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Results for IWC Mark XX

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Ressence Gets into the Full Lume Dial Game with the Type 5 L Worn & Wound
Ressence Gets into Jul 2, 2024

Ressence Gets into the Full Lume Dial Game with the Type 5 L

If you’ve spent any time on the watch internet over the last few weeks, it should be no surprise that it’s dive watch season. Hardly a day goes by right now that some new dive watch doesn’t pop up on our radar, or come across our Instagram feeds. Now - with the release of the Type 5 L - Ressence has joined in, harnessing the sheer awesomeness of copious lume to make what may be the coolest version of their Type 5 diver yet. When the Ressence Type 5 was first released in 2015, it was unlike anything else on the market. With its bulbous architecture, oil-filled case, and signature Ressence Orbital Convex System (ROCS) displaying the time, the Type 5 was about as fun as a watch could get. The Type 5 L pushes it even further and is a nice reminder that dive watch design doesn’t have to be static - there are still plenty of pages in the dive watch playbook to explore. On a technical level, the Type 5 L is exactly the watch we’ve seen over the last near-decade, but the technical side of things only tells part of the story. What sets the Type 5 L apart is its fully luminous dial. Without the glow, the Type 5 L looks awfully similar to the gray Type 5G from 2017. It shares the same 46mm wide, 15.5mm thick grade 5 titanium case; the same ETA 2824/2 calibre modified with a ROCS 5 module and magnetic transmission showing hours, minutes, and running seconds (plus oil temperature for good measure); and the same 100 meter water resistance. But it’s a whole other story ...

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Hands On: Lange Datograph Up/Down 25th Anniversary SJX Watches
Casio n worth marking Lange Jul 2, 2024

Hands On: Lange Datograph Up/Down 25th Anniversary

A. Lange & Söhne marks the 25th year of its landmark chronograph this year, with two commemorative editions so far – a tremendously expensive all-in-one edition and the relatively more accessible Datograph Up/Down 25th Anniversary. The first Datograph with a white gold case and also the first regular production model with a blue dial, the anniversary edition the result of a relatively modest cosmetic makeover – but unexpectedly compelling. Initial thoughts The Datograph in an imperfect watch – amongst other things it’s top heavy with a somewhat dated dial design – but it has an intrinsic appeal because its movement is outstanding. Even though it’s already 25 years old, the movement remains exceptional in terms of aesthetics. The fact that it’s 25 years old also makes the Datograph important, because Lange created such a movement long before such things became a thing. So the 25th anniversary of the Datograph is an occasion worth marking. Lange debuted two watches for the anniversary (with perhaps a third one to come): the complicated and expensive Datograph Perpetual Tourbillon Honeygold Lumen, and the more accessible Datograph 25th Anniversary. On its face the Datograph Up/Down seems a bit mundane for an anniversary watch. Both the blue dial and white gold case are unique for the Datograph, but together the watch doesn’t look or feel that different. But like the Datograph as a model, the anniversary edition is imperfect yet appealing. Though it is plain...

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Vero Updates the Open Water with a Smaller Case and New Colors Worn & Wound
Timex es were Jul 1, 2024

Vero Updates the Open Water with a Smaller Case and New Colors

What was your first watch? Not your first mechanical watch, not your first nice watch, but actually your first watch. If you’re around my age, I’d hazard a guess that it was probably something fun. Neon Shark watches, bright G-Shocks, and outdoorsy Timexes were the thing on my playground growing up, and it’s a recipe that still works just as well approaching (or beyond) 30 as it did approaching 10. All this is to say that colorful and waterproof is a recipe for success, and one brand that really gets this is Vero. I don’t exactly remember the first time I crossed paths with a Vero, but I do remember the minty green dial standing out against the stark black bezel, and that I found myself pretty taken with their line of colorful dive watches from the get. It’s an interest I haven’t really shaken, and one only compounded by the latest iteration of their signature dive watch, the Open Water, now in a  38mm case. The big headline here is a series of subtle refinements to the Open Water model, all of which add up to a stark evolution of Vero’s flagship diver. To look at the new Open Water 38 in isolation, one might be hard-pressed to call out many of these changes but put the old and new models next to each other, and the difference will be clear.  The most visually dramatic of these changes is the shift from a black DLC finish on the bezel to a boldly colored Cerakote treatment. A stark black bezel has been a key visual hallmark of the Vero Open Water, so moving...

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Longines Unveils the Pilot Majetek Pioneer Edition in Titanium SJX Watches
Longines Unveils Jul 1, 2024

Longines Unveils the Pilot Majetek Pioneer Edition in Titanium

Following the original Pilot Majetek in stainless steel, Longines has unveiled the Pilot Majetek Pioneer Edition with a titanium case and a grey-tone livery. Modelled on the original majetek aviator’s watch supplied to the Czechoslovakian air force in the 1930s, the limited edition is identical to the stainless steel variation in terms of design, dimensions, and movement, but is lightweight thanks to the case metal but also unexpectedly pricey. The Pilot Majetek Pioneer Edition in grade 5 titanium Initial thoughts The Pioneer Edition is Longines’ third re-issue of the original. Longines didn’t quite get it right with the first remake, the Heritage 1935. It lacked the rotating bezel with a triangular marker that was one of the defining features of the original, and also had an awkwardly positioned date window at six and “automatic” on the dial. Last year’s Pilot Majetek in steel was not really a remake since it has a distinctly different case design, but still gained several refinements over the Heritage 1935. However, the Pioneer Edition is not really a tangible improvement over the steel model. Thought the titanium case does bring with it lightness as well as a muted grey finish that goes well with the design, it comes at a big price increase of almost 40% over the steel version. Such a large premium for a titanium case doesn’t make much sense today given the difference in cost of a case in either material is negligible for a big brand. The Arabic indices, a...

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Hautlence Introduces The Production Version Of The Remarkable Retrovision ’47 Fratello
Hautlence Introduces Jun 30, 2024

Hautlence Introduces The Production Version Of The Remarkable Retrovision ’47

One of the most whimsical timepieces we saw at Watches and Wonders this year was the Hautlence Retrovision ’47. Presented as a pièce unique for the fair, this watch is far from your regular timepiece. The design takes direct inspiration from a late-1940s radio built by General Television & Radio Corp. from Chicago. It certainly […] Visit Hautlence Introduces The Production Version Of The Remarkable Retrovision ’47 to read the full article.

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Watches, Stories, & Gear: L’Epee Sold to LVMH, the Strange History of Pink Lemonade, and the Nosferatu Trailer Worn & Wound
Jun 29, 2024

Watches, Stories, & Gear: L’Epee Sold to LVMH, the Strange History of Pink Lemonade, and the Nosferatu Trailer

“Watches, Stories, and Gear” is a roundup of our favorite content, watch or otherwise, from around the internet. Here, we support other creators, explore interesting content that inspires us, and put a spotlight on causes we believe in. Oh, and any gear we happen to be digging on this week. We love gear. Share your story ideas or interesting finds with us by emailing info@wornandwound.com Our First Look at Nosferatu It’s been a bit of a slow movie year (blame it on last year’s strikes, or a lingering sense left over from the pandemic that you can catch whatever you want once it’s streaming) but things might be picking up toward the back half of 2024. One of the most anticipated new releases of the year drops on Christmas day: a new version of Nosferatu directed by Robert Eggers, maker of The Lighthouse and The Northman. Eggers is one of the most exciting filmmakers of his generation, and is known for an insane level of adherence to period detail. The first trailer for Nosferatu looks very promising indeed. Intense, scary, dark – exactly what we’d expect from Eggers.  The Grant Stone Edward Boot in Black Suede  Much of the country is struggling with a seemingly never ending heatwave, but believe it or not, boot season is right around the corner. Now is a great time to plan for the crisp weather ahead, and Grant Stone just introduced a great new option if you’re in the market for a simple black boot. The Edward is described by the brand as a classic service...

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Introducing: The Chronoswiss Delphis Dracula, Horizon, And Dune Fratello
Chronoswiss Jun 28, 2024

Introducing: The Chronoswiss Delphis Dracula, Horizon, And Dune

Chronoswiss is on a mission to revamp its lineup. Today’s Delphis watch trio marks the third new release in nearly four months. These three watches offer enameled and guilloché dials in cases made from gold or titanium. The brand also makes good use of its third in-house-designed movement, the C.6004. Today’s Chronoswiss Delphis models are […] Visit Introducing: The Chronoswiss Delphis Dracula, Horizon, And Dune to read the full article.

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A New Collaboration Between Louis Erard and Alain Silberstein is Meant to Make You Smile Everyday Worn & Wound
Louis Erard Jun 27, 2024

A New Collaboration Between Louis Erard and Alain Silberstein is Meant to Make You Smile Everyday

The last time we brought you news of a Louis Erard x Alain Silberstein collaboration, it was one of their most ambitious efforts to date, a Swiss tourbillon coming in under CHF 16,000, which brings a different angle to Louis Erard’s stated goal of making luxury watchmaking accessible. When that watch was released, Louis Erard promised additional collaborations to follow, and today we see the next step in their partnership. The Louis Erard x Alain Silberstein Smile-Day adds a new colorway to a fan favorite format, and shows that there’s still gas left in the collaboration tank.  The Smile-Day is a stand-alone version of the “La Semaine” concept that we’ve seen Louis Erard and Silberstein experiment with a few times now. This watch essentially takes a day-date complication and replaces the “day” with a series of smiling emojis. It doesn’t actually help you keep track of the calendar, but it’s a fun and whimsical idea, and has always felt like a great match to Silberstein’s playful use of color and shape. The wearer is invited to adjust the “day” to the emoji that most fits their mood, or perhaps the emoji that most fits the mood they want to be in.  Previous versions of this watch have appeared with black and drab green dials, but this has a very different personality with a light gray dial. It’s complemented by light blue hour markers and a matching oversized minute hand, with a red hour hand and bright yellow seconds hand. As with earlier exampl...

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Breguet Introduces the Double Tourbillon “Quai de l’Horloge” 5345 in Rose Gold SJX Watches
Breguet Introduces Jun 27, 2024

Breguet Introduces the Double Tourbillon “Quai de l’Horloge” 5345 in Rose Gold

Abraham-Louis Breguet was granted a patent for the tourbillon on June 16, 1801. On the birthday of his celebrated invention, Breguet launches the facelifted, rose gold iteration of the Breguet Classique Double Tourbillon “Quai de l’Horloge” 5345. The brand’s most formidable tourbillon, the Double Tourbillon is a remarkable timepiece that blends forward-thinking mechanics with traditional craftsmanship, all presented in a striking, oversized case. Initial thoughts  While the newest iteration of the Double Tourbillon collection is not actually new (the original version was launched four years ago), the complication never ceases to amaze. The watch is an impressive demonstration of artisanal skill, with open worked movement revealing a plethora of decorated surfaces, each showcasing a different finishing technique.  The three-dimensional calibre is built upon an 18k rose gold main plate that’s been engine turned with a new wave guilloche developed by Breguet. And the reverse of the watch reveals the bridges of the movement that are entirely hand engraved with a detailed scene of 19th century Paris. Beyond the artisanal finishes, the movement is a highly technical affair. It features no dial, with the movement forming the face. Not only does it include two tourbillon regulators, each with its own going train and barrel, but half of the movement itself is geared to rotate once every 12 hours. The watch is large for the classic Breguet style, but the chunky case is i...

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Yema Introduces a New Skin Diver with their Micro Rotor Caliber Worn & Wound
Yema Jun 24, 2024

Yema Introduces a New Skin Diver with their Micro Rotor Caliber

French watchmaker Henry-Louis Belmont established Yema in 1948 and quickly became known for manufacturing ultra-capable tool watches. By 1954 their production reached 130,000 watches and by the mid 1960s they were selling over 400,000 watches annually in 55 countries. Their motto “Time of Heroes” became their official slogan, and their watches were particularly suitable for diving, car racing, and military expeditions. Today, Yema is experiencing a resurgence and is introducing a new modern interpretation of their iconic Skin Diver. The Skin Diver Slim CMM.20 is not just another pretty face. Beneath the beautiful dark grey dial beats their in-house Calibre Manufacture Morteau 20 movement (CMM.20). It is rated for accuracy at -3/+7 seconds a day, has a power reserve of 70 hours, and is extra slim due to its micro-rotor. The watch measures 39mm in diameter, 47mm from lug-to-lug, and only 10mm tall to the top of the double-domed sapphire crystal. Despite being relatively thin, it is water-resistant to an impressive depth of 300 meters. Adding to its vintage styling is a dark grey, faded bezel insert covered by sapphire glass. Its lume pip, along with all the lume on the dial and markers, has that aged radium look, which complements the design very well. The watch comes mounted on a new slimmer Yema Scales bracelet, which integrates better with the Skin Diver’s slimmer profile. The screw-down case back offers a transparent view of the movement, featuring a black ALD (ato...

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Just A Minute With The Citizen Series8 890 Worn & Wound
Citizen Series8 890 Jun 21, 2024

Just A Minute With The Citizen Series8 890

With a history that dates back to the founding of the Shokosha Watch Research Institute in 1918, Citizen Watch Co. was formally established in 1930 with the goal of creating high-quality yet accessible timepieces for the Japanese market. Headquartered in Nishitokyo, Tokyo, Japan, Citizen is one of the world’s largest and most vertically-integrated watch manufacturers. With a history that dates back to the founding of the Shokosha Watch Research Institute in 1918, Citizen Watch Co. was formally established in 1930 with the goal of creating high-quality yet accessible timepieces for the Japanese market. Headquartered in Nishitokyo, Tokyo, Japan, Citizen is one of the world’s largest and most vertically-integrated watch manufacturers. The post Just A Minute With The Citizen Series8 890 appeared first on Worn & Wound.

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Singer Reimagined Expands their 1969 Collection Worn & Wound
TAG Heuer Carrera Jun 20, 2024

Singer Reimagined Expands their 1969 Collection

There is almost no end to watches inspired by motorsport, but very few watches take that inspiration and do anything truly unique with it. Just yesterday, we brought you news of a new TAG Heuer Carrera that, in my opinion, is something of a by-the-numbers collaboration between an automaker and a luxury watch brand. It has design notes that convey a watch that’s sporty and modern, the “Porsche” wordmark prominently featured on the case itself, and it’s a Carrera, a collection that is naturally imbued with racing history. I’ve written about a lot of watches that say “Porsche” on them in one way or another, but it’s honestly difficult to tell them apart after a while. Singer Reimagined takes an entirely different approach.  The brand itself is part of the Singer Group, which rose to prominence with their bespoke restorations of vintage Porsche 911s. What Singer brings to the table is a very unique and highly specialized perspective. You might love it or hate it, but they don’t suffer from the same problems that inevitably plague large luxury watch brands, namely casting an impossibly wide net, resulting in products that, even when ostensibly “niche,” have a certain generic quality to them. Being intrinsically connected to the car world, it’s no surprise that Singer only makes chronographs. Expanding on the very idea of the chronograph in an adventurous way is part of what makes Singer Reimagined exciting. Their chronographs use unconventional movement...

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Avant-Garde Art Takes to the Raketa Dial SJX Watches
Raketa Jun 20, 2024

Avant-Garde Art Takes to the Raketa Dial

Inspired by Russian avant-garde art of the early 20th century, Raketa’s collection of the same name reproduces the graphic, geometric style on watch dials. The Raketa Avant-Garde 0292 is starkly and characterised by bold shapes. And unlike its predecessors, the new Avant-Garde does away with hour markers, which detracts from legibility but makes it all the more striking. Initial thoughts At first glance, the Avant-Garde appears abstract but is actually entirely conventional with three hands on a central axis. While readability is mixed at best, the dial has presence. The boldly graphic dial instantly evokes the art that inspired it, though it is not a like-for-like reproduction. Of all the art-inspired Raketa watches to date, this is the most interesting. Priced at €1,625, the new Avant-Garde sits at the higher end of the range for watches of this segment; comparable watches would be those equipped with Miyota calibres. However, the Avant-Garde has the advantage of striking, original aesthetics that are coherent with the brand and its history. Most “artistic” watches in this price segment tend to have less coherent artistic sensibilities. Granted, the fact that the dial is inspired by Russian art may be a turn-off for some, but the watch in itself is an appealing one. Initial thoughts The Avant-Garde 0292 is modelled on Beat the Whites with the Red Wedge, a Bolshevik propaganda poster created during the Russian Civil War by El Lissitzky, a leading artist of the R...

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Sunday Morning Showdown: Tudor Black Bay 58 In Blue Vs. Seiko Prospex Marinemaster SJE119 Fratello
Tudor Black Bay 58 Jun 16, 2024

Sunday Morning Showdown: Tudor Black Bay 58 In Blue Vs. Seiko Prospex Marinemaster SJE119

Welcome to a new Sunday Morning Showdown. Whereas last week’s contestants were much higher upmarket, this week, we’re putting two more common, mid-tier divers up against each other. The Tudor Black Bay 58 in blue was introduced about four years ago. Ever since then, it has been a very popular vintage-inspired dive watch. But how […] Visit Sunday Morning Showdown: Tudor Black Bay 58 In Blue Vs. Seiko Prospex Marinemaster SJE119 to read the full article.

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De Bethune Launches Two New DB Eight References Worn & Wound
De Bethune Launches Two New DB Jun 14, 2024

De Bethune Launches Two New DB Eight References

A little over a year on from the release of the DB Eight, De Bethune is following up the mono-usher chronograph with two new variants, each in gold, and each of which offers a welcome look back at the early days of the brand.  De Bethune is a brand well-versed in the avant-garde. The name alone tends to conjure images of remarkably blue tourbillons with spring-loaded lugs, and other sci-fi-esque watches. In the last few years, De Bethune has become well known for pushing the boundaries of watchmaking in both a technical and aesthetic sense - they even sent a watch to (near) space on the wrist of Michael Strahan. If you’re only familiar with De Bethune thanks to watches like the DB28 Kind of Blue Tourbillon or the DB28GS Yellow Submarine, looking back at the early days of De Bethune might come with a bit of a surprise. Early De Bethunes stood out not because of any outrageous architecture or wild case finishing, but rather thanks to a refined - and very traditional - look, backed up by the technical prowess of Denis Flageollet, the brand’s founder. The DB8 was one of these early, very traditional watches. Though still identifiable as a De Bethune thanks to its bullet lugs and three-part case, the DB8 was (in most senses) a very traditional take on the concept of a mono-pusher chronograph dress watch. The new DB Eight is a fitting follow up to that watch, holding on to much of the original’s concept and charm, but with each and every detail refined and update...

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Just in Time for Summer, the Maurice Lacroix Aikon Gets Some Color Worn & Wound
Maurice Lacroix Aikon Gets Some Color Jun 13, 2024

Just in Time for Summer, the Maurice Lacroix Aikon Gets Some Color

I have long been skeptical of the integrated bracelet sports watch. It’s a genre of watch that I’ve never really lusted after, and while I can certainly appreciate the craftsmanship of a Royal Oak bracelet or the collectability of a rare Nautilus, these watches have always been mostly about flaunting wealth, and they kind of all bleed together to look like one another at a certain point, which leads me to wonder what that says about the taste of those who prize them so highly. Still, everyone once in a while an integrated bracelet sports watch comes around that is almost accidentally appealing to me, usually because of how it undermines the tropes of the genre. I suppose I also just have a soft spot for the Maurice Lacroix Aikon collection. There’s something about the accessibility and variety of these watches that I’ve always enjoyed.  The latest entry in the Aikon collection from Maurice Lacroix is the summer ready Quartz Colors collection seen here. The name, as is often the case, kind of gives away what we’re dealing with. These Aikons, with references in both 35mm and 40mm, are powered by quartz movements, and they do indeed feature colors. The 35mm variants give you the option of a “Sunset Pink” or “Deep Sky Blue” dial, while the 40mm watch comes in sky blue only. The smaller versions of the Aikon Quartz Colors are also accented with diamonds at the hour markers.  The press materials for the Quartz Colors releases suggest that Maurice Lacriox was ...

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Farer Relaunches the Popular Cobb and Seagrave Monopusher Chronographs, Now with GMT Functionality Worn & Wound
Farer Relaunches Jun 12, 2024

Farer Relaunches the Popular Cobb and Seagrave Monopusher Chronographs, Now with GMT Functionality

The latest release from Farer once again shows us that small brands are doing some of the most interesting things in the watch industry this year. Their new Monopusher GMT collection is no different, combining a popular travel complication with an old-school monopusher chronograph. With the rerelease of both the classic Cobb and Segrave monopushers, we’re seeing a new direction for the British brand that ups the proverbial ante on their line-up. Generally speaking, it’s fairly rare to see a watch that has both a chronograph and a GMT complication – and especially so for one to also have enough real estate to not look too jumbled. But that’s exactly what Farer was able to accomplish with these two new references. Using the classic Heuer Autavia GMT Ref. 1163 as its inspiration, Farer was able to take elements from this classic reference without veering into just reinventing the wheel. The distinct colorways of both Monopusher GMT models is what makes them so uniquely Farer. The color choices of both watches play into the brand’s identity and suit a wide range of customers’ preferences. The Seagrave, with its textured black dial, is on the more conservative side. The Cobb, by contrast, is a little more bold with a sky blue dial and yellow accents. The Segrave may be a bit more subdued, but it’s the small touches and tonal variations which show the amount of thought that has gone into the design. The black gravel dial is offset by blue minute markers and a pair ...

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Citizen Dive Watches Guide Teddy Baldassarre
Citizen Jun 11, 2024

Citizen Dive Watches Guide

Citizen Watch Co. of Japan has been making watches for 100 years, and a glance at the brand’s current portfolio reveals that quite a few of those watches are dive watches. It’s not surprising, since Citizen has been in the business of supplying watches for divers since the early 1980s, and has been extending the variety of styles, functionalities, and even movement types available in the various collections ever since. So how do you decide on whether you want your first (or next) Citizen dive watch to be an Eco-Drive or an automatic? An everyday-wear Fugu, a multipurpose Aqualand, or a deep-diving Eco-Zilla? Our comprehensive guide is here to help you, with a brief history of Citizen dive watches and a rundown of all the styles available today. Swiss watchmakers began embracing purpose-built, water-resistant divers’ watches in the early 1950s, while their contemporaries in Japan came aboard a decade or so later. As many history-minded watch enthusiasts are aware, it was Citizen’s competitor, Seiko, that released the first Japanese-made divers’ watch, in 1965. However, Citizen’s Parawater, regarded as the first “water-resistant” Japanese watch, preceded it to market six years earlier, in 1959. The Parawater watches (as above) were waterproof to 50 meters of depth, an impressive feat for the era, and they were the forerunners of Citizen’s contemporary line of dive watches, which began in the 1960s but really kicked into gear with the release of the Promast...

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[VIDEO] Hands-On: the Amida Digitrend Worn & Wound
Jun 11, 2024

[VIDEO] Hands-On: the Amida Digitrend

Here’s the thing about wearing the Amida Digitrend: you can’t take a traditional wrist shot with it. It’s not an insignificant point in 2024, when the watch industry effectively lives on Instagram, and the currency through which influence is thrust upon brands, collectors, and all of the other personalities who have risen to prominence in recent years is the wrist shot. We expect them when our friends pick up a new piece for their collection, and it’s the first thing we ask for when a new watch is announced with a series of renders depicting the watch in some altered state. So can a watch find success with the enthusiast crowd if it’s virtually impossible to take a traditional wrist shot? Amida deserves a lot of credit, I think, for rolling the dice and finding out in real time. Their new watch, the Digitrend, is one of the most interesting and quietly daring new watches to hit the market in the last few years. It takes a design that’s fifty years old and revives it so successfully that it forces you to wonder what’s happened to the industry in the intervening decades. How did we go from the strange and clever problem solving of the Digitrend to a nearly endless stream of Black Dialed Divers based on the same rudimentary outline?  The answer to that question is far outside the scope of this review, but it’s worth reporting that we may indeed be nearing an end to the watch market being saturated with straightforward vintage inspired sports watches. This is ...

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RGM Unveils the Model 25 “Birds of America (Glossy Ibis)” SJX Watches
RGM Jun 11, 2024

RGM Unveils the Model 25 “Birds of America (Glossy Ibis)”

RGM Watch Co. recently bestowed an artisanal touch on its time-only Model 25 with the “Birds of America (Glossy Ibis)” with a mother-of-pearl dial featuring a miniature painting that reproduces a drawing from John James Audubon’s famous book of the same name. Notably, the Birds of America is also equipped with an ETA calibre upgraded by RGM to have a power reserve that’s 30% longer. Initial thoughts RGM was historically a guilloche specialist – notably the brand does traditional engine turning in house – so the Birds of America is a logical diversification that continues the brand’s speciality. Though the artisan responsible for the miniature painting is unnamed, the dial is impressively rendered with a skilful depiction of the bird. The details of the ibis are practically as vivid as in Audubon’s illustration. Interestingly, the Birds of America is not merely a stylistic exercise. A significant feature is the upgraded ETA 2892 inside that has a 53-56 hour power reserve,  a significant enhancement over the standard 44 hours, which was achieved with in-house upgrades according to RGM.  This release is priced at U$17,900, and comparable commissions depicting others birds from Audubon’s book will cost similar. It’s more affordable than comparable watches from established Swiss brands, making it a relatively good value proposition. After Audubon The latest release is based on a plate depicting the glossy ibis in The Birds of America, the landmark work by...

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18 Roman Numeral-Dial Watches From Under $500 to $40,000 Teddy Baldassarre
Jun 6, 2024

18 Roman Numeral-Dial Watches From Under $500 to $40,000

In an era when the line between what is a sports watch and what is a dress watch have been blurred substantially, the presence of Roman numerals on your watch’s dial is one of the last reliable hallmarks that identify it as a timepiece meant for dressing up, not down; a watch designed with classical elegance in mind more so than robustness or even optimum legibility. Of course, Roman numerals in general are rarely encountered in most people’s modern lives, the annual naming and marketing of Super Bowls being the rare exception. Thus, watches with Roman-numeral dials are relatively rare in the horological wild as well, albeit still occupying an appealing niche embraced by many watch manufacturers as well as by an avid core of enthusiasts. Here, we’ve tracked down 18 that are on the market in 2024; as per our usual format, they’re spotlighted in ascending order of price and represent a wide range of price points. Orient Bambino Day-Date Price: $410, Case Size: 40.5mm, Thickness: 12.6mm, Lug to Lug: 46.5mm, Lug Width: 21mm, Crystal: Mineral, Water Resistance: 30 meters, Movement: Automatic F6B22 Often under the radar of American watch consumers and overshadowed by its larger Japanese brethren, Citizen and Seiko (which with it shares a corporate connection through Epson), Orient has been making value-oriented watches in Japan since 1950. The Bambino, Orient’s dressy gents’ model, offers simple three-handed options and a handful of “quiet” complications, like th...

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Seiko Introduces the King Seiko KS1969 SJX Watches
Seiko Introduces Jun 6, 2024

Seiko Introduces the King Seiko KS1969

After officially reviving the King Seiko brand in 2022, Seiko has introduced a new range of King Seiko models inspired by the vintage original from 1969. The King Seiko KS1969 features a stainless steel “C-shaped” case that’s a thin 9.9 mm high, along with a matching retro-style bracelet. It is available in four colourways, including grained purple and baby blue. Initial thoughts The standout feature of the KS1969 is its C-shaped case, directly inspired by that of the King Seiko 45KCM that debuted in, you guessed it, 1969. The model will be available in a variety of dial colours, including green and a striking “Edo purple”. Colours aside, the dials are straightforward, featuring applied markers and a date window at three o’clock. Judging by the press images, the font used for the date wheel is a close match to that of the original 45KCM, which is a thoughtful touch. Attention to detail was also paid to the date wheels that are catered to the dial colour: dark for the purple and green dials, while the blue and silver dials have white wheels. The slim, 39.4 mm case is paired with a multi-link bracelet with alternating brushed and polished links. The design is vintage inspired and evokes the popular “beads of rice” style. It has a somewhat generic “vintage” style, but the short links mean smaller-scale adjustability, enabling a good fit on most wrists. Inside the case is the cal. 6L35. Though considered accurate and reliable, the movement lacks the technic...

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Charles Leclerc Makes A Power Move - The F1 Star Invests In Chrono24 Fratello
Jun 5, 2024

Charles Leclerc Makes A Power Move - The F1 Star Invests In Chrono24

Formula 1’s rising star Charles Leclerc has proven himself a force to be reckoned with on the racetrack. But beyond the high-g world of Grand Prix, Leclerc harbors another passion - timepieces. This passion recently took a surprising turn with the announcement of his investment in Chrono24, the world’s leading online marketplace for luxury watches. […] Visit Charles Leclerc Makes A Power Move - The F1 Star Invests In Chrono24 to read the full article.

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Hands On: Tudor Black Bay 58 GMT SJX Watches
Tudor Black Bay 58 GMT Jun 5, 2024

Hands On: Tudor Black Bay 58 GMT

For Tudor, 2024 was a year of safe bets, with the only completely new model family, the Black Bay 58 GMT, being an almost guaranteed success from the get-go. Overtly referencing sought-after vintage GMT Master models from sister brand Rolex, the BB58 GMT further solidifies Tudor’s dominant position in its category. While the big story last year was Tudor’s move out of its parents’ basement and into its own manufacture in Le Locle, this year was comparatively tame, focused on expanding the line-up of METAS-certified Black Bay models. Initial thoughts Tudor is one of the Swiss watch industry’s great success stories of the last decade. In a market in which high-end products have enjoyed the lion’s share of growth, Tudor has achieved an enviable market position by consistently improving design and quality while maintaining affordable pricing. The brand is also listening to the community, and introducing products that are likely to have built-in demand; the BB58 GMT is emblematic of this formula. Beyond its signature gilt accents and black and burgundy “Coke” bezel, the big story is of course the packaging of a true “flyer” GMT functionality in the smaller Black Bay 58 case format. The original Black Bay GMT, introduced in 2018, was beefier, at 41 mm in diameter and nearly 15 mm thick (14.6 mm to be specific). The Black Bay Pro shrunk the diameter to 39 mm, but the thickness stayed the same, resulting in a watch that felt overly thick. The New BB58 GMT address...

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