1,707 articles · 46 videos found · page 18 of 59
Monochrome
Chopard co-president Karl Friedrich Scheufele resurrected the name Ferdinand Berthoud in 2015. An eminent Swiss horologist who emigrated to Paris in 1745 and gained fame for his precision marine chronometers, Ferdinand Berthoud was given a second lease of life in Scheufele’s hands as an elite haute horlogerie brand that perpetuates the founder’s legacy of chronometric […]
Monochrome
Officially launched just two years ago, Gagà Laboratorio is a spin-off of the longstanding Italian luxury designer watchmaker Gagà Milano. The inaugural Labormatic line encapsulates the brand’s highly creative mechanical personality, underscored by 1950s Italian industrial design codes and powered by Swiss La Joux-Perret movements. Instead of traditional hands, the Labormatic displays the digital hours […]
Fratello
Since 2020, Gagà Laboratorio has produced distinctive wristwatches with Italian flair and Swiss precision. The company’s catalog comprises two model lines, the Labormatic and the Aqualab. Both are progressively designed and appear to be the types of pieces that could cost as much as a high-end sports car. However, that couldn’t be further from the […] Visit Even In Titanium, The Gagà Laboratorio Labormatic Superleggero Is No Lightweight to read the full article.
Two Broke Watch Snobs
The new Christopher Ward Trident Biscay pairs vintage styling with COSC-certified movements and pricing aimed squarely at its Swiss rivals.
Fratello
There are watches named after places, people, and the animals their designers admired on long-ago fishing trips. And then there is the Ollech & Wajs Early Bird, a watch named after a satellite. I liked this watch so much that I bought the re-edition. I have a bit of a long-term fascination with the Swiss […] Visit Spending Time With The New Ollech & Wajs Early Bird EB-24 to read the full article.
Hodinkee
Earlier in April, right before the kickoff of Watches and Wonders, Swiss independent Sylvain Pinaud announced his third major creation since the founding of his workshop in 2018. First came his Monopoussoir Chronograph, then arguably the more recognizable time-only Origine series. This third entry in the collection is the pragmatically named Sylvain Pinaud Tourbillon—any guesses what complication this watch holds? I kid, but the new watches are an absolute treat to see and handle in person. Even though the intense wave of new releases from dozens of brands in Geneva may have quickly steered the online conversation away from these new watches toward Jubilee dials and Nautilus desk clocks, these watches did not go unnoticed by collectors. Thirty of them, to be precise. The Sylvain Pinaud Tourbillon was announced in three limited editions of ten pieces each, priced at CHF 180,000, and all three variants sold out within days. But before we get to the new watches, you might be asking what the situation is with the watchmaker these days, given that every decently well-known high-end independent watchmaker seems never to struggle with demand. That's pretty much the case here, too. Long story short, Pinaud and his team of 8 produce around 25 watches per year, and the Origine series has been fully allocated through its planned run through 2027. Given the sell-out of the Tourbillon and the sunsetting of the Origine, it kind of sounds like there isn't much to offer a prospective ...
Monochrome
Customisation or unique pieces are nothing new in the Swiss watch industry, but are usually reserved for high horology or smaller ateliers, necessitating a level of flexibility that more established and mainstream brands can hardly achieve. That said, we had the opportunity to go hands-on with a unique piece recently that, besides its intrinsic singularity […]
SJX Watches
A new day is dawning for Credor, which made its Watches & Wonders debut with the Locomotive “Dawn Blue” ref. GCCR995. Designed by Gerald Genta, the Locomotive was once the brand’s flagship sports model in the same vein as its more famous Swiss siblings, but with a quirky integrated-unintegrated bracelet. The obvious quality of the titanium case and bracelet make up for a weak spec sheet, but leave room for the Locomotive to grow alongside the newly international Credor marque. Initial thoughts The Locomotive is a great example of a watch that is more than the sum of its parts. In fact, it’s (almost) inexplicably nice for a watch with such a strange design, a mundane movement, and a micro-adjust-less pin-and-collar bracelet. While it’s cliché to say a watch looks better in person than photographs — and underestimates what a good photographer can do — I would say the Locomotive feels much better in person, like a watch of its price point should. The defining update for this edition of the Locomotive is its embossed dial, which features a repeating hexagon motif. The grooves that fill each cell are oriented at different angles, giving the dial a shimmering personality that changes with shifting light. At some angles, the dial is a uniform blue, while other angles produce an almost chequerboard-like effect. This backdrop is coated with layers of clear lacquer, enabling the Credor wordmark and (superfluous) “Automatic” text to float neatly above the three-d...
Monochrome
Henri Grandjean (1803-1879) was a master watchmaker from Le Locle, renowned for his precision marine chronometers and for his pioneering role in Swiss chronometry. The name was recently revived by entrepreneur and collector Sohail Aziz and positioned as an independent brand specialising in exquisite high-end contemporary haute horlogerie. Making an impressive debut, Henri Grandjean & […]
SJX Watches
Having explored several concepts related to energy systems in watchmaking, from mainspring barrel capacity to automatic winding and the chain and fusee, our technical series continues with a detailed examination of how that energy reaches the escapement. A vital part of all watch movements, gears are usually taken for granted and generally not given much thought. But upon closer look, gear tooth profiles vary in shape and size. These seemingly minor variations have big implications and reveal various calculated trade-offs. We take a closer look at the different gear profiles used in watchmaking and review their particularities and evolutions over time. History and curves Mechanical timekeeping is inextricably linked to the concept of gears and transmissions. Long before the invention of the hairspring, early craftsmen and horologists were already using toothed wheels in conjunction with weights, verge escapements, and pendulums to measure the passage of time. Historically, gear-cutters were separate professionals who catered to clock makers. Horological lore has it that the tooth profiles used during the 1600s were traced after the thumb’s shape, although it’s difficult find evidence for this theory. The invention of the hairspring marked a step-change in the technical evolution of the watch, and the later development of detached escapements enhanced precision further. These advances revealed transmission problems that had previously been masked by larger timing er...
![[Video] Extreme Watchmaking Revealed: The Formex Aria And How It’s Made](https://www.fratellowatches.com/cdn-cgi/image/anim=false/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Formex-Aria-Manufacture-Chronometer-Denso-Blue-9.jpg)
Fratello
Formex may be a relatively young name in Swiss watchmaking, but the brand has already made a name for itself thanks to its unique approach. Founded in 1999 and based in Biel, Formex has built its identity around combining mechanical watchmaking with engineering-led solutions. Its watches are known for features such as the patented Case […] Visit [Video] Extreme Watchmaking Revealed: The Formex Aria And How It’s Made to read the full article.
Monochrome
Albishorn, an independent Swiss brand founded in 2024 by Sébastien Chaulmontet, focuses on “imaginary vintage” watches, “what if” models that are visually grounded in the past – but which never existed. A year after its debut, Albishorn released the Marinagraph, a robust skin diver with a patented 10-minute regatta countdown function that “could have” been […]
Hodinkee
What We Know Swiss brand Albishorn, carving out a niche with "imaginary vintage" designs, just released a simplified version of its regatta chronograph with the Marinagraph Classic. I first covered this complication in my hands-on review two years ago with the Albishorn Maxigraph, the brand's debut model and a collaboration with Massena LAB. Since then, the regatta chronograph has lived on under Albishorn's "Water" collection as the Marinagraph, combining the complication with a tide bezel. Today's Marinagraph Classic isn't all that different from the Marinagraph Classic Racing. Visually, the biggest difference is the swap from that colorful aluminum insert tide bezel to a large bidirectional sapphire bezel with more traditional, lumed markings. And yes, there are new dials too. While the sunray-brushed black dial remains, the new dial comes in the form of a white fumé color, with what could have been misconstrued as a shadow in the brand photography actually a subtle dark fade around the edges of the white dial. The black dial sports contrasting silver hands and markers, while the ones on the white fumé dial offer a stark black contrast. On both dials, the ten-minute retrograde regatta countdown scale at 7 o'clock is colored in blue and red, while the chronograph and regatta seconds hands are matched on each dial in either red for the black dial or blue for the white. My favorite feature since the first Maxigraph has been the aperture at 3 o'clock, serving as a running ...
Fratello
Grøne introduces the Horologium, a new manual-winding timepiece available in two different versions, “Something Quirky” and “Something Classic.” Both watches come in a 39mm stainless steel case and feature small seconds, a Swiss-made manual-winding movement by La Joux-Perret, a 60-hour power reserve, and 5 ATM of water resistance. Limited to 188 pieces per version, the […] Visit Play It Classic, Or Make It Loud: Unpacking the Grøne Horologium’s Dual Identity to read the full article.
![Inside The Manufacture: Making A Tudor: A Behind-The-Scenes Look, From Raw Material To Finished Product [Video]](https://hodinkee.imgix.net/uploads/images/b4180ce2-b600-4ab3-9a26-546220f695bb/3.jpg?ixlib=rails-1.1.0&fm=jpg&q=55&auto=format&usm=12&w=2000)
Hodinkee
Earlier this year, Tudor invited a small group of watch media into its Swiss manufacturing network to see what "Swiss Made" actually means in practice—not a one-stop visit in a single day, but the full process from start to finish over multiple days. I've been on plenty of manufacturer tours, and I've never had access like this. The result is one video, broken into three parts: cases and bracelets; hand-painted and hand-lumed dials; movements and assembly. Case and Bracelet We start by looking at cases and bracelets. I've had my Tudor Pelagos 39 on my wrist for a couple of years now, and until recently I'd never given much thought to what "Swiss Made" on the dial actually meant, beyond the concept and branding tied to those two words. So, using my own Pelagos as the starting point, this segment traces how a titanium dive watch's case and bracelet are actually made, moving through three Swiss companies closely linked to Tudor: Joseph Baume, Orolux, and Detech. Titanium case blanks are the start of the story. The progressive evolution of Tudor cases at Joseph Baume. Heat treating in a special furnace. The case begins at Joseph Baume, an independent forge where steel components are cold-stamped through up to fifteen strikes, while titanium cases, like that employed by my Pelagos, undergo hot stamping instead, heated to nearly 950 degrees Celsius and pressed into shape by a robotic arm. It's a more physical, almost blacksmith-like process than I ever would have expecte...
Deployant
Technical review of the Cleguer Horology Inspiration One. Explore Mathieu Cleguer’s proprietary Innate Escapement, movement finishing, and pricing.
Worn & Wound
When it comes to luxury divers in the $10,000-$20,000 range, the usual suspects are big Swiss heritage brands. Rolex, Omega, and Blancpain immediately come to mind, and IWC, Jaeger-LeCoultre, and a host of indies offer sporty watches that are dive adjacent if not divers, strictly speaking, that collectors might consider cross shopping. Glashütte Original is a brand that probably doesn’t get mentioned enough in this category, as they actually offer two dive watches in this price range built on their SeaQ platform that are worthy of consideration. The brand has just introduced new versions of their SeaQ Panorama Date and standard SeaQ in a new “Northern Tide” colorway for the North American market that got me thinking about these watches (frankly, reminding me they exist). I’ve handled both the SeaQ and SeaQ Panorama Date in the past and both watches are very nicely made, but each come with significant tradeoffs that make them tough to commit to, but in different ways. The standard SeaQ is the brand’s stripped down stainless steel diver, measuring 39.5mm in diameter, 12.15mm tall, and 47.2mm from lug to lug. The SeaQ’s case is very nicely executed and gives the feeling of a classic skin diver but with higher end, luxury finishing. The trade off here is really the movement – it runs on GO’s Caliber 39-11, which is a very nicely decorated movement, but has a power reserve of 40 hours, which is low relative to the competition, and is missing the signature Gla...
Time+Tide
Few young Swiss brands have made an impact as quickly as Norqain, with these being the five watches not to miss.
SJX Watches
As Swiss watchmakers prepare for their summer holidays, episode 48 of the SJX Podcast rounds up some of the best summer-ready watches released in the first half of 2026, spanning nearly every price category. Affordable highlights include colourful and practical options from Kollokium, Baltic, and Seiko, while the higher-priced selections range from Tudor and Hermès to Grand Seiko, Vacheron Constantin, and Laurent Ferrier. At the very top, the Greubel Forsey Balancier 3 faces off against a unique quartet of gem-set Rolex Daytonas. Listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube.
Fratello
There is a very specific kind of watch that changed how I think about this hobby. This watch was not particularly expensive, and it was not Swiss. It did not come in a velvet-lined box or carry a story about a master watchmaker in some atelier within a Swiss valley. It came in a cardboard […] Visit The Caravelle Sea Hunter Vs. The Seiko SKX And SRPE93 “Turtle” to read the full article.
SJX Watches
One of the cult brands when it comes to affordable, 1970s dive watches, Doxa’s latest is a vintage remake with a twist: the Sub Army 200T for Hodinkee is modelled on a dive watch developed for the Swiss army’s elite divers in 1969, but scaled down to a wearable 39 mm, compared to the chunky 42.5 mm (or even 45 mm) of most Doxa dive watches. Doxa has long mined its short but rich history of watches for underwater professionals, most famous amongst them the fictional adventurer created by novelist Clive Cussler. The Sub Army turns to a mil spec watch made for the commando divers of a landlocked country, preserving the design but refining it in size and style. It’s a 250-piece limited edition that sticks to Doxa’s sweet spot in terms of pricing with a retail of US$2,000. Initial thoughts I’ve always liked Doxa’s retro dive watches, especially the signature, oversized Sub 300 with an orange dial. Most of them have an appealing, recognisable look that’s backed up by the brand’s history. That said, Doxa makes a lot of dive watch models, enough of them that I have a hard time keeping up. Fortunately, the Sub Army for Hodinkee stands out in both style and size. At 39 mm and under 11 mm high, this has an easily wearable case that’s amongst the smallest in the Doxa catalogue, but still in the cushion-shaped format that’s a must-have for a retro dive watch of this type. The dial design is unique to the “Army” model and evokes vintage military equipment withou...
Fratello
When I hear the name Hamilton, dive watches aren’t the first things that come to mind. The Swiss brand with American roots is mostly known for its great lineup of military field watches. On top of that, the classic Ventura and the Intra-Matic Chronograph are among its more famous offerings. That said, the Khaki Navy […] Visit Do New Dials And Colors For Hamilton’s Khaki Navy Scuba Lineup Do The Trick? to read the full article.
SJX Watches
While most Swiss watchmakers are taking their summer holidays, H. Moser & Cie. has unveiled the Endeavour Minute Repeater Cylindrical Tourbillon Skeleton Cosmic Rain — the latest variant of the brand’s most complicated movement platform. The Cosmic Rain takes its name from its dial, which features mother-of-pearl inlays on an aventurine glass dial base. Devoid of a brand logo or wordmark — a long-running Moser motif — the dial effectively evokes a night sky filled with streaking comets. Initial thoughts H. Moser & Cie. is probably best known for its minimalist designs, but the Cosmic Rain’s openworked construction reveals another side of the brand. So, too, does its raden dial, which is dressed up with shimmering strips of mother-of-pearl. The Cosmic Rain is quite compact for such a complicated watch at 40 mm in diameter and 14.4 mm thick — barely larger than some time-only watches. These wrist-friendly dimensions, combined with a lightweight titanium case, should make for a comfortable wearing experience. The calibre HMC 909 features an off-centre time display that reveals both the strike train and the tourbillon, which has been elevated — literally and figuratively — with a cylindrical hairspring. Unfortunately, the vestigial centre wheel pinion is unnecessarily exposed, revealing the calibre’s roots as a movement designed for central hour and minutes hands. There’s a lot to like about the Cosmic Rain, but it’s hard to find justification for the CHF...
SJX Watches
The return of the Vacheron Constantin Twin Beat Perpetual Calendar got us thinking about other technically interesting watches that showed promise but never truly found their footing. In episode 47 of the SJX Podcast, SJX and Brandon discuss recent releases from Seiko, IWC, and Swatch before turning to candidates for a second chance, including the Audemars Piguet Jules Audemars AP Escapement, the TAG Heuer Monaco V4, and the elusive Breguet Hommage à Nicolas G. Hayek 7887. Listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube.
Fratello
In the past decade, we have seen many once-defunct Swiss brands return to the watch industry. A few recent returnees that come to mind are Gallet and Universal Genève. Today, another legendary brand joins the ranks. It’s the return of the classic Swiss brand Sicura. Under the leadership of the famous Ernest Schneider in the […] Visit Sicura Makes A Comeback After 47 Years With The Hexa 400 to read the full article.
Monochrome
Astronomical watches are part of Ulysse Nardin‘s identity, and Dr Ludwig Oechslin, like no other, shaped this chapter of the manufacture’s history. Shortly after entrepreneur Rolf Schnyder acquired the brand in 1983, he challenged the Swiss astronomer, mathematician and watchmaker to create a wristwatch capable of displaying the movements of celestial bodies. The result was […]
Worn & Wound
Swiss indie BA111OD has introduced a new version of their Chapter 7 integrated bracelet sports watch featuring a skeleton dial. BA111OD has quietly been building a reputation these last few years for challenging long held conventions about value and what can be expected at certain price points (they make tourbillons starting at around $10,000). While the brand was founded in 2019, the family behind it has a watchmaking lineage that goes all the way back to the 18th century, so their perspective is shaped by both traditional Swiss watchmaking values and modern design sensibilities. I’ll be honest, my first reaction to the core Chapter 7 watches when they were initially introduced was essentially a shrug of the shoulders. Certainly there was nothing wrong with it, but it seemed to me to be yet another integrated bracelet design, an idea that has quickly become generic in these years following the Royal Oak and Nautilus boom. Somehow, though, with the skeleton version of the Chapter 7, first seen with an anthracite PVD treatment, the watch seemed to come together for me. I’m a sucker for a well executed skeleton treatment on a sports watch, and BA111OD’s approach, with cantilevered indices over a solid rehaut surrounding the open dial, makes for a legible and easy to digest presentation. Last week, BA111OD unveiled a new version of the Chapter 7 Skeleton with a natural steel finish that they say is inspired by the summer light in Neuchâtel, where the brand is based. ...
SJX Watches
In episode 46 of the SJX Podcast, we examine the Swiss watch industry’s June export figures, which confirm the strength of the American market and reveal the impact of the Royal Pop. The episode also explores Rolex’s unexpected activity in clockmaking, beginning with the brand’s patents for a traditional inclined-plane clock that was hiding in plain sight at Watches & Wonders. We also share impressions of the Rolex Submariner Desk Clock released late last year — a conservative-looking but impressively constructed object powered by an unusually sophisticated quartz movement. Listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube.
WatchRider
I own both the Citizen Garrison and the TAG Heuer Autavia WBE5116.EB0173, and the difference between them goes far beyond price. The Citizen Garrison uses Citizen’s light-powered Eco-Drive movement and a remarkably light Super Titanium case, while the TAG Heuer Autavia is a Swiss automatic pilot watch with a COSC-certified Calibre 5 movement, a 42 mm steel case and a distinctive blue smoked dial. One is accessible and practical, designed for easy daily ownership. The other is a discontinued premium model with strong aviation heritage. That makes this an unusual but revealing comparison. Can an affordable Citizen Garrison provide the same wrist presence, legibility and everyday enjoyment as a significantly more expensive TAG Heuer Autavia? And how much do the Autavia’s automatic movement, finishing, heritage and premium positioning actually change the ownership experience? In this comparison, I will examine their design, comfort, materials, movements, readability and real-world value. For anyone searching for the best affordable pilot watches, or wondering whether an affordable pilot watch alternative can compete with a premium Swiss model, these two watches offer a fascinating answer. Case Size, Quality, and Comfort Both watches are very well made, but I sincerely prefer the Citizen’s case. The TAG Heuer Autavia has the solid construction and clean finishing expected from a premium Swiss watch. Its stainless-steel case feels substantial, and the transitions between i...
Fratello
Lebois & Co doesn’t need an introduction here on Fratello. We’ve been covering the brand since its (re)introduction in 2014. Last year, Lebois & Co introduced the Heritage Small Seconds collection, inspired by the original models from the 1940s and 1950s. Today, we see two new variations featuring special dials made by Swiss dial specialist […] Visit Ready For A Treat? Hands-On With The Lebois & Co Heritage Atelier Small Seconds to read the full article.
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