1,336 articles · 252 videos found · page 22 of 53
Monochrome
In 2005, a man with a vision created a brand that would become one of the greatest successes of the independent watchmaking scene. Max Büsser, coming from Jaeger-LeCoultre and Harry Winston, decided to fly solo and gave life to something unique, something that went beyond traditions, a horological concept laboratory, a venture inviting friends to […]
Worn & Wound
There’s a style of watch that I’ve grown particularly fond of over the last few years, and I sometimes find it hard to articulate why. The high end, exotic independent on a rubber strap calls to me like the Sirens. There’s something about the mix of high and low that appeals to me, I think, as it does with everything else I like, from Monty Python to the films of Bong Joon-ho. I also just find a good rubber strap to be one of the most comfortable ways to wear a watch, particularly (but not exclusively) in the warm weather months. And so I’ve nursed a years-long appreciation for Hublot (who basically invented this idea) and have a watch box disproportionately tilted to watches that give me the same feeling (a pair of Arcanauts, and a Bel Canto that lives on rubber year round spring to mind). It should not be surprising, then, that MB&F;’s EVO line has become a personal favorite. The EVO series of watches take Legacy Machine pieces (conceived as MB&F;’s collection inspired by classical watchmaking) and give them a sporty treatment, replacing leather straps with rubber, and adding water resistance and screw down crowns. It makes a ton of sense to create “everyday wear” versions of these watches (if you’re spending into the six figures on these pieces, I imagine you’d want to wear them more frequently, right?) and making them more casual and sporty in appearance is such a natural idea it’s almost hard to believe these haven’t existed from the beginning. N...
Hodinkee
An icon of MB&F; gets an injection of space-age sportiness for the brand's 20th anniversary.
Revolution
Monochrome
Bianchet is a relatively young high-end brand founded by Rodolfo and Emmanuelle Festa-Bianchet, and based in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland. Since 2021, the brand has been offering modern tonneau-shaped watches powered by architectural openworked tourbillon movements. Early 2025 marked the launch of an important model for the brand, the UltraFino, its first ultra-thin model, its first […]
Video
Revolution
Monochrome
Yvan Arpa is not your conventional Swiss watchmaker. Eccentric and imaginative, he founded his brand, ArtyA, in 2010 with a portfolio of exotic models. Arpa’s taste has matured over the years, and his latest creative direction is characterised by openworked movements housed in diaphanous cases congregated in the Purity collection. A new model, the Purity […]
Revolution
Monochrome
Armin Strom first introduced the System 78 series model, the Orbit, in 2022, which became the world’s first watch with an on-demand date display integrated into a ceramic bezel. The original version featured a mostly monochromatic look, a steel case and a black gold dial, accented only by the red date pointer tip and matching […]
Monochrome
If there’s one thing to be said about Koenigsegg and the wild machines coming out of the gates of their facilities in Ängelholm, Sweden, it’s that they’re at the peak of engineering. The Swedish megacar manufacturer, founded by Christian von Koenigsegg in 1994, is known for pushing back the boundaries of performance and innovation, breaking […]
Video
Hodinkee
An icy blue update to Armin Strom's signature timepiece.
Monochrome
When Serge Michel and Claude Greisler acquired Armin Strom, they took the bull by the horns. Without abandoning Mr Strom’s famous hand-skeletonised movements, the pair developed a full-scale vertical manufacture and successfully addressed the phenomenon of Mirrored Force Resonance in a wristwatch format. Another horological success story was the brand’s Gravity Equal Force watch of […]
Monochrome
The retro-futuristic Amida Digitrend is a horological UFO arriving straight from the 1970s. This unique driver’s watch stands out with its digital display read horizontally through an optical inverting prism. The model was brought back with a rather faithful reedition in 2024, retaining the original look and powered by a dedicated jumping hour mechanical movement […]
Worn & Wound
When the Amida Digitrend arrived last summer, it was part of a crop of new releases from independent brands making interesting designs and complications accessible to a wider audience, and it really won me over. In my review last year I cited watches from Toledano & Chan, SpaceOne, and Holthinrichs as comps, either in spirit, technical features, or both. Those brands of course are still very much in the mix, and a year later there are even more examples of watches that offer unique value at competitive price points by introducing enthusiasts to new ways of thinking about what a watch can be. This is a long-winded way of saying that the market for these types of watches is more competitive than ever, so a follow up release becomes that much more important. Amida, for their part, is seeking to keep the momentum going by introducing a new version of the Digitrend that sheds some literal light on how they achieve their unique complication. The Amida Digitrend Open Sapphire is essentially exactly what it says it is – a Digitrend with a large sapphire window affixed to the case that allows the wearer to see the jump hour mechanism inside. Previously, this area was covered by a solid sheet of metal, an aesthetic drawn from the brand’s interest in automotive design. They are applying similar principles to the new version that leaves the “engine” (their terminology) exposed, referencing removable Targa tops as a point of inspiration. The Digitrend, for those who need a ...
Hodinkee
After a year of fastbacks, it's targa time for the Digitrend.
Video
Hodinkee
Straight from Paris, the latest four dial iterations on this modern classic span from pure dress to utilitarian field.
Monochrome
Bell & Ross, with its extensive range of highly graphic pilots’ watches inspired by cockpit instruments, consolidated its identity with the BR-01 and BR-03 references (and subsequent derivations). Moving from high-altitude missions to underwater adventures, in 2017, Bell & Ross adapted its archetypal “circle in a square” aesthetic to create the BR-03 Diver, a 300m […]
Worn & Wound
Love it or hate it, Bell & Ross is committed to their iconic, oversized, and squared-off designs. But despite what their haters say, they don’t just do squares. Or rather, they layer other shapes over squares sometimes. Confused? Good. Let’s get into it. The brand’s popular BR-03 Diver platform is home to a healthy handful of references, all of which measure in at 42mm in diameter, and feature the brand’s classic “circle within a square” design that varies in color and material between models. Basically, the iconic Bell & Ross square case remains, with a diver’s bezel laying on top, giving each model a stacked, utilitarian aesthetic. The design is effectively functional and deeply polarizing, as is B&R;’s forte. Last year, the French brand began updating BR-03 Diver timepieces by introducing optimized changes to the movement and materials, ceramic bezels and inserts, and revised typeface, hands, and strap designs. The latest BR-03 Diver release, the Lum Outline, is perhaps the most emblematic of the line’s emphasis on functionality and capability without sacrificing stylistic panache. The Lum Outline’s case, bezel, dial, and strap options-one rubber, and the other black synthetic fabric-are all a uniform matte black. Normally, I would say that this is tame or even boring, but the micro-blasted texture of the ceramic gives the watch a more interesting and layered look than a monochrome design usually would. The case is a solid 13.35mm thick, and...
Monochrome
Hublot has never shown a reverence for conservative watchmaking. Starting with its explosively named Big Bang collection, Hublot revels in innovative material combinations and loud, audacious designs. However, when it comes to showing off its horological muscles, Hublot’s Masterpiece suite is where you’ll find the most technically complex models. Last year, Hublot inducted another Masterpiece […]
Monochrome
In our recent mention of the significant anniversaries watch brands will celebrate in 2025, we couldn’t cover every single milestone – our apologies! However, as MB&F; kicks off its 20th year of activity, we are excited to spotlight the brand’s latest releases, which revive the Longhorn lugs design. Back in 2021, to commemorate the 10th […]
Video
Quill & Pad
2025 is MB&F;’s 20th Anniversary and their celebrations kick off with two 20-piece Limited Edition “Longhorns” in stainless steel with rhodium-plated base plates, glossy black lacquer dials, and blued hands.
Quill & Pad
Stephen Silver Fine Jewelry, Silicon Valley’s leading timepiece salon has partnered with MB&F; to release an exclusive edition of the Legacy Machine Perpetual EVO.
Revolution
Hodinkee
Stephen McDonnell knew that MB&F;'s first-ever chronograph could have a flyback function; it just took a little while to make it. But when they did, they couldn't just make the same watch as before. We put the two head-to-head.
Worn & Wound
There is always something so intriguing to me about a collaboration when the brands really just go for it. But, I guess if one of the collaborators is Takashi Murakami, it’s sort of hard not to. For those uninitiated, Murakami is a contemporary Japanese artist whose work is at once psychedelic and joyful – but leans just a tad into the grotesque. But even if you don’t know the name, you’re undoubtedly familiar with the artist’s work. Murakami has collaborated with a wide range of celebrities, from Marc Jacobs to Kanye West (long before his anti semitic rants, for the record) to Pharrell Williams. And now, Murakami adds yet another collaboration with Hublot. The MP-15 Takashi Murakami Tourbillon Sapphire Rainbow is really one of those watches that makes you pause. It will, undoubtedly, have its naysayers who might prefer a more conservative style; but there’s something incredibly charming about this one for me. On the one hand, there is a level of craftsmanship that’s evident even from the photos; but it’s also an element of playfulness that intrigues me – especially when we’re talking about a watch that’s in the *ahem* $374,000 price range. You may remember that Murakami and Hublot have previously collaborated in the past, most notably on the Classic Fusion model with a decidedly Murakami lean. But that was just putting Murakami’s art within the context of Hublot. In 2023, they had released an MP-15 that showed the floral design but in a skeletal ca...
Video
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