Results for Microbrand Watches

Auctions: Sotheby's x Heist Out's Thematic Watches & Wonder Week Auction Returns As 'Area_51'

Hold on to your diamonds, we're going to space.

New and Reviewed: Leica ZM 12 - why Leica’s watches are legit

We take a close look at the just released Leica ZM 12, and examine why it is a legitimate product from this famous camera maker.

Buying Guide - The Irresistible Attraction of Stone Dial Watches

The Buying Guide is the place where we often discuss trends in the watchmaking industry. Sometimes, it feels like things are seasonal, and at others, it’s like the popularity for a specific type of watch never dies down. A trend that’s growing stronger and stronger, and one we can very much get behind, is the […]

Hublot Debuts Multi-Colour Ceramic in Watches

Hublot has taken the covers off the Big Bang Unico Magic Ceramic, which the brand says is the world’s first timepiece to incorporate multi-coloured ceramic. While the case is fashioned from black ceramic, the standout feature is a bezel crafted in grey and blue ceramic, or more specifically, a dark grey ceramic base spotted with blue circles. Though the technical details of the two-colour ceramic are scarce at the moment – the patent is still pending according to Hublot – it appears the unique characteristic of the material lies in the fact that it is ceramic that has been coloured with two distinct pigments, as opposed to a single colour ceramic with an additional colour added. Initial thoughts For all of the criticism levelled at Hublot, the brand undeniably does well in materials innovation. Amongst its proprietary materials is Magic Gold, a gold-ceramic composite that was the first scratch-proof 18k yellow gold alloy. The Big Bang Unico Magic Ceramic underscores this focus on materials. Granted, the watch isn’t for everyone. I find the weird, spotty bezel unappealing, but the potential of the material and technology behind it is certainly interesting, especially if applied in a more stylish manner. The material is likely still experimental, since the new Big Bang is a limited edition of just 20 pieces with a hefty price tag of US$33,000, so it might take some time to see it deployed on a wider basis beyond the bezel. Magic Ceramic Apart from the bezel, the new ...

The Vertical Collection: Three essential, most important watches from F.P.Journe

We continue onto our next chapter of our Vertical Collection Series wih F.P.Journe, yet another iconic maison, with such a rich collection of masterpieces.

All The 12 Exclusive Editions In Commemoration Of Sincere Fine Watches’ 70th Anniversary Milestone

Buying Guide - Answering The Call Of The Wild, With 6 Animal- & Nature-Inspired Watches

The roar of the King of the Jungle, the venomous bite of a snake, the trembling of the earth underneath horse’s hooves… Nature can be an impressive thing and a divine source of inspiration. To such an extent even, that it finds a way to manifest itself on our wrists, in the form of a […]

Introducing - Grand Seiko Unveils Three Cherry Blossom-Themed 62GS Watches, Including a New, Smaller Size

Grand Seiko anticipates the cherry blossom season in Japan – Sakura-Kakushi – with three models from its Heritage collection inspired by the annual blooming. Flaunting textured dials, one of Grand Seiko’s fortes, the new references respond to the current demand for more compact case sizes. Inspired by the design language laid down by Seiko’s first […]

Video - My 3 Favourite Watches by Glashütte Original, from the Senator to the Sixties

Glashütte Original’s history has many interesting twists and turns, as it was built upon the remains of the VEB Glashütter Uhrenbetriebe conglomerate, or GUB, following the reunification of Germany. As such the company became the legal successor to the once thriving majority of watchmaking enterprises that once called Saxony their home. As you can imagine, […]

Introducing - Bucherer Releases 3 High-End Exclusive Watches from Chopard, Girard-Perregaux and Ulysse Nardin

Bucherer, one of the world’s oldest and most esteemed watch retailers, now owned by Rolex, has long been a leader in the industry, and for a few years, offers its customers exclusive access to limited-edition timepieces created in collaboration with renowned partner brands. For years, collectors and enthusiasts have enjoyed unique adaptations of existing models, […]

Just Because: The Wacky Watches Of Seiko’s “Incredibly Specialized Watch Exhibition 2”

Egg timer boogaloo.

Price of Admission: What Are The Least Expensive Breguet Watches?

For those in the know, Breguet is a name in the history of watchmaking that commands instant respect, and even reverence. The brand’s legendary founder, Abraham-Louis Breguet, is rightfully lauded as the inventor of the tourbillon, but his lifetime horological resumé goes far beyond even that: he made the first self-winding movement, the first watch that was wound by a crown rather than a key, the pare-chute shock protection system, and the gong system for repeater watches, among other innovations. His customers included historical figures like King Louis XVI of France, Queen Marie-Antoinette, and Napoleon Bonaparte. He even invented a style of hands that many other watchmakers other than Breguet still use today. The modern brand that bears his name is one of the undisputed, upper-echelon Swiss watch maisons, alongside names like Vacheron Constantin and Audemars Piguet, and the jewel in the crown of the Swatch Group.  All that said and acknowledged, a newcomer to Breguet, especially the prospective owner of his or her first Breguet watch, may find all of this background intimidating. And make no mistake, Breguet is unapologetic in both its embrace of historical renown and its timepieces’ exalted level of luxury. The brand’s modern-day stewards harbor no illusion that they offer anything that would be any aficionado’s “first watch.” The whole concept of “entry level” must be stretched a bit at this venerated tier of watchmaking: like Patek Philippe, A. Lan...

The Watches Of The Year Of The Snake

Pieces to wear to a succulent Chinese meal this Lunar New Year.

Industry News - Moderate Growth for LVMH in 2024 in a Challenging Environment, Watches barely Impacted

In the context of a global decline of the luxury goods demand, LVMH, the world’s largest luxury goods group, reported revenues of EUR 84.7 billion for 2024, +1% on an organic basis, after a record performance in 2023. In the fourth quarter, organic revenue growth came to 1%, accelerating with respect to the third quarter. […]

The Best Watches And Jewelry To Charm Your Way In The Year Of The Snake

Buying Guide - Five Salmon Watches to Satisfy your Horological Appetite

“Guess what? I got a fever… and the only prescription is more Salmon Dials!” It could be our horological equivalent of SNL’s famous “More Cowbell!” sketch with Christopher Walken. If you don’t know what that is, I strongly urge you to Google it and then come back here to continue reading. Regardless, it’s no secret […]

Introducing - Gerald Charles Releases Two Special 25th Anniversary Watches

Gerald Charles, the watch brand founded by the late watch designer Gérald Genta in 2000 and now in the hands of Federico Zivani, celebrates its 25th anniversary with two special editions of its flagship Maestro watch. As a brand that relies on one case design alone, it is surprising how much variety it has introduced […]

Why Oris Has More Fun Making Watches Than Just About Anyone Else

My Watches May Be Strap Monsters, But I’m Not

I’m not a big fan of New Year’s Resolutions. Despite my own participation in the tradition, the idea of trying to tie major life changes or new habits to something as both arbitrary and specific as the New Year has always been somewhat anathema to me. Still, despite my resistance to making specific commitments at the start of a fresh calendar year, I don’t think there’s any doubt that the arrival of January can set the stage for a refresh. It’s in that mindset that I found myself spending much of the last week reorganizing basically my whole life. And by my whole life, I mean my desk (and the various drawers and organizers that surround it). A primary focus of this odyssey has been a set of metal Ikea drawers that operate as the functional center of my watch habit. One area in need of particular attention here was my strap drawer, in no small part because of its increasing annexation of other parts of my organizational ecosystem - a problem exacerbated by a shift in approach that existed in direct conflict with my existing storage logic. I don’t remember who first introduced them to me, but for the last few years, I’ve been storing my straps in a slowly increasing count of Muji Polypropylene Pen Cases (I think I first saw them on another collector’s Instagram, but for the life of me I can’t remember whose). With two compartments, one large enough for straps, the other perfectly sized for spring bars or loose links, these cheap plastic pencil cases make ...

Photo Report: The Vintage Watches And Rare Oddities Of The 2025 Original Miami Beach Antique Show

In mass quantities and/or amazing quality, the largest antique show in the U.S. always delivers.

Introducing - The New Hamilton Jazzmaster Open Heart Auto 36mm and 42mm Watches with Midnight Blue and Emerald Green Dials

The Hamilton Jazzmaster collection features a good range of models in various sizes, complemented by useful functions such as date indication, power reserve, and chronograph. The dials primarily come in classic shades like silver, black, and blue, with additional green, beige, and white options. The Open Heart models in the collection have always stood out, […]

Just Because: When Repairing A Watch Becomes A Family Affair - A Story About American 'Private Label' Pocket Watches

When George Draeb ordered a private label pocket watch with his name on it in 1913, I doubt he thought it would be George Draeb fixing it in 2024.

Happenings: Early American Pocket Watches Exhibit Opens At The Horological Society Of New York

Showcasing the beginnings of American horological history.

Survey of watches with Year of the Snake theme

The Year of the Snake is approaching fast. The first day of the Chinese (or Lunar) New Year falls on 29 January 2025. This day hails the Year of the Snake.

Buying Guide - A Look at Some of the Latest and Greatest Watches from the Netherlands

We might be small when looking at a world map, but the Dutch are capable of great things! The thing that first comes to mind is no doubt the stereotypical wooden clogs, tulips and windmills, but we’re capable of far more than that. We’re actually a world leader in water management and a fair few […]

House Of Craft: A Lively Chat With Alton Brown About His Love Of Watches And Designing One Of His Own

The prolific author, presenter, and food scientist joins Ben and James to talk about food, his ever-evolving career as an entertainer, and his recent collaboration with Brew Watch Co.

Remembering John Weiss Through his Watches

Early in the morning on May 9th, 2024, my dad, John Starr Weiss, passed away at the age of 77. He was a very kind, creative, and crafty person who always had some outlet for his imagination. From wild psychedelic drawings to photography to inventing toys (he briefly co-owned a toy brand, Weiss Twice), making leather bracelets, custom phone holsters, and modifying his clothes and hats with contrasting buttons or zipper pulls. In his later years, he carved strange sculptures and figurines out of wood, part of a ritual that went with smoking his pipe. He shared this passion with me, and I thank him for my creative abilities. Growing up, we weren’t into sports, religion, or the great outdoors, save for a light hike on a walking trail at places like Mohonk Mountain House, scouring outcroppings of slate for fossils. Instead, we bonded over art and objects. We would walk around talking about cars on the street, going into stores ranging from sporting goods shops like Paragon- looking at the gear, boots, and knives- to comic book stores (Forbidden Planet was the favorite), as well as antique and craft shops where my Dad would spend an inordinate amount poring over every detail. He was a collector by nature, perhaps to a fault, so he would easily get lost in minutiae. While going through his things, we discovered his collections went beyond what we knew. They included items of pure nostalgia, like dated corks from New Year’s Eve decades ago, sandals he made in college, slides o...

Our 2024 Watches of the Year

It’s the last day of the year, and once again we’re closing out December with our “Watch of the Year” post. We asked Worn & Wound staff and contributors to pick their favorite 2024 release, and their selections, as always, reveal the huge scope of the watch world.  Happy New Year to everyone who has joined us in these pages all year – we can’t wait to see what 2025 has in store. And of course, be sure to drop your own favorite watch from 2024 in the comments below. Zach Kazan: H. Moser x Studio Underd0g “Passion Fruit” Collaboration  I’ve spent a lot of time over the last few weeks looking back through articles I’ve written and the camera roll on my iPhone anticipating what I might write for my own “Watch of the Year” submission. I also have the luxury of seeing what my colleagues and our contributors have picked for themselves, so I’m truly awash in end of year watch stuff, as I imagine most watch media types are right about now. One thing has become abundantly clear as I’ve scrolled, read, and thought about the last twelve months in watches: it’s been a really great year.  A narrative emerged early on, even before Watches & Wonders, that 2024 would be “slow” or “conservative” in terms of new releases. To a point, that proved to be correct. While there were certainly some very good watches released by the likes of Tudor, Rolex, IWC, and other big brands this year, they weren’t gamechangers or the watch equivalent of a pop song th...

Year In Review: Gaining A New Perspective On Watches

Reflecting on a time of change in the industry and my relationship to the horological world.

Recap - The Best Watches From Independent Watchmakers Of 2024

Independent watchmaking is the very fabric of MONOCHROME, the stuff that gets us excited the most, our literal raison d’etre. It’s been part of our DNA since the start of our platform, and naturally, we continue to advocate our love and bring you the best of the very best from Indie brands the world over. […]