11,442 articles · 59 videos found · page 184 of 384
Fratello
If you have never heard of the brand Selten, you aren’t the only one. However, the brand founded by Leonardo Tsai has been around since 2017. The Hong Kong-based Selten founder comes from a family of dial makers, so he grew up around watches. After an initial stint in the world of finance, Tsai gave […] Visit Hands-On With The Remarkable Selten Grand Feu Enamel Moonstone to read the full article.
Fratello
Formex is known for packing a ton of punch in relatively affordable watches. The brand’s offerings are rich with features and well made at very competitive prices. None exemplifies this more than the brand’s entry-level model, the Formex Field Automatic. Today, I am delighted to introduce the second generation of the watch. Now, the cynical […] Visit Hands-On With The New 2nd-Generation Formex Field Automatic to read the full article.
Fratello
Today, we’re looking at some of the best watches under €2,500 in production right now. This is one of the most contested price points in the watch market, though many brands that previously operated in it have slowly but surely priced themselves out. That said, a handful of microbrands, both new and old, have made […] Visit Fratello Talks: The Best Watches Under €2,500 In 2025 to read the full article.
Worn & Wound
Before receiving the G5 Meridian, I had what I thought was a clear idea of Vaer in my head: mil-spec watches at an affordable price. Founded in Venice, California in 2016, the brand has built themselves a reputation of earnest capability and practical styling that appeals to budding enthusiasts looking for an everyday watch that leans towards rugged simplicity rather than fast-fashion. Vaer watches have been built in the States since 2018, with their first mechanical piece coming to market in 2019. Whether through my own lack of in-depth research or via social media algorithms showing me exclusively the brand’s field watches for some reason, I had apparently missed the relatively diverse other half of their catalog, spearheaded by the release of their first dive watch in 2020, first solar diver in 2021, and first chronograph in 2022. Since then, they’ve expanded each category into multiple references that cover a wide array of functions and styles, shirking my own narrow-minded ideas and, apparently, their own social media advertising algorithms. Thus, with a heap of welcome and humble surprise, I received the new G5 Meridian GMT and began my Vaer re-education. Unboxing My G5 arrived in a slim navy box with a clean, minimalistic design-appropriate for its price range, but not “cheap”-feeling in any way. I prefer minimal packaging (what the hell am I going to do with all these empty boxes anyways), and Vaer has done a nice job presenting the G5 as a serious, ent...
Hodinkee
An evening of cocktails, first looks at new watches and a hands-on master class in photography.
Hodinkee
At an exclusive dinner in St. Gallen, Switzerland, the Swiss jeweler and watch retailer invited Hodinkee to reveal the new Ipsomatic, a limited-edition platinum timepiece designed by one of the world's most famous architects.
Hodinkee
Earlier this summer, Hodinkee and TAG Heuer hosted an intimate dinner to celebrate the launch of the new limited edition TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph Seafarer x Hodinkee and the brand's rich history of "Decades at Sea."
Fratello
Gerald Charles has rolled out a steady slate of releases in support of its 25th anniversary. Among these debuts are new versions of the Maestro 3.0 Chronograph, which feature métiers d’art in the form of tapisserie Clous de Paris dials. The releases also include two case materials. I spent time at the Gerald Charles booth […] Visit Introducing: The Gerald Charles Maestro 3.0 Chronograph Mini Tapisserie Clous De Paris to read the full article.
Worn & Wound
Over the last year or two, I’ve been traveling more and more for work. More often than not, I’ve found the experience impersonal at best. Thanks to the new invention of “contactless check-in”, I am usually greeted by a row of iPads, making it feel more like I’ve made a 4-day reservation at a Genius Bar versus a holiday in Malibu. You see, like glass-blowing or macrame, hospitality is a dying art. The ability to make one feel welcomed isn’t as simple as having a few brochures at the front desk; but, instead, it’s an immeasurable talent that turns a two-night stay into an experience. Luckily, there are a few good men fighting the good fight. An entire network of them, actually, called Les Clefs d’Or. Since 1952, this international organization has dedicated itself to the art of hospitality through its 4,000 members, making it one of the largest organizations of its kind. While many hotels now have a new-hire sit at a podium labeled CONCIERGE to hand out brochures of local attractions, the members of Les Clefs d’Or understands that a concierge is an untapped resource, giving you tips on where to eat, what to do, and he may pull a few strings to get you that hard-to-come-by table at the local Michelin-starred joint down the block. Now, of course for me, the imagination starts running when I think of a private organization of hotel professionals who are maintaining the old guard of hospitality. One might even be reminded of The Society of the Crossed Keys ...
Fratello
As Nacho pointed out a few weeks ago, 2025 marks the 60th anniversary of NASA’s qualification of the Speedmaster for use in space. As you’ve probably noticed, there’s no new Omega Speedmaster Professional to commemorate this qualification by NASA. Instead, the folks at Omega chose to discuss the Speedmaster’s qualification on the brand’s social media […] Visit Visiting NASA And Axiom Space In Houston To Celebrate The 60th Anniversary Of The Omega Speedmaster’s Flight Qualification to read the full article.
Fratello
What happens when one of horology’s most radical voices tries its hand at something classically elegant? You get the MB&F; SP One. At just 38mm across and 12mm thick, it’s the smallest and slimmest watch the brand has ever made. But don’t let that fool you. This might be a more compact, dress-watch-adjacent MB&F;, but […] Visit Hot Take: The New MB&F; SP One Is Classic MB&F; Yet Anything But to read the full article.
Teddy Baldassarre
Join us on Saturday, June 28th from 12PM to 5PM at the Teddy Baldassarre Boutique for a special celebration of Hamilton. This exclusive in-store event will spotlight a thoughtfully curated selection of Hamilton timepieces, featuring beloved classics alongside exciting new releases making their boutique debut. Guests wi
Monochrome
The Longines Legend Diver, also known as the LLD, is a watch that doesn’t need much introduction anymore. A classic of the Heritage collection by the brand with the winged hourglass, the model has been, at least in its modern form, around since 2007, first as a coveted no-date watch, and then as a wide […]
Teddy Baldassarre
The origin of Blancpain x Swatch is the story of two vastly different watchmakers. One is the oldest watch brand in the world, in existence since 1735, and renowned for making some of the most high-end luxury timepieces in the industry, regularly carrying prices of thousands or even tens of thousands of dollars. The other traces its origins only to the 1980s and made its name by producing plastic-cased, mass-market fashion watches for youthful consumers at average prices around $300. Through a convoluted series of events arising from watch-industry upheavals in the late 1990s and early 2000s, the newbie department-store brand bought the historical prestige brand, making it part of a modern-day Murderers Row of legacy watchmakers within what is now known as the Swatch Group. Both brands continued to do what they did best, and never did their efforts really intersect. Blancpain has adhered to its philosophy of never, in its almost-300-year history, making a watch with a quartz movement. Swatch, by contrast, was the brand that brought quartz into the mainstream of Swiss watchmaking in the first place, and still uses quartz movements in most (but not all) of its voluminous output of watches. But the watchword (no pun intended) of the 21st Century timepiece industry seems increasingly to be, Never Say Never. The Omega x Swatch MoonSwatch (Obviously) Omega x Swatch MoonSwatch "Mission On Earth" In 2022 came a scenario that was somehow both unthinkable and inevitable at the same ...
Fratello
This week’s Top 5 list is a follow-up to last week’s list. You seemed to enjoy the article about some of the stunning, exotic dials that Rolex has used for its flagship model, the Day-Date. This week, we will look at some of the exotic dials that the Genevan brand has used for the Datejust. […] Visit Fratello’s Top 5 Rolex Datejust Models With Exotic Dials to read the full article.
Monochrome
The slowing global economy and changes in consumer behaviour are hurting the luxury watch industry. Geneva-based luxury goods group Richemont reported a 4% increase in sales for their 2024/25 year, closing at the end of March at EUR 21,399 million. At EUR 3.8 billion, the profit for the year’s continuing operation is down 1%. This […]
Fratello
The 39mm Longines Legend Diver is one of those rare watches that all of us at Fratello HQ like. While most watches spark at least some kind of debate among Fratello editors, the Legend Diver is universally admired. So when Longines releases a new dial variant, we pay attention, especially when it is a crisp […] Visit Introducing: An Icy New White-Dial Variant Of The 39mm Longines Legend Diver to read the full article.
Deployant
Released last year, and still with a waitlist is the Leica Q3 43. Many hail this as the perfect everyday carry. But what else is it good at? Is it perfect?
Monochrome
If you look at the current collection of Omega, you’ll see that almost everything there is based on iconic designs and watches that have left a strong mark on watchmaking. The Seamaster, the Constellation and, of course, the Speedmaster, to name the most important ones. You’ll also see that two of these watches formed part […]
The second annual Windup in a Bay expedition brought the Windup spirit straight to the Monterey Bay Area, running in tandem with the Windup Watch Fair San Francisco. This year’s adventure wasn’t just about diving-it was about building a full-circle experience, starting with a scenic campout at Elkhorn Ranch, and culminating in an open-water dive off the dramatic coast of Carmel. Returning as the dive watch sponsor was Marathon, whose reputation for hard-use, no-nonsense dive watches is second to none. New to the mix: Prometheus Design Werx, coming aboard as the official gear sponsor and loading out the crew with equipment designed to meet every challenge, whether by land or by sea. The post Windup in a Bay 2025: Campfires, Cold Water, Watches, and Gear with Marathon Watch Company and Prometheus Design Werx appeared first on Worn & Wound.
Fratello
With recent Speedmaster and Seamaster releases, Omega quietly put the new watches on its ambassadors’ wrists to hint at what was coming. We could have missed it, but we don’t think the same happened with the newly revised Railmaster. Supposedly, there was a leaked image, but it came with very little information. Luckily, we’ve recently […] Visit A Hands-On Introduction To The New Omega Railmaster With A Beige Or Gray Gradient Dial to read the full article.
Fratello
It’s no secret that we’re Speedmaster fans here at Fratello. RJ, our founder, is an avid collector of these chronographs and the mind behind #SpeedyTuesday. But not all Speedies are created equal. Today, we’re looking at some of the best modern Omega Speedmaster models. RJ, Thomas, and Nacho have tasked themselves with selecting their top […] Visit Fratello Talks: The Best Modern Omega Speedmasters to read the full article.
Worn & Wound
Seeing a watch made by Naoya Hida & Co. in person for the first time was one of those moments when you truly realize that you have to experience a watch in the metal before casting judgement. At the time, the brand was only in its second full year, and most of the people commenting on the watches in online forums, Instagram, etc. were reacting to what they perceived as an exorbitant price tag. These specific watches, after all, used a (highly) modified Valjoux 7750 as the base movement – not exactly high horology. But when you handle one of these watches, wear it, and, importantly, turn the crown, you realize you’re dealing with an object that’s largely handmade, a fully fleshed out complete thought with a singular perspective. That’s a pretty rare thing, as are the hand carved dials that have become an aesthetic signature of the brand, and truly require magnification to fully grapple with. Naoya Hida & Co. has just unveiled their new slate of watches for 2025, and I imagine we’re heading for some of the same conversations we’ve heard before, but there’s a new watch in this crop of releases that should quiet at least some of the naysayers. The marquee release in this year’s lineup is the NH Type 6A, Naoya Hida’s most complicated watch to date and their first perpetual calendar. The 6A is made in the same vintage inspired style as all of Naoya Hida’s other watches, evoking classic pieces by Patek Philippe and others (but mostly Patek, let’s be honest...
SJX Watches
Despite everything, including tariffs and a strong Swiss franc, the Geneva auction season turned out to be a strong one, with some of the strongest results being in the most surprising segments. The bigger winner this season was Phillips, which sold a bit under 200 lots for CHF43.4 million including fees, while also claiming the most valuable lots for the season, reflecting Phillips’ strong leadership and team. Despite being the market leader by some margin, the Phillips catalogue was arguably the riskiest as it included several high-value pocket watches and clocks – timepieces that not part of mainstream collecting today. Yet the gamble paid off with the most valuable timepiece this season being its Breguet Sympathique no. 1 that sold for CHF5.51 million. Christie’s achieved CHF21.2 million with a similar number of lots that were arguably more conventional in taste and format than at Phillips. One of its most valuable lots was a Cartier Crash “NSO” with a special order dial that sold for CHF736,000 – one of the biggest surprises of the season but proof that being eye-catching enough for social media is a big factor in desirability and value today. Interestingly, the Crash sold for exactly the same as the Richard Mille RM UP-01 Ferrari. The Crash went for about 15 times the original retail, while the RM UP-01 was about half of retail. The Crash NSO “nickele” grey. Image – Christie’s Over at Antiquorum, the tally was CHF10 million – from almost 800 lot...
Fratello
Many love an excellent mecaquartz chronograph. Brands can spend more money on the looks of such watches thanks to their affordable movements. These watches often punch above their weight, at least visually. Others say they are cheap interpretations of the real deal, a timepiece with a mechanical movement. I received the new Nivada Chronosport Blue […] Visit Hands-On With The Nivada Grenchen Chronosport Mecaquartz Salmon to read the full article.
Monochrome
After several years of covering this independent Japanese watch brand, you should now be familiar with Kurono Tokyo‘s work. And if not, what matters here is that we’re looking at the accessible side of independent watchmaker Hajime Asaoka (also behind the return of Takano), with classic designs and outsourced movements to keep the prices reasonable. […]
Fratello
What happens when you take the 2755 QP movement out of the 2017 Traditionnelle Calibre 2755 (ref. 80172/000R-B406), update the design so it caters to an audience with a more contemporary taste, and put it in the sportiest of watch designs available? You get the Vacheron Constantin Overseas Grand Complication Openface. This limited-production watch is […] Visit Introducing: The Titanium Vacheron Constantin Overseas Grand Complication Openface to read the full article.
Worn & Wound
The Ship of Theseus paradox involves the legendary vessel that Theseus––a Greek mythological hero who rescued the children of Athens and slayed the Minotaur of Crete––traveled on. To honor his valiant efforts, the Athenians preserved the ship and, over time, swapped parts that decayed or had become damaged, eventually replacing all of its original components. This, in turn, begs the question: is it still Theseus’ ship even if all the parts have been replaced? If not, at what point did it cease to be the original? Now that our history lecture is over, I want to utilize this idea of time and identity to talk about a topic near and dear to our watch-collecting hearts: patina. A number of journalists and enthusiasts have discussed what patina is, how it can be defined in a horological sense, and the many forms it can take, but no one (to my knowledge) has discussed when deterioration or damage becomes patina. This may seem like a rather abstract subject to discuss, but most, if not all, collectors take condition into consideration when shopping for a watch. The two main questions that will help get to the bottom of this patina paradox are: 1.) At what point does damage become patina? and 2.) Is patina just a buzzword to market a watch with lots of aesthetic flaws? The Evolution of Flaws to Patina One of patina’s most essential characteristics is its dependability on age. The natural degradation of luminous material, the color-changing properties of a dial often...
Quill & Pad
Today, secondary prices for many brands sit are at 4-year lows, while retail prices climb ever-higher – particularly due to the impact of tariffs in the US. As the gap between retail and market widens, the secondary market now offers some of the best deals seen this decade.
Teddy Baldassarre
The Grand Seiko “Snowflake” is not just a watch that helped define Grand Seiko as a luxury brand to be reckoned with in the 21st Century: it is also at the vanguard of an industry-wide movement toward making dials more beautiful, enticing, and unique - not only with the bold use of color, but with textures that play with the concept of 3D space and the interplay of light and shadow. Nearly every Grand Seiko model of note can claim a dial (and often a nickname) with a distinctly eye-catching motif, usually inspired by the breathtaking natural wonders of the company’s native Japan. Other luxury watch brands have noticed and followed suit - from luxury leaders like Rolex, Patek Philippe, and Audemars Piguet, to attainable brands like little-brother Seiko and its main competitor, Citizen. The “Snowflake,” Grand Seiko’s first and still most famous textured dial, is arguably the OG of this trend; here is the story of how it came to be and where it stands today. As success stories for new watch brands go, it’s hard to find a better case study in the past decade than Grand Seiko. The Japanese high-luxury watchmaker has, in its relatively short stint in the international market, elevated itself in the eyes of many collectors to the upper echelon of watchmaking prestige and collectibility, competing for connoisseur attention and dollars with well-established maisons from Switzerland and Germany. This plaudit, of course, comes with a caveat: Grand Seiko is not ...
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