Results for Spring Drive (9R65 / 9R86)

S SJX Watches

SJX Watches

Audemars Piguet s Royal Oak Chronograph Oct 1, 2025

Audemars Piguet’s Royal Oak Chronograph RD#5, a Thin Watch with Tall Ambitions

Audemars Piguet (AP) reinvents the chronograph with the Royal Oak “Jumbo” Extra-Thin Selfwinding Flying Tourbillon Chronograph RD#5. Inside the titanium and palladium BMG case – standing just 8.1 mm high – is the cal. 8100, a new take on the chronograph mechanism that employs spring-loaded racks to gather and store energy. The RD#5 is the fifth and final instalment in the “RD” series of watches that underline the impressive technical know-how of AP, particularly its Le Locle manufacture that evolved from Renaud & Papi (APRP). Conceived with the goal of creating a chronograph that is extra slim and easy on the fingers, the RD#5 boasts exceptionally light and comfortable pusher feel, an instantaneously-jumping minutes counter, and an exceptionally slim profile (thanks in part to peripheral winding), all while remaining amenable to industrial-haute horlogerie manufacturing. It’s one of the most technically interesting debuts of 2025, and we explain AP’s new take on the chronograph in detail below. The cal. 8100 with its unorthodox chronograph and peripheral rotor Initial thoughts Outwardly just another Royal Oak, with the same ideal proportions and class-leading bracelet as the iconic “Jumbo”, the RD#5 is actually one of the most innovative mechanical chronographs in recent years. Perhaps the only comparison for out-of-the-box chronograph construction is AgenGraphe that was unveiled almost a decade ago. The watch was evidently developed with two goals in ...

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T Teddy Baldassarre

Teddy Baldassarre

Sep 30, 2025

The NATO Strap: A History And 10 Best NATO-Strap Watches

Once a style that appealed mainly to a small but diehard niche, watches with NATO straps have moved from their original realm of military utility to become a popular option in the mainstream world of watches, even at some of the highest echelons of sporty luxury. If you're considering adding a NATO strap to your collection, or are simply curious where they came from and what your choices are on the market today, we tackle all your questions below.  Why Is It Called a NATO Strap? One would assume, from the strap’s plainly utilitarian, military look, that the name is derived directly from an association with the North Atlantic Treaty organization (NATO), the intergovernmental alliance of 30 European and North American nations for mutual military defense. However, this is not exactly the case.  Essentially, a so-called NATO strap is any one-piece strap, made of nylon or some other fabric, that loops under the watch’s case and through its spring bars to hold it securely in place on the wrist. Like all inventions that originated for a military purpose, its design emphasized utility, practicality, and secure use on the field of battle: such a strap construction would hold the watch in place, albeit dangling precariously, even if one of the spring bars were broken. Armed forces in both the United States and Great Britain used these types of fabric straps as early as the mid-20th Century (predating the formation of NATO in 1949); at one point, they were referred to in shorth...

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W Worn & Wound

Worn & Wound

Seiko SKX Sep 25, 2025

From the Seiko SKX to the SPB317: How I Fell in Love with Seiko Again

At the end of summer 2014, Dad gave me my first mechanical watch. There was nothing ceremonial about it; he simply handed me the box in the car. “I’m starting a new tradition, and it’s a grown-up gift since you’re heading to college,” he said. I looked down at the box. It said Seiko. I was familiar with the brand. In fact, it was what I had been wearing up to that point: reference SNE039, a mid-sized solar-powered watch that Grandpa gave me when he saw me showing interest in it. I still have it. But this Seiko was different. It was a reference SKX173, a sibling of the beloved SKX007 dive watch that has led many a good man down the rabbit hole. It had a waterproof case, rotating dive bezel that I had no clue how to operate, and most importantly, an automatically winding movement.  “It’s easy – just shake it a bit to get it going,” said Dad. (OGs will remember the caliber 7s26’s lack of hand winding). I took the watch out of the box and shuffled it back and forth gently to coax it to life. It did, and as I stared at the sweeping seconds hand, I marveled that a microscopic team of gears, levers, and springs were all working harmoniously just to tell time. As an incoming engineering student, I couldn’t have asked for a better gift. I secured the black rubber strap on my wrist, and that was that. The remainder of the summer was spent reading everything I could get my hands on about Seiko watches and mechanical timekeeping at large. The excitement of movin...

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M Monochrome

Monochrome

TAG Heuer TH-Carbonspring Oscillator Inside new Sep 4, 2025

In-Depth - The Return of the TAG Heuer TH-Carbonspring Oscillator, Inside new Carbon Monaco and Carrera Models

Since Christiaan Huygens paired a balance wheel and spiral spring in 1675, the hairspring has been the beating heart of every mechanical watch. Its material has always dictated chronometric performance. Steel, used for centuries, suffered from magnetism and temperature drift. Special alloys developed in the 20th century improved reliability – from Elinvar to Nivarox/Nivachron, made […]

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M Monochrome

Monochrome

Louis Erard x Wire Art There’s Sep 1, 2025

Introducing - The Micromechanical Embroidery Dial of the Fil d’Or Louis Erard x Wire Art

There’s no stopping Manuel Emch’s relentless drive to democratise watchmaking by producing highly original content and métiers d’art dials, thanks to collaborations with designers, artists, studios and artisans for Louis Erard. The latest collaboration is a surprising marriage of traditional embroidery executed with a machine designed to bond microcircuits reprogrammed by Wire Art, Switzerland, to […]

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F Fratello

Fratello

TAG Heuer Monaco Chronograph × Gulf Aug 24, 2025

Sunday Morning Showdown: TAG Heuer Monaco Chronograph × Gulf Vs. Tudor Black Bay Chrono “Carbon 25”

It’s Sunday morning, so fire up the engines and prepare for a nice weekend drive. The question is, what is the racing chronograph of choice for today? Two suggestions go head to head in this week’s Sunday Morning Showdown. Mike’s pick is the classic-looking TAG Heuer Monaco Chronograph × Gulf in titanium. This lightweight version […] Visit Sunday Morning Showdown: TAG Heuer Monaco Chronograph × Gulf Vs. Tudor Black Bay Chrono “Carbon 25” to read the full article.

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SJX Watches

Audemars Piguet Advances Vertical Integration Aug 14, 2025

Business News: Audemars Piguet Advances Vertical Integration with Inhotec

Audemars Piguet (AP) has just announced a majority stake in Inhotec, a supplier of components for high-end mechanical movements. Long a supplier to AP, Inhotec produces parts ranging from base plates to springs, in both raw and fully decorated states. The value of the deal was not revealed, but founder Alexandre Eme will retain a minority stake and continue to serve as chief executive of Inhotec, which was founded in 2011. According to the announcement, AP will “provide strategic and financial support” while leaving Inhotec to retain “operational autonomy” over “managerial decisions, industrial activities and commercial relationships”. Lucas Raggi, the chief industrial officer of AP, explains the acquisition “is about consolidating key strategic skills and supporting the continuity of an expertise that is essential to the future of haute horlogerie“. AP’s acquisition of Inhotec reflects two trends. One is the longstanding and continued development of AP’s production capabilities, exemplified by the recent inauguration of the expansive Arc manufacture in Le Brassus. The other is macro, a slowdown in business for specialised suppliers across the watchmaking value chain.  

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SJX Watches

Seiko SPRON 610 hairspring Lastly Aug 8, 2025

Insight: Hairspring Materials and Evolution Part II

Part I of our story on the evolution of hairspring materials covered temperature compensation along with the development of the first specialised balance spring alloy, Elinvar. The story brought us to the 1920s, when scientist and horologist Charles-Edouard Guillaume (1861-1938) finished his work on nickel-iron alloys and watchmakers begun embracing Elinvar springs paired with mono-metallic balances. In this second part we turn to newer hairspring alloys, like the now-ubiquitous Nivarox. Then we look at today’s landscape and the future, touching on research done by the Swatch Group with alternative, niobium-based alloys and also the specialised but obscure Seiko SPRON 610 hairspring. Lastly we discuss silicon springs, which are growing more prevalent across a range of timepieces. Elinvar’s weaknesses Elinvar was by far the greatest breakthrough in self-compensating alloy hairsprings at the time. Guillaume considered Elinvar good enough and not needing further improvement - unsurprisingly since he was its inventor - but other watchmakers and engineers continued to experiment with iron-nickel compounds because Elinvar’s inherent properties made it a good, but imperfect, material. Even though the alloy behaved predictably with temperature changes, its physical properties were not ideal to begin with. Elinvar was a soft metal, which posed its own suite of problems for spring applications. The importance of softness in terms of hairspring performance is not related ...

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M Monochrome

Monochrome

IWC Portofino Automatic Day & Jul 18, 2025

Introducing - The IWC Portofino Automatic Day & Night 34 in Gold

For many fans of IWC, the first collections that spring to mind are the brand’s emblematic Pilot watches, the iconic Portugieser and the Ingenieur. However, there is another collection at IWC with a more classical, understated and timeless character named after the Italian seaside village of Portofino. Appealing to men and women alike, the latest […]

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F Fratello

Fratello

Breitling Erling Haaland Signature Chronomat Jul 15, 2025

Introducing: The Breitling Erling Haaland Signature Chronomat Editions In Steel/Platinum Or Gold

Every so often, in football (or soccer), we see a talent unlike any other - a player with a style of his own. Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Andrea Pirlo, and Ronaldinho spring to mind. Similarly, Erling Haaland doesn’t fit any stylistic molds. He has now teamed up with Breitling for the Erling Haaland Signature Chronomat editions, available […] Visit Introducing: The Breitling Erling Haaland Signature Chronomat Editions In Steel/Platinum Or Gold to read the full article.

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T Teddy Baldassarre

Teddy Baldassarre

Doxa Jul 9, 2025

Doxa Sub 200 Sharkhunter Review

The Doxa name is certainly among the superstars of the classic dive-watch universe, and the Doxa we think of first is almost invariably the orange-dialed Sub 300 Professional, as well as the black-dialed Sharkhunter version, as worn by legendary oceanographer Jacques Cousteau. But Doxa’s diving history predates the 1967 introduction of the 300, and today we’re looking at a watch that harks back to those earlier models, specifically those with twisted-lug cases that preceded the tonneau-shaped Sub 300 we associate most with the brand. This is the Doxa Sub 200, specifically the Sharkhunter variant, and it’s a fantastic-looking callback to the early ‘60s.  Best of all, it represents the entry point into the modern Doxa lineup at just a shade above $1,000 retail, and if you’re not a fan of black dials, the brand known for its colorful divers has seven other colorways to choose from. But today, we’re going to take a closer look at the 200 that most closely resembles its vintage inspiration, the black-dialed Sharkhunter model. In its most basic black form, the dial is a slice of midcentury perfection. This is the watch Mad Men's Don Draper would wear on a weekend getaway to Palm Springs. Doxa Sub 200 Sharkhunter Case:  You'd be forgiven if you thought the case of the Sub 200 was influenced by a vintage Omega Seamaster 300, but it turns out that the look of the case is a direct callback to Doxa's history. The lyre-lugged design is a direct descendant of the vintage...

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W Worn & Wound

Worn & Wound

Jul 2, 2025

Typsim Makes Watches for the True Watch Nerd

Typsim, the Seattle based brand run by Matt Zinski, has been on my radar since the spring of 2023, when I met Matt at the Windup Watch Fair in San Francisco. Typsim was not exhibiting at this show, but that’s frankly sometimes my favorite way to meet a brand owner. The young, hungry brands that show up just to be there, and maybe don’t have a fully baked idea quite yet, are sometimes the most interesting ones to track.  To be fair, I think Typsim was pretty well baked by the time I found out about them – my lack of knowledge before 2023 can be chalked up to my own blind spots and the simple fact that nobody can keep up with everything. Matt’s background is in architecture, and the stated goal of his brand is to create watches with a clarity of design and thoughtfulness that you’d associate with a well conceived building. The first watch he showed me that day in San Francisco was the diver, called simply the 200M, which honestly felt like a fairly generic (though very well made) vintage inspired dive watch, except for one thing: it makes use of an exclusive lume compound that promises to patina with time.  That little detail has been stuck in my head ever since, and I think it unlocks something about the appeal of the brand. Matt is both a genuine watch nerd and a true tinkerer, someone willing to experiment and shoot for details that, realistically, only matter to a very small handful of super nerds, like me, and like Matt, and, I’m sure, like his customers. ...

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W Worn & Wound

Worn & Wound

H. Moser fits Jun 26, 2025

A Very Moser Smartwatch at the Canadian Grand Prix

If I’m being honest, I have to admit that I was a strange choice to attend this press trip to the Canada GP in Montreal. At least on paper. I could be excommunicated from the watch world for what I’m about to say, but I have to speak my truth: I just don’t really care all that much about cars.  I own a car, for sure. And I drive it on an almost daily basis. But the fact is, because I live in a very walkable neighborhood in my city, I find myself getting annoyed when I’m forced to drive somewhere. Driving is a huge pain, after all, mostly because you have to deal with other drivers, but also because cars are pretty annoying. Mine, like its driver, is getting older. And these days when I start it up I often discover some new ailment that will force me to part with money likely earmarked for the Watch Fund, just to keep it up to the standards of the State of New Hampshire.  Anyway, this is a long winded way of saying I didn’t come into this experience a big F1 fan, because watching other people drive always seemed fundamentally like something I wouldn’t be all that interested in. And I’ll save you the suspense here: I didn’t come out of this experience as an F1 convert, ready to binge watch every season of “Drive to Survive.” But I did come away from it with a much better appreciation for the complexity of the sport, and I can certainly see how and why so many seem to be obsessed with it. And it also became clear to me how H. Moser fits in here. In fact,...

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SJX Watches

Vacheron Constantin Jun 17, 2025

Watches & Wonders Announces 2026 Dates

Anchored by brands like Rolex, Patek Philippe, and Cartier, Watches & Wonders (W&W;) is the world’s biggest luxury watch fair  and it will take place at its traditional time of early spring, April 14-20, 2026, once again at Palexpo. As is now convention, the final three days, April 18-20, will be open to the public, who can access the fair by buying a ticket. The first four days will only be open to invited guests, namely members of the trade, primarily brand executives, retailers, media, as well as select clients. W&W; will also stage events outside Palexpo, the convention centre near the airport, with several events planned in downtown Geneva. In past years, these have included exhibitions, talks, and social gatherings. The exhibitors for 2026 have yet to be announced, but the establishment brands are a certainty, including the brands owned by Richemont like A. Lange & Söhne and Vacheron Constantin, and the LVMH marques like TAG Heuer and Hublot. There has been talk of brands joining (or returning to) the list of exhibitors – Bulgari was a newcomer in 2025 – but this will soon be known once W&W; publishes the exhibitors directory.  

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SJX Watches

Patek Philippe ref 1518 Jun 2, 2025

Highlights: Phillips NYWA XII

As the Hong Kong auctions have wrapped, we move to the final sales of the spring season in New York City. Phillips will offer a healthy mix of new and old, common and rare, across 144 lots. The sale includes many of the expected top-of-the-line offerings, with the headline lot a Patek Philippe ref. 1518 in yellow gold, and staples like a pair of ref. 5004s. But there are plenty of interesting watches to be down catalog too, including some fresh faces and value buys. Highlights include the best of English watchmaking made by Charles Frodsham a century apart, the auction debut of American independent Keaton Myrick, an unusual F.P. Journe Résonance, along with a Cartier pocket watch made by complications specialist THA. We round up these and a few more from The New York Watch Auction: XII, which takes place from June 7-8, 2025. The full catalogue is available on Phillips.com. Lot 11 – A. Lange & Söhne 1815 Chronograph “2022 Best of Show, Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este” Since 2012, A. Lange & Söhne has been a sponsor of the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este, a classic car shown that takes place in spring on the picturesque shores of Lake Como. Each year, the owner of the event’s best car is presented with a unique Lange watch. While past winners have received a fairly conventional Lange 1 Time Zone, the brand upgraded the prize in recent years to a striking 1815 Chronograph. In 2022, the winner was Andrew Pisker with a Bugatti 57 S from 1937. He received th...

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M Monochrome

Monochrome

Hamilton Jun 1, 2025

Buying Guide - Racing Meets Watchmaking with the 2025 Formula 1 Team Watches

If you’re like me, passionate about watches and Formula 1, I’m pretty sure you’re eyeballing the wrists of drivers, team principals and mechanics to see what they’re wearing. Some of them have a strong reputation for their wrist game, such as Lewis Hamilton and Toto Wolff. And since there has been an almost complete reshuffle for official […]

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F Fratello

Fratello

May 29, 2025

Hands-On With The Pragma P1 - Perseverance: A 100% Swiss High-End Chronometer With High Morals

Ask me whatever you want; there are no secrets. Do you want to know where the movement is from? The automatic caliber 1031-1 was developed in collaboration with Chronode SA. Please come up with something a bit more original. The spring bar? Okay, the spring bar is made by IsoSwiss from 316L steel and attaches […] Visit Hands-On With The Pragma P1 – Perseverance: A 100% Swiss High-End Chronometer With High Morals to read the full article.

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F Fratello

Fratello

May 29, 2025

A New Independent Watchmaker In Town: In Conversation With Annelinde Dunselman Of Dunselman Watchmaking

I turned my car into Annelinde Dunselman’s yard somewhat apprehensively. Was I in the right place? Nothing suggested I was about to walk into the atelier of a high-end independent watchmaker. Bathing in the spring sun, the building looked more like a sentient member of a lively family in the eastern Dutch city of Zwolle. […] Visit A New Independent Watchmaker In Town: In Conversation With Annelinde Dunselman Of Dunselman Watchmaking to read the full article.

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W Worn & Wound

Worn & Wound

Citizen s Unite May 28, 2025

California Coast Through Film & Time: A Road Trip with Kat Shoulders, Fujifilm, and Citizen’s Unite with Blue Collection

A few weeks ago, I set out on a road trip along one of my favorite stretches of the world: the California coast. It was more than just a drive down Highway 1 - it was a journey to see the coastline in a new way, through the lenses of two amazing Fujifilm medium format cameras and a special Citizen Promaster that quietly echoed the whole vibe. Right after the Windup Watch Fair in San Francisco, I (and my BFF) hit the road and headed south down Highway 1, taking in some of the dreamiest towns California has to offer. Monterey, Piedras Blancas, Big Sur, Morro Strand, SLO, Pismo Beach, Solvang, Santa Barbara… It’s wild how the vibe shifts even though you’re basically hugging the same coast the whole time. Like, how is this all the same state? This feels like sorcery somehow. But before we go full travel diary, let me talk about the gear. Because yes, this trip had a theme: film & time. The post California Coast Through Film & Time: A Road Trip with Kat Shoulders, Fujifilm, and Citizen’s Unite with Blue Collection appeared first on Worn & Wound.

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SJX Watches

Audemars Piguet May 19, 2025

Highlights: Diverse Single-Owner Collections at Christie’s Hong Kong

Christie’s continues its spring season in Hong Kong with an unexpected single-owner trilogy – three separate collections of timepieces owned by one collection going on the block – The Chronicle, The Generations, and Stories in Time. The Generations collection will be sold on May 28, and focuses on sports watches from Audemars Piguet and Patek Philippe. Slated to be sold on the same day, The Chronicle collection is more eclectic but focuses on traditionally styled watches. Thirdly, Stories in Time will hit the block on May 29, and features notable vintage Rolex watches – including a fine mid-century cloisonné Oyster – stunning Cartier clocks, and avant-garde creations by independents. One of the top lots in the sale is the Rolex Oyster ref. 6100 with a cloisonné enamel dial that is only now reemerging publicly after having last been sold in 1990 Concurrently, watches from The Legacy Collection, including rare watches from Richard Mille and gem-set Patek Philippe complications, will be on show from May 22 to 28 (though that are not part of the auction). We round up five fine and fascinating watches, and one clock from the upcoming sale. Online bidding and the catalogue for the May 28 sale and the May 29 sale, and the catalogue in PDF format for both sessions, are available on Christies.com. Lot 2277 – Seiko Credor Eichi I Unveiled in 2008, the Credor Eichi I was the second product of Seiko Epson’s elite Micro-Artist Studio, after the Credor Sonnerie of 2006....

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SJX Watches

Patek Philippe Museum’s extensive collection May 18, 2025

Highlights: Magnificent Chinese Market Timepieces at Phillips Hong Kong

The Geneva sales have wrapped up, but the spring auction season continues in Hong Kong, where Phillips will offer a collection of unexpected and wonderful pocket watches made for the Chinese market in the 18th and 19th centuries. As Europeans became enamored with Chinese goods such as tea, silk, and porcelain, the Chinese were equally enraptured by European watches and clocks, often adorned with miniature enamel painting, pearls, gemstones, and hand engraving. Genevan enamelling, in particular, was world-leading and adorned some of the most elaborate timepieces of the 19th century. Proof of that can be found in the Patek Philippe Museum’s extensive collection of Chinese market watches and clocks. Today, Chinese market watches seem alien in their lavish and ornate decoration. Collectors’ tastes have become homogenized over time, particularly today, which makes historical Chinese market watches stand out as a world unto themselves, both in style and mechanics. A mini collection of such watches will be sold during the first session of Phillips’ The Hong Kong Watch Auction: XX at 6:30 pm on May 23, 2025. The extraordinary miniature enamelling found on a clockwatch by L. Vrard & Co. Lot 801 – Perfume Sprinkler Pistol by Moulinié & Bautte & Cie Geneva historically specialized in the manufacture of oddly shaped “fantasy watches” watches during the early 19th century. Common forms include fruits, musical instruments, animals, and flowers. Some of the more exotic fanta...

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Worn & Wound

Victorinox May 7, 2025

Editorial: The Apple Watch Turns Ten

The Apple Watch is not a very good watch. I’d even go so far as to say that it represents everything I don’t like in a watch. It’s disposable, generic to the point of ugly, and demands a level of focus and engagement I find downright offensive. To borrow a phrase from the inimitable Peter Griffin, “It insists upon itself.” And yet, the Apple Watch has become an invaluable, irreplaceable part of my life. This spring marks a decade since the Apple Watch first went on sale. I bought mine shortly after launch, in anticipation of my freshman year of college, at a point when I was still trying to sort out what interests and identity I would carry with me into that new phase (turns out, tech-head, sort of no; watch geek, undoubtedly yes). The Apple Watch, along with a beat-up Victorinox and a vintage Hamilton, made up my total stable of wrist-borne options my first year in Granville, Ohio. You’d think with that few watches available to me, the Apple Watch would have gotten a lot of wrist time, and it did, at least for the first few months. Still, by the end of my freshman year, I was basically done with the Apple Watch. It was clear even then that the premise had some promise, but I felt like I’d gotten all I could out of the nascent device. The first Apple Watch was, if I’m being honest (and I think Tim Cook would agree with me), kind of useless - more a proof of concept or statement of intent than a finished product. It did very little, and what it did do was ...

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S SJX Watches

SJX Watches

Breguet Sympathique From May 7, 2025

In-Depth: The Breguet Sympathique, From the Duc d’Orléans to “No. 1”

This spring, one of the most important horological creations of the late twentieth century returns to public view. As part of The Geneva Watch Auction: XXI taking place on May 10 and 11, Phillips will offer the Breguet Sympathique No. 1, the first of twenty exceptional clocks commissioned by Breguet in the early 1990s. The primary creator of this landmark clock was none other than Francois-Paul Journe, then a young watchmaker. Completed in 1991 for the Art of Breguet auction, No. 1 is not just the prototype of the modern Sympathique series, it is its most ambitious. The example, paired with a tourbillon wristwatch, is equipped with a constant-force remontoir and moonphase display. In retrospect, it reads as a mechanical manifesto, foreshadowing Journe’s later independent work. More than a highlight of its upcoming sale, No. 1 represents a rare continuation of one of watchmaking’s great inventions, a direct link to Abraham-Louis Breguet himself. Detail of Sympathique no. 1 Of Breguet’s many breakthroughs, from the tourbillon to the pare-chute, none captured the marriage of mechanical brilliance and poetic vision quite like the Pendule Sympathique. Designed to wind, set, and regulate a paired watch automatically, it embodied a new kind of horological harmony: a master timekeeper caring for its portable counterpart. The calendar on Sympathique no. 1 By the late 20th century, these clocks had become near-mythical. Only a handful were ever built, most housed in royal coll...

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SJX Watches

Cartier Clocks May 6, 2025

Auctions: Lavish and Exotic Cartier Clocks at Phillips

The spring auction season kicks off in less than a week, and while there are many interesting lots worthy of attention, there are a few museum-grade Cartier clocks at Phillips that demand a close look. All made between 1905 and 1940, the most exceptional pieces date to the roaring twenties when Cartier was synonymous with Art Deco extravagance. The lots are spread across two auctions – Geneva Watch Auction: XXI, which takes place on May 10th and 11th, and Hong Kong Watch Auction: XX which takes place from May 23rd to May 25th. There are three important mystery clocks hitting the block, the most significant being portico clock No. 3, along with a handful of artfully engraved jade desk clocks. Rounding out the bunch, an amusing prism clock should keep things interesting for those bidding with smaller budgets. An introduction to Cartier mystery clocks In the early twentieth century, Cartier was on top of the world. England’s King Edward VII had just granted the firm a royal warrant, calling Cartier the “jeweler of kings” and, perhaps more significantly, “The king of jewelers.” But the Parisian firm wasn’t coasting on this praise, and shortly thereafter stunned the world with a clock with hands that appeared to float in space. This ‘mysterious’ effect was achieved by attaching the hands to rotating glass plates that were driven from the edge. The first such clock was the Modèle A, which debuted in 1912. A Cartier Modèle A. Image – Phillips The mystery cl...

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SJX Watches

F.P. Journe Apr 27, 2025

Auctions: A.-L. Breguet to F.P. Journe at Christie’s Geneva

Rare Watches in Geneva kicks off the spring auction season for Christie’s. Some of the highlights amongst the sale’s 183 lots illustrates the history and evolution of horology, most notably with timepieces by Abraham-Louis Breguet and Francois-Paul Journe. The notable F.P. Journe offerings include a Resonance pre-souscription and a Ruthenium full house, complete with numbered box. The standouts from Breguet include a pocket watch first owned by Pauline Bonaparte, Napoleon’s younger sister, an early striking carriage clock, and an intriguing Type XX precursor literally gone askew. F.P Journe Principally inspired by the work of A.-L. Breguet and Antide Janvier, Francois-Paul Journe’s landmark Chronomètre à Résonance was the first attempt at synchronised, coupled oscillators in a wristwatch. The first numbered 20 examples were reserved for a Breguet-style souscription series – paid in advance by the client – but were not the first made. Image – Christie’s A handful of pre-production watches were made for Basel 1999, followed by the pre-souscription series to which this watch belongs. About 20 watches starting from “21” onwards are pre-souscription, and this is “041/00R”. Notably, one example prior, “040/00R”, sold for a little under CHF1.4 million including fees at Christie’s in 2023, setting a record. Image – Christie’s  The Ruthenium collection, built in 99 examples each across five models from 2001 to 2005, includes the Octa Calendrie...

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T Teddy Baldassarre

Teddy Baldassarre

Christopher Ward Apr 23, 2025

Christopher Ward C12 Loco Review

Last year, Christopher Ward followed up on its hugely popular C2 Bel Canto with an Act II version, featuring a new dial texture. When it was released, I commented on how difficult sequels can be when the original captured lightning in a bottle, and pondered what it might take for the brand to accomplish such a feat again. This week, we’re getting an answer to that with the release of the new C12 Loco, featuring Christopher Ward’s second in-house movement, the CW-003. The C12 Loco is much more than that, though. Once again, Christopher Ward has taken inspiration from far more exotic realms, and has brought a custom-designed free-sprung balance to the dial side, floating underneath the hour and minute display.  The Christopher Ward C12 uses the same twelve-sided, integrated case as The Twelve collection that was introduced back in 2023. The C12 Loco uses a 41mm steel case, much the same as the Twelve X, though now it clocks in at 13.7mm in thickness - so, while it’s large, it should still be perfectly manageable on the wrist. This is an integrated case, so the length is about the same as the width, with the ends of the case angling downward to meet the strap or bracelet end link. It’s also worth noting that the box crystal accounts for a good bit of that thickness. The midcase section is just 9.75mm in thickness.  It’s everything between that span that serves as the star of the show here. The CW-003 caliber uses twin mainspring barrels to provide a healthy 144 ...

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Worn & Wound

TAG Heuer Formula 1 Goes Solar Apr 1, 2025

The TAG Heuer Formula 1 Goes Solar

Much to the chagrin of my fellow automotive enthusiast friends, I am not an ardent Formula 1 follower-I prefer motorsports of the all-wheel drive variety, coated in mud in the Finnish wilderness. Still, the allure of the screaming engines, blinding speed, and pure bling of Formula 1 isn’t lost on me. Millions of fans worldwide are captivated by the sport and its entrants for a reason-and TAG Heuer, the official timekeeper of Formula 1, has nine new references to match that ever-growing fervor. In celebration of the colorful 1986 origin of the brand’s Formula 1 Collection, the new models feature bright hues and a reimagined design. Three of the nine pieces feature the more “classic” dial colors of black and white or blue on a steel bracelet. The remaining six are limited edition colorways: black and red, black and yellow, blue and black, white and green, white and red, and green and red.  According to TAG Heuer, each model pays direct homage to the 1986 collection in design and function. However, key changes reflect contemporary taste-instead of the original 35mm, the new cases (constructed of sandblasted steel or TH-Polylight depending on the model) measure 38mm but retain the sporty aesthetic that the line is known for. The original shield-shaped markers have also been modernized, appearing now as applied and Super-Luminova-treated indexes. The “Mercedes”-style hands carry on, as does the chunky 60-second scale bezel, date window at 3 o’clock, and agg...

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F Fratello

Fratello

Mar 31, 2025

Watches And Wonders 2025: Geneva’s Grand Horological Showcase Is Here

As the Northern Hemisphere eagerly anticipates spring’s arrival, the watchmaking community’s attention turns to Geneva, where the prestigious Watches and Wonders fair will take place from April 1st to 7th, 2025. This year’s event promises to be the largest and most diverse gathering in its four-year history. A record 60 brands will be taking over […] Visit Watches And Wonders 2025: Geneva’s Grand Horological Showcase Is Here to read the full article.

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F Fratello

Fratello

Rolex Watches Mar 25, 2025

Pre-Owned Spotlight: Rolex Watches With Integrated Bracelets

Okay, we have all seen those grainy, allegedly leaked Rolex images, right? Could we see a return of Rolex watches with integrated bracelets this spring? Who knows? We haven’t engaged too much since we cannot possibly confirm anything anyway. Time will tell. However, that doesn’t stop us from enjoying the idea. So, how about a […] Visit Pre-Owned Spotlight: Rolex Watches With Integrated Bracelets to read the full article.

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M Monochrome

Monochrome

Mar 22, 2025

The Petrolhead Corner - The Insanely Cool & Ultra-Rare Citroën 2CV 4×4 Sahara

What do you do when you feel your Ctiroën 2CV is a bit underpowered and traction-limited? You could potentially swap out the engine, or install a complex all-wheel drive transmission, remove a bit of weight (although there’s not much to start with in a 2CV). Or, and that is what Citröen did, you drop in […]

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