Results for La Chaux-de-Fonds

In Focus: Voutilainen Decimal Repeater GMT “L’Esprit du Bois”

Now best known for the Vingt-8 chronometer, particularly when combined with its exemplary and versatile guilloche work, Voutilainen also produces high complicated watches. Though the brand now largely focuses on the time-only Vingt-8, it once completed striking watches on a fairly regular basis. One of the best examples of such a chiming masterpiece is the Decimal Repeater GMT “L’Esprit du Bois” that was delivered a decade ago, when Voutilainen was a far smaller operation centred on its founder, Kari Voutilainen. This unique repeater is now available at Phillips Perpetual in London. Quintessential Voutilainen Before he found the success that led to the current three-year waitlist for the Vingt-8, Mr Voutilainen made perhaps two dozen repeaters (compared to hundreds of time-only watches), all equipped with refinished vintage ebauches. Most were decimal repeaters that struck the time in ten-minute blocks, as opposed to the quarter strikes of convention repeaters, making time telling more intuitive. “L’Esprit du Bois” is one of the most elaborate of Mr Voutilainen’s chiming watches. Delivered in 2013, the watch combines a decimal repeater and second time zone display, all presented in the quintessential Voutilainen manner with a case featuring teardrop lugs and a dial finished with a variety of guilloche patterns. But it is distinguished by something special: the hinged case back is entirely relief engraved and enamelled with a motif drawn from Greek mythology. ...

Review: the Atelier Holgur Frømand

One of the great things about the current state of the watch world is the insane variety of watches that are available. We’re at a point (or at least approaching one) where brands of all stripes are willing to get creative in ways we haven’t seen in years. We’ve come out of a long period of time dominated by vintage inspired watches that all felt cut from the same cloth, and it feels like we’re now at the beginning of a new movement where makers large and small are aiming for narrower and narrower niches. I’m lucky to have seen some of the watches coming from brands we all admire later in the year, and I’m confident that when the dust settles we’ll be talking about a sea change toward more adventurous designs and a level of watchmaking once reserved for the super wealthy being made accessible to new customers for the first time. This is why I’m more interested than ever in the micro indies I’ve discussed in these pages previously. It feels like there’s a nearly infinite opportunity for brands to create special, unusual, innovative, and original watches for an audience that’s simultaneously incredibly broad and highly specialized. There’s no shortage of collectors interested in getting something unique – a byproduct of the aforementioned decade of lookalike black dialed divers. And yet, each individual watch forces you to ask, “Who is this for?” That’s a question that most of us wonder everytime we look at an MB&F; or De Bethune, and the answe...

The ‘Happiness Watch’ by Tikker uses a US Government algorithm to tell you when you’ll die. Worst name ever :(

Editor’s note: 202o, in one way or another, has made us all realise that life is not guaranteed, or going to go forever, and now there’s a way to remind yourself daily. While seemingly a grim proposition, the Tikker watch uses a “death calculation” based on an algorithm for life expectancy that’s used by the … ContinuedThe post The ‘Happiness Watch’ by Tikker uses a US Government algorithm to tell you when you’ll die. Worst name ever :( appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

New: Chopard L.U.C Skull One - a tribute to the Mexican Calavera

Chopard presents the L.U.C Skull One, a 100-piece limited-edition adorned with a Mexican calavera as a tribute to the Day of the Dead.

MB&F;, L’Épée 1839, Massena Lab’s T-Rex Bronze: The Missing Link

For Martin Green, the MB&F; L'Épée 1839 Massena Lab T-Rex Bronze seems more raw and animalistic than its predecessors, as though you can smell the scent of this top predator moving through dense vegetation. He thinks that the true T-Rex variation has landed, and here he explains why.

Introducing the MB&F; X L’Epée X Massena LAB T-Rex Bronze

Massena LAB partners with MB&F; and L’Epée to announce the MB&F; X L’Epée X Massena LAB T-Rex Bronze

Gyre Introduces the SeaCleaner

Gyre Watch is a watch brand that offers an affordable, fun dive watch that supports a good cause. Founded by Dutch watch journalist Bernard Werk, the brand is making its debut with the Gyre SeaCleaner. An affordable, no-nonsense sports watch with a solar-powered movement, the SeaCleaner has a case and strap made from recycled ocean waste – with part of the proceeds from its sale going to an ocean cleanup charity. Initial thoughts Bold in its contrasting-colour scheme, the SeaCleaner has brightly-coloured accents in green, blue or black, and a large, 42 mm cushion case that’s reminiscent of 1970s dive watches, giving it a retro vibe. Inside is a robust Seiko movement that’ll do what it’s supposed to do. In short, the SeaCleaner is tried-and-tested look that works well for a sports watch and it costs only about US$200. Environmentally supportive Gyre will donate 5% of sales to The Ocean Cleanup – a Dutch NGO that is working to remove plastic waste from the oceans. And with both the straps and cases made of recycled material, the watches themselves will contribute to the cleanup. The black plastic cases are made from recycled fishing nets, which are mostly made of plastic. Collected by fishermen around the Indian Ocean – Gyre pays the fishermen for the nets – the discarded nets are cleaned and turned into plastic pellets that are then moulded into the cases. Unlike many all-black watch cases that are done that way for aesthetic effect, the composite derive...

Bulgari Octo L’Originale: With Enough Ice To Alleviate Climate Change And A Million-Dollar Price Tag To Match

Martin Green thinks that nearly any serious brand can put a truckload of diamonds on a watch and attach a phenomenal price tag to it. But he also believes that very few could create a watch like the Bulgari Octo L'Originale with its more than 50 carats of nearly flawless colorless diamonds. Find out why here.

Introducing the Trilobe Les Matinaux

Jean-François Mojon, founder of complications specialist Chronode, has a client list that reads like a who’s who of independent watchmaking: from establishment names Hermès and MB&F; to revived brands like Urban Jurgensen. His latest creation, however, is one of the most affordable to date. Constructed for Trilobe, a start-up founded just three years ago by former banker Gautier Massonneau. The brand’s first collection, Les Matinaux – “The Morning” in English – derives its name from a poem written by French author René Char.  Novelty aside Built at Chronode’s Le Locle facility, Les Matinaux is designed to subvert traditional time-telling. Instead of conventional fixed indices and moving hands, the hands, or rather pointers, are fixed but the markers – on three separate chapter rings for the hours, minutes and seconds – are constantly in motion, and rotate counter-clockwise to boot. The concept is not entirely new, of course. This type of time display is most often used on digital-style dials with numerals shown either in a single line or within a window, as on the De Bethune Dream Watch 5. Affordable brands have done the same with quartz movements, including Klokers, which is sadly now defunct, as well as Lip with its Mythic Jump Hour Watch. In contrast, Les Matinaux does not have its indicators arranged in a linear manner. Instead, the trio of trefoils – trilobe is French for trefoil – seem casually scattered across the dial, so i...

HANDS-ON: The Chopard  L.U.C XPS Twist Qualité Fleurier brings style, substance and sustainability to the table

Chopard is one of the great secrets of the watchworld. The brand, which is better known for its feminine jewellery collections, produces some truly phenomenal watches, of a style and quality that rivals the best in the business.  Take, for example, the Chopard L.U.C XPS Twist Qualité Fleurier (QF). It’s a gorgeous dress watch with … ContinuedThe post HANDS-ON: The Chopard  L.U.C XPS Twist Qualité Fleurier brings style, substance and sustainability to the table appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Throwback Sundays: Six Recommendations for a Titanium Watch from Our Archives

A short guide for a titanium watch, with pieces from Tudor, Omega, Bulgari, HYT, De Bethune, and MB&F;.

Top Art-Inspired Timepieces from SIHH 2013

From royal inspiration to rock ‘n’ roll hat-doffs, this year’s art-inspired collectibles are an extravagant and eclectic bunch. Here are four of our favorites. Cartier Rotonde de Cartier Panther with Granulation Cartier is fast emerging as a crafts revivalist, having shone the spotlight on long-forgotten art forms such as miniature mosaic and plique-à-jour paillonné enameling […]

Vacheron Constantin Metiers d’Art - Chagall & L’Opera de Paris

Incredible! That’s what I can describe it. Incroyable! The Vacheron Constantin Metiers d’Art – Chagall & L’Opera de Paris piece is an exceptional work of art. I am quite speechless when I examined the work, done in enamel by Anita Porcet, an independent enamelist. I normally am not too excited about enamel paintings on aRead More

Audemars Piguet Brings Le Brassus to Singapore

Next month the National Museum of Singapore’s Gallery Theatre will play host to Audemars Piguet’s Perspectives On Time exhibition. The pop-up event will explore 150 years of Audemars Piguet through four curated spaces, each focused on a different aspect of the brand’s history. Especially curated for Singapore, the exhibition is set to bring together both contemporary and archival pieces, including a range of historic Audemars Piguet wrist and pocket watches from the brand’s museum, many of which will be on display in the country for the first time ever. Four distinct spaces will be organised to highlight different aspects of Audemars Piguet’s technical prowess, including astronomical complications, open-worked movements, and chiming complications. Naturally, the exhibit opens with a look at the brand’s history from founding to present day, traced through a range of rare archival pieces and historic milestones. Open from 10:30am-6:00pm each day in 30-minute sessions, admission to the exhibition is free, though limited slots will be available so early registration is encouraged. The brand has thoughtfully set up a dedicated booking portal to simplify the registration process. Walk-ins will also be accommodated subject to availability. Perspectives On Time will be hosted from September 10-13 at The Gallery Theatre at the National Museum of Singapore, 93 Stamford Rd, Singapore 178897. Register online at audemarspiguet.com.  

Oris Honors Lou Gehrig With a Pointer Date Limited to 2,130 Pieces

A closer look at the Oris Lou Gehrig Limited Edition Pointer Date: 2,130 pieces, subtle Yankee details, and whether the $2,850 price holds up.

Introducing - Beaubleu and the Monnaie de Paris Join Forces to Strike the Dials of La Pièce 1 & 2

Beaubleu is a young, independent French brand founded in 2017 by automotive and luxury product designer Nicolas Ducoudert. Gaining attention for the circular, orbiting hands featured in the brand’s collections, Beaubleu returns with new models born from an unexpected collaboration with the Monnaie de Paris, the official French national mint. Founded in 864, the mint […]

Studio Underd0g and Fears Team Up on a New LE for British Watchmakers’ Day

It’s not often that whimsy and tradition become bedfellows, even in the wild world of watches. Time-honored brands with industry gravitas rarely join forces with quirky start-ups, and on the odd occasion when they do, the results can be divisive for traditionalists and experimentalists alike, who squabble over value, style, and reputation without stopping to admire the unique product that results from such collaborations. This is why the announcement of Fears and Studio Underd0g’s limited edition collaboration for British Watchmakers’ Day packed such an immediate punch for me, and likely will for anyone else familiar with the two brands. The unique 178-year history of Fears, resurrected in 2016 by managing director Nicholas Bowman-Scargill, combined with the brash innovation of Studio Underd0g, launched by founder Richard Benc in 2021, has resulted in a limited edition watch that flaunts the design ethos of both brands in such force that it’s unmistakably a shared effort at first glance.  The Fears x Studio Underd0g Gimlet draws attention immediately with a snappy lime dial (a nod to the watch’s tasty namesake beverage) and a cushion-shaped 38mm case inspired by the Fears Brunswick. Round edges and curves give the case a vintage feel, as does the beautiful typography-another signature Fears touch. But don’t be fooled into thinking that this is just another variant of the Brunswick; in addition to the lime dial, Studio Underd0g’s penchant for elegant dazzle...

Champagne Taittinger Trio that are Great Value: Les Folies de La Marquetterie, Prelude, and Vintage 2015

None of these three champagnes are considered as prestige releases – for Taittinger, that would be their brilliant Comtes de Champagne – and consequently they are priced well below, each coming in at around one-third of the price of Comtes. You can’t go wrong. They are all beautiful champagnes and will reward drinking now or time in the cellar.

Found: Paul Newman's Daytona Ref. 6239 Turns Up In LA

No, Rolex doesn't own it. But you can go see it.

Introducing: A New Oris Aquis LE To Save The Wadden Sea

The "Dat Watt" Limited Edition borrows the local name for "Wadden Sea" in a low German dialect.

A Closer Look: Vacheron Constantin Les Cabinotiers Le Temps Divin ‘Ode to the Four Guardians’

In-Depth: Everything You Need To Know About The Early Chopard L.U.C Collection

How Chopard's first in-house caliber 1.96 set the stage for 25 years of top-tier watchmaking.

Artisans de Genève Introduces the Daytona “La Barrichello”

Anyone who followed Formula 1 in the 1990s to the early 2000s would remember Rubens Barrichello as effective driver. Though the Brazilian did not win any championships, he notched up 11 wins and 68 podium finishes. Like many fellow Formula 1 drivers, Mr Barrichello likes watches and was once an Audemars Piguet ambassador; the Royal Oak Offshore Rubens Barrichello II of 2006 was one of the hottest watches of the era.  Unsurprisingly, Mr Barrichello is apparently a fan of the Rolex Daytona – arguably the auto racing watch – explaining his collaboration with Artisans de Genève, a Swiss outfit that specialises in customising Rolex watches. They gave his Rolex Daytona a makeover to create “La Barrichello”, a strikingly and heavily modified Cosmograph Daytona with an open-worked movement. Notably, Artisans de Genève just last year performed a similar custom job on a Daytona belonging to Juan-Pablo Montoya, another F1 driver who was active in the sport at the same time as Mr Barrichello. Both drivers’ skeletonised watches are novel in a good way; much of Artisans de Genève’s other creations are modern Daytonas modified to look like vintage “Paul Newman” Daytonas, which is arguably less interesting. Creative differences “La Barrichello” started out as the all-steel Daytona ref. 116520, which is the preceding generation of Daytona that was first introduced in 2000 before being replaced by the ref. 116500LN (distinguished by its ceramic bezel) in 2...

Review: Vacheron Constantin FiftySix Day-Date

This year, Vacheron Constantin has unveiled an entirely new collection called the FiftySix at the Salon de la International Haute Horlogerie (SIHH). Perhaps the most practical model of the collection is the FiftySix Day-Date, with the most useful displays for everyday use.

SIHH Diary - Day One

The 25th Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie, or SIHH as it is called in the trade, opened its doors today with a huge flowery cake to celebrate its quarter of a century. Legend has it that the show was formed after Cartier couldn’t stand the smell from the German sausage seller behind its BaselWorld […]