8,525 articles · 2,515 videos found · page 205 of 368
Quill & Pad
You can like everything, but you can’t buy – or keep – everything! Inevitably, the choices involved lead at times to regrets; for GaryG, along with many of his pals, the sadness is much more often about pieces they sold too soon or failed to buy rather than pieces they were sorry about buying in the first place. Here's a story of shoulda, woulda, coulda.
Quill & Pad
Tim Mosso explores the renewed rivalry between luxury watch titans Omega and Breitling. Once an also-ran, Breitling has been rehabilitated in the marketplace and offers competitive watches in all classes. As Rolex has moved upmarket, Omega and its Speedmaster have been left in possession of the mid-market field.
SJX Watches
IWC recently facelifted the entire Portugieser line, and along with it the flagship Portugieser Automatic 42 “7 Days”, now in its fourth generation. Though the tweaks are cosmetic but significant, with an attention to detail that results in clear aesthetic enhancements. Compared to the earlier generation ref. 5007, the new Portugieser has a sharper, more refined appearance, while also feeling slightly more compact. Initial thoughts Though the overall design is mostly unchanged over the earlier generation, Portugieser 7-Days immediately looks and feels different in the hand. It looks a little bit shinier, slightly more polished, as if more effort was put into making it look like an expensive watch. The appearance is subtly different yet instantly obvious, and is the cumulative result of small improvements to the case, dial, and crystal. The improvements are particularly evident compared to the first generation Portugieser ref. 5000 launched in 2000, which feels almost like a vintage watch from another era. The improvements are incremental and hardly imaginative, but they are well done. Granted not everyone might like the polished new look. The lacquered dial, for instance, has an obvious glossy finish. But most of the improvements are more subtle, particularly on the case that now has a slimmer profile and improved finishing. Importantly, the revamped Portugieser is priced almost exactly the same as its predecessor ref. 5007 (the increase is a few hundred dollars). It i...
Teddy Baldassarre
Sometimes, our editorial meetings produce the sort of nerdy, off-topic conversations that make us pause and say, "Wait, this should be an article." Okay, more than sometimes. As our team grows, it's become clearer that we should be sharing our takes (hot, cold, or lukewarm) here on the site for your reading pleasure – or just to stir the pot a bit. Today's topic of choice is the idea of expressing what we each would consider to be a one-watch collection. It's important to note that these picks are purely subjective and derive from the minds of our editorial staff. Our hope is that this thought exercise gets you thinking about what a one-watch collection might look like for you. So with that in mind, enjoy this story and let us know what you think of our choices in the comments! Danny Milton, VP of Content Not to spoil anything, but the team really went for it with the picks in our first real editor’s roundup here at Teddy. It’s hard to argue with any of the choices because – well – they represent the tastes and opinions of each individual writer. My approach to something like a one-watch collection is complex, perhaps unnecessarily so. My instinct tells me to go Rolex, but then I start to think about scenarios in my life in which I think “maybe I am not comfortable with a Rolex here.” It does happen. So then my mind delves into the more attainable price segment where I want to identify something bulletproof, something that packs undeniable value. If you’re ...
Fratello
Howdy, folks! On today’s episode of Fratello Talks, Nacho, RJ, and Lex ask themselves: how much Genta is too much Genta? It’s hard to think of a name more revered in the field of watch design. The man’s designs have been around since the 1950s and include countless staples. Only recently have some of them […] Visit Fratello Talks: How Much Genta Is Too Much Genta? to read the full article.
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Time+Tide
Tim Walz has joined the campaign trail as the Democratic nominee for Vice President and his choice of watch could not be more perfect.The post Democratic VP candidate Tim Walz hits campaign trail wearing an excellent entry-level watch appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Worn & Wound
The Roundup is the Windup Watch Shop’s weekly overview of the newest and best watches, accessories, EDC, and other gear. We have carefully selected various items to suit everyone’s style and budget. Click the links below to find out more and make a purchase. The Windup Watch Team is available to advise you and address any queries. Furthermore, all these products qualify for free domestic shipping within the US. Watches you fly, travel, and swim with, along with EDC tools you write and cut with. We’ve got companions for you! The Roundup is the Windup Watch Shop’s weekly overview of the newest and best watches, accessories, EDC, and other gear. We have carefully selected various items to suit everyone’s style and budget. Click the links below to find out more and make a purchase. The Windup Watch Team is available to advise you and address any queries. Furthermore, all these products qualify for free domestic shipping within the US. Watches you fly, travel, and swim with, along with EDC tools you write and cut with. We’ve got companions for you! The post Watches you fly, travel, and swim with, along with EDC tools you write and cut with. We’ve got companions for you! appeared first on Worn & Wound.
Monochrome
There’s already plenty said about the Black Bay collection and its effect on Tudor as a brand. Yes, it’s a gargantuan success and yes it’s home to countless iterations by now, and more will likely come further down the line. From its humble beginnings in 2012 with the release of the Black Bay Burgundy 79220R […]
SJX Watches
Blancpain range of vintage inspired dive watches grows to include a pair of top-of-the-line models, the Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe Quantième Complet and Chronographe Flyback, both in 18k red gold with a matching red gold bracelet. Previously available only with a fabric strap, the new duo feature a gradient blue dial with a sun-ray finish and a matching blue ceramic bezel insert. Initial thoughts First released in 1956 as a more compact version of the Fifty Fathoms, the Bathyscaphe was reissued as a sportier and smaller sibling of the modern-day Fifty Fathoms. The Bathyscaphe line encompasses complications and various materials, including the recent all-ceramic models. The new pair continue to extend the line in terms of materials; they are the only models in the entire Fifty Fathoms range with a matching gold bracelet. The all-gold look is of course not for everyone, but the new pair have an extravagant appeal, particularly the chronograph that looks and feels like an ultra-luxe sports watch. The all-gold look, however, comes at a price. Both are cost US$55,300, which is far from the accessible price point of their all-ceramic counterparts. The price is arguably justified by Blancpain’s easily discernible quality, though the brand lacks the cachet of its peers in the same price segment, which makes these high-end models a very niche offering. The red gold models are also available with a fabric strap. Fully red gold Both the Bathyscaphe Quantième Complet and Chr...
Two Broke Watch Snobs
MeisterSinger, famous for its single-hand display, continues to iterate on its signature design. Despite the limitation of a single-hand movement, the German brand has proven to be very creative and versatile. Since 2001, MeisterSinger has pleased watch enthusiasts with calendar functions, chiming mechanisms, jumping hours, power reserves, and more, all in its own style. This month MeisterSinger is back with the Special Edition №3 watches and bright blue accents.
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Fratello
One of the most anticipated track and field events closed up the first week of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. I’m talking, of course, about the men’s 100-meter finals. Though more than a few exciting gold-medal events occur throughout the two weeks, few get as much attention as this one. Thanks, perhaps, to the once-in-a-generation […] Visit Looking Back At All The Omega Speedmaster Olympic Games Special Editions to read the full article.
Worn & Wound
Earlier this year, when Dutch independent brand Holthinrichs announced their new Signature Collection, we thought it was one of the most impressive new projects in indie watchmaking. It represented a bold shift for the brand, moving from complex, bespoke watchmaking to something more easily repeatable and at a more approachable price point. With advances in manufacturing capabilities, the new and less expensive Signature Collection actually represents a vision of watchmaking far closer to what brand founder Michiel Holthinrichs had always intended. It was, and remains, an exciting story for fans of the brand, but after seeing Holthinrichs steadily create watches that are more and more ambitious in recent years, we’ve kept hope alive that the brand hadn’t completely abandoned their goals of creating something truly high end and in-house. Now, on the heels of the Signature Collection comes word of a new project within Holthinrichs that would appear to fill the void of truly high end watchmaking that was left when the brand transitioned to their new model. Holthinrichs Haute Horlogerie provides an outlet for the brand’s most ambitious ideas, and the first watch under this new banner, the Ornament Nouveau, is unlike anything they’ve attempted previously. Like every watch Holthinrichs has made, the defining characteristic of the new piece is its sculptural design. But with the Ornament Nouveau, those ideas have been manifested not just in the case and dial design, b...
SJX Watches
A limited edition that is classic Cartier in terms of style, the Santos-Dumont Rewind is elegant but whimsically different. The Rewind retains the exact same dimensions of the standard Santos-Dumont “Large” model, but is unique in two ways. The more obvious is the dial, which is carnelian, a brown-red mineral stone with a nuanced colour. Less obvious at first glance is the reversed hour track around the dial that complements hour and minutes hands that track anticlockwise – hence “Rewind”. Initial thoughts The Santos-Dumont Rewind captures the traditional Cartier style, but with a twist. As a result, it’s more than a standard Santos-Dumont, but not too much. Most of its defining elements are not apparent at a distance, so it’s fairly subtle. Everything is just right, and makes for a compelling watch. Although this is the Large model (rather than the Extra Large that I personally prefer), the platinum case has a good heft. The bright colour of the metal also contrasts well with the dark red carnelian dial that reveals interesting shading up close. The grain of carnelian is more subtle than the mineral stones commonly found in watches, particularly malachite and lapis lazuli. This suits the low-key complication well. As for the hands that go backwards, it takes some getting used to. The complication is clearly pointless, but appealing because it has an elegant simplicity that suits the watch. The Rewind costs US$38,400, which is fair enough for a wristwatch w...
Worn & Wound
A thing you discover about watch collecting after being involved in the hobby for a little while is that it’s a truly international endeavor. This manifests itself in a number of ways. The geography of the watchmaking industry is obviously something that’s discussed frequently, with Swiss, German, Japanese, and American styles of the craft all taking slightly different shapes. But even more than that, practical matters like the availability of watches to actually purchase has a lot to do with where you are in the world. Just last week, we told you about a pair of new limited edition Grand Seikos made just for the US market, and today we have a similar story about a Seiko diver for sale exclusively in Europe. Regional releases strike again. The Seiko Prospex SPB473 would have caught our eye regardless, but something about it being vaguely forbidden if you happen to live in America makes it all the more appealing. Now, realistically, this watch won’t be that hard to track down if you really put some effort into it. There are all kinds of ways an American customer can obtain a watch made for a foreign market. Proxy buyers, the pre-owned market, and simply calling up a dealer and asking if they’d consider an international sale are all viable options. But if it really is the thrill of the hunt that makes watch collecting exciting and rewarding, have those few extra hoops to jump through could actually be welcome for some. The SPB473’s key feature is a beautiful grad...
SJX Watches
Audemars Piguet’s oversized sports watch line-up gains a pair of entry-level models with the Royal Oak Offshore Selfwinding 37 mm and 43 mm. While the current versions in the catalogue are the colourful (and polarising) Music Edition, the new duo are no-frills with clean designs and muted colours. The 37 mm model combines light grey with 18k pink gold, while the 43 mm model is stainless steel and blue. Both feature “rubberclad” bezels for a more robust and sporty finish that harks back to the original Offshore Rubberclad of some two decades ago. Initial thoughts While some recent Royal Oak and Offshore launches felt over the top in design, the new Selfwinding pair op to keep it simple. They preserve the key elements of the design, namely a chunkier case with crown guards, but keep the styling clean. The low-key design is attractive, especially for someone who wants an Offshore without any of the fuss. That said, the rubber-covered bezel means the signature Royal Oak finishing is absent, though the covering makes it arguably more resistant to bumps than metal. Although the Offshore has often been a testing ground for different materials, such as carbon composite, ceramic, and rubber coating, the designs usually retain a metal alloy bezel finished with the high-end polishing technique traditional for the Royal Oak that results in the trademark play of light on the contrasting finishes. Rubberclad The 18k pink gold model is compact at 37 mm in diameter and 12.1 mm thic...
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WatchAdvice
We examine Seiko’s latest rendition of its iconic “Samurai” and “Shogun” models in this in-depth hands-on review. What We Love: Slimmed-down design of the previous Samurai/Shogun timepieces The hour indices and hands are much more appealing design The all-black look makes the dial pop! What We Don’t: Unique dial design can take getting used to for non-enthusiasts The movement seems outdated for this latest 2024 offering Power reserve is sub-par for a timepiece of this calibre. Overall Rating: 8.8/10 Value for Money: 9/10 Wearability: 9/10 Design: 8.5/10 Build Quality: 8.5/10 Seiko’s latest Prospex Diver collection, an update to the 4R Diver models, was released only a few short months ago. The Japanese watchmaker released three timepieces of this signature model, with colours varying from burgundy red (SRPL11) to black on steel (SRPL13) and black-coated (SRPL15). This year is also the 20th anniversary of the very first timepiece this new model references, celebrating a long yet somewhat turbulent history. The latest Seiko Prospex 4R Diver has a much more “sleek” design, having been slimmed down from previous versions. You might be wondering by now how this timepiece gets the “Shog-Urai” nickname! Well, we have to retrace back some steps to Seiko’s previous Prospex Divers models, which were named Samurai and Shogun. While this wasn’t Seiko’s official nickname for these timepieces upon their release, it’s the Seiko enthusiast who has graced ...
Worn & Wound
While Grand Seiko’s history stretches back to the 1960s, the brand’s story in America is quite a bit more contemporary. Grand Seiko, for years, was a true hidden gem in the watch world, an insider’s secret that you had to be fairly deep into the hobby to stumble across in the days before the watch collecting “boom” that we’re still living through. It wasn’t until the Grand Seiko Corporation of America was formed in 2018 that the brand really put down roots in the United States. Obviously, from that point forward, Grand Seiko’s footprint has grown considerably, and we’re way, way past the point where anyone could credibly claim they’re an under the radar enthusiast’s secret. But for those of us who can remember a time well before their flagship NYC boutique, and before these watches were easily accessible anywhere in the states, their periodic US exclusive releases carry special significance. The latest US exclusive limited editions, references SBGA507 and SBGA509, come at a time when Grand Seiko is experiencing enormous growth and success in the United States. These watches have been designed as a tribute to the very first US exclusive Grand Seiko releases, a trio of limited editions inspired by kirazuri, a traditional method used in Japanese woodblock printing that incorporates mica powder for a sparkling effect. Those limited editions have proven to be quite popular and collectible, so the release of the pair seen here should please collectors who...
Monochrome
Today, for once, we won’t be travelling to Switzerland. We’re heading to a slightly more unusual place, in a country that’s not primarily known for its watchmaking industry. In a little town called Henley, about 30km away from London, is one of the very few large-scale watch brands of the United Kingdom, in fact probably […]
Worn & Wound
The Armin Strom Gravity Equal Force is not like other watches. At a glance, it clearly doesn’t look like them, but more importantly, it also works a bit differently too, featuring a first in watchmaking. To be clear, it still tells time with three hands, is operated by a crown, and has all of the movement components one expects to find on a watch, from a mainspring to an escapement. But it hides a very cool secret. Something that sets it apart. Hidden within is a little mechanism that helps it be more accurate. It’s not a complication, per say, as it doesn’t add any functions beyond time-telling, rather, it makes for a better watch. The Gravity Equal Force is one of a small handful of watches that attempts to address a fundamental issue with mechanical timepieces: variations in accuracy across their power reserves due to changing torque. As the power reserve diminishes, the torque, or force, decreases, the amplitude of the escapement falls, and the timekeeping becomes less accurate. Watchmakers have addressed this issue in various ways over the last few hundred years, which are often grouped together and referred to as “constant force” mechanisms. The Gravity Equal Force uses a simple, though uncommon, mechanism compared to typical “constant force” systems such as fuseé, chains, and remontoirs called a Geneva or Maltese cross. This mechanism prevents the watch mainspring from unwinding to the point where the torque and, thus, the accuracy really drop off. Ho...
Fratello
Since Vulcain decided to focus more on models outside of its bread-and-butter alarm watches, we have seen an array of new models coming to the market. Primarily based on vintage timepieces, the new Vulcain models include chronographs, time-only watches, and divers. The last of those is an exciting line consisting of the Nautical Heritage alarm […] Visit Hands-On With The New Vulcain Skindiver Nautique GMT to read the full article.
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Time+Tide
The Rolex 1908 launched with much fanfare, so why has the Omega De Ville Tresor been overlooked for years?The post Have modern Omega dress watches been slept on for far too long? appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Worn & Wound
Editor’s Note: Time Through the Ages is a four part series written by Andrew Canter, member of the British Horological Institute, Alliance of British Watch & Clock Makers, and the British Watch & Clock Makers Guild. In this fourth and final installment of the series, Andrew examines the dramatic leap forward in watch manufacturing made by the Waltham Watch Company, and how the Swiss watch industry responded. For more from Andrew, check out his work at Mr. WatchMaster. “Had the Philadelphia Exhibition taken place five years later, we should have been totally annihilated without knowing whence or how we received the terrible blow. We have believed ourselves masters of the situation, when we really have been on a volcano.” Edouard Favre-Perret, Swiss Member of the International Jury Have you ever heard of Jacques David or Theophilus (Théodore) Gribi? How about Ambrose Webster? They were the key protagonists in the fascinating story of the rise of American watchmaking and subsequent potential demise of Swiss watchmaking. It’s a story of industrial espionage and spying that changed the course of the global watch industry forever. The Centennial Exhibition of 1876 took place in Philadelphia and was the first official World’s Fair to be held in the United States, celebrating the 100th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia. Almost 10 million visitors attended the exposition, with 37 countries participating. Centennial Exhibiti...
Monochrome
The Bathyscaphe, Blancpain‘s more compact and streamlined version of the Fifty Fathoms, was first released in 1956. Compared to its full-fledged counterpart, with larger cases, more water-resistance and a more instrument-like design, the Bathyscaphe crosses borders and Blancpain uses to bring complications or higher-end materials within a diver’s context. Following the recent introduction of full […]
Monochrome
German brand Hanhart began manufacturing stopwatches in Switzerland before relocating to Germany in 1902, where it gained renown as a producer of Flieger (pilot’s) chronographs for pilots and naval officers during World War II. With a solid repertoire of vintage-inspired models, the new Fly Navy Aerosphere is a more contemporary watch and flies the insignia of Germany’s […]
Worn & Wound
It may be hard to believe, but it’s already been two weeks since the sun set on Windup Watch Fair Chicago 2024. What’s not hard to believe is that, over three days in the Windy City, summer’s hottest watch fair hosted more visitors than ever before. With over 60 brands in attendance, it was no wonder the crowds were willing to brave a heat wave to experience what was unquestionably a very special show. Above all else, we want to thank everyone who made their way to Venue West for what was a very fun weekend, whether you walked, took the train, drove, or even flew to Chicago, it was a pleasure to have you all-Windup wouldn’t be what it is without the enthusiasts of all stripes who come out to enjoy the show. To those who weren’t able to make it to Chicago this summer, we’re certainly sorry to have missed you, and we hope this recap (and some of our others!) can give you a taste of what the weekend was about and inspire you to attend the next Windup Watch Fair. In the meantime, here’s a video recap to give you a sense of what to expect! An incredible group of brands anchored the energetic Fair; Christopher Ward, Citizen, Fortis, G-SHOCK, and Oris-all of whom helped set the mood for a remarkable show and who we were thrilled to see return as lead sponsors. There is no doubt that their presence continues to help Windup level up, and we are incredibly grateful for their continued support. Christopher Ward Citizen Fortis G-SHOCK Oris Windup couldn’t exist wit...
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