5,147 articles · 3,809 videos found · page 163 of 299
Fratello
The Tissot Chemin des Tourelles is a straightforward daily watch with a slightly formal air. Before the rise of sports watches as everyday pieces, this Tissot model would have been considered “a watch” - in other words, not the type of piece that an enthusiast site like Fratello normally covers. However, the new Chemin des […] Visit Hands-On: The New Tissot Chemin Des Tourelles Squelette to read the full article.
SJX Watches
A mechanical engineer by trade, Krzysztof Płonka has been making elaborate clocks since the 1990s in his workshop in southern Poland, specialising in regulator-style standing clocks with astronomical complications. One of his most complex creations is the Great Astronomical Skeleton Clock. Requiring a decade to complete – producing the components took six years and assembly a further four years – the clock is unique proposition that combines classical horology with more modern mechanics. Initial thoughts Large standing clocks are a niche of horology far from the mainstream of wristwatch collection. While wrist (and occasionally pocket) watches are well known to enthusiasts, the best clockmakers and their amazing works are mostly neglected. The Great Astronomical Skeleton Clock is a good example of such a hidden horological gem. It’s both curious in construction and comprehensive in terms of complications, a combination that should interest horologists and engineers alike. Built on a precision movement as the base, the clock features a complete perpetual calendar, sunrise and sunset times for a fixed location and even a sun declination indication. The mechanics are presented in a beautiful woodworked cabinet almost 3 m tall, with large glass panels generously showing the inner workings. The clock is stark in its open working, with most of the mechanics within on show from all sides. The movement features both classical horological elements and general mechanical c...
Time+Tide
Celebrities are often in the limelight with stylised and curated looks. So, why are they making the mistake of wearing watches upside down?The post PSA: Dear celebs, please stop wearing your watches upside down appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Fratello
Have you heard of people wearing watches without winding and/or setting them correctly? I have. And to a point, I get why they can’t be bothered to make sure the mechanical watches on their wrists display the time correctly more than twice a day. The correct time is everywhere - on your phone, in your […] Visit Trying Not To Get Confused Or Frustrated By The Platinum Cartier Santos-Dumont Rewind to read the full article.
Worn & Wound
It’s hard to relaunch a brand. We’ve seen it over and over in the watch industry: brands, in an attempt to reinvigorate themselves, gain more traction in the market, and adapt to changing times, will sometimes make a decision to completely rethink their philosophy, aesthetic, and core models. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t, and there are varying levels of intensity in how fully relaunched a brand will actually go. Sometimes the shift is drastic, with new logos, new ideas, new price points, and completely new watches. And sometimes it’s more subtle, representing a small but noticeable and important tweak that fundamentally changes something about the presentation. HYT, a high end Swiss brand that has been through its fair share of tumult recently, debuted a new collection recently that we got a chance to look at during Watches & Wonders week, and it struck me as one of the smartest recalibrations we’ve seen from a brand in a long time. If you know HYT at all, you know them for their unique time telling system that involves moving liquid around the dial through a pair of bellows that expand and contract throughout the day. There is quite literally nothing else like it on the market, and the watches have always had a half futuristic, half steam-punk vibe to them. There is real horological ingenuity at the heart of HYT, but the watches, in the past, have often been dominated by literally showing you the mechanism in a way that was, to put it bluntly, a bi...
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SJX Watches
One of the most fascinating timepieces in Phillips’ upcoming Hong Kong auction is the Patek Philippe grand complication pocket watch ref. 767. Made in 1950 and sold in 1952, this one-of-a-kind pocket watch boasts a minute repeater, perpetual calendar, and double split-seconds chronograph. More accurately, it is a mono-pusher, double split-seconds, or even triple-split seconds. This ref. 767 features not two, but three, chronograph seconds hands. As a result, it can simultaneously measure three elapsed times of up to one minute. The complication is possibly unique amongst Patek Philippe watches. A historically significant watch in itself, this ref. 767 also has notable provenance: it once belonged to Seth Atwood, the American industrialist who founded the now-closed Time Museum. According to Philips, this ref. 767 was Atwood’s everyday watch, not surprising since he was a legendary collector of his day with a collection that included the Patek Philippe Graves Supercomplication and the Duc d’Orléans Breguet Sympathique. Three seconds hands, two in blued steel and one in gold Initial thoughts I’ve been impressed by many pocket watches – some that come to include a Patek Philippe observatory tourbillon and the Philippe Dufour Grande Sonnerie – but I’ve rarely been surprised. This ref. 767 was, however, entirely unexpected. When it was first described to me, I was confused and immediately thought of the Lange Double Split. But as it turns out, this is entirely d...
Monochrome
A highly important model within the brand’s collection, the Piaget Polo was born in 1979 as a vision of a luxury sports watch with an integrated bracelet. Its distinctive design, which was re-edited in an opulent, faithful full gold model earlier this year (in the frame of the brand’s 150th-anniversary celebrations), the Piaget Polo is […]
Fratello
We’re back with another episode of Fratello On Air, discussing several great recent watches that were quickly forgotten. Attention spans are short these days, which can be unfair to some excellent releases. We shed light on some of our favorite unheralded pieces. Enjoy the show! What have you done for me lately? We live in […] Visit Fratello On Air: Great Recent Watches That Were Quickly Forgotten to read the full article.
Worn & Wound
We’ve been covering Farer for a long time on Worn & Wound. To say they are a core brand in our little enthusiast corner of the watch world would be an understatement, and it’s been exciting to see them grow, experiment, and further develop their own unique design language. For as long as I’ve been covering the brand, it’s been the colors that have stood out. They have just always had a knack for picking interesting and unusual color combinations. And their typical release strategy underscores that point – they’ll frequently release a handful of watches in the same style at one time, each adopting different color palettes, and thus emphasizing the impact those decisions have on the finished product. Their latest release, the Banzare GMT, is not part of a multi-watch drop, but it does feature a striking new dial texture for the brand in a color that some die hard Farer fans are sure to appreciate. The GMT has become a signature complication for Farer, probably because it gives the brand a chance to explore colors and contrasts in natural ways. Think of the different elements of the dial that need to be navigated here: the dial itself, the main hour markers, the time telling hands, the GMT hand, the GMT hour scale, the date, the minute track, and we haven’t even gotten to the various wordmarks yet. There’s a real challenge in making sure all of those elements play well together, and it’s something Farer has always excelled at. The Banzare gets a plum col...
Monochrome
Microbrands are reshaping today’s watchmaking landscape in remarkable ways. These small-scale ventures craft enticing timepieces, leveraging modern technology, marketing strategies, and the combined expertise, passion, vision, and business acumen. What’s particularly striking, at least for some, is their ability to deliver well-designed, high-quality watches at compelling prices, often packed with features typically associated with much […]
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Monochrome
There is a vast swathe of the watch market awash with affordable watches, models that really deliver a lot of bang for the buck. But how many well-built, well-designed mechanical watches out there can you get for under 300 euros? Not many (the sporty Citizen Tsuyosa Automatic is a serious contender too). Producing watches that […]
Fratello
Hi there! Welcome to another episode of Fratello Talks. This week, you join Nacho, Daan, and Morgan, who discuss the many possible ways of building a watch collection. This includes looking at some common approaches, sharing some sound advice from their experience, and a spot of soul-searching concerning their watch collections. What works for them […] Visit Fratello Talks: Different Ways To Build A Watch Collection to read the full article.
Worn & Wound
One of my favorite Watches & Wonders experiences these past few years was the brief time I got to spend with the Moser Pioneer Cylindrical Tourbillon. All tourbillons are special, of course, but this one is especially unique and I found it to be genuinely kind of awe inspiring in person. As the name of the watch implies, the cylindrical hairspring wraps around the balance spindle vertically, giving what is already a fairly dramatic watch an even more profound sense of depth. It’s a particularly challenging watchmaking feat to pull off, but pays dividends, according to Moser, in reducing friction and improving isochronism, both of which play a role in a more stable rate through the duration of the movement’s power reserve. In the last few weeks, Moser has been busy introducing two new versions of their most impressive tourbillon, this time as part of the Streamliner collection of watches, and in both cases in partnership with the BWT Alpine F1 Team. The watches take a similar aesthetic approach seen in the Pioneer Cylindrical Tourbillon, with a skeletonized dial that prominently highlights the flying tourbillon at 6:00, and a decentralized dial at the 12:00 position. The difference of course is that now we have this complication in a Streamliner case (and on a rubber strap) for a watch (a pair of watches, actually) that might just be the sportiest Moser has ever made. Both versions of the watch use synthetic, translucent minerals for the small decentralized dials. For...
Worn & Wound
Underpromise and over deliver pretty much sums up Aukland, New Zealand’s Beaufort Watches. Their goal is to create timeless pieces that fit all the criteria we look for in watches. A great story, a captivating design, and capabilities that can go beyond their specifications. Self-described as a brand that wants to invigorate the present with designs from the past, they seem to have successfully done so. New for 2024 is the Pulsatimer, which is Beaufort’s version of a pulsometer chronograph. Unlike previous models, there is a clear inspirational shift, and Brutalist styling has been at the forefront of Beaufort’s new design language following their rebranding in late 2023. This new piece is the first model following this shift in focus. Informed by the harsh angles of Brutalist architecture, throughout the watch, you will notice many steps. From the pulsations ring, subdials and the stepped bezel, all drawing from two main sources of inspiration: The Faculty of Fine Arts, University of La Laguna, and University Campus, UTEC Lima. The aim was to give the Pulsatimer an old school industrial look with a touch of dressiness. Made of 316L stainless-steel, it features a mix of brushed, polished and media-blasted finishing. Measurements are 39mm in diameter, 13.8mm thick to the top of the box-domed sapphire crystal, and 47mm from lug tip to lug tip. Powering the Pulsatimer is the manually wound Sellita SW510 and it has a power-reserve of 63 hrs. It is also water-resistant ...
Fratello
After Omega introduced several Speedmasters not aimed at Moonwatch enthusiasts (e.g. the Speedmaster Super Racing with Spirate technology and the updated Speedmaster Apollo 8), the white-dial Speedmaster Professional Moonwatch finally came out on March 5th, 2024. I use the word “finally” because Omega had already shown it in October 2023 on the wrist of former […] Visit The White Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch - Better Than The Silver Snoopy Award? to read the full article.
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Worn & Wound
If a tide pool at a waterpark represented the world of micro/independent watches, some brands would be the kids who sit at the edge, waiting for a wave to bowl them over, others would be the dad that overcompensates by proving he can swim all the way out to the source only before losing his trunks, and then there’s Zelos…the person who showed up in their custom Speedo and polarized purple goggles doing laps around the perimeter. If you want a quality diver, finished brilliantly, made with interesting materials, eye-popping dials, all for around $500, Zelos has you covered. However, there is another Zelos. One that lights up a cigar, slips out of their lounge sandals, and makes their way into a meticulously curated tranquility pool…but still with the purple polarized goggles. This Zelos comes around a couple times a year, playing with high-end Swiss movements and interesting complications. The first “tranquility pool” Zelos of the year recently hit the market. They took the case from their popular Spearfish line and released the Spearfish Dual Time. Three of the five watches in the line are made of titanium and come on titanium bracelets; the remaining two have cases made from forged carbon and come on a canvas leather strap. I had the pleasure of trying out the Moonscape forged carbon model for a little over a week, and while I do have some complicated thoughts on the model itself, what is indisputable is that you’re getting lavish materials and an elaborate ...
SJX Watches
A perfect illustration of Hublot’s extravagant style and technical proficiency, the Hublot Big Bang MP-11 14 Day Power Reserve Water Blue Sapphire boasts 336 hours of power reserve thanks to seven laterally stacked barrels working with 90° bevel gears and a helical worm screw to drive the movement. This is a new variant of an existing model, with the difference being the case crafted from transparent “water blue” sapphire crystal. Initial thoughts Hublot is an anomaly. It’s one of the 20 biggest watchmakers in Switzerland by revenue and boasts a vertically integrated manufactured but is often criticised for being something of a “fashion” brand by enthusiasts and non-enthusiasts alike. Part of this pushback probably stems from the brand’s entry-level watches that use inexpensive stock movements that are priced expensively for what they are. The mechanics don’t live up to the price. That reasoning is sound, but it doesn’t reflect the brand’s top-of-the-line products. Like the recent MP-10, the new MP-11 reflects Hublot’s ability in movements and materials. Its manufacture develops and produces complex in-house calibres with unique complications and novel constructions, usually presented in cases made of novel materials with distinctive aesthetics and properties. The only downside of such complications is their size. The MP-11 is enormous at 45 mm in diameter, and it isn’t even the chunkiest watch that Hublot produces. This limits its wearability and ...
Worn & Wound
If you’ve been following Worn & Wound for any length of time, it should come as no surprise that we’re big fans of Fears Watch Company. Since the brand’s revival - Fears released its first 21st-century watch in 2016, though the name has been around since 1846 - they have consistently captured enthusiast attention thanks to a series of refined, eye-catching, and completely modern releases. Suffice it to say, when Fears tells us something new is coming down the pike, we tend to pay attention. Today, they’ve re-teamed with Topper Jewelers, the small family-owned Silicon Valley jeweler known for their stellar collaborations and limited editions, for what just may be one of their best releases so far, the Fears Brunswick 38 Topper Edition ‘Silver Sector.’ The Silver Sector is a slight departure from the two previous collaborations we’ve seen from the partnership between the Bristol-based watchmaker and Topper, trading the California dials that set earlier releases apart for a clean and contemporary sector dial with sub-seconds inspired by watches produced by Fears in the ‘30s and ‘40s. The dial is finished with applied markers and Fears’ signature skeleton syringe hands. It’s a new look for Fears, and it works brilliantly, offering a clean, monochromatic look without sacrificing any of the brand’s signature visual flair. And it’s gonna make for some killer wrist shots and I desperately want to see how this watch photographs through something like ...
Worn & Wound
Belfast’s Nomadic Watch Company was named after the last remaining White Star Line ship in the world, and the nomadic pursuit of new horizons. Their long-term ambition is to eventually make all their watch components in Ireland, except for the Swiss movements that power them. Their first step towards this goal was opening their state-of-the-art watch assembly and testing facility in Belfast in 2023. Until then, their cases and other components are produced by a world-class supplier in Asia, which far exceeds the capabilities of anything available locally. Turas is an Irish Gaeilge (pronounced Gwal-gah) term, which means journey, expedition, or pilgrimage. What a fitting name for a watch line that is all about exploration. New for 2024 is a Numbered Edition of their Turas 914 line in Emerald Green called Landfall. With this watch, Nomadic wanted to pay homage to explorer Ernest Shackleton and his wingman, Tom Crean. Both shining examples of determination and leadership in the face of overwhelming odds against survival. The new Nomadic Turas 914 Landfall measures 39mm in diameter, 11mm thick, 47.5mm from lug-to-lug and has a 20mm strap width. It has a flat sapphire crystal, with anti-reflective coating and is water resistant to a depth of 100m, making this one a great all around go anywhere do anything watch. Beating at the heart of the Landfall is the revered Sellita SW200-1 automatic movement, which has a power-reserve of up to 41 hours. The bracelet features screw in li...
SJX Watches
The surprising, and to some shocking, Louis Vuitton Tambour Einstein Automata created for Only Watch 2024 is over the top in both aesthetics and complexity. Based on the brand’s automata wristwatch that’s available either as a Chinese mask or vanitas skull, the Einstein Automata has the air of a mad scientist’s creation. Depressing the pusher at two o’clock starts the automata, which also serve to tell the time with a jumping hours display in Einstein’s forehead and the minutes indicated by the atom symbol pointer at eight o’clock. Made in-house at its Geneva manufacture of La Fabrique du Temps (LFT), the watch illustrates Louis Vuitton’s impressive matchmaking capabilities, while also bringing to mind the extravagant, casual style of its streetwear. Initial thoughts When I first saw images of the Einstein Automata, I knew I had to see it in person. And in the metal the watch certainly lives up to expectations, it is bizarre, impressive, and wearable, all at the same time. It is bizarre because Einstein is accurately portrayed – the likeness is done well – yet rendered in alien colours of pale blue and silver. It’s impressive because the dial is enamelled and engraved in-house while the movement is exceptionally complex. And it’s wearable despite being a very large watch because the case is in stainless steel, unlike its regular production counterparts that are in gold. Do I like it? I do. But I can imagine a lot of people won’t and I can understand...
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SJX Watches
A tribute to the German city of Dresden, the PanoMaticInverse Limited Edition depicts the city where the predecessor of Glashütte Original was founded in 1845. It retains the inverted movement construction that characterises the model, displaying the escapement on the dial, but here the three-quarter plate on the front sports a hand-engraved rendering of Dresden landmarks, the Frauenkirche and Academy of Fine Arts, while the bridges on the reverse are engraved with the Elbe promenade. Initial thoughts Although the brand itself was founded after the fall of the Berlin Wall, Glashütte Original (GO) has its roots in the very beginning of watchmaking in the Glashütte area. Because the brand was formed from the East German state-owned watchmaking enterprise, it was vertically integrated from the beginning, making it a true manufacture. It is somewhat under-appreciated compared to its neighbour, A. Lange & Söhne, although the two brands focus on different segments of the market, with Glashütte Original offering more affordable timepieces. The brand’s steel watches, for example, usually retail for under US$15,000. However, GO is capable of German haute horologerie, as demonstrated by its top-of-the-line timepieces like the Senator Chronometer Tourbillon. The PanoMaticInverse “Dresden Tribute” is one of the brand’s high-end offerings, with a retail price of US$47,400. Even though that’s a big number, the watch delivers substantial tangible quality. In addition to th...
Worn & Wound
This year marks the 50th anniversary of Credor, the Japanese brand that is the highest end arm of the Seiko family. In recent years, Credor has taken something of a backseat to Grand Seiko, as the latter brand has grown in stature, with rising price points as well as the introduction of an honest to goodness Super Watch in the form of the Kodo. But a new release from Credor to celebrate their big anniversary serves as a reminder of why the brand is unique and important within the larger world of Seiko, and Japanese watchmaking in general. The Eichi II is Credor’s signature watch, highlighting everything the brand is most adept at. It features a porcelain dial made by a single artisan, and the complexity of its manufacture and strict tolerances for quality accepted by Credor apparently result in an exceptionally high failure rate. The result, however, is an uncommonly beautiful canvas for the hand painted markers that are this watch’s calling card. For this anniversary edition of the Eichi II, Credor has crafted a dial in dark blue, and the markers have been hand painted in gold. Upping the ante somewhat for this release, the Credor logo at 12:00 has also been hand painted, a first for an Eichi II. This is also the first time a yellow gold case has been made for an Eichi II. Of course, another major draw of the highest end Credors is the immaculately finished movements made in the famed Micro Artist Studio. The Eichi II runs on the 7R14, a Spring Drive movement with a...
Worn & Wound
Editor’s Note: Time Through the Ages is a four part series written by Andrew Canter, member of the British Horological Institute, Alliance of British Watch & Clock Makers, and the British Watch & Clock Makers Guild. In this first installment, Andrew provides an overview of the major players and accomplishments from the early days of British watch and clock making. For more from Andrew, check out his work at Mr. WatchMaster. Many people believe that the origin of modern-day watchmaking came from the Swiss, but it all started in England back in the early 17th century. The 1620s saw a desire by clock and watch makers to establish a dedicated company as a representative body, but this was met with opposition from the other livery companies – guilds or associations in the City of London to regulate and protect the interest of their members – in particular the Blacksmiths. The Worshipful Company of Clockmakers eventually received its Royal Charter on 22nd August 1631. The Charter created a corporate body for all the Clock and Watch makers in the City of London and within a radius of ten miles around, with regulatory powers covering England and Wales. It specified that the new Fellowship should be governed by a Master, three Wardens and ten or more Assistants who would form a Court. The first Master was David Ramsay, former Chief Clockmaker to King James I. Left to right: engraved dial plate with indications for time of day, annual calendar, sign of the zodiac, day of the...
Worn & Wound
Nivada Grenchen’s F77 was a big hit when it was released last year. With an integrated bracelet, 37mm case, and exposed-screw bezel, the F77 captured all the fun of 1970s sports watches. Even better, this was no mere homage: the watch has actual heritage street cred as a reissue of a model produced by Nivada Grenchen in 1977. Now, Nivada Grenchen has leaned even further into that 70s funk, with four new dials for the F77. I got to go hands-on with arguably the funkiest of the bunch: the F77 Lapis Lazuli. The F77 LL keeps all the specs that made the original a hit, but with a new dial crafted entirely from–as you may have guessed from the name–lapis lazuli. The other three dials in the new F77 releases are beautiful, with one dial featuring an anthracite basket-weave pattern, another made of aventurine, and one limited-edition model in meteorite. But despite the attractiveness of the other models, the F77 Lapis Lazuli is the clear standout. The blue of the lapis is vibrant and eye-catching, while the speckled pattern evokes a starry night’s sky. And because it is made of stone, each lapis lazuli dial will be unique. Despite being something of a novelty in today’s market, the lapis lazuli dial is true to the 1970s vibe Nivada Grenchen is trying to capture in the watch. Stone dials had their moment back in that era, and lapis dials are particularly collectable. (Just look up the lapis Rolex Datejust that now sells for tens of thousands of dollars.) Fashion is ...
Fratello
IFL Watches keeps surprising us with creative new dial variations for its releases. This time, the Stockhlom-based brand delves into the Disney archives and celebrates the joyous spirit of Mickey Mouse. To be more exact, the brand celebrates the Disney classic Steamboat Willie coming into the public domain. This animated short film is known as […] Visit IFL Watches Introduces The Limited Edition Citizen Tsuyosa Automatic Free Willie to read the full article.
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