time-te...

Visiting the F.P. Journe Manufacture SJX Watches
Vacheron Constantin Laurent Ferrier Oct 10, 2023

Visiting the F.P. Journe Manufacture

I recently had the opportunity to see how the philosophy of “in-house” plays out in real life with a behind-the-scenes tour of the F.P. Journe manufacture in Geneva, and its newly opened case and dial factory in Meyrin, Les Cadraniers de Genève (CDG) and Les Boîtiers de Genève (BDG). The tour was impressive in its thoroughness and transparency. Montres Journe, the entity that makes F.P. Journe watches, comprises three entities at two sites in the Geneva metro area. The first is the F.P. Journe manufacture in downtown Geneva – incidentally not far from the Patek Philippe Museum – where all F.P. Journe movements are designed and manufactured, and where all watches are finished, assembled, and tested. The reception room at the Geneva manufacture. When F.P. Journe launched in 1999, this room was the entire production space for the brand, which subsequently acquired the rest of the building. The original production space is now a reception area and home to a portion of the Jean-Claude Sabrier library, acquired in 2015. The other two entities are Les Cadraniers de Genève (CDG) and Les Boîtiers de Genève (BDG) – which translate literally as “The Dial Makers of Geneva” and “The Case Makers of Geneva”. The two recently moved into a new building where CDG makes dials for F.P. Journe as well as third-party clients like Vacheron Constantin, Laurent Ferrier, and numerous other elite brands, while in contrast BDG makes cases and bracelets exclusively for F.P. Jou...

MAEN Launches the Third Version of their Skymaster 38 with a New Movement and a Surprising Collaborator Worn & Wound
Maen Oct 9, 2023

MAEN Launches the Third Version of their Skymaster 38 with a New Movement and a Surprising Collaborator

MAEN Watches has relaunched their vintage inspired Skymaster 38 chronograph over the weekend, adding three new updated references to the collection, including a surprising limited edition. The Skymaster feels like a watch right in MAEN’s wheelhouse: a sports watch with an aesthetic that’s clearly inspired by the past, but executed at an incredibly high level with a surprising level of detail, all at a price point that makes these watches tough to ignore. I spent some time recently with MAEN’s Brooklyn 36 reference, an old school triple calendar, and was pleasantly surprised at the level of refinement on a watch that comes in at well under $1,000. The Skymaster, now in a MKIII version, contains many similar small details. There are two big changes with this third edition of the Skymaster 38. First, the watch now runs on the new Sellita SW510Mb manually wound movement, and the case has gone through a series of little adjustments to properly house it. Previous versions of the Skymaster used automatic movements, so the inclusion of a manually wound caliber here represents a significant change, and really plays into the heritage angle of a release like this.  Secondly, in addition to offering a 12 hour bezel, MAEN is now making the Skymaster with an optional tachymeter bezel as well. The more prominent tachymeter bezel changes the appearance of the Skymaster dramatically, and should prove popular with collectors who are after a more traditionally styled racing chronograp...

Omega Constellation Guide Teddy Baldassarre
Omega Oct 9, 2023

Omega Constellation Guide

The Omega Constellation is not only the Swiss luxury brand’s oldest collection (if we’re tracing the Seamaster back to its first “Professional” dive-watch model in 1957); it’s also the dressiest, with a design heritage that hinges on two classic and very iconoclastic watches from two distinctively different eras: the cult-classic original from the 1950s and the influential revamp in the 1980s. Here’s an in-depth look at the Omega Constellation, its half-century-plus of revolutionary design, and what the collection looks like today. 1952: Making a Pie Omega, founded in 1848 by an ambitious young Swiss watchmaker named Louis Brandt, celebrated its 100th anniversary in the postwar year of 1948. The most memorable watch the company released during that milestone year, most would agree, was the first Seamaster, which introduced the innovative waterproof system that would give rise to today’s sprawling Seamaster Professional collection of dive watches. A rarer and more obscure timepiece introduced that year was the Centenary, Omega’s first chronometer-certified wristwatch. An iconoclastic gold dress watch, highly limited in production, the Centenary took its name from the 100-year anniversary it commemorated and its design would provide the template of a collection that would debut several years later, in 1952, called the Constellation. (Both the Seamaster and the Centenary, incidentally, were the brainchildren of watch designer René Bannwart, who would go on to...

Beaubleu Launches the Ecce, the French Brand’s First Permanent Collection Worn & Wound
Oct 6, 2023

Beaubleu Launches the Ecce, the French Brand’s First Permanent Collection

Beaubleu is a French brand that we’ve covered a handful of times since their debut in 2017, and we certainly have a soft spot for their quirky and contemporary design language. The basic idea is rather simple, at least on paper: instead of traditional hands, Beaubleu uses circular rings of different sizes to tell the time. As they move around the dial, it creates a very different impression than what you’d see on a normal watch, and causes some reflection as to why traditional handsets, with their inherent precision, are so commonplace to begin with. Like Alain Silberstein’s designs, Beaubleu’s watches remind us that a watch can be anything, and that shape is a critical element in how we relate to watches both practically and emotionally. Beaubleu, to this point, has also done a fantastic job of using color to drive these ideas home. With their new Ecce line of watches, the brand’s first permanent collection, Beaubleu has further refined their aesthetic, adding a bracelet for the first time, and making subtle changes to their dials and cases that allow everything to work together a bit more harmoniously.  The core of the design, of course, is unchanged. We still get the unique circular hands in the three models that launch the Ecce collection, with a large running seconds circle, a small hours circle, and a medium sized minutes circle in between. The 39mm cases have sculpted flanks and prominent, brushed circular bezel that complements the hands as well the circ...

Longines Adds a Titanium Flyback Chronograph to the Spirit Collection Worn & Wound
Longines Adds Oct 5, 2023

Longines Adds a Titanium Flyback Chronograph to the Spirit Collection

Earlier this year, to considerable fanfare on their part, Longines launched the Flyback Chronograph within their Spirit Collection. The Spirit Collection has been critical for Longines over these past few years. It’s a spot in the catalog where the brand is really trying to carve out a niche for themselves in the contemporary watch landscape. After years of being better than possibly any other brand at raiding the archives for heritage based reissues, the Spirit Collection seems like a conscious choice to branch out into something different – to prove that Longines has a foot in the modern watch world, and isn’t just playing the hits. For me, the Spirit Collection really gelled with the introduction of its first titanium watch. This no date execution of the Spirit in a super lightweight metal really felt like the brand finding a groove with a new product line, and they’ve now somewhat predictably added a titanium version of the Flyback Chronograph to the collection, adding some symmetry to the catalog and perhaps a more wearable version of an impressive, but large, chrono. The broad strokes of the Flyback are virtually identical to the steel version issued earlier this year. We get a 42mm case that’s 17mm (yes, 17mm) thick, with a rotating 60 minute timing bezel with a ceramic insert, mounted to a matching titanium bracelet or a textile strap. The dial is anthracite, complementing the tone of the grade 5 titanium rather well, with subdials at 3:00 and 9:00 for mi...

Exclusive: Jean Arnault and Alexandre Mille In Conversation with Wei Koh Revolution
Richard Mille Oct 5, 2023

Exclusive: Jean Arnault and Alexandre Mille In Conversation with Wei Koh

We had the distinct privilege of hosting two influential luminaries from the next generation of watchmaking leaders: Jean Arnault, the Marketing and Product Director for Watches at LVMH, and Alexandre Mille, the Sales Director of Richard Mille and the son of the brand’s founder, join us to delve into their respective journeys, the foundational principles […]

ochs und junior Take Inspiration from a Classic American Design Duo with the mese 2.23 Worn & Wound
Oct 3, 2023

ochs und junior Take Inspiration from a Classic American Design Duo with the mese 2.23

New from ochs und junior, a new execution of their “mese” time and date watch, as part of their more value oriented “ochs line” of watches. Ochs und junior has been a point of fascination here at Worn & Wound for a long time. They work within a truly distinct design language that’s held throughout their (growing) product line, and offer rather ingenious solutions to sometimes complex watchmaking problems. Their watches have a simplicity to them both in terms of their aesthetics and mechanics that is really appealing to particular type of watch nerd. They work as an antidote, almost, to the “Can you top this?” game of dizzying and often needless complexity that often plays out in the world of high end watchmaking. With their ochs line, the brand offers key watches from their catalog in predetermined colorways at a reduced cost, giving collectors who wish to forego the brand’s extensive customization options a chance to own one of their pieces at a reduced cost. The latest addition to the ochs line pays tribute to Ray and Charles Eames, an American design team that almost certainly has had some influence on ochs und junior over the years.  The Eames name is perhaps most associated with the iconic Eames Lounge Chair that was first introduced and manufactured in the 1950s by the Herman Miller furniture company. Eames furniture designs were notable for their use of molded plywood splints, which replaced the more commonly used metal splints that were popular in ...

Windup Watch Fair Returns To NYC In October With Special Guest: You! Worn & Wound
Christopher Ward G-Shock Oris Oct 2, 2023

Windup Watch Fair Returns To NYC In October With Special Guest: You!

There are many things we love about the Fall season in New York. Crisp temperatures mean we can finally add another layer to our dayfits for pleasure (before necessity). After our biggest Windups in San Francisco and Chicago this year, Fall in New York completes the final third of our Windup Watch Fair trifecta. The very first Windup Watch Fair was here in NYC. In 2015, we brought 14 brands into a small shop in SoHo. We could only hope that the energy we saw in the comments of our articles and from the independent brands we covered would translate into a worthwhile in-person experience with you, our readers. What an experience you’ve made! A quick equation on a classic CA-53W-1CR will show this year’s Windup Watch Fair NYC is more than 5 times larger than our initial endeavor in Soho. We’re welcoming over 80 brands to two levels of the Altman Building-adding even more to explore after last year’s festivities. This free event is a permanent fixture for our Fall season. We’re so excited to share it with you.  WINDUP WATCH FAIR NEW YORK The Altman Building – 135 W 18th St, New York, NY 10011 October 20– 12pm to 6pm October  21 – 12pm to 6pm October 22 – 12pm to 5pm Five lead sponsors, Bulova, Christopher Ward, G-Shock, Oris, and Zodiac, will be showcasing their latest releases from a year of innovation and collaboration. Beyond releases, be sure to look for additional online programming happening over the three days. Thanks in large part to our lead spon...

Up Close with Torsti Laine X Revolution ‘One Love’ Chinese Numerals Revolution
Oct 2, 2023

Up Close with Torsti Laine X Revolution ‘One Love’ Chinese Numerals

Take a closer look at the intricate Chinese character dial option in our Torsti Laine × Revolution ‘One Love’ collaboration. This unique dial showcases Torsti’s exceptional artistry with beautifully crafted Chinese characters in a captivating shade of purple. The Torsti Laine x Revolution ‘One Love’ limited edition collection is available for purchase on October 4, […]

A Week In Watches, Episode 64: Heritage Divers Take A Step Into The Present; Colorful Chronos & More Worn & Wound
Tudor Oct 1, 2023

A Week In Watches, Episode 64: Heritage Divers Take A Step Into The Present; Colorful Chronos & More

A Week In Watches returns this week with a look at a trio of divers that take their inspiration from the past, and apply in a thoroughly modern way. No faux lume or tropical dials in sight, prompting us to wonder if that trend is behind us. Divers from Oris, Tudor, and Seiko all paint a clear picture of a way forward that’s not a carbon copy of the past. You might say Seiko has always been ahead in that game, and their latest Prospex divers, which bring the 62MAS flavor into a tidy modern skindiver case that we’ve loved since it was released in 2020. If this is what we can expect more of, count us in. Elsewhere, Farer dropped a pair of new chronographs called the Chrono-Contempo with colorways inspired by two vibrant streets found in London. These are Farer through and through, with unexpected colors and a clean, modern design language. As usual, Farer nails the proportions here thanks to their use of the hand wound SW510M from Sellita. Finally, a collaboration between our friends at Fratello and Minase comes together for the second time, continuing a trend of subtle yet powerful dial executions from the pair. The latest is the M-3 Nori, and gets a dial inspired by Japanese seaweed, which comes together way better than you might expect. Here’s to the next one. The post A Week In Watches, Episode 64: Heritage Divers Take A Step Into The Present; Colorful Chronos & More appeared first on Worn & Wound.

The Bespoke Patek Philippe Ref. 3843/1 with a 13-Carat Diamond Crystal Reemerges SJX Watches
Patek Philippe Ref 3843/1 Oct 1, 2023

The Bespoke Patek Philippe Ref. 3843/1 with a 13-Carat Diamond Crystal Reemerges

One of the most intriguing Patek Philippe wristwatches is once again coming up for sale at auction, eight years after it was last sold publicly. Made in 1990 for a Japanese client, the Patek Philippe ref. 3843/1 has a 13.43-carat diamond as its crystal – a large, flat cut also known as a lasque diamond – and is an entirely one-of-a-kind wristwatch with its own singular reference number. As we explained in our 2016 story detailing the watch the first time it was sold (which seems like a lifetime ago in watch collecting), the ref. 3843/1 came about in the early 1990s when a Japanese client handed over the 13.43-carat lasque diamond to Patek Philippe with a request to mount it onto a watch. The watch was completed in 1991 and then sold to the client in 1994. Image – Christie’s Originating in India, lasque diamonds are flat, wide, and irregular in form. They were historically employed to cover miniature portraits and are also known as portrait-cut diamonds. Here the lasque diamond forms the crystal, which camouflages the fact that it is a diamond. Only the facetted edges and tiny inclusions are a giveaway that the crystal is a diamond. Case in white gold and matched with a fine-link bracelet, the ref. 3843/1 was built around the lasque diamond, explaining the unusual triangular case form. The case is about 32 mm by 26 mm at its widest, making it larger than most watches of its era, though relatively small by modern standards. Christie’s photos of the ref. 3843/1 appe...

Panerai Turns to the Archives for the Radiomir Guido Panerai & Figlio PAM01346 SJX Watches
Panerai Turns Sep 28, 2023

Panerai Turns to the Archives for the Radiomir Guido Panerai & Figlio PAM01346

Panerai has just taken the covers off a reinterpretation of an intriguing and perhaps experimental variant of the Radiomir characterised by solid lugs. Christened the Radiomir Guido Panerai & Figlio PAM01346, this one-off watch has a platinum case houses an eight-day Angelus SF 240 movement from 1961. It’s set to be sold at Phillips’ Geneva watch auction on November 3 with all proceeds, including the buyer’s premium, going to UNESCO’s marine conservation body, the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC-UNESCO). Initial thoughts It’s frequently true that when a brand decides to tweak its heritage, the result is rarely a standing ovation or zero criticism. The challenge usually arises from the conservative perspective of passionate purists who hold history as gospel, making it difficult to accept changes to a historical concept. Indeed, the one-of-a-kind Radiomir PAM01346 is a prime example of this delicate balancing act. It takes inspiration from the solid-lug Radiomir ref. 3646 – occasionally known as a “transitional Radiomir” though it was more experimental than transitional – and while the PAM01346 may not replicate the original entirely, it truly stands out as a contemporary reinterpretation that captures many key elements of the original, including the meticulously restored, period-correct Angelus movement. Regardless of one’s perspective, the PAM01346 is undeniably a homage to an obscure but significant model in Panerai’s history, despit...

Seiko Launches Three US Exclusive Dive Watches Inspired by Cold Water American Diving Locales Worn & Wound
Seiko Launches Three US Exclusive Sep 27, 2023

Seiko Launches Three US Exclusive Dive Watches Inspired by Cold Water American Diving Locales

The SPB line in Seiko’s Prospex collection needs no introduction, and to many it represents old-school Seiko excellence: historic design with modern specs at reasonable prices. In particular, the SPB143, 145, and 147 are especially beloved thanks to their wearability and 62MAS lineage. Seiko is now introducing three new U.S. Special Edition models based on that reference, each corresponding to a cold-water American diving locale. The SPB419 makes the biggest statement of the three, and its striking gradient dial is intended to invoke the northern Great Lakes’ blue ice, notably in Michigan. A rare natural phenomenon, this blue ice is achieved when sustained temperatures allow water to freeze and thicken over long periods of time. When light then hits the ice, the red part of the light (i.e. longer wavelengths) are absorbed while shorter blue wavelengths are transmitted. This seldom seen sight is truly something to behold, and Seiko captures its essence here. The SPB421 and SPB423 take us from the Lakes to Alaska where we meet a different type of icy structure: glacial moulins. Also known as mills, moulins are well-like structures that form from weaknesses in the ice and can sometimes reach hundreds of meters to the bottom of the glacier. The SPB421’s dark blue dial with a subtle gradation captures the ice’s color at depth – you know, in case you haven’t seen it yourself, while the 423’s dial is meant to evoke the light gray tones of glacial ice as a whole. Al...

Review: Cartier Santos Dumont Skeleton Micro-Rotor SJX Watches
Cartier Santos Dumont Skeleton Micro-Rotor Sep 27, 2023

Review: Cartier Santos Dumont Skeleton Micro-Rotor

When we first featured at the Santos-Dumont Skeleton Micro-Rotor right after it was unveiled at Watches & Wonders 2023, it was clear that the model had struck a chord among almost those who had the pleasure to see it in the metal. The design is distinctively Cartier in style, slightly whimsical, yet stands apart from almost everything else in the brand’s catalogue.  Cartier’s legacy as a renowned jeweller is indisputable, and this timepiece is a fusion of its knowledge in jewellery and watches, with a good dose of the traditional Cartier style. From the lacquer case inlays to the artful skeletonisation, the result is a balanced face that is entirely original.  Key takeaways The design is an ideal combination of a contemporary, tasteful skeleton movement with the historical Santos case design The plane micro-rotor is just right in size, neither too big nor too small, and adds just the right amount of whimsy without being gimmicky The large, as opposed to XL, case is ideal for the movement, but some might find it too compact As it is with all Cartier skeleton movements, the Etachron regulator feels out of place Initial thoughts I usually take a loupe to a watch for a closer look, and when I did so with the Santos skeleton the movement’s design shone through. The plates and bridges of the brand-new cal. 9629 MC are both structural and add to the aesthetic brilliance of this piece. Though Cartier has long made skeleton watches a hallmark of its line-up, the cal. 9629 M...

Inside Vortic as they Launch the Colorado Watch Company Worn & Wound
Rado Watch Company Sep 26, 2023

Inside Vortic as they Launch the Colorado Watch Company

The story of American watchmaking is long, complex, and undertold. It’s regrettably easy to consign the period of this country’s history as a global titan in watch production to an appendix in the greater history of watchmaking writ large. But the fact remains that the United States, in the 19th century and well into the 20th, produced millions of timepieces at an incredible pace, developing manufacturing technologies that would scale and improve both here and abroad. We don’t make watches at such a scale anymore, but there is a growing movement in the American watchmaking space that looks to that period as inspiration, and as a reminder that if it can happen once, it can happen again. The Vortic Watch Company is one of the key players in a new age of watchmaking in America, and they’ve just announced a major step forward that redefines what the company does, and where it might be heading in the future.  I have always thought of Vortic as one of the bedrock companies in the burgeoning microbrand space. They are a mainstay at Windup Watch Fairs, and carry many of the hallmarks of the most successful and well established microbrands. The watches are original and purely their own thing, their team is accessible, and the identity of the brand itself is well considered and established. But it would be incorrect to think of them as purely part of the pack, or even as part of an upper tier of the pack given their longevity and success. They occupy a truly unique niche th...

Blancpain Turns to Precious “Bronze” for the Fifty Fathoms 70th Anniversary Act 3 SJX Watches
Blancpain Turns Sep 23, 2023

Blancpain Turns to Precious “Bronze” for the Fifty Fathoms 70th Anniversary Act 3

The third release celebrating 70 years of Blancpain’s famous dive watch is military inspired but paradoxically paired with a 9k Bronze Gold case. Limited to 555 pieces, the Fifty Fathoms 70th Anniversary Act 3 combines the gold alloy with historical military elements such as the moisture indicator and a magnetic-resistant movement.  Initial thoughts  After the recent Blancpain x Swatch Fifty Fathoms, it is hard to look at this watch and not be instantly reminded of the yellow Pacific Ocean model. But putting that rather unfair comparison aside, this new celebratory limited edition has a few novel details which help elevate it above some of the brand’s more recent releases.  The pronounced crystal add to the vintage feel of the watch. Image – Blancpain. I like the addition of the moisture indicator on the dial, although the grey indicator clashes slightly with the gold and beige tones that define the rest of the watch, it helps anchor the piece in Blancpain’s military past. While I am not a fan of the colour of Bronze Gold as it appears in the images, nor do I like faux-patina in any situation, it can be said that the two seem to pair nicely here and compliment each other. The functionality of the movement is clear to see from the specs, and the overall aesthetic reflects the utilitarian inspiration of the watch. The details of the movement, however, reveal it to be finished well, including polished bevels on the bridges and chamfered spokes on the wheels. It is ...

Watches and What Else: Storytelling through Photography and Videography with Elle Grant Worn & Wound
Timex Sep 22, 2023

Watches and What Else: Storytelling through Photography and Videography with Elle Grant

Editor’s Note: Watches and What Else is a continuing series where we look at some of the other things our watch collecting community is interested in. We’ve always found watch collectors to be a curious, well rounded bunch, and in this series we’re going to explore a variety of the watch adjacent (and sometimes, not so adjacent) interests of collectors of all stripes. From illustration to aviation, video games and comics to heavy metal and craft cocktails, there’s a lot to explore, and we think you’ll enjoy diving into the pursuits that your fellow watch enthusiasts are passionate about.  This week, Chris Antzoulis talks to photographer, videographer, YouTuber, and watch collector Elle Grant about her collection and her passion for visual storytelling.   You may know Elle Grant from the content on her YouTube channel, @Elizabeth_Grant. On her channel Elle mainly discusses watches and topics in the watch industry, but in a much different way than you may be used to. You’ll never see her bust out calipers, or rattle off the spec sheet from the company website. What you will get, however, is a story from someone who understands her craft, and is rooted in the art of photography and videography.  Watches  When asked where her love of watches came from, Elle was quick to finger TGV (The Urban Gentry himself) for the crime. She further explained that around seven years ago she had a Timex that served as her watch for work, and as her interests in mechanical watch...

Minase Teams Up with Fratello for the M-3 “Nori” SJX Watches
Minase Sep 22, 2023

Minase Teams Up with Fratello for the M-3 “Nori”

Minase has once again joined forces with the Fratello Watches for the Dutch media outfit’s most recent collaboration, the M-3 “Nori”. The Japanese watch brand has pared back its typical styling for this model, while adopting a unique tonneau-shaped case paired with a dégradé dark green dial transitioning to black at the edges, a hue inspired inspired by seaweed, an important food in Japanese culture. Initial thoughts Minase’s watches sometimes feel over designed, so the M-3 is a refreshing, restrained design in comparison. At the same time, the Nori further refines a design first seen on Fratello’s previous Minase edition, the M-3 “Very Peri”, which had a vibrant purple dial that was not for everyone. The dark green dégradé dial with its unusual radial finish stands out. The orange-tipped seconds hand appears a touch mismatched within the overall muted aesthetic. However, the colour is there for a reason: it’s a subtle nod to the Fratello’s home country, adding a unique charm to the watch. The €2,470 retail price of the Nori is a modest increase over last year’s M-3 “Very Peri”, but reasonable compared to other models from Minase such as the Divido, which costs more than double. Also, it is worth nothing that whilst not officially a limited edition, the Nori will be available for order only for a limited time, so it will be limited to a degree. Last year’s M-3 “Very Peri” Inspired by Japanese seaweed The Nori is inspired by nori, a unive...

eBay Finds: A Historic El Primero, a Vintage Cyma Chronograph in Great Condition, and a Beautiful and Unusual Ladies Seiko Worn & Wound
Seiko eBay Finds Sep 21, 2023

eBay Finds: A Historic El Primero, a Vintage Cyma Chronograph in Great Condition, and a Beautiful and Unusual Ladies Seiko

eBay Finds is back! This bi-monthly installment will feature a selection of watches currently listed on eBay that have caught the eye of editor Christoph McNeil (@vintagediver). If you come across any hidden gems on the ‘Bay drop us a note at info@wornandwound.com for potential inclusion! Vintage Movado Zentih El Primero Going to start this week off strong with a super cool, big ol’ vintage Movado El Primero chronograph. This bad boy has it all, big chunky 44mm steel case, El Primero automatic movement, and beautiful acrylic 12 hour bezel insert. The black dial with three subdials is superb, with nice lume filled white hands, and a blue chrono seconds hand. The case looks unpolished and has a great blocky style. The El Primero is a classic chronograph movement with a long history, and was the first high frequency automatic chrono. Seller states this gem was recently serviced and runs perfectly, so you should be good to go. You don’t see these for sale in auction format often! View auction here Vintage Seiko Turtle 6309-7040 Following up one classic with another! The vintage May 1977 Seiko 6309-7040 diver is the real deal. The Seiko 6309 is still one of the most under-rated vintage divers, despite its amazing quality and history. This example looks to be all original and in really nice shape. The large steel case still exhibits the original brushed finish, but does have some marks. The original bezel insert is also excellent, with only some small nicks here and ther...

Minase and Fratello are Back with a New Version of the M-3, this Time in “Nori” Green Worn & Wound
Minase Sep 20, 2023

Minase and Fratello are Back with a New Version of the M-3, this Time in “Nori” Green

Our friends at Fratello have announced their latest limited edition collaboration, a follow up to last year’s release with Minase. That watch, the M-3 “Very Peri,” marked the first time Minase’s cushion shaped case was available outside of Japan. This year’s version borrows the same case profile, but lands on a very different dial execution. The Fratello x Minase M-3 “Nori” has a subtle green dial inspired by Japanese seaweed, making for a toned down and perhaps more under-the-radar version of the M-3 than last year’s brightly colored purple variant.  Minase, for the uninitiated, is a Japanese brand that produces about 500 pieces per year in the Akita Prefecture. They incorporate many traditional Japanese craft elements in their watchmaking, with a focus on hand-made components, but also incorporate plenty of modern manufacturing techniques. If you’ve handled any of their watches (we’ve been happy to have them at several recent Windup Watch Fairs, and they’ll be joining us once again in NYC next month), you know that they machined and finished immaculately. Zach wrote about Minase’s Divido here, which has an extremely complex case and bracelet construction, paired with a dial that’s made with a very traditional Japanese lacquering technique.   The M-3 has a simpler case, but it’s machined and finished to the same high standard as Minase’s more complex designs. The cushion style case measures 39mm in diameter, 46mm lug-to-lug, and is just 10...

Seiko Remembers Bruce Lee with the Seiko 5 Sports SPRK39 SJX Watches
Seiko Remembers Bruce Lee Sep 20, 2023

Seiko Remembers Bruce Lee with the Seiko 5 Sports SPRK39

Twenty-twenty-three marks the 50th anniversary of the passing of the Hong Kong-American martial artist, actor, and cultural icon who tragically died at the age of 32. In honour of Bruce Lee’s legacy, Seiko has launched the Seiko 5 Sports Bruce Lee Limited Edition SPRK39, an affordable sports watch typical of Seiko but with an unusual all-black livery featuring subtle gold accents. Based on its entry-level sports watch, the edition’s launch also coincides with the 55th anniversary of the original Seiko 5 Sports. Retaining the same case and design as the regular production model, this limited edition incorporates Asian themes in its design as a homage to the iconic actor, including a dragon on the dial in a reference to Bruce Lee’s name. Initial thoughts It is perhaps long overdue that Seiko creates a timepiece to commemorate Bruce Lee, who was photographed on several occasions wearing a Seiko 5. The use of traditional Chinese elements are not groundbreaking, and might have even been kitschy, but fortunately an all-black look prevents this from resembling a gaudy souvenir. While this watch does evoke a certain nostalgia, it doesn’t quite have the vintage styling of the Seiko 5 model that Lee himself wore. I would have preferred an edition based the design on that or even other vintage models from the period. That would, however, probably result in a pricier watch that is a vintage remake. Priced at US$495, the Bruce Lee edition is US$135 more expensive than the stand...

Oris Introduces a New Divers Sixty-Five Chronograph with Major Case Refinements Worn & Wound
Oris Introduces Sep 19, 2023

Oris Introduces a New Divers Sixty-Five Chronograph with Major Case Refinements

As the wave of vintage-inspired watches stretches into its second decade, it’s easy to forget who was at the forefront. Among them was Oris and its Divers Sixty-Five, a collection that has grown to encompass myriad configurations. Customers are spoiled for choice with steel, bronze, and two tone watches in various sizes and with dials ranging from demure to outright fun. Up until 2019 (not counting the Brashear limited edition a year earlier), the Divers Sixty-Five had always been just that: a diver. The Oris Divers Sixty-Five Chronograph has always been quietly competent, but today Oris updates the model. Spoiler: there’s a lot to like. First and foremost, Oris has massaged the case to 40mm, a more palatable size for the mainstream with finer proportions. Thickness is down from 17mm(!) to a more manageable 15.4mm. Gone also are the overtly vintage accents on the bezel edge and throughout the dial. You won’t find any fauxtina lume or gilt text here. Instead, what we have is a truly monochromatic dial and bezel layout. One gets the impression that this is a more serious, if somewhat austere, watch with its foot firmly planted in the modern era. What hasn’t changed is what’s inside: behind the sapphire exhibition caseback beats Oris’ caliber 771 (Sellita 510 base) providing 48-hours of power with automatic and manual winding. You have central chronograph seconds, continuously running seconds at nine o-clock, and a thirty minute counter at three. Water resistance...

Rado Brings their Ongoing Work with the Foundation Le Corbusier to the True Square Line with Three New Limited Editions Worn & Wound
Rado Brings their Ongoing Work Sep 18, 2023

Rado Brings their Ongoing Work with the Foundation Le Corbusier to the True Square Line with Three New Limited Editions

When two masters in their respective industry collide, something magic is sure to happen. That’s exactly the feeling one gets when looking at Rado, the Master of Materials, and Le Corbusier, the master of design, as the two legacies meld into a release of new references. Adding three new colorways selected from the 63-shade Architectural Polychromy palette to the distinct True Square collection, we’re seeing a heightened look at craftsmanship and design that shows the sum is often greater than its parts. Rado has long had a relationship with the Foundation Le Corbusier for their True Thinline set of watches, but these three new releases from the brand are the first to utilize the sportier design of the True Square silhouette. This design is marked by a high-tech ceramic case coming in at a comfortable and discreet 37 x 43.3 mm, perfect for nearly any wrist size. The real beauty of this watch is the balance of technical precision and everyday use, mixing a Rado caliber R420 quartz movement with high-tech innovative ceramic that Rado has become known for within the industry. For the three colorways themselves, each taken from the Architectural Polychromy, they’re a sleek and subtle scheme that fits perfectly against the backdrop of both Le Corbusier’s and Rado’s Swiss heritage. This collection includes Natural Umber, Iron Grey, and Ivory Black. The use of ceramic perfectly matches the tonal qualities of these three references, as Rado has perfected color blending w...

Meetup Recap: Making Time in DC with Worn & Wound Readers and the Oris Airstream Worn & Wound
Oris Airstream Here Sep 18, 2023

Meetup Recap: Making Time in DC with Worn & Wound Readers and the Oris Airstream

Here at Worn & Wound, we talk a lot about a concept we refer to as “curated approachability.” This is the concept that we can celebrate our enthusiasm for products, especially watches, in a way that is both elevated, yet accessible. It’s a fine line to walk and few brands can do that better than Oris. So we were thrilled when the Oris team approached us about doing a meetup-style event with them somewhere a bit off the beaten path. We knew the Washington DC area was a spot where we not only had a strong crop of Worn & Wound readers, but it was a place where we were bound to have a great time. On Sunday, September 10th-at a stellar indoor/outdoor venue called Hook Hall-we squeezed the always-impressive Oris Airstream in and joined the Oris team along with dozens upon dozens of watch enthusiasts. Together we broke bread… er sliders, made new friends, and examined the full range of Oris’ new offerings. Some highlights on display from the Oris collection included the all-new 40mm Limited Edition Big Crown Pilot celebrating the life and humanitarian work of baseball hall-of-famer Hank Aaron. Guests were also treated to the striking Aquis Hölstein Edition 2023, which sports a striking purple dial that you can’t take your eyes off. To top it off, guests could try on the full array of their ever-popular “Cotton Candy” Divers Sixty-Fives in both steel and bronze. Oris Hank Aaron Limited Edition Oris Aquis Hölstein Edition 2023 Oris Divers Sixty-Five ‘Cotton ...

Now in the Shop: Six Playful New Models from Paulin Watches Worn & Wound
Sep 15, 2023

Now in the Shop: Six Playful New Models from Paulin Watches

Paulin Watches made their appearance in the Windup Watch Shop with an exclusive (and now sold out) green dialed version of their Neo watch. Now, they’re back in full force with six new variants of the Modul – a vintage inspired tonneau-shaped case with some really fun modern design touches. Let’s take a closer look at these 35mm timepieces that have an interesting secret within their modular case design. Paulin Watches made their appearance in the Windup Watch Shop with an exclusive (and now sold out) green dialed version of their Neo watch. Now, they’re back in full force with six new variants of the Modul – a vintage inspired tonneau-shaped case with some really fun modern design touches. Let’s take a closer look at these 35mm timepieces that have an interesting secret within their modular case design. The post Now in the Shop: Six Playful New Models from Paulin Watches appeared first on Worn & Wound.