1,663 articles · 39 videos found · page 20 of 57
Monochrome
Worldtimers are mechanically complex watches, relying on coordinated discs to show all time zones at once. That is not quite what Baltic is doing here. With the new Heures du Monde, the brand takes a different route, bringing it in under EUR 1,500 and building on a Swiss GMT movement to rethink how the information […]
Fratello
When Porsche Design invited me to visit the opening of its new Timepieces Manufaktur, I was immediately intrigued. Having visited the relatively small old workshop in Solothurn before, a big new facility inevitably implies lofty ambitions. What is the German carmaker/Swiss watchmaker up to? As your intrepid reporter, I made it my mission to find […] Visit Visiting Porsche Design’s New Manufaktur And Discovering What It Means For The Brand’s Future to read the full article.
Teddy Baldassarre
Before we get into my review of the Oris Big Crown Pointer Date Bullseye, let's get some context about the brand out of the way. Oris traces its foundation to 1904, when two natives of the Swiss watchmaking town of Le Locle, Paul Cattin and Georges Christian, opened their watch factory in the German-speaking Swiss town of Hölstein. Cattin and Christian named their company “Oris” after the Orisbach tributary, a brook near the factory.A maker of pocket watches and, by 1925, the increasingly popular wristwatches, Oris enjoyed a long period of growth and expansion throughout the following decades and even made its own movements. Losing its independence during the consolidation years of the Quartz Crisis, Oris regained it in the 1980s, when a management buyout transformed the company and solidified its mission to make only mechanical watches going forward. Today, Oris is well established as a staple for value-conscious collectors of Swiss-made watches. While much of its modern output is devoted to sport-oriented timepieces, like the popular Aquis and Divers (formerly Divers Sixty-Five) diving watches, the brand’s most recognizable and emblematic collection is the Big Crown Pointer Date, which has been a mainstay of the brand’s portfolio - and in constant production - since 1938. It was the first watch with a date indication displayed via a central hand on an outer scale, and it took the other part of its model name from its signature design element - an oversiz...
Worn & Wound
Omega pleased a lot of dress watch and vintage fans this week when they launched the new Constellation Observatory collection at their Swiss headquarters. Zach Weiss is on the ground in Bielle even as we speak getting hands-on with the new watches, and he’ll have a full hands on report with his own photography coming soon. For now, a quick rundown of the new collection, and why it’s a fairly major play for the brand. The Constellation is a historic Omega collection that has changed a lot through the years, always remaining flexible with the current styles and trends of the day. This collection, though, is a direct shot at the hearts and minds of Omega purists, as its effectively a recreation of the original 1950s Constellation in its broad strokes. The cases and dials will be familiar to anyone who has collected or admired original Constellations, with highly angular cases and distinctive dogleg lug design. That said, these are not one to one recreations of watches from the 1950s. The cases, on paper at least, are rather large for what most would agree is a riff on a classic dress watch. The diameter is 39.4mm, and case height is 12.23mm. The lug to lug span comes in at 47.2mm. So, not small by any means, but we’ll look forward to Zach’s impressions of how they actually wear soon enough. As is typical with Omega these days, we have a wide variety of case material and dial options available. We get all three gold alloys that Omega likes to deploy (Sedna, Canop...
Worn & Wound
When we talk about Longines on the website, we usually do so in the context of their vintage reissues and vintage inspired watches. They’ve carved out a niche for themselves in this particular area that is basically unrivaled among the big Swiss brands. From the Legend Diver onwards, they’ve done a remarkable job of raiding the archives and bringing back both popular and oddball references of historical significance. Similarly, their most important contemporary line, the Spirit Collection, is itself heavily influenced by the aesthetics and design codes of midcentury watches. That isn’t to say that Longines has neglected more contemporary designs. They’ve dipped into ultra-modern territory (with a great deal of success) pretty recently with bold updates to the Ultra-Chron, for example. But I think it’s fair to say that they aren’t necessarily the brand you look to if you’re thinking about picking up a solid, modern dive watch. It’s just not their lane, and some of their competitors have really nailed this genre down pretty hard. So this is the framework for a big relaunch this Spring for the HydroConquest, a line that has already gone through a handful of redesigns and shuffling over the years, most recently becoming a vehicle for a GMT complication in a case size that frankly strains even the most burly of wrists. There’s never really been anything wrong with the HydroConquest, per se, but for a variety of reasons it’s not usually mentioned in the s...
Teddy Baldassarre
[toc-section heading="Squale Overview"] Squale is a historic manufacture with a particular specialty in the realm of dive watches. The company’s heritage is deeper than you may realize, as it extends beyond its own footprint, touching an extensive list of partners that helped to shape the dive-watch genre as we know it today. The story of Squale is one of intrigue, and while it became a well known case supplier through the ‘60s and ‘70s, the Swiss brand also boasted a collection of its own designs that hold as well today as they did then. Understanding Squale means taking a step back into the era that birthed it, an era defined by the burgeoning sport of recreational diving as well as the advent of military diving operations. If you’re a fan of dive watches and the history of their use, Squale is a brand that should be on your radar thanks to its plentiful contributions. Beyond that, collectors will find a vast array of designs in the brand’s modern catalog that both break new ground and preserve the best portions of its history. In this overview, we’ll connect all the dots from then to now. [toc-section heading="History and Heritage"] Squale was founded by Charles von Büren in 1959 in the beautiful lakeside town of Neuchâtel, Switzerland. While that’s the official date, von Büren had been assembling watches under his own name for the prior decade, meaning he brought some pedigree to the name from the get-go. The modern dive watch genre was in its ...
Hodinkee
The Swiss-based watchmakers pick up their second major award in three years.
Two Broke Watch Snobs
A hands-on Oris Aquis New York Harbor II review, covering wear, dial, and real-world impressions of this distinctive Swiss dive watch.
Monochrome
I’ve always been a big fan of watches that have something moving on the dial, other than the smooth and consistent running of hour, minute and second hands. Whether it’s a dial-mounted balance wheel, a tourbillon escapement or even a winding rotor, I just love to see some type of action that goes beyond pure […]
Teddy Baldassarre
Blancpain, founded in the Swiss village of Villeret in 1735, has been making timepieces for almost 300 years, but perhaps its most impactful contribution to wristwatch history was relatively recent - and began its heralded life as a military tool rather than a luxury item. In 1953, Blancpain was headed by Jean-Jacques Fiechter, an avid diving enthusiast who had long wanted to develop a watch that would be ideal for his hobby. Fiechter worked with Captain Robert Maloubier, a French naval officer, to design a reliable, mission-ready timepiece that Maloubier’s elite combat diving team could wear. Here we will take a look at the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe, a more everyday take on the iconic diver. [toc-section heading="Blancpain Fifty Fathoms: A Historic Divers’ Watch"] The watch, called the Fifty Fathoms, had a 42mm steel case - exceptionally large for the time - and it was water-resistant to 91.45 meters, or 50 fathoms, the maximum depth recommended for scuba divers. Its dial was black and its numerals were luminescent for greater legibility underwater. It was the first divers’ watch with a self-winding movement, the first with an antimagnetic case, and the first to employ the patented, double-sealed crown that Fiechter had developed. Most notably, the Fifty Fathoms was the first watch to include a lockable bezel with dive-time scale that rotated in only one direction. This practical and potentially life-saving innovation prevented a diver from acciden...
Two Broke Watch Snobs
Christopher Ward's CW-002 is its first in-house True GMT, built from scratch after Swiss suppliers offered no viable option.
Monochrome
Following the sudden and surprising departure of Antoine Pin in January, after being at the head of TAG Heuer for just over a year, the Swiss watchmaker owned by French luxury powerhouse LVMH has just announced the appointment of a new CEO – after several shakups, following the departure from this role in 2013 of […]
Monochrome
Across its three-handers, GMTs, and even moonphase watches, the indie British brand has built a catalogue full of lively dials while keeping its Swiss-made watches at an accessible price point. That said, it is perhaps safe to say Farer has hardly been shy about colour. Most models stick to the round case, though the brand […]
Monochrome
When it comes to finding a solid, accessible yet appealing watch meant to be a reliable companion for most of the moments in your life, from the office to the weekend fun, the choice is wide, to say the least. With its Commander collection, Swiss brand Mido has a strong alternative, with a modern, sleek […]
Monochrome
Founded in New York in 1921 by Romanian-born brothers Benjamin, Oscar, and Ralph Lazrus, Benrus relied on Swiss production, centred in La Chaux-de-Fonds, and during the 1930s and 1940s, it became known for its pilots and military watches. Early models such as the Flyer and Airman were popular among the airline pilots, helping establish the […]
Fratello
Morgan Stanley Investment Management published its Ninth Annual Swiss Watcher on February 19th. The report dives deep into the commercial performance of the Swiss watch market on a brand-by-brand level. I assume very few watch enthusiasts read the whole thing, but one table is rather famous: the top 50 Swiss watch brands ranked by turnover. […] Visit Subprime Reporting? Thoughts On The Recent Morgan Stanley/Swatch Group Controversy to read the full article.
SJX Watches
Last month Vontobel published its annual report on the Swiss watch industry, revealing a startling shakeup for the pecking order, with a rapidly growing share of the market going to industry giants, anaemic growth, and a few signs of hope. Another of the key points made in the report published by Vontobel, a family-controlled Swiss private bank, is influence of external factors beyond the industry’s control, like the strong Swiss franc and continuously climbing gold prices, but which have nonetheless played a major role in its recent development. Long the go-to publication for industry insiders, the Vontobel watch report has been published annually for well over a decade - and since 2021, the report has been authored by Jean-Philippe Bertschy, the bank’s head of Swiss equity research (pictured above). The strong franc Before getting into the numbers, it’s worth looking at the broader macroeconomic environment affecting the industry. The strong franc and weak dollar are headwinds for the export-oriented Swiss watch industry, and, like erratic US trade policy and soaring gold prices, entirely outside its control. In nominal terms, total Swiss watch exports declined for the second year in a row, down 1.7% to CHF25.5 billion, following a 2.8% decline the year before. However, the Swiss franc’s appreciation casts a more sympathetic light on these numbers. For example, if you sold a watch for US$100 this time last year, that revenue would have converted to about CHF90....
Fratello
Time flies when everything resonates nicely, doesn’t it? It sure does for Armin Strom. No fewer than 10 years have passed since the independent Swiss house launched its breakthrough resonance mechanism. Although not actively marketed as an anniversary model, I reckon it is safe to say this rather exuberant version, the Armin Strom Mirrored Force […] Visit Introducing: The Armin Strom Mirrored Force Resonance Ruby to read the full article.
Monochrome
If you’ve ever travelled to Shanghai or Thailand, you might be familiar with the ease of acquiring a convincing fake Rolex for pennies on the dollar. Asian counterfeiters (particularly in Guangdong Province, China) often have access to the original machines used for cases, bracelets, and so on (not for Rolex specifically), as some Swiss brands […]
Hodinkee
Swatch takes aim at the numbers and methods of the widely read Morgan Stanley 'Swiss Watcher' industry report.
SJX Watches
An eighties icon that is finding fresh footing, Raymond Weil has extended its GPHG-winning dress watch collection with the Millesime Small Seconds 39 mm “Tuxedo”. Available in three appealing colourways, the Millesime features Art Deco-inspired typography that brings a surprising degree of energy to the line-up’s familiar sector-style dial. Initial thoughts Raymond Weil was one of the biggest names in Swiss watchmaking in the 1980s and 1990s. Raymond Weil himself was one of the first entrepreneurs to see a future for mechanical watchmaking amidst the rubble of the quartz crisis, launching his eponymous brand in 1976. While peak production is in the past, the brand seems to have rebounded with a collection of well-received dress watches and savvy limited editions. The new Millesime Small Seconds embodies the carefully considered details that have underpinned the brand’s recent resurgence. It’s not revolutionary by any means, but at just US$2,295 it offers an affordable entry point to the world of Swiss dress watches. Affordability is one thing, but appeal is another. Fortunately the 39 mm Millesime hits many of the right notes in each of the three colourways, including a so-called ‘tuxedo’ configuration in either classic back and white or on-trend burgundy, as well as a dark blue option that might be the dark horse favourite. Art Deco trio All three models have a few key things in common, starting with the stainless steel case. The Millesime measures 39 mm in ...
SJX Watches
While silicon mechanical movement components have swept across Switzerland, adoption has been slow within the Japanese watch industry, stymied by Swiss patents and professed concerns over the material’s durability. To this day, it remains the unlikely domain of Orient Star, a small brand with priority access to Seiko Epson’s massive industrial base. This positions Orient Star to capitalise on consumer demand for increasingly long power reserves, without sacrificing performance. Thanks to an ultralight and geometrically efficient escape wheel with a patented design, Orient Star is able to deliver a 70-hour power reserve without resorting the same counter-productive trade-offs to balance energy made by some Swiss peers – here’s how it was done. A silicon wafer of escape wheels. Image – Seiko Epson The quest for longer power reserves Recent consumer demand for longer power reserves has sent the industry’s engineers scrambling for ways to increase the autonomy of existing movement platforms. A movement’s power reserve is dictated by the length of the mainspring, which unwinds at a constant rate. That is why using a chronograph doesn’t cause a watch to run down faster – usually. Of course, you need to find somewhere to fit that extra length of mainspring while maintaining the movement’s dimensions, such as by thinning out the barrel walls, narrowing the inner barrel arbour radius, or, reducing the thickness of the mainspring. However, while decreasing the ma...
Monochrome
Among the incredible variety of materials used to decorate dials, mother-of-pearl is an all-time favourite. Obtained from the inner lining of oyster and mollusc shells, mother-of-pearl is a captivating, naturally iridescent material that adds a unique shimmer to dials. Working with GT Cadrans, a specialist Swiss dial manufacturer, Czapek embellishes its Antarctique S and Promenade […]
Teddy Baldassarre
Most people think that getting into "real" watches requires a heavy-duty investment or a deep knowledge of Swiss history. In reality, enjoying horology shouldn't require a trust fund or a PhD in movement calibers. But for a long time, the market felt split between cheap, disposable plastic watches and unattainable luxury pieces. There was simply no middle ground for a high-spec timepiece that you weren't afraid to use. It was exactly this dilemma that became the driving force behind California-based watchmaker, Vaer. The two ends of the watch-collecting scope left a huge gap for anyone who just wanted an affordable daily beater that could hold up during a weekend hike or a daily commute. So, Vaer pledged to fill that gap. [toc-section heading="The Gamble – Why Vaer Exists"] VAER founders Ryan Torres and Reagan Cook Watch collecting can be an expensive hobby. In the world of horology, $10,000 is the type of money that secures a stainless steel Rolex Sub and a lifetime of brand prestige. For most young professionals with a passion for watches, saving up that first ten grand is a rite of passage. But for Ryan Torres and Reagan Cook, founders of Vaer watches, that money represented a fork in the road. When the two entrepreneurs looked at their savings, they could have gone one of two ways: walk into a boutique and leave with a trophy on their wrist, or bet every cent on a dream to build the "perfect" everyday watch that didn't yet exist. They chose the latter. C5 Field Bla...
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 […]
Monochrome
Whenever movements are discussed, attention tends to focus on the Swiss, which is understandable, but it excludes some of the biggest movement manufacturers. Seiko, Miyota and so on, let alone the Chinese, produce far more movements per year on their own than ETA or Sellita do, for instance. To put this into some form of […]
Fratello
Contrôle Officiel Suisse des Chronomètres (COSC) is the largest Swiss independent testing facility for watch movements. Founded in 1973, this non-profit foundation aims to guarantee the precision of Swiss watches through a neutral, independent, and rigorous method. Watches with movements that passed the tests can be called “COSC-certified chronometers,” accurate to within -4/+6 seconds per […] Visit A Closer Look At COSC’s New Excellence Chronometer Certification to read the full article.
Monochrome
As we have seen recently, when we analysed the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry’s report and its export data, the watch industry isn’t at its best; exports are down, sales are declining for large conglomerates, and there are challenging times ahead for 2026. Outlooks remain cautious, as the industry is likely to continue facing […]
SJX Watches
Interesting news just out of Contrôle Officiel Suisse des Chronomètres (COSC), the venerable Swiss chronometer testing body, which has just announced a major revamp to its testing to honour the COSC’s standard’s 50th anniversary. Excellence Chronometer, COSC’s new and improved certification program, goes beyond the ISO 3159 norm that has defined its tests for decades. Instead of just testing movements, Excellence Chronometer will require completed, cased watches to run within -2/+4 seconds a day, as well as pass wear simulation and magnetism tests. Initial thoughts While COSC remains the primary chronometer testing body in Switzerland, thanks largely to Rolex, its protocols have been due for an update for some time now. With the rise of alternative and in-house precision testing programs, the standard chronometer certification can sometimes feel left behind. Rolex’s own Superlative Chronometer certification first requires a COSC certificate, but then makes sure the watches run at -2/+2 seconds per day after further in-house testing. The METAS Chronometer program also requires the standard COSC certificate, but guarantees a regulation of 0/+5 seconds per day and a great resistance to magnetic fields. Seeing that COSC slowly updates and imposes more stringent criteria is a good sign, but it may still not be good enough. With the rise of advanced internal certification programs, it looks like some brands submit their models to COSC testing just to make sure they can...
Worn & Wound
The Contrôle Officiel Suisse des Chronomètres (COSC, the body responsible for certifying watch movements as Swiss chronometers) has just announced a new chronometry standard that will be rolled out over the course of 2026. The news comes at a time when the COSC has some competition for timekeeping certifications, most notably the METAS certification (which first requires a watch movement to be COSC certified) used by Omega and Tudor, as well as other certifications provided by the brands themselves. The new COSC certification is being framed as an additional level of certification that will accompany the familiar “Certified Chronometer” tag that is seen on the dials and paperwork of millions (literally) of watches that have been put through the COSC paces over the years. The new “Excellence Chronomenter” certification provides an additional layer of guarantee of reliability that goes beyond simple accuracy. As a refresher, COSC certification certifies the movement is working at an optimal level, not a fully cased watch. To achieve a Certified Chronometer certification, a movement must show average accuracy of -4 to +6 seconds per day over a 15 day period, tested across 5 positions and 3 temperatures. The Excellence Chronometer certification tightens the accuracy threshold from a spread of 10 seconds in total to 6 (-2 to +4 seconds per day). It also adds metrics for magnetic resistance and power reserve verification in fully cased watches. According to the COS...
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