Pre-Basel 2018: Jacob & Co. Gets Furious
The Latest “Grand Comp” from Jacob & Co.
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The Latest “Grand Comp” from Jacob & Co.
Time+Tide
Not so long ago, the TAG Heuer Carrera was one of the watch world’s most easily recognised chronographs. Now, it’s every kind of watch imaginable. It’s time-only, it’s a Connected watch, it’s a tourbillon; you name it, there’s a Carrera variant. Hell, I’m wearing a Carrera today and it’s a removable time-only module that I’ve fitted onto … ContinuedThe post VIDEO: Is there a risk the TAG Heuer Carrera takes over the collection and becomes less special? Biver fires up, again appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Revolution
Deployant
A series of portraits I took, with the intention to create a set for an exhibition. Master watchmakers are the soul of the industry, I wanted to capture some of that powerful character which makes them enigmatic to the watch collecting public. These are great genii who know how to work with their hands. Today,Read More
SJX Watches
Episode 24 of the SJX Podcast covers the surprises and unexpected developments of 2025, a year marked by significant material innovation and bold statements from established brands. In this final episode of 2025, SJX and Brandon discuss Rolex’s landmark Land-Dweller with its revolutionary Dynapulse escapement, Breguet’s experimental magnetic constant-force mechanism that achieved unprecedented precision, and TAG Heuer’s industrialization of carbon hairsprings. Vacheron Constantin also surprised with an extraordinary 150 kg astronomical clock created for its 270th anniversary, temporarily displayed at the Louvre alongside a companion wristwatch. Thank you to all our listeners for joining us throughout 2025 – happy new year! Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Youtube.
Fratello
As 2025 draws to a close, it’s a natural moment to pause, take stock, and look ahead at what the coming year may hold for the watch industry. In this week’s episode of Fratello Talks, Nacho is joined by Daan and Lex for an in-depth conversation about the various factors and forces that are actively […] Visit Fratello Talks: The Forces Redefining The Watch Industry’s Future to read the full article.
SJX Watches
Breguet concludes its 250th anniversary with the brand’s most forward-thinking watch, the Expérimentale 1 that boasts a magnetic, true constant force escapement. Equipped with a frictionless escape wheel and pallet lever driven by magnetic forces, the movement runs at 72,000 beats per hour, or 10 Hz – arguably making the Expérimentale 1 the ultimate Breguet chronometer. Impressively innovative with its use of silicon, magnets, and clever teeth geometry, the limited edition watch also marks the start of the Expérimentale line, a collection that will serve as a platform to debut new complications, technology, and designs. Initial thoughts While some might have been expecting an updated Sympathique, Breguet instead surprised with perhaps the most advanced wrist-borne mechanical chronometer in modern watchmaking. Taking cues from Abraham-Louis Breguet’s own “constant force” escapements, Breguet today harnessed the power of permanent magnets and unique teeth geometry to built a genuinely friction-less, constant torque escapement. In fact, the new escapement appears to be the only truly frictionless and constant force escapement on the market today. Magnets have been employed in escapements in the past, but this approach was historically unreliable. Breguet appears to have discovered the right formula for a magnetic escapement. Several functioning prototypes were on show at the launch event. Moreover, Breguet chief executive Gregory Kissling explained that the ma...
Fratello
Breguet continues to surprise us in its 250th year. In the spirit of the brand’s name-giver, it now presents a world first. Breguet has utilized magnets to create the first 10Hz tourbillon with a magnetic escapement, which delivers constant force to the balance, and has incorporated it into the Expérimentale 1. This fast-beating tourbillon in […] Visit Breaking News: Breguet Creates The First Contact-Free Escapement By Using Magnets to read the full article.
Fratello
Just one year ago, I was introduced to Lederer watches. The brand, founded by Bernhard Lederer, creates incredible movements with complex mechanisms. Constant-force escapements and twin gear trains are some of the impressive details. Last year, I fell in love with the Triple Certified Observatory Chronometer, a set of 44mm watches that had traveled to […] Visit Hands-On With The New Lederer CIC 39 Longitude to read the full article.
Hodinkee
The fourth installment of the brand's constant force showcase comes with a brand new dial execution.
Quill & Pad
Naissance d’une Montre 3 by Ferdinand Berthoud is a series of 11 completely hand crafted watches powered by a unique combination of a split bimetallic temperature-compensated Guillaume-type balance wheel and a constant-force fusee-and-chain transmission system.
Monochrome
When A. Lange & Söhne first revealed the Zeitwerk in 2009, it marked a bold break from convention. A high-end Saxon watch that abandoned the familiar hands-on-dial format in favour of a purely mechanical digital time display, large jumping numerals for the hours and minutes, powered by an ingenious constant-force escapement. Since its introduction, the […]
SJX Watches
A. Lange & Söhne refreshes its arguably most avant-garde collection with the Zeitwerk Date in pink gold matched with a dark grey dial. The new Zeitwerk Date joins the existing model in white gold as a regular production model, and retains the L043.8 movement featuring the signature digital time display driven by a constant force mechanism. The Zeitwerk Date is one of Lange’s simplest watches in terms of information displayed – just the time and date – but stands out as one of the brand’s most technically complex creations. Despite the low volume of production and esoteric mechanics, the Zeitwerk is also one of Lange’s most iconic models, alongside the Lange 1 and Datograph, thanks to its striking design that departs from the usual aesthetics of the normally staid brand. Initial Thoughts While the original Zeitwerk Date in white gold was the first of the second-generation Zeitwerk, bringing with it sweeping changes to the Zeitwerk movement, the new model is stylistic variation that serves to fill a gap in the collection. It offers more choice (actually just a binary choice) for someone looking for a Zeitwerk that is more complex than the base model, but not ready to go all the way to the Zeitwerk Minute Repeater that costs five times as much. The original Zeitwerk Date was a good, perhaps even great, watch inside and out, and this is too – though it could probably could have come a little sooner. It’s still a large watch, but the bulk is easy to justify consi...
SJX Watches
Ulysse Nardin presents a surprisingly striking new version of its most forward-thinking tourbillon, the Blast Free Wheel Maillechort. An interesting blend of classic finishing and bold, three-dimensional architecture, the limited edition piece is unlike the generally future-forward aesthetic pushed by Ulysse Nardin in recent years. The latest Blast Free Wheel retains the novel movement construction with elevated moving parts and a constant force mechanism integrated inside the tourbillon, but now set against a traditional, grained plate in maillechort, or German silver. Initial thoughts The Free Wheel is a long established collection, having been rolled out in several case styles over time, but this new incarnation is arguably the best one yet. The Le Locle-based brand is known for its overall loud designs and its tendency to push a very modernist look, so the old-school approach with maillechort is unexpected but appealing. The Blast Free Wheel still retains a somewhat loud case design, but the modernism here is more restrained and the futuristic movement is toned down by its finishing. As the name suggests, the main point is maillechort, a brass alloy better known as German silver. Long employed in historical watches, the material is usually associated with classic timepieces from the likes of A. Lange & Söhne or artisanal watchmakers, but here it compliments the avant-garde movement well. The soft silver-grey hue of the German silver serves as an excellent backdrop for...
Worn & Wound
2022: the Kodo constant force tourbillon. 2023: the Tentagraph hi-beat mechanical chronograph. 2024: the 9SA4 manual wound, hi-beat, dual-impulse escapement caliber, and Kodo Daybreak. It’s easy to forget that Grand Seiko has brought the proverbial heat to Watches & Wonders every year since the fair started, unveiling something that one could call “revolutionary” for the brand, if on varying scales. Well, it’s looking like 2025 will continue the trend with the introduction of Spring Drive Caliber 9RB2, the first caliber with U.F.A., or Ultra Fine Accuracy, designation. Before proceeding, there are two important concepts to understand: Spring Drive and Grand Seiko’s history with acronyms (which, if you know, feel free to jump two paragraphs ahead). Starting with the former, the elevator pitch, which I will take from our article dedicated to the topic is “Spring Drive combines the best of mechanical watchmaking and the best of quartz timekeeping to create a state-of-the-art caliber that lacks the weaknesses inherent to both of these movements.” A bit deeper, Spring Drive movements use the energy stored in a traditional mainspring to drive their proprietary “Tri-synchro” regulator, which replaces the classic lever escapement. It consists of a glide wheel, the rate of which is controlled by an electromagnetic brake, and is essentially regulated by an integrated circuit with a quartz oscillator. The result is a mechanical movement with quartz-like accuracy and...
Worn & Wound
The Grand Seiko Kodo Constant-Force Tourbillon was such a hit that they decided to make a sequel. Okay, that’s not totally accurate. 2022’s unexpected breakout watch did get a new version just two years later, but rather than a sequel, it’s more of a redux-a different take on the same story. A director’s cut? For those who need a recap, however, the Grand Seiko Kodo Constant-Force Tourbillon was nothing short of complete and utter shock when first unveiled, even though there had already been a teaser trailer (I’m going to try to keep this movie thing up) in the form the T0 concept movement. While known for its finishing, spring drive, and high-beat movements, Grand Seiko was not considered a manufacturer of high-end complications. As such, even though it was a concept movement, the T0, which unveiled a novel constant-force tourbillon, took everyone by surprise. When Grand Seiko then unveiled the Kodo just a short while later, which included a refined and manufacturable version (if on a small scale) of the same complication within a skeletonized and highly finished movement on par with any haute Swiss brand, it announced that Grand Seiko was ready to play on a different level. A few years later, the Kodo, though sold out, is still being assembled via a team of three specialized watchmakers within Grand Seiko Atelier Ginza studio. Back to the present. Light and shadow are pervasive themes in Grand Seiko’s design. Alongside nature, they are at the core of their ...
Quill & Pad
A. Lange & Söhne flagship Richard Lange model is the Tourbillon Pour le Mérite (TPLM). It features fusée-and-chain constant force, a tourbillon regulator, and a power reserve indicator. And the hand finishing is superb!
Time+Tide
During our visit to Geneva Watch Days 2023, we got to experience some of the craziest watches of the year. Carbon cases, constant force escapements, fluid displays and more from brands like Bulgari, Czapek and Girard-Perregaux all make the list, serving as a total opposite to the numerous stealth wealth pieces that featured during the … ContinuedThe post The craziest watches from Geneva Watch Days 2023 appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
Grand Seiko Tentagraph SLGC001 marks the first-ever fully mechanical chronograph from GS Tentagraph stands for TEN beats per second, Three days, Automatic chronoGRAPH New 9SC5 calibre built upon Grand Seiko’s 9SA5 calibre At last year’s Watches & Wonders, the Grand Seiko “Kodo” SLGT003 Constant Force Tourbillon was irrefutably among the top, if not the top, … ContinuedThe post The Grand Seiko Tentagraph SLGC001 – the first fully mechanical chronograph movement from GS appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
Grand Seiko made a big splash at last year’s Watches & Wonders with the launch of the Kodo Constant-Force Tourbillon, the brand’s first complicated mechanical wristwatch. For 2023, the brand is back with another first-time complication that will likely be one of the most talked-about watches of the show, the Grand Seiko Tentagraph SLGC001. The first purely mechanical Grand Seiko chronograph ever, the Tentagraph is a high-spec sports chronograph that fills a hole in the Grand Seiko portfolio. “Tentagraph” is a portmanteau of the four key features of the watch: TEN beats per second, Three-day power reserve, Automatic winding, and of course, the chronoGRAPH. Initial thoughts The Tentagraph is an important watch for Grand Seiko that enables the brand to stand toe to toe with Rolex, Omega, Zenith, Breitling, and other stalwarts in the popular category of mechanical sports chronograph. Not only is the category a hitherto untapped commercial opportunity for Grand Seiko, it is an opportunity for the brand to demonstrate its technical know-how and ambition. In this context, I would have expected the brand to release an integrated chronograph movement, perhaps based on the 6S movement family. But Grand Seiko has chosen to build a modular chronograph calibre based on the 9SA5, the flagship Grand Seiko automatic movement introduced in 2020, signalling the brand’s commitment to the calibre and its proprietary Dual Impulse Escapement. My colleague Richard Lee notes that the 9S...
SJX Watches
Admired for its quality of engineering and finishing, A. Lange & Söhne is bringing Glashütte to Asia with a pair of exhibitions in Singapore and Hong Kong. The events will showcase the brand’s watches – including important historical models no longer in the catalogue like the Zeitwerk Luminous – as well as the brand’s most important complications like the constant-force mechanism. The Mechanical Masters takes place from October 27-30 in Singapore (sign up here), while Devoted to the Highest Standards in Hong Kong happens from October 25-31 in Hong Kong (sign up here). At the Singapore event, Lange’s technical excellence will be personified with live demonstrations of watchmaking, engraving, and other crafts required to complete a watch. The four-day event in Singapore will be fronted by two gentlemen from Glashütte: Robert Hoffmann, the chief watchmaker for the Zeitwerk department, and Robert Arnold, an artisan-engraver who will demonstrate the art of engraving the balance cock. A familiar face for anyone who’s attended past Lange events, Robert Hoffmann Event information Both events are open to the public, however, registration is required to attend. Singapore – The Mechanical Masters – 10:00 am-9:00 pm, October 27-30 ION Orchard 2 Orchard Turn Singapore 238801 Register for the Singapore event Hong Kong – Devoted to the Highest Standards – 10:00 am-7:30 pm, October 25-31 Landmark Atrium 15 Queen’s Road Central Central Hong Kong Regist...
Quill & Pad
Five of the six watches in this Tourbillon category are either openworked or dial-less, so their visuals are not dissimilar. Five of the six are also one-minute tourbillons. One-half of the finalists have flying tourbillons, while another boasts a cylindrical tourbillon, and yet another has a constant-force tourbillon. How will our panel ever choose a winner?
Time+Tide
This past Watches & Wonders in Geneva, Grand Seiko dropped a ton of really cool novelties. There was the Evolution 9 chronographs and GMTs, the white lion high jewellery piece and, of course, the Kodo Constant-force Tourbillon. But that first wave of releases wasn’t enough for the Japanese manufacture. While not technically Watches and Wonders … ContinuedThe post VIDEO: Hands-on with the Grand Seiko SBGW283, SBGW285 and SBGE277 appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
Our latest video is courtesy of the Grand Seiko novelties which caused a pretty big stir amongst the team and wider watch community with the release of the Kodo Constant Force Tourbillon. Grand Seiko has decided to only make 20 of what is their most complicated piece yet. The boys also delve deep into the … ContinuedThe post VIDEO: Zach & Ricardo react to the Grand Seiko novelties (spoiler alert: they’re pretty excited…) appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Quill & Pad
What a diverse bunch of tourbillons in this Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève category: two of them are beautifully transparent, while one of them is combined with a chronograph. Yet another contains a constant-force device, while one example here can be flipped around. And, finally, the sixth is involved in a space war. Oh, to choose a winner!
Quill & Pad
Joshua Munchow highlights five pieces from some of our favorite independent brands that have just been released at Watches & Wonders 2021. From sapphire crystal-encased tourbillons and constant force fusée-and-chain-powered movements to stunning art pieces, these watches span genres and the spectrum of collector dreams.
SJX Watches
Grand Seiko has progressively introduced a diverse line up of watches to mark its 60th anniversary, ranging from a remake of the vintage 3180 to the heavily jewelled 8 Days to the T0 Constant Force Tourbillon, while also opening the Grand Seiko Studio Shizukuishi production facility. Now the brand has finally reached the last of it anniversary watches with the Grand Seiko 60th Anniversary Caliber 9SA5 Hi-Beat 36000 80 Hours SLGH003. Although the 60th anniversary watches are numerous, the most significant was the Hi-Beat 80 Hours SLGH002, which was powered by the newly-developed 9SA5, the first of a new generation of movements that will underpin the Grand Seiko collection. The SLGH002 was available only in 18k yellow gold and correspondingly pricey, but now the movement is available in the all-steel SLGH003. Initial thoughts From the perspective of being a more affordable version of the yellow-gold SLGH002, the SLGH003 is appealing. It’s still an expensive watch – the retail price is US$9,700 – but a lot less than the US$43,000 of the gold model. But from the perspective of it being one of several anniversary editions, many of which share the same dial colour, it is less appealing. That is especially so given that the 9SA5 movement will inevitably be made available in regular-production models that will probably cost a bit less. So if the colour and design is a big draw, then the SLGH003 is a buy. If not, just wait for the next one. Anniversary livery The SLGH003 h...
Hodinkee
The most obsessive exercise in constant force ever to come down the pike.
Deployant
Bernhard Lederer introduces a new Central Impulse Chronometer using a natural escapement with two 10-second constant-force mechanisms.
Hodinkee
A closer look at the brand's constant force escapement.
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