1,329 articles · 411 videos found · page 23 of 58
Monochrome
When Breva returned in 2025, it did so with the Segreto di Lario, a watch that marked a reset for the brand after years of silence. Instead of earlier niche complications like barometers or altimeters, this new collection focused on a more legible, instrument-style display built around retrograde indications. That first model set the tone […]
Fratello
One of the most intriguing natural phenomena is the aurora borealis, also known as the northern lights. Witnessing this display of colors in the sky is on the bucket lists of many travel lovers. I haven’t seen the spectacular green, red, and purple night skies, but I know from friends that they are mesmerizing. The […] Visit Hands-On With The Surprisingly Creative Nordic Marine Instruments Lunør to read the full article.
Teddy Baldassarre
Tissot traces its long history back to 1853, when it was founded in Switzerland’s Jura Mountains by the father-son watchmaking team of Charles-Félicien and Charles-Émile Tissot. Today part of the Swatch Group, Tissot can lay claim to several watchmaking milestones throughout its history, including the first pocket watch to display two time zones in 1853; the first watch built to resist magnetism, the Antimagnetique, in 1930; and the first tactile-screen multifunction digital watch, the T-Touch, in 1999, years before the smartwatch would come into existence. Today, Tissot markets more than 4 million watches per year to more than 160 countries and is known for producing what its parent group terms “midrange market” watches that are prized for their price-to-value ratio. Tissot’s 1950s-era Visodate was among the first fleet of watches to introduce an integrated date complication, but the line’s contemporary renditions have continuously flown under the radar within the enthusiast community – until today, that is. New for 2026, the brand has given the collection a complete overhaul, revamping the Visodate to be more everyday-carry friendly than ever without sacrificing its quintessential retro flair. [toc-section heading="History And Context"] Vintage 1950s Tissot Visodate Advertisement The original Tissot Visodate hit shelves in 1953, marking 100 years since Tissot’s founding. It was not the first wristwatch with a date display in a window - that woul...
Monochrome
Geneva-based independent brand Akhor presented its inaugural Le Temps en Équilibre collection in 2025, built around a patented dual-disc display system, and it was immediately recognised for its innovative dial concept and proprietary movement. The new Lumière Blanche editions expand the concept with a new artistic direction, where white becomes the central design element. The […]
Fratello
Just under a month ago, I published the introduction article for the RZE Resolute Type A here on Fratello. I got the chance to go hands-on with the black-dial model in the meantime to see what’s what. I spent some solid time with it to try to answer one question: Is this another value-packed potential […] Visit Hands-On With The New RZE Resolute Type A - A Whole Lot Of Pilot’s Watch For Your Money to read the full article.
Video
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 […]
WatchAdvice
A. Lange & Söhne’s Zeitwerk Date is not your normal watch, but that is exactly why we love it! We go hands-on to appreciate it in more detail. What We Love The colour combination of the pink gold and grey dial The movement! How could you not love it? The digital display makes the dial highly legible What We Don’t It is a larger version that won’t suit all wrists Being gold, it is not a daily wearer The crystal does have the ability to reflect the light against the darker dial Overall Rating: 9.1 / 10 Value for Money: 9/10 Wearability: 8.5/10 Design: 9.5/10 Build Quality: 9.5/10 When A. Lange & Söhne debuted the Zeitwerk in 2009, it didn’t just add another complication — it redefined how time could be displayed mechanically. Inspired by Dresden’s opera-house clock, the Zeitwerk fused architectural design with digital display, becoming one of modern watchmaking’s boldest statements. The movement, dial layout, and case proportions were conceived as a single, uncompromising idea. And for years, that idea remained (thankfully) almost stubbornly pure. Which is precisely why the introduction of the Zeitwerk Date marked a significant moment in the model’s evolution. Adding a date to a watch so resolved in its symmetry and identity is not as simple as just plonking a date window on the dial. It risks upsetting the balance that made the original so compelling in the first place. The solution was a peripheral date disc that rotates around the outside o...
Teddy Baldassarre
The skeleton watch or skeletonized watch is a style of timepiece that is almost exclusively the domain of watches with mechanical movements. The process of skeletonizing a watch is simple - in theory. By opening up the dial and caseback and stripping out some large areas of movement parts, the maker of a skeleton watch reveals the "bones" beneath the surface. In practical terms, skeletonizing a watch can be done minimally or it can be done to an extreme level, and in both case the result can often be polarizing. Whether you love or hate the style, skeleton watches are nearly always a reliable conversation starter among enthusiasts of mechanical wristwatches. To keep those conversations going, we've compiled this list of some of the best skeleton watches on the market today. Before diving into the list, let's clear up some of the jargon you can expect to come across. First off, there are two other terms that tend to be lumped in with the subject of skeleton watches, namely “open heart” and "openworked." "Open heart" tends to describe a type of dial aperture that reveals usually just the balance wheel beating away but very little else. ”Openworked” is a term that is commonly used as an alternative to "skeletonized" since being popularized by Audemars Piguet (more on that below). Essentially, openworked and skeletonized are interchangeable in describing the same aesthetic. So, on this list there will be skeleton(ized) and openworked watches but not open-heart w...
Monochrome
A compact evolution of Ressence’s signature pebble-shaped case designs and original display of the time that circles around the dial like planets orbiting the Sun, the Type 9 is the brand’s smallest, lightest and most accessibly priced watch to date. Given its minimalist display and compact (wearable) proportions, the Type 9 has been singled out […]
Fratello
It’s time for a short confession: generally, I am not the biggest fan of skeletonized watches. While I greatly appreciate the possibility of witnessing a caliber in action, I much prefer to see it in action through a sapphire display in the case back. It’s purely an aesthetic thing because, as a design fanatic, I […] Visit Hands-On With The Rado Anatom Automatic Skeleton to read the full article.
Video
Monochrome
Chronoswiss, once best known for classically-styled regulator watches or skeletonised chronographs, has embraced a far more expressive, colourful and demonstrative design. The Space Timer collection is at the centre of this change, translating the traditional regulator display into rather bold compositions inspired by the cosmos. With the new Space Timer Gravity edition, Chronoswiss focuses not […]
SJX Watches
One of Louis Vuitton’s most distinctive complications, the Escale Worldtime was recently revised and upgraded, giving it improved legibility and an in-house movement. The nips and tucks have given the watch a sleeker, more refined aesthetic, while making the technicolour dial more readable. It’s still far from a “tool” watch, but the second-generation Escale Worldtime has all of the charm of the original that’s now grounded in solid, credible watchmaking. Initial thoughts I’m biased because I am a fan of the original Worldtime, right from when it was launched in 2014. The original was decidedly impractical, way too expensive, but an imaginatively different take on the classic Louis Cottier world time. The new model has all of the appeal of the original, but with a superior execution in substance and form. The new version has smoothed out all of the rough edges of the original, quite literally in some respects. The case is now finer, with more refined lines and a gently domed crystal, for instance. Functionality has improved substantially with a hand for the minutes and a jumping hours display. And the movement is now a latest-generation calibre, part of a family of industrial-haute horlogerie movements developed by LFT that is an achievement on its own. The LFT VO12.01 movement features a 22k pink gold rotor with a guilloche rim The Escale Worldtime costs over US$90,000, or about 10% more than the Patek Philippe World Time ref. 5330G in white gold. The Escale, ...
SJX Watches
Urwerk continues to iterate its most accessible model with the UR-100V “LightSpeed” Ceramic. The Lightspeed is essentially a variation of an earlier model, with ceramic composite replacing carbon composite. The ceramic composite incorporates fibreglass and carbon fibre, giving it a textured surface and greater strength. Though it’s relatively affordable compared to other Urwerk models, the UR-100V still retains the brand’s signature elements, including a wandering hours display and various astronomical-time indicators on the dial. Initial thoughts The UR-100V now exists in a multitude of variations, perhaps too many, but the Lightspeed stands out as one of the most interesting in both material and style. The ceramic composite case is appealing for both its appearance and utility – it is hard, strong, and lightweight – and is being used for the first time by Urwerk. It also doesn’t cost that much more than earlier versions of the model, making this iteration more compelling. More broadly, I would have liked Urwerk to vary the display across the UR-100V line, beyond the case material, making each iteration more distinct. As they stand, most share the same dial and indications, with only the case changing for each edition. Light and white Because the case is a ceramic composite rather than pure ceramic, it has a textured surface with a slight glossiness. These characteristics stem from the fibreglass and carbon fibre sheets within the composite, explaining the w...
Monochrome
Although it was never really gone, there seems to be a renaissance of the Jumping Hour, or Heures Sautante complication, and we’re quite delighted about this. There’s an interesting convergence in jump hour watches: the display is often simpler than a watch with central hands, but the mechanism behind it is quite challenging! Energy needs […]
Fratello
Vacheron Constantin unveils a new Overseas Tourbillon model with a captivating deep red sunburst dial. The aperture at 6 o’clock provides an unobstructed view of the tourbillon regulator, with the 22K gold peripheral rotor allowing light through the case back’s sapphire display. This model is the third iteration of the Overseas Tourbillon in a Grade […] Visit Vacheron Constantin Introduces A New Overseas Tourbillon In Titanium With A Deep Red Dial to read the full article.
Video
Monochrome
Launched in 2021, the Tonda PF collection introduced a new vision of contemporary haute horlogerie built around restraint, proportion and what CEO Guido Terreni calls “private luxury”, watches designed to be lived with rather than constantly replaced. Among the first models was the Tonda PF Micro-Rotor, a slim automatic watch with a date display. The […]
SJX Watches
Audemars Piguet (AP) updates the Royal Oak Selfwinding Chronograph 38 mm with a new manufacture calibre, sapphire display back, while slightly tweaking the iconic design – and retaining the price of its predecessor. The new cal. 6401 comes with welcome quality-of-life improvements such as a longer power reserve and instantaneous date without tradeoffs in wearability, beat rate, or even cost, making this compact chronograph one of the most sensible and compelling offerings in the Royal Oak line. Initial Thoughts AP debuted the first Royal Oak chronograph in 1997 and it was powered by the Frederic Piguet cal. 1185, a landmark movement for automatic chronograph design. Now, nearly three decades later, AP is a true industrialised manufacture, and the cal. 1185 has been replaced with the new cal. 6401, a modern movement that with meaningful upgrades under the hood. This also comes with some minute tweaks to the dial and a crowd pleasing display case back, while the case and bracelet remain as excellent as always. Laudably, this comes without a significant price increase, with the new Royal Oak Chronograph 38 mm in steel costing only 3.6% more than its predecessor. New Engine AP’s new cal. 6401 is a solidly-spec’ed movement despite being small and thin for a modern chronograph. It’s wide and taller than the Frederic Piguet cal. 1185 but only slightly. It is 27 mm in diameter (up from 26.2 mm) and 5.7 mm tall (up from 5.5 mm) though even with the addition of a sapphire ...
SJX Watches
Ahead of its much anticipated Watches & Wonders return, Audemars Piguet (AP) has reached deep into its archives for what in past years would have been a [RE]Master model. But now AP has renamed its vintage reissues, and it is the Neo Frame Jumping Hour that takes inspiration from a similar guichet model from 1929. This perfectly timed launch comes at a time of renewed interest in the digital display format. Initial thoughts Each time an established brand launches a completely new collection, the public response can be either positive (think Rolex Land-Dweller) or underwhelming. AP has come face-to-face with this in the past with the Code 11.59, which was bold but not well received initially (though much of the early criticism can be chalked up to cynicism). That experience hasn’t stopped the brand from continuing to diversify its portfolio away from the Royal Oak, and the latest effort capitalises on the growing interest in guichet watches. In doing so, AP reimagines an obscure piece from its own past, adding strong touches of modern design to create something with a more distinctive visual identity than one might expect from a simple jumping hours watch. Though the Neo Frame nomenclature might take a while to enter the vernacular, the guichet design feels like it’s coming to market at the right time. Ironically, the sleek profile of the Neo Frame’s case looks much like a sports smart band - albeit much glossier. Specifically, the way the polished black face connec...
Time+Tide
The Polo 79's yellow gold and white gold iterations are now joined by a sibling that's halfway between the two - a solid gold two-tone.The post Piaget brings the Polo 79 back in two‑tone gold appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
Having previously collaborated with almost every major art museum in the world, from MoMA to the Louvre, Swatch has licensed four masterpieces of 20th-century art from the Guggenheim, including works on display in New York and Venice. Accessibly priced, non-limited and available online, the Swatch x Guggenheim collection brings works from Monet, Degas, Klee, and Pollock to a wrist near you. Initial thoughts Painted dials have a long history in watchmaking, but the difficult nature of the work meant that for most of history they remained out of reach for all but the wealthiest clientele. While hand-painted dials are vanishingly rare and breathtakingly expensive, modern production methods mean that legendary masterpieces can now be easily scaled down and mass produced. Swatch was a pioneer in this regard, introducing its first artist collaboration with Kiki Picasso in 1985, just two years after the company launched its revolutionary plastic watch. The Picasso collaboration was the first of many, and since then there’s hardly a major art museum that hasn’t licensed selected works to Swatch. The works selected for this collaboration come from two different Guggenheim collections. Three of them are famously on display at the Guggenheim New York, while the fourth may be seen at the Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice. The odd-looking double-length seconds hand is an homage to this transatlantic duality. The Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice. Functionally, the four quar...
Video
Monochrome
We’re only about three weeks in, but the first annual watch fair is already behind us. LVMH Watch Week served up some very lovely new watches from within the LVMH group’s brands: Louis Vuitton, TAG Heuer, Bvlgari, Hublot, Zenith, Daniel Roth, Gérald Genta and Tiffany. And even though the amount of new watches on display […]
Fratello
Fears graced us with an interesting series of new releases in 2025. They included some solid new additions to the regular lineup, as well as some spectacular collaborative efforts. Now, the British brand kicks off 2026 with the Brunswick 40 “1846 Edition.” The watch is a special British Watchmakers’ Day exclusive that commemorates the brand’s […] Visit Fears Introduces The Brunswick “1846 Edition” Celebrating The Brand’s 180th Anniversary to read the full article.
SJX Watches
TAG Heuer is growing its signature line of chronographs literally and figuratively with the Carrera Chronograph “Glassbox” 41 mm. Stylistically similar to its 39 mm counterpart, the new Carrera features a larger “Glassbox” case but is otherwise almost identical, right down to the pump pushers and TH20 automatic movement, though enthusiasts will like the fact that the date display has been eliminated. Initial thoughts The “Glassbox” case is a good starting point, being distinctive but not as unconventional as the Monaco. The Carrera is retro-inspired but of an entirely modern construction, with its bowl-shaped dial, raised flange, and domed crystal. One of my favourite characteristics of the Carrera is the model’s pump-style pushers that give it a distinctive profile. Large and welcoming, the pushers provide the impression of a chronograph built to be used. And the 41 mm has the upside of doing away with the date. While the larger case is arguably not as well suited to the retro case design, it is a good fit for the TH20 that’s a relatively thick calibre. So while bigger, the 41 mm model is better proportioned in some ways. Commercially, the logic of the 41 mm is clear as well, since larger watches do well in many of the markets where TAG Heuer is historically strong, like the United States and Australia. Notably, the 41 mm includes a similarly scaled up version of the versatile seven-link stainless steel bracelet found on the smaller model. It echoes a “b...
SJX Watches
The resurrected Daniel Roth is keeping up the pace with new launches. At LVMH Watch Week 2026, the brand has finally unveiled an all-new model, one that is not based on a historical watch: the Extra Plat Rose Gold Skeleton. Though mechanically similar to last year’s Extra Plat, the skeleton version features a new movement boasting solid gold bridges that are hand finished, resulting in a movement that is visibly high quality in its execution. While the case is the familiar double-ellipse form that’s the Daniel Roth signature, the skeletonised movement is a new calibre with a modern style that gives this a fresh feel compared to the brand’s recent models that are firmly grounded in the 1990s Daniel Roth aesthetic. Initial thoughts The Extra Plat Rose Gold Skeleton is a good looking watch that’s instantly recognisable as a Daniel Roth, but importantly it will never be confused with a Daniel Roth watch from the 1990s like its siblings in the catalogue that are essentially remakes. This makes it the first genuinely new model in today’s Daniel Roth line-up. The Extra Plat Skeleton marks a new direction for today’s Daniel Roth, but ironically it calls to mind a skeleton model made by Daniel Roth when it was run by Bulgari. That’s not a bad thing; that particular Bulgari-Daniel Roth was one of the best watches produced by the brand during that period. Beyond its novelty, the watch is intrinsically appealing because it is clearly made to high standards. This is appar...
Monochrome
The independent watchmaking scene is not only important to MONOCHROME, but also gains the attention of an ever-growing number of people in the watch community. To us and probably to many of you, it’s the creative freedom, the attention to detail, the artisanal craftsmanship that’s more often than not on full display that excites us. […]
Video
Question, suggestion, or just want to say hi? Drop a note.