544 articles · 265 videos found · page 15 of 27
Hodinkee
The confluence of watchmaking and cinematic history was the perfect recipe for a record, as the F.P. Journe market shows no sign of slowing.
Fratello
On Halloween, Dave Sergeant and I visited the WatchPro Salon in London at the Freemasons’ Hall. We enjoyed taking a peek at the various watches on display, but we had our favorites, of course. One watch that stood out to me was the Ollech & Wajs OW C-1000 Y, a piece I hadn’t seen before. […] Visit Hands-On: The Ollech & Wajs OW C-1000 Y to read the full article.
SJX Watches
Along with the flagship Classique Grande Sonnerie Métiers d’Art 1905 pocket watch, Breguet just announced its first water-resistant minute repeater, the Classique Répétition Minutes 7365. While this 250th anniversary edition with a Breguet gold case and Bleu de France grand feu enamel dial is limited to 25 examples, it likely represents the future of the brand’s chiming watches: smaller and more robust. Initial Thoughts Despite the strong popularity chiming watches have seen at the high end for many years, it has felt like something of a weak point for Breguet, reliant on rather old movements that didn’t always sound the best. The ambitious and wild Tradition Répétition Minutes Tourbillon 7087 promised to fix this in 2018, but for unknown reasons that watch never made it to market. However, acoustically Breguet’s repeaters have become quite good despite the old bones, proving how key gongs and case construction are to repeaters. The 7087 doubles down on this approach, not even introducing a silent centrifugal governor which has become ubiquitous in modern chiming watches, even at the high end – the sound of which I’ve come to find quaint. The move to smaller sizes, 42 mm to 39 might be more dictated by market trends rather than any specific vision from the brand, but is one I appreciate either way, and while water resistance isn’t strictly necessary in a chiming watch, the peace of mind is reassuring. In the end, this watch comes down to how much you lik...
Monochrome
In today’s indie watchmaking scene, you might think you’ve seen it all, but in reality, there is still a lot to be discovered, even for us. After scouring the globe, for the most part virtually, we’ve uncovered some of the most intriguing, beautifully constructed and finished watches. We see amazing work being done in South […]
Fratello
Over the last few weeks, we’ve seen an unseasonal deluge of watch releases, with brands big and small unveiling fresh pieces at an incessant pace. Today, on Fratello Talks, we’re taking a moment to look back at some highlights and reflect on what stood out to us. Nacho, RJ, and Thomas are on the microphones […] Visit Fratello Talks: Dubai Watch Week 2025 Highlights And Other Recent Releases to read the full article.
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Monochrome
As temperatures drop and the snow-covered slopes beckon, Hublot gets into the winter spirit with two limited editions of its Big Bang Unico, the first model to host the brand’s in-house Unico chronograph movement. Capturing the beauty of the winter season, the Big Bang Unico returns in wintry attire, cloaked in ice-cold sapphire and a […]
SJX Watches
The uniform of high complications almost invariably includes a leather strap; a metal bracelet remains an uncommon pairing with, say, a grande sonnerie. Christie’s upcoming Hong Kong auction, however, brings an unexpected abundance of complicated watches on bracelets for collectors who prefer metal, including notable examples from Patek Philippe and A. Lange & Söhne. This season’s sale is anchored by two major private collections, most prominently the second part of The Chronicle Collection, the first half of which was dispersed earlier in the spring. The consignor began collecting in the 1990s, a fact reflected in the depth of neo-vintage highlights throughout the catalogue. Lot 2442 - Patek Philippe ref. 3448⁄8 with Possibly Unique Ruby Dial The Patek Philippe ref. 3448 was the first self-winding perpetual calendar produced in series. According to movement numbers, it is likely 586 were made in total - this lug-less example was one of the first made. Beyond its historical interest, the ref. 3448 is underpinned by one of – if not the – most beautiful automatic movements ever made: the cal. 27-460 Q. Looks aside, it was one of the most technically competent automatics of its era, with an overcoil hairspring, free-sprung balance, and bi-directional winding using a cam and pawl system. Atop this worthy base calibre, the ref. 3448 adds the iconic windows perpetual calendar by none other than Victorin Piguet. The ‘/8’ in ref. 3448/8 suffix denotes the style ...
Teddy Baldassarre
There was a time when larger watches were just about everywhere but the last decade or two have seen a big swing towards smaller case sizes. In fact, we would go so far as to say that a majority of watch enthusiasts I know claim to top out at 42mm. Of course, everyone should wear watches that look appropriate on their wrists, but have we gone too far in being reflexively conservative about case size? Well, we took this opportunity to ask our editorial team to pick their favorites and the results actually paint a fairly good outlook for those of you with big wrists and/or big personalities. Let’s take look at our editors’ picks for favorite large watch over 44mm. [toc-section heading="Rolex Deepsea"] The Rolex Deepsea Ref. 136668LB in solid 18k yellow gold is a big watch in size, heft, and vibes. Measuring 44mm wide and 17.7mm thick and weighing in at 322g (about 70% of a pound), this solid gold Rolex isn’t just flashy but has 3,900 m of water resistance. Rolex was thoughtful about this Deepsea as they adapted the Ringlock compression ring in blue Cerachrom to match the bezel, a touch that goes a very long way in creating that very cool solid blue face against the yellow gold case. Another worthy touch here is the RLX Titanium case back which evoked 2024’s “Harmony of Contrasts” theme pretty perfectly with yellow gold, titanium, and ceramic coming together to create one big, beautiful watch with a $59,700 price tag to match. – Bilal Khan [quote-media quote=" A...
Worn & Wound
Joey is a pianist, watch collector, and Volkswagen/Audi enthusiast. Joey and I met as many watch enthusiasts do; overhearing a wrist check conversation and nudging our individual ways into it at the same time. Of course, this conversation was also at a car show, which served as the catalyst for this eventual article, and over the course of six months, a real friendship forged through timepieces and an Audi TT RS. A San Francisco native with an eye for custom style, Joey naturally started his car journey with custom Volkswagens. “From the specific years you bought, how you lowered it, interior to the color scheme you could tell you were from San Francisco,” he says, motioning to a VW Kharmann Ghia across the sea of car enthusiasts that we stand distanced from on a warm and clear Sunday morning in September. Family and friends modified air-cooled V-Dubs, introducing him to the art of modifying cars-a topic that remains contentious among enthusiasts, some of whom prefer to keep their classic machines stock, in stark opposition to the hot rodders and lowriders of the scene. A fleeting glance of a late-model Volkswagen Scirocco 16V in Brilliant Black kickstarted Joey’s personal pursuit of vehicular perfection, but his first automotive love was that car’s little brother. “I ended up going to the local dealer and bought a Mk2 big bumper Jetta GLI with the 2.0L bubble-block 16V instead”, Joey admits, showing a hint of his present self’s penchant for practical...
SJX Watches
In just four short years the Tissot PRX has become a runaway success, spawning variants in almost every imaginable size and colour, but the new PRX 38 mm in Damascus steel stands apart. The patterned case and dial give it a tactile, almost artisanal quality rarely seen at this price point, with randomised striations that make each watch unique. Priced at a reasonable premium compared to the standard model, the Damascus steel case and dial of the new PRX are the result of forging and folding multiple steel alloys, which are then etched with acid to reveal a distinctive texture. Initial thoughts The PRX has proven to be widely successful for Tissot, and is now available in countless sizes, colours, and materials. Many are forgettable, but a few stand out. The Damascus steel variant is among the latter. The new PRX in Damascus Steel is one of the best yet, especially in the nearly perfect 38 mm size that will fit well on just about every wrist, big or small. The patterned grey texture found on the case and dial is immediately appealing, and while a full Damascus steel bracelet would have been even better, the leather strap helps keep costs in check and avoids the trap of looking too busy. Like other PRX models, the Damascus steel edition features the Swatch Group’s signature Powermatic 80 movement, which offers a convenient 80 hour power reserve, which should last through the weekend for all but the most sedentary lifestyles. It’s not much to look at, but that’s alright...
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Teddy Baldassarre
Luxury Sport watches are probably one of the most popular categories out there with no shortage of excellent options from the most mainstream to the most niche independent watch brands. While names like the Rolex Submariner and Audemars Piguet Royal Oak are seen as the staple watches in this category to aspire to, we asked our editorial team here to share their personal picks in this admittedly crowded category. So without further ado, let's take a look at our favorite luxury sport watches. Glashütte Original SeaQ Panorama Date There are dive watches that you wear to go diving and there are dive watches that you wear - well, maybe afterward, to the country club where you go to talk about diving. The Glashütte Original SeaQ is a prime example of a watch that can actually fill both roles. While it was established relatively recently, in 1994, Germany’s Glashütte Original can trace its lineage as far back as 1845, which also happens to be the year that watchmaking essentially arrived as an industry in Germany. As I cover in much greater detail in this article, a full century of horological tradition, centered in the town of Glashütte in the state of Saxony, came to an end with Germany’s defeat in World War II. It was replaced by a new era in which a state-owned conglomerate of once-independent heritage watch manufacturers, the Glashütter Uhrenbetriebe or GUB, shifted focus from artisanal techniques and luxuriously decorative timepieces to mass-produced tool watch...
Worn & Wound
I am often asked by people unfamiliar with Pittsburgh what they should do when in my hometown. Other than eating fries on a salad (yes, it’s a regional dish and yes it’s great), seeing a Pirates game, and checking out Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater, the recommendations usually always turn to the Andy Warhol Museum. Many people would be surprised to know that Warhol, an iconoclast of the 60’s New York counterculture scene, is a Pittsburgh native. The grey skies, patchwork of neighborhoods, and working-class personality of the Steel City don’t necessarily jive with the glamour of Warhol and his Factory. But, nonetheless, his native son status endears me to him. That is why I’m quite interested in Piaget’s collaboration with The Andy Warhol Foundation, and the release of their limited-edition Collage watch. As many may know, the artist was a bit of a compulsive collector and one of his hobbies was watches. Upon his death, there were seven Piagets, four of which returned to the Swiss maison. This, in turn, sparked the beginnings for a partnership that, I believe, elevates Warhol’s legacy beyond pop art into the luxury world. The Collage is as much a balance of Piaget’s house design as it is a celebration of Warhol’s work. The creative team behind the Swiss brand took six months to even find a starting point, traveling to New York to view the artist’s archives and trying to find a balance between iteration without being too on-the-nose. “With such...
Fratello
Fall is hitting us hard here in the Netherlands this week. Temperatures are dropping, and so are the leaves. But autumn doesn’t have to be a season defined by rain and storms. In Canada, especially, the period from September to November can be quite enjoyable, with the sun hitting the multicolored leaves on the country’s […] Visit Hands-On: The New Oris × Cervo Volante Big Crown Pointer Date With An Indian Summer Dial to read the full article.
Worn & Wound
The independent watch space in Japan is one of the most interesting in the world right now. There have, of course, always been a lot of great watches coming out of Japan, but the last few years have seen a real surge in enthusiast focused releases from brands at literally every price point, and they’ve been redefining what a Japanese watch looks and feels like. We recently covered the latest release from Ōtsuka Lōtec, a daring haute horology experiment with a six figure price tag, and this year also saw the unveiling of Naoya Hida’s first perpetual calendar, which, for me personally, is still one of the very best watches I’ve laid hands on in 2025. These watches, and others, make for great examples of the breadth of Japanese watchmaking, but not everything new and interesting is prohibitively expensive. Case in point, Kiwame Tokyo, an entirely new brand that recently came across our radar. Kiwame is the brainchild of Masami Watanabe, a 30 year veteran of the watch industry who began his career importing luxury watches from European brands to his native Japan. Over time, he also became interested in the burgeoning microbrand scene, and the stated goal of Kiwame is to create a “truly Japanese” microbrand that captures the refinement and craft that is often associated with Japanese design principles. Kiwame debuted their first two watches only a short time ago and they quickly sold out of each 99 piece limited edition (an additional run is promised for Novembe...
Monochrome
Now that the summer season is finally behind us, however sad that may sound, it’s time for us to get back to our normal lives. No more fun in the sun, no more beach days, no more late-night backyard parties… Although I’m dramatising a bit here, it’s a given fact that around September, most of […]
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Monochrome
A force to be reckoned with on the indie scene, Armin Strom is renowned for its haute horlogerie prowess, illustrated by its mastery of the phenomenon of resonance. However, aware that not everyone can splurge on its high-end Resonance and Masterpiece collections, Armin Strom introduced a more accessible yet no less mechanically compelling range in […]
Worn & Wound
Bulgari’s Octo Finissimo line has become synonymous with its technical prowess and record-breaking, ultra-thin designs (and for good reason). The collection has notched a whopping ten world records in just over a decade. However, we’ve also seen a softer side to the Octo through Bulgari’s more artistic interpretations of the iconic design. The most well-known are likely the sketch editions. As the name suggests, these models celebrate the original sketches of the design rendered by the brand’s Product Creation Executive Director, Fabrizio Buonamassa Stigliani. Yet, these more playful and aesthetic-focused editions have also been molded through collaborations with a wide array of co-creators from architects like Kazuyo Sejima and Tadao Ando to conductors and composers like Lorenzo Viotti. Among the Bulgari Octo mashups, the most striking have come from artists themselves. One of the earliest editions came back in 2015 with the Chinese artist Simon Ma. His collection of 13 piece unique watches explored the horse motif of the Chinese zodiac using traditional Chinese calligraphy techniques handpainted on the dial. Three years later, Bulgari enlisted the Japanese painter Hiroshi Senju to interpret a watch with his signature exploration of waterfalls. The resulting design employed mother of pearl on the dial to create a waterfall effect. Next, the Roman Maison took a more contemporary approach, tapping the Japanese artist Tatsuo Miyajima. This collaboration took a le...
Monochrome
Some watches truly need to be seen in person and worn on the wrist to be fully understood and appreciated. A flat digital rendering or a simple image doesn’t do them justice. You could easily argue that this is true for most timepieces, but in reality, there are occasions where you know the watch is […]
Worn & Wound
When does an Apple Watch go from being a watch to being something else? I’m sure, for some, the answer is something like, “As soon as you walk into an Apple Store,” but (as I’ve discussed before) the Apple Watch has, especially in its last few iterations, really come into its own. Thanks to additions like GPS and cell service, it’s even become a decent phone replacement for those days when you want to leave your phone at home. Personally, I love the freedom I feel walking out of the house for a hike or bike ride without my phone, secure in the knowledge that if someone really needs to get a hold of me, they can (that I could also theoretically call for help isn’t the worst thing either). But despite that wonderful feeling, I still don’t love wearing an Apple Watch, especially not when it so often comes at the expense of wearing one of the many other watches I’ve picked up over the years to fill that bottomless hole that exists somewhere deep inside every collector. That’s where the Miniphone Ultra comes into play. Designed by our close friend and Worn & Wound Contributing Editor, Ed Jelley, the Miniphone Ultra is a case that transforms the Apple Watch Ultra (or Ultra II) into a kind of phone replacement, freeing up your wrist space, but still giving you the flexibility to leave the phone at home. Admittedly, using one screen to limit your use of another would sound ridiculous to our great-great-grandfathers, but it’s an elegant solution to what is a ver...
SJX Watches
The accessibly priced, MB&F;-adjacent wristwatch returns as the M.A.D.1S ‘Grow Your Dreams’, a collaboration with Yinka Ilori, a British designer known for applying bright colors to furniture, architecture, and interiors. With three kaleidoscopic colourways – Sun, Nature, and Water – the new M.A.D.1S leans into the maximalist trends of the day, which suits the M.A.D.Editions sub-brand, and MB&F; in general, like a glove. Initial Thoughts I’m reminded of the H. Moser & Cie. Elements of Time we covered just last week. Like with those, the M.A.D.1S ‘Grow Your Dreams’ is a series of thematic, limited edition collaborations sold via online raffle. And of the flavours on offer here, my favourite is again the Water variant. Collaborations like this can often feel like a one-way street, but that doesn’t feel like the case here. It’s good to know Yinka Ilori was an active participant in the watch’s design, personally designing the stylised numerals on the hour cylinder. I’ll also point out Mr Ilori is the model in all of these wrist shots. As for my thoughts on his work, I own some tableware he designed a few years back – which sits in my cupboard, seldom used but often admired. “Water” The M.A.D.1 series in general are dubious as a value proposition; though they are very affordable for an MB&F;-ish watch, they are pricey for the segment. But that misses the point – few are cross shopping these with similarly priced offerings from Tudor or Longines, or ev...
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Worn & Wound
Of all the artisanal specialities in watchmaking, case engraving has to be among the most obscure and unheralded. I think there are a few reasons for this. One, the dial is where the action is on most watches, and applying a time consuming artistic craft on the case might be seen by some watchmakers as a waste of valuable time. Another factor is that to a large extent, we’ve all been trained to appreciate a particular type of case finishing. We see crisp transitions between brushed and polished surfaces, and that registers as being of a certain level of quality that we expect in a luxury watch. If those elements aren’t there, even if they’re substituted by something that might be visually striking, our reptile brains feel like there’s something missing. The latest in Louis Erard’s ongoing Métiers d’Art series, however, is a good opportunity to appreciate complex case engraving in a new way. The whole idea behind how Louis Erard approaches Métiers d’Art, and to a certain extent the brand’s focus more generally, is to make craft accessible. The new Gravée Main is perhaps their most ambitious attempt in this area to date. Virtually every steel surface (the case, bezel, lugs, crown, and buckle) is hand engraved. According to the brand, each watch takes upwards of 50 hours to engrave by hand, and only 99 will be made. Engraving is one of those things that really comes alive when you look at it closely and imagine that painstaking work that went into creat...
Monochrome
Since its debut in 2016, the successful Aikon series by Maurice Lacroix has become the brand’s best seller. The collection has included chronographs, has embraced stainless steel, titanium, bronze and ceramic, exploring textures and finishes that give each model its own personality. We’ve seen the robust Aikon Venturer, the openworked Aikon Skeleton, and even playful […]
Monochrome
As the only vertically integrated manufacture in the United States producing components, movements and guilloché dials, RGM is already an anomaly on the American watch scene. Founded by master watchmaker Roland G. Murphy in 1992 in Mount Joy, Pennsylvania, Murphy’s interest in early 20th-century American watchmaking history is reflected in the brand’s railroad watches. The […]
Teddy Baldassarre
It's no understatement to say that the Rolex Land-Dweller was the talk of Watches & Wonders 2025, which took place in Geneva a few months ago. A new Rolex collection with an integrated bracelet and a brand new movement? Well, we would expect no less. There is something fundamentally earth-shaking about massive shifts in the Rolex atmosphere. Mixed metaphors aside, just because we have seen Rolex develop and launch an entirely new collection quite recently (with the 1908, released just two years ago, in 2023), it doesn’t make it normal. Before that it was the Sky-Dweller, and years before that, there were variations on the Yacht-Master. The launch of the Land-Dweller proved to be one of those milestone moments. The Land-Dweller is the product of 18 new patents specific to this watch, as Rolex has developed an entirely new watch both inside and out. No, this is not a new complication, but it is a brand-new approach to timekeeping. It marks the first development of a new escapement system at this scale since the arrival of the Co-Axial escapement from Omega some twenty-five ago. In short this is big news. As you likely have seen by now, Teddy and I had the chance to see this watch up close and personal ahead of this year's Watches & Wonders a few months ago (you can find our full video hands-on review on YouTube now) and were also lucky enough to do it prior to a lot of the pre-release noise really reaching peak volume. That is to say, we were able to learn about the mech...
SJX Watches
The second edition of biennial Louis Vuitton Watch Prize for Independent Creatives is now well underway, and the 20 semi-finalists have been announced. The candidate pool is exceptionally diverse, with makers hailing from eight different countries and espousing a variety of different product philosophies. The watch prize is the brainchild of Jean Arnault, who leads Louis Vuitton’s watchmaking initiatives. A passionate supporter of independent watchmaking, Mr Arnault created the watch prize in 2023 to recognise talented watchmakers and designers and give one lucky winner a helping hand. Raúl Pagès won the first edition of the watch prize. Image – Louis Vuitton Initial thoughts I try not to put too much stock in the various prizes that are handed out in the watch industry. Many such contests suffer from a lack of participation, a problem that makes it difficult to take the results seriously. That said, it’s worth paying attention to the Louis Vuitton watch prize for a few reasons. First, it’s unusually inclusive, welcoming entrants from all over the world, ranging from journeymen watchmakers like Bernhard Zwinz and David Candaux to emergent Chinese brands like Behrens and Fam Al Hut. Second, the candidate pool is not sub-divided into arbitrary categories, meaning there’s plenty of competition to keep things interesting. Finally, the outcome is meaningful – the winner gets a €150,000 cash prize and a one-year mentorship at La Fabrique du Temps with Michel Nava...
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