931 articles · 88 videos found · page 20 of 34
Revolution
There are really two basic possible questions about any watch: what is it, and why is it? (The third question –how much is it? –need not concern us here as we recline in distant Olympian splendor, contemplating watches as objects of aesthetic reverie and intellectual amusement, rather than as consumer goods. The answer is usually […]
Fratello
Bell & Ross has long leaned into its aviation credentials, but the new BR-03 Chrono Rafale Solo Display feels like one of the brand’s most authentic collaborations yet. Limited to 500 pieces, this watch celebrates the partnership with the Rafale Solo Display, the French Air and Space Force’s flight demonstration team. It is stealthy, purposeful, […] Visit Bell & Ross Nails It With The BR-03 Chrono Rafale Solo Display to read the full article.
Deployant
Bell & Ross takes its maiden flight with Rafale Solo Display. Introducing their latest collaboration piece, the BR-03 Chrono Rafale Solo Display.
Worn & Wound
You have to give it up for Piaget. When they introduced the Altiplano Concept Tourbillon last year, they made a hell of a play for the world’s thinnest tourbillon watch. At 2.0mm, that watch was (as most ultra-thin watches are) inconceivably thin. I have to imagine that, when Piaget introduced that watch last year, they felt pretty good about holding onto the record for at least a while but, as these things go, eventually, Bulgari has to have its say in the matter. A year later, we have Bulgari’s seemingly inevitable response: The Octo Finissimo Ultra Tourbillon. At just 1.85mm thick, Bulgari’s latest Ultra-Thin masterpiece represents their 10th world record for thinness in watchmaking and reunites Bulgari with a record it has held on and off since 2014 - which, by way of comparison, was a record they had previously held with watches measuring 5mm and 3.95mm thick. Hard to imagine it, but each of those now seems downright chunky by comparison. There’s a good reason why you often see watches like this held up next to credit cards: Devoid of context, it’s almost impossible for your brain to compute just how little three-dimensional space these watches take up. Bulgari has achieved this stupendously mind-blowing level of thinness by applying the design and construction techniques introduced with the 1.80mm thin Octo Finissimo Ultra and the 1.70mm thin Octo Finissimo Ultra COSC. Most notably, Bulgari has integrated the case and movement of the Octo Finissimo Ultra ...
Worn & Wound
“Watches, Stories, and Gear” is a roundup of our favorite content, watch or otherwise, from around the internet. Here, we support other creators, explore interesting content that inspires us, and put a spotlight on causes we believe in. Oh, and any gear we happen to be digging on this week. We love gear. Share your story ideas or interesting finds with us by emailing info@wornandwound.com. Catching Up With AJ Weberman Bob Dylan has been the focus of many a think piece over the last month or so as A Complete Unknown, the film covering his life in the mid 1960s starring Timothee Chalamet, has unspooled in theaters. Most of those pieces are appraisals of the film, or Dylan’s career, but this one caught our eye for its focus on AJ Weberman, a counterculture figure whose life has run parallel to Dylan in many ways. In the parlance of our times, you might call Weberman an obsessed fan, or even a stalker. He came to some small fame in the 60s and 70s for his unique brand of “Dylanology,” developing wildly detailed interpretations of Dylan’s sometimes inscrutable lyrics. He also, famously, picked through Dylan’s garbage looking for insight into his personal life. Totally normal stuff. Anyway, he’s still out there, he’s seen the movie, and he’s still a little too obsessed. Were We Wrong about the Pono? Remember the Pono music player? A decade ago, Neil Young helped launch the iPod competitor as an alternative to what he deemed a generation of portable music ...
Monochrome
In the world of tennis, Novak Djokovic stands as a true icon, a powerful player with a winning mindset, boasting an unmatched 24 Grand Slam singles titles and a reputation as one of the greatest athletes in history. A Hublot ambassador since 2021, Djokovic has been seen sporting a variety of the brand’s timepieces, including […]
Time+Tide
You might call bull, but a metal-detector and some good luck reunited this farmer with his Rolex Air-King, after being eaten by a cow.The post Poo-tina: UK farmer unearths lost Rolex Air-King eaten by his cow 50 years ago appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Revolution
A. Lange & Söhne has opened its long-anticipated, long-awaited mono-brand boutique in that most elegant of shopping precincts: Old Bond Street in London’s Mayfair.
Fratello
Another Watches and Wonders in the books. The first two editions were online only, but since 2022, I’ve been attending them all with pleasure. Watches and Wonders 2026 had some wonderful releases in store, and today, I’ll share my favorites from A. Lange & Söhne, Chopard, Piaget, Rolex, and Jaeger-LeCoultre, as well as a few […] Visit RJ’s Best 5 Watches From Watches And Wonders 2026 to read the full article.
Monochrome
A year after Piaget broke the record for the thinnest tourbillon with its 2mm Altiplano Ultimate Concept Tourbillon, Bulgari, following its decade-long pursuit of ultra-thin watchmaking, unveiled the Octo Finissimo Ultra Tourbillon in titanium, now the world’s thinnest flying tourbillon at just 1.85mm. The new Octo Finissimo Ultra Tourbillon Platinum edition does not aim to break […]
Fratello
Do you remember the ThinKing, the ultra-thin, in-house, one-of-a-kind watch with a mere 1.65mm profile that surprised everybody in 2024? Piaget and Bvlgari were locked in battle to come up with the world’s thinnest mechanical watch, Richard Mille joined the fight, and then, out of the blue, Konstantin Chaykin presented the ThinKing. The watch never […] Visit Introducing: The 1.65mm-Thin Konstantin Chaykin ThinKing Mystery - Is It The Slimmest Mechanical Watch In The World? to read the full article.
Monochrome
The trend for stone dials has had a bandwagon effect in the watch industry, with players, small and large, succumbing to the temptation of adorning their models with exotic stones and even slivers of meteorite. However, like Piaget, Audemars Piguet got a head start in the field, with stone dials on its ultra-thin dress watches […]
Monochrome
Swiss-based conglomerate Richemont, owner of multiple jewellery and watch brands such as Cartier, IWC, Piaget, A. Lange & Söhne or Vacheron Constantin, to name a few, has agreed to sell Swiss watch brand Baume & Mercier, which it acquired in 1988, to the Italian, family-run Damiani Group, concluding a strategic review of the long-time Richemont […]
SJX Watches
On Episode 16 of the SJX Podcast, SJX and Brandon discuss ongoing horology events in Paris and Singapore, and debrief on the new Piaget Andy Warhol. It’s also the debut of a new segment comparing two watches head-to-head. First up is the Ulysse Nardin Freak – how does the original, now 25 years old, stack up to the new Freak S? Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Youtube.
Monochrome
Born in 1931 to withstand the rigours of polo and defined by its unmistakable Art Deco geometry, the Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso has evolved into one of the most enduring designs in watchmaking. Its swivelling steel case, conceived to protect the crystal from stray mallets, remains as ingenious today as it was nearly a century ago. Over […]
Fratello
The SIHH, or Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie, was a watch trade show founded in 1991 by Cartier, Baume & Mercier, Piaget, Gerald Genta, and Daniel Roth. Organized by the Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie (FHH), the show, compared to Baselworld, aimed to create a more exclusive, high-luxury atmosphere dedicated to fine watchmaking and […] Visit Is Watches And Wonders Turning Into Baselworld 2.0? Also, Audemars Piguet Is Back to read the full article.
SJX Watches
With a swivelling case and unadorned back, the Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso has long served as a canvas for miniature enamelling (or double-faced complications). The Reverso Tribute Enamel “Shahnameh” is a fine example of the art, which is almost synonymous with Jaeger-LeCoultre (JLC), one of the first brands to set up an in-house enamel workshop. Originally invented as a watch for polo players – the reversible case is meant to protect the crystal – the Reverso goes back to the historical origins of the game with this set. The quartet is inspired by scenes from Shahnameh, an epic poem written one thousand years ago that recounts the origins of the Persian Empire, and also depicts the ancient game invented by Persians that is today known as polo. Specifically, the four watches reproduce illustrations from the Shahnameh commissioned by Shah Tahmasp, the second ruler of the Safavid dynasty, in the early 16th century. The four piece set comprised of (from left) ‘Siyavush Plays Polo before Afrasiyab’; ‘Faridun Tests His Sons’; ‘Saam Comes to Mount Alburz’; and ‘Rustam Pursues Akvan’. Image – Jaeger-LeCoultre Initial thoughts JLC has long reproduced historical art on the Reverso – including Monet’s Venice series of paintings last year – but the artwork was often Western or East Asian, perhaps reflecting the watchmaker’s biggest markets. The “Shahnameh” set, on the other hand, reproduces scenes from a piece of art that might be less well known in...
SJX Watches
Phillips’ upcoming Hong Kong auction is a three-day affair that starts with enamelled Chinese market masterpieces of the 18th and 19th century, followed by a two-day main sale that includes several notable examples of independent watchmaking. Some, including watches from Greubel Forsey and Urwerk, might be value propositions and comparably accessible entries into the brands, while others will be six figures but arguably worth it – like the Piaget Gouvernor Grande Sonnerie that was produced by a young Francois-Paul Journe in the mid 1990s. We round up those and a few more indie highlights from The Hong Kong Watch Auction: XX that takes place from May 23-25, 2025. The full catalogue is available on Phillips.com. The Piaget Gouvernour Grande Sonnerie with a movement made by François-Paul Journe in 1997 Lot 893 – Krayon Anywhere in pink gold & Lot 965 – Krayon Anywhere in white gold The sale includes not one, but two examples of the Krayon Anywhere. Conceived by engineer Rémi Maillat, the Anywhere indicates sunrise and sunset times anywhere in world, thanks to a set of cams and levers that can be adjusted for a particular locale. The chapter ring on the periphery of the dial is composed of overlapping discs that move with the seasons, indicating sunrise and sunset as well as the seasonal length of the day. A sub-dial at six indicates the calendar, which is linked to the sunrise and sunset indicator. Hand finished to a high level by specialists in the Vallée de Joux...
SJX Watches
If you want to own the world’s thinnest mechanical watch, the Konstantin Chaykin ThinKing, you’ll have to fight for it at The Geneva Watch Auction: XXI, which will see the first production example go under the hammer. The 1.65 mm stature of the ThinKing is even more impressive coming from a small Russian independent watchmaker, considering previous records were set by big Swiss brands ranging from Piaget to Richard Mille. Notably, this is not the first time a landmark release has been trusted to an auction that isn’t linked to a charity. The most famous example of this was the Patek Philippe Calibre 89 (ref. 989J) back in 1989 at Antiquorum’s thematic sale. The ThinKing will be sold in the first session of the auction, which starts on May 10, 2025, at 2 pm. The ThinKing in profile. Image – Phillips Mr Chaykin achieved the record-setting height with clever construction, including a “double balance wheel” system that places an intermediate wheel between the balance and escapement, allowing both to sit on the same plane. Another notable technical feature is a barrel that is open on both sides, and no thicker than the mainspring itself. And unlike most serially-produced Konstantin Chaykin watches, each ThinKing is made, finished, and assembled by Mr Chaykin himself. Wearability is enhanced by the bolt-on protective shroud in titanium christened “PalanKing”. This increases the height to 5.4 mm, but adds key-less setting and winding, and automatic winding by a...
Fratello
For Watches and Wonders 2025, Jaeger-LeCoultre decided to go big with its Reverso collection once more. Jaeger-LeCoultre introduced this watch meant for polo players nearly a century ago. Today, however, watch enthusiasts and collectors consider the Reverso a dress watch more than anything else. With the latest Tribute Monoface Small Seconds in full pink gold […] Visit Hands-On: The New Pink Gold Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Monoface Small Seconds to read the full article.
Monochrome
We are undoubtedly in a golden age of the ultra-thin watch, with records continuously being shattered and timepieces at a level of thinness that would have been almost unimaginable just a few years ago… At Watches and Wonders 2024, Piaget clinched the record for the thinnest tourbillon ever with its Altiplano Ultimate Concept Tourbillon, measuring a […]
Monochrome
Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Reverso started life in 1931 as a pragmatic solution for British polo players in India who were constantly smashing the glass on their watches. Thanks to its patented swivelling case, players could protect the dial and switch it back in time for a Pimms Cup. A pivotal moment in the life of the Reverso, […]
SJX Watches
Hublot’s latest release is a limited edition created in collaboration with Novak Djokovic, the tennis champion who has 24 Grand Slam titles. The Big Bang Unico Novak Djokovic is encased in a carbon composite that recycles the player’s tennis racquets and Lacoste polo t-shirts. And its movement has been reworked to utilise aluminium bridges and plates, ensuring the entire watch weighs less than a tennis ball. Initial thoughts Often criticised for its pricey, Sellita-equipped entry-level models and numerous limited editions, Hublot is sometimes controversial. The brand’s higher-end watches, however, are usually more interesting (and occasionally very complex) and sometimes better value. Priced at US$52,700, the Big Bang Unico Novak Djokovic is expensive enough that it’s not a value proposition. It is, however, interesting for the case material. Moreover it holds a special appeal for fans of Novak Djokovic. And intrinsically, it is technically competent as it’s equipped with a modified Unico movement that is mostly aluminium and ultra light. Tennis racquets Sized like the standard Big Bang Unico, this measures 42 mm by 14.5 mm. The case material, however, is unique. The case and bezel are in a composite derived from 25 Head tennis racquets, 17 dark blue and 15 light blue Lacoste polo t-shirts used by Djokovic throughout the 2023 season. These ground-up racquets and shirts are mixed with an epoxy resin reinforced with quartz powder and glass, resulting in a distinc...
Time+Tide
The Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso travels from the sport of polo in colonial India to the world of Mad Men, Batman, and high horology.The post Flipping the script: How the Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso became a game changing icon appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
The Plan-les-Ouates district of Geneva is well-known for its concentration of watchmaking facilities, earning it the nickname “Plan-les-Watch”. But the standout structure is arguably the Vacheron Constantin (VC) manufacture, which houses both management functions and production under one roof – or more specifically, under one curving metal skin that wraps over the top of the building from east to west. The area’s other prominent residents include Rolex, Patek Philippe, and Piaget, but you can also find numerous other brands like Frederique Constant, Harry Winston, and Laurent Ferrier clustered together in what feels like a large office park. “Plan-les-Watch” is where most of the actual watchmaking in Geneva gets done, since most brands have relocated their production facilities to the suburbs over time, leaving FP Journe as the only industrial operation in the city’s historic center. And it is here that power is expressed through architecture, from the imposing black glass facade of the Rolex building to the superyacht-like decks that wrap around the Patek Philippe manufacture. The reception at the manufacture. Image – Vacheron Constantin Completed in 2005 to celebrate VC’s 250th anniversary, the Vacheron Constantin building was designed by Bernard Tschumi Architects as a single building. A second wing was then added by the same firm in 2014, increasing both production space and staff amenities. A key emphasis of the building is lighting, with expansive...
Hodinkee
Plus, a wild Millenary from AP and ever-so-thin Piaget.
Fratello
This week, exactly one year has passed since the Louis Vuitton Tambour 40mm Automatic appeared in its new braceleted guise. With heavy hitters like the Polo ’79 having appeared this year, what are my thoughts on the Louis Vuitton Tambour one year on? There’s no escaping from the fact that retro and integrated bracelets are […] Visit The Louis Vuitton Tambour One Year On: Has The Infatuation Lingered? to read the full article.
Monochrome
Jaeger-LeCoultre is probably not the first brand that springs to mind when it comes to sports watches. Fair enough, the Reverso was initially designed for polo players, but by today’s standards, it is far closer to being a dress watch than a sports watch. To amend this situation, Jaeger-LeCoultre turned to its Memovox Polaris, an […]
SJX Watches
Alongside its results for the year ended March 2024 – with revenue at an all-time high but marked by slowing growth – Richemont announced a major management revamp with Nicolas Bos promoted to chief executive officer of the group that owns brands like Cartier and Piaget. His predecessor (but not exactly), Jérôme Lambert, will be the group’s chief operating officer. Having led Van Cleef & Arpels (VC&A;) for just over a decade, Mr Bos skilfully grew the jeweller’s revenue more than sixfold during his tenure. At the same time, he managed to established a recognisable identity for VC&A;, one distinct from its bigger sibling, Cartier. He has spent practically his entire career at Richemont, having joined the group in 1992. Prior to taking the top job at VC&A;, he was its creative director, a role he retained even after becoming the jeweller’s chief executive. Effective June 1, the promotion of Mr Bos lends credence to talk of retirement for Cartier boss Cyrille Vigneron, who at 63 is nearing the group’s retirement age. Having led Cartier since 2015, Mr Vigneron has transformed it into a reliably profit generator that accounts for about half of the group’s revenue and a great deal of its profits. And next most profitable brand in Richemont is of course VC&A;. Jerome Lambert Some are more equal than others Mr Bos’ new job implies a demotion of sorts for Mr Lambert, who was appointed chief executive officer in 2018, after having led Jaeger-LeCoultre and then Montbla...
Monochrome
Some of the standout highlights of the 2024 Watch Week in Geneva undoubtedly revolved around ultra-thin watches. Bulgari’s Octo Finissimo Ultra COSC now reigns as the world’s thinnest mechanical wristwatch, boasting an astonishing 1.70mm profile. Meanwhile, Piaget clinched the record for the thinnest tourbillon ever with its Altiplano Ultimate Concept Tourbillon, measuring a mere 2mm! […]
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