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Results for Spring Drive (9R65 / 9R86)

800 articles · 21 videos found · page 23 of 28

Hands-On: the Bravur Team Heritage Collection Worn & Wound
Bravur Jul 23, 2024

Hands-On: the Bravur Team Heritage Collection

I didn’t learn how to drive a car until I was 25 years old. This was partially motivated by the same frugality that draws me to budget watches, but mostly because bikes offered fun and freedom that cars simply couldn’t compete with. Whether running a quick errand as fast as my legs could carry me without fear of a speeding ticket or riding 100 miles in a single day just for the hell of it, bikes took me everywhere I needed to go. Representing simpler years filled with adventure, cycling was the only hobby that truly captured my heart in the same way watches do today. Though bikes are worth obsessing over and have their own enthusiast community not unlike watches, they have their limitations and mine went into the garage (which I suddenly needed for an old beat-up Volvo) when my daughter was born. It gathered dust, fell victim to tire rot, and was eventually forgotten all together due to its inability to house a growing number of car seats. It was around this same time I was bit by the watch bug, which in retrospect is no coincidence. Last year, cycling made an unexpected re-emergence in my life. I binge watched Tour de France: Unchained on Netflix, learning about different teams, seeing the colorful jerseys they wear, and getting a crash course in how much cycling has changed since I last checked in. Coincidentally, it was at this same time that my friends started pestering me to join them on the trail. Fun fact, did you know you can buy an entire bike for the price of...

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Girard-Perregaux Introduces a New Casquette in Collaboration with Saint Laurent Worn & Wound
Girard-Perregaux Introduces Jul 11, 2024

Girard-Perregaux Introduces a New Casquette in Collaboration with Saint Laurent

We love quartz watches at Worn & Wound. For many of us, they were the first watches we ever wore, and represent a foundation of enthusiasm that has stretched on for years. There are many, many facets to quartz, and if you think of quartz watches simply as “affordable” alternatives to mechanical, you’re missing out on a lot of history, unique design, and special movements that simply aren’t possible with a mechanical caliber. One of my favorite little quartz rabbit holes is the output of traditional, high-end Swiss brands during the earliest days of the technology, leading up into the period often referred to as the “quartz crisis.” It’s fascinating to look back and see how these brands handled such a major shock to a centuries old industry, and the quartz watches produced by the most storied Swiss brands during this period are almost always significant, carrying with them design attributes that effectively distinguish them from traditional mechanical watches.  The Girard-Perregaux Casquette is one of my favorite examples of a storied Swiss brand experimenting with quartz at the very beginning. The Casquette first appeared in 1976 and was brought back as the Casquete 2.0 in 2022 in a limited edition that quickly sold out to some degree of fanfare and acclaim. The watch has what is now frequently referred to as a “driver’s style” orientation, with an LED display that displays the time digitally when viewed from the side. In the mid-1970s, this certainly ...

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Hands-on - The Delightful Montblanc 1858 Unveiled Minerva Monopusher Chronograph Monochrome
Montblanc 1858 Unveiled Minerva Monopusher Jul 10, 2024

Hands-on - The Delightful Montblanc 1858 Unveiled Minerva Monopusher Chronograph

This spring, Montblanc introduced the latest addition to the Unveiled Minerva series, the Unveiled Minerva Monopusher Chronograph. Like the 2022-2023 releases, the Unveiled Secret Minerva Monopusher Chronographs, it showcases the beautiful mechanics of the underlying movement in an exciting and visually captivating way. The new Unveiled Minerva Monopusher Chronograph continues the inverted calibre concept with […]

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De Bethune Launches Two New DB Eight References Worn & Wound
De Bethune Launches Two New DB Jun 14, 2024

De Bethune Launches Two New DB Eight References

A little over a year on from the release of the DB Eight, De Bethune is following up the mono-usher chronograph with two new variants, each in gold, and each of which offers a welcome look back at the early days of the brand.  De Bethune is a brand well-versed in the avant-garde. The name alone tends to conjure images of remarkably blue tourbillons with spring-loaded lugs, and other sci-fi-esque watches. In the last few years, De Bethune has become well known for pushing the boundaries of watchmaking in both a technical and aesthetic sense - they even sent a watch to (near) space on the wrist of Michael Strahan. If you’re only familiar with De Bethune thanks to watches like the DB28 Kind of Blue Tourbillon or the DB28GS Yellow Submarine, looking back at the early days of De Bethune might come with a bit of a surprise. Early De Bethunes stood out not because of any outrageous architecture or wild case finishing, but rather thanks to a refined - and very traditional - look, backed up by the technical prowess of Denis Flageollet, the brand’s founder. The DB8 was one of these early, very traditional watches. Though still identifiable as a De Bethune thanks to its bullet lugs and three-part case, the DB8 was (in most senses) a very traditional take on the concept of a mono-pusher chronograph dress watch. The new DB Eight is a fitting follow up to that watch, holding on to much of the original’s concept and charm, but with each and every detail refined and update...

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An Icon Turns 100: A Century of the Montblanc Meisterstück Worn & Wound
Montblanc Meisterstück May 22, 2024

An Icon Turns 100: A Century of the Montblanc Meisterstück

For over a century, Montblanc’s Meisterstück fountain pen has left an indelible mark on the world of pens. As a pen guy myself, it’s hard to overstate this fact. Since its introduction in 1924, the Meisterstück, aptly translated as “masterpiece” in German, has long been the hero product among a series of hero products from the German brand. To put it mildly: when you close your eyes and think of Montblanc, you’re undoubtedly thinking of a Meisterstück.  This year, the brand is celebrating their 100th anniversary. A milestone for any company, it’s especially exciting to ring in the centenary with the Meisterstück due to its intersection of style, performance, and luxury. Origins and Evolution of the Meisterstück To understand the Meisterstück, we must first understand the company background of Montblanc. In the early part of the 20th Century, Montblanc didn’t have the same cachet as it does today. The market was inundated and while the brand was known as a reliable pen, it wasn’t the luxury brand we know and love today. In fact, Montblanc wasn’t even Montblanc then. The founding company was called Simplo and produced a variety of writing instruments at price points that were more economical to keep up with market competition. But Simplo had big plans and in 1924, the Meisterstück was added as  the hero product which defined their luxury category. In a short time, the Meisterstück would be the springboard which would launch a range of luxury goods...

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[VIDEO] Review: The Grand Seiko Tentagraph SLGC001 Worn & Wound
Grand Seiko Tentagraph SLGC001 Grand Seiko May 22, 2024

[VIDEO] Review: The Grand Seiko Tentagraph SLGC001

Grand Seiko releases a lot of watches. If you’re a cynic, this might be what you’d identify as the brand’s defining characteristic. They’ve developed a reputation for endless variants, swapping dial colors, textures, case shapes, and movements in every conceivable combination. There’s a joke about weather in New England, that if you don’t like it, all you have to do is wait, and you could make a similar one about Grand Seiko: if you’re after a particular dial/color/case combo that doesn’t exist yet, there’s a decent chance it’ll materialize eventually.  But for all the SKUs in the Grand Seiko catalog, and the genuine variety you’ll find there, something was missing: a mechanical chronograph. There’s long been a line of Spring Drive chronographs (and Spring Drive chronographs with a GMT complication) but, kind of surprisingly, there’s never been a purely mechanical chrono under the Grand Seiko banner.  $13700 [VIDEO] Review: The Grand Seiko Tentagraph SLGC001 Case High-intensity titanium Movement 9SC5 Dial Blue Lume Yes, hands and markers Lens Sapphire Strap High-intensity titanium bracelet Water Resistance 10 bar Dimensions 43.2 x 51.5mm Thickness 15.3mm Lug Width 23mm Crown Screw down Warranty Yes Price $13700 That changed a year ago with the launch of the Tentagraph, the centerpiece of Grand Seiko’s Watches & Wonders 2023, and easily their most ambitious release of the year. If you take the Kodo out of the equation, it’s almost certainly t...

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Fratello’s Top 5 Recently Auctioned Watches - Featuring Patek Philippe, Rolex, And Cartier Fratello
Patek Philippe Rolex May 17, 2024

Fratello’s Top 5 Recently Auctioned Watches - Featuring Patek Philippe, Rolex, And Cartier

Last weekend was a big one for the renowned auction houses. All the famous ones in Geneva had incredibly impressive timepieces under the hammer. Some amazing watches, including rare or unique vintage ones, were in the avalanche of timepieces we saw for sale at the yearly spring auctions. We went through the different results and […] Visit Fratello’s Top 5 Recently Auctioned Watches - Featuring Patek Philippe, Rolex, And Cartier to read the full article.

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Hands-On With The Citizen Super Titanium Automatic Small Seconds Fratello
Citizen Super Titanium Automatic Small May 16, 2024

Hands-On With The Citizen Super Titanium Automatic Small Seconds

This hands-on is a classic case of “save the best for last.” One week ago, we published my hands-on review of the Citizen Super Titanium Eco-Drive Day-Date and Chronograph series. The third set of models we had in for review was the Citizen Super Titanium Automatic Small Seconds. After trying the three different model series, […] Visit Hands-On With The Citizen Super Titanium Automatic Small Seconds to read the full article.

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Yema Slims Down the Navygraf in a New Limited Edition Worn & Wound
Yema May 13, 2024

Yema Slims Down the Navygraf in a New Limited Edition

A micro-rotor dive watch? For under $2,000? At first blush, the concept may seem outrageous. After all, micro-rotor movements are typically reserved for high-end dress watches and complicated Indies. They’re hardly at home in the sort of accessible dive watches so many of us like, but Yema has - for the second time this year - dropped a svelte micro-rotor-powered dive watch, and they certainly have my attention. Yema is not a new name in the watch space. The brand has been around in some form or another since 1948 and, since its return to French ownership in 2008, the brand has been working hard to build itself into a leading French watchmaker. While they are best known today for their vintage-inspired dive watches like the Superman, over the last few years, Yema has slowly been building up a quiver of French-made manufacture movements produced in France’s own version of the Vallée de Joux, the watchmaking hub of Morteau. To date, they have introduced three movements in this series of French-designed calibers, with more surely to come. Though still reliant on Switzerland for regulating organs and some movement parts (not a bad thing on any level, even Roger Smith uses Swiss-made mainsprings), these movements have been a big step for the brand, and are far from being simple ETA or Sellita clones, like we so often see. The first of these was the CMM.20, a slim 3.7mm ultra-thin micro-rotor movement, with near-COSC accuracy, an anti-magnetic construction, a 70-hour po...

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Hublot Combines a Two-Week Power Reserve and a Blue Sapphire Crystal Case SJX Watches
Hublot Combines May 6, 2024

Hublot Combines a Two-Week Power Reserve and a Blue Sapphire Crystal Case

A perfect illustration of Hublot’s extravagant style and technical proficiency, the Hublot Big Bang MP-11 14 Day Power Reserve Water Blue Sapphire boasts 336 hours of power reserve thanks to seven laterally stacked barrels working with 90° bevel gears and a helical worm screw to drive the movement. This is a new variant of an existing model, with the difference being the case crafted from transparent “water blue” sapphire crystal. Initial thoughts Hublot is an anomaly. It’s one of the 20 biggest watchmakers in Switzerland by revenue and boasts a vertically integrated manufactured but is often criticised for being something of a “fashion” brand by enthusiasts and non-enthusiasts alike. Part of this pushback probably stems from the brand’s entry-level watches that use inexpensive stock movements that are priced expensively for what they are. The mechanics don’t live up to the price. That reasoning is sound, but it doesn’t reflect the brand’s top-of-the-line products. Like the recent MP-10, the new MP-11 reflects Hublot’s ability in movements and materials. Its manufacture develops and produces complex in-house calibres with unique complications and novel constructions, usually presented in cases made of novel materials with distinctive aesthetics and properties. The only downside of such complications is their size. The MP-11 is enormous at 45 mm in diameter, and it isn’t even the chunkiest watch that Hublot produces. This limits its wearability and ...

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Up Close: Patek Philippe Cloisonné World Time Ref. 605 HU DE “World Map” SJX Watches
Patek Philippe Cloisonné World Time Ref Apr 30, 2024

Up Close: Patek Philippe Cloisonné World Time Ref. 605 HU DE “World Map”

One of the highlights this coming spring auction season in Geneva is prime example of a rare watch at Antiquorum. Consigned by the family of the original owner, the Patek Philippe World Time Cloisonné “World” ref. 605 HU DE in pink gold is both in fine condition and boasting a possibly unique combination of features, namely a pink gold case, a “world” motif cloisonné dial in unusual colours, and early “observatory” style hands. Produced for some three decades from about 1937 to the 1950s, the ref. 605 HU (short for heure universelles, or “universal time”) is a quintessential Louis Cottier-type world time; its wristwatch counterpart was the ref. 2523 HU. Just over 80 were made over the production run, with about two-thirds in yellow gold and the rest in pink gold. They were made by Louis Cottier in his Geneva workshop in an artisanal manner, explaining the variances across examples. Most were equipped with conventional metal dials, including rare examples in pink or black, but from the 1940s onwards, Patek Philippe began selling the ref. 605 HU with cloisonné enamel dials. Less than 20 were made with cloisonné dials, most depicting map motifs of some sort. A handful, maybe just two, featured figurative dials, including the ref. 605 HU in the Patek Philippe Museum with the Greek sea god Neptune on the dial (that Antiquorum sold in 1989). This example is rare for having a map of the entire world – only two others are known – as well as being in pink go...

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Editorial: Our Reactions to the Bremont Rebrand Worn & Wound
Bremont Rebrand Bremont made their Apr 19, 2024

Editorial: Our Reactions to the Bremont Rebrand

Bremont made their debut at Watches & Wonders last week, and they unexpectedly became the talk of the show. The new watches represent a dramatic departure from the design language Bremont has cultivated over the past 20 years, and serve as the introduction of Davide Cerrato at the helm of the company (he’s been CEO since spring of last year, but these new novelties are the first from the brand without the design input of founders Nick and Giles English). Relaunches are complicated, and we can’t recall a similar attempt at a rebrand that was so ambitious. To unveil a completely new strategy at a brand’s first Watches & Wonders under a CEO who has been in place for less than a year is a massive undertaking, and regardless of how you feel about Bremont’s new direction, there’s no denying that this was a big swing. Below you’ll find reactions to Bremont’s Watches & Wonders presence from Zach Weiss and Zach Kazan, both of whom had a chance to (briefly) go hands-on with the new novelties. We hope to have an opportunity to spend more time with these watches in the near future to bring you a more complete evaluation outside the fanfare and noise of the industry’s major trade show. Zach Kazan A somewhat slower year for big, flashy new releases at Watches & Wonders means that smaller stories about watches and brands that don’t normally generate a ton of heat will be talked about and picked apart in a way you wouldn’t necessarily see. Last year, when Rolex dropped...

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Baltic Kicks off the Tour Auto with a Limited Edition Tricompax Chronograph Worn & Wound
Baltic Kicks off Apr 18, 2024

Baltic Kicks off the Tour Auto with a Limited Edition Tricompax Chronograph

The Tour Auto, rooted in the historic Tour de France Automobile dating back to 1899, has become a pinnacle of motorsport, featuring legendary drivers like Maurice Trintignant and iconic brands such as Ferrari and Porsche. Today, over 250 competing crews traverse France’s scenic roads and racetracks, captivating spectators. Baltic returns for a second year in the row as the Official Timekeeper, and, in commemoration of the event, has produced 500 Tricompax timepieces. The Tricompax’s colorway strikes a balance between tradition and modernity, drawing inspiration from the excitement and iconography of the race. Its dial, in a matte light beige, complements three black-ringed subdials, reminiscent of the Tour de France Automobile’s colors. Accentuated by a black railway track, it pairs harmoniously with the tachymeter scale bezel, designed for speeds of up to 200 km/h. The Tricompax is encased in a 39.5mm 316L stainless steel case, clocking in at a thin 13.5mm profile. With a 63-hour power reserve from the Sellita SW510-M manually wound movement, 50-meter water resistance, and its double-domed sapphire crystal, each feature of this watch is meant for the long-haul.  Each watch comes with both a steel flat link bracelet and a navy blue Alcantara strap, housed in a beautifully presented custom-made case. Also included in the case is a Rally Timer comprising two emblematic motorsport tools: a stopwatch with a matte light gray dial, operated by a Hanhart hand-wound movemen...

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I Bought a Pre-Owned Omega Speedmaster Reduced that’s as Old as Me Worn & Wound
Omega Speedmaster Reduced that’s as Apr 3, 2024

I Bought a Pre-Owned Omega Speedmaster Reduced that’s as Old as Me

It is often warned, within the watch enthusiast community, that pre-owned (especially bordering on vintage) watch collecting is a monster all its own - sitting at the end of booby-trapped temple, with spring-loaded spike walls and perilous pits waiting to consume another person tempted by the pretty shiny things inside. And yet, occasionally you manage to traverse the ledge, dodge the poison barbs, and slide under the closing stone door, grabbing your fedora in the nick of time. Sometimes things just go right, but giving yourself the space to be vigilant always helps. Does anyone else hear a John Williams score in their head? Just me? Like many a watch collector before me, I’ve been yearning for an Omega Speedmaster since I first found out about its heroic travels. It went to the moon, I believe. I dunno, you’ll have to double check me on that. Anyway, I would take almost weekly trips to the AD just to try it on. Each visit went the same way. I’d approach the Omega counter, point to the Speedmaster Professional, and say “you know which one.” Sapphire sandwich because I love marveling at the movement. My AD would stand there while I carefully inspected it. As I did the week before, and the one before that. I’d tell him, “you can go help the guy over there if you need to,” knowing damn well he can’t leave me alone with the watch, but it made me feel better to say it to establish that I am, yet again, not ready to buy it. We’d chitchat, I’d leave, and ...

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Breaking News: Michael Schumacher’s AP Royal Oak, F.P. Journe Vagabondage at Christie’s SJX Watches
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Chronograph Mar 20, 2024

Breaking News: Michael Schumacher’s AP Royal Oak, F.P. Journe Vagabondage at Christie’s

The spring sale season that kicks off in Geneva come mid May will no doubt include many top lots across the three major auction houses, but Christie’s will claim two of the most compelling watches to go on the block: an Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Chronograph and F.P. Journe Vagabondage, both unique pieces made for Michael Schumacher. Gifts from longtime Scuderia Ferrari manager Jean Todt, each watch features a custom dial commemorating Mr Schumacher’s unprecedented streak of Formula 1 world championships, as well as commemorative engraving on the back. The pair come straight from the Schumacher collection, consigned by his family along with a handful of other watches. Mr Schumacher’s watches will be offered at Christie’s Rare Watches auction taking place on May 13, 2024 in Geneva. Initial thoughts I follow F1 casually and I usually don’t like watches with emblems on the dial – the Vagabondage has 11 logos on the hour scale – but these two watches are exceptionally desirable in my eyes, particularly the Vagabondage, which is incredible for its rarity and provenance. The watches capture Mr Schumacher’s remarkable racing career – his seven world championships tie him with Lewis Hamilton as the all-time record holders – evoking the glamour and prestige of Formula 1 but also the longstanding association between watchmakers and auto racing that arguably started with sports chronographs like the Daytona and Carrera in the 1960s. At the same time, the watches il...

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Ollech & Wajs Introduce the Rallychron, a Tribute to the Golden Age of Motorsport Worn & Wound
Mar 19, 2024

Ollech & Wajs Introduce the Rallychron, a Tribute to the Golden Age of Motorsport

Ollech & Wajs has announced a new chronograph inspired by the golden age of motorsport. The OW Rallychron joins the collection this spring, and it’s a watch with at once appears traditional, and pulled straight from a 1960s race track, and also has some Easter eggs that racing aficionados will surely appreciate. Ollech & Wajs releases are always notable in our view because of the brand’s unique, somewhat offbeat sensibility, and their habit of overbuilding their watches to an almost comical degree. The OW Rallychron has a 39.5mm stainless steel case that is completely brushed, and is based on heritage chronographs from the Ollech & Wajs catalog. And while this watch has the appearance of being track ready, it has water resistance to 300 meters, so it will easily stand up to any water related activities you throw at it, or any unfortunate track related incidents that become water related activities. Unsurprisingly, the case is a tad thick to accommodate the water resistance (and the Valjoux 7753 movement), measuring in at 15.3mm.  The dial is gray with black subdials, and is inspired by grayscale news photography that you might have seen in the 1960s when racing was covered in the media. It makes this one a muted and somewhat understated affair, even with what is likely to be a somewhat massive wrist presence given the case height. The hands offer the first bit of racing inspired design, with hour and minute hands being given a checkered pattern, recalling, of course, ...

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Sunday Morning Showdown: Omega Seamaster Diver 300M Vs. Rolex Submariner Date Ref. 126610LN Fratello
Omega Seamaster Diver 300M Vs Mar 10, 2024

Sunday Morning Showdown: Omega Seamaster Diver 300M Vs. Rolex Submariner Date Ref. 126610LN

Welcome to another Sunday Morning Showdown. With sunshine finally appearing after a gray winter, it’s time to look forward to spring and summer. This week, we have a very special showdown. It’s a battle that we have never seen in our series - the current Omega Seamaster Professional Diver 300M versus the current Rolex Submariner […] Visit Sunday Morning Showdown: Omega Seamaster Diver 300M Vs. Rolex Submariner Date Ref. 126610LN to read the full article.

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[VIDEO] Our 2024 New Release Season Predictions Worn & Wound
Girard-Perregaux Feb 29, 2024

[VIDEO] Our 2024 New Release Season Predictions

New release season in the watch industry is really heating up, so we thought we’d get a sense of what our team is expecting as we head into Watches & Wonders, and a spring that’s sure to be filled with high profile new watches from brands of all sizes. Maybe it’s a bit of wishcasting, but Zach Weiss and Zach Kazan have similar ideas around the industry getting weird, or at least moving away from some of the predictably crowd pleasing watches we’ve seen dominate the space over the last several years. An entire generation of collectors is maturing, and it follows that they’ll be looking for new watches outside what we’d consider the run of the mill. Is this the year brands respond with accessible craft, new complications, and raw creativity? We hope so!  Are stone dials coming back? This onyx dial from Fears and Collective just dropped last week. Meanwhile, Kyle Snarr is convinced that this is the year of the pink watch. He might be onto something – we’ve already seen a high profile pink dial from Grand Seiko, and we swear this was shot before that release was made known to us. We’ll also be tracking Nina Flanders’s prediction that brands will turn to uncommon materials to garner attention in 2024. Recent releases from Girard-Perregaux and Fears would seem to indicate she might be on the right track.  We want to know what you think: let us know in the comments what you’re expecting brands to headline with as new release season gains steam.  The post ...

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Three Low Profile Watches for Travelers Worn & Wound
Feb 28, 2024

Three Low Profile Watches for Travelers

As spring and summer approach, no doubt many of you (and certainly we) have aspirations to travel more – or have already laid plans. Of course, one of the joys of watch collecting and enthusiasm is being able to travel and forge new memories with our watches. The ideal travel watch is arguably one that doesn’t skimp on any functionality but also doesn’t shout too loudly. Even beyond watch theft, we want traveling to be about the experiences and people and not only about the watches. To that end, this edition of the Windup Watch Shop Chronicle aims to highlight watches that would make solid travel companions thanks to their low-key profiles and relatively affordable price tags. Regardless of which direction you take, there’s adventure to be had ahead. As spring and summer approach, no doubt many of you (and certainly we) have aspirations to travel more – or have already laid plans. Of course, one of the joys of watch collecting and enthusiasm is being able to travel and forge new memories with our watches. The ideal travel watch is arguably one that doesn’t skimp on any functionality but also doesn’t shout too loudly. Even beyond watch theft, we want traveling to be about the experiences and people and not only about the watches. To that end, this edition of the Windup Watch Shop Chronicle aims to highlight watches that would make solid travel companions thanks to their low-key profiles and relatively affordable price tags. Regardless of which direction you ta...

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Grand Seiko Unveils a New, Smaller 62GS Case in Titanium Worn & Wound
Grand Seiko Unveils Feb 12, 2024

Grand Seiko Unveils a New, Smaller 62GS Case in Titanium

Spring is coming early, or at least that’s what Punxsutawney Phil would have us believe. February 2 was Groundhog Day in North America. In case you don’t know (or haven’t seen the Bill Murray movie), this is the day that groundhogs around the country are coaxed from their burrows in an attempt to predict the arrival of spring weather. If the groundhog emerges to see its shadow, it will nestle back into its cozy home and winter will continue for six more weeks. Thankfully, at least for everyone pining for warmer weather, the definitive Groundhog - the aforementioned Punxsutawney Phil - predicted an early Spring. Mere days later, he has been proven right with the release of two new Spring-inspired releases by Grand Seiko. Like many Grand Seiko releases, the obvious stand-out feature of these watches are the dials. Still, before we dive into that it’s worth taking a look at the broader strokes of the SBGH341 “Sakura-Kakushi” and SBGH343 “Sakura-Wakaba.” These new releases come in a familiar 62GS case produced in Grand Seiko’s high-intensity titanium on a matching bracelet. Except, it’s not quite the case we’re used to seeing. When the 62GS case was relaunched by Grand Seiko back in 2019, it was upsized to 40mm. This new interpretation of the 62GS brings that back down to a wonderful 38mm. With their scaled-down dimensions and at just 12.9mm thick, these fall squarely into the goldilocks dimensions so many collectors seek out these days. Throw in the...

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More New Watches Celebrating the Year of the Dragon Worn & Wound
TAG Heuer uses Feb 9, 2024

More New Watches Celebrating the Year of the Dragon

This Chinese zodiac assigns an animal to represent each lunar new year, cycling through the 12 animals who according to myth came down from heaven to help the Chinese people celebrate the spring. This year is the year of the dragon, which promises to bring good fortune and strength-and, of course, year of the dragon special edition watches. Worn & Wound has already covered some of the best ones out there, but one article (and even two) isn’t enough to cover them all. The IWC Portugieser Chronograph might be the most beautiful year of the dragon watch to come out thus far. The wine colored dial with gold numerals and hands that just ooze luxury, and pays tribute to the Chinese new year on its movement, which features an intricately carved gold dragon rotor. The watch comes with a black calfskin strap, but the rubber strap in a wine that matches the dial provides a stunning complement. IWC has done a few Chinese new year models in the past-this one is far and away the best. The brand’s year of the rabbit had a similar wine and gold coloring, but lacked a two-subdial chronograph complication like the year of the dragon. 2022’s year of the tiger was a chronograph but as a three-subdial chronograph with day and date windows, the dial just feels crowded and lacks the more elegant simplicity of this year’s model. And the metal work on the dragon rotor blows away the last two years’ animal rotors. Tag Heuer uses the inverse color scheme of the special edition Portugi...

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The New Longines Conquest Heritage Central Power Reserve Celebrates a Big Anniversary by Updating a Mid Century Classic Worn & Wound
Longines Conquest Heritage Central Power Feb 1, 2024

The New Longines Conquest Heritage Central Power Reserve Celebrates a Big Anniversary by Updating a Mid Century Classic

It’s like we always say: every year is an anniversary year. As surely as the sky is blue and the tax bill comes every spring, watch brands will celebrate major (and not so major, to be honest) anniversaries with new watch releases. This year, Longines is celebrating what is actually a fairly big milestone for their Conquest collection, which turns 70 in 2024. This line is pure mid century elegance, which in my opinion never really went out of fashion, even if sportier watches have been the focus of the watch world for much of the last decade. The Conquest watches immediately evoke a period of time when you could wear a fedora unironically, and smoke cigarettes indoors. A simpler time, before we felt the need to place watches into distinct categories, and they were just watches. You get a little taste of that with the new Conquest Heritage Central Power Reserve, as well as a very cool execution of a common complication.  The new reference seen here is a reinterpretation of a watch that made its debut in 1959 and featured a power reserve indicator in the center of the dial, which functioned with two rotating discs. The modern version uses the same principle as the watch from the 50s, with a power reserve indicator tied to an uncoiling disc marked with a baton shaped indicator that tracks the movement’s power over the course of its 64 hours of running time. Seeing the power reserve at the center of the dial seems remarkably intuitive, and Longines, for their part, take c...

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Hands-on - The Updated and Captivating new Glashütte Original Senator Excellence Models Monochrome
Glashütte Original Senator Excellence Models Jan 4, 2024

Hands-on - The Updated and Captivating new Glashütte Original Senator Excellence Models

In 2016, Glashütte Original unveiled the Senator Excellence series, an offspring of the more considerable Senator collection distinguished by a subtly modern and elegant aesthetic. Along with the series, the brand introduced the in-house Calibre 36, featuring a silicon balance spring, a substantial 100-hour power reserve, and chronometer-grade timekeeping. This innovative movement was the foundation […]

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Seiko Releases a Pair of Colorful Seiko 5 Sports GMT LEs for the Asian Market Worn & Wound
Seiko Releases Jan 2, 2024

Seiko Releases a Pair of Colorful Seiko 5 Sports GMT LEs for the Asian Market

In the spring of 2022, nearly overshadowed by the launch of a certain celestially inspired plastic quartz chronograph, Seiko introduced the Seiko 5 Sports GMT. A watch that brought mechanical GMT movements to the masses. Previously, the least expensive mechanical GMT watches were well north of four figures. Since then, there has been a flutter of affordable GMTs, but very few can match Seiko’s incredible value proposition. In the months following the initial release, there have been a few added color variants and just in time to end 2023 with a bang, Seiko is introducing two new pieces. The Thong Sia Limited Editions exclusive to Malaysia, Brunei, Hong Kong, Macau, and Singapore. They will be restricted to 1000 pieces in each colorway. The Ice Blue SSK029 features a light blue/white dial, with blue hour, minute and second hands, and a red GMT hand. The bezel is a combination of black and blue. The Passion Red SSK031 is, as you can imagine, quite the opposite of the latter model. Featuring a deep red dial, with steel hour, minute and second hands, and a gold GMT hand. This one has a red and black bezel.  These watches will be available from January 2024 and are limited to the Asian markets referenced above. Like all regional releases, they’ll undoubtedly pop up in the usual second hand and international retail outlets where watches like this can often be found shortly after becoming available, so be on the lookout if you’re interested in collecting some of the more h...

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10 Best Watch Winders for Any Collector's Budget in 2026 Teddy Baldassarre
Jan 2, 2024

10 Best Watch Winders for Any Collector's Budget in 2026

If you own any automatic watches at all, especially enough of them to ensure that you’re not wearing the same one daily, you will inevitably face the issue of keeping those watches running, and set to the proper time and date, when they’re not on your wrist. Some collectors choose to simply commit to re-winding and re-setting their automatic watches when their power reserve runs down - it’s a ritual that many traditionalists actually enjoy - but others would rather invest in some high-tech hardware to lend a hand. Here is where a watch winder comes in. These helpful and often luxuriously appointed machines are designed to store your precious self-winding timepieces while also keeping them charged via electronic,  motorized rotations - the timing, direction, and duration of which can often be pre-set and monitored - that mimic the natural movement of a wearer’s wrist. For those ready to dip their toe into the wide world of watch winders, we’ve gathered 10 favorites from 10 brands representing as wide a variety as possible in terms of styles, sizes, and price points. Wolf Roadster 4PC Watch Winder ($2,095) Wolf watch winders, known for their fusion of leather, wood, glass, and steel, work on a 24-hour cycle, with six-hour periods of intermittent activity followed by “sleep” periods that allow the tension in the watches’ mainsprings to ease, avoiding over-winding. Fifty different cycles are possible, allowing the owner to specify factors such as direc...

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