1,479 articles · 55 videos found · page 18 of 52
Monochrome
Otsuka Lotec… The Japanese brand (or should we call it an atelier) that makes some noise in the global watch collecting community, despite being unavailable outside of Japan – which might partially explain its popularity. A true JDM sensation, Otsuka Lotec is the brainchild of Jiro Katayama, a car designer turned self-taught, independent watchmaker, specialised […]
Monochrome
Junghans is better known for its Bauhaus-inspired pieces, such as the Max Bill series, but the German watchmaker has also ventured into the pilots’ and sports territories. With the new Aquaris series, the brand expands its Sport collection by adding four new references: the Aquaris Diver with green or orange accents, and the more lifestyle-oriented […]
Time+Tide
Depancel, a French watchmaker specializing in automotive-inspired timepieces, has partnered with DAMS Lucas Oil for the 2026 season.The post The Depancel Série RO1 x DAMS Lucas Oil Limited Edition brings a twist to an iconic look appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Worn & Wound
It’s a fair assumption that if you’re the kind of enthusiast that’s interested in independent watchmaking, the allure of something a little different isn’t lost on you. The independent watch space is a wildly diverse one that’s full of outsider artisans, but even in a field of outsiders, English watchmaker James Lamb is something of an anomaly. Lamb’s watches genuinely don’t look like anything else on the market. While they’re all time-only affairs, they feature an offset sub-dial layout that frees up the outer portion of the dial to be used as a decorative space. With his Origin Series, Lamb applies strikingly colorful enamel work to the outer dial section. With his latest release, the Linea Edition, Lamb has collaborated with one of the UK’s most respected ornamental engravers, Joanne Ryall, to create a line of watches with beautifully hand-engraved titanium and gold outer dials. While the dials are showstopping displays of handcraft, Lamb’s watches also feature completely handmade cases (read: no CNC machines used), which he crafts out of Argentium silver. Lamb’s case designs are robust and understated; they do a fabulous job of grounding the watch’s bold dial designs, but the craftsmanship that goes into them is something serious horology enthusiasts fawn over. For Lamb, a self-proclaimed watch industry isolationist, doing things like crafting his cases entirely by hand is kind of the whole point of making watches. Lamb deliberately avoids...
Monochrome
When you think about Kurono Tokyo, the side-brand of Japanese independent watchmaker Hajime Asaoka, you should picture something compact and elegant in your mind. Watches often focus on traditional crafts, with restrained cases and classically Japanese. The sportiest models the brand has ever created were mid-century-styled chronographs. Well, this is about to change as Hajime […]
Monochrome
The audacity of Horologer Ming as a watch designer and an independent watchmaker isn’t to be demonstrated anymore… Over its short life, the brand has managed to create a strong identity, yet it never ceases to evolve. Since its debut in 2017, the collective led by designer and photographer Ming Thein has built an impressive […]
SJX Watches
The dinner in Basel had reached the stage where the porcelain was being cleared, but the tension at the table remained heavier than the silverware. Dr Eugen Gschwind, a man who wore his erudition as comfortably as his tailored suits, watched his guest with the predator’s patience that had defined his four decades of collecting. Across from him sat George Daniels, the English horologist and watchmaker who had single-handedly dragged the concept of the handmade watch out of the grave of history. Daniels was brilliant, notoriously opinionated, and, according to some, firmly convinced that he was the spiritual reincarnation of Abraham-Louis Breguet. François-Paul Journe´s 3/84 pocketwatch, Dr Gscwind´s first commission. Image SJX composite – F.P. Journe Gschwind liked Daniels. He championed the Englishman’s genius, yet remained too dogmatic to ever buy his work. He had famously toasted Daniels at a society dinner as the ‘greatest living watchmaker,’ only to follow it with the dry, smiling addendum: ‘But only the second-best watchmaker who ever lived.’ Tonight, however, was not about jests. It was the culmination of a long-simmering technical argument. For years, Gschwind had chided Daniels about his reliance on the 15-second remontoir d’égalité. To Daniels, this mechanism, which rewound a secondary spring every quarter-minute to smooth out the torque of the mainspring, was the ultimate solution to the problem of isochronism. Gschwind viewed it was a compro...
SJX Watches
Independent watchmaker Armin Strom has upgraded its flagship complication with a precious stone dial. The Mirrored Force Resonance Ruby is a five-piece limited edition with a dial cut from natural ruby. Initial thoughts Armin Strom is arguably the second-most prominent watchmaker (after F.P. Journe) to successfully bring “resonance” watches to market. We extensively covered the subject of coupled oscillator watches recently, which examines Armin Strom’s unique approach to achieving this mysterious effect. Within this narrow niche, Armin Strom’s Mirrored Force series is certainly the broadest collection of resonance watches on the market, with multiple movements and many variations exploiting the almost magic coupling between two sprung balances. This new limited edition employs the familiar in-house caliber ARF21, which connects the two hairspring by a long, swivelling blade spring - dubbed the Resonance Clutch Spring. While the movement is certainly well known, this particular iteration of the watch is quite surprising: a thin slice of natural ruby serves as the dial, with all the imperfections and liveliness of a natural mineral. Using a ruby dial is not only aesthetically appealing but poetic for a mechanical watch. The jewels serving as bearings inside every movement are synthetic rubies - a fancy sort of industrial mineral glass. The uneven bright pink and violet shades of the Mirrored Force Resonance Ruby’s dial assure us there is nothing artificial...
Monochrome
German indie watchmaker Stefan Kudoke expands the HANDwerk collection with the Kudoke 3 Nocturne, keeping the core concept intact but changing its expression, much like the Nocturne edition of the Kudoke 2. This new variant builds on the Kudoke 3, previously available in various executions, including Sky Blue, salmon, and the Flakes edition with the […]
Monochrome
Chronoswiss was founded in 1983 by German watchmaker Gerd Rüdiger Lang and was sold in early 2012 to Swiss entrepreneurs Oliver and Eva Ebstein, who transferred operations to Lucerne, Switzerland. Known for reviving the regulator layout, Lang’s neoclassical design language, characterised by oversized onion crowns, knurled bezels, guilloché dials and Breguet-inspired features, was modernised by […]
Deployant
The return of a legend. Henri Grandjean, now re-established as an independent watchmaker with a new triple axis tourbillon which they call the Magician.
Teddy Baldassarre
To many watch enthusiasts today, Nivada Grenchen is a boutique watchmaker that seemed to pop up out of nowhere several years ago and quickly found itself in the neo-vintage price-to-value conversation, alongside a handful of other start-up microbrands. But in actuality, the brand turns 100 years old this year, and its retro-stylish, mostly tool-oriented watches are not merely following a trend of evoking a fondly remembered era of watch design; they are actually modern remakes of watches that the brand released decades ago. [toc-section heading="Nivada Grenchen History & Highlights"] Watchmaker Jacob Schneider established the workshop that became the Nivada brand in 1926, in the Swiss town of Grenchen (its Swiss-German name; the French-Swiss call it “Granges”). Unlike many of its contemporaries, which were still focusing on high-luxury timepieces, Nivada Grenchen put its emphasis from the start on practical, reliable tool watches, quickly gaining acclaim for its developments in this area. Schneider’s company also was among the first to merge traditional Swiss watchmaking techniques with emerging industrial technologies. Starting in the 1930s, Nivada Grenchen became one of the first Swiss watchmaking companies to mass produce watches with automatic movements - an invention that had only been around since John Harwood patented the first one in 1923. Nivada Grenchen (the “Grenchen” was officially added to the brand name after litigation by Movado, which was conc...
Monochrome
Hamilton is often referred to as the watchmaker of cinema, which is no surprise since Hamilton watches have appeared in more than 500 films. Recently, the brand has expanded its reach into video games, where immersion and character development are equally important. Hamilton Far Cry 6, Death Stranding 2 and Call of Duty: Black Ops […]
Monochrome
Since founding Sarpaneva Watches in Helsinki, the independent Finnish watchmaker Stepan Sarpaneva has consistently explored an approach shaped by the Nordic visual universe, mechanical honesty and a powerful sense of narrative. Best known for his Korona case design and expressive moon displays, Sarpaneva has built a recognisable catalogue which offers a combination of traditional watchmaking […]
Teddy Baldassarre
Breitling announced today that it has become the Official Watch Partner of British luxury carmaker Aston Martin and the Aston Martin Aramco Formula One racing team. The multi-year global partnership, which marks the Swiss watchmaker’s return to the high-octane world of F1 motorsports after many decades, kicks off with a wristwatch milestone: the Breitling Navitimer B01 Chronograph 43 Aston Martin Aramco Formula One Team, which is no less than the first timepiece in the iconic Navitimer series with a case made of lightweight titanium. The two world-renowned companies have some ties throughout their prestigious histories. Breitling, while it has not been as visible in the racing world over the years as brands like Rolex and TAG Heuer, was an early contributor to motorsport timing. In 1907, Léon Breitling, who had founded his eponymous watchmaking firm in 1884, invented a device called the “Vitesse” (French for “speed”), a mechanical chronograph capable of measuring speeds up to 250 miles per hour. Its utility and precision spurred the Swiss police to adopt it for speed enforcement, which led to the world’s first speeding tickets. Just six years later, in 1913, Lionel Martin and Robert Bamford drove their hand-built automobile to a defining victory up the treacherous Aston Hill, giving their company a name and kicking off a long tradition of making cars built for both performance and luxury. The paths of the Swiss high-horology house and the British marque cr...
SJX Watches
A long defunct Geneva watchmaker, Niton has been revived and is getting off the ground with the Prima, a historically-inspired jump hour watch. With some serious tricks up its sleeve – the proprietary calibre is surprisingly excellent – the Prima might just be the right new-meets-old infusion the watch market needs. Initial thoughts Bringing back defunct but once illustrious watch manufactures is not a sure thing, and Niton might be more challenging than most given the lack of name recognition. The brand, however, did have a glorious, if short, history. The introductory model of the recently revived brand is the Prima. While the watch takes its inspiration from pieces made in the 1930s, the overall impression is more evocative of retro-futuristic 1960s. Rounded typography, thick indices, and a concentric pattern on the central minutes disk all make for a look that’s equally comforting and refined. Arguably the best surprise is the in-house NHS01 inside the Prima. A square movement developed in-house, the ambitious, hand-wound NHS01 integrates the jump hour complication with the in-line minutes disk and small seconds display, all while bearing the coveted Poinçon de Genève. Seeing a small independent brand earn the demanding hallmark for its first run of pieces is nothing short of amazing. Both versions of the Prima sit at under the CHF50,000 mark, which places the model in the upper echelons of pricy independent time-only watches. However, one might argue the P...
Fratello
He might not have been a watchmaker by training, but Raymond Weil (1926–2014) did start an eponymous watch brand. Remarkably, he did so at the age of 50 in 1976. The timing is defiant. Cheap quartz watches were already wreaking havoc on the Swiss watch industry, and a man in his 50s, especially back then, […] Visit Who Was Raymond Weil? Fratello Talked To His Grandson To Learn More About The Brand’s Founder to read the full article.
Teddy Baldassarre
Blancpain is the world’s most historic luxury watchmaker, with nearly 300 years of uninterrupted production. It’s also largely credited with establishing the blueprint of all modern diving watches with its Fifty Fathoms. The formula for the undeniably iconic collection has been largely unfussed with since it forever changed the watch world in 1953. But in recent years, we’ve seen the brand more willing to evolve with the times and expand its staple diver to be more wearable, and more appealing, so a broader scope of watch wearers. The most significant evidence of this change has been the introduction of the most scaled-down take on the line at 38.2mm last year, answering the call for more versatile sizing that many enthusiasts (especially those, like me, with smaller wrists) had been rallying for for years. Down below, I’m going to walk you through why this is such a big deal for this icon of watch history, the key details of the scaled-down Fifty-Fathoms, and some food for thought to keep in mind before trying it on yourself. [toc-section heading="History and Context"] Given that we have a complete guide to the Fifty Fathoms collection on our site already, I’m going to keep this section as quick and to the point as I can. I’m also going to hone in on the Automatique sub-collection, as it's the most relevant to our purposes here, and has the most verisimilitude to the original diving archetype in its design language. Though many brands were experimenting wi...
SJX Watches
Startup independent brand Mermont has just made its public debut with the heavyweight La Parfaite, translating as “perfect one” in French. Assembled and adjusted by independent watchmaker Nicolas Delaloye, La Parfaite is among the most affordable platinum watches on the market, despite its contemporary case size and upscale construction. Initial thoughts At first glance, Mermont’s debut watch could pass for a handsome, stainless steel Breguet Souscription homage, probably priced accordingly. However, La Parfaite is not stainless steel, it is (mostly) platinum – and surprisingly affordable. Sebastien Bey-Haut, a watch and photography enthusiast, founded the brand, enlisting none other than Nicolas Delaloye, a Genevan watchmaker and AHCI member, to bring it to life. Though less commercially successful than some of his peers, Mr Delaloye is a respected independent watchmaker who spent eight years with the Patek Philippe Museum. Mr Delaloye personally polishes the single hour hand, performs final adjustment, and cases up the watches. It’s unusual for an upstart brand to debut with a precious metal watch, but that’s exactly what Mermont has done. But that hasn’t stopped the brand from focusing on the value proposition, pricing the La Parfaite well below industry norms for a platinum watch, especially a full size mechanical watch. Priced at CHF10,998 before taxes, La Parfaite is a full 38 mm in diameter and certainly among the least expensive mechanical platinum wa...
Monochrome
Simple solutions to complex problems could well be Dr Ludwig Oechslin’s overriding philosophy. Former curator of the Musée international d’horlogerie in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Oechslin studied archaeology as an undergraduate and obtained a PhD in Philosophy – with a scholarship to study theoretical physics and astronomy – and became a Swiss master watchmaker in 1983. Bringing […]
Hodinkee
This auditory masterpiece from the Geneva‑based watchmaker is not only an exquisite example of the sonic haute horological state-of-the-art, but is also the most complicated watch ever created in the 30‑year journey of Chopard’s movement manufacture.
Fratello
For Zenith, the start of 2026 is all about the Defy collection. Now, as a big fan of the brand, I found this move surprising. The Le Locle-based watchmaker celebrated its 150th anniversary last year, and the commemorative releases showed the great diversity of styles within Zenith’s collection. I suppose I expected the first new […] Visit Zenith Introduces Six New Defy Models During LVMH Watch Week to read the full article.
Hodinkee
New Independent Watchmaker Grant Joins Expanded Scholarship Portfolio.
Monochrome
French watchmaker Pequignet has added a hand-wound piece to the 39.5mm Royale Paris collection that eschews the usual complications for a classy, time-only dial. It complements the time-only Royale Paris 36mm automatics that come with three dial colours, along with the hand-wound Royale Paris Aventurine 41mm Limited Edition. It shares many design elements with the […]
Worn & Wound
I think it’s fair to say that for any watch enthusiast out there that Seiko has played some role in discovering this hobby. As a brand that encompasses a variety of styles and price points, anyone can be introduced to the brand at any level of their growing interest. Because of this, the Japanese watchmaker’s 145th anniversary feels particularly special for anyone who, like me, spent hours scouring eBay for a Seiko, and feeling, in a small way, like you’re a legitimate collector now that you’ve graduated away from the generic watch you grabbed at Wal-Mart on a whim. To celebrate this milestone, Seiko has released four limited-edition gold-accented models, across the King Seiko, Prospex, Presage, and Astron collections. While one may think that these four watches feel slightly disjointed when taken together, each showcases what Seiko does best: balancing form and function in equal measure without ever falling into the trap of ostentation. Take, for example, the King Seiko. This anniversary edition, which joins the KS1969 series, is the first of the four and nods directly to Seiko’s founder himself, Kintaro Hattori. The dial pattern is inspired by one that Hattori-san had engraved on his personal watches and is rendered here in a grey gradient that darkens towards the edges. Keeping with Seiko’s innate ability to add decoration without excess, we see the King Seiko has added gold-colored hands, indexes, and text for a bit of personality against the grey. Most not...
Monochrome
The life of an independent watchmaker, or a duo in this case, is hardly ever easy. Roope Kortela and Rene Valta, who you might know from the portrait we produced about a year ago, are pulling the covers off their next watch, but some challenges had to be overcome. When we first spoke with the […]
SJX Watches
Seiko founder established a watch store in Tokyo’s Ginza district in 1881, and for the occasion the watchmaker has unveiled a quartet of 145th anniversary watches representing the best of its affordable offerings. While each model is different, all share gilded elements as a unifying motif. The collection is led by a pair of three-hand watches, the King Seiko KS1969 SJE121 and Presage Classic Series “Craftsmanship” Enamel Dial SPB538. While the two three-hand editions are arguably the more interesting of the 145th anniversary line-up, the collection also includes a pair of chronographs, the automatic Prospex Speedtimer SRQ059 and solar-powered Astron GPS SSH186. King Seiko SJE12 (left), and Presage Classic SPB538 Initial thoughts Seiko rolls out numerous anniversary watches on a frequent basis, so the anniversary theme itself isn’t a big deal. The 145th anniversary models, however, are appealing in themselves, especially the pair of three-hand models. The top-of-the-line anniversary edition is the King Seiko KS1969, which is far more striking than the regular production model, and certainly worth the modest premium in price. The Presage, on the other hand, is another iteration of the early-wristwatch-style case that Seiko has done before, but not that often. Gold plating is not appropriate on an expensive watch, but the Presage is affordable so it gets a pass. The enamel dial and cuff-style strap are a nice touch that gives the watch a surprisingly vintage feel. ...
Monochrome
Kurono Tokyo, the accessible brand of independent watchmaker Hajime Asaoka, had quite a run last year, with a lot of impressive new models, most dedicated to celebrating its founder’s 60th anniversary. This includes the handsome Grand Jubilee Calendar Salmon, the Ice Blue 2025 Jubilee Sensu EOL, or the 34mm Star Dial watches. Starting 2026 with […]
Monochrome
Independent Finnish master watchmaker Kari Voutilainen is regarded as one of the best in his field. Working from his atelier in Motiers, which he founded in 2002, Voutilainen is known for his high-end watches with in-house movements and hand-guilloché dials. His latest watch, the 216TMZ Worldtime, features a movement with a direct-impulse double escapement, first […]
Teddy Baldassarre
Glashütte Original is a luxury watchmaker founded in 1994, in the wake of the Cold War and at the dawn of German reunification. However, it traces its roots back much further, to the mid-19th Century during the inception of German watchmaking in the eastern German state of Saxony. Here is the story of how Glashütte Original, and the horological pioneers who laid its foundation, persevered through war, social and political upheaval, and economic turmoil to become one of today's most innovative and admired watch brands, along with an introduction to each of its five 21st-Century product families. Saxon Watchmaking’s Founding Fathers The little town of Glashütte, in the Ore Mountains of the German state of Saxony, had fallen on hard times when a watchmaker from nearby Dresden named Ferdinand Adolph Lange set up a watchmaking shop there in 1845. The silver-mining industry that had sustained the region’s inhabitants, and that had given the town its name (“Glass Hut” or “Shiny Hut”), was on the decline after years of war and industrial competition from the New World. The inhabitants of the town were facing poverty and eager for new opportunities to make a living, and Lange, along with others who shared his passion for horology and entrepreneurship, were the visionaries to provide them. In cooperation with the Royal Saxon government, who had funded the venture, Adolph Lange established A. Lange & Cie. (later A. Lange & Söhne), a manufacturing hub for watchmakin...
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