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Results for Spring Drive (9R65 / 9R86)

830 articles · 32 videos found · page 24 of 29

Introducing the Louis Erard 2300 Sport Chronograph Worn & Wound
Louis Erard 2300 Sport Chronograph When Sep 30, 2024

Introducing the Louis Erard 2300 Sport Chronograph

When I think of Louis Erard, two things tend to spring to mind: regulators and collaborations. As a brand, they have mastered each of these, and they have contributed to some of my favorite releases in recent years (the brand’s whimsical collaborations with Alain Silberstein spring to mind as a high watermark). The consequence of this success is it can be easy to ignore the other things Louis Erard does well. With the new Louis Erard 2300 Sport Chronograph, the brand is trying to remind us. When compared with mother-of-pearl dialed regulators, this latest trio of limited edition sports watches - each of which will be available in a “99-piece limited edition numbered in multiples of 3” - is a more down-the-middle release than we’re used to seeing from Louis Erard. But as one might expect from the brand, a closer look will reveal Louis Erard’s signature touch. On its surface, the 2300 Sport Chronograph is a fairly by-the-number Valjoux 7750-powered sports chronograph, with a large case (44mm across, 52.4mm lug-to-lug, and 15mm thick in well-finished Grade 5 Titanium) reminiscent of straight-lug Speedies and Carreras, a black ceramic bezel, and the very familiar 6-9-12 layout with day and date that most often accompanies the iconic movement. But the signature Louis Erard touch is there and, as with so many of their other watches, the magic here comes with the dial. When you take a moment to step back and think about it, chronograph dials - with their multiple ...

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It’s Cocktail Time Again: Seiko Introduces Two New Limited Editions in their Long Running Series of Cocktail Inspired Watches Worn & Wound
Seiko Introduces Two New Limited Sep 24, 2024

It’s Cocktail Time Again: Seiko Introduces Two New Limited Editions in their Long Running Series of Cocktail Inspired Watches

There are a handful of constants in the watch world that are truly worth celebrating: the annual crush of people on Geneva each spring for Watches & Wonders, the annual debate over whether a “summer watch” is a thing, and that first comment on any IG post that begs a watch to be a millimeter or two smaller. Like clockwork (pardon the pun) you can count on these things, year in and year out, and there’s comfort in that. Another reliable watch industry trope comes to us on a regular basis from Seiko in the form of the Cocktail Time limited edition, a tradition that began with a watch that is a true enthusiast icon, and now stands as a running series of just plain good dress watches that Seiko is somehow able to keep at a remarkably affordable price point.  The legend of the Cocktail Time really begins in earnest with the SARB065, a Japanese domestic market release that caught on with collectors in an earlier era of watch enthusiasm (the early 2010s) when message boards ruled the day. This particular watch is one that I can remember owning years ago and also being among the chorus of internet commenters recommending it to new enthusiasts when the inevitable question of “what dress watch under $XXX should I buy?” would come up. The new Cocktail Time watches, references SRPK93 and SRE015, are said to be inspired by the city of Tokyo at night, and the “Night-time Tokyo” cocktail created by STAR BAR owner Hisashi Kishi. Kishi is a celebrated creator of craft cockta...

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Introducing: Three New Seiko Astron GPS Solar Watches - SSJ023, SSJ025, And SSJ026 Fratello
Seiko Astron GPS Solar Watches Sep 24, 2024

Introducing: Three New Seiko Astron GPS Solar Watches - SSJ023, SSJ025, And SSJ026

The Seiko Astron GPS Solar with an easy-wearing tonneau case design debuted in the spring of 2022. This series started with four models housing Seiko’s 5X53 dual-time movement, and after that, several models followed, including ones with the chronograph caliber 5X83. Now three new, simpler references assume their places in the core collection. The dark […] Visit Introducing: Three New Seiko Astron GPS Solar Watches - SSJ023, SSJ025, And SSJ026 to read the full article.

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Habring² Pilot Watches: A Tale of Two Fun (and Rare) Complications Worn & Wound
IWC Sep 16, 2024

Habring² Pilot Watches: A Tale of Two Fun (and Rare) Complications

My journey with Habring² started back in 2009 when my girlfriend (now wife) and I decided to spend a cozy weekend in Vienna. At the time, I was living and working in Prague, thus it was an easy drive to Vienna. On a chilly November morning, after a delightful breakfast, we wandered through the city. That’s when I noticed these enormous banners showcasing various watch brands for an event called Vienna Time. Among them was a banner for Habring². I had been a fan of the brand but had never seen any of their watches in person. So, I jumped at the chance to visit and meet the brand’s founders, Richard and Maria Habring. Fast forward to today, after knowing the Habrings for so many years, I can honestly say they are some of the most down-to-earth and caring people you’ll ever meet. And it shows in their watchmaking too. I like to call it “honest watchmaking.” Their watches are reasonably priced, especially considering the various complications they offer. Even the packaging is charmingly unpretentious-a compact wooden box that simply says, “made with love.” In this box, the Habrings also include spare parts necessary for the first service with our preferred local watchmaker-a practical consideration. The Habrings do not like to discuss Richard’s past accomplishments at various big brands like IWC and Lange. However, they are well documented online. As a primer, I would recommend reading this Hodinkee article by Jason Heaton, and this WatchProZine write-up ...

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Rado Over-Pole Review Two Broke Watch Snobs
Rado Over-Pole Review Sep 16, 2024

Rado Over-Pole Review

In 2022, Rado re-released the Over-Pole as a limited edition of 1,965 pieces. The diameter remains as svelte as the original at 37mm. The height of the case is 10.4mm, and the lug-to-lug is 43mm. The lug width is 19mm, and it has a water resistance rating of 100m, though it does not have a screw-down crown. The case is fully polished. Interestingly, Rado chose to use a manually-wound movement for this reissue, rather than the automatic movement an original Over-Pole would have used. The movement is known as the Rado R862, and is modified from a Powermatic 80 found in other Swatch group watches. It has 80 hours of power reserve, and the Nivachron hairspring to increase its anti-magnetic properties. The movement is well finished, and can be seen through the watch’s transparent caseback.

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A Holthinrichs Progress Report: Updates on the Signature Collection and the Ornament Nouveau Worn & Wound
Holthinrichs Progress Report Updates Sep 4, 2024

A Holthinrichs Progress Report: Updates on the Signature Collection and the Ornament Nouveau

Earlier this spring, when the Worn & Wound team was in Switzerland for Watches & Wonders, we had a somewhat impromptu meeting with the Holthinrichs team at a very pleasant but nondescript Geneva coffee shop, somewhat off the beaten path of watch fair hysteria that grips the city during show season. It was there that we got our first look at the Signature Collection, a major shift in strategy for the brand, now planning to offer watches with a familiarly intricate case design but at a much lower price point than previous collections, thanks to new manufacturing partnerships and a retreat from 3D printing, a process that simply became to expensive as the brand’s designs became more complex. Founder Michiel Holthinrichs also told us about an ambitious new project during this meeting, the Ornament Nouveau, a watch that sits squarely in the haute horlogerie space. At that last meeting, Michiel only had renders of the Ornament Nouveau to show us on his phone, and some crude 3D printed prototype cases (in plastic) of the Signature Collection. Just a few months later, I sat down with Michiel and his team once again, at that same coffee shop, and was able to lay my hands on real watches that were every bit as impressive as I had hoped they’d be. It was a particular treat to see the Ornament Nouveau, a watch that the team is immensely proud of.  A quick caveat – we’re still dealing with prototypes here in the case of the Signature Collection pieces. The team had hoped to be...

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Alarm Watches: A Complete Guide to the Most Underappreciated Watch Com Teddy Baldassarre
Sep 4, 2024

Alarm Watches: A Complete Guide to the Most Underappreciated Watch Com

If we're ranking watch styles by everyday practicality, it's hard to beat the alarm watch. Most of us are regularly needing reminders of appointments, events, and other commitments, and to have the source of such audible alerts right on your wrist, rather than buried in a pocket or a handbag, would seem to be the height of practicality even in today's high-tech world. Around the middle of the 20th Century, many watchmakers agreed and began to embrace the style, but alarm watches never achieved anywhere near the widespread popularity of other complications like chronographs and GMTs. Nevertheless, the alarm watch has played a significant role in horological history, and a handful of important brands have not only been instrumental in its creation and development but continue to rely on it as a major pillar of their collections today. Here is the story of how the mechanical alarm watch came to be, how it became a signature style of certain watchmakers, and how it continues to evolve today despite its niche status in the industry.  Johannes Dürrstein, regarded as the inventor of the alarm watch  Watches with alarm functions go back farther into horological history than most probably realize. Johannes Dürrsstein, a watchmaker in Glashütte, Germany, invented the first mass-produced, alarm-equipped pocket watch caliber in 1900. Dürrstein’s invention used an extra-long mainspring that could fuel both the timekeeping and the independent alarm hand, which was activated by a...

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Citizen Tsuki-yomi A-T Review Teddy Baldassarre
Citizen Tsuki-yomi A-T Review Japan’s Aug 6, 2024

Citizen Tsuki-yomi A-T Review

Japan’s Citizen Watch Company marks 100 years of watchmaking in 2024, and some of its most noteworthy recent timepieces provide ample proof that, despite being in business for a full century, the brand’s drive toward forward-thinking technology and avant-garde design has not yet started to slow down. Take for example the Citizen Tsuki-yomi A-T, unveiled in Fall of 2023 - which is the culmination of 30 years of Citizen’s pioneering work in the field of radio-controlled atomic timekeeping. It is the first light-powered watch with a fully analog moon-phase display, and the first moon-phase that requires no manual adjustments whatsoever from the wearer thanks to its high-tech movement, Eco-Drive Caliber H874, which receives signals from six multi-band radio transmitters. The name “Tsuki-yomi” is derived from a Japanese phrase meaning “reading the moon,” and also refers to a moon god from ancient Japanese mythology, while the “A-T” is an abbreviation for “Atomic Timekeeping.” For the ingenious Eco-Drive movement, which runs to an astounding accuracy of +/- 15 seconds per month, Citizen’s designers developed a special mathematical formula that calculates the exact position of the moon on each day of the year by using the radio transmission signals from the world’s atomic clocks. The watch’s dial is also a distinguishing feature: its surface is enhanced with a textural lunar landscape motif of craters, moondust and lakes that is “bold yet subtle en...

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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 Slims Down 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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