Deployant
Richard Mille: RM28
Interesting dive watch…big, bold, beautiful: the Richard Mille RM28
Results for IWC Big Pilot
4,095 articles · 577 videos found · page 151 of 156
Deployant
Fratello
Inside The Wonderful World Of Audemars Piguet During Watches And Wonders 2026
Audemars Piguet was back in Geneva after a seven-year absence, and it felt like it had never left. A watch salon at which the biggest and most prestigious watch companies strut their stuff just isn’t the same without AP. And that’s why its return to the show felt so natural. But while every other participant […] Visit Inside The Wonderful World Of Audemars Piguet During Watches And Wonders 2026 to read the full article.
SJX Watches
SJX Podcast: Rolex Marks Oyster Centenary with Daytona and Day-Date
Episode 36 of the SJX Podcast comes straight from Watches & Wonders 2026. As ever, all eyes are focused on Rolex during the first hour of the event. SJX and Brandon unpack the brand’s new models, which feature new materials and a novel industrial approach to enamel dial production. We’ll be back soon with more live coverage of the industry’s biggest event. Listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube.
SJX Watches
Complicated Collectors: Sir David Salomons
“How can you make a watch, my dear boy?” His aunt, Jeanette Salomons, then under medical care in St. Leonards-on-Sea, wrote back to her nephew, David Lionel Salomons, in early March 1867, shortly before her death. He was 16, orphaned since his father Philip’s death earlier that year. His mother, Emma Abigail Montefiore, had died when he was eight. At the time, Salomons lived with his uncle, Sir David Salomons (1st Baronet), the Lord Mayor of London, at Great Cumberland Place, near Marble Arch, making frequent visits to a nearby watchmaker’s shop, where he learned to use a lathe and to file metal to tolerances measured in a fraction of an inch. Fifty years later, that teenage training would allow him to assemble the most comprehensive collection of Breguet watches in history. Broomhill Salomons inherited the expansive Broomhill estate in 1873 when he was 22. His uncle, the first Sir David Salomons, had died without children, and the baronetcy passed to his nephew along with the estate near Tunbridge Wells. The house stood on substantial grounds, and Salomons began altering it almost immediately. Broomhill from the south, a photograph by Sir David Lionel Salomons, 1868 (cropped). Album 19, Richard Levy Family Archive. Image – By permission of the Salomons Museum. He built workshops housing machine tools like lathes, drill presses, and milling equipment. Then came electrical apparatus. Then storage for chemicals and photographic equipment. By the 1890s, the workshop...
Teddy Baldassarre
The Most Important Watches of the 1990s
Given the rapid, cyclical nature of trends, it seems that the cultural zeitgeist proclaims every few years that “the 90s are so back.” I think the better question is, did the 90s ever really leave? Well, it's a good a time as any to revisit the 1990s watches that defined this seminal decade. Since the recent release of Ryan Murphy’s “Love Story” limited series retelling of Carolyn Bessette and John F. Kennedy Jr.’s relationship is gripping the pop-cultural imagination, it seems that I can’t open my phone without being digitally transported back to the 90s. While I could resist this specific flavor of nostalgia, it feels more fun to dive right in and lean into the latest obsession with the 90s, translating it into the context of watches. The 90s, after all, is quite a quirky and compelling era of watchmaking. Case sizes were getting bigger, marketing was getting flashier, the industry was still righting itself after the quartz shakeup, and designs that still ring relevant today made their initial debuts. So without further ado, let's hop on in the metaphorical time machine to take a journey through the defining watches of the 90s. [toc-section heading="Cartier Tank Française"] Image: Sotheby's Selfishly, I’m going to kick us off with one of my favorite watches that came out of the 90s. Pretty much an immediate hit when it debuted in 1996, the Tank Française is where Cartier’s iconic design adopted a more laidback attitude. A marked shift from the forma...
Worn & Wound
Parmigiani Fleurier Introduces the Tonda PF Automatic 36mm Alta Rosa
As Watches & Wonders approaches, I find myself thinking back to last year’s fair and the various high and lowlights from that crop of releases. I’ve commented before about a pretty big highlight of last year’s show being Parmigiani Fleurier’s output, particularly their very strong Toric perpetual calendar. This is one of those watches that I rarely go a week without thinking about, like the woman in the white dress that Bernstein remembers from the ferry in Citizen Kane. Anyway, Parmigiani is always a fun meeting at Watches & Wonders and my expectations are high after last year. In what I imagine will be their last release before the show next month, the brand has just introduced a new pink colorway to the Tonda PF line in 36mm. I’m not sure if we can consider this a preview of things to come (honestly, we probably can’t) but it’s a strong release nonetheless further bolsters the Tonda PF platform as an important player in the integrated bracelet sports watch landscape. The new Tonda PF Automatic 36mm Alta Rosa brings a lighter dial color to the steel version of the 36mm Tonda PF for the first time – previously this watch had been available in blue and two shades of gray. Pink dials of course are often associated with watches targeted toward a female clientele, but hopefully the greater watch collecting community has moved beyond these types of prohibitive norms around gender and watch preferences. This is a really attractive color that can be worn by a...
Fratello
Hands-On With The Rado Anatom Automatic Skeleton
It’s time for a short confession: generally, I am not the biggest fan of skeletonized watches. While I greatly appreciate the possibility of witnessing a caliber in action, I much prefer to see it in action through a sapphire display in the case back. It’s purely an aesthetic thing because, as a design fanatic, I […] Visit Hands-On With The Rado Anatom Automatic Skeleton to read the full article.
Worn & Wound
eBay Finds: Full Sets from Angelus and Longines, Plus a Rare Vintage 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 Longines Admiral Leading off this week we have a stylish vintage Longines dress watch. The 35mm yellow gold filled case is a classic round style with simple, straight lugs and a steel back. The case is unpolished, with nice crisp edges. The silver dial looks fantastic, with slim arrow markers and no pesky date window and sword style hands. The original crown is signed with the Longines winged hourglass logo as it should. The watch comes on the original Milanese mesh bracelet with a signed buckle. Very elegant and classy look overall. The watch comes with the inner and outer boxes as well as the instruction and warranty booklets. The case is a front-loading type and there are no pictures of the movement, however the watch runs well per the seller. View auction here Vintage Omega Geneve Dynamic Next up is a wild and unique vintage Omega Geneve Dynamic. This watch is about as pure 1970s funk as it gets! The 41mm wide horizontal oval case is superb and unpolished, with sharp edges and the original brushed finish. The crazy original strap doesn’t attach to lugs, instead it has a big hole in the middle that sits up against the case and is held on by the retaining ring on the bac...
Worn & Wound
Windup Watch Fair Returns to Dallas for the Second Year in a Row
The Windup Watch Fair is heading back to Dallas, TX and this year, it’s getting even better. After an incredible turnout in 2025, our biggest year ever for Windup Watch Fairs, we’re returning to Dallas for the second year in a row and expanding from a two-day show into a full three-day weekend, March 13–15. Once again, we’ll be taking over the Hickory Street Annex, a beautifully restored 1921 Gulf Oil distribution center whose two-level industrial space blends historic character with modern finishes, creating the perfect backdrop for a celebration of watches and watch culture. Hickory Street Annex 501 S Second Ave #200, Dallas, TX 75226 Friday, March 13: 12PM – 6PM Saturday, March 14: 12PM – 6PM Sunday, March 15: 12PM – 5PM Free and open to everyone No registration necessary This year’s Dallas Fair will feature more than 40 brands, led by our headline sponsors Christopher Ward, Junghans, and Oris. Christopher Ward is known for blending modern British design with Swiss watchmaking precision, delivering high-quality mechanical watches that punch well above their price point. Junghans brings over a century of German watchmaking heritage to the fair, celebrated for its clean Bauhaus-inspired aesthetics and timeless minimalist design. Oris rounds out the trio as one of Switzerland’s leading independent watchmakers, respected for its purpose-driven mechanical watches and strong ties to aviation, diving, and motorsport. Each brand will be showcasing its lates...
Time+Tide
Audemars Piguet’s first 2026 releases: stone, skeletons, and a push toward “liveable” complications
AP might be appearing at Watches & Wonders this year, but isn't holding back with its first big round of new watches for 2026.The post Audemars Piguet’s first 2026 releases: stone, skeletons, and a push toward “liveable” complications appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Worn & Wound
Maen Upgrades their Hudson 38 Diver
Maen’s latest is an update to their well regarded Hudson 38 dive watch, now in a MK 5 version. It’s hard to believe that the first Hudson launched all the way back in 2018. Maen is a very different brand nearly a decade later, and has radically changed not only their image but the overall quality of their watches. This is perhaps most easily understood through their popular Manhattan line of integrated bracelet sports watches, which are uncommonly well engineered for the price. Over these last few years while they’ve built out the Manhattan collection, you could probably levy the critique that they’d become a bit of a one trick pony. But it feels like with the new version of the Hudson, they are applying much of what they’ve learned with the Manhattan into a watch that probably has a bit more mass appeal and is a simpler and more straightforward proposition on its face. The Hudson 38 MK 5 is, according to the brand, the biggest update to the watch yet. The case has been completely reworked and is much more streamlined, with a thinner profile (11mm thick excluding the crystal – pretty good for a 300 meter diver) and a thinner bezel, that gives the whole package a more refined appearance and leans harder into the vintage adjacent aesthetic. This new edition also features a box domed crystal for the first time in the collection, which fundamentally changes the personality of the watch when on the wrist. Other small enhancements include the addition of a lume pip (...
Worn & Wound
Inside the Watch Box: Collecting Goals for 2026
If I’m looking back at 2025, it feels like the year I really embraced independent brands across price points. If you’ve listened to the podcast, talked to me at a watch event, or read between the lines of many of the articles I’ve written over the last few years, you’ll know that I’ve become increasingly bored with “big” brands and the new watches they push out to market on predictable release cycles, year in and year out. 2025 was the year that that boredom and frustration really made an impact on the purchases I decided to make. I won’t lie: I went a little overboard on new watches last year. Not having children, owning a car that’s fully paid off, and living in a world where retail therapy is often the most reliable form of comfort will do that to you. In the last year, I picked up new watches from Ming, Otsuka Lotec, Arcanaut, Louis Erard, Selten, Typsim, Christopher Ward, Nomos, and Arken. I’m happy to say that every single one of them is a little weird (Or special? Maybe that’s a better word.) and I’m very pleased to say that in just about every case I have some personal connective tie to the brand or the people behind it. That’s a thing that has become almost essential to me as I consider a new watch: I want to know the people who made it, understand their philosophy, and, if I can, develop an ongoing relationship with them. That’s a goal that’s easier to meet now than ever given the ease with which we all connect on social media, at ...
SJX Watches
SJX Podcast: Best of 2025 – Complications
Episode 22 of the SJX Podcast looks back at the complicated watches that emerged in 2025, a banner year that saw major brands deliver ambitious and record-setting complications. Several anniversaries, including Vacheron Constantin’s 270th and Audemars Piguet’s 150th, resulted in inspired releases. Big brands delivered big hits, from Lange’s black enamel minute repeater perpetual calendar to Blancpain’s Grande Double Sonnerie, which feature a four-note melody composed by Kiss drummer Eric Singer. For its part, Chopard finally gave its sapphire gongs the platform they always deserved with the Grand Strike, the brand’s first-ever grande sonnerie. And while Audemars Piguet’s big anniversary was headlined by the RD#5, the brand’s crown-operated perpetual calendar was another important addition to the field of complications this year. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Youtube.
Teddy Baldassarre
Seiko SSC813 Speedtimer Review: The Best Chronograph Under $1,000?
Seiko has a well known and understood design language that is expansive in nature. It’s a style that feels just as at home on a humble skin diver as it does in the context of a field watch or chronograph. It always feels comfortable, but never derivative. Like a perfectly well worn-in pair of jeans that you keep coming back to. The Speedtimer name is a perfect example of this originality since it was first used by the brand in 1969, and it largely remains so today. The modern Speedtimer SSC813 within the Prospex collection is not entirely reliant on that history, rather, it presents a contemporary vision of a Seiko chronograph at its most accessible. [toc-section heading="Seiko And Chronographs"] Seiko plays an important role in the history of the chronograph as we experience it today. The Japanese brand’s mechanical timers of the mid ‘60s showed off a modern vision for a highly focused design that would open the door for a new generation of watches. These designs did not use a host of subdials, but rather a single timing hand and a single pusher. This is a focus that would be retained until 1969, when Seiko introduced the reference 6139, one of three automatic chronographs to be revealed that year that would shape the genre for the coming decades. Unlike the other two, the Seiko used just a single subdial which would totalize up to 30 minutes. The 6139 would have a cultural impact just as big as its horological impact, appearing in films and, in the case of the so...
Fratello
Hands-On With The Second-Generation Oris ProPilot Date
Oris introduced an update to the ProPilot Date last month. I wrote the introduction article based on the press materials, and now I am back, having had hands-on experience with the new models. So, the big question of the day is: does the refresh make the ProPilot better? Let’s get into it! We’ll cover everything […] Visit Hands-On With The Second-Generation Oris ProPilot Date to read the full article.
Worn & Wound
Brooklyn Meets Bauhaus: Recapping Our Junghans Showroom Experience
Last week, the Windup Watch Shop’s Brooklyn showroom transformed into a full-on Junghans universe-part design gallery, part biergarten, and easily one of our most successful showroom activations to date. Junghans has long been a top performer for us-one of our top five brands online and the number one by sales in the showroom. But we kept hearing the same thing from shoppers: the biggest reason they hadn’t pulled the trigger on a Junghans yet was simply not being able to see the watches in person. A complete Junghans takeover of the showroom changed that in a big way. For the entire weekend, the space became a design-forward Junghans shop-in-shop. Center tables and rear shelving were filled out with the full lineup-Max Bill icons, Meister classics, and the newest releases-all displayed in a way that encouraged lingering, comparing, and hands-on discovery. Junghans content looped across the main monitor, tying the whole activation together. Collectors and first-time visitors loved finally getting the chance to handle models they’d only ever seen online. A Bauhaus Biergarten Event The weekend kicked off with a high-energy evening that blended biergarten warmth with Bauhaus modernism. Guests stepped into a space decorated with themed touches, curated snacks, and plenty of beer-everything tuned to evoke that distinctly German mix of hospitality and design. The vibe was lively and relaxed, with friends and new acquaintances swapping impressions and leaning in...
![[VIDEO] Hands-On: The Incredibly Wearable Grand Seiko SLGW007](https://wornandwound.com/library/uploads/2025/11/GS_SLGW007_19.jpg)
Worn & Wound
[VIDEO] Hands-On: The Incredibly Wearable Grand Seiko SLGW007
It’s very telling to me to see what my initial reactions were to a watch when it was announced. At Watches and Wonders 2024, Grand Seiko launched the SLGW003 “birch bark” featuring a new movement, the manual-wound 9SA4, and a new case within the Evolution 9 series. Looking back at the video that Zach Kazan and I shot to accompany the announcement post, you can see just how excited we were about it, despite being jet-lagged and inundated with new releases. The interesting part is that the new movement, which by all measures is the more significant development for the brand in terms of R&D;, played second fiddle to the case, which addressed some enthusiast issues with Grand Seikos. At 38.6mm x 45mm x 9.95mm, the SLGW003 had idyllic proportions, particularly in terms of thickness, which has long been a thorn in GS’s Zaratsu-polished side. Additionally, the 003 featured 20mm lugs, an uncommon feature for a GS, yet the most common strap width. It’s funny how big a deal a couple of dimensions can be, and yet, as you can see, it’s what we cared about most. Since that release, Grand Seiko has only used the 9SA4 in one other set of watches, the epically cool 45GS tribute SLGW005 and its precious metal sibling, the SLGW004, but not until the SLGW007, the watch I’m actually supposed to be writing about, have we seen a return to that new case design. Although I’ve encountered the SLGW003 in person a couple of times, I haven’t had the chance to wear it for more than a ...
Worn & Wound
Longines Introduces the Ultra-Chron Classic
When Longines reintroduced the Ultra-Chron back in 2022, many enthusiasts and vintage watch lovers were excited by the possibility of the brand exploring one of their key collections with a new lens. To the surprise of many, the watches that have been introduced in the new-look Ultra-Chron lineup have frequently been on the more contemporary side when it comes to design. For a brand that has become known for raiding the archives, the most revered Ultra-Chrons of old haven’t really been a factor with the new pieces. That changes, however, with the introduction of the new Ultra-Chron Classic, which, as the name suggests, is a riff on the original Ultra-Chron, the one often seen by collectors as the most desirable. The Ultra-Chron has always existed as a testament to Longines’ commitment to chronometry. When the collection launched in 1967, it was the first time a watch with a movement based on those used in chronometry competitions had been successfully shifted to a mass produced product. The Ultra-Chron was one of several watches released in the 1960s that effectively threw down the gauntlet in the ongoing chronometry wars among many of the biggest Swiss brands (plus Seiko/Grand Seiko). So it makes sense that Longines would return to the original design of one their most historically important watches. The Ultra-Chron Classic is about as sturdy an example of a clean, midcentury watch design as you’re likely to see. Its circular stainless steel case comes in two si...
Worn & Wound
A History and Guide to GMT Watches
The GMT watch is a bonafide product of the jet age. Though examples of dual-time watches go back to the 19th century, it was the advent of jet-powered commercial aircraft in the 1950s that drove the introduction of this icon of modern watchmaking. Perhaps the best-known example is the Rolex GMT Master, the watch that gave the genre its name. Introduced in 1955 in collaboration with the “World’s Most Experienced Airline,” Rolex designed the watch for Pan-American World Airways pilots that would allow them to have a reference for Greenwich Mean Time (also referred to as UTC or Zulu Time) while maintaining the ability to track local time. This collaboration also resulted in the most recognizable colorway for dual-time watches, Pan-Am’s blue and red colorway. The GMT watch is a bonafide product of the jet age. Though examples of dual-time watches go back to the 19th century, it was the advent of jet-powered commercial aircraft in the 1950s that drove the introduction of this icon of modern watchmaking. Perhaps the best-known example is the Rolex GMT Master, the watch that gave the genre its name. Introduced in 1955 in collaboration with the “World’s Most Experienced Airline,” Rolex designed the watch for Pan-American World Airways pilots that would allow them to have a reference for Greenwich Mean Time (also referred to as UTC or Zulu Time) while maintaining the ability to track local time. This collaboration also resulted in the most recognizable colorway f...
Worn & Wound
Le Forban Sécurité Mer Introduces the Marseillaise, a New Diver with a (Very Strange) Rubber Bund Strap
I love a bit of fashion history, especially when it comes to how our modern clothes came to be. Take, for instance, the high heel. Did you know it was originally designed as a riding shoe in 10th century Persia, in which the heel was made to sit in the stirrup? Or that the jockstrap was originally for “bike jockeys” to help keep things comfortable on old (and presumably not so aerodynamic) bicycles? Or that the Hawaiian shirt, now synonymous with dads at Margaritaville, was first designed using Japanese kimono fabric in the early 1900s? All of that is to say that fashion is ever-evolving and with some quite surprising origins, if you ask me. Another accessory with an interesting – if not murkier – history is the bund strap. Some say the name comes from the word Bundesrepublik, while others say it’s from Bundeswehr (I try not to split hairs too much in German – as you know, it’s such a forgiving language). Some say the leather strap protected against discoloration of brass watch cases from skin perspiration, while others say it was to protect against the extreme temperature change of the metal for pilots. In any case, we know that a) the design originated among pilots during World War II and b) it’s a badass strap design that often doesn’t get enough attention. Which leads me (finally) to the release of Le Forban Sécurité Mer’s Marseillaise dive watch with a bund-style strap. The French brand has taken its 1979 Monnin model as the springboard (or sho...
Worn & Wound
Longines Makes Some Significant Updates to the Spirit Collection with a Pair of New Releases
Longines has announced a pair of new watches in their Spirit collection today, and taken together it feels like a fairly significant shift and update for the five year old line. When the Spirit watches launched in 2020, it represented Longines making an attempt to develop watches that put more of a balance on contemporary vs. vintage inspired divide, having spent years carving out a niche as one of the most tasteful reinterpreters of their own back catalog. The Spirit watches were an entirely new invention but still leaned into the brand’s natural heritage appeal, and impressed from the start with excellent finishing and build quality. As the collection expanded over the years, it’s grown full of under the radar sleepers, but a handful of little issues are always mentioned by admittedly picky enthusiasts when new products drop. At least some of those seem to have been addressed between these new releases, updated versions of the Spirit Pilot and Spirit Pilot Flyback. We’ll look at the Spirit Pilot Flyback first, as it’s a genuinely surprising and unexpected evolution of an ambitious watch that Longines debuted just two years ago. Longines has a long history with chronographs, and flyback chronographs specifically, so the introduction of a new flyback chrono at a competitive price point (at launch it came in under $5,000 in steel) was a big deal. Unfortunately, the case was just enormous, coming in at 42mm in diameter and around 17mm tall. The case height, in part...
Hodinkee
Photo Report: The 2025 Toronto Timepiece Show
Back for its second year, the show is bigger, better, and brighter (and brought out some great watches).
SJX Watches
Gérald Genta Strikes the Right Note with the Minute Repeater
The reborn Gérald Genta has just unveils a simply-titled complicated watch, the Minute Repeater. Although a new design, the striking timepiece harks back to Gérald Genta’s golden age in the late 20th century, in both style and quality of execution. The case takes a clean, cushion-shaped form, while the dial is glossy black onyx. And inside ticks the GG-002, a hand-wind movement derived from the longstanding repeater movement made by Louis Vuitton La Fabrique du Temps (LFT), the parent of Gérald Genta. Though not a limited edition, the yearly output will be limited to 10 pieces. Initial thoughts Big-name brand revivals are not always successful endeavours, since it is often difficult for new patrons to recapture the spirit and style of the original, while also making it financially viable. Gérald Genta is clearly an exception. It was relaunched in 2023 by Louis Vuitton, allowing it to lean more towards genuine quality rather than a flash in the pan. The Minute Repeater is a welcome and original addition to the brand’s collection, embodying the late Genta’s instinctive design flair and aesthetic sensibilities, while being a new(ish) design. An especially pleasant surprise is the original case shape that certainly looks very Gérald Genta, but wasn’t previously in the catalogue, though Genta did pen similar cases in the past. In other words, this is not a remake. The shape sits between an ellipse and a rounded rectangle, capturing the gist of the 1970s design we...
Teddy Baldassarre
Breitling Chronomat: The Complete Guide
The Breitling Chronomat traces its most emblematic design elements back to the relatively recent year of 1984, but the model’s roots reach much further back, to the dawn of Breitling’s role as a leading innovator of watches for pilots. On the way to becoming one of the watch world’s iconic chronograph wristwatches, the Chronomat has also been the host model for some of the most significant innovations in movement technology. Today, it remains one of Breitling’s flagship models, with an array of sizes, materials, colorways, and complications for men and ladies alike. Here is the story of the Breitling Chronomat, from its groundbreaking origins to its 21st Century revival. The Original Chronomat (1941) Breitling’s long and storied history in the arena of aviation begins in 1938, shortly before the start of World War II, with the founding of the Huit Aviation Department by third-generation company chairman Willy Breitling. Taking its numerical name “huit” from the eight-day power reserve offered by Breitling’s watches and clocks - an innovation pioneered by Willy’s grandfather Léon Breitling - the Huit Aviation Department was devoted to making the most precise and robust onboard timekeepers for the cockpits of military planes. Two years later, Breitling unveiled a world’s-first invention destined to make a historical impact on both watchmaking and piloting: the first timepiece equipped with a logarithmic scale on its rotating bezel that could be u...
Fratello
Fratello’s Top 5 Brands To Look Out For During Geneva Watch Days 2025
Another Friday, another list! This time, we’re focusing on the brands that will be present at Geneva Watch Days 2025 next week. The event grows every year, and we have seen an increase in the number of participating brands. It’s a mixed bag of small and big ones that are active at every price level, […] Visit Fratello’s Top 5 Brands To Look Out For During Geneva Watch Days 2025 to read the full article.
SJX Watches
Hands On: Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Enamel “Shahnameh”
With a swivelling case and unadorned back, the Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso has long served as a canvas for miniature enamelling (or double-faced complications). The Reverso Tribute Enamel “Shahnameh” is a fine example of the art, which is almost synonymous with Jaeger-LeCoultre (JLC), one of the first brands to set up an in-house enamel workshop. Originally invented as a watch for polo players – the reversible case is meant to protect the crystal – the Reverso goes back to the historical origins of the game with this set. The quartet is inspired by scenes from Shahnameh, an epic poem written one thousand years ago that recounts the origins of the Persian Empire, and also depicts the ancient game invented by Persians that is today known as polo. Specifically, the four watches reproduce illustrations from the Shahnameh commissioned by Shah Tahmasp, the second ruler of the Safavid dynasty, in the early 16th century. The four piece set comprised of (from left) ‘Siyavush Plays Polo before Afrasiyab’; ‘Faridun Tests His Sons’; ‘Saam Comes to Mount Alburz’; and ‘Rustam Pursues Akvan’. Image – Jaeger-LeCoultre Initial thoughts JLC has long reproduced historical art on the Reverso – including Monet’s Venice series of paintings last year – but the artwork was often Western or East Asian, perhaps reflecting the watchmaker’s biggest markets. The “Shahnameh” set, on the other hand, reproduces scenes from a piece of art that might be less well known in...
SJX Watches
Hands On: Roger Dubuis Excalibur Biretrograde Calendar
Roger Dubuis is celebrating 30 years by looking back on its days as a trend-setting independent. The Excalibur Biretrograde Calendar deftly balances the spirit of Genevan watchmaking from the brand’s early years in the 1990s with the boisterous designs of the 2000s in a manageable size, but less manageable price. While the style is reminiscent of the oversized Excalibur models that were far from ergonomic, the Biretrograde Calendar has been redesigned for wearability. The retrograde calendar mechanism on the front is an in-house construction, built on top of the brand’s own automatic movement that is unexpectedly sophisticated and classical. Initial Thoughts Roger Dubuis is a marque built on calendars, so the new Excalibur has historical resonance. The late Roger Dubuis was a Patek Philippe alumni who caught his big break working with Jean-Marc Wiederrecht, who would go on to found Agenhor, on a double retrograde perpetual calendar developed for New York jeweller Harry Winston. It was during the project that Dubuis met his future business partner, Carlos Dias, an entrepreneur who would help establish the Roger Dubuis brand and transform it into a hit maker in the 2000s. The same double retrograde perpetual calendar mechanism would accompany the first Roger Dubuis model the brand’s debut in 1995. And the retrograde calendar also has a historical connection to Geneva, as a local watchmaker named Marius LeCoultre created the most prolific retrograde perpetual design of ...
Worn & Wound
Hands-On: the Albishorn Type 10 Chronograph
I’ve reached the age where I regularly feel the temptation to say things along the lines of “back in the day…” This applies to various things, such as life without smartphones, dial-up modems, and Napster, among others, but occasionally, it also applies to watches. You see, it wasn’t that long ago that things were quite different. Dive watches were all north of 40mm, in-house movements were rare under $5k, microbrands were dismissed as a passing trend, and, most relevantly to this review, mechanical chronographs under a certain price were primarily powered by Valjoux 7750s or a close variant. With sub-dials at 12, 6, and 9, day-dates at three, two-pushers, cam-actuated, and always automatic, approachably priced mechanical chronographs were limited in their design options. Even 3, 6, 9 layouts were rare, powered by 7753s or ETA 2894s, and often limited to Swatch group brands. The point is that in 2025, it’s almost hard to imagine a world of such limited chronograph options. Today, thanks largely to Sellitta, 3, 9, and 3, 6, 9 layouts are typical (I actually miss 12, 6, 9 now), monopushers are no big deal, manual winding is an option, flybacks, GMTs, and even column-wheels are on the table. Simply put, it’s a good time to be a chronograph fan. Yet, even in this golden-age of chronographs (ok, that might be a stretch), there is room to stand out. Enter Albishorn, which launched in 2024 with a series of chronographs powered by a bespoke movement, based on a fun r...
Worn & Wound
Watch Scrolling: Great Photography, Hot Takes, and Some Watch Related Art
It’s been a minute, but Watch Scrolling, our occasional series where we highlight watch and gear related Instagram accounts we think are worth visiting, is back. Now more than ever, as the algorithm increasingly wants to show us things we might not actually want to see, it’s important to highlight the collectors, enthusiasts, and creators that are really worth a follow. We’ll try to bring you a ton of variety in Watch Scrolling, both big accounts with lots of followers you might be missing, and newer, smaller accounts that are still pretty niche. We’d love to hear your suggestions for Instagram accounts to feature in this series. Drop them in the comments below, or head over to our Worn & Wound+ Slack channel and join the conversation there. @justin_sowders_art Justin recently made his Worn & Wound podcast debut at the Windup Watch Fair in Chicago. He was there to talk about the Citizen Aqualand, but as an artist he’s inspired by a variety of watches, and his IG is definitely worth a follow if you’re at all interested in seeing where abstract art and watches meet. His oil paintings of watches are incredibly evocative and have a very real sense of physical depth. They’re colorful, complex, and will almost certainly make you think of the visual impact of a watch in a new light. @watchopinions Historically, I’ve been a bit allergic to anonymous bomb throwers on the internet. I love a hot-take and think people should proudly stand behind them! But there...
Worn & Wound
The Windup Watch Fair 10-Year Celebration Rolls Into Chicago - Here’s What to See and Do This Weekend
The Windup Watch Fair is heading back to the Windy City for what promises to be our biggest and boldest Chicago event yet-and this time, we’re celebrating a major milestone: 10 years of Windup. From July 11–13, Windup returns to Venue West for three full days of hands-on watch experiences, exclusive launches, engaging panels, and some unexpected surprises. This year’s show features over 40 exhibiting brands, including exciting first-time participants like Tudor, DOXA, Celeste, and Watch Craft. There will also be raffles, giveaways, a Scotch tasting bar, and much more. The event is completely free and open to the public, so whether you’re a seasoned collector, a curious newcomer, or somewhere in between, there’s a place for you at Windup. Windup Watch Fair Chicago Friday, July 11 – Sunday, July 13, 2024 Venue West 221 N Paulina St Chicago, IL 60612 Free and open to the public. Thanks to Our Lead Sponsors We’re thrilled to welcome back our Lead Sponsors, each bringing something exciting to the table-some quite literally. Atelier Wen returns with the Perception, a stunning example of East-meets-West horology. The watch’s intricate guilloché dial, crafted by hand in China, is a modern feat of mechanical art. Casio is showing off their G-SHOCK MTGB4000, a robust, high-tech statement piece loaded with both analog soul and digital brains. Even more exciting? We have it on good authority that Casio will be launching something completely new on day one of the ...