Results for Swiss Lever Escapement

The Great Escape(ment): Girard Perregaux Makes History With Its Constant Force Escapement

HANDS-ON: Aggressive, unrelenting and tactical, the IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph Top Gun Edition “SFTI” is a tool watch lover’s dream

It should come as no surprise that IWC are the masters of the Swiss-made Flieger-style chronograph, given that they were one of the archetypal manufacturers of those watches back in the ’40s, but their ability to adapt to modern military specifications and expectations is undoubtedly an achievement. Based on an exclusive model made for the … ContinuedThe post HANDS-ON: Aggressive, unrelenting and tactical, the IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph Top Gun Edition “SFTI” is a tool watch lover’s dream appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Swiza Introduces Three New Collections, Including the Automatic Kretos

As a true Swiss manufacture of table and alarm clocks, Swiza has been around for 113 years, but the new part of the company, focusing on manufacturing knives and watches, has only been operating for a couple of years.

Complicated Collectors: Gerd Ahrens

In the autumn of 1948, at Galerie Fischer’s auction house in Lucerne, a young Swiss watchmaker secured Lot 155, a Breguet pocket watch, No. 4763, circa 1848, with a straight-line club-tooth lever escapement. The case, fitted later by E. Brown at George Daniels’s suggestion to employ original movements and parts held in stock, aligned with his purpose. For most collectors, such a purchase might not have represented a pure Breguet. But for Gerd Ahrens, it was something altogether different: the first sentence in what would become a four-century narrative of mechanical ingenuity. Gerd Ahrens in his shop office on Schwanenplatz 7 around 1955. Image – Gerd Ahrens Foundation: a life built on wheels and springs Gerd Ahrens was born on September 18, 1920, in Hamburg, Germany, at a time when mechanical watches represented the pinnacle of portable precision. His father, Otto Ahrens, born in 1877, had already established himself as a highly respected watchmaker. Otto’s path, however, would be marked by the upheavals of the twentieth century. Before World War I, he had operated a successful shop in Paris and had built connections throughout the watchmaking centres of Inner Switzerland. The evidence of his skill was tangible: Otto personally built ten pocket watches, demonstrating not just commercial acumen but genuine mastery of the craft. Then the war came. Otto was forced to close his Paris shop in 1914, and the conflict left him penniless. A trained craftsman of the highest...

De Bethune Turns to Swizz Beatz for Kind of Two GMT

The third iteration of De Bethune’s swivelling, double-faced watch is the Kind of Two GMT “Season 3” conceived in collaboration with American rapper and watch enthusiast Swizz Beatz. Powered by the hand-wound DB2517 movement, the watch indicates one time zone on the front and another on the reverse, with both sides able to be worn face up thanks to patented, pivoting “floating” lugs. Initial thoughts The Kind of Two series employs a useful reversible case, cleverly using the “floating” lug construction of the DB28 to create a double-faced watch. Here one dial is traditional with blued steel hands, and the other an open-worked face revealing the movement that also has a regulator-style display for the second time zone. The clever approach with a unique movement is typical De Bethune, although this loses some novelty as the third double-faced watch in the De Bethune line-up. The Kind of Two GMT is definitely one of the most elaborate two time zone watches on the market, but at over US$200,000, it is pricey for a GMT, even by the standards of independent watchmaking (Voutilainen’s GMT, for instance, costs less). Two-faced The “Season 3” edition adopts a restrained palette of black and gold with blue accents. The 43.3 mm by 11.4 mm case is titanium and zirconium, with blued steel hands and a blue-and-black guilloche dial centre on the front showing local time. Notably, this dial includes a jumping seconds that is driven by a secondary escapement visible on ...

J.N. Shapiro Debuts Entry-Level Infinity Series Pure

J.N. Shapiro’s Infinity Series Pure is a new entry point into the American brand. This follows the top-of-the-line Resurgence, the most American-made mechanical wristwatch built since Hamilton shut down in the 1960s. This new model focuses purely on the dial and hands, which are excellent, while trusting Swiss suppliers with ancillary details like the case and caliber. The result is a much more accessible, though less impressive, watch than J.N. Shapiro’s usual fare. Initial Thoughts When the original Infinity line was discontinued in 2023, it left the brand without an entry-level watch, and the company put all of its efforts behind the ambitious Resurgence project. Now that things have settled down, the team once again has the bandwidth to support a second model. The Infinity Series Pure uses an off-the-shelf La Joux-Perret (LJP) movement. While a good, slim movement with an extended power reserve, the LJP F200/7380 isn’t particularly premium, and a downgrade from the UWD cal. 33.1 used in previous infinity models. For example, Ralph Lauren uses the LJP movement in its Vintage 67 line priced at around US$3,000. The case is also outsourced, likely to a Swiss manufacturer, through the Alternative Horological Alliance (AHA), a consortium of independent brands that J.N. Shapiro helped found. This focuses all of Shapiro’s attention on the dial and hands, though both are significantly less complex than on the Resurgence. At US$26,000 the Infinity Series Pure is about a ...

Hands-on – The Bovet Récital 30, One of The Most Clever and Travel-Friendly Watches Ever

Pascal Raffy’s acquisition of the historical Swiss watch brand Bovet in 2001 was accompanied by an ambitious dream of reviving the brand as a temple of decorative arts and Haute Horlogerie. Towering above conventional watchmakers with its complex in-house movements, dramatically staged complications, and lavish artistic flourishes, Bovet’s watches are as unique as they are […]

Alpina introduces its first-ever all-titanium watch, a 39mm Alpiner Extreme Automatic

The sports watch-focused Swiss brand gives their rugged integrated sports watch a sleek, monochromatic titanium makeover.The post Alpina introduces its first-ever all-titanium watch, a 39mm Alpiner Extreme Automatic appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Insight: The Geometric Efficiency of Escapements

Mechanical escapements remain the most fascinating and enticing field of horological study even in the 21st century. At its core, an escapement has a simple purpose: restore lost energy to the oscillating organ while regulating the discharge speed of the going train – thus allowing for time measurement. Straightforward as the concept is, executing an escapement well is a completely different affair. The escapement is perhaps the element of the mechanical movement that has undergone the most iterations since its invention. The reason is simple: escapements were, and remain, imperfect systems. In fact, the escapement is often the least efficient aspect of a mechanical movement in terms of energy transfer. That’s why watchmakers and engineers have devised innumerable variants in the search of the ideal escapement.  Explaining escapement efficiency In physics the efficiency of a system is the proportion of useful work done relative to the total work done by said system. The result, measured as a percentage, speaks to the energy conserved within the system. For example, an 80% efficiency means that 20% of the total available energy is lost, with the remaining 80% usefully conserved.  That said, an efficient escapement isn’t necessarily chronometrically-potent, since there are more criteria, apart from energy conservation, which reflect in a movement’s accuracy. The way in which escapement parts impulse to the balance, the proximity of the equilibrium point and the deg...

Bugatti’s latest hypercar, the Tourbillon, might be the most watch-inspired vehicle ever made

It features a unique, completely analogue instrument cluster that's actually crafted by Swiss watchmakers and looks like three watches.The post Bugatti’s latest hypercar, the Tourbillon, might be the most watch-inspired vehicle ever made appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Sequent Partners with Seconde/Seconde on What they Describe as a Smartwatch with the Most Ungrateful Solar Charging Dial Ever Made

It’s always a special occasion when two innovative brands partner with one another to create something truly unique. Take, for example, the Sequent SolarCharger F**KING SUN watch, a product made in collaboration between Swiss smartwatch brand Sequent and Seconde/Seconde, a Paris-based artist who uses humor and street art-inspired design to mod vintage watches for the Banksy generation. Romaric André, the mind behind Seconde/Seconde, was tapped by Sequent to add his specific style to their SolarCharge model. With a bit of tongue-and-cheek humor, André balances a minimalist dial with a cartoonish delight. Sequent may be looking to renewable energy sources (like solar), all while Seconde/Seconde’s biting commentary on how the myopic view of everyday problems (like a melting ice cream cone, as seen on the subdial) blinds us to the potential that’s still out there. This collab is a perfect pairing between the often-cited stereotype of Swiss orderliness and the Paris artist’s whimsical cynicism. Adrian Bachmann, CEO and co-founder of Sequent, seems to agree, having added his support of this partnership, “When [André] landed us his first draft, I loved the idea and meaning of it immediately.” Apart from the aesthetics of the watch itself, the Sequent is a great reinterpretation of the smartwatch. While it looks like a standard analog watch, its functionality has all the high-tech gadgetry expected for those looking for a smartwatch that’s designed for health moni...

INTRODUCING: The Bulgari Bulgari x Lisa has a crazy dial you’ve never seen before

Blackpink star Lisa was made a Bulgari ambassador in 2020 Their new collaboration has a crazy triple-hue dial It features a loving tribute to her Swiss step-dad Not too long ago in 2022, my first exposure to South Korean stars in the realm of Swiss watches was a photoshoot with heartthrob Hyun Bin wearing the … ContinuedThe post INTRODUCING: The Bulgari Bulgari x Lisa has a crazy dial you’ve never seen before appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

In Conversation with Bernhard Lederer, A Master of Escapements

Paying a visit to Bernhard Lederer’s atelier in St. Blaise, Wei nerds out with the German Master Watchmaker about a crucial component in a watch’s movement, the escapement, which has undergone hundreds of years of innovation. Lederer expounds on the efforts by past masters, Abraham-Louis Breguet and George Daniels to develop the perfect escapement and […]

The only thing I want buzzing on my wrist is a Memovox. Why I’ll never wear an Apple Watch…

You don’t need the statistics to tell you that Apple Watches sell more than the rest of the Swiss watch industry combined. You need only to glance at people’s wrists.  You can’t miss those sleek square slabs. They’re everywhere. Worn by every age group, in every profession. I’ve been told they’re particularly popular among undertakers, … ContinuedThe post The only thing I want buzzing on my wrist is a Memovox. Why I’ll never wear an Apple Watch… appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

The first ever Australian Hublot boutique in Sydney offers an exciting future

It’s been a very busy month in Sydney’s watch retail space with a number of brands opening their doors, and an exciting Swiss brand has entered the fray with the first ever standalone Australian Hublot boutique in Sydney. Located in the heart of Sydney on King Street, the new space embodies the brand’s motto of … ContinuedThe post The first ever Australian Hublot boutique in Sydney offers an exciting future appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

The Most Expensive Watch Ever – Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime in Steel for CHF31m

The Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime ref. 6300A made for Only Watch 2019 has just made history by selling for 31m Swiss francs – selling to a new face at watch auctions – topping the 23m francs achieved by the Henry Graves Supercomplication and the 17m francs of Paul Newman’s “Paul Newman” Daytona. Before the Grandmaster Chime sold for the record-setting sum, I wrote: A major, outsized finish of 12m or 15m francs, or even more, is possible but only likely if an unexpected, deep-pocketed bidder buys the watch, or manages to push the winner further than expected. I was way off the mark value-wise, but at least half right. The bidding opened with room bids, first a 5m franc bid from gem dealer and auction veteran Claude Sfeir, followed by 10m francs from a prominent SE Asian collector. But the action swiftly moved to phone bidders, all bidding via Christie’s representatives, including Stéphane Von Bueren of the watch department in Geneva. It was a prolonged tussle – with bidding rising in 500,000 franc increments – between Mr Von Bueren’s client and another represented by Wei-Ting Jud of Christie’s London. Once bidding hit 17m francs, there was brief applause as the watch topped the record of Paul Newman’s Rolex Daytona. At 22.5m francs, a new bidder jumped in, represented by Max Fawcett of Christie’s Geneva. From there it was Mr Fawcett against Ms Jud – and another round of applause when the watch surpassed the record set by the Graves Supercompli...

The only Barakuda you’ll ever need – the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Barakuda Only Watch

With Only Watch 2019 now just a mere 11 days away from kicking off, we thought we’d take a look at Blancpain’s Only entrant – the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Barakuda. The unique piece from the storied Swiss marque is, rather obviously, based on the standard Fifty Fathoms Barakuda. However, the Only Watch Barakuda sports very … ContinuedThe post The only Barakuda you’ll ever need – the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Barakuda Only Watch appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Why this Longines is the best watch I’ve ever owned

Back at the beginning of 2013, as a result of kissing goodbye to a couple of watches (mistakes) from my collection, I found myself in the rather fortunate position of needing a new daily timepiece. The buying criteria was fairly simple and straightforward: the new watch needed to be a diver, automatic, Swiss made and … ContinuedThe post Why this Longines is the best watch I’ve ever owned appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

The value proposition on this Tissot is next-level. Seriously, it’s a lot of watch for the money

Editor’s note: Just quietly, the Tissot Seastar 1000 Powermatic is an incredible amount of watch for the money. Cool dial, modern bells and whistles, and a strong power reserve. And it looks good.  This is such a great watch. Honestly. I can’t think of many (if any) Swiss-made watches that offer such a punchy package … ContinuedThe post The value proposition on this Tissot is next-level. Seriously, it’s a lot of watch for the money appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Ever wanted to know how Zenith watches are made? Here’s your chance.

A first for the watch industry: Zenith will be officially opening its manufacture doors to the public, with a tour that encompasses the spirit of Swiss watchmaking.

Laurent Ferrier’s Sport Traveller is Ready for Takeoff

Laurent Ferrier’s Sport Traveller is a meaningful addition to its collection of sport watches. While the brand’s convenient push-button dual-time complication is not new, it has never been available in the go-anywhere, do-anything format of the Sport line - where it arguably makes the most sense. It’s also the first time this travel complication has been paired with one of the brand’s lever escapement movements, a change that should provide the resilience against shocks that one expects from a sport watch. Initial thoughts The sport has proven to be one of Laurent Ferrier’s most popular watches, introducing the brand to a wider audience by combining sports watch ruggedness with the high-horology independent watchmaking that the brand has become famous for. In this sense, the Sport Traveller is similar in philosophy to other luxury sport watches. That said, few manage to elevate the concept quite as high as Laurent Ferrier. The A. Lange & Söhne Odysseus and F.P. Journe Octa Sport Titanium are natural peers, as is the Patek Philippe 5164, but only the latter offers a travel time complication. The Sport Traveller is made from grade 5 titanium for a featherweight wrist presence, and debuts in what is likely to be a popular grey-on-grey colourway. Even the Sport Traveller dial text is grey, blending in with the dial to help keep the clutter to a minimum. The cal. LF275.01 continues the monochromatic look with grey-coated bridges and a solid platinum oscillating wei...

Hands-On With The New Oris Star Re-Edition

Today, Oris introduces its Star re-edition. It’s a celebration of the very first Oris watch to feature a lever escapement, from 1966. But “Oris Star” sounds familiar, doesn’t it? Back in 2023, we collaborated with the company from Hölstein on the Fratello × Oris Divers Sixty-Five with “Star” on the dial, just like its 1968 […] Visit Hands-On With The New Oris Star Re-Edition to read the full article.

Omega Co-Axial Movement Explained: A Radical Invention

What is a Co-Axial Movement? More specifically, what is the now-famous Co-Axial Escapement that has become a standard feature on most all Omega watches? In short, it's both a radical concept by one of the modern era's most revered watchmaking geniuses and the culmination of a Swiss watch brand's longtime dedication to improving watchmaking accuracy. Here is the story of Omega's co-axial movements.  [toc-section heading="Early Omega Movements"]  While it is best known these days for its signature watch models, like the Speedmaster “Moonwatch” and the James Bond-worn Seamaster, Omega has also been a pioneer in movement-making since nearly the beginning. The company was founded in 1848 by 23-year-old watchmaker Louis Brandt (with family, above) in the Swiss village of La Chaux-de-Fonds. Originally called La Genérale Watch Company, and eventually renamed Louis Brandt et Fils after Brandt’s sons joined the business, it originally produced key-wound pocket watches from parts supplied by local artisans, After the growing company moved from La Chaux-de-Fonds to the more bustling town of Bienne, in the Swiss Canton of Bern, it pioneered a series of industrial watchmaking techniques and also began making its own in-house movements. The first one, called the Labrador, launched in 1885 in a now-legendary series of pocket watches. Nearly a decade later, in 1894, came the company’s chef d’oeuvre, the 19-ligne Omega Caliber, which was notable at the time for its enviable acc...

Breguet’s Magnificent Magnetic Expérimentale 1

Breguet concludes its 250th anniversary with the brand’s most forward-thinking watch, the Expérimentale 1 that boasts a magnetic, true constant force escapement. Equipped with a frictionless escape wheel and pallet lever driven by magnetic forces, the movement runs at 72,000 beats per hour, or 10 Hz – arguably making the Expérimentale 1 the ultimate Breguet chronometer. Impressively innovative with its use of silicon, magnets, and clever teeth geometry, the limited edition watch also marks the start of the Expérimentale line, a collection that will serve as a platform to debut new complications, technology, and designs. Initial thoughts While some might have been expecting an updated Sympathique, Breguet instead surprised with perhaps the most advanced wrist-borne mechanical chronometer in modern watchmaking. Taking cues from Abraham-Louis Breguet’s own “constant force” escapements, Breguet today harnessed the power of permanent magnets and unique teeth geometry to built a genuinely friction-less, constant torque escapement. In fact, the new escapement appears to be the only truly frictionless and constant force escapement on the market today.  Magnets have been employed in escapements in the past, but this approach was historically unreliable. Breguet appears to have discovered the right formula for a magnetic escapement. Several functioning prototypes were on show at the launch event. Moreover, Breguet chief executive Gregory Kissling explained that the ma...

The 15 Best British Watch Brands (2026)

While Switzerland is regarded today as the world leader of watchmaking, Great Britain can lay claim to a wealth of horological milestones throughout its history as well. From Thomas Mudge’s development of the lever escapement in 1755 to John Harrison’s invention of the marine chronometer in 1759 to the innovations of clockmaker Thomas Tompion and his protegé George Graham in the areas of science and astronomy, England was an undisputed leader in timekeeping throughout the 18th and 19th centuries. The 20th century brought the decline of the British Empire and, with it, British watchmaking, as nations like Switzerland, Germany, and (for a while) the United States stepped in with modern mass-production techniques while the Brits held fast to traditional, artisanal methods. The United Kingdom essentially ceased being a major producer of timepieces by the end of World War II, but as the 21st Century dawned, a handful of entrepreneurial Britons have made great strides in bringing high-end watchmaking back to their native land, establishing new brands - and in some cases, resurrecting old ones - to make watches that appeal to today’s discerning enthusiasts in the U.K. and across the world. Whether the focus is military-style tool watches, avant-garde complications at approachable prices, or ultra-high-end pieces for well-heeled collectors, each brand boasts an identity that is proudly British and at the same time distinct from its peers. Here are 15 British watch bran...